Book Reviews

The financial meltdown of 2008 has left hundreds of casualties in its wake. As the fallout continues, business, industries and even entire markets are either holding on desperately to survive, or have thrown in the towel unable to deal with the magnitude of chaos. The worst may be over, but the tumultuous times may continue for quite a while.

The authors rightly note that human assets play the most critical role in business success with a mis-hire costing companies 24 times the base compensation. As part of the Harvard Business Essentials Series, the book helps managers, HR professionals and companies with the essential processes involved in hiring right and retaining valued employees. The book gives step-by-step guidelines with an overview on recruiting the right people, cultivating the right culture, avoiding employee burnout and controlling employee turnover.  

Top Grading for Sales by authors Bradford Smart and Greg Alexander attempts to offer a systematic method of recruiting Topgrade sales reps. Topgrading, according to the authors, is recruiting and coaching sales reps who consistently outperform the industry. With their years of experience consulting large companies like EMC, GE and more, they offer 10 steps - links as they term it - in the hiring chain to improve hiring success.

Chet Holmes is a Master of the subject of Sales. Having worked with 60 of the Fortune 500 companies and as an expert in the selling cycle, the selling system, the positioning of products, services, and companies, as well as the people who build and sell them, Chet outlines 12 neat strategies in this book about how to be a master at sales.

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of two previous bestsellers "The Tipping Point" and "Blink" comes with his third book, the intriguingly titled "Outliers – The Story of Success". It is not a self-help book per se but does present insights which the reader might apply to his/her life for betterment. Malcolm Gladwell's interest lies in pointing out interesting social phenomena. He covered cultural epidemics in The Tipping Point and snap judgments in Blink.

You have to credit Timothy Ferriss for choosing the most “mind-grabbing” title possible which was probably the first thing about this book that was instrumental in turning it into a blockbuster (and thus giving loads of people a solid opportunity to rethink their lives for better results). I confess, I was highly skeptical (rolled my eyes) when I first came to know about The 4-Hour Workweek and how everybody, especially the silicon-valley-types where going gaga over it.

"Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win" written by William C. Taylor and Polly LaBarre starts with a promise – "The Maverick Promise". With this promise the authors commit themselves to taking the readers through the spellbinding world of a series of one-of-a-kind-individuals whose groundbreaking ideas not only took them to unprecedented levels of success but also gifted the world with historic and enduring ideas, products and services.

Jay Abraham – the CEO and founder of Abraham Group Inc. and a well known Marketing genius comes out with ways and means to do business in tougher times and not only to do business but also grow and make profits during this time. 

This is Marcus Buckingham’s fourth book, his first being the global best seller “First, Break All the Rules”, which he co-authored. The huge success of his first book ensured Buckingham’s place as a leading management and business writer. “Go Put Your Strengths to Work” takes forward the strengths movement began by his first book. Buckingham, now considered an authority in employer and employee matters, sends out the message of boosting your career by analyzing your strengths and then leveraging them.

The book and the author are well known.  It is a classic after all.  Many have read it and others will.  This review can act as a precursor to the full reading or a quick repeat of the last read.  In any case, this book covers a lot of ground.  However, as for most knowledge, it is useless unless implemented.  I think these pages are dense, but if implemented they can benefit enormously, unlike many other pages in the world.  Is it the best book in the world?  Some say that, we don't.  It is a book worth reading for sure, but not if you do not plan to follow through.  Fortunately, with an entire gamut of paraphernelia, Dr. Covey makes it easier to implement.