January 21, 2007
I've just finished reading a wonderful book: TOP PERFORMER: A Bold Approach to Sales and Service by Stephen Lundin and Carr Hagerman. It's an unusual business book in that it is a fable about a burned-out salesman who finds a new lease on life and work by interviewing a street performer in London and a in Dublin. It may sound outlandish, but it works. The book, which is a very quick and delightful read, leaves us with some powerful truths about relationships and how to work with the public. The philosophy that is espoused is akin to improvisation: you must work with what is there, pay attention to those around you, take an interest in their wellbeing and always use your enviroment. Take advantage of the mistakes or unexpected happenings and always stay awake! It is a lovely book, and I highly recommend it.
And, while I'm on the subject of books, I'd also like to recommend a site that helps us find the lowest cost sites for buying a particular book. Check out http://www.BooksPrice.com It is a free service that helps you locate the best deals.
One more book recommendation: Philip Simmons' Learning to Fall:The Blessings of an Imperfect Life , Bantam Books, 2000, is a book that I find myself giving away time and again. He was an English professor and writer who found himself with a diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease at age 35. The book is his poem to life.
Simmons stories puts things into a perspective that makes sense, even in the face of unspeakable loss. It is a book I go back to whenever I need to get my thinking straight.
