"Go from 0 to 100 miles an hour and jump to the head of the pack with Debra Amidon's The Innovation Superhighway. Part history, part who's who, part encyclopedia, this fast paced book is packed full of some of the latest thinking and stories of the best thinkers. It is a must read for anyone who wants to take the accelerated route to the future in innovation. Debra Amidon's new book is a keeper."

This book opens your eyes on many important questions and guides you through the world of people that may have the answers.
It's not a simple 10-step guide to success in your business, but a wise, well-researched analysis of the current trends in business and society. Really a must for leaders of today and tomorrow. Fascinating lecture!

Debra Amidon has long been recognized as a visionary in the Knowledge Strategy world and was one of the first to recognize the role that KM would play in enabling Innovation as a fundamental part of any business. She has since been a stalwart on the conference circuit, educating major corporations and major governments around the world on the necessity of Innovation (or "knowledge in action" as she sometimes likes to put it) and how to do it right. With her latest book, she not only traces back through the history of KM & Innovation, she also puts out her latest thoughts on the process of Innovation - "...the creation, evolution, and commercialization of new ideas into products and services..".

Unlike other authors, Debra looks at the Innovation process not just from a corporate standpoint, but also from a government standpoint giving us case studies, stories, and insights into the importance of Knowledge and Innovation at the Macro level. With this kind of change in viewpoint levels, it's obvious that this won't be of relevance to everyone from cover to cover - however, selective reading of the chapters that relate to your level and to your interests will not disappoint, and for anyone approaching the Innovation process from a KM standpoint, this book should be considered a must-read reference to understand the process intimately.

Highly recommended...

This was the first Bruce Spizer book that I had bought. It is an amazingly enjoybale piece of work to behold. The thoroughness of the man is never in question and the quality of the book puts many others to shame. The label reproductions are wonderful and helpful if you've bought the original US singles. I've since determined that I've probably picked up a couple of fake Beatles 45's along with the bunch of many originals that I acquired a few years back. Buyer beware but that's luck of the draw I suppose and I'll have to search out original equivalents of those forgeries. This book serves so many useful purposes apart from being entertaining and authorative. Now experienced and would-be collectors can purchase originals better educated than before. Overall the quality is superb and Mr. Spizer's books sit in the same class as those of Mark Lewisohn's "Complete Beatles Chronicle" & "Abbey Road" books as well as the massive "Beatles Anthology" tome. While each part stands alone quite well you must buy Part 2 to complete the set as they complemment each other beautifully. I thoroughly recommend these books to any Beatles fan and lovers of Rock Music books.

I'll make it short and sweet-if your ANY kind of collector of beatles records, then this book is a ABSOLUTE must! As great as the VJ book that was done earlier, this is a MUST HAVE!!!

If you have any interest at all in The Beatles' American issues, this book is the last word on the 45 rpm singles that changed the way music is packaged, marketed, enjoyed and celebrated. Bruce Spizer takes you on a chronological journey from late 1963 to mid 1968 with a detailed account of how and why Capitol Records packaged their Beatles releases for the US market.

There are many people, who are beginning to discover, collect, and appreciate vintage vinyl and The Beatles' issues are undeniably among the primary treasures. However, since the issuance of only the British catalog titles on compact disc, there has not been a resource available to explain the vintage US releases to collectors, let alone dealers. Numerous rumors, counterfeits, bootleg CDs and other pitfalls have been observed in shops, yard-sales, trading floors and auction houses where records can be found, flooding the market with misinformation and ambiguous facts.

This book, and its counterpart, present itemized and detailed information that is practical in style and rich with color illustrations of labels, sleeves, promotional materials and memoranda. For the very first time, in one publication, anyone can see firsthand what made these records so significant and fun! It is a very easy and enjoyable read from cover to cover and it's also broken into useful sections for brief research.

For all the criticisms that have been made about the Capitol releases, much of which has come from The Beatles themselves, these records were the way millions of Americans had initially discovered the "Fab Four" and a certain amount of that magic can be found in the way the music was graphically presented, remixed and issued. This book provides a thorough and highly competent segmental analysis of a cultural phenomenon that still influences generations.

Tom Gillis has written half of the entrepreneur's bible. This book provides great practical advice to students who are embarking on entrepreneurial careers. My students love it. The other text I use in teaching entrepreneurship focuses on business law. Together with Tom's book, they form a "must-have" set of references for every entrepreneur.

As a founder of a two-year old business, I also found many valuable insights in this book. The reader gets the sense that Tom Gillis has gone through so many experiences that have relevance to all growing companies. Since the book is organized by topics, it's very easy to pick out the pieces of information that are most timely.

Gillis points out the hazards, signposts, and often unheralded milestones one will encounter as the business goes through the idea stage, survival stage, and into the growth stage. The second section is literally an alphabetically organized encyclopedia of business topics, ranging from "Accountants - Selecting Yours" to "Zero-base Budgeting," and everything you could imagine in between. On page after page, Gillis offers clear and concise answers to most of the problems an entrepreneur faces as a dream is turned into reality. Some of the entries were a bit dry for my taste. Reading Tom's book is like sitting across a coffee table from a very astute friend, listening as he gives you advice borne of hard-won wisdom.

Faith is known as a powerful force to enable one to overcome emotional and psychological barriers that would deny their humanity. Jarvis Masters shares with us his spiritual transformation in a setting that is life denying. His poignant stories gives one insight on the culture of prison life on death row.

Of particular interest is Jarvis himself. He is an incarcerated Black man whose embracing of Vyrayana Buddhism has enabled him to move beyond the violence of prison life. Usually American Buddhism is associated with a white intellectual elite group which appears to ignore the sufferings of those incarcerated. Islam has been known as the religion of choice for jailed Black men while Christianity has provided religious solace and comfort to those imprisoned.

Buddha's visit to death row and Jarvis offers a new view of Buddhism. It has broken through its chains of exclusivisity and has offered those who are incarcerated the hope of finding freedom in the worst of circumstances. Jarvis' sharing of his practice of Buddhism is a testament to the great power of a faith to make a difference in one's life. This is a book to be read by all people interested in the transformative power of religion in today's prisons.

In Finding Freedom, author and San Quentin death-row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters compiles a heart-wrenching, funny, and sometimes profane series of anecdotal essays which might make for a simple read were it not for the author's spiritual transformation. If you are looking for a treatise for or against capital punishment or the values or demerits of prison reform, this is not the book for you. Instead, Masters portrays his prison life plainly, and without posturing, religious "one-upmanship", or political commentary. Instead, he tells of his own day-to-day existence and that of his fellow prisoners without the judgment most of us would inject were we in his position. Despair and his probable death are interwoven subtly, but seemingly without guile. His chronicle of improbable transformation from criminal to Buddhist practitioner is applicable to anyone struggling to find a spiritual homestead, and makes the book easy to relate to whether or not the reader shares a similar background with the author. Without explicitly making the intention known, he teaches us all that we are prisoners behind walls of our own erection, and that the only way to escape our prison is to look within.

Not your everyday prisoner's memoir! Jarvis Masters' stories from the "belly of the beast" are well-observed, written with a lot of flair, and often hilariously funny. He has spent a third of his life on death row, yet somehow finds the strength and spirit to grow beyond those walls with his mind and heart, through his life and the stories he shares with us. A truly inspiring book -- I bought it for several of my friends, and they are telling me that they have been distributing it around their own circle. This is not a political book nor an anti-death penalty manifesto, yet it makes its case quietly and simply through the personality of the writer. I can't see how anyone could read it and still be convinced that this man (who didn't kill anyone) deserves to be put to death by the State of California.

Your strategic planning must incorporate the people who work for you, says author Edward L. Gubman in a book that gets high marks for its easy, bullet-point organization, but scores in the middle of the curve in terms of originality. Grubman preaches that you must create a strategic alliance between your company’s mission and competencies and the people who work there. Then, he describes how to motivate and involve people, and finally how to assess their performance. He uses research examples and starts each chapter with a bullet-point summary of key information. The book includes questions to ask yourself, and many useful charts and summary lists. However, the theoretical discussion of how to engage and reward employees seems oddly dry and analytical for a how-to guide on how to motivate and excite people. The areas of job matching, motivation, and assessment have been covered in many other books, but we... recommend Gubman’s authoritative approach to these topics.

THE TALENT SOLUTION is the first book to lead the best companies into the new millenium. Gubman explains how the merger and acquisition strategy of the 80's; and the cost cutting (generally people) tactics of the 90's now needs another change.

Both older strategies need to align a company's talent with the development of their people, and what they love to do, with their eagerness to serve shareholders and increase the value of their investment. What a simple idea! But most senior executives aren't prepared to address the harder job of developing talent...as incomprehensible as it seems, who's going to tackle this necessary task?

Some companies are already in the race that aknowlede today's shortage of talent. Most are not. When we look back on the first years of the coming decade, it will likely be known as the decade of Organizational Effectiveness...in which the companies that attained extraordinary results...accomplished their goals by focusing their talent.

THE TALENT SOLUTION is a must read for any manager, and all CEO's. I would very much like Gubman's team to work with any company I plan to invest in and I hope that his book becomes widely read, but most importantly, I hope managers will have the insight to implement his ideas.

A well thought through book written by a consultant with a vast amount of varied experience. The illustrative brief case studies were most helpful in understanding the thoughts, concepts, ideas and strategies. In a global economy where talent is an increasingly scarce resource, HR practitioners will find the book a very valuable resource to craft, adapt, adjust or align their practices to be more organisation and employee friendly. Mr Gubman strategic perspective of people in terms of organisational development and growth of people is indeed a very commendable effort and very insightful. The "Creating the Talent Solution" at the end of each chapter should provoke readers to critically look at their own organisation with a fresh perspective. It will help you draw a better road map in your talent search!

THIS BOOK WAS A VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND, VERY PLEASANT TO READ OVER-VIEW OF THE CASH FLOW INDUSTRY AND ITS POTENTIAL TO EARN MONEY. ITS WRITTEN IN LANGUAGE THAT ANYONE CAN UNDERSTAND, AND BE ABLE TO APPLY IN THE REAL WORLD. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE BOOK IS ACCURATE, COHESIVE, AND WRITTEN IN SUCH A WAY AS TO BE ENJOYABLE. TIME WELL SPENT. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ANYONE SEEKING A VIABLE, LUCRATIVE CAREER IN THE MONEY BUSINESS, OR ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE ALREADY IN THE BUSINESS WHO WANT TO REFRESH THEMSELVES AND EXPAND THEIR POTENTIAL. A MUST READ!!!

I have read and followed financial, investment and business books for close to 30 years. Many are informative and some are brilliant. This book is one of the latter ones. I've been watching the cash flow industry develop for 10 years now, but this is the first time the entire industry is explained in one book by the founder of it. It's an added bonus that the book is thorough, entertaining, and easy to read.

Cash In On Cash Flow is one of the most clearly written and well organized books that I have ever read on business opportunities or investing. Mr. Pino presents an excellent overview of the entire cash flow industry. At the same time, he explains the initial step-by-step actions required for one to profit from brokering and/or investing in each type of cash flow. This book was written by someone who has learned his subject through practical experience. Mr. Pino also possesses, a sometimes rare gift among authors, the ability to teach others. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the cash flow and discounted paper businesses.

Este libro es muy claro y didactico al tratar el concepto de "capital intelectual" y como la tecnologia de informatica es clave para mantener y aumentar ese capital.

El autor colombiano cubre un tema de inmediata y urgente aplicabilidad en las empresas y señala las características socio-técnicas de los procesos de desarrollo e implantación de tecnología de información. Este libro contiene material de lectura obligada para el nivel superior de toda organización, empresarial o gubernamental, y constituye un aporte importante a la paz en Colombia, donde infortunadamente el atraso en el manejo de la información salta a la vista. La falta de datos ordenados y confiables sobre la demanda y oferta de servicios para 41 millones de colombianos, en su inmenso territorio, impide atender oportunamente sus necesidades y expectativas. El uso generalizado y acertado de la tecnología de información produce riqueza que genera rentabilidad económica en las empresas y rentabilidad social en el conglomerado nacional. El fortalecimiento de la gerencia de la información permite un mejor conocimiento de la realidad y de los retos y oportunidades que ésta ofrece. Todo se mueve gracias a la información y ahora que la tecnología ofrece nuevos y mejorados instrumentos para crear mas riqueza se necesita la intervención decidida de la alta gerencia. Gerenciar es producir resultados y luego superar los resultados obtenidos. Estrada relata cómo hacerlo mediante la tecnología de la información.

Recomiendo esta lectura a los lectores interesados en el temade creación de capital intelectual a partir de la información...

I am the founder of a start-up company in Germany expanding to the U.S. Therefore we are seeking venture capital for setting up our operations in the Silicon Valley area within this year.

After reviewing most of the VC related literature the Insiders Guide was recommended to me. In contrast to other books, the Guide provided us with all the necessary VC contacts for a very affordable price ! The book is up to date and very well structured. The essays provide an interesting insight into the U.S. business habits.

The information from that book were incredibly helpful and accelerate our expansion to the west coast ! Thank you for that book and I am looking forward to the next edition with new VC contacts.

Dante Fichera and David Richardson have produced the book that addresses the issues that entrepreneurs who seek funding in today’s tough market need to know. The book is divided into two parts: 1. Nuts and bolts advice from executives who have been there, done that. 2. A list of firms [and their personnel, addresses, phones and email]; that are in the business of investing in new firms.

Reading “Insider's Guide to Raising Venture Capital, 2002” is comparable to attending an all day seminar about raising funds for new ventures; where you desperately hope to meet the executives who can help you; all while trying to absorb the advice from the experts who sit on the stage above you. This book gives you more useable advice and more contacts. Definitely a good value.

Michel Dedina....

I've helped more than 20 technology companies raise more than $80 million in venture capital. And if you're an entrepreneur seeking institutional capital - you better have this book. You should read every article in the back, BEFORE you start seeking your financing.

This is the book that will put you on the path to developing your strategic plan to raise capital. Don't underestimate the process, or how much competition there is to get a VCs attention, let alone his or her money. Read the articles, develop your plan, then use the book to target venture firms that make sense for your particular business. Once you have that done, you can do your best to figure out a way to get the proper introductions.

This is the book to start you on the right path. If you can't afford to buy this book, don't expect to raise sophisticated capital.

I would recommend this book only to the complete novice to angel and venture investing. I was hoping for more details regarding the angel investing process. One thing it teaches, though, is that angel investors are much less sophisticated and organized than professional venture capitalists (the way I understood it). What it feels like is a collection of experiences with the interpretation left mostly to the reader. Great if that's what you're looking for.

"The complexity of business in economically demanding times makes finding constructive angels that much more challenging. The advice and tips in Attracting Capital from Angels are, therefore, invaluable. The wisdom offered here is not just for start-ups or neophytes, but is a well-timed companion to already existing resources and approaches to helping a business in all phases of development. It's also a great manual for people who want to share their knowledge (and invest capital) as an angel. I plan to recommend Attracting Capital from Angels to every entrepreneur I run into in the future who asks for mentoring sources. Great job!" (Bob Bozeman, General Partner, Angel Investors, LP)

A real gem! In over 35 years as a serial entrepreneur, investment banker and angel investor, I've come across dozens of books addressing various aspects of raising money, writing a business plan and/or finding investors. Most rehash existing theories and consolidate existing sources of research and advice on the topic. Brian and Dee have done a remarkable job of gathering fresh information through direct interviews, original essays and new surveys. The result is a truly enlightening, useful and very readable work which should become The Bible for anyone thinking of starting a business, financing an existing one, or investing as an angel themselves.

A must read even for someone just interested in learning more about Angel Investing, a little known area of our economy which just happens to be one of the most powerful drivers of our free enterprise system.

Bob Geras,
President
LaSalle Investments Incorporated

I bought this book for (a great price) in a used book store since I enjoy biographies, never realizing how how moving this story would be. I vaguely remembered the Gary Gilmore story but most of the media attention was around the legal aspects of his execution.

The real facination in this story is only partially Gary. The life that this family lived and the poignant detailed accounting of it by the youngest brother, Mikal, is moving beyond all expectations. The bizarre family life they led and the frequent painful events in their lives is enough to make you wonder how the author of this book continued on with a productive life. His oldest brother, Frank, also contributed to the material. By the end of the book when only the two of them remain alive, the reader is struck by the manner in which the author has conveyed his rawest of emotions and that one of those emotions remains the love he has for his family.

There are many dimensions to this story that could make it appealing to readers of different interests. There is, of course, the legal aspect, but in addition, there is the Mormon religious influences, the paternal history that claims a connection with Houdini, the transient homeless family life, the contined devotion of mother and father through the worst of events and many more.

A recommended good read that will stay with you for a long time. Thank you, Mikal, for pulling this book together for us all.

I was amazed by this book -- in it, Mikal Gilmore attempts to explain how and why his brother, Gary, became who he was. In the way of all great biography, the book actually raises more questions than it answers and really enlightens. The book is truly engrossing. More than a biography of Gary Gilmore, it is a biography of his family and an exploration of the internal and external forces that shaped that family and the members of it. Mailer's Executioner's Song felt cold by comparison, seeking to answer only certain questions rather than exploring the subject matter fully. Mikal Gilmore is a gifted writer and courageous to delve into his family's history in this manner.

Mr. Gilmore's book is an aching history of siblings growing up in an abusive household. He explores complex and painful bartering of abused children's lives: children trading against each other for a little bit of peace or shelter, then he traces how that economy plays out in their adult lives.

This is a book that is far outside the normal boundaries of my reading habits. To describe this book to others, one must resort to words like "true crime" or mention that Gilmore wrote for Rolling Stone and therefore this book is okay for the hip literati to read. These words do such a disservice to Mr. Gilmore's work. He has written a painful biography of himself and his family, from which all of us who are siblings can and should learn, and it is an important book for people trying to make sense of violent family history. It is a transformative book in the best sense: you are not the same person after this book -- he has changed you.