List price: $12.95 (that's 20% off!)
Used price: $5.00
Buy one from zShops for: $6.50
List price: $18.50 (that's 73% off!)
von Oech draws heavily upon the ancient wisdom of Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher. Heraclitus, like Parmenides, postulated a model of nature and the universe which created the foundation for all other speculation on physics and metaphysics. The ideas that the universe is in constant change and there is an underlying order or reason to this change-the Logos-form the essential foundation of the primary Heraclitean view. Everytime one walks into a science, economics, or political science course, at most any level, significantly all the teachings originate with Heraclitus's speculations on change and the Logos.
Despite this and the fact the ancient Greeks considered Heraclitus one of their principal philosophers, precious little remains of his writings. The passages remaining are tremendously obtuse, not because they are quoted out of context, but because Heraclitus deliberately cultivated an obscure writing style (one that makes one THINK!). However, thanks to von Oech's passion for all that is Heraclitus and his teachings, we are presented with many the ancient 'riddles' and a modern day correlation and translation of each. von Oech recalls being struck with "the Heraclitean bug" while studying in Germany many years ago. Now, he has written a book in which he brilliantly and entertainingly examines concepts such as symbol, paradox, and ambiguity in relation to creative thought.
At the beginning of EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, von Oech provides the reader with 30 creative insights to consider and explore our creative psyches. von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams, provides his interpretation along with examples, parables, and questions-the kind that make you go "Hmmm"- all the while stoking the creative being within. von Oech does not attempt to inform the reader that his interpretation is the correct one; to the contrary, he implores the reader to step outside the boundries of conventional thought to find the "correct" answer.
As he was in A WHACK ON THE SIDE OF THE HEAD, von Oech is immensely entertaining. He is an individual who has spent his career assisting others to think creatively. As a byproduct of this career, von Oech has proven himself to be a prodigous creative thinker in his own right. Those in the 'concrete' professions-attorneys, consultants, accountants-will find this book extremely insightful. Thinking in the abstract is incongruent with the 'concrete' professions (I know, I'm one of them). As such, having the fodder to stoke the creative juices, particularly when problem-solving, is a boon to any professional.
At it's small physical size and only 190-odd pages, this book is perfect to keep handy at your desk or any place one engages in thought. I plan to keep it nearby just to refer to when a problem presents itself in an ostensibly unsolvable manner.
Highly recommended.
I have never believed in reading about the theory of creativity: is like believing that you are exercising by watching ESPN. If you want to achieve the reality of a way to stimulate your creative thinking this book is for you.
Any work from this author is satisfaction guaranteed.
As Roger von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams he includes some of the ways that they can be interpreted, ways that they have been interpreted in the past, anecdotes, jokes, and riddles that illustrate the epigram and other ways of illuminating just how deep these pieces of wisdom are. Does he give a complete explanation of how they can be interpreted? No, because that is part of the design of these epigrams, they can be applied to different circumstances and product different but still correct answers. His illustrations are there to open your mind to the creative possibilities that lie hidden within just a few wise words.
Some of these I have heard in the past such as "You can't step into the same river twice". Others are less common but just as full of wisdom such as "On a circle, an end point can also be a beginning point". If you want a book that expands your creative mind and also shows you how to break out of old patterns of thinking in any situation, then this is the book for you. Well written and sure to point the reader to new directions of thinking, it is a highly recommended read.
List price: $15.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $10.00
Collectible price: $12.71
Buy one from zShops for: $9.94
A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.
The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.
If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so. (...) The newest version has a brand new cover illustration recently done by William Joyce.
Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!
A boy named George wakes up one morning to find that he is only three inches tall. He also finds a note from his parents with a list of chores he must do (which becomes Joyce's unique way of telling the story--the parent's note is the actual text of the book). The story follows George as he heroically navigates through the now gigantic house, evades the hungry house cat, and completes all his chores in very creative ways.
The illustrations, done in watercolors (though not pale and washy), are a mixture of highly realistic details (the house and surroundings), and a comic style (the characters). Included are several wordless full-page spreads of George flying a toy airplane which on their own are worth the price of the book.
If you can, buy the new large format of the book (November 2000 edition). The illustrations are much larger and the colors are more brilliant. The illustrations were probably rephotographed since the original edition is back from 1987 or so.
Well, enjoy this book and happy shrinking!
William Joyce, who will be most familiar to folks as the creator of Disney Channel's Rolie Polie Olie. George too has his own series now, on PBS, and a spanking new
reprint of his original adventure.
The story here is fairly basic : George, suddenly three inches small, follows the instructions his parents left behind in a note, to clean up the house and watch his little
brother (now a BIG little brother). Along the way he avoids an ornery house cat and rides in a toy plane. Our kids favorite page features George scrubbing dirty
dishes by skiing down them on a sponge.
As with Rolie Polie Olie though, the story is secondary to Mr. Joyce's remarkable artwork. In Olie he manages to combine Art Deco with Futurism; here it's all
throwback. George Shrinks looks like a really hip version of the Dick and Jane books. A story with a miniature hero kids can relate to and illustration interesting
enough to hold adult attention--what more can you ask?
GRADE : A
This book may be especially good for small business owners doing their own marketing--there are lots of ideas they may have not thought of. For more experienced marketers, this book is certainly worth a skim, but maybe not an end-to-end read.
I've read and re-read Word of Mouth Marketing and given it as a gift to many of my friends. In fact, my copy is full of highlighting, paper clips and post-it notes. It has become our company's business bible, and George Silverman is my guru. Word of Mouth Marketing has become my secret weapon in business.
Your book was absolutely fantastic.
In the past 6 months I have read over 50 books on sales, marketing and advertising. None have really stood out to me and delivered the inspiration I was looking for to develop a successful marketing plan that is truly unique and special.
I started reading your book on Tuesday, today is Thursday and I have read it three times. It is hands down the best book on sales, marketing and advertising I have ever read.
We are working on our marketing plan now, and it is centered around the word of mouth tactics outlined in your book.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Used price: $6.00
Collectible price: $12.71
Only two things about Harry Flashman I found really hard to believe. One is his linguistic ability, which sometimes borders on supernatural (although in this book it is merely very good). In "Flashman and the Dragon" he becomes near-fluent in CHINESE in less than a month - his first tonal language, I might add, - and in "Flashman and the Redskins" he switches to thinking in Siouxan upon hearing it for the first time in 25 years. And the second thing which defies belief - how did a man in his nineties manage to write all these manuscripts in a few short years? His fingers should have fallen off!
Used price: $1.99
Collectible price: $3.17
Buy one from zShops for: $5.38
Used price: $1.90
Collectible price: $6.31
Buy one from zShops for: $3.95
The price of this notion, is, of course, massive death, but because the massive death does not happen to the nobility, nobody important really minds. This is one reason the Charge of the Light Brigade, with which _the Reason Why_ primarily deals, was so different, and worthy of eulogizing in prose and song (Alfred, Lord Tennyson, by the way, appears absolutely nowhere in this text)--those dying, those paying the price for the Army's obsession with aristocracy, were aristocrats themselves.
Woodham-Smith manages to trace the careers of two utterly unsympathetic characters--Cardigan and Lucan--in a fascinating manner. This is no small feat, considering the reader will probably want, by the end of _the Reason Why_ to reach back in time and shake both of them, and maybe smack them around a bit.
Again, Cecil Woodham-Smith proves herself a master of the historian's craft, and produces a well-researched, thorough and driving account of what is probably the stupidest incident in modern military history.
The Crimean War changed so much about how war is waged--the treatment of prisoners and wounded being tops on the list of reforms brought about in the wake of the debacle. _The Reason Why_ is an excellent account, and should be required reading for anybody with even a remote interest in military history, or European history in general.
The heart of this book concerns the relationship between society at large and the military. Military leaders feared nothing so much as public scrutiny, for widespread discontent could lead to political interference and, indeed, political control of the army. Whether in dealing with the incorrigible personalities of Lords Lucan and Cardigan or in covering up the series of blunders that resulted in the sacrificial ride of the Light Brigade, the military leadership acted with the overriding principle of preserving the Army from governmental control.
The embarrassments of the Crimean campaign proved uncontainable. A great source of difficulty was the incompetence of the Army staff; rank and privilege were held to be superior to actual experience. When these difficulties led to humiliation and defeat, the commanders' concern was not with the men they had lost nor the future of the war effort; to the exclusion of these, their main concern was that bad publicity would appear in Britain, that the public would hear of the lack of success, that the House would begin to ask questions of the military leadership, that the press would begin to criticize the Army. This great fear of political interference was realized in the aftermath of the Crimean War. The author portrays this as the one positive effect engendered by the War effort. A new era of military reform was born in Britain, Europe, and America. Experience now became a prerequisite for command, and officers were trained in staff colleges. The author's final point is that, above all, the treatment of the private soldier changed as the military system was humanized to some degree. Her assertion that at the end of the Crimean War the private soldier was regarded as a hero seems rather bold, but it is clear that he was no longer seen as a nonhuman tool of his commanders' designs.
Used price: $18.25
Sutton's book should be the very first purchased for anyone who wants to learn and understand the ins and outs of both solid and liquid-fuel rocket propulsion. No other book even comes close.
List price: $39.95 (that's 30% off!)
Used price: $12.75
Collectible price: $18.95
Buy one from zShops for: $18.88
But I find 'Mastering Strategy: The Complete MBA Companion in Strategy' by Financial Times Editors to be a better book with greater depth and broader spectrum.
This is also a great book for MBA students who want to understand a topic before taking to a whole class.
One final point, the caliber of the authors is incredible. Each author is writing about his/her specific areas of expertise, and the topics are extremely timely.
These are my opinions alone and not necessarily those of my employer.
The Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania is the oldest business school in America and one of the most revered institutions of business study in the world. Wharton on Dynamic Competitive Strategy offers new perspectives on competitive strategy from a distinguished group of faculty at Wharton and other leading business schools around the world. This book presents the best insights from decades of research in key areas such as competitive strategy, simulations, game theory, scenario planning, public policy, and market-driven strategy. It represents the most cohesive collection of insights on strategy ever assembled by a leading school of business.
Developed for the thinking manager, Wharton on Dynamic Competitive Strategy provides deep insights into the true dynamics of competition. In contrast to popular, quick-fix formulas for strategic success, this book provides perspectives that will help you better understand the underlying dynamics of competitive interactions and make better strategic decisions in a rapidly changing and uncertain world.
The insights and approaches presented here are illustrated with real-world examples which demonstrate how these approaches can be applied to your strategic challenges.
This groundbreaking new book will change your view of strategy and give you the tools you need to succeed in a dynamic and intensely challenging world.
Reviewed by Azlan Adnan. Azlan is Managing Partner of Azlan & Koh Knowledge and Professional Management Group, an education and management consulting practice based in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysian Borneo. Azlan has a MA in International Business and Management from the University of Westminster.
Used price: $0.74
Collectible price: $0.49
Buy one from zShops for: $2.99
Comparing his comments to the actions of present day politicians, I don't think there are many differences. Everyone does a little grafting and civil servants are still "civil servants." Understood?
As with any politician, Plunkitt "seen (his) opportunities and (he) took 'em." This is a must for anyone interested in any realm of politics.