Illinois Attorney General: S&P “knew they were rating junk, but saying it was high quality”

In a report on Tuesday’s PBS NewsHour, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan told Senior Correspondent Jeffrey Brown that the five billion dollar lawsuit brought against the Standard & Poor’s credit rating agency by the federal government, sixteen states and the District of Columbia won’t be tough to prove.

“I don’t think it’s tough to prove,” said Madigan. “There is an enormous amount of internal information that shows that they knew they weren’t being independent or objective. They knew they were rating junk, but saying it was high quality.”

Along with Madigan, Brown also interviewed S&P’s attorney, Floyd Abrams on Tuesday’s broadcast. Abrams called the idea that S&P committed fraud “fanciful” and added that

“the case will be one in which we will be able to show, I believe, in a very straightforward manner that, taken as a whole, what the company was doing was simply trying its best in trying times to make a good judgment about what was going to happen in the future, a hard judgment.”

Watch Justice Department: Standard & Poor's Defrauded Investors on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Illinois Attorney General: S&P “knew they were rating junk, but saying it was high quality”

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Matthew May: The Laws Of Subtraction - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Innovation catalyst, founder of EDIT Innovation, and author of the brilliant and transformational book The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything, Matthew E. May describes how in the current age of excess, the best approach is one where less is better. Matthew May provides offers an alternative approach to the ever increasing clutter and add-ons that are part of the conventional innovation process. In its place, Matt May recommends understanding when to remove the right things, and also when to make that timely reduction. Matt shares his six laws of subtraction that offer different ways of looking at problems, thinking creatively, and developing better innovations. Learn how to utilize these six laws to establish a clear competitive advantage over other businesses who continue to base their innovation process on conventional wisdom.

Matthew May is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

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

Innovation catalyst, founder of EDIT Innovation, and author of the brilliant and transformational book The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything, Matthew E. May describes how in the current age of excess, the best approach is one where less is better. You will learn:

* Why the addition of more and creating excess is the wrong innovation approach

* How to do better with less, and how better is unlimited

* How the six laws of subtraction will transform your innovation process

* How to put the six laws into action within your organization

Matthew E. May (photo left), founder of EDIT Innovation believes he has the best job in the world: part creativity coach, part innovation catalyst. Matt works with creative teams all over the world, helping them track down elegant solutions to complex problems. On matters of innovation and design strategy he is a close advisor to senior management of companies such as Toyota, ADP, Intuit, and Edmunds.com.

He is the author of four critically acclaimed, award-winning, and/or bestselling books on business innovation:
The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything (McGraw-Hill, ©2013). 800CEORead bestseller.

The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change (Jossey-Bass, ©2011). Gold medal winner, Axiom Award for Best Business Fable.

In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing (Crown Business ©2009, 2010). Named to 2009 BusinessWeek Best Books in Design and Innovation list.

THE ELEGANT SOLUTION: Toyota's Formula for Mastering Innovation (Free Press, ©2007). Winner, Shingo Prize for Research.

Matt is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review blogs, Fast Company Design, OPEN Forum Idea Hub, and University of Toronto's The Rotman Magazine. His articles have appeared in frog design's Design Mind, Thinkers50.com, MIT/Sloan Management Review, Strategy+Business, Quartz, and USAToday.

Matt's work has been featured or mentioned in The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fortune, USA Today, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Time, Forbes, INC magazine, Fast Company, Wharton Leadership Digest, CIO Insight, American Enterprise Institute, The Miami Herald, and The Los Angeles Times. He has appeared on numerous radio shows, television, and online shows, including MSNBC, NPR, and ESPN.

Matt received his training in design thinking from the Stanford d school, holds an MBA in Marketing and Organization Design from The Wharton School, as well as a BA in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Johns Hopkins University, but he considers winning the The New Yorker cartoon caption contest as one of his proudest and most creative achievements.

My book review of The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything by Matthew E. May.

My book review of The Shibumi Strategy: A Powerful Way to Create Meaningful Change by Matthew E. May.

My book review of In Pursuit of Elegance: Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing by Matthew E. May.

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 innovation catalyst, founder of EDIT Innovation, and author of the brilliant and transformational book The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything, Matthew E. May describes how in the current age of excess, the best approach is one where less is better. Matthew May provides offers an alternative approach to the ever increasing clutter and add-ons that are part of the conventional innovation process. In its place, Matt May recommends understanding when to remove the right things, and also when to make that timely reduction. Matt shares his six laws of subtraction that offer different ways of looking at problems, thinking creatively, and developing better innovations. Learn how to utilize these six laws to establish a clear competitive advantage over other businesses who continue to base their innovation process on conventional wisdom on Blog Business Success Radio.

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The Laws of Subtraction by Matthew E. May - Book review

The Laws of Subtraction

6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything

By: Matthew E. May

Published: October 3, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
ISBN-10: 0071795618
ISBN-13: 978-0071795616
Publisher: McGraw-Hill












"This is the art of subtraction: when you remove just he right thing in just the right way, something good usually happens", writes an innovation catalyst and the founder of EDIT Innovation, Matthew E. May, in his brilliant and transformational book The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything. The author describes how, in an age of excess and ever increasing complexity, the solution for cutting through the clutter is the counter-intuitive principle of subtraction.

Matthew May recognizes that the very idea of subtraction doesn't come naturally to people. The natural impulse for almost everyone is to add more and accumulate. The author offers the idea of subtraction as a form of thinking differently from the general population. Indeed, a person's brain, according to Matthew May, will undergo a complete rewiring as it incorporates and internalizes the principle of subtraction. Instead of the usual framing of the question as doing more with less, the author presents an alternative viewpoint of doing better with less. For Matthew May, doing better has no limitations.

Matthew E. May (photo left) understands that subtraction creates more engaging experience for both ourselves, and for others as well. The author emphasizes the value of the experience itself, as the process of creation taps into a person's emotions and becomes meaningful through participation in that inward journey. For the author, the experience transforms the individual through the act of discovering what is obvious for removal, and what is meaningful to add in its place.

The author distilled, from a wide range of disciplines, cultures, and thinkers, what he refers to as six laws of subtraction. Those six laws are as follows:

* What isn't there can often trump what is
* The simplest rules create the most effective experience
* Limiting information engages the imagination
* Creativity thrives under intelligent constraints
* Break is the important part of Breakthrough
* Doing something isn't always better than doing nothing.

For me, the power of the book is how Matthew E. May combines a compelling theoretical case for subtraction, with the practical skills and ideas for incorporating the principle into any innovation process. The six laws of subtraction form the focus of the book, offering insights into the principles of simplification. Matthew May demonstrates how to discover where minimizing excess is needed, and also how to determine the correct time to remove it.

Matthew May provides additional perspectives on subtraction as well, through the inclusion of guest contributions on each of the six laws. These additional viewpoints enhance and serve to further illustrate the empowerment and creative skills unleashed d by refocusing from constant addition and excess to removal and simplification. The author presents a strong case for improving the innovation process to increase overall competitiveness through the principle knowing what to remove and when to do it. This alternative approach, that replaces the emphasis on addition, with a process designed to remove the excess, presents a clear advantage to anyone who incorporates the six laws into their strategic an tactical planning.

I highly recommend the groundbreaking and thought process altering book The Laws of Subtraction: 6 Simple Rules for Winning in the Age of Excess Everything by Matthew E. May, to anyone seeking a fresh way of thinking and behaving that develops a unique organization and culture built around truly innovating in a different way. This book will change your ideas from those of the herd and their conventional wisdom, to one where the guiding principle becomes one of less is better.

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The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812 by Gene Allen Smith - Book review

The Slaves' Gamble

Choosing Sides in the War of 1812

By: Gene Allen Smith, Ph.D.

Published: January 22, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
ISBN-10: 0230342086
ISBN-13: 978-0230342088
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan










"This book examines African American combatants during the War of 1812 as a way to understand the evolution of American racial relations during the early nineteenth century", writes professor of History and the director of the Center for Texas Studies at Texas Christian University and curator of History at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Gene Allen Smith, Ph.D., in his fascinating and original research based book The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812. The author describes how the War of 1812 brought the improving race relations and the declining institution of slavery to a halt, and changed the course of nineteenth century American history.

Gene Allen Smith recognizes that the far flung and multinational War of !812 offered tremendous opportunities for African Americans to improve their circumstances through the army, navy, freedman status, and by escape from bondage to territories outside of American jurisdiction. For the nations involved in the war, the presence of free black and slave troops was considered a viable option to increase the size of naval and land forces.

Slaves used the proximity to British troops as an opportunity to escape to freedom. That flight from bondage caused slave owners to seek more strict and tighter control. The escapes convinced slaveholders that slaves could not be trusted to not escape when under arms. The result was the view that black troops did not provide a reliable and viable military option.

Gene Allen Smith (photo left) presents evidence that the War of 1812 changed the nature of slavery. Prior to the war, slavery was not a strong institution, and was even facing decline or extinction in some Southern states. The war changed all that forever. New lands were opened for cotton production by the war, and the well known Deep South cotton based plantation system was established firmly. At the same time, many African Americans fled to Bermuda, Trinidad, or Canada. The War of 1812 empowered some African Americans while rooting others more deeply into the bonds of slavery.

Gene Allen Smith examines the African American experience in the War of 1812, with black troops and sailors fighting for all of the belligerent nations. The African American participation in the war is considered as follows:

* Black soldiers in North America
* Fighting in the North 1807-13, and on the Seas
* The Florida Patriot War of 1812
* Terror on the Chesapeake, 1813-14
* Washington, Baltimore, and other targets
* War along the Southern Coasts, 1814
* Different places, same results, 1815 and after

For me, the power of the book is how Gene Allen Smith brings alive the African American experience during the War of 1812, while providing a critical background of the larger aspects of the war, and the resulting course of American history. The author offers original source materials that provide detailed accounts of individual African Americans, and their activities during the war, and of its impact on their lives. Combined with his excellent analysis of the events of the war, and how it altered the overall course of nineteenth century American history is superb. Not only was the black population of America affected in drastic ways, the attitudes and opinions of white American were transformed as well.

Gene Allen Smith presents the War of 1812 as a catalyst for decisive change in the lives of African Americans. Often overlooked in its historical influence, the author makes a strong case that the war formed the crucible of nineteenth century America. The various outcomes of the War of !812, including the birth of the Deep South plantation economy, based on slavery, led America on an inexorable path to the American Civil War. The author enhances the text with maps and period illustrations of the events, people, and military history of the war. As expected from a highly respected member of the academic community, the book contains copious end notes for each chapter to facilitate further research.

I highly recommend the insightful and enlightening book The Slaves' Gamble: Choosing Sides in the War of 1812 by Gene Allen Smith, Ph.D., to any students of African American, military or societal history who are seeking an authoritative and engaging examination of the important role played by African Americans in the War of 1812. This book will awaken your interest in that almost forgotten conflict, African American history, and of the nineteenth century in general.

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Adrie Reinders & Marion Freijsen: The E-Factor - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Co-founder and CEO of EFactor Corp., Adrie Reinders; and co-founder and COO of EFactor Corp., Marion Freijsen, co-authors of the real world experience and wisdom filled book The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age describe how the internet and social media have transformed the entrepreneurial marketplace. The authors also share how entrepreneurs are leading that digital revolution. Adrie and Marion present their proven strategies and practice for entrepreneurial success. They discuss funding, networking online and offline, negotiation, and how to bridge the gap between existing experience and the skills required for entrepreneurial success. Adrie and Marion offer the stories of both successes and failures in the new entrepreneurial marketplace, and how to avoid and overcome the pitfalls that await the unwary,. The authors also share their new philosophy and fresh vision for entrepreneurial success.

Adrie Reinders and Marion Freijsen are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

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

Co-founder and CEO of EFactor Corp., Adrie Reinders; and co-founder and COO of EFactor Corp., Marion Freijsen, co-authors of the real world experience and wisdom filled book The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age describe how the internet and social media have transformed the entrepreneurial marketplace. You will learn:

* How today's entrepreneurs differ from previous entrepreneurs

* How the internet and social media have changed the business landscape

* How to get funding, network, collaborate, and market in the new economy

* How to avoid the mistakes and how to emulate the success of other entrepreneurs

Adrie Reinders (photo left) began his entrepreneurial career in the IT field in 1975 when he founded Microlife B.V., a company specializing in customer-related services and training for mainframe environments. With major clients including ING, ABN-AMRO Bank, and European government agencies, the company established subsidiaries in Belgium, the United Kingdom and the United States.

He later founded OHM, Inc., a company dedicated to helping technology companies achieve quicker and more effective sales results. He is an adviser and board member for numerous successful private and public companies.

Adrie Reinders is co-founder of the EFactor Corp., a global network of almost 1 million entrepreneurs in 164 countries. He co-authored the book The N Factor: How Networking Can Change the Dynamics of Your Business.

Marion Freijsen (photo left) has had more than 25 years of extensive entrepreneurial experience in international business, with a primary focus on technology and sales management. She has set up and managed offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, and the Netherlands.

She is executive board member of OHM, Inc., a global consulting firm advising international high-tech companies, a company she co-founded in 1994. She is also a co-founder of EFactor Corp. and Cranevision.

Marion Freijsen holds a degree in international sales and marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, U.K. She is co-author of the book The N Factor with Adrie Reinders and gives speeches to audiences around the world.

My book review of The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age by Adrie Reinders and Marion Freijsen.

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 co-founder and CEO of EFactor Corp., Adrie Reinders; and co-founder and COO of EFactor Corp., Marion Freijsen , co-authors of the real world experience and wisdom filled book The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age, as they describe how the internet and social media have transformed the entrepreneurial marketplace. The authors also share how entrepreneurs are leading that digital revolution. Adrie and Marion present their proven strategies and practice for entrepreneurial success. They discuss funding, networking online and offline, negotiation, and how to bridge the gap between existing experience and the skills required for entrepreneurial success. Adrie and Marion offer the stories of both successes and failures in the new entrepreneurial marketplace, and how to avoid and overcome the pitfalls that await the unwary,. The authors also share their new philosophy and fresh vision for entrepreneurial success

»»  read more

The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age by Adrie Reinders & Marion Freijsen - Book review

The E-Factor

Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age

By: Adrie Reinders, Marion Freijsen

Published: November 6, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 208 pages
ISBN-10: 1935618180
ISBN-13: 978-1935618188
Publisher: BenBella Books











"Today;s entrepreneurial community serves as an energizing hub that brings together results already achieved and opportunities yet to come", write co-founder and CEO of EFactor Corp,. Adrie Reinders; and co-founder and COO of EFactor Corp., Marion Freijsen, in their real world experience and wisdom filled book The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age. The authors describe how the internet and social media have transformed the entrepreneurial marketplace, and share the concept of how entrepreneurs are leading the new business revolution.

Adrie Reinders (photo left) and Marion Freijsen recognize that entrepreneurs and the very nature of entrepreneurship has changed with the emergence of the digital age. In the past, entrepreneurs often worked in isolation, while the business start-up leaders of today work as collaborative effort in a global environment. The authors point out that entrepreneurs seek to discover fresh solutions to existing problems, and to overcome the inertia of the status quo. As a result, entrepreneurs are the vanguard on the forefront of the online social media revolution.

The authors provide evidence that these born entrepreneurs to be found anywhere, in all walks of life, and are younger than ever before. This new breed of business creator is willing and able to take full advantage of technology in the globalized economy.

Marion Freijsen (photo left) and Adrie Reinders understand that while this new wave of younger entrepreneurs possess proven abilities to build relationships and collaborate online, they often face challenges with meeting others in face to face business settings. The authors also point out that while many entrepreneurs achieved success without formal or advanced education, today's business people no longer face that dichotomy, as universities have adapted to the new world of entrepreneurship.

The authors present an excellent overview that bridges the gaps between traditional business practices and the modern technological world;as well as filling the gaps between existing life experience and successful business skills.

The authors share their wisdom and experience in the following areas:

* What today's entrepreneur looks like
* Obstacles to overcome
* New tools of engagement: The world of social media
* New Connections: Virtual networking
* New working environments: Collaboration on a cloud
* New Mindset: Entrepreneurial philosophy 2.0
* A new vision for today's entrepreneurs

For me, the power of the book is how Adrie Reinders and Marion Freijsen combine a powerful and proven theoretical framework, with the practical and real world tested strategies and tactics to transform entrepreneurial dreams into reality. The authors present a comprehensive overview of the new entrepreneurial landscape, and offer guidance to the new breed of entrepreneur in overcoming the challenges presented by the global economy. The authors share their own proven practices for obtaining funding, learning essential new skills, and for networking effectively both online and offline.

The entrepreneurs enhance their guidance with the inclusion of an entire section outlining the mistakes and pitfalls that caused entrepreneurs to fail in their ventures. The authors share the lessons necessary to avoid or overcome these frequent mistakes. The book also contains a complete section on entrepreneurial successes. The authors present the stories of these achievers and how they made connections, negotiated effectively, and marketed their products and services in a social media based marketplace. The authors also provide a fresh vision for entrepreneurs that both enlightens and inspires new business start-ups.

I highly recommend the clear and concise book The E-Factor: Entrepreneurship in the Social Media Age by Adrie Reinders and Marion Freijsen, to any would be or current entrepreneurs seeking real world tested strategies for achieving success in their businesses and start-up ventures. This book will transform any entrepreneur into a new and exciting business success story.

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Market Sense and Nonsense by Jack D. Schwager - Book review

Market Sense and Nonsense

How the Markets Really Work (and How They Don't)

By: Jack D. Schwager

Published: November 6, 2012
Format: Hardcover, 343 pages
ISBN-10: 1118494563
ISBN-13: 978-1118494561
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.











"The simple fact is that many widely held investment models and assumptions are simply wrong - that is, if we insist they work in the real world", writes recognized industry expert in futures and hedge funds, and co-portfolio manager for the ADM Investor Services Diversified Strategies Fund, Jack D. Schwager, in his eye opening and provocative book Market Sense and Nonsense: How the Markets Really Work (and How They Don't). The author describes the many myths, misconceptions, and mistaken assumptions that permeate conventional wisdom and accepted truths about investment, including the mistaken assumptions held by brokers, analysts, and investors.

Jack D. Achwager recognizes that there are incorrect and money losing beliefs, often mistaken as truths, that are shared by investors and their advisers. The author offers statistical and empirical evidence, in the form of real world data, that demonstrates how conventional wisdom very often fails the reality test. Investors all too often bring inaccurate and fallacious beliefs to their investment portfolios; usually with money losing results. Investment professionals, writes the author, often rely on insufficient and inappropriate data, flawed mathematical models, and mistaken and unfounded investment strategies.

Jack D. Schwager (photo left) understands that investors follow the advice of personal investment professionals and widely listened to media and newsletter experts. As a result,the author examined their track record for empirical evidence of their successes and failures. The author takes a clear eyed view of the recommendations of the experts, the most popular market theories, challenges posed by looking at past performance.

The author presents a wide ranging analysis of the markets, investment strategies, and market theory through a statistical and data based approach. Among the areas covered in this all encompassing study are:

* Expert advice
* The deficient market hypothesis
* The tyranny of past returns
* The mismeasurement of risk
* Why volatility is not just about risk
* Track record pitfalls
* Sense and nonsense about pro forma statistics
* How to evaluate past performance
* Correlation: Fact and fallacies

For me, the power of the book is how Jack D. Schwager combines a strong theoretical framework for examining the conventional wisdom of investing, with a strong statistics, graphics, and data based analysis of those widespread beliefs. The author poses and answers real world based questions about the assumptions made by investors, analysts, investment professionals, and well known experts. Jack Schwager puts each of their theories and ideas to the test, and makes many insightful discoveries.

First and foremost, the author dispenses with the outdated and inaccurate rational market hypothesis. He proves that concept to be fallacious and not based in reality. Jack Schwager presents a comprehensive overview and analysis of hedge funds, what they are, how they work, and both the risks and rewards associated with them. A really valuable section, within each of the book's chapters, is a brief but concise assessment of a particular market misconception. Overall, the author provides a powerful overview and analysis of the markets, investment, and how markets both work and fail in the real world of investments.

I highly recommend the comprehensive and data based book Market Sense and Nonsense: How the Markets Really Work (and How They Don't) by Jack D. Schwager, to anyone who is currently or considering making investments, investment advisers and professionals, and members of the media who are seeking a complete and concise guide to the realities of investment that cuts through the clutter and presents real world facts. This book will change forever the way you view the markets, your investments, hedge funds, and the advice offered by investment professionals and experts.

»»  read more

Sailing: Philosophy For Everyone edited by Patrick Goold - Book review

Sailing - Philosophy For Everyone

Catching the Drift of Why We Sail

Edited by: Patrick Goold

Published: July 10, 2012
Format: Paperback, 216 pages
ISBN-10: 0470671858
ISBN-13: 978-0470671856
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell











"Why philosophize about sailing? Because people sail! Serious people - that is, people serious about life - pour their time and treasure into sailing", writes Associate Professor of Philosophy at Virginia Wesleyan College, Patrick Goold, editor of the thought provoking and insight filled book Sailing - Philosophy For Everyone: Catching the Drift of Why We Sail. The editor presents a series of essays about the intimate relationship between the study of philosophy and the timeless art of sailing.

Patrick Goold understands the commitment that sailors have to their craft. Indeed, the very act of putting the craft to sail is giving the ship life. The essays shared in the anthology make that powerful connection between sailing and life itself. Sailing on the sea becomes a metaphor for navigating the voyage of human life. For Patrick Goold, sailors are philosophers at heart, and that philosophical sailors enjoy their sport even more as the event becomes larger than life. Sailing takes on its own form of reality, adding additional depth to their own philosophy, as well as to the timeless questions asked about life, time, and space since the dawn of humanity.

Patrick Goold (photo left) provides selections from academics, writers, philosophers, and of course sailors. All of the contributors share an intense involvement in the sport of sailing, and offer a wide range of perspectives on the nature of sailing, the metaphor of water as the course of life, and of the people who take to the sea in boats. The writings offer life lessons learned from the challenges and triumphs discovered while under sail.

The essays included in the book cover a wide range of sailing and philosophy related topics. Among the ideas presented in the four overarching sections of the book are:

* Passing through pain and fear in the place of perpetual undulation
* The meaning of the boat: Three schools of thought
* Beauty and other aesthetic aspects of the sailing experience
* Physics and metaphysics for the philosophical sailor

For me, the power of the book is how Patrick Goold provides a wide range of writers sharing their ideas and insights into the relationship between philosophy and sailing. The contributors share their experiences, their thoughts and wisdom on life through both the medium and metaphor of sailing. The tremendous affection and engagement that the writers share with their chosen endeavor on the water shines through the pages. Their dedication to the sport, as well as the lessons learned while on the water, forms the basis of the various essays.

Patrick Goold divides the writings into four overall parts to give structure to the book, just as the methodology and practice of sailing provide structure to the life of the sailor. Each of the four sections considers a different philosophical question, and utilizes the language and learning of the sailor's craft to illustrate those concepts. The authors share the ideas of philosophy through the very real aspects of the life under sail.

I highly recommend the wisdom filled and engaging book Sailing - Philosophy For Everyone: Catching the Drift of Why We Sail edited by Patrick Goold, to any students who study philosophy, students of any disciplines, practicing sailors, or anyone interested in the great and timeless questions posed by philosophy since the beginning of time. This book is one that you will return to for inspiration, wisdom, and solace again and again.

»»  read more

The Media Training Bible by Brad Phillips - Book review

The Media Training Bible

101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview

By: Brad Phillips

Published: November 29, 2012
Format: Paperback, 254 pages
ISBN-10: 0988322005
ISBN-13: 978-0988322004
Publisher: SpeakGood Press












"Media training requires that spokespersons are equipped for traditional and new media", writes blogger at Mr. Media Training Blog and president of Phillips Media Relations, Brad Phillips, in his comprehensive and very hands on book The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview. The author describes how media spokespeople can prepare for today's complex media world where old and new media are entwined, and how to present your message the right way for both traditional and social media audiences.

Brad Phillips recognizes that media spokespeople must understand the fundamental differences, as well as the similarities, of presenting their message to the various types of media. The author provides the background to working with different types of journalists, including those who work in traditional media, and those who report through blogs and other forms of social media. At the same time, Brad Phillips shares proven techniques for crafting and delivering a positive media message in print, on television, and on radio. The author also demonstrates the importance of the unspoken message given through body language, voice tone, gestures, clothing choices, and a sense of confidence when responding to very difficult and challenging questions.

Brad Phillips (photo left) understands that there is much more to a media appearance than the words spoken by the media representative. The author shares proven techniques for mastering the non-verbal messages carried in the speaker's body language, clothing, and tone of voice. Brad Philips points out that while these cues are very important in any media interviews, they are absolutely critical during a crisis when even the slightest error in message delivery could spell disaster for the media spokesperson and the organization.

Brad Phillips guides media spokespeople through the following main areas of media presentation to ensure a successful interview. Those topics include:

* Eight ground rules for working with the media
* Messages and message supports
* The interview
* Answering the tough questions
* Body language and attire guide
* The different media formats
* Crisis communications: The ten truths of a crisis
* Final interview preparation

For me, the power of the book is how Brad Phillips combines a comprehensive overview of all aspects of media presentations, with the practical strategies and techniques to achieve success in all interview situations. The author demonstrates clearly and concisely how media spokespeople can present their message in a positive and well accepted manner across both traditional and new media. Brad Phillips offers proven advice for ensuring that the interview is handled properly whether on television, radio, print, blogs, or other internet based media format.

The key is that Brad Phillips understands that what is the best form of presentation for one type of media may not be effective with another. This recognition of differences is especially important during times of crisis when the questions become more challenging and the responses are very often incomplete at the time of interview. The author provides real value for the readership by offering a complete assessment and series of recommendations for those crucial interviews given during a crisis. The author enhances the concepts and best practices shared in the book through a series of case studies that illustrate the techniques being used effectively.

I highly recommend the very complete and extremely useful book
The Media Training Bible: 101 Things You Absolutely, Positively Need To Know Before Your Next Interview by Brad Phillips, to any business or organizational leaders, managers, executives, entrepreneurs, or anyone who may be called upon to provide an interview in any format of media. This book will ensure that you share your message positively and accurately regardless of the media or the circumstances surrounding the interview.

»»  read more

Anthony Flynn & Emily Flynn Vencat: Custom Nation - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. The authors provide the background to how customization is transforming the marketplace in every industry, while also returning domestic manufacturing from offshore locations. The authors demonstrate how entrepreneurs can establish and market a successful custom based business. They also share ideas for existing firms to move toward customization as well. The authors show business people how customization will differentiate brands and their parent companies from the competition. At the same time, you will learn how customization increases market share, boosts profit margins, and enhances customer loyalty.

Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat are my internet radio show guests on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, January 31, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. You will learn:

* Why customization is such a fast growing trend

* How to establish a custom based business

* How to add a custom based division to an existing company

* What the future holds for custom based and traditional manufacturing firms

Anthony Flynn (photo left) graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree in 2006, and founded YouBar, the world's first customized nutrition bar company, with his mother, Ava Bise. Since then, Flynn has grown YouBar to seven-digit annual sales and employs 30 people in an 8,000-square-foot facility in downtown Los Angeles.

Flynn frequently gives television, radio, newspaper, and magazine interviews about YouBar and food customization. He has appeared on Fox, ABC, the Cooking Channel, and NBC, among dozens of other television stations. He has also given interviews for The New York Times, Women's Health, DailyCandy, the Today show, E! News, the Nutrition Business Journal, Good Morning America, and National Public Radio's Marketplace.

In addition to this, Flynn gives lectures on how customization is changing the food industry, and he consults to companies launching customized food products. Among his numerous talks, he has been a guest speaker at USC, UC Berkeley, and UCLA.

Emily Flynn Vencat (photo left) graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University with a degree in English Literature, and moved to London in 2002, where she began her journalism career at Newsweek. Vencat worked as a London-based Newsweek correspondent for five years, where she covered major economic trends, including the international housing market, the global luxury trade, and the effects of global warming and the green movement on big business.

After taking over as Newsweek's London-based business writer in 2006, Vencat wrote more than 100 articles in two years, including five cover stories. Later, as a business writer on staff at The Associated Press, Vencat wrote blow-by-blow coverage of the 2008 global economic meltdown, with her articles being picked up by newspapers around the world, including the International Herald Tribune and USA Today.

Vencat has interviewed some of the biggest names in the business world, including Virgin boss Richard Branson, Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll, Celtel founder Mo Ibrahim, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, and The Carlyle Group founding partner David Rubenstein.

My book review of Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It by Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat.

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 Founder and CEO of YouBar, Anthony Flynn, and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, co-authors of the revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It, describe how customization of products and services is the trend of the future, replacing the traditional mass production business model. The authors provide the background to how customization is transforming the marketplace in every industry, while also returning domestic manufacturing from offshore locations. The authors demonstrate how entrepreneurs can establish and market a successful custom based business. They also share ideas for existing firms to move toward customization as well. The authors show business people how customization will differentiate brands and their parent companies from the competition. At the same time, you will learn how customization increases market share, boosts profit margins, and enhances customer loyalty on Blog Business Success Radio.

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Custom Nation by Anthony Flynn & Emily Flynn Vencat - Book review

Custom Nation

Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It

By: Anthony Flynn, Emily Flynn Vencat

Published: November 15, 2012
Format: Paperback, 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1937856100
ISBN-13: 978-1937856106
Publisher: BenBella Books










"America is becoming a nation of customizers. And the new rule for successful businesses across the country is simple: Customize for your clients", write YouBar founder and CEO, Anthony Flynn; and internationally known freelance writer Emily Flynn Vencat, in their revolutionary and very practical advice filled book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It. The authors describe how companies are moving from the long established mass production model to one based on customizing products and services to fit the needs of individual customers and clients.

Anthony Flynn (photo left) and Emily Flynn Vencat recognize that era of mass production, and one product for every customer era is drawing to a close. The authors point out that the older business model, that long considered customization to be too small scale and suited only to niche markets, is now the outdated one. in its place, is a growing sense of customization to fit the individual needs and desires of the finely targeted and segmented customer based. in this new long tale oriented marketplace, the custom product is big business. The authors also make a very compelling case that customization is a model that is applicable to any industry, product, or service regardless of the size of company.

Emily Flynn Vencat (photo left) and Anthony Flynn understand the important and game changing fact that in the custom demand based economy, any entrepreneur can enter the customized product marketplace. Whether an existing company or a start up venture, the opportunity for customization creates a built in product advantage for brands. With customization comes automatic differentiation for products to stand out in the marketplace from their competition. The authors demonstrate how to establish a custom based company, or how to add a customization component to an existing company.

The custom business can be developed with ease and with a boost to the bottom line and the overall customer experience: The authors share the following principles for becoming part of the customization nation:

* Launching your new custom business
* Adding customization to your existing business
* The seven crucial lessons of customizing
* Customize your marketing
* Keep growing your custom business

For me, the power of the book is how Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat combine a strong theoretical background of the new reality of customization, with the practical strategies and techniques for building a successful custom based company. The authors structure their assessment of the changes in consumer demand and tastes well, as they demonstrate how the twentieth century mass production model is losing viability in the twenty-first century. The authors provide proven techniques for building either a new company based entirely on customization, or for adding to and even transforming an existing organization to one based on custom products and services.

The case is bolstered through interviews and the real world experiences of industry innovators and leaders who have applied the principles of customization to their own firms. In many ways, the authors share the concept of customization as a leading edge form of disruptive innovation that can take over a market while the traditional mass market company is left behind and rendered irrelevant. With the younger generation of customers already seeking out customized products, the trend toward customization will only increase in the future. This trend also bodes well, according to the authors, for domestic manufacturing and production.

I highly recommend the the strategy packed and fresh thinking based book Custom Nation: Why Customization Is the Future of Business and How to Profit From It by Anthony Flynn and Emily Flynn Vencat, to any business leaders, marketers, and entrepreneurs seeking a clear and concise guide to building a profitable and innovative company based on the premise of customization. This book will change the way you think about custom products, and about mass production, forever.

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W.H. Auden - Musée des Beaux Arts

W.H. Auden - Musée des Beaux Arts

Musée des Beaux Arts

By: W. H. Auden

About suffering they were never wrong,
The old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position: how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along;
How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting
For the miraculous birth, there always must be
Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating
On a pond at the edge of the wood:
They never forgot
That even the dreadful martyrdom must run its course
Anyhow in a corner, some untidy spot
Where the dogs go on with their doggy life and the torturer's horse
Scratches its innocent behind on a tree.

In Breughel's Icarus, for instance: how everything turns away
Quite leisurely from the disaster; the ploughman may
Have heard the splash, the forsaken cry,
But for him it was not an important failure; the sun shone
As it had to on the white legs disappearing into the green
Water, and the expensive delicate ship that must have seen
Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky,
Had somewhere to get to and sailed calmly on.

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David Fishof: Rock Your Business - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio

Entertainment producer, founder of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™, and author of the engaging and practical advice packed book Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll, David Fishof, describes how the proven techniques of the world's biggest rock stars will work to make your business successful too. David Fishof shares the stories and the strategies employed by the superstars of music to achieve their enduring popularity. Through a series of basic principles, David Fishof demonstrates how to apply the lessons from the music industry to any entrepreneurial venture. David presents concepts for how to dream bigger, attracting an audience, overcoming enormous obstacles, and taking it to the next level. David points out how these business strategies are proven to work in the real world of the highly competitive entertainment industry. Learn how to operate your business like a rock star and achieve the lasting adulation of your own customers, employees, and fans.

David Fishof is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Tuesday, January 29, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Entertainment producer, founder of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™, and author of the engaging and practical advice packed book Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll, David Fishof, describes how the proven techniques of the world's biggest rock stars will work to make your business successful too. You will learn:

* Why the strategies of the music industry have proven so successful

* How to transfer the success of rock stars to your business

* How entrepreneurs can run their business like rock stars

* How to create ideas, attract fans, overcome obstacles and reach for the stars

David Fishof (photo left) has earned a reputation as one of the most creative and innovative entertainment producers in the world. Fishof reunited The Monkees and introduced them to a new generation of MTV fans, which led to some blowout tours. While working with Ringo Starr, Fishof helped create the All Starr Band concept, producing 8 All Star Band tours around the world.

David Fishof has also produced a variety of concert tours, including Dirty Dancing: The Concert Tour, Dick Clark's American Bandstand Tour, The Happy Together Tours, Classic Superfest, American Gladiators Live Tour, Mortal Kombat Live Tour, and the British Rock Symphony with feature vocalists Peter Frampton, Roger Daltrey, Alice Cooper, and Jon Anderson.

After years of producing rock tours across the globe, Fishof got the idea for the one-of-a-kind Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™. His goal was to give music fans the opportunity to see their rock dreams become reality by learning from some of the most influential artists in the industry. That dream came to fruition when Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™ hosted its first event in 1997. Since that time, Fishof has been giving individuals—whether they have musical ability or not—once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to live like a rock star and jam with their idols.

Over the years, Fishof has brought some of the world's top rockers to Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™—Bill Wyman, Bret Michaels, Brian Wilson, Cheap Trick, Dr. John, George Thorogood, Jack Bruce, Joe Satriani, Joe Walsh, Jon Anderson, Levon Helm, Max Weinberg, Meatloaf, Mickey Hart, Nick Mason, Nils Lofgren, Randy Bachman, Roger Daltrey, Roger Hodgson, Slash, Steve Vai, Steven Tyler, Todd Rundgren, and Vince Neil among them.

In the sports world, Fishof has represented legends such as NFL greats Phil Simms, Mark Bavaro, Vince Ferragamo, and Jack Reynolds, and baseball stars Lou Piniella, Dave Magadan, and Randy Myers.

My book review of Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll by David Fishof.

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 entertainment producer, founder of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™, and author of the engaging and practical advice packed book Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll, David Fishof, as he describes how the proven techniques of the world's biggest rock stars will work to make your business successful too. David Fishof shares the stories and the strategies employed by the superstars of music to achieve their enduring popularity. Through a series of basic principles, David Fishof demonstrates how to apply the lessons from the music industry to any entrepreneurial venture. David presents concepts for how to dream bigger, attracting an audience, overcoming enormous obstacles, and taking it to the next level. David points out how these business strategies are proven to work in the real world of the highly competitive entertainment industry. Learn how to operate your business like a rock star and achieve the lasting adulation of your own customers, employees, and fans on Blog Business Success Radio.

»»  read more

Rock Your Business by David Fishof - Book review

Rock Your Business

What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll

By: David Fishof

Published: September 4, 2012
Format: Paperback, 288 pages
ISBN-10: 1936661454
ISBN-13: 978-1936661459
Publisher: BenBella Books











"In the world of rock and roll, things work a little differently, and I think these differences will be very powerful in your business", writes entertainment producer and founder of Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp™, David Fishof in his engaging and practical advice packed book Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll. The author describes how the concepts and strategies employed successfully in the music industry are readily transferable to any business to achieve success.

David Fishof recognizes that the innovations and business acumen, displayed by the most successful rock and roll bands of all time, are a powerful source of competitive advantage for any company. The author draws a compelling parallel between the activities of a successful rock band with the strategies needed to achieve entrepreneurial success. David Fishof points out that bands are fundamentally an entrepreneurial enterprise and the music and the band members are the product. With this foundational principle in mind, the author guides the entrepreneur through the entire process of creating a hit record or a holding a profitable concert, and how those same practices and innovations can be employed effectively by any business.

David Fishof (photo left) understands that the music industry, and the bands and artists who comprise that industry, are in business. With that basic premise firmly in mind, the author demonstrates how the highly effective and innovative business practices utilized in the world of rock music can transform any business into a successful one. For the author, the simple fact that the music industry is about the people, including the larger than life superstars, provides a key insight into the heart of any company. Success revolves around the people within the organization.

The author presents a series of very powerful principles that develop chart topping and long lasting performers within the music industry. These business oriented pillars are as follows:

* Dream bigger
* Attract an audience
* Overcome enormous obstacles
* Take it to the next level

Fir me, the power of the book is how David Fishof develops and presents the correlation between the enormously effective creative and promotional practices of the music industry with the operation of any successful company. The author offers the similarities between a band finding an idea for a song or album, and how the process is taken from idea, through the studio, to the market in many different forms. These same underlying principles can be applied easily to any entrepreneurial venture.

The overarching concepts are illustrated by the author's inclusion of examples of bands putting the ideas to work in the real world. The engaging and fascinating stories and photographs of music's biggest stars also add to the appeal of the book. David Fishof makes reading and understanding the ideas easier for the reader by providing brief chapter summaries for further reference.

I highly recommend the fascinating and business success oriented book Rock Your Business: What You and Your Company Can Learn from the Business of Rock and Roll by David Fishof, to any entrepreneurs, business leaders, marketers, and anyone seeking an entertaining, insightful, and hands on idea filled guide to building a more profitable business. This book will take your company to new heights, and change your business to one consisting of rock stars.

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Likeable Business by Dave Kerpen - Book review

Likeable Business

Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver

By: Dave Kerpen

Published: October 9, 2012
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 0071800476
ISBN-13: 978-0071800471
Publisher: McGraw-Hill









"This book is for everyone who is a customer. who agrees that organizations need to be more likeable and wants to be part of the solution, online and offline", writes social media expert and co-founder and CEO of Likeable, Dave Kerpen, in his strategy filled and results oriented book Likeable Business: Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver. The author describes how to be a likeable company through an obsession with customers, having employees create a superior experience, and through a new type of leadership.

Dave Kerpen understands that in today's highly connected, internet based and social media driven world, companies that are not superior in every possible way are likely to fall by the wayside. Mediocrity in today's wired business environment spells disaster. The author points out that while a bad customer experience is shared instantly through the various social media platforms, great customer service can be spread to others in the same way. Dave Kerpen offers the insight that it isn't enough to be only concerned about the company's customers. Employees, colleagues, and others who interact with a company must also passionate about the business, its products, and its services.

Dave Kerpen (photo left) recognizes that being likeable requires a total commitment to excellence from the top leadership to everyone within the organization. The author also provides evidence that customers are also important elements in building a likeable company. Through the social media channels, interested customers can share their own experiences, good or bad, with the company. Knowing what was done right, and where improvement is needed, are powerful data points for any organization.

The author shares his eleven principles for creating a likeable business. Those eleven pillars are as follows:

* Listening: One mouth, two ears, many opportunities
* Storytelling: Tell, don't sell
* Authenticity: Just be yourself
* Transparency: The truth shall set you free
* Team playing: There's no I in team or culture
* Responsiveness: Taking listening one step further
* Adaptability: Change or perish
* Passion: Love the work you're with
* Surprise and delight: Every mistake is an opportunity
* Simplicity: Remove the clutter
* Gratefulness: The ROI of thank you

For me, the power of the book is how Dave Kerpen combines a comprehensive theoretical framework, for establishing a likeable business, with the practical strategies and tactics to make that vision a reality. The author presents his case for creating a likeable company, through engagement on the various social media, in a clear and concise manner. Not only does Dave Kerpen offer evidence of the importance of utilizing social media effectively, but carries the concept of a likeable company much deeper into the organization. The author shares the concepts of not only engaging customers, but also the company employees in an entire cultural change.

Dave Kerpen offers what amounts to a manifesto for establishing an entirely new vision of how an organization should operate and behave at every level. To bolster his case, Dave Kerpen presents case studies, complete with illustrative photographs, of companies utilizing the eleven principles of a likeable company under real world conditions.

I highly recommend the organizational transforming book Likeable Business: Why Today's Consumers Demand More and How Leaders Can Deliver by Dave Kerpen, to any sales and marketing professionals, executives, leaders, customers, and anyone within a company who truly believes in the power and importance of being likeable. This book will guide your business toward a fresh vision, a more engaged company culture, happier customers, and a stronger bottom line.

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