EASY MONEY>BOOKSHELF

Emotionomics: Leveraging Emotions for Business Success

By Dan Hill

The big idea: What people really think or feel about something, whether it’s an advertising message or a manager’s announcement, is often different from what they say. Facial coding, which is the interpretation of expressions in our faces, is the better way of understanding emotions and intentions.

What’s good: The author applies this science of facial coding into the world of business, specifically in marketing products and services as well as managing people, so there are plenty of actionable lessons from the book. The use of case studies and graphics brings the concept to life.

What’s bad: There’s a fair amount of self-promotion for the author’s consulting business throughout the book, and after the initial aha moment, things start to get repetitive.

Web site: www.sensorylogic.com

Recommendation: Browse it

The Richest Man in Town: The Twelve Commandments of Wealth

By W. Randall Jones

The big idea: Former Worth publisher spins off a magazine article into a full-blown book, surveying the richest person in 100 US cities and towns and interviewing many of them to find their common denominator. The result is what he calls the Twelve Commandments of Wealth, which includes: find your passion, be your own boss, say yes to sales, work through obstacles, and never retire.

What’s good: Plenty of anecdotes and quotations from most of the so-called RMIT (Richest Man in Town), including those not as well-known as Bill Gates, giving readers access to their insights and experiences.

What’s bad: Most of the commandments of wealth are things you already know and have read in countless books and magazine articles.

Web site: www.richestmanintown.com

Recommendation: Browse it

The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It

By Michael E. Gerber

The big idea: Already considered a classic, with over two million copies worldwide, Michael Gerber’s book busts the main myth about entrepreneurship: that it’s not about working in your business but working on it. That means using the franchise model in setting up turnkey systems that let anyone run each aspect of your business with as little discretion and training as possible.

What’s good: The book’s popularity obviously meant the concept has struck a nerve among the burnt-out self-employed who really are nothing more than technicians producing products rather than entrepreneurs building the business itself to basically run on its own. The key is to balance the three roles of technician, manager, and entrepreneur. If you’re in the habit of collecting business bestsellers, it wouldn’t be embarrassing to have this on your bookshelf.

What’s bad: The story-telling approach is a tad annoying. The concept is solid and there’s an attempt to offer specific steps, but the book remains short in details (hence the author’s consulting business and ancillary products).

Web site: www.e-myth.com

Recommendation: Buy it

Off The Wall Marketing Ideas: Jumpstart Your Sales without Busting Your Budget

By Nancy Michaels and Debbi J. Karpowicz

The big idea: For small business, there are many ways of selling your products and services that cost little or nothing at all. All it takes is a little creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

What’s good: This is a quick read with quite a number of helpful tips, particularly in the savvy use of PR. The authors are also generous with real-world examples of creative marketing from famous and not-so-famous business owners.

What’s bad: Many of the ideas – fancy business cards, speaking engagements – are trite (if you’ve already read Jay Conrad Levinson’s Guerilla Marketing, there’s nothing really fresh in this book) and not exactly off-the-wall edgy (except the part called Madcap Marketing). Recommendation: Skip it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at all NBS Bestsellers branches.

Escape from Cubicle Nation: From Corporate Prisoner to Thriving Entrepreneur

By Pamela Slim

The big idea: To make the transition from cubicle-trapped employee to flexible entrepreneur, you need to overcome what’s been stopping you, make a solid plan, and use pilot tests and prototypes to get your business off the ground.

What’s good: As a life coach and blogger, the author writes in just the right empathic, encouraging, and earnest tone that makes the book quite engaging to read. It helps that the book is well-organized, comprehensive, and practical without the dull and dizzying information overload found among less talented authors.

What’s bad: The first few chapters are a little touchy-feely, but the author hits her stride right after.

Web site: www.escapefromcubiclenation.com

Recommendation: Buy it

Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School

By John Medina

The big idea: Understanding how the brain really works can help us deal with other people better whatever the situation. Some examples: the brain can focus on one thing at a time, so it’s useless to multi-task. It can pay attention for only 10 minutes before it needs to reset. The brain responds to visual input best. It needs to rest and exercise increases its power. It loses cells over time but it can grow new connections so we can continue to learn new things even in old age.

What’s good: Neuroscience is the new pop economics, at least as far as topics for non-fiction best-sellers are concerned. And this book definitely lives up to its promise. It’s a fun and engaging read.

What’s bad: Perhaps a few more applications in business and family life would have added actionable steps. But this is just a quibble – get your brain working!

Web site: www.brainrules.net

Recommendation: Buy it

Decorative Concrete: Expanded Edition: Recipes for Finishes Indoors and Out
By Jeanne Huber

The big idea: There’s more to concrete than dull pavements, walls, and floors. The book shows the flexibility of the material through innovative projects at home.

What’s good: Lots of contemporary design ideas and step-by-step instructions for floor tiles, furniture, countertops, sinks, pathways, etc. If you’re looking for original and affordable ideas to decorate your home inside and out, you’ll find plenty of projects here.

What’s bad: It takes a fair amount of work to pull off these projects.

Recommendation: Browse it

Home Essentials: Hundreds of Inspirational Ideas for Decorating and Furnishing Your Home

By Ros Byam Shaw, Maggie Stevenson, Fay Sweet, and Judith Wilson

The big idea: Decorating your home takes little cost but lots of creativity. This team of interior designers takes readers to each part of the home, breaking design into the basic components like color and storage, and then offering style options such as Contemporary, Country, Retro, and Family-friendly

What’s good: Generous use of big photos of real homes, helpful tips, and a strong emphasis for making the most of small spaces offer readers plenty of inspiration.

What’s bad: Good for an overview of interior design but not very helpful if you already have a specific style in mind.

Recommendation: Browse it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at all NBS Bestsellers branches.

EASY MONEY>BOOKSHELF

Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence: Revised and Updated for the 21st Century

By Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez

The big idea: The common reason it’s difficult for people to make ends meet is that we live in a consumer culture that just can’t have enough. The key, aside from old-fashioned frugality, is to understand your relationship with money in order to achieve what the authors call FI. Once you develop Financial Intelligence and Financial Integrity, Financial Independence will follow.

What’s good: The original idea you can take from this classic personal finance book is the concept of life energy, which is what we trade in terms of our time for money. That’s how much we really make per hour when we consider the cost of making money (commuting, work clothes, office lunch, etc.). It also calculates the hours we spend at work, preparing for work, and recovering from work, which is an eye-opening way of figuring out if it’s worth the hundreds of hours (or life energy) we give up to buy a new gadget. There’s also solid advice about contentment, frugality, and generating passive income.

What’s bad: It can be long-winded and a little New Age-y, plus the original recommendation (when the book was first released in the mid-90’s) of investing in just Treasury bonds is old. This updated version does introduce index funds but it remains a very conservative approach to investing.

Web site: www.yourmoneyoryourlife.org

Recommendation: Buy it

Fight For Your Money: How to Stop Getting Ripped Off and Save a Fortune

By David Bach

The big idea: Corporations are out to rip us off with hidden charges, late fees, deceptive advertising, and sneaky tactics. The way to fight back and keep our money is to be an informed consumer.

What’s good: Unlike his Finish Rich and Automatic Millionaire book series, this one is totally different, so it wouldn’t read like yet another David Bach book. In terms of scope, it covers a wide range of topics including automobiles, telecommunications, travel, healthcare, and other daily expenses and transactions we face.

What’s bad: It’s very long and there’s no one big original idea (although there are a lot of practical tips, which you can also find online). If you like the breezy style of his previous books, you won’t be able to finish this in one seating.

Web site: www.finishrich.com

Recommendation: Browse it

The Anti 9-to-5 Guide: Practical Career Advice for Women Who Think Outside the Cube

By Michelle Goodman

The big idea: If you’re tired working full-time as an employee, the solo life of an entrepreneur, part-timer worker, or freelancer is a fulfilling albeit sometimes challenging alternative. To make it work, you have to take it slow, consider all the factors, and be flexible when necessary.

What’s good: It’s an easy read and it’s written in a way that shows the author really understands the ups and downs of self-employment. She’s frank about the problems you’ll face but also cheers you on. The career advice, which ranges from being productive to handling paperwork, applies to men as well.

What’s bad: Not much, except perhaps it gives the impression that if you want to be self-employed, give up the idea of becoming rich, and just expect to make a decent living.

Web site: www.anti9to5guide.com

Recommendation: Buy it
The Ten Roads to Riches: The Ways the Wealthy Got There (And How You Can Too!)

By Ken Fisher

The big idea: There are only ten legally ways to get mega-rich, according to billionaire investment manager and author Ken Fisher. The best way is to start your own business, but there are other ways, like becoming a CEO, riding along a CEO, becoming a celebrity, marrying money, becoming a plaintiff lawyer, using other people’s money, becoming an inventor, investing in real estate, and the slow-but-sure saving and living frugally.

What’s good: It’s fun to read and Fisher can be pretty nasty. You’ll find some pretty good advice. For instance, being a celebrity is a good way to get rich, but it’s the producer and media mogul that are super-rich. And some chapters like “Marry Well, Really Well” are simply a riot.

What’s bad: He (and his co-writer) can’t possibly be an authority on all ten ways, so take some advice with a grain of salt.

Web site: www.10roads.com

Recommendation: Buy it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at NBS BestSellers Robinson’s Galleria branch at Level 4, Main Mall Robinson Galleria, Edsa corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City with tel. no. 638-2046.

The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times

By Jean Chatzky

The big idea: There are 20 main traits that separate the wealthy and financially comfortable from those living paycheck-to-paycheck and going further in debt. The Difference has to do with these particular attitudes (such as confidence, competitiveness, and optimism) and goals (such as knowing what you want to do, aiming to accumulate a million dollars, wanting to own a home) as well as financial (like saving for emergencies, investing for retirement, and reducing debt) and non-financial behaviors (like socializing once a week, exercising two to three times a week, being married), which in combination increase the chances of finding prosperity.

What’s good: With her financial journalist background, the extensive survey of 5,000 respondents, and interviews with the well-to-do and academics specializing in behavioral finance, Jean Chatzky presents 20 factors that contribute to wealth, not based on opinion but on solid research. Some of the findings are nothing new, but the study at least reinforced conventional wisdom. A few – such as being happy and exercising three times a week – are a little surprising.

What’s bad: The research recalls the work of Thomas Stanley but the book does not have the same ground-breaking impact of “The Millionaire Next Door” perhaps because many of the findings are nothing new. The prescription offered by Chatzky, while sensible, is also nothing new.

Web site: www.jeanchatzky.com

Recommendation: Browse it

Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life

By John C. Bogle

The big idea: America (and by extension developed nations) has increasingly become dominated by the financial sector. Unfortunately, it has been marked by greed in terms of excesses in fees, salaries, complexity, speculation, etc. Society, driven by a consumer culture and a desire for material success, has not learned when enough is enough.

What’s good: When John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group and creator of index funds, speaks, people listen. For decades, he has been the conscience of American finance, extolling the virtues of low fees and simple investing (admittedly a little self-serving) and reprimanding mutual funds, investment banks, and hedge funds about the dangers of complex financial instruments and the disadvantage of investors paying too much in fees. So this small book, expressed in righteous indignation balanced by thoughtful insights, is relevant and needed in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

What’s bad: There’s a lot of self-patting on the back on the part of Bogle, although he does balances it out with healthy self-deprecation. And it’s his way of leading and teaching by his own example.

Web site: www.johnboglemedia.com

Recommendation: Buy it

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness

By Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

The big idea: People are bombarded with too many choices and succumb to all sorts of biases almost automatically that they tend to make mistakes. To get people to make better choices about their health, money, and well-being, it may be necessary to nudge them, i.e. subtly influence, to the right direction using certain principles of behavioral economics and group psychology.

What’s good: If the inventor of behavioral economics writes a book, you better grab a copy. If you’re new to this fascinating area of human study, you will find Nudge an eye-opener, because you are as guilty as the many examples offered in the book. Better yet, if you’re in any way responsible for influencing others (as the authors call it, a choice architect), the book will give you a treasure trove of tricks to do a better job at making people make better choices.

What’s bad: The examples can be quite lengthy, but if not for the need to rest from all the reading, you won’t put the book down.

Web site: www.nudges.org

Recommendation: Buy it

The Ascent of Money: A Financial History of the World

By Niall Ferguson

The big idea: History repeats itself, and if we want to avoid another financial meltdown, it is wise to look back not just decades but centuries to understand how bubbles form and greed creates wreckage.

What’s good: If you like history and finance, this is a must-read book, which explains the origin and growth of money and credit and the financial markets throughout history. It’s an easy and entertaining read, and offers a fresh perspective of the world’s history with money as a backdrop.

What’s bad: Don’t expect a complete and detailed finance history lesson because you won’t get it – just sample selections of colorful tales from the past to make a point across. Sometimes it reads a little disjointed and rushed.

Web site: www.pbs.org/wnet/ascentofmoney/

Recommendation: Browse it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at NBS BestSellers Robinson’s Galleria branch at Level 4, Main Mall Robinson Galleria, Edsa corner Ortigas Avenue, Quezon City with tel. no. 638-2046.

EASY MONEY>BOOKSHELF

The Motley Fool Million Dollar Portfolio: How to Build and Grow a Panic-Proof Investment Portfolio

By David Gardner and Tom Gardner

The big idea: Building a million dollar portfolio is a matter of following tried-and-tested investment strategies over the long haul, at least 10 years, namely dividend investing, blue chip bargains, small-cap treasures, emerging growth companies, international stocks, which combined create a diversified and profitable portfolio.

What’s good: The Gardner brothers present these approaches in their easy-to-understand, helpful style, explaining the rationale behind each and showing actual examples of companies that meet the criteria. They even teach you how to pick mutual funds if you’re not ready to buy individual stocks.

What’s bad: While it’s a great primer and offers solid advice, it keeps you hanging. You probably ought to hang out at Fool.com and other investing sites before you jump in the market.

Web site: www.mdpbook.com

Recommendation: Buy it

Panic: The Story of Modern Financial Insanity

By Michael Lewis

The big idea: This is an anthology of newspaper and magazine articles, reports, and post-mortems on five major market meltdowns: the 1987 US stock market crash, the 1987 Russian default, the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the 2000 dot-com mania, and the current sub-prime and global financial debacle, all of which follow the same pattern of heady bubble and subsequent bust.

What’s good: It’s edited by Michael Lewis, with an eclectic mix of interesting, at times funny, even gripping, accounts of what transpired before, during, and after each crash. It’s a good study on behavioral finance.

What’s bad: Since the accounts are written by numerous writers with different styles from various sources, reading the book can feel disjointed, you might as well just read many of the articles on the Internet.

Recommendation: Skip it

Scam-Proof Your Life: 377 Smart Ways to Protect You & Your Family from Ripoffs, Bogus Deals & Other Consumer Headaches

By Sid Kirchheimer

The big idea: There are many ways we can get scammed or ripped off by individuals and companies, and the best way to avoid such is to know how these schemes work.

What’s good: It covers a lot of ground, grouped into major categories like cars and credit cards. It’s well-researched as well, considering that the author interviewed more than 100 reformed scammers and other experts on their tactics.

What’s bad: The bulk of the content is more of a consumer’s guide to major purchases and expenses rather than a detailed and thorough study of various scams and rip-offs and ways of spotting them.

Recommendation: Browse it

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

By Daniel H. Pink

The big idea: Left-brain logical thinking was sufficient in the knowledge economy, but in the new conceptual age, it’s no longer enough. With the age of abundance and its drive towards design, the emergence of Asia as an outsourcing power, and the increase in automation, new skill sets are needed. We need right-brain creativity and empathy.

What’s good: Dan Pink convincingly builds his case and then offers the six aptitudes or senses that are crucial to career and business success: design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning.

What’s bad: The book should be a quick read and may be stretched longer than necessary and his proposed solutions, while they make a lot of sense, are based on his opinions, not research.

Web site: www.danpink.com/wnm.html

Recommendation: Browse it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at all NBS Bestsellers branches.

Why Smart People Do Stupid Things with Money: Overcoming Financial Dysfunction

By Bert Whitehead

The big idea: There are exogenous (external) and endogenous (internal) factors that can affect our finances, but most people focus on external factors like the economy, which we cannot control. What have greater impact on our finances are things we can do something about, like spending and saving.

What’s good: As a practicing planner, his approach to financial planning is quite sound and his rants about the financial services industry have solid basis.

What’s bad: While it’s written in simple language, the ideas and chapters don’t flow very well. And contrary to what you’d think the title suggests, i.e. behavioral finance, it’s really more of the author’s financial planning methodology.

Web site: www.bertwhitehead.com

Recommendation: Browse it

The First National Bank of Dad: A Foolproof Method for Teaching Your Kids the Value of Money

By David Owen

The big idea: The best way to teach kids about money is not through traditional means like opening a bank account but by giving them an incentive that appeals to them, giving them control, and allowing them to make mistakes.

What’s good: Often funny, very practical, and quite unique, the valuable lessons learned and shared by the author come from his experience, making them authentic and doable. His homegrown bank and stock exchange were great tools that taught his children the concept and discipline of saving and investing that’s closest to the real world. And he makes it sound easy to implement in your family.

What’s bad: He makes an excellent point that the best investment you can give your children is a love for reading (and therefore learning), he did take up too many pages to make his point across. But this is just a quibble.

Recommendation: Buy it

Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide: The No-Diet Weight Loss Solution

By David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding

The big idea: Beware the packaging! There are a lot of nutritional pitfalls in the grocery. Just knowing which products are good and bad for you, and making the right choices without sacrificing your taste and appetite, can significantly help you lose weight and live a healthier life.

What’s good: Looks like a Men’s Health layout (the author after all is that magazine’s editor-in-chief and the book has the same publisher), which means clean, colorful, and catchy. It’s pretty amazing how so much useful information can be packed (but not crammed) into this handy guide, thanks to the visual approach.

What’s bad: Choosing junk food with fewer calories over a competing product with more is not exactly the soundest advice. Also since this is written for Americans, some supermarket brands are not available here.

Web site: www.menshealth.com/eatthis

Recommendation: Buy it

Future Files: The 5 Trends That Will Shape the Next 50 Years

By Richard Watson

The big idea: There are 5 key trends and 55 more specific ones covering every aspect of our world in the next 50 years, and the recurring theme is one of polarization, such as high-tech and high-touch, luxury and low cost, futuristic and nostalgic, etc.

What’s good: The author certainly covers a lot of ground, grouping trends in batches of five across major categories such as Society and Culture, Science and Technology, Work and Business, etc. With his wry humor and fantastic grasp of facts, it’s easy to enjoy the ride to the future.

What’s bad: Some of the “future” trends are not so far into the future that it’s doubtful they’ll still be dominant trends in 2050. The author also plays it safe by stating that certain trends and their counter-trends may co-exist without making a bet that one would dominate. And while the book is organized well by categories, each introduced by a summary of five related trends, the sheer number of facts and commentaries can be quite confusing.

Web site: www.futuretrendsbook.com

Recommendation: Browse it

[Best Sellers logo] All these titles are available at all NBS Bestsellers branches.

The Breakthrough Company: How Everyday Companies Become Extraordinary Performers
By Keith R. McFarland
Think of this book as “Good to Great” for mid-sized companies, given that author Keith McFarland was prodded by management guru Jim Collins to answer his own question about how companies are able to break through their initial stages while others struggle under similar circumstances. Using Collins’ own research methodology, McFarland and his team analyzed more than 7,000 companies, conducted a thorough field study over five years, and came up with nine firms that exemplify breakthrough companies. The key findings: crown the organization, up the ante by placing big bets, build true company character, sustain small company advantages, build and maximize networks, nurture “insultants,” and tackle tough times head on. These are not exactly breakthrough insights, but the findings are nevertheless substantial as they are based on solid research.

Readability: 4 out of 5
Usefulness: 5 out of 5

Available at NBS Best Sellers

Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke—The Simple Change That Can Make Your Job Terrific
By Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson
The authors, creators of the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) at Best Buy, convincingly present an alternative to the traditional time-oriented definition of work. They’re persuasive because they’ve made it work at their Fortune 100 company. The basic premise in a ROWE is that employees control when, where, and how they work, as long they get the job done. It’s not flextime or telecommuting, which they argue often make things worse. It’s totally eradicating the culture of time, schedules, meetings, and the nasty comments about coming in late or going home early (which they call Sludge). It’s an impassioned book, with very clear arguments and guiding principles, though not much of an operating manual. But it should, as the authors intended, get you and your co-workers thinking and setting things in motion.

Readability: 4 out of 5
Usefulness: 5 out of 5

Available at NBS Best Sellers