Marketing without advertising

 by Michael Phillips and Salli Rasberry. Marketing Without Advertising teaches small business owners practical strategies to: encourage customers to spread the good word about your business, attract new customers and gain their trust, turn dissatisfied customers into loyal supporters, list your products or services widely and inexpensively, plan marketing events that will keep customers involved, encourage the media to comment positively on your business, The 6th edition is completely rewritten with and updated with real world examples and resources. It also discusses the latest marketing trends, such as international Internet marketing and blogs.--Publisher  (Check Catalog)

Tuned in : uncover the extraordinary opportunities that lead to business breakthroughs

 by Craig Stull. This well-reasoned and useful guide argues that successful innovators can develop products that "resonate" by connecting deeply with consumers. This simple idea is delivered in a conversational tone and illustrated in well-structured chapters laying out a six-step "Tuned in Process" and examples that span borders and industries. From anecdotes about countryside hotels that sprouted up to provide respite for Japanese salarymen to Nalgene plastic bottles, which escaped the laboratory to achieve cult status and ultimately mass market consumer appeal, fascinating case studies abound. However, as appealing as the concept and the many examples are, the enthusiastic presentation begins to grate; the repeated invocation of the "Tuned in Process" may tire readers looking for more subtlety and fewer sound bites. Still, there is sufficient fodder for anyone who wants to shake the sleep out of an organization and renew a focus on creating the kind of value that customers are willing to pay for. --Publishers Weekly. (Check Catalog)

The total money makeover : a proven plan for financial fitness

 by Dave Ramsey. Radio talk-show host and bestselling author Ramsay (Financial Peace) is less a financial analyst and more of a preacher, which explains both his popularity and the appeal of this book, which jsut might gain a wide audience. The bedrock of his system is simple: work hard, pay what you owe and stay out of debt. His main commandment is "Pay cash." He first exhorts the reader to take "baby steps," which are designed to build on each other: first, save $1,000 as an emergency fund; then, pay off all debts from smallest to largest; save a larger three-to-six-month emergency fund; finally, start to save for college and pay off your home mortgage. Ramsay understands the difficulty in putting these steps into action, and therefore packs his book with personal testimonials from everyday people who have used his system and have become debt free, with obvious struggles. The key is what Ramsay calls "Gazelle intensity," which is to live a financial life the way a gazelle saves itself from an attacking cheetah-"outmaneuver the enemy and run for your life." While Ramsay provides some helpful charts and graphs so readers can keep track of their efforts to follow his steps, the strength of this book is that it is a straightforward motivational tool. He provides the brutally direct truth about the hard work it takes to become free of debt, and his directness is a great part of the book's charm. --Publishers Weekly. (Check Catalog)

Localist movements in a global economy.

 by David J. Hess, In an era of ecological limits, Hess (science and technology studies, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) argues, the fixation of globally embedded, publicly traded corporations on short-term profits and shareholder interests undermines environmental sustainability and social justice. The solution is locally owned, independent businesses that recapture the "economic and political sovereignty of place-based communities." Local ownership is more likely than corporate ownership to produce a more sustainable and just society. This argument is explored through a review of numerous local initiatives in retailing (e.g., "buy local" campaigns), urban agriculture (e.g., community gardens), local energy (e.g., wind turbines), public transportation (e.g., the use of biofuels), and media (e.g., alternative newspapers). To give larger relevance to the many examples, Hess situates localism within ideological debates over neoliberalism and considers differing approaches to economic development, ultimately opting for import substitution. He concludes with proposals ranging from community currencies to public ownership of high-carbon-consuming industries. His goal is a "localism" that is globally connected but not subordinate to global institutions. Less a thorough analysis than a broad overview, the book is an informative introduction and a first attempt to theoretically and practically craft an alternative political economy. --Choice (Check Catalog)

How the economy works : confidence crashes and self-fulfilling prophecies

 by Roger E. A. Farmer. Chair of the UCLA economics department, Farmer has two purposes in this book. First, he offers a summary of the many decades' debate between classical and Keynesian economists. Second, he presents his own prescription to resolve the current economic crisis. The historical account of economic theory is especially useful, introducing the reader to key figures in the debates and pointing out strengths and weaknesses in competing points of view. The focus is on mainstream US economists who have struggled to reconcile a classical individualistic model of markets with Keynesian insights about market failures. The summary of policy recommendations is based on Farmer's book, Expectations, Employment and Prices (2010). He uses a market model of job search as well as behavioral economics insights on financial markets to explain why the crisis occurred and what should be done to resolve it. Readers interested in policy recommendations should also consult works by Dean Baker, Joseph Stiglitz, and Richard Posner. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; all levels of undergraduate students; practitioners. --Choice (Check Catalog)

The complete guide to planning your estate in New York : a step-by-step plan to protect your assets, limit your taxes, and ensure your wishes are fulfilled for New York residents

 by Linda C. Ashar. To ensure your assets are protected and final wishes are carried out, there are some common actions that should be taken now. Proper estate planning allows you to plan for yourself and your loved ones without giving up control of your affairs.Your estate plan should also allow for the possibility of your own disability. It should detail what you own and whom you want to leave it to at a time of your choosing and the way you want. Your estate plan should include fully disclosed, controlled costs for you and your loved ones. The last thing you want to worry about is having your estate drained of value through taxes and legal costs.The right plan can protect the value of your estate and spare your loved ones unnecessary hassles and legal conflicts. The Complete Guide to Planning Your Estate in New York will help you glide through this complicated process. --Publisher (Check catalog)

Plan B 4.0 : mobilizing to save civilization

 by Lester Russell Brown. This new title in the "Plan B" series (e.g., Plan B 2.0: Rescuing a Planet under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble, CH, Nov'06, 44-1627) outlines how human demands on the environment have undermined Earth's natural capacities to sustain civilization. Arguing that every major environmental trend, from climate change to deforestation, threatens the food supply, Brown (Earth Policy Institute) urges immediate action to avert severe food shortages that could bring down civilization on a global scale. Part 1, "The Challenges," describes the causes of food shortage: loss of cropland, diminishing water supply, use of grain for fuel, and a growing population to feed. Part 2, "The Response," identifies actionable solutions using existing technologies and practices already in use. Highlights include successful climate-stabilizing innovations such as the garment-recycling program of retailer Patagonia and the shift to solar power in the villages of India. Part 3, "Can We Mobilize Fast Enough?" considers whether it is too late to save civilization. The author calls for immediate and rapid change akin to a massive wartime mobilization effort, and offers specific actions that can effect change. There are extensive notes. The book is also freely available as a PDF download from Earth Policy Institute along with extensive supplementary materials. --Choice (Check Catalog)