Terrific exposition of the benefits of competition
587787
In this excellent book, Paul London echoes the thesis of William W. Lewis (The Power of Productivity, University of Chicago Press, 2004) that it is increased product market competition that is responsible for the prosperity of the past two decades.  Factors ranging from globalization to deregulation to financial innovation all led to this increase in competition.  Globalization increased productivity by forcing the streamlining of domestic industries.  Deregulation meant that protected, inefficient companies had to change their ways to survive against new market entrants.  And new financial market segments ranging from the NASDAQ market to high-yield bonds made capital available to new companies that had not previously been able to exist.

London argues that the increase in prosperity was caused far more by increased competition in private industry than by federal monetary or fiscal policies.  It was not the Federal Reserve's monetary policy of the 1980s-1990s that killed inflation, but rather increased competition, which meant that companies were no longer free to indiscriminately raise prises.  Likewise, it was increased competition rather than lower tax rates that forced existing companies to increase their investment in productivity-boosting capital.  Higher living standards were the happy result for consumers, employees, and investors alike.

Most of London's evidence is anecdotal rather than empirical, but on the plus side this makes the book highly readable.  An enthusiastic five stars.
3935655
I really enjoyed this book. It refers to the latest science to separate the myths from reality and is not afraid to say when the data is inconclusive. It is written in a manner that is very easy to understand.

The reader will be able to determine what sort of benefit they are obtaining from each sort of exercise they are doing.
I also found it to be quite motivational. it's nice to hear about all the benefits that accrue from exercise.

Also by busting some myths readers will potentially save themselves wasted effort and expense.
1925325
This book is interesting to the casual sports spectator, to the competitive athlete, to trainers, and to those establishing rules for fair and equitable competition. In clear, non-academic prose, it surveys the history of caffeine use in society, the development of such drinks as Coca Cola and Pepsi specifically as medicinal drinks and then as aids to athletic activity, and the modern concern with performance-enhancing substances. There is a careful survey of the history of pharmaceutical and psychological research into caffeine's effects on muscular performance, side effects, etc., along with thoughtful consideration of the possible arguments both for and against its use by athletes. Bibliographic materials are thorough and helpfully arranged. Once again, a very helpful and interesting work from the Human Kinetics publishing house. (posted by Human Kinetics with permission from Gary Lee Jones who received this book from the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program)
4426451
I picked up the author's blog: Blogging in the saltmine, and was intrigued by his views. His book is an excellent primer for the uninitiated, and a refresher for those embroiled in the fray of competition. He covers no new ideas, as the field is incredibly broad, but he presents the basket of knowledge in a way to cause one to take a hard look at their actions. The author reminds us that the basics of "blocking and tackling" are important; the small businessperson should periodically step back and evaluate his position. It is a short read but chock full of perspective!
921533
Bob Sullivan's Gotcha Capitalism - How Hidden Fees Rip You Off Every Day, and What You Can Do About It is an easy-to-follow, comprehensive and handy guide to identifying extra fees and overcharges that consumers can sometimes successfully dispute.  At his estimate of almost $950 in such charges per year, reading the book is a small investment to pay to be a savvy consumer.

I found most helpful the template letters and summary list of which industries are most amenable to customer complaints.

Sullivan is very honest about the time investment you often need to make to seek redress, and he speaks of the larger issue about principle and creating a fairer society.  But at an annual savings of about $950 to fight these fees (solving the larger issues are of course worth many times this but hard to quantify to the individual) I became inspired to earn so much money that I wouldn't care about these fees.  There are many Millionaire How-To studies that show that wealthy people track their money diligently and question extraneous charges, so perhaps I am wrong to try and "earn" my way out of caring.  But at least when I am focused on earning rather than fighting, I get the upside of moving towards a positive goal that has benefits beyond the cushion against unfair charges.  This seems to me the more optimistic approach and the better fight than the fight against the fees alone.
1430479
The insight afforded in this excellent work is a must for business owners working in competitive space. Using real world examples from winners like Cirque du Sol, it introduces an approach to escaping a business ocean red with the blood of dead and dying competitors. The authors show us how to think outside the place where the big fish are eating little fish, and seeing the world as a blue ocean. One with blood free water. Learn how the people at Cirque entered the circus industry - one dead in the water when they launched what has become the most successful circus since they fed people to lions in the Colosseum. I suggest reading this and works about Business Canvas Modelling at the same time. It will change the way you see the world and give you real step-by-step instructions on achieving success in a world of shrinking margins, questionable impressions, hit numbers, and the World Wide (spider) Web.
2783896
Jonathan cuts to the chase in this book for small stakes tournaments.  He describes the types of players to look for and clearly explains the exploitable strategies for beating each type.  He also describes the type of player it is best to avoid.  This is an easy read, and at 45 pages, can get through it quickly, although will want to go over key points a few times.  The hand examples Jonathan gives to illustrate the concepts are very good.  I like this book.  Lots to chew on, and nothing to spit out.  No fluff in this book.
1143753
This book is a great introduction into the world of Samurai Sales Mastery.  Dan does a great job of framing where we are, how we got here and why things have changed so much in the sales environment.  His mention of Daniel Kahneman was the piece of knowledge that led to the synthesis around the job interview competitive advantage I describe in&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Peak-Interview-New-Insights-into-Winning-the-Interview-and-Getting-the-Job/dp/1450568947/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Peak Interview: New Insights into Winning the Interview and Getting the Job.</a>.  Put the Win Back in Your Sales is a delightfully easy, quick read.  I strongly recommend it.
1137141
This book is awesome.  This is the first fitness book I have read that is as entertaining as it is informative.  Chris Lehto does a great job of letting you know what threats(roadblocks), to look out for when starting any fitness program, and he tells you what to do to persevere.  I really enjoyed the balance between his interesting stories of his own training experiences as an American Fighter Pilot, and the up to date research based information provided throughout the book.  The author wrote this book in a very personable and humble manner.  I never felt like he viewed himself as a guru sharing his great knowledge with us average people (I have felt that way reading other fitness books.)  He really gets the point across that it is all about self improvement through an improved mindset, which anyone, starting at any age or fitness level, can do.
4438317
Excellent textbook on competitive strategy using an economics approach. The first edition complemented my business and economics studies at grad school. Includes a chapter on regulatory (public policy) impacts on business; a topic usually missing from strategy texts. Shows how a 'bill becomes a law' from the business/market perspective !
119228
This is a great practical tutorial for anyone interested in the dynamics of pricing.  Dr. Liozu does an exceptional job of boiling down the results of rigorous research into findings that are genuinely useful for practitioners.  A reader friendly format with simple graphics and tables that can be digested quickly.  It offers a deep look into the nuts and bolts of pricing, but I was pleased to get everything I hoped out of it by spending just a few hours scanning the highlights.  I was drawn to this book after reading an article the author co-wrote on pricing strategy that appeared in the summer 2012 edition of MIT Sloan Management Review.  I was surprised at how informative and easy to read it is.
If you have any interest in pricing this book gives you insight into the process and tips for doing it better.  Highly recommended, not just for those directly involved in pricing, but senior executives and managers who aren't, but should be.
1254094
This book is a must for anyone interested in an extensive overview of antitrust. All topics (and there are many) are written in clear, clean, and engaging language. All are followed by examples, which I found invaluable. Extremely well organized and thoughtfully put together, this book is invaluable for students of antitrust, journalists who need to understand antitrust law, as well as professionals. Topics covered include predatory pricing, horizontal and vertical mergers, monopolies, monopsonies, oligopolies, and much more. I  have referred to the glossary of terms more times than I can count. While educational and instructive, it was also a great read. Thank you Professor Sagers!!
1065905
This book is a quick read and is easily digestible.  The explanations are "just right" in complexity.  The text keeps it simple, but includes more in call-outs so the reader can "opt in" for more detail. It doesn't discuss tactics; it discusses broad principles that will influence your strategy.  Likewise, it uses the word "fight" for a reason - it's geared toward ring-fighting and self-defense applications.

The first section contrasts momentum and energy and the role of your center of gravity. It also discusses why you should care. Many will have already learned these things "the hard way", but the value isn't in the information - it's in the explanations. When my students ask me "why", I often "know" the answer but lack a good way of articulating it.  That's where this book shines.

The section about "qi" has been discussed by other reviewers at length.  Yes, the author betrays his opinion, but don't let that ruin the message. The point, put simply, is this: Regardless of the variable involved, if "adding" it doesn't produce a measurable improvement, then your time is better spent on things that do.

Two sections seem unnecessarily long, one deals with brain injury, gloves, and helmets. Spoiler alert: You're not as safe as you think. If you want to know more, read it.  The other deals with physics "tricks" that are often passed off as demonstrations of "qi."  It's interesting, but skippable unless the trivia interests you.

The real gem in this book comes before the section on qi.  I saved it for last because it was so interesting, and so brave, that it deserves to be the "strong finish" of this review.  Chapter 8 discusses the mathematics of surviving an attack.  The author suggests, and justifies with statistics, that fighting back is safer than compliance.  I say this is "brave" because, while it well be true, it's one of those things nobody actually says for fear of liability. We've all been taught "don't be a hero", but the numbers might surprise you.
1992801
While the points made in this book are valuable to anyone, you will especially appreciate this book if you like sports.  Mr. Williams does a great job sharing examples of how the 'little things' can have such great impact on others, regardless of one's status or position in life.
532131
I have read plenty of competition books by various authors.  This book breaks down many of the top competition techniques and gives the reader insight as to why certain techniques work.  Mr. Stoeger's opinions on which techniques are better than others are direct, informitive and insightful.  Regardless of your skill level, this book gives you tools that will improve your game.  Easy to read and understand, the book is designed to be read in it's entirety of by picking out certain chapters that interest you.  By writing it in this fashion, it's easy to go back and review lessons as needed to ensure understanding throughout the learning curve and progress of the reader.  I appreciate the detail in which topics are discussed while at the same time he never gets stalled on any certain area making this book easy to follow and a joy to read.  If you want to get gooder, get this book.
2027306
When I picked up Defending Your Brand, I thought it was going to be just a handbook for big, successful companies that need to defend their mature business positions against upstarts.  It is that handbook, and a very good one.  Yet it's much more.  Even a successful company needs to innovate and shake up the market from time to time, and of course an early-stage firm can succeed only by bringing something valuable to an underserved market.  This book will be just as useful to companies that are trying to shake up the status quo as to companies determined to preserve it.  When you're innovating and trying to bring something new to customers, you'd better worry about what incumbents in the market might do to defend against you.  If you can understand how incumbents are likely to react, you can make plans accordingly and increase your chances of success.

Tim Calkins does a thorough job outlining the major strategies and tactics commonly used to defend a market, including disrupting launch timing, limiting awareness, discouraging trial, and making it more difficult to line up distribution channels.  He notes that some defensive tactics can approach or cross into legally questionable zones, and includes a very good chapter by attorney Stephen Calkins that gives executives principles for staying on the right side of the antitrust laws around the world.  Finally, he includes a chapter that addresses how to keep your organizations's people in the right frame of mind, and recognized/rewarded for their actions that build long-term brand strength.  Customer loyalty, he says, is probably the best defense of all.

Just as the players on a basketball team must be able to quickly change from playing offense to playing defense as they run up and down the court, every executive needs a mental framework and playbook for handling both these aspects of their "game."  Defending Your Brand is a unique and valuable book that I will strongly recommend to the board members, CEOs, marketing and sales leaders, and other executives I work with.
1645055
"Indispensable Marketing Strategies" by Paul Francis Musgrave is a very pleasant surprise.  From the outside, the book may not look like much, but, as the old saying goes, never judge a book by it's cover.  Musgrave makes learning about such concepts as "cognitive dissonance" and "cyclical demand fluctuations" easy to understand, and even fun.  The author has a great sense of humour that takes the dryness out of the subject matter, and makes you feel eager to keep reading.