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Type of bind: Paperback
EAN num: 9780976854111
ISBN number: 0976854112
Label: Chicago Park Press
Manufacturer: Chicago Park Press
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 287
Printing Date: March 12, 2007
Publishing house: Chicago Park Press
Sale Popularity Level: 115314
Studio: Chicago Park Press
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Product Description:
The phrase 'work smarter, not harder' has been repeatedly ridiculed in the Dilbert comic strip and elsewhere, not because it is a bad idea, but because it is thrown like a brick lifesaver to drowning employees. To tell someone to work smarter is like telling someone to be happier, healthier, and richer. It's not much help to merely repeat the objective; what people need is a plan for achieving the objective. In Making Great Decisions, we show our readers how to achieve their objectives. We write to help those in business and those in the business of life--i.e., everyone--to work smarter. Our ideas are both simple and powerful. We offer a better way to look at problems so that the solutions are easier to find. We help supplement our readers' clear thinking by summarizing some of the most powerful techniques we have discovered.
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Rated by buyers 
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This book is written in a casual style that even non-business types can understand. Many of the principles he describes are of benefit to a wide variety of readers. I thought so highly of mine, I purchased one for my grandson who is just entering the employment scene.
Rated by buyers -
Most of this very well written book is trite.
The only point it makes that is of great value
is the following: decide on what is truly important
to you and give it the highest priority. Don't fill
your day with unimportant or nonurgent tasks
simply because they are easy to finish.
Rated by buyers 
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When was the last time you saw a personal advice book that, instead of using some type of trendy "pop-psychology" approach, applied economic theory? This is what makes David Henderson and Charles Hooper's book Making Great Decisions so unique. At the same time, the authors make the application of economics seem simple. Easily understandable language replaces economic jargon, and the point of a paragraph is never ambiguous.
The book is packed with interesting, real-life examples and conversations. It overflows with personal stories, each to make a point or to illustrate a particular concept.
Most of the economic principles that are applied come right out of Econ 101. For example, the authors advise readers to ignore "sunk costs" (expenses that have already been made, in time or money) when making decisions. In other words, your initial investment, whether in the form of yearlong training to climb Mt. Everest or the establishment of a coin shop, should not be considered when deciding whether to pursue the venture further.
The authors say that one common error made by companies and individuals is assigning the wrong priorities to projects. They point to a company that spent far more money and time deciding how to make company printers more alike than it did determining whether to license a product worth $100 million a year. They should have realized the massive difference in importance between the two problems and divided resources accordingly.
The authors give personal advice throughout the book. "Think on the margin," they say. Henderson gives as an example his procrastination in graduate school, when he needed to complete his dissertation. He estimated that he would have to put in six hours a day to finish his dissertation before the deadline, but instead found himself avoiding the work day after day. The solution, he found, was to aim to work just two hours every day. This modest goal made it easy for Henderson to get started on his work every day, and once he had started, he found it easier to keep going. Think on the margin, the authors advise; even if you can't get a full six hours of writing done, two are better than none.
While the advice is very much apolitical, with the goal of helping the reader make better decisions, the basis for it relies on free-market economic theory. Some parts of the book reflect this essentially libertarian political approach. The authors remind us, for example, that recycling is not free and that, depending on the value of one's time, it may not be worthwhile to sort recyclables and carry them to the curb every week.
They also debunk complaints about sweatshop labor, warning readers beforehand that they are "about to challenge a commonly accepted belief". Sure, the workers have low pay and poor conditions by American standards - but what is their alternative? The foreign workers voluntarily chose "sweatshop" employment over their other choices. Will they be better off if western activists eliminate that option? This issue is cited by the authors as an example of people making the mistake of choosing fantasy over reality. The western activists would like everyone to live well, but don't realize that eliminating jobs, even low-paying ones, is not a solution. Though not generally taking political stances, in the few issues that the authors do take on, their reasoning is well thought out and deserves mention.
David Henderson and Charles Hooper wrap the book up with a short discusion on ethics: Unethical practices are almost always bad business. They point out that your actions will determine what others will think of you, which in turn affects business opportunities. Sticking to form, Henderson gives an example from his business dealings with people. Adam Smith is lauded his idea of "the invisible hand" - the notion that one unintentionally helps society simply by working to make a profit.
In Making Great Decisions, the authors show that economic theory can be applied to everyday life and decision-making. The book flows smoothly with plentiful examples and has a lively writing style. But perhaps most importantly, it is hard to find fault with the advice.
Rated by buyers -
I'm so glad that economics is not in the title of this book. Reason? I've been able to recommend this great book on the best ways to make decisions through understanding some basic economic principles- made easy by anecdotal stories of good and bad decisions. If economics was in the title there would be no way some of my non-quantitative (and often emotionally driven) friends would have the least desire to peruse these pages. On the other hand- literally every one who I've shared the clear thinking outlined in this book has jumped at the opportunity to very first borrow and then buy the book. Through this book I've been able to identify both personal flaws in decision making process as well as chronic issues of poor decisions made at the work place. I've been able to influence Senior Managers to reconsider the ways that have become endemic and dysfunctional at our workplace and a new light of common sense evaluation. Thanks Dr. Henderson!
Rated by buyers -
This is a book in which you can learn some economics, you'll actually be fairly glad to learn it and you'll be very glad you know it when you're done reading the book.
One of the disadvantages of teaching economics is an all-too-frequent conversation when meeting people. When someone finds out what I do, they say "That was the hardest course that I took in college." Unfortunately, I also know what's implied. They learned little and probably remember virtually nothing.
And that's a shame. Economics is not just about graphs, obscure equations and abstract notions.
Economics is a useful way of thinking about the world. In this book, you'll see that basic economic notions can be used to help you make decisions in your everyday life. The usefulness is illustrated with many stories, all informative and some amusing.
The authors go further than basic economics, including decision science and thoughtful common sense. For example, you'll find out how David Henderson resolved a problem with hard pillows at an otherwise fine hotel by buying better pillows, and why this made more sense than going to a better hotel. This is the start of a chapter on creating better alternatives, in which the authors make the point that evaluating alternatives requires thought and sometimes imagination.
It's a fun read, besides which it's well written and clear. You're unlikely to be sorry that you read it.
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