The Art of Explanation. Making your Ideas, Products, and Services Easier to Understand

The acclaimed authors of The Book of Luck are back with some brilliant ideas for bringing more happiness into your life. The Book of Happiness is more than just a practical guide to improving your happiness levels. It's a complete makeover, aimed at putting a spring in your step, and a permanent lift to your spirits. We all know happiness is a state of mind, but few of us know how to improve our share of it. Many people think that happiness just comes out of nowhere. Not so. The reality is you can create your own happiness by choosing what you do, what you say, where you go, what you remember, who and what you surround yourself with, what you think and what you listen to. The Book of Happiness kicks off with a Happiness Questionnaire to give you an instant snapshot of your current state of mind. Once you have scored yourself, you will learn the areas you need to focus on. There is a workbook to complete at each key stage, as well as stirring anecdotes, tips and happy thoughts to keep you going. Just remember: it only takes 21 days to get rid of an unwanted habit and to acquire a new one. Isn't it about time you got the happiness habit?

If you've got an idea you want to sell, you need to do two things: scan your environment and use effective tactics. This guidebook explains how to scan your environment and provides a collection of tactics you can use to sell your idea. Using this systematic approach will make you more likely to accomplish your objective – solving a problem or making an improvement for the benefit of individuals, groups, and the organization as a whole.

Look inward for the missing piece to your trading strategy The Art of Trend Trading bucks the trend of technicality to show readers how instinct and strategy can unite to bring about consistent investment success. Rather than diving ever-deeper into the overdone world of complicated modeling and forecasting techniques, trader, CEO, and bestselling author Michael Parness explains how making intuition a part of your investment strategy tends to result in more long-term profit. Using animal spirits as a metaphor and tool, Parness helps readers understand how their natural tendencies may run counter to their strategy, and how this dichotomy may be the shackle holding them back from true market success. Readers will learn how this perspective lifted Parness from homelessness to making millions in both Bull and Bear markets, and will start developing their own market instinct as they refine and tune into their own natural intuition. Everyone's looking for the «ultimate» system, a way to «game the market» and uncover the «secret» to successful investing. Over the years, Parness has observed that the best traders – those who consistently make money – are the ones that use instinct and intuition, as well as strategy. This book shows you how to identify the natural trader within, and use your gut to inform an ever-evolving investment plan. Follow the author's journey from homelessness to millionaire Identify and understand your own strengths and weaknesses Develop your instinct alongside your strategy Take a lesson from traders making consistent money There's no substitute for good strategy, but it's no secret that some strategies seem to be more profitable than others. The Art of Trend Trading helps you find that missing piece and turn it into more consistent investment success.

Expert suggestions for guiding your child through the rough teenage years Does it sometimes seem like your teenager is trying to push you over the edge? Learn what your child is going through and what you can do to help your teen navigate this difficult period in this practical guide from psychologist and parenting expert Carl Pickhardt. In an easy-to-read style, Dr. Pickhardt describes a 4-stage model of adolescent growth to help parents anticipate common developmental changes in their daughter or son from late elementary school through the college age years. Provides unique advice for dealing with arguing, chores, the messy room, homework, and many other issues Offers best practices for teaching effective communication, constructive conflict, and responsible decision-making Includes ideas for protecting kids against the dangers of the Internet, bullying, dating, sexual involvement, and substance use An essential road map for parents looking to guide their children on the path to adulthood.

If all that has ever been said and written about the art and science of fundraising could be distilled down to just what really matters—what fundraisers everywhere need to know—there would be only a small number of true gems deserving of the description, “nuggets of information.” Leading international fundraiser Ken Burnett, author of the classic Relationship Fundraising, has identified and defined 89 such nuggets which he presents here as The Zen of Fundraising, a fun read, one-of-a-kind look into what makes donors tick and–more importantly–what makes them give.

The authors of the international bestseller Business Model Generation explain how to create value propositions customers can’t resist Value Proposition Design helps you tackle the core challenge of every business – creating compelling products and services customers want to buy. This highly practical book, paired with its online companion, will teach you the processes and tools you need to create products that sell. Using the same stunning visual format as the authors’ global bestseller, Business Model Generation, this sequel explains how to use the “Value Proposition Canvas” to design, test, create, and manage products and services customers actually want. Value Proposition Design is for anyone who has been frustrated by new product meetings based on hunches and intuitions; it’s for anyone who has watched an expensive new product launch fail in the market. The book will help you understand the patterns of great value propositions, get closer to customers, and avoid wasting time with ideas that won’t work. You’ll learn the simple process of designing and testing value propositions, that perfectly match customers’ needs and desires. In addition the book gives you exclusive access to an online companion on Strategyzer.com. You will be able to assess your work, learn from peers, and download pdfs, checklists, and more. Value Proposition Design is an essential companion to the ”Business Model Canvas” from Business Model Generation, a tool embraced globally by startups and large corporations such as MasterCard, 3M, Coca Cola, GE, Fujitsu, LEGO, Colgate-Palmolive, and many more. Value Proposition Design gives you a proven methodology for success, with value propositions that sell, embedded in profitable business models."

Work together to up your chances of business success The Art of Making Sh!t Up combines the lessons learned from a personal journey with the teachings derived from years of honing valuable skills through performing and presenting to thousands of people to demonstrate how working together has helped others found and grow several multimillion-dollar companies. By focusing on topics that serve as pain points and detailing the tools and techniques of improv, this book helps people and organizations utilize new skill sets to be more productive, more accepting, and more «all in» to create a stronger teammate and team. Remove the fear of failure Recognize when and how to trust your instincts Celebrate and embrace the ideas of others Listen effectively—to both people and your environment Thinking is hard. Listening is easy—and is most often the springboard to huge ideas. Find out how it can work for you with The Art of Making Sh!t Up.

Connected Services is a must-read for telco strategists who need to get up to speed on how the world of software and the web 2. 0 works. Andreas Constantinou, Research Director, VisionMobile «This book is a must read for those charged with leading innovation in a world of connected services where telco and Internet collide.» – Jason Goecke, VP of Innovation, Voxeo Labs This book explains the common underlying technological themes that underpin the new era of connected services in a post Web 2.0 epoch In this book, the author explores the underlying technological themes that underpin the new era of connected services. Furthermore, it explains how the technologies work and what makes each of them significant, for example, the potential for finding new meaning in data in the world of BIG DATA platforms, often referred to as “No-SQL” databases. In addition, it tackles the newest areas of technology such as HTML5, Android, iOS, open source, mash-ups, cloud computing, real-time Web, augmented reality, and more. Finally, the book discusses the opportunities and challenges of a connected world where both machines and people communicate in a pervasive fashion, looking beyond the hype and promise of emerging categories of communication such as the “Internet of Things” and “Real-time Web” to show managers how to understand the potential of the enabling technologies and apply them for meaningful applications in their own world. Key Features: Explores the common and emergent underlying technological themes that underpin the new era of connected services Addresses the newest areas of Internet technology such as web and mobile 2.0, open source, mash-ups, cloud computing, web 3.0, augmented reality, and more Shows the reader how to understand the potential of the enabling technologies and apply them for meaningful applications in their own world Discusses new developments in the technological landscape such as Smartphone proliferation, maturation of Web 2.0, increased convergence between mobile networks and the Internet, and so forth Examines modern software paradigms like Software-as-as-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) Explores in detail how Web start-ups really work and what telcos can do to adopt lean and agile methods This book will be an invaluable guide for technical designers and managers, project managers, product managers, CEOs etc. at mobile operators (O2, Vodafone, Orange, T-Mobile, BT), fixed operators, converged operators and their contributory supplier networks (e.g. infrastructure providers). Internet providers (Google, Yahoo, Amazon, eBay, Apple, Facebook), analysts, product managers, developers, architects, consultants, technology investors, analysts, marketing directors, business development directors will also find this book of interest.

Leverage your authentic self into a valuable leadership strategy The Art of Authenticity is a guide to becoming a better leader by achieving your best self. All people bring different sides of themselves to various situations. This book will show you how to broaden and deepen your effectiveness by presenting the most appropriate side of yourself. Dr. Karissa Thacker is the management psychologist called on by over two hundred Fortune 500 companies to work with high potential leaders. This book provides you with her expert guidance, based on validated psychological research and artful application of psychological principles to actual business situations, to help you become an authentic leader. You'll learn how to lead through reflection, action, and conscious choice, and how to maintain your guiding principles while effectively leading your team. By replacing habitual reactions with authentic ones, you'll find that you're modeling good behavior and effective decision-making—and that authenticity is contagious. This guide equips you with the tools and skills you need to be the catalyst of positive change your organization needs. How do you remain authentic while being an effective leader? This book argues that the question isn't a duality. Authenticity is the best way to lead, and the only way to maintain sustainable success as an organization. This insightful guide shows you how to find your authentic self, and leverage that into an effective, executable leadership strategy. Become authentic in a way that befits your values Show loyalty, honesty, ethics, and consideration Maintain authenticity in leadership roles Make conscious choices instead of blind reactions Some are born to lead, other must be taught, but all leaders must work to retain their own values and basic sense of self. A simple pause can mean the difference between a knee-jerk reaction and an authentic decision, and the effects ripple throughout your organization. The Art of Authenticity is your guidebook to finding the true authentic leader within, and leading from the inside out for the long haul.

The Way of the Dog is a self-help classic. It tells the story of failed salesman, Derek Stubbins, who wanders into a brothers Grimm nightmare and gets turned into a dog. He has to learn the way of the dog to get by. He has to develop the simple, clear way of thinking that a sheepdog has for its task. In doing so, he finds that he can achieve any goal he desires. It is the perfect pathway to success. Why a dog? A dog has only two states of thought, which are happy, and waiting to be happy. When it has a task to do, it sees the beginning and the end. It doesn't become anxious or depressed at the size of the job, but just undertakes it and deals with obstacles as they come. It always succeeds. Geoff Burch taps into the core of great personal development writing in The Way of the Dog. He focuses on the two big questions – what do you want to do with your life and how do you do it? By following the way of the dog, each obstacle in your path is dealt with unfailingly, one at a time. And if you don't know where you're going or what you need to make you happy, the sheepdog will show you how to recognise a sheep and not to waste time with goats. The Way of the Dog offers timeless, accessible, fast-paced, funny and memorable advice. Inspiring lifestyle wisdom is brought out through simple storytelling. Plan your course through life and overcome every obstacle in your path by adopting The Way of the Dog's route map to success. Unlike the instructions in flat-pack furniture, anyone can understand it, it is easy to do, and the outcome will not be a surprise or a disappointment. The Way of the Dog contains the secrets of success.