How Perfect Is That by Sarah Bird - Book review

How Perfect Is That

By: Sarah Bird

Published: July 7, 2009
Format: Trade Paperback, 336 pages
ISBN-10: 143912308X
ISBN-13: 9781439123089
Publisher: Simon & Schuster





Blythe Young, recently divorced from a scion of one of the wealthiest society families in Austin Texas, is broke and has only her wits, and her amoral character to make her way in the world. In her wildly satirical romp through Austin, Texas, best selling author Sarah Bird takes the reader from the highest levels of wealth to the life of the homeless, in her hilarious novel How Perfect Is That. As Blythe Young reels from humiliation to disaster and back again, her determination to succeed echoes the conniving, yet sympathetic social climbing Becky Sharp in Thackeray's classic Vanity Fair.

Sarah Bird provides a novel that can be read on several levels. One obvious reading is the delicious and wickedly funny satire of the upper classes of Austin, Texas and their lives and politics. The author skewers the men as philandering and obsessed with money, status, and the right political connections. The women, much more visible in the novel, understand the obsessions of the society men, and as result, the women are consumed by issues of designer clothing and houses, being seen at the right parties, and their weight. Indeed, weight as in body fat and weight as in the burden of conscience are important themes in the book.



Sarah Bird (photo left) takes the reader into a deeper meaning as well. Blythe Young, in her short marriage, rose almost to the pinnacle of Austin society. When her marriage ended, she was cast out of her heaven, in a Lone Star version of Milton's Paradise Lost. Her sole mission was to regain what she believed her rightful place in society. Her attempts to hang on to that version of heaven were unsuccessful as she moved from one self made disaster to the next. Her past closes in on her, and Blythe runs out of scams, temporarily. One step ahead of the IRS and the law, she turns to her one true but ignored friend Millie.

Through more of Blythe's using of others, she narrowly escapes being cast out again. Instead, she seeks redemption through the Christ like Millie, and seeks to find a new, and more lasting heaven. The parallel to Paradise Lost becomes more firmly established as Blythe attempts to connive her way back to ruling in her society heaven. In its place, Millie offers an alternative to ruling in hell. She offers creating heaven on Earth, and helping others instead of using people for personal gain. Blythe faces her personal demons, and continues her pilgrimage to self discovery.

I highly recommend the rollicking How Perfect Is That by Sarah Bird, to anyone seeking a hilarious satire that bites to the core of Austin's society. The author's turn of phrase and scathing wit provide an insightful and subversive view of society at all levels, and politics both public and personal. The Becky Sharp type character of Blythe Young is well drawn, lack of a moral compass and all. Her misadventures propel the story forward.

Read the satirical and laugh filled How Perfect Is That by Sarah Bird, and you will want to add Blythe Young to your personal list of most fascinating literary characters.

Tags: How Perfect Is Tha, Sarah Bird, satirical movels, fiction book reviews.

The Pursuit Of Something Better by Dave Esler & Myra Kruger - Book review

The Pursuit of Something Better

How an Underdog Company Defied the Odds, Won Customers' Hearts, and Grew It's Employees into Better People

By: Dave Esler, Myra Kruger

Published: 2nd edition, August 1, 2009
Format: Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN-10: 0982443706
ISBN-13: 978-0982443705
Publisher: New Ridge Books




"Most business leaders understand the importance of aligning corporate culture with business strategy", write Esler Kruger Associates partners Dave Esler and Myra Kruger in their insightful and visionary book The Pursuit of Something Better: How an Underdog Company Defied the Odds, Won Customers' Hearts, and Grew It's Employees into Better People. While most businesses understand the importance, write the authors, very often the reality of the company and its culture are very different.

Dave Esler and Myra Kruger understand the value of values in the company culture. Whether those values are leadership that inspires and motivates the employees, maintaining strong ethical principles, or always doing the right thing for the employees and customers, doing something better is also good business. The authors share the powerful case study of mid-sized telecommunications company U.S. Cellular, and its visionary CEO Jack Rooney, as a real world example of the alignment of company culture with solid business strategy. The result was a growing company, of happy and motivated employees, and loyal and satisfied customers.

Myra Kruger and Dave Esler describe what they call the Dynamic Organization that considers ethical corporate culture to be part of the business strategy. In essence, the culture is the business. The two are inseparable. In many failed companies, ethics and empowered employee culture that does the right thing, is entirely separate from the business strategy. As a result, the business strategy never achieves its desired goals, employees become unmotivated, and customers defect to other vendors. In the Dynamic Organization, as demonstrated by the authors and the U.S. Cellular case study, the unity of culture and strategy into an indivisible whole, is the key to success in every aspect of the company.

For me, the power of the book was the clear demonstration that ethical business practices, and doing the right thing for employees and customers, results in a more profitable company. The authors provide a powerful case for an organization doing the right thing, as part of a holistic business strategy, backed up by strong case studies of their concepts in action. The key example of U.S. Cellular, and its dynamic CEO Jack Rooney, form a convincing real world backdrop, for the ethical and empowering business principles outlined by authors Dave Esler and Myra Kruger. The recommendations for business building should be required reading for any business executive in companies of every size and in any industry.

I highly recommend the inspirational and must read book The Pursuit of Something Better: How an Underdog Company Defied the Odds, Won Customers' Hearts, and Grew It's Employees into Better People by Dave Esler and Myra Kruger, to any business person seeking to create a profitable company that is based on doing the right thing. The authors prove that ethical business practices, with employees empowered to do the right thing for customers, suppliers, and one another are not only developers of strong company morale, but are also keys to building a growing and profitable company.

Read the uplifting and corporate culture transforming book The Pursuit of Something Better: How an Underdog Company Defied the Odds, Won Customers' Hearts, and Grew It's Employees into Better People by Dave Esler and Myra Kruger, and start building a company based on doing the right thing. Not only is an ethical and empowering organization more profitable, but it's a more dynamic and exciting place to work. The authors show convincingly, how doing the right thing is the best business practice.

Tags: The Pursuit of Something Better: How an Underdog Company Defied the Odds, Won Customers' Hearts, and Grew It's Employees into Better People, Dave Esler, Myra Kruger, ethical business culture, business book reviews.

Bob Johansen: Leaders Make The Future - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Futurist, Distinguished Fellow with the Institute for the Future, and author of the visionary book Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Bob Johansen , describes how leaders must adapt from the chaotic world of today to the uncertain, but challenging world of tomorrow. He discusses the importance of understanding the technological, economic, societal and environmental trends and how recognizing them is not only the key to success but survival. He shares how leaders must develop new skills to meet the challenges of the future.

Bob Johansen is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, July 7, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Futurist, Fellow with the Institute for the Future, and author of the visionary book Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Bob Johansen , describes how leaders must adapt from the chaotic world of today to the uncertain, but challenging world of tomorrow. You will learn:

* Why leaders must study the future to become better leaders today

* Why the old reliable leadership skills won't work in the future

* How to turn unsolvable dilemmas into opportunities

* How to meet the challenges of the future and be a positive change maker



Bob Johansen (photo left) has worked for more than 30 years as a forecaster, exploring the human side of new technologies. He has a deep interest in the future of religion and its impact on business, society, and individuals. Bob works mainly with senior corporate executives across a wide range of industries. He has rich experience in presenting the Institute for the Future foresight and then drawing out insights-inputs to strategy-and-action steps. Bob is the author of eight books.

My book review of Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World by Bob Johansen.

Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with futurist, Distinguished Fellow with the Institute for the Future, and author of the visionary book Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Bob Johansen , as he describes how leaders must adapt from the chaotic world of today to the uncertain, but challenging world of tomorrow. He discusses the importance of understanding the technological, economic, societal and environmental trends and how recognizing them is not only the key to success but survival. He shares how leaders must develop new skills to meet the challenges of the future on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Bob Johansen, future leadership skills, Blog Business Success, BlogTalkRadio.

Leaders Make The Future by Bob Johansen - Book review

Leaders Make the Future

Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World

By: Bob Johansen

Published: May 2009
Format: Hardcover, 194 pages
ISBN-13: 9781605090023
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers




"My goal is to help leaders make the future a better place in which to live", writes futurist and Fellow with the Institute for the Future, Bob Johansen in his visionary book Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World. The author describes the vital new skills, that leaders must learn, to meet the challenge that their organizations, our society, and the world will face in the future.

Bob Johansen understands that the change is happening very quickly in the world around us. Whether at the level of the business or non-profit organization, a community, or on a global scale, new leadership skills are essential to avoid being swept aside in the many transformations taking place around us. The old leadership techniques will no longer be effective to move organizations forward in the rapidly changing business, societal, and political landscapes. The author points out that leaders can only make sense of the present if they examine and listen for the challenges presented by a very different future.



Bob Johansen (photo left) recognizes that change will also present new, and seemingly unsolvable problems. Indeed, those problems are beyond the ability of many traditional leadership skill sets. Future leaders will not only need their can do attitude, but must also have can make skills to rebuild and remodel their organizations and communities to meed changing needs and circumstances. The author suggests that many current leaders are not listening to the changes as the future draws closer, and are even in denial that the current order is in transition to a new, and different world. The author forecasts that what was regarded as stability, and a familiar set of rules, are about to be changed forever. Failure to address the future will lead to failure of the organization and of the community as a whole.

For me, the power of the book is the author's understanding that the world around us is changing very rapidly in all areas. Bob Johansen recognizes that no one can predict the future, but through careful examination of current trends, that reasonable forecasts of future events is possible. Because the future will be so different from today, and with an entirely new set of problems facing leaders at all levels, a new set of leadership skills must be learned now. The author describes those new leadership skills in detail, and shares ideas about how a leader won't have to simply react to change, but can be a positive change agent for the betterment of the organization, the community, and the world as a whole.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and insightful book Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World by Bob Johansen, to any leaders who seek to be positive change agents within their ever evolving organizations and communities. The leadership skills outlined in the book can be the difference between meeting the future head on in a positive way, or falling by the wayside, as the world passes the outdated leadership behind.

Read the essential guide Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World by Bob Johansen, and learn the ten new leadership skills that help a leader meet the future successfully. Discover how studying the future can build better leaders for the present. The future is coming, and smart leaders must be prepared for its myriad of problems and challenges.

Tags: Leaders Make the Future: Ten New Leadership Skills for an Uncertain World, Bob Johansen, future leadership skills, business book reviews.

The She Spot by Lisa Whitter & Lisa Chen - Book review

The She Spot

Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- and How to Reach Them

By: Lisa Witter, Lisa Chen

Published: June 1, 2008
ISBN: 9781576754726
Format: Hardcover, 187pp
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers




"Women are not a niche audience. They are the audience." write marketing experts and social activists Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen, in their important and groundbreaking book The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- and How to Reach Them. The authors demonstrate the vital importance of empowering women as the key to political campaign and non-profit organizational success.




Lisa Witter (photo left) and Lisa Chen, as top executives with socially conscious Fenton Communications, understand the key role that women play in social change and in building cooperative efforts to achieve their goals. As a result of their experience in the political arena and in charitable organization, the authors bring their considerable experience to their must read book. They shatter long held ideas about why women, as well as men, work toward important societal change. Women, through their natural empathy and connecting skills, are the crucial driving force for improving the lives of others and themselves.



Lisa Chen (photo left) and Lisa Witter turn business marketing concepts aimed at women upside down, and recharge them with a social conscience and political activism. The empowerment of women for political and social causes, transforms women from simply seen as consumers, to being the focal point of societal change. The authors recognize that women volunteer time and money to achieving larger goals than men. By helping women connect with others who share their concern for social issues, non-profit organizations and political groups will gain a powerful force for change.

For me, the power of the book is the recognition of the primary importance of women for creating positive societal improvement. The authors zero in on women as connectors who share ideas, and on the ability of women to empathize with others. As a result, women form the cornerstone for change, whether on a local, national, or global scale. The book is formatted into three sections that focus on understanding the she spot, hitting the she spot, and finding the she spot. Each part of the book deepens the reader's understanding of the topic through case studies, combined with the authors' extensive experience in the public sector.

I highly recommend The She Spot:Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- and How to Reach Them by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen, to anyone in the political or non-profit sectors seeking to add the dynamism of women to their organization. Women are the strength behind societal change, and this book teaches how to recognize and cultivate the female force for any good cause.

Read The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World -- and How to Reach Them by Lisa Witter and Lisa Chen, and discover how the she spot is the sweet spot for empowerment, not only of women, but for all of society. Women are powerful forces of change, whose loyalty and commitment can change the world, making it a better place for everyone, regardless of gender or age.

* Publishing Note:

This book review first appeared at Our Love Affair With Books at Rosa Say's wonderful blog Joyful Jubilant Learning.

Tags: The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World and How to Reach Them, Lisa Witter, Lisa Chen, empowering women for social change, book reviews.

Penny Sansevieri: Red Hot Internet Publicity - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Book publicist, entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and author of a newly revised edition of her definitive guide to internet book marketing Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Penny C. Sansevieri, shares insider secrets for marketing and selling more books than you ever dreamed possible, by leveraging the power of the internet. She describes proven techniques for marketing books that any author or publisher can utilize to increase sales. Whether it's websites, blogs, forums or social media, Penny Sansevieri has proven time saving and money making methods for internet book selling success.

Penny Sansevieri is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on Blog Talk Radio.

The show airs live on Thursday, July 2, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Book publicist, entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and author of a newly revised edition of her definitive guide to internet book marketing Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Penny C. Sansevieri, shares insider secrets for marketing and selling more books than you ever dreamed possible, by leveraging the power of the internet. You will learn:

* How authors can leverage the power of the internet for marketing

* The power of social media for connecting and building trust with readers

* How to create a powerful author website with plenty of inbound traffic

* The secrets to more effective virtual blog tours and events



Penny C. Sansevieri (photo left) is CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., a best-selling author, and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns. She is the author of five books, including Book to Bestseller which has been called the "road map to publishing success." AME is the first marketing and publicity firm to use Internet promotion to its full impact through The Virtual Author Tour™, which strategically works with message boards, blogs, ezines, and relevant sites to push an authors message into the virtual community and connect with sites related to the book's topic, positioning the author in his or her market.

Penny blogs at AME Blog.

Penny hosts the popular BlogTalkRadio show The Publishing Insiders

My book review of Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet by Penny C. Sansevieri.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with Book publicist, entrepreneur, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., and author of a newly revised edition of her definitive guide to internet book marketing Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Penny C. Sansevieri, as she shares insider secrets for marketing and selling more books than you ever dreamed possible, by leveraging the power of the internet. She describes proven techniques for marketing books that any author or publisher can utilize to increase sales. Whether it's websites, blogs, forums or social media, Penny Sansevieri has proven time saving and money making methods for internet book selling success on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Penny C. Sansevieri, internet book promotion, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

Red Hot Internet Publicity by Penny Sansevieri - Book review

Red Hot Internet Publicity

An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet

By: Penny C. Sansevieri

Published: June 2009
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
ISBN: 9781605207247
Publisher: Cosimo Books





"The idea, in my opinion, of internet publicity isn't just publicizing yourself on the Net, it's getting into peer groups that have solid, focused messages that match yours". writes internet publicity expert Penny Sansevieri in her newly revised edition of her definitive guide to internet book marketing Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet. The author shares her years of internet publicity experience and innovative ideas, in this must read book, for any author who is serious about leveraging the power of the internet to market and sell books.

Penny Sansevieri, as creator of the ubiquitous and highly successful blog book tour concept, understands internet book publicity and marketing. Her ideas for selling books on the internet are not only free, but get real, tangible results. The techniques presented in the book are not theories. They are proven methods that propel book sales to very high levels, including the top positions on all of the leading best seller lists. The internet is the single most powerful marketing tool available to authors today. Whether an author is self published, working with an independent publisher, or contracted to a major New York publishing house, using online marketing and publicity to stand out from a crowded publishing landscape is essential.



Penny C. Sansevieri (photo left) recognizes the ever evolving nature of the internet, and in this new revision of her powerful book, she adds sections on social media including Twitter, Facebook, Second Life, and YouTube. She also expands on the proven relationship building power of websites. blogs and podcasts. Indeed, as blogging and podcasting have entered the internet mainstream, their importance for book marketing and publicity have grown exponentially. At the same time, Penny Sansevieri describes even more time tested ways to gain even more value from virtual blog events, and from the internet in general.

For me, the power of the book is the author's emphasis on the importance of employing the connective and relationship building nature of the internet. With the incredible volume pf books being published every day, an author must create visibility or be lost in the ever deeper sea of published works. Penny Sansevieri provides the vital map, for navigating and discovering the many treasures available, to an author utilizing the internet effectively. The author knows instinctively that the road to true internet success is through building trust through relationship building. The many internet tools for engaging others, including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, are ever growing in number and effectiveness. The author teaches their proper use. for building deep personal connections with others.

I highly recommend the landmark book on internet marketing and publicity Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet by Penny C. Sansevieri, to any author, publicist, or publisher seeking to expand their visibility on the internet. Learning to build connections with and engaging readers is the key to successful internet marketing, and this book provides the tools for developing those personal relationships.

Read the essential internet guide Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet by Penny C. Sansevieri, and unlock the secrets to standing out from the crowd in what can be an overwhelming volume of published books. With an internet marketing message lasting forever on the internet. it's critical to become part of the ongoing internet conversation. This book is the key to the door to internet publicity success.

Tags: Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider's Guide to Promoting Your Book on the Internet, Penny C. Sansevieri, internet book promotion, business book reviews.