Doing more with less : the new way to wealth

by Bruce Piasecki    (Get the Book)
"After the last set of business scandals and financial busts, many powerful interests and many influential people are asking questions about doing more with less, from governments to multinational corporations; they are seeking this realignment in hopes of regaining their balance. Doing More with Less is an actionable call to arms, with global insights--that are of immediate application to professionals in any industry--into new ways to better align money, people, and rules. Author, Bruce Piaceski, convincingly lays out the case for a return to frugality, providing relevant examples from his thirty years of experience as a management consultant and change agent. Piaceski deftly explains how this approach to competition is relevant, and provides readers with the framework to look at what's next without tottering toward failure"-- (Publisher)

Success as a real estate agent for dummies

by Dirk Zeller    (Get the Book)
Make your fortune in the real estate business? Easy. Whether you are looking to rev up your real estate business, deciding whether to specialize in commercial or residential real estate, or just interested in refining specific skills, Success as a Real Estate Agent For Dummies has it covered. This no-nonsense guide, with guidance from an industry expert, shows how you can become a successful real estate agent. It provides advice on acquiring the skills needed to excel and the respect and recognition you'll gain through making sales and generating profit. Soon you'll have all the tools you need to: prospect your way to listing and sales; build a referral-based clientele; plan and host a successful open house; present and close listing contracts; stake your competitive advantage; spend less time to earn more money; and much more. Features tips and tricks for working with buyers Includes must-haves for a successful real estate agents Offers tried-and-true tactics and fresh ideas for finding more prospects--and closing more deals Whether it's lead generation via blogging or social media channels, Success as a Real Estate Agent For Dummies gives you key ways to communicate and prospect in a new online world. (Publisher)

Capital in the twenty-first century

by Thomas Piketty     (Get the Book)
What are the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital? Questions about the long-term evolution of inequality, the concentration of wealth, and the prospects for economic growth lie at the heart of political economy. But satisfactory answers have been hard to find for lack of adequate data and clear guiding theories. In Capital in the Twenty-First Century, Thomas Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty countries, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic and social patterns. His findings will transform debate and set the agenda for the next generation of thought about wealth and inequality. Piketty shows that modern economic growth and the diffusion of knowledge have allowed us to avoid inequalities on the apocalyptic scale predicted by Karl Marx. But we have not modified the deep structures of capital and inequality as much as we thought in the optimistic decades following World War II. The main driver of inequality--the tendency of returns on capital to exceed the rate of economic growth--today threatens to generate extreme inequalities that stir discontent and undermine democratic values. But economic trends are not acts of God. Political action has curbed dangerous inequalities in the past, Piketty says, and may do so again. A work of extraordinary ambition, originality, and rigor, Capital in the Twenty-First Century reorients our understanding of economic history and confronts us with sobering lessons for today. (Summary)

Invent it, sell it, bank it! : make your million-dollar idea into a reality

by Lori Greiner    (Get the Book)
Greiner's obsession with an idea for an earring organizer launched her into a long career as inventor and entrepreneur. With no background or education in business and none of the advantages of the Internet age, she now has more than 400 inventions to her credit, 15 years on QVC's Clever & Unique Creations, and her notoriety as the warm-blood shark on Shark Tank. Greiner has much to share with aspiring inventors. From her own early efforts, both failures and successes, she shares what she's learned along the way from concept to market shelf, including designing, patenting, manufacturing, pricing, and marketing. Greiner includes step-by-step instructions and checklists to identify the basic elements usefulness, uniqueness, safety, well-priced, desirable, and easily demonstrated of promising inventions. She includes advice on how to use social media and online surveys to do market research and the pros and cons of getting financing through friends, family, banks, crowd funding, or venture capitalists. Most fascinating are her behind-the-scenes looks at QVC and Shark Tank as she recalls the ups and downs of pitching ideas. --Booklist

The Charles Schwab guide to finances after fifty : answers to your most important money questions

by Carrie Schwab-Pomeranz    (Get the Book)
Building off her popular "Ask Carrie" column, Schwab-Pomerantz (president, Charles Schwab Fdn., senior vice president, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.; coauthor, It Pays To Talk) presents her latest book as a collection of answers to the most important questions for those who may be near retirement or thinking about it. After introducing her "Top Ten Recommendations for Every Age" on how to become and remain financially fit, she addresses everything from planning for retirement to encouraging financial independence in children and other family members. Her style is conversational and open-minded, a necessity with such a delicate subject. The advice is sound, not groundbreaking, but readers will appreciate the Q&A format that will allow them to skip to the most relevant points as needed. VERDICT The title of the book should not dissuade younger readers from picking up this volume as it includes invaluable guidance on many personal finance topics that affect those under 50, including saving for college, paying off debt, and preparing for the golden years. --Library Journal

Social insecurity : 401(k)s and the retirement crisis

by James W. Russell     (Get the Book)
This is the story of how one individual fought bureaucracy and won. Along the way, Russell (Double Standard: Social Policy in Europe and the U.S., 2010) educates us about the fallacies inherent in our three-legged retirement system of Social Security, personal savings, and the employer pension 401(k) system. Although most of his battle is with the pension (defined benefit or DB) plan in the state of Connecticut, he manages to give readers an eyeful (and earful, if you can hear his insistence) about Social Security and the issues with personal investing not only in the U.S. but also in Chile, the UK, and other countries. His homework is impressive. He's researched the opinions of the World Bank, countless politicos and U.S. presidents, and conservative think tanks, as well as the outliers, such as the Cato Institute and Peter Orszag. Meanwhile, he also demystifies the pundits: Social Security will not go broke; 401(k)s do not offer a higher rate of return; and defined contribution plans (such as 401(k)s) are cheaper for employees and employers. His campaign is truly a case history to be emulated, one that requires much patience and time. --Booklist

When buyers say no : essential strategies for keeping a sale moving forward

by Tom Hopkins    (Get the Book)
Every no means something different in sales. And rather than relying on a rote way of teaching how to break through these obstacles, experts Hopkins (author of How to Master the Art of Selling, 1980) and Katt show readers through examples. Their process is named the circle of persuasion, which starts and ends with traditional steps, from establishing rapport to closing the sale. What makes the program work is the authors' intense attention to detail as well as two conversation-filled case histories that mirror the content in each chapter. Here, salesperson Kate focuses on business sales; Bob, on residential. Emphasizing that a no doesn't signify a personal rejection, Hopkins and Katt pound away on the fundamental skills every good salesperson should acquire, such as listening, going beyond surface rapport, relaxing (a key attribute when the close is near), and negotiating. Selling well is not an easy subject to teach on the printed page; both authors will earn readers' respect for doing just that. --Booklist