Resources and Information for Insurance and Business Professionals
Darrell Stone
email: Darrell@D-Stone.com
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Darrell Stone

Click  Here  for  my  latest  personal  reading  recommendations


The 25 Most Common Problems in Business : (And How Jesus Solved Them)
by Jim Zabloski
published by Broadman & Holman Publishers
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805460799/darrellstonesweb

A book for business professionals that helps them learn how to establish and manage a successful
organization through a comparison by showing how Christ dealt with everyday problems businesses
face.


THE MILLIONAIRE NEXT DOOR
by Thomas J. Stanley, PhD, and William D. Danko, PhD
(Longstreet Press)
The penny-pinchers shall inherit the earth.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1563523302/darrellstonesweb

How can you join the ranks of America's wealthy (defined as people whose net worth is over one million
dollars)? It's easy, say doctors Stanley and Danko, who have spent the last 20 years interviewing members
of this elite club: you just have to follow seven simple rules. The first rule is, always live well below your
means. The last rule is, choose your occupation wisely.    There are no pop stars or athletes in this book,
but plenty of wall-board manufacturers--particularly ones who take cheap, infrequent vacations! Stanley
and Danko mercilessly show how wealth takes sacrifice, discipline, and hard work, qualities that are
positively discouraged by our high-consumption society. "You aren't what you drive," admonish the
authors.  Somewhere, Benjamin Franklin is smiling. all of us.


SELLING THE INVISIBLE
by Harry Beckwith
(Warner)
A collection of bite-size lessons on marketing.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446520942/darrellstonesweb

In Selling the Invisible, Beckwith argues that what consumers are primarily interested in today are
not features, but relationships. Even companies who think that they sell only tangible products should
rethink their approach to product development and marketing and sales. For example, when a
customer buys a Saturn automobile, what they're really buying is not the car, but the way that Saturn
does business. Beckwith provides an excellent forum for thinking differently about the nature of
services and how they can be effectively marketed. If you're at all involved in marketing or sales,
then Selling the Invisible is definitely worth a look.

A treasury of hundreds of quick, practical, and easy-to-read strategies - few are more than a page
long - Selling the Invisible will open your eyes to new ideas in this crucial branch of marketing
including why focus groups, value-price positioning, discount pricing, and being the best usually fail;
the critical emotion that most influences your prospects - and how to deal with it; the vital role of
vividness, focus, "anchors," and stereotypes; the importance of Halo, Cocktail Party, and Lake
Wobegon Effects; marketing lessons from black holes, grocery lists, the Hearsay Rule, and the fame
of Pikes Peak; dozens of proven yet consistently over-looked ideas for research, presentations,
publicity, advertising, and client retention...and much more.


THE PROFIT ZONE
by Adrian J. Slywotzky and David J. Morrison with Bob Andelman
(Times Business)
Reshaping your business to move where the money is.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0812929004/darrellstonesweb

The Profit Zone looks at how profit happens in today's customer-driven economy. The authors
demonstrate why market share often leads to a "no-profit zone" and identify 22 profit models that
have helped dozens of companies consistently make money. Included are in-depth looks at
companies--Disney, GE, Microsoft, Intel, Charles Schwab--that have successfully redesigned their
businesses and dramatically increased the value of their companies. Instead of focusing on market
share, these innovators first looked at their customers' needs and how they could profit from fulfilling
them. The book considers example after example of how the profit zone works, from Disney's theme
parks to Schwab's marketing and selling of mutual funds. The final chapter is a handbook that allows
managers to apply the ideas to their own companies. Clearly written and immensely practical, The
Profit Zone deserves a place on every manager's bookshelf.


THE CIRCLE OF INNOVATION
by Tom Peters
''Create waves of lust,'' says business writing's No.1 cheerleader.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375401571/darrellstonesweb


THE SEVEN HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE
by Stephen R. Covey
Habitually popular.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671663984/darrellstonesweb


THE ERNST & YOUNG TAX GUIDE 1999
by the Tax Partners and Professionals of Ernst & Young LLP
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471296473/darrellstonesweb

The Ernst & Young Tax Guide 1999 is for those who could afford to pay more tax but choose not
to. It has the most complete information on reporting income from mutual funds and other
investments. A whole chapter is devoted to "What to Do If You Employ Domestic Help." It is the
only guide actually produced by an accounting firm, and it shows. Information is presented in great
detail, but sometimes at the cost of readability.
Comprehensive commentary and tax trimming tips are featured, along with a special chapter on
mutual funds that covers when to make new investments, and how to treat distributions, transfers,
and redemptions.


THE CRISIS OF GLOBAL CAPITALISM
by George Soros, Geoff Shandler (Editor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1891620274/darrellstonesweb

The symptoms are hard to ignore. First the Thai crisis precipitated the currency collapse in Asia.
Next the Russian meltdown inflicted temporary chaos on the Western financial system. And the
recent volatility of the world's stock markets has caused most investors a lot more than heartburn.
The connection? According to billionaire philanthropist George Soros, there's a profound and
dangerous imbalance between the explosive growth of the global economy and the development of a
free and open society. In The Crisis of Global Capitalism, Soros argues that in the last 20 years,
the emergence of "market fundamentalism"--that is, the idea that markets need only be regulated by
the forces of profit and competition--has distorted the role of capital to the extent that it "is today a
greater threat to open society than any totalitarian ideology." Not that Soros advocates the demise of
the capitalist system. On the contrary, Soros himself has made billions on Wall Street, and it's his aim
to save capitalism from itself. While his theory of reflexivity reads a bit thick, his analysis of our
present financial system is lucid and convincing. If wondering about the stability of today's markets
keeps you up at night, then put this book at your bedside.


MORE THAN ENOUGH: Proven Keys to Strengthening Your Family and Building Financial Peace
by Dave Ramsey, Sharon Ramsey  (Viking)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670882534/darrellstonesweb

Dave Ramsey knows what it's like to have--and to lose--it all. By the age of twenty-six, he had
accumulated a personal real estate portfolio worth over $4 million; by age thirty, he was so far in
debt he was forced to declare personal bankruptcy. Ramsey rebuilt his financial life and has spent
the last decade counseling hundreds of thousands in his seminars, his thirteen-week course, Financial
Peace University, and in over 6,000 hours on the radio as the host of the nationally syndicated radio
show The Money Game. Now he shares the lessons he has learned about building wealth and a
successful, unified family. In the course of his work with men and women in all phases of life,
Ramsey has identified the ten key traits that are essential to living debt-free, creating prosperity, and
achieving marital accord concerning your relationship to money as well as teaching your children
smart financial habits. More Than Enough elucidates each of these traits, which include values,
goals, accountability, discipline, patience, and giving back to your community. * What finances and
romance have to do with each other * How financial problems affect the sexes differently * Why
contentment is the most powerful financial principle there is * How to teach kids the value of money
* How to avoid letting the number-one cause of divorce-- money--destroy your marriage * Why
living debt-free allows you to build wealth and change your family's spending habits forever
Resonating with Ramsey's down-home folksy voice, heart-warming case histories, quotations from
the Bible, and common sense approach to life and finances, More Than Enough is an inspiring,
life-changing blueprint to personal control, lifetime peace, and a new, vital family dynamic.


J.K. LASSER'S YOUR INCOME TAX 1999
by the J.K. Lasser Institute
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0028630068/darrellstonesweb

Now in its 62nd year, Your Income Tax is still regarded as the leader in personal income tax
preparation guides. This special Enhanced edition includes a full set of usable tax forms and a special
section written by Arthur Anderson. Updated to reflect the latest tax law and filing changes, the
1999 edition provides the most comprehensive and practical information for preparing 1998 tax
returns and for future tax planning. Striking a careful balance between comprehensive tax coverage
and a user-friendly approach, Your Income Tax 1999 addresses common and unusual tax problems
with practical examples, expert advice, money-saving filing tips, and long-term planning strategies. It
includes special tax-planning sections tailored to specific tax situations of self-employeds, investors,
senior citizens, homeowners, and families. Detailed coverage of the latest tax legislation is provided,
along with new IRS rulings and court decisions. The easy-to-use format includes tax alert icons that
highlight new law provisions, filing tips, planning pointers, and tax traps. Key tax issues are targeted
by specialized contents, detailed indexes and glossary, and frequently asked questions. The many
extras included with Your Income Tax 1999 make this book an incredible value!


THE 1999 WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE?
by Richard Nelson Bolles
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580080081/darrellstonesweb

For more than 25 years, this "Cadillac of job-search books" ("Rocky Mountain News") has been the
bestselling book of its kind. Updated and revised annually, "Parachute" is essentially two books in
one: a practical manual for job-hunters and a guide for career changers. The 1999 edition includes all
the winning features from previous editions, including a three-chapter overview entitled "For the
Impatient Job-Hunter"--a summary of everything to help jump-start a career in no time flat!


1001 WAYS TO REWARD EMPLOYEES
by Bob Nelson
Give them a champagne brunch, a casual-dress day--or plain old cash.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/156305339X/darrellstonesweb


BUILT TO LAST
by James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras
How 3M, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, and others became standouts.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0887307396/darrellstonesweb

Built to Last identifies 18 "visionary" companies and sets out to determine what's special about
them. To get on the list, a company had to be world famous, have a stellar brand image, and be at
least 50 years old. We're talking about companies that even a layperson knows to be, well, different:
the Disneys, the Wal-Marts, the Mercks.

Whatever the key to the success of these companies, the key to the success of this book is that the
authors don't waste time comparing them to business failures. Instead, they use a control group of
"successful-but-second-rank" companies to highlight what's special about their 18 "visionary" picks.
Thus Disney is compared to Columbia Pictures, Ford to GM, Hewlett Packard to Texas
Instruments, and so on.


 

THE COMMANDING HEIGHTS
by Daniel Yergin and Joseph Stanislaw
(Simon & Schuster)
The march of globalization recounted.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684829754/darrellstonesweb


HOME BUYING FOR DUMMIES
by Eric Tyson and Ray Brown
(IDG Books $16.99)
Getting your dream house.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1568843852/darrellstonesweb

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This is a personal site that is open to whoever wants to use it.   No representations are made about the suitability of any of the material found on this site for your use.   If you choose to use information from this site, consult a professional if there is ever any question.   I can accept no responsibility for your actions, the actions of others or for the content of pages this site may link to.   I am, however, always available to assist you in whatever way possible.      Darrell Stone © 2000