Another Classic ...
and you can order it here.

We look for the book. You read it!  Our recommendation generally falls in the marketing or customer retention category, but don't hold us to that. If we see a great subject and excellent reviews, we may break out of the box and recommend a work in a totally different area.

There'll be a fine book here waiting for you when you stop by. You might bookmark our site (by pressing CTRL-D). Here's our selection for now. It can be in your mailbox before your know it, and you'll be off to being informed. Check for the free shipping offer.

The current selection:

The Power of Impossible Thinking
Jerry Wind, Robert Gunther and Colin Crook

This book is about getting better at making sense of the world...so you can make decisions that respond to reality, not some obsolete model of reality. Drawing on the latest neuroscientific research and their experience with corporate transformations, Jerry Wind and Colin Crook explain how your mental models stand between you and reality, distorting all your perceptions...and how they create both limits and opportunities.

You'll learn how to develop new ways of seeing...how to keep your mental models fresh and relevant...when to change to a new model...building a portfolio of models...how to "zoom in and out" to understand complex environments...even how to do "mind R&D": improving your models through constant experimentation. If you're open to "opening" your mind and your creativity - don't miss this one.

	Synopsis
	What you see is what you think, and what you think is what you see. How to change the way you see the world around you and achieve the seemingly impossible! A neuroscience-based approach to seeing reality more clearly and acting on it Why your mental models are your #1 obstacle to success...and how to transform them into your biggest advantage How to apply your new mental models in business—and throughout your entire life For anyone who wants to make better decisions You don't live in the real world. You live in the world that's inside your head. We all do. We all have invisible mental models that shape everything we do. Is yours holding you back? Keeping you from seeing what's right in front of your face? Keeping you from changing your company, your relationships, your life? Find out. And fix it.
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Previous selections: 

The First Ninety Days
A Survival Guide for New Leaders.

12/11/03 - With the new year upon us, lots of executives are about to make the transition to a newly found position. We know of several key players making moves right now.

"SINK OR SWIM" is a much-loved cliché in business, but it isn't a viable approach for the half-million managers and executives who start new jobs at Fortune 500 companies each year, says Harvard Business School associate professor Michael Watkins. People receive lessons on how to swim before they're allowed in the deep end; by the same token, new leaders—and their organizations—need a systematic approach to job transitions.

It takes just over six months, on average, for new leaders to reach what Watkins calls the break-even point: the part of the learning curve at which they start creating net value for their organizations. In his newly published book, The First 90 Days (Harvard Business School Press, November 2003), Watkins lays out a framework for shortening the transition period for new leaders. The book is available below for $17.46 in the hardcover edition (a 30% savings over the $24.95 list price) - and check the free shipping offer for the holiday season when your order is $25 or more. If you're making the shift - grab this one.

	Synopsis
	Written by noted leadership transition expert Michael Watkins, The First 90 Days outlines proven strategies that will dramatically shorten the time it takes to reach what Watkins calls the "breakeven point": the point at which your organization needs you as much as you need the job. Based on three years of research into leadership transitions at all levels and hands-on work designing transition programs for top companies.
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Previous selections: 

Sandbox Wisdom: Revolutionize Your Brand with the Genius of Childhood - by Tom Asacker

Commentary by W. Thompson, The Thompson Group: I just attended a virtual conference where Tom Asacker nailed the essence of marketing in today's economy. I wish you could have been there with the 200 or so people that got the chance to see a master in action. Since you probably missed it, his book is the cure. A Five-Star rating by a host of readers tells you the quality of his thinking and the ease in which he gets it across. Don't wait to understand what it takes today ... to excel.

Eat That Frog:
21 Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time - by Brian Tracy

Commentary by W. Thompson, The Thompson Group: Having coffee after lunch with a friend and someday-perhaps-client, we were wrapping up a long discussion when he handed me this book. Not liking topics like this, I nonetheless accepted his kind offer, because he had found in it some useful ideas - some we had discussed over lunch. I was curious what more was inside.

The other reason I borrowed it - was because of its size. It is a short book! I like that, because no book on saving time should be a long one. While the publisher's review below gives some insight on the book's unusual title, it falls short of doing this little gem justice. One can read a chapter a night - about 3 pages - and fall asleep a much better person! 

In the 113 pages, you'll find 21 Rules and Principles for ending procrastination and getting more things done faster. If you use half of them - you'll be way ahead! As I mail my friend's copy back to him, I buying my own.

	A review from the publisher
	For people who are overwhelmed by tasks of all sizes, this book provides the 21 most effective methods for conquering procrastination and accomplishing more. By identifying, then tackling, their biggest, most unpleasant task first — the philosophy of "eating a frog" — readers learn to plan and organize each day, set priorities, get started right away, and complete jobs faster. Written in a fast-moving format and breezy style, this book is immediately accessible and applicable for readers in any occupation. Also available in hardback version.
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Recent selections: 

Franchising Dreams:
A story of franchising - by Peter M. Birkland, the CEO of his own institute as well as a professor and lecturer at the Universities of Minnesota and Chicago, respectively. University of Chicago Press.

Commentary by W. Thompson, The Thompson Group: I've spent lots of my professional career in franchising. First for a national real estate firm, next for an international personnel services company, then with a mortgage banking enterprise. I've also helped companies set-up their franchise systems. It's a big industry, and one that's seldom understood ... especially by those anticipating expanding their business through franchising to others, or to those who are thinking of purchasing a franchise of their own. Here's a place to start learning, with a practical approach. Whether offering a franchise, or buying into a franchised system, people will have a whole new outlook after reading this excellent work.

	A review from Library Journal
	Birkeland, who is the CEO of his own institute as well as a professor and lecturer (at the Universities of Minnesota and Chicago, respectively), tells the story of franchising by engaging us through dialog. Though he uses pseudonyms for company names, his book is based on extensive research culled from interviews, attendance at seminars, and participation in the day-to-day operations of three different franchises. After a brief history of the franchise system, he gets down to the nitty-gritty of this entrepreneurial endeavor. Birkeland offers a balanced perspective as he teaches us about the risks, pitfalls, and challenges for both franchisee and franchiser. In addition, the reader gets an overview of the different types of franchise systems, the components of franchise fundamentals (royalties, trademarks, and long-term contracts), social profiles of franchisees, and, for the franchiser, consideration of the question, "Who controls?" This is a useful, readable book, especially for those considering the idea of entering the franchise system for the first time. Recommended for marketing and business collections in both academic and public libraries. Bellinda Wise, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
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Recent selections: A Classic on Leadership!

Leading Quietly: An Unorthodox Guide to Doing the Right Thing - by Joseph L. Badaracco, the John Shad professor of business ethics at the Harvard Business School

Brash heroes are not the only leaders a company needs. The most impressive, effective leaders are often the unsung ones, those who ethically and patiently achieve their ends and advance their organization without stepping on others. Joseph Badaracco, professor of business ethics at Harvard Business School, offers a short case study of an ethical leadership challenge and draws from it to illuminate guidelines for "quiet" leadership. Among those are: Don't let complexities obscure your responsibilities—when a problem is complicated and technical, it is tempting to think that the solution lies somewhere in the details, which is often not true; and raise the issue with individuals who will help you understand the problem from a variety of perspectives—technological, financial, organizational and political.

	A review from a reader
	Serge Van Steenkiste (sergevs@aol.com), April 11, 2002 Too Often Unsung Quiet Leadership In Leading Quietly, Joseph L. Badaracco observes that society tends to think about leadership primarily in terms of heroic figures. His readers have been taught from their childhood to show respect for the efforts and sacrifices of great men and women. Often, his readers are not properly informed about the fact that most sung heroes like Winston Churchill or Mother Teresa worked, quietly and patiently, for years or decades, before their key contribution to society was widely acknowledged. To his credit, Badaracco celebrates modest, unassuming men and women with their mixed and complicated motives. Like most of his audience, those men and women will probably never be in the limelight but make the world a better place through countless, small, often unseen efforts. Badaracco convincingly demonstrates that it is given to almost all his audience to learn and practice the simple virtues of quiet leadership, e.g.: Restraint, modesty, and tenacity.
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Recent selections: A Classic on Marketing!

TOTAL ACCESS - by Regis McKenna

Our commentary:

Regis McKenna was on the Board of Directors with the corporation I served as Vice President, Marketing, just before I founded The Thompson Group in 1991.

He was a pleasure to work with, because of his complete understanding of marketing and because of his excellent way of communicating. He was always curious, and never seemed to tire of trying new things. 

His latest book, Total Access, is getting well-deserved rave reviews. That's why it's here. Pick up your copy now, to stay on top of things. I've added a review by another reader below. This book is published by The Harvard Business School.

	A review from a reader
	David Brar (davidsbrar@yahoo.com), February 21, 2002 Great read; the new marketing bible I've read a lot of books in my ten years in high tech marketing, and this one has become one of my favorites already. Because it views marketing as a required core competency of the entire executive team, its a great read for the entire E-staff -- not just for VPs of marketing and CMOs. I really liked this new definition of marketing: 'Marketing is an integrated architecture that enables the continuous process of organizational learning, whereby the enterprise gains knowledge by continuously interacting with customers and the market place to learn, adapt, and respond creatively and competitively.' Total Access presents some interesting ideas about how today's marketeers should approach their work. Their long-held beliefs in the mystery and art of branding need to be replaced with a deep knowledge of technology, logistics, distribution, and operations. Those of us in marketing will be forced to understand issues we've been able to avoid in the past. On the flip side, executives from other departments will have to embrace and better understand marketing. No more working in a marketing silo.
order it here	Table of Contents
	Contents Preface and Acknowledgments   1: Introduction: The Idea of Marketing 2: The Three Stages of Marketing: Reach, Push, and Access 3: New Technologies, A New Marketplace: The Laws 4: Forget about Loyalty: Problems with Branding 5: The Transformation of Today's Consumer: Preferences 6: The Customer Experience: Persistent Presence 7: Putting It All Together: The Marketing Architecture 8: Total Global Access: Act Globally but Connect Locally 9: Managing It All: Roles and Responsibilities 10: The Magic Touch: Corporate Creativity Notes Index About the Author
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