Managing Your Mouth: An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset

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On Speaking- The High Risk Proposition

Manage your mouth but skip this book

Managing Your Mouth

A must read for developing superior interpersonal skills.

Managing Your Mouth: An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset
Robert L. Genua
Manufacturer: AMACOM/American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0814478034

Customer Reviews:

On Speaking- The High Risk Proposition.......2004-06-15

Speaking is very likely the most important interpersonal skill behind integrity, or being true to one's words in deed and action. Mr. Genua's book, Managing Your Mouth, presents diverse examples of the same idea: how thoughtless use of the spoken word can put a person between the proverbial rock and a hard place.

Few of us understand, especially the young and un-initiated, that speaking is a high-risk proposition. One may wonder why that is so, and Dr. Robert Bolton, in his well researched book, People Skills, provides a simple answer: when we speak, we have no way of knowing in advance how the other side will react to what we say. That is why Dr. Bolton strongly recommends learning to listen, and many institutions (but not nearly enough) strongly emphasize clear and direct communication, preferably in the simplest terms possible and with an economy of words.

Mr. Genua advances thing a few more steps, and asserts that when we speak to others, not only do we not know how they will react, but we also do not know for certain how our words will be interpreted, and in a business setting with proprietary knowledge at risk, exactly what information we are consciously or unconsciously transmitting when we speak. Not only do our words communicate, but our posture, facial expressions and other body language can send unconscious signals, which to the trained observer can turn into important and useful information.

In seven quick and easy chapters, the author explains the importance of paying close attention to one's verbal and non-verbal communication, how to avoid certain destructive forms of verbal communication, and finally how to use verbal and non-verbal cues to maximum effect (as opposed to having them used against you to maximum effect), especially in business settings.

After using the preface and first chapter to lay out the reasons for paying close attention to what one says, the author gets to business in the second chapter by engaging the reader with an assessment of his or her current verbal management skills followed by a brief, detailed no-nonsense explanation of each assessment point. The third chapter assists the reader in identifying potential problems about himself or herself so that problematic speaking forms can be avoided, and also shows via vivid examples what can (and does) happen to those who utilize problematic speaking forms. Chapter four covers a variety of instances where unguarded verbal communication can lead to personal ruin, and devotes a considerable amount of space to successful navigating the job interview. The chapter concludes with a discourse on surviving and thriving in company meetings.

Chapter five elaborates on gossip, outlining in detail how bad it is and basically telling the reader to avoid it in all of its forms, such as the grapevine and the water cooler, like the plague. Chapter six explains the importance of not divulging secret or proprietary information, and reminds the reader to be on guard at all times and to use silence as a weapon. The last chapter (of bankruptcy fame) details the ins and outs of secrecy, and the effective use of deception.

My only criticism of this text is its failure to tell the reader to think carefully before he or she speaks. Most of us have to really train ourselves to do this, and work hard at resisting the urge to respond, either to demonstrate our intelligence or to counter a verbal attack (I have found that in many cases one demonstrates his or her intelligence by not speaking or responding to attacks). Most problems result because people fail to consider how their words will be received, and what exactly it is they wish to say. Merely reading about the pitfalls of speaking is one thing, but putting the author's advice to practice is quite another. All readers of this book should keep in mind that when we engage in verbal, we often pass through potentially stormy and treacherous waters.

Manage your mouth but skip this book.......2002-12-09

The concept and potential of this book is great. However, the title seems to say it all - in other words, manage what comes out of your mouth, because it can affect your success. Beyond that, save your money. I hesitate to write negative reviews because I ask myself - why would I do that, they didn't do anything to me?! But actually, I bought this book based on the 5 star reviews and it was a let down. Again, the author should be commended for the concept and for meaning well on such an important topic. I just didn't really feel like it helped me manage my mouth better, which is the point of my review. I have books you couldn't pry out of my hands (like "Keeping your cool under pressure") but I would gladly give up Managing Your Mouth for one dollar of my money back.

Managing Your Mouth.......2001-11-21

A great book on managing one of our best assets! As a manager, I found the book beneficial as it addresses the ramifications of poor communication. It addresses using body language combined with speech and/or silence. Considering "words and movement are the basis of communication" between co-workers, this book is essential in reminding all of us the joys of having and working with individuals who have "a better managed mouth".

A must read for developing superior interpersonal skills........1999-09-30

This is a "one of a kind book" that deals with one of the most important aspects of one's personal development. Most people get in trouble because they say things that offend others. This book is a tremendous help in off-setting that tendency. It will help readers, in both, on the job performance and in their personal lives.

Managing Your Mouth - An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset

Average customer rating:

Managing Your Mouth - An Owner's Manual for Your Most Important Business Asset
Robert L. Genua
Manufacturer: American Management Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q5E80W

Product Description

Foot-in-mouth syndrome may sound like a joke, but the result can be disastrous in the workplace. Managing Your Mouth helps businesspeople master the many aspects of one-on-one communication and keep their feet on the ground--where they belong. This valuable guide starts readers off with an in-depth personal assessment and then explains how they can: 1) use verbal skills to move up the corporate ladder 2) say the right thing at the right time 3) judge personality and its influence on behavior 4) evaluate the role of nonverbal cues and meanings The author's advice will help readers handle the most trying communication scenarios, including controversy, bad news, networking, gossip, company secrets, proprietary information, meetings, and interviews.

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How to Invest in Hedge Funds: An Investment Professional's Guide
Matthew Ridley
Manufacturer: Kogan Page
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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"This is, quite simply, the best non-technical exposition of hedge funds." -The WealthNET

Book Description

Volume 1 of the landmark Flora of New South Wales, published with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, was first published in 1990, and describes the naturally occurring and naturalized ferns, cycads, conifers, and some of the flowering plants of this state. This revised edition responds to wide-ranging revisions to taxonomy and the discovery or identification of new plant species--such as the "living fossil" Wollemi pine. It includes a 64-page insert that lists all the updates to the information within the book, including taxonomic changes, new species descriptions, new data about species, and changes to keys. The reference list, glossary, and index have all been revised.

Book Description

The author of Einstein's Dreams now presents a collection of essays, written over the past 20 years, that displays his genius for bringing literary and scientific concerns into ringing harmony. Sometimes provocative, sometimes fanciful, always elegantly conceived and written, these meditations offer readers a fascinating look into the creative compulsions shared by the scientist and the artist. Reading tour.

Customer Reviews:

An exploration of human nature launched from the scientific.......2002-05-09

Last weekend, I was wandering through my local bookstore when I chanced upon Alan P. Lightman's collection of essays DANCE FOR TWO. I remembered reading Lightman's EINSTEIN DREAMS and GOOD BENITO in college over 10 years ago, when I picked them up from the student bookstore because I liked the way the books felt in my hand, and, after reading them, I liked the way Lightman's prose stuck in my memory.

So I added DANCE FOR TWO to my stack of purchases and read it over the last two nights. I was not disappointed.

DANCE FOR TWO is a collection of 24 short essays that Lightman has published over the last 15 years in various magazines and journals. Each essay is written in a economical, nearly austere, style that is reminiscent of the clear, autumn days on the East Coast that must have influenced Lightman. Though the prose is spare and distilled, the essays themselves are strangely moving. In reading, "Smile", a boy-meets-girl story reduced to the mechanics of the eye, ear, and brain, I got choked up when I read the ending lines "All of this is known. What is not known is why, after about a minute, the man walks over to the woman and smiles." I still don't know why I got choked up.

Unfortunately, like any collection of short works, some of the essays that would be quite enjoyable on their own pale in comparisons to the more beautiful siblings. While most of the essays here are excellent, one or two only rise to the merely good.

The subject of these essays is ostensibly about the role of science in everyday human experience, and Lightman does a masterful job of communicating sometimes complex topics into common language. But, as the title of the collection suggests, a dualistic theme pervades throughout the book. In particular, Lightman is constantly comparing and contrasting science and art, finding the hidden creative and human aspects in the hard sciences, as well as craft and objective nature of art. Lightman also explores other dualistic notions.

In his essay "Students and Teachers", Lightman explores the two seemingly opposite roles and finds their hidden connections. In his fable "Mirage", Lightman explores the difference between theorizing on the world and having the courage to act on those theories when he creates a city in Persia where the inhabitants seem enringed by distant fortress walls. In "Flash of Light," Lightman discusses the difference between theoretical science and experimental science by examining a humorous episode in his attempt at experimental science. In "Seasons", Lightman contrasts the certainty provided by the world of physics with the messiness and uncertainty of the political climate on college campuses during the Vietnam War. In "Pas De Dux", Lightman explores the effect of the dancer on the earth she dances upon. The ending paragraph of this essay is quite beautiful. "For an ending, the ballerina does a demi-plie and jumps two feet in the air. The Earth, balancing her momentum, responds with its own sauté and changes orbit by one ten-trillionth of an atom's width. No one notices, but it is exactly right."

But perhaps the biggest dualistic theme threading its way throughout this book is the relationship between the reader and the writer. In his Introduction, Lightman warns us that "writing is a selfish and self-centered profession," and he remarks on the pleasure he receives on going through his old works and being surprised at the small fraction that is pleasing. But while Lightman may be performing this task egotistically, one gets the texture of humility throughout all of his essays. Lightman, rather than being proud of his writing ability, seems more amazed by it, as if his writing ability was another type of natural phenomena outside of the author to be studied and measured if it can. And if it cannot be subjected to the tools of science, then it should at least be appreciated for the beauty it provides.

And that seems exactly right.

Dav's Rating System:
5 stars - Loved it, and kept it on my bookshelf.
4 stars - Liked it, and gave it to a friend.
3 stars - OK, finished it and gave it to the library.
2 stars - Not good, finished it, but felt guilty and/or cheated by it.
1 star - I want my hour back! Didn't finish the book.

reality of science.......2002-02-14

many, if not most, scientists beleive in evolution and that science is the leading force of this universe. Alan Lightman so simply proves it not so. Through everyday circumstances he displays a larger force at work, a demonstration rarely seen, heard, or read. My career is in the science field and the internal battle between science and religion is constant in my life. Now I read 'Smile' and 'In His Image' when I question that. All of these essays are brilliant and insightful. I recommend this book not only to my friends, but my librarian as well.

Illuminates the Interface between Science and the Arts.......2000-03-18

These 24 essays, written during the past 15 years, were chosen because, on retrospection, they pleased the author. They are sure to please the reader, too. Their stage is the ever-fascinating interface between science and the arts.

Have you ever pondered that the upward force generated by the churning electrons and protons in the molecules of the stage floor opposes and exactly counterbalances the downward force that the weight of the ballerina exerts on the floor? Or that as she completes her leap, the earth's orbit readjusts itself by a trillionth of an atom's width? Lightman has pondered these and other matters, and describes all in graceful, accurate and compelling prose.

Several events in the book, like the building of a bomb shelter, appear in a fictional setting in Lightman's novel "Good Benito," leading me to wonder if other chapters of his first novel are autobiographical, also.

Several humorous essays describe imaginary visits by Newton, Einstein, and others to Lightman's twilight zone. These visits always end with an unexpectd twist, leaving this reader gasping for reality--and for more.

One of Lightman's many perceptive messages can be found on p. 95 where he says, "Science offers little comfort to anyone who asks to leave behind a personal message in his work." Of course, this impersonality is undoubtedly the key to the great success of science. But in bringing his own wry and perceptive slant to 'writing' about science, Lightman is able to have his cake and eat it too, conveying an entertaining message which is both scientifically informative and yet gratifyingly personal.

Relates Science, History, Art and Life. Makes you think........1999-11-08

Brilliantly written stories whose themes revolve around science and scientists and their interactions with art, society, history and life in general. Gives science a human touch, makes it more personal and approachable to anyone. Makes us think about the universe around us and the lives we lead and how everything untimately ties together. I liked it even more the second time I read it.

Inspiring..........1998-10-28

This book made me dream and think about my life and me. Thought me the magic of writng and the reasons behind it..." For one's delight, to give the same pleasure to others, to go back and find meaning in what we wrote or simply dismiss it..." The essay format made it a simple and enjoyable reading and made me look for more of his work. I read Einstein's Dreams, although I was dissapointed his writing style pull me to look for this book, this one is a great one. Einstein's Dreams left me waiting for a conclusion or a dialog with "The Great One"

Average customer rating:

Dance for Two: Selected Essays Pb
Alan P. Lightman
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0747529299

Talk About Hope: Two Bob Hope Writers Trade Stories

Average customer rating:

Great book! And this from another Hope writer!
An amazing book on the behind scenes of a Comedy Ledgen.
Good for a few thousand laughs!
Talk about a good book...this one fits the bill!
"Talk About Hope" is a look at a comedy legend.

Talk About Hope: Two Bob Hope Writers Trade Stories
Gene Perret
Manufacturer: Jester Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1888688025

Customer Reviews:

Great book! And this from another Hope writer!.......1999-04-18

Gene and Martha have done a superb job capturing the essence of Hope. I wrote for Bob myself and know what he was like on a day-to-day basis and they nailed him. He was a true joy to work for and left all of us with valued memories of experiences we'd otherwise have only dreamed of. Gene and Martha have documented what it was like to work for a legend. My hat's off to them both!

An amazing book on the behind scenes of a Comedy Ledgen........1998-12-19

If you read just one book on Show Business this is the one!! I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the experinece of going behind the scenes with two of Bob Hope's Comedy Writers. Both writers paint a real and exciting picture of a true comedy ledgend. I would also reccomend that anyone interrested in becoming a comedy writer read this book.

Good for a few thousand laughs!.......1998-12-17

Trust me. Read this one. Any fan of Hope, or any fan of comedy, will love the behind-the-scenes stories of being on the road with Hope. How the punch lines came about are as funny as the lines themselves. I bought a copy for my Dad - a BIG Hope fan - with the intention of stealing it back. No such luck. He won't let it go!

Talk about a good book...this one fits the bill!.......1998-12-17

Want to read a good book?....Talk about Hope is just that. This book gives real insight into the legendary Bob Hope as a performer and a person from two people who really know him -- they both have talked, worked, and traveled with him for many years. It is a humorous & insightful book written in an easy-to-read, conversational style. As you read this book, you will feel like you, too, REALLY know the real Bob Hope.

"Talk About Hope" is a look at a comedy legend........1998-10-21

"Talk About Hope" is a behind the scenes look into a comedy legend as told by two of Bob Hope's longtime writers. It's written in a conversational style that makes you think the writer's were speaking directly to you.

The book is filled with stories that are both funny and give some insights into why Bob Hope has enjoyed longevity as an entertainer.

Product Description

Wherever they've found fiddlers and dance floors, Texans have been tickled into motion. And for a century and a half they've been kicking up dust in dance halls across the state. Writing about the eighteen she knows best, Gail Folkins celebrates how these halls still bring people together and foster joy.
Folkins etches portraits of proprietors who give space for music and dancing, of musicians who furnish the soundtrack for dramas and comedies that play out across hardwood or concrete floors, and of people who come to dance, listen, or simply share the experience with friends and neighbors. Paired with Marcus Weekley's photographs, some whirling and some dreamy, they capture beat and motion, even the scent of sawdust on the floor. Drawn in, we witness daytime preparations for evenings to come, and the quiet that returns after the dancers go home and the musicians have packed up for the night.
Moving from Twin Sisters near New Braunfels to legendary Luckenbach, we meet the third generation in a family of makers of music and keepers of dance halls. And then there are the descendants of Czech Catholic settlers coming to dance under the giant letters KJT (Katolika Jednota Texaska). At Coupland Dance Hall, we sense ghostly apparitions of pioneer women in long skirts. Very much in the twenty-first century, we share a dance floor with tourists and university types among the kitschy accoutrements at Austin s Broken Spoke.

8 x 11. 132 duotone photos.

Customer Reviews:

A true Texas experience.......2007-10-04

Gail Folkins has captured the essence of the Texas dance hall experience. Where you can watch an old couple who has been dancing together for fifty years, or a little girl learn to dance on the tops of her father's feet. The only thing better than this beautifully written and illustrated book is the real thing.

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Two Essays on Stepanov Dance Notation
Alexander Gorsky
Manufacturer: CORD Special Publication
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KBP0RC

The Crowed Dance. Selected Essays; Volume Two

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The Crowed Dance. Selected Essays; Volume Two
Virginia Woolf
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Two American dance classics (Essays from the faculty - Sarah Lawrence College ; v. 4., no. 1)

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Two American dance classics (Essays from the faculty - Sarah Lawrence College ; v. 4., no. 1)
Marcia B Siegel
Manufacturer: Sarah Lawrence College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006DXZ94

Two essays on Stepanov dance notation (CORD special publication)

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Two essays on Stepanov dance notation (CORD special publication)
Aleksandr Alekseevich Gorskii
Manufacturer: CORD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CY3S2

Book Description

This anthology is a collection of basic readings, chosen to illustrate the major movements in the history, development and nature of aesthetics. Selections of major importance are drawn from the period of the Greeks to the mid-twentieth century. Every section introduction includes an historical overview of each period, biographical information, and a brief analysis of key concepts.

Customer Reviews:

An Engaging Perspective On Art and Beauty.......2007-01-18

This a tough read, but a rewarding one. It presumes a familiarity with philosophical language and with the major players (especially the Greeks). It also borders on being a grad-level read, so beware if it's been assigned to you in an undergrad course; you've got your work cut out for you. Nonetheless, Townsend compiles an interesting assortment of readings (even though he jumps over big time periods) and gives a fresh perspective on writers that you've probably thought of very differently until now (e.g., Tolstoy and Clive Bell). It's the kind of book that's engrossing enough to keep even after the course is over, and it'll probably be a useful resource to have in your personal library if you're going to go on to graduate study in philosophy or art.

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