How to Sue A Telemarketer by Stephen Ostrow, Esquire

The vast majority of people dislike telemarketers. While we know that it is a job and people need to work and make money, but do that have to call and bug me at the worst possible times – to make a living? Some people seem to have unreal timing – where they always call or show up at the worst possible time. Telemarketers are like that – they almost always call at a bad time – like at meal time or when we’re racing to get ready to go out.

It seems that telemarketers are here to stay. Even with the “do not call” list – we still get telemarketer phone calls. So, is there anything we can do about telemarketers? And, while many people may dream of suing telemarketers, is it a legitimate option? Attorney, Stephen Ostrow gives us the answer in his book which gives valuable details about how to handle telemarketers, along with the legal perspective peppered with his own unique brand of humor.

I’ll admit up front that I hang up on telemarketers. I feel no shame or embarrassment about this and I don’t apologize for it. Yes – I have had them call me back and claim that we were disconnected. Being me, I hang up on them again. I know people who pay for caller ID or refuse to pick up “out of area” or “caller unknown” calls, because it may be a telemarketer. It seems ridiculous that people feel the need to act like this and it amazes me that more people don’t hang up on them.

For about two weeks I was a telemarketer for a local newspaper and I promised myself that I would never do that again – thankfully I haven’t needed to resort to that work. But there are plenty of people who work as telemarketers to put food on their tables and to keep a roof over their head. So, how can we deal with telemarketers and what can we do legally when telemarketers do cross the line? Those are two of the reasons why you need to read Stephen Ostrow’s book How to Sue a Telemarketer.

This is the table of contents:

• What to Do When A Telemarketer Calls
• About the Telemarketing Act of 1991 and Updates
• How to Research the Telemarketer’s Legal Name and Address
• Agent for Services to Process and Service of Summons
• Legal Complaint and Forms
• How to Prove Your Case
• Collection of Your Damages
• Unsolicited Faxes
• Specific TCPA Causes of Action

On the very first page Ostrow tells the reader that picking up this book is proof that they have decided to stop being a victim of telemarketers and to be pro-active about “reclaiming the sounds of silence”.

Through the pages of his book, Ostrow gives specific examples of how to handle telemarketers. This includes the information you need to get from them, whether you can record them, how to record them legally, what to do and who to reach out to if they do cross the line and much more. He also explains the laws regarding telemarketers and when you do have a legal recourse against them.

Each chapter is packed with information on what to do and there is a “Check List Review” at the end of each chapter to make sure you got the points. I like simple reviews at the end of each chapter and especially since my reading time is often interrupted – it helps me be sure that I got the points. I know many other people have plenty of interruptions when they try to read too.

If you want to know what you can do to eliminate telemarketers from your life and how to do it properly — you need to read How to Sue a Telemarketer: A Manual For Restoring Peace on Earth One Call at a Time by Stephen Ostrow and Ozmo Kramer. This is a simple read – even when he discusses the legal details and lays out the specifics easily for anyone to understand. Take back your “peace” and learn how to handle “newbie” telemarketer and even the most experienced callers. Imagine – handling a telemarketer instead of having them handle you for a change.

For more information about this virtual book tour, please visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/07/05/how-to-sue-a-telemarketer/ For more information about Steve visit his site at http://howtosueatelemarketer.com/

The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal

The Unexpected Son by Shobhan Bantwal

Vinita is a young woman in contemporary India and the captain of the college cricket team pays attention to her. For a very focused student, that is overwhelming and she simply has to make any adjustments in her life to enjoy his attention. They start off with innocent cups of coffee in a local coffee shop, but things turn more serious and intimate. Vinita is from a strict Indian family and she knows that her behavior isn’t “approved”, but she’s young and “in love”.

Soon Vinita must face the fact that she’s pregnant. That is hard enough,  she must tell her family but first she has to tell the father. His reaction is that he will pay for an abortion – that leaves her with no options. She has to tell her parents.  It goes as bad as she feared and her older brother is called home to help them deal with the “situation”. Vinita goes to live with her brother until the baby is born and her mother comes to be with her for the baby’s birth.

Vinita is insistent that she will keep her baby and raise it on her own – totally against her family’s wishes. She is very sick when she goes into labor and her body is too weak to get through a difficult delivery. So, the doctor, a friend of her brother’s, suggests a C-section. Eventually, she is too weak to argue. Hours later when she wakes, Vinita is told that her son didn’t survive. Imagine the guilt of a young mother who was too sick to delivery her baby, who made the decision to try to have the baby naturally and then she learns that he died.

Time passes and Vinita’s family eventually finds a marriage match for her and she moves to the United States to start a new life and a family with her husband.  Her life is happy and she loves her husband and her daughter. Things are good in her new life until an unexpected letter arrives – it says that her son is very sick and may not survive. Obviously she is confused – then she speaks to her brother who admits her son didn’t die all those years ago. As she tries to grasp the truth, she must face the fact that her husband and daughter don’t even know she was pregnant. How can she tell them that she lied to them?

That letter sets of a chain of unexpected and emotional events for Vinita, her husband, her daughter, her parents, her brother and sister in law. In addition, she is caught in the middle of an unexpected “turf war” in her home town.

If you like stories that tug on your heart strings, reveal the dynamics of family background and help you get inside the mind of a young innocent Indian woman making her way in the world – you will love The Unexpected Son. Author, Shobhan Bantwal, brings her rich personal history and vivid creativity and imagination to her stories which will give you insights into Indian culture and open the complicated lives of her characters. Each of her books provide a unique glimpse into Indian culture and tradition and they provide a journey that I highly recommend.

A Note From Shobhan – Information about my books, video trailers, contact, photos from India, reviews, contests, and recipes is available on my website: www.shobhanbantwal.com.  Enter a giveaway on my website during August for a FREE copy of The Unexpected Son.  You can also visit me on Facebook and MySpace. All my books can be purchased at any retail bookstore or online bookseller. For more information about The Unexpected Son virtual tour, visit http://bookpromotionservices.com/2010/07/02/unexpected-son-virtual-tour/

How Obama Governed by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

In these days when many people are sick and tired of most people in the media just recycling the words fed to them by the White House – it is very refreshing to find a political analyst who thinks for their self and who substantiates their comments. This is one of the things I really like about reading any of Earl Ofari Hutchin’s books and I’ve read many of them.

I never started following politics until I met Dr Hutchinson about 2 1/2 years ago. At that time I read his book on The Latino Challenge to Black America and I was floored by how much I learned about race relations in the US. As a white woman from Virginia, most of the topics that were discussed were new to me – but he helped me to have a deeper and more compassionate viewpoint about two of the major ethnic groups in the US. That started me thinking and I’ve read all of Dr Hutchinson’s books since then and a couple of earlier books

So – the timing was perfect to follow the seemingly never ending primary season that led up to the 2008 presidential election. As he released new books, I continued to learn current details – but to also understand the history of politics in our country. To say that I’ve learned more about government by reading Dr Hutchinson’s books than I ever learned in Government or Civics class in high school – would be a huge understatement.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s last book was How Obama Won and it evaluated all the topics and issues that led to Barack Obama’s presidential victory. Again, he included plenty of historic details to substantiate his conclusions. You find the same unbiased and well documented details in How Obama Governed. Recently, I spoke with various bloggers to ask them to post some information about this book and many (predictably) said they would only participate if he agreed with their stand. Almost every one commented on how they were surprised that political party and stand were not an issue for them. People of many different political affiliations participated. In this year of partisan upheaval – I was very impressed with that conclusion.

This is the table of contents for How Obama Governed by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge

Introduction: How Obama Promised to Govern

1. The First 1000 Days, Not 100 Days

2. Waging Bush’s Terror War

3. It’s Still the Economy, Stupid

4. The Red President

5. The GOP Counterinsurgency

6. The Limbaugh Strawman

7. Obamacare-The Right or Wrong Prescription

8. The Civil Rights Backburner

9. Afghanistan is Obama’s Vietnam

10. The Gates Train wreck

11. Progessive’s Obama Quandry

Conclusion: How Obama Will Continue to Govern

Throughout the time I paid attention to people who talk about politics – they seem to know as much as the weatherman and are often as wrong as the weatherman in their conclusions. However, I’ve found that almost without exception, the conclusions that Dr Hutchinson shares – are right. Could this be because of his extensive knowledge and background in politics? I think it is – he is willing to pose the tough questions and to give an honest evaluation.

How Obama Governed deals with all the hot button topics that the Obama Administration have faced and they are still facing many of these issues. Take another look at the table of contents – that is all the topics in the news each week. For a balanced commentary on these topics, how the affect Obama, and how they will affect each of us – you need to read this book. Its a quick read – but packed with all the topics that are on the mind of the people of the US and other countries who are concerned about what has already happened in the first year of the Obama presidency and what will happen in the next three years. For anyone who wants to cut through the usual pundits’ BS – needs to read this book.

About Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Dr Earl Ofari Hutchinson featured interviews and comments on race and politics have appeared in: Time Newsweek New York Times ABC’s World News Tonight. He has been a guest analyst on: Fox News John Gibson Show, O’Reilly Show, Hannity & Colmes, Glenn Beck Show, PBS Lehrer Report, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and CNN News Shows. He is the National Political Writer for New America Media and a regular contributor to: the Huffington Post

His three most recent books are:
* How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge
* How Obama Won
* The Ethnic Presidency: How Race decides the Race to the White House

To book Earl Ofari Hutchinson for an interview and/or commentary on the promise and pitfalls of Obama’s first year in office. Call 1-323-383-6145 to schedule. Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally acclaimed author and political analyst. Hutchinson is the author of ten books on race and politics in America.

Title – How Obama Governed
Author – Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Author’s website link – http://www.howobamagoverned.com
Publisher – Middle Passage Press
Genre or category – US Politics
ISBN-10: 1439259925
ISBN-13: 978-1439259924
Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/How-Obama-Governed-Crisis-Challenge/dp/1439259925

The Fearless Factor by Jacqueline Wales

We’ve all heard the saying that life is a jungle and that idea is a big part of The Fearless Factor by Jacqueline Wales.  She shares her story of what happened in her life, the trials and addictions that she went through and how she ultimately faced her fears and created the life that she wanted. This information is good for anyone facing  fears, but for women or men who want to own their own business – the content of this book can be invaluable in their journey to success personally and in business.

The Fear less Factor: Overcome the Fears, Doubts and Anxiety That Stop You From Being Your Best Self Now by Jacqueline Wales is for anyone who is facing any fear and obstacles in their life. Do you know anyone who needs to deal with fear or obstacles in their life? Maybe you need to deal with some fears. There are so many things that people need to handle in their lives and those are the people who need to read The Fearless Factor.

The Section Headers in the Fearless Factor set the stage for the content –

Part 1 – Enter the Jungle

Part 2 – Choose the Right Path

Part 3 – Arrive at the Clearing

Part 4 – Master the Jungle

In Part 1, Jacqueline Wales discussed identifying what fear is, why do we ignore fear, how much pain are you in, what are you willing to give up, what is your commitment to change, where do you want to go, what do you want to achieve, do you think change is easy, determine what you are grateful for, keep smiling, age and attitude and much more.  Part 1 sets the stage and lets you evaluate what you need to deal with and to begin evaluating yourself. Another element is – are you ready to make a change? That may sound funny, but not everyone is ready to make the commitment to make a real change.

When you’re ready to move to Part 2, you need to learn how to choose the right path. Jacqueline Wales hits on many points that are important and that will likely be hard to face. But, to move forward through the jungle of life – you must face these concerns and be honest with yourself. She starts by asking what stories you tell yourself. Then you evaluate when opinions and expectations influence your life. Are you avoiding issues? She tells you to stop second guessing yourself and to be honest about whether you are all right. Chapter 8 starts by asking are you ready to change your life. You must develop compassion and forgive yourself. She wants you to answer the lies you tell yourself and what motives you to do this. Part 2 is not light reading, but a very integral part of your journey.

Appropriately Part 3 is titles Arrive at the Clearing. After considering the elements of Part 2 – you will indeed reach a clearing mentally and emotionally. This is the time to start identifying your values, skills and experience. These will help you define who you are. Mistakes and failure are the next topics – and she wants you to understand the positive elements of “failure”. Its time to get rid of the negativity and to learn to love yourself. An entire chapter is dedicated to risks – where to take risks and where to avoid risks.

This has been a powerful journey and Jacqueline Wales says it is time to move onto a bigger game – so you need to understand what is holding you back. Evaluate where you give up the control in your life and get rid of the distractions. Chapter 18 helps you to define, refine and accept your dreams. Isn’t it amazing how a person can go from not understanding fear and then being able to realize their dreams? This is a huge step for many people and the trek that Jacqueline Wales lays out  in her book will enable you or someone you love to make this sort of change in your life.

I can tell you from personal experience that facing you r fears, learning to love yourself, understand your skills and values, understand its all right to fail sometimes and many of the other things that Wales talks about in The Fearless Factor – are wonderful steps to making great changes in your life. These are some of the things I did several years ago that helped me to lead a much happier, more fulfilling and successful life. I didn’t say it is easy, but I wish I’d had this guide to help me through my personal struggles. It is available for you – and the principles in this book can make a major difference in your life – to make it better.

For More Information –

Jacqueline Wales is known the world over as The Black Belt Millionaire. Her unique programs have helped women around the globe develop strong personal success, confident communication and clear visions of their goals. She is the author of five books including The Fearless Factor. The Fearless Factor. For information on how to get YOUR copy of The Fearless Factor visit http://www.thefearlessfactorbook.com/

Lady Lightkeeper by Nikki Leigh

This is a review that was just posted for one of my novels. It is the second novel in the historic Misty Cove series and it is set along the Cape Ann coast of Massachusetts…

Lady Lightkeeper by Nikki Leigh
http://historicalromanceclub.com/index-R.html

Published: March 2007
Publisher: Write Words, Inc.
ISBN: 1594314098
Review Rating: 3.5 stars

Reviewer: Sandra Marlow

Tragedy has struck Lizbeth again. She hasn’t heard from her husband William in so many months. Sailing as captain of the Misty Pride II with his fishing crew, there has been no recent news about them at all. Lizbeth lost her father to the sea years ago when the keeper let the lighthouse that guards Misty Cove’s coastline go dark, and now going to that stalwart beacon makes her feel close to William. But she also has to take care of their children, Aiden and Marta. They’re so young and they don’t really understand why daddy has been away for so very long. And Lizbeth just can’t tell herself that William is never coming home. Not yet.

Trying to go on with life is difficult at times, but raising children alone, although with the help of friends, and being an active member of the community when needed at least gives Lizbeth a sense of family and accomplishment when she needs it most. People tell her that William would want her to move on, to find love again if possible. Even her surrogate mother, Sarah, knows Lizbeth must find a way to live again, but convincing her of that is nearly impossible right now. Putting aside eleven wonderful years of marriage with the love of her life is something Lizbeth just can’t do.

But when Lizbeth is selected to become the town’s lightkeeper when their current one must step down from his duties, her life starts on a new course, and even Lizbeth herself doesn’t realize how things are about to change. Taking her duties as the lady lightkeeper very seriously, she learns under the tutelage of Duncan Jones, the assistant keeper. Duncan is a stranger to the townsfolk of Misty Cove, but through his hard work and friendship with Lizbeth, he becomes important to their neighbors and to her heart. But it is not until a storm ravages the coast and she and Duncan must work together to save a boatful of fisherman that Lizbeth suddenly realizes what the man means to her.

But is she too late to let Duncan know what she feels for him? He is hurt during their rescue of the boat’s crew and Lizbeth is not sure she can withstand another loss of love. She now realizes that she must move on with her life; William will never be coming home, but is it a betrayal to her husband to love another? Will Duncan want to raise another man’s children? Will he understand that William will always have a place in heart? Is it too late for Lizbeth to be happy again?

Nikki Leigh’s Lady Lightkeeper is a heartwarming story of love, loss, and love regained amid terrible heartache and relevant issues of the time. Interesting tidbits about lighthouses and their keepers gives the story an added bonus. Ms. Leigh has done her homework well and you feel as though you are right there at the lighthouse during a storm. Secondary characters from Lizbeth’s children to the town shrew give the story depth. Second chance at love is always a wonderful read and Ms. Leigh does it justice.

The Sari Shop Widow by Shobhan Bantwal

I love to read books that help me learn about other areas and other cultures. That is just one of the reasons why I really enjoy Shobhan Bantwal’s books. Another is because she’s a great storyteller.

Shobhan Bantwal shares many elements of the Indian culture – her first two books were set in modern day India, but this one is set in New Jersey. Something interesting that she does in this book is to show us the conflict and struggle for a young widow in the US with very traditional parents. They love one another and the family is close – they live together and run a business together, but certain things are expected of their daughter.  This struggle is illustrated very well and in a nice variety of ways throughout the book.

Anjali Kapadia is a widow who is still dealing with her husband’s death. She lives with her traditional Indian parents and her younger brothers. After her husband died, she came to live with her family and she went to work with them in a sari shop. She brings a distinct talent and flair to the business and the shop is turned into an upscale boutique in Little India. But, there’s a problem – the store is going broke and the business is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Things look very bleak, until Anjali’s father contact his rich brother, Jeevan, who offers to come to their aid. Jeevan definitely has the money to help – but he is known for being domineering and difficult. Anjali and her mother dread bringing him into the situation, but it doesn’t appear they have a choice. They are apprehensive about his visit and that gets worse when he shows up with an associate they didn’t expect. His name is Rishi Shah and he is Jeevan’s business associate and from London – he is also single, very handsome and mysterious.

The tension between Anjali and Rishi starts almost immediately and it does add plenty of problems. Anjali and her parents are told that Jeevan and Rishi plan to expand the store and completely remodel it. This seems like a bad idea to Anjali and her parents because debt is already a problem, why add more debt?

In addition to the disagreements over the future of the business, there is a definite attraction between Anjali and Rishi. They both choose to ignore this attraction, but Rishi begins to admit it to himself first. Anjali is much more resistant to the idea because she feels love let her down in the past.

How will Anjali face the business crisis, the business expansion, the debt that is being incurred and her growing attraction to Rishi? I could tell you – but then you miss the sites, sounds, smell and feel of The Sari Shop Widow and I don’t want to deprive you. So, I highly recommend this book and any Shobhan Bantwal book.  I rarely have time to read all the books that I receive — but I enjoyed this so much that I’m trying to find time to savor all the elements of The Sari Shop Widow. I’d love to hear your thoughts about any books by Shobhan Bantwal.

We are starting a virtual blog tour with Shobhan Bantwal on September 1 and it runs through the end of the month. Here is more information -

For a preview, see the book trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uRlbkxxes

I am giving away a grand prize of one Indian costume jewelry set to one winner and five signed copies of the book to other winners who sign up between Sept 1 and Sept 30, 2009 through my website’s “Contests” page at www.shobhanbantwal.com. Information on my book can also be found on my Facebook and MySpace pages. You can see the full schedule at http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/07/sari-shop-widow-by-shobhan-bantwal.html

Young Guns by Robert Tuchman

Young Guns: TheFearless Entrepreneur’s Guide too Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own by Robert Tuchman

Part of the American Dream is to own your own business. Millions of people have done this – but we also know that many people fail in business every year, many in the first years. So, is there a secret to succeeding as a new entrepreneur? There are a number of factors and Young Guns by Robert Tuchman is a very good place to get started.

Anyone who is in business for themselves knows that there are many things that make a difference in the success or failure of any business. I’ve managed businesses for over 20 years for a wide variety of business owners and usually I was hired to reorganize and fix struggling businesses. This gives me a unique perspective in the qualities and decisions that make a successful entrepreneur. So, I was very interested to read Young Guns and to see what Robert Tuchman had to say.

I cringe every time I hear someone say “All you need is a great idea and you’ll be a success.” I was participating in a writer’s conference symposium for business authors and the man beside me said that and I had to chime in and disagree. It made for an awkward hour – but it had to be said. So, I opened this book and waited to see if the author would say that. I’m very glad to report that he did not.

I was very glad that the first chapter is titled “Why Not Me?” What a great way to start the book? It made me even happier when I looked at the table of contents and found “The Idea” was chapter 3. This is the table of contents.

• Chapter 1 – Why Not Me?
• Chapter 2 – The Decision.
• Chapter 3 – The Idea.
• Chapter 4 – The First Test and The First Plan.
• Chapter 5 – The Partner Principle.
• Chapter 6 – Gut Check: Getting Started.
• Chapter 7 – Priorities for That First All-Consuming Year.
• Chapter 8 – You Are the Company.
• Chapter 9 – Technology: Our Generation’s Great Equalizer.
• Chapter 10 – Service is What You’re Selling.
• Chapter 11 – Back Up Your Sell.
• Chapter 12 – Inside Players: Your Team.
• Chapter 13 – Celebrate Failure, Reward Success.
• Chapter 14 – Your Vendor Relationships Matter.
• Chapter 15 – By The Numbers.
• Chapter 16 – Why Not You?

Robert Tuchman tells the reader to be sure that it is really a big idea. Just being excited about an idea isn’t enough and many times we hear that its only important to find something that the market needs. While these are all elements of a successful idea – Tuchman says that its also important to find something that you are truly interested in. This proves that my “big idea” probably wouldn’t be your “big idea”.

I’ve always said that people should never make the decision to start a business without putting together a business plan. This can be daunting, but its also very revealing. In Young Guns, Tuchman provides a simple game plan to help the aspiring entrepreneur get started. This is not a complete and in depth business plan, but it is enough to help you get started and to evaluate your idea to see if its feasible.

There is a chapter about business partners. Should you have one? If so, what sort of person should you choose? The right or wrong decision about a business partner can have a huge impact on your business and your life.

He talks in depth about service – just selling a product or service is not enough. You need to back up your product or service with great customer service. As I was told years ago by my grandfather – great customer service guarantees you have customers and without customers you won’t have a business.

These are just a few of the things I really enjoyed about Young Guns and I highly recommend it for a person who is considering starting their own business. This is a book that you can and should read before you have an idea – it could even spark a great business idea and he will also help you develop the skills you need to launch a business.

Personality Not Included by Rohit Bhargava

Personality – Personality is defined as “the unique, authentic, and talkable soul of your brand that people can get passionate about. Personality is not just about what you stand for, but how you choose to communicate it. It is also the way to reconnect your customers, partners, employees, and influencers to the soul of your brand in the new social media era.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that your business should have a personality? You might not have thought about creating or developing a personality for your business – but in the twenty first century, your business needs a personality. The time for faceless businesses is gone. We have all been told to develop a brand for our business. But, creating a personality that reflects and deepens that brand is taking the idea to a higher level.

Think about your favorite coffee shop or your favorite restaurant. What do you like about that business? Is it the service, the products, the atmosphere, the location, or something else? The personality includes things that set that business apart from other similar businesses.

This book contains six chapters in Part One. Part Two contains learning guides which expand on the content in Part One and various other resources. The contents include:

Part One

1. Sign Here to Read This (How Organizations Lose Their Personality)

2. The Accidental Spokesman (How Unlikely Voices Are Shaping Your Brand)

3. A Signature is Not Enough (How to Define Your Organization’s Personality)

4. Lessons from the Storytellers (Crafting a Backstory People Care About)

5. Conquering the Fear Factor (Getting Your Organization to Embrace Personality)

6. Add Personality and Stir (Finding and Using Personality Moments)

Part Two

· The Butler Was a Marketer (Putting Personality into Action)

· New Styles of Marketing (Ten Techniques are Described in Detail)

· Taking Theory Further (Tools and Guides to Accompany Chapters 1 – 6)

Throughout the book Rohit Bhargava provides ample examples of businesses which are using the techniques that he discusses. The case studies were almost enough to sell me on this book, but learning about each technique and then being given an interesting and detailed example of how each idea can be implemented in real life was invaluable. For example, we all know that Starbucks is very popular. In Personality Not Included we are given details on what they did right and then how they let the personality slip away.

Another fascinating chapter is chapter two when we learn about the many types of accidental spokesmen that can represent a business. In addition, he tells us how each type of spokesmen is effective and how to make the most of their enthusiasm and appeal. In business for years, I’ve learned so much through mistakes that have been made, by me or by others. There are plenty of examples in this book of what techniques won’t work in certain situations or when it’s better to use another option. I love to highlight the valuable information in books and my copy has plenty of information marked for future use for me and my clients.

Backstory is critical when writing a novel, but have you ever thought about sharing the story behind your business? This chapter explains why you should have a backstory and how to use that backstory. The strangest thing happened as I read this chapter. I usually share my business and promotional background with people when I give my experience, but chapter four helped me begin to develop a new approach. My dream as a teenager was to be a novelist named Nikki Leigh and later on I got my feet wet in promotional work as a consolation prize in a management job and I found that I loved it. Those are two of the things I can use to begin to put the backstory for my business on paper. What story do you have behind your business that would attract the public and help them to see you in a more favorable light?

In the opening chapter and introduction of the book I was patting myself on the back because I’ve used many of the ideas that are presented. Then Rohit Bhargava said something that really got my attention. He mentioned that just learning to create a personality isn’t enough. You need to learn the best way to implement that personality plan in your business and learn to identify even more ways to find opportunities to develop this personality even further.

When you read the book, definitely take the time to read the learning guides in Part Two. Here is an example. In Chapter Four (page 112), we learn about How to Use the Backstory Model Picker. This section summarizes the different types of backstory, what they include and who should use each type. Once you read that information, you flip to the guide on page 259 for much more detail on each of the types of backstory and how to utilize them in the best way. There are many “guides” in the book which give you additional information on how to get the most out of the ideas and techniques in the book.

I highly recommend this book for any entrepreneur and business person who wants to understand the need for a business personality. Business managers can also learn so much from the content in this book. It is also for the person who wants to find the different ways to develop this personality. Your business can stand out from the competition in amazing ways – it just needs more personality. When you read the book, keep your eyes open for the interesting ways the author has woven a unique personality into the pages of the book.

Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port

Recently I was contacted to read and review Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port. Earlier he released Book Yourself Solid and this latest book is about the next steps in running and owning a business.

I’ve written a number of books and have been running a variety of businesses for twenty years. I’ve had many experiences of my own and I’ve read many books on the topic of business management. So, I went into the book with the expectation that it would be similar to all those other business books I’d read. My expectations were way off base.

I really enjoyed the book and found many points that I had experienced myself. There were many things mentioned in the book that I know for a fact – work. There were some places in the book where Michael Port was very clear that if the reader didn’t follow his instructions, they simply would not move their business forward.

I had to smile as I remembered the number of times I told that to business owners I worked with or business partners who refused to make necessary changes. The author showed a good sense of humor throughout the book and the style was very conversational, which I prefer. I like the writing style to speak to me, not preach at me.

Some of my favorite topics included: preparing for the future, being creative (my favorite section), building blocks for business, measure your objectives, how to get things done, how to develop business systems (one of the best pieces I’ve read on this topic), how to hire and outsource, building alliances and partnerships, and creating balance in your life.

In the last chapter, Michael Port included personal experiences from a variety of business people that showed what is possible and how to take a simple business idea and then build it into something much bigger and more successful.

I highly recommend this book for a business owner and/or manager who is working in a busy business, but wants to take it to the next level. Its very easy to be overwhelmed in business and in real life when a business grows. But, apply the many invaluable tips and suggestions that the author shares with you and the business and your life should improve. I’ll keep my eyes open for the next book by Michael Port.

Nikki Leigh
Award Winning Author and Publicist
www.nikkileigh.com