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BE INSPIRED |
See Debbe Kennedy talk about her book here.
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HEY!
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HAPPENINGS: The Last Few Weeks in Publishing
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 Moving the Books A Little More to the Left: On Monday, June 16, 2008, the Progressive Book Club (PBC) formally began operations. The book club is a big deal to many who have been following the story because PBC had planned to begin operations three years ago. Now, armed with a budget and a celebrity-laden editorial board, PBC is bringing its lefty-progressive vision to America (and the world).
Support the vision by clicking above to learn more about how the PBC works (intentionally a lot like its opposite, the Conservative Book Club). And yes, our books are being added to its store.
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 ObamaRama at the Bookstores: Now that Barack Obama has clinched the Democratic nomination, get ready for a ton of books about the presidential candidate. There'll be photography books, religious books, conservative books, whimsical books, and, of course, the obligatory Obama-is-the-anti-Christ book.
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 The Book That Wasn't: Product placement works in films, even when it's the wrong product. Thousands of filmgoers who've seen the Sex and the City movie have been calling bookstores to inquire about the book that the main character reads in bed titled Love Letters of Great Men. But the book does not exist -- it was created for the film. However, an unrelated book titled Great Love Letters of Men and Women: From the Eighteenth Century to the Present Day has profited greatly from the consumer confusion and the similarity of the fictitious title to its own. The book appeared on Amazon's top 100 list -- not bad for a book that was originally published in the 1920s.
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BK NEWS: And It's Only June!
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 We're only halfway through the year, and we have already won a whole stack of awards for our books. Here's the tally (so far):
The American Author's Association Annual Golden Quill Award
+ Winner, Best Business Book of the Year 2008: The Nonverbal Advantage by Carol Kinsey Goman
ASTD Award for Distinguished Contribution to Workplace Learning and Performance
+ Winner: Robert Brinkerhoff, author of Courageous Training
10th Annual International Latino Book Awards
+ Winner, Best Business Book (English): Salsa, Soul, and Spirit by Juana Bordas
ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards
+ Winner, Business & Economics: The Speculation Economy by Lawrence E. Mitchell
+ Finalist, Autobiography/Memoir: Loyal to the Sky by Marisa Handler
+ Finalist, Political Science: Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann
Independent Publisher Book Awards
+ Gold Medal Winner, Self Help: The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die by John Izzo
+ Bronze Medal Winner, Current Events: Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann
IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards
+ Winner, Gift Books: Gifts from the Mountain by Eileen McDargh
+ Finalist, Business: Speechless by Bruce Barry
Nautilus Book Awards
+ Gold Medal Winner, Social Change/Activism/Peaceful Solutions: Loyal to the Sky by Marisa Handler
+Silver Medal Winner/Finalist, Social Change/Activism/Peaceful Solutions: The Great Turning by David Korten
+ Silver Medal Winner/Finalist, Conscious Media/Journalism: Cracking the Code by Thom Hartmann
+Silver Medal Winner/Finalist, Memoir/Personal Journey: Making Waves and Riding the Currents by Charles Halpern
Axiom Business Book Awards
Finalist, (Bronze) Communication Skills/Networking: Trust and Betrayal in the Workplace by Dennis Reina and Michelle Reina
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SPOTLIGHT: Be Big and Putting Our Differences to Work
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Two new books discuss the social mechanics in the workplace and the ways we produce our best work together:
 The Book: Be Big: Step Up, Step Out, Be Bold
The Big Idea: When did people in organizations start to act small? People today are too afraid to act, speak, and achieve big things for themselves and their organizations. Authors Frederick Miller and Judith Katz show how being big helps everyone in the organization and not just the individual.
Why Buy It? The book is fully illustrated and a quick read, but it still inspires and packs a punch. And it's 30% off for a limited time.
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 The Book: Putting Our Differences to Work: The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
Why Is It Different? Author Debbe Kennedy goes beyond the standard diversity differentiations (race, gender, age, etc.) to show how other dimensions, such as personality, management style, and attitude, can also be sources of organizational strength, innovation, and leadership.
Why Buy It? We are defined by more than race, age, gender, orientation, and culture. We are personalities and competencies as well, and diversity initiatives should address the whole person. This book is also 30% off for a limited time.
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| THE BK NOT-SO-FUNNY FUNNY
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See other "interesting" advertisements and read about so-called diversity in advertising at MultiCultClassics |
SITES: Ubuntu Education Fund
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 Ubuntu is a South African term and ethic that honors both the individual and the community. The practice encourages one to achieve his or her personal best by working with others of diverse backgrounds in support of building community. This principle is also the philosophy behind the Ubuntu Education Fund.
Two individuals of different races, identities, and backgrounds joined through the practice of Ubuntu to create a vibrant community-empowerment program in one of the most impoverished, HIV-afflicted regions in South Africa. No matter who or where you are, you can join this community.
As Nelson Mandela explained, "Ubuntu does not mean that people should not address themselves. The
question therefore is, are you going to do so in order to enable the
community around you to be able to improve?"
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End Notes  What a stack of responses I received for further examples of management speak. Here are the two favorites:
MANAGEMENT SPEAK: Your position with the company is not in jeopardy.
TRANSLATION: Your position has already been eliminated. No position, no jeopardy!
That example came from William Moner who receives a free book for his efforts.
MANAGEMENT SPEAK: With all due respect.
TRANSLATION: I have no respect for your position whatsoever.
That response came from Maren Showkeir, one of our authors.
Management speak is the stuff of urban corporate jokes and legends, but the pioneer who kick-started it all was Bob Lewis back in 1996, with ManagementSpeak, which is still going strong (he's got sixty-four pages of contributed and authored phrases). Drop the man a line and say thanks.
Speaking of management, I learned yesterday about the sad fate of the oldest continually operational company in the world. This company was independently owned and managed since 578 AD. It weathered empires and world wars but was no match for the brutality of the 21st century economy. The company was acquired in 2006, though it still operates under its original name. This century is certainly off to a tough start.
So, any comments? Send them along with any thoughts, ideas, feedback, or reactions to ex-planet Pluto's new name. Send it all to me.
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