A leading evolutionary psychologist probes the unconscious instincts behind American consumer culture Illuminating the hidden reasons for why we buy what we do, Spent applies evolutionary psychology to the sensual wonderland of marketing and perceived status that is American consumer culture. Geoffrey Miller starts with the theory that we purchase things to advertise ourselves to others, and then examines other factors that dictate what we spend money on. With humor and insight, Miller analyzes an array of product choices and deciphers what our decisions say about ourselves, giving us access to a new way of understanding-and improving-our behaviors to become happier consumers.

Price: $12.99 USD

A definite 'add' to any Facebook user's library. Facebook is not as user-friendly as the service would like people to think. As a result, it leaves many users scratching their heads over even the most fundamental features. The Complete Idiot's Guide(r) to Facebook gets readers registered and touring Facebook in the very first chapter and never lets up as it reveals the features that have made Facebook the number one social networking platform. *Protecting profiles, tracking down friends and family, status updates, e-mail, chat, sharing, invites, and interest groups *Using Facebook for personal branding, marketing a business, product, service, or nonprofit, or promoting a worthy cause

Price: $13.99 USD

The fascinating story of Volkswagen's raging success and near collapse in America After a wild ride of ups and downs for almost three decades, Volkswagen has regained its stature as one of America's most beloved auto makers. In Getting the Bugs Out, journalist and auto industry expert David Kiley tells the complete story of the rise, fall, and comeback of Volkswagen. Kiley traces the company's rise from Ferdinand Porsche's original design for the Beetle, through the Nazi era, and up to the Beetle's ascendancy during the flower-power 1960s. He explores the reasons for VW's downward spiral through the 1970s and 1980s, including the devastating management blunders that led to such failed efforts as the Rabbit, Dasher, Thing, and Scirocco, and equally catastrophic marketing initiatives, culminating in the notorious "Fahrfegnugen" series of ads. Finally, drawing upon his unique access to company insiders, Kiley tells the story of how Volkswagen achieved its phenomenal comeback beginning in the late 1990s through a combination of visionary management, cutting-edge product development, and brilliant marketing and advertising strategies. David Kiley (Anne Arbor, MI), the Detroit Bureau Chief at USA Today, is a journalist with fifteen years of experience, ten of which have been devoted to covering the auto industry. He has written extensively for Adweek and Brandweek magazines.

Price: $16.95 USD

The new edition of the bestselling business development guide Book Yourself Solid, Second Edition reveals why self-promotion is a critical factor to success, giving you a unique perspective that makes this guide much more than an ordinary "how to" manual for getting more clients and raising a business profile. Book Yourself Solid, Second Edition enables you to adopt the right promotional perspective and provides the strategies, techniques, and skills necessary to get more clients and increase profits. Through verbal and written exercises, you'll discover the keys to developing a strong marketing plan and brand image. Features unique, personalized, updated social media marketing strategies for service professionals Provides new pricing models and sales strategies for simpler selling Delivers fresh networking and outreach strategies guaranteed to take only minutes a day Offers new solid product launch strategies and tactics for creating instant awareness Author a New York Times bestseller, TV personality, and highly recognized professional speaker Get the proven tools you can put into effect today with Book Yourself Solid, Second Edition , and watch your business grow exponentially!

Price: $18.95 USD

Reveals the master plan behind Apple’s revolutionary business model. “We don’t underestimate people....Rather than making a far inferior product for a hundred dollars less, we gave the people the product that they want and that will serve them for years, even though it’s a little pricier. People are smart; they figure these things out.” --Steve Jobs. The Apple Way divulges the secrets and management principles that keep Apple far ahead of the curve. Find out how to implement these and other winning strategies in your organization to trigger a technological and stylistic revolution of your own:.:.; Make the customer and the product king.; Balance manufacturing with delivery logistics.; Motivate and inspire people outside the company to do your marketing and public relations.; Invent new distribution channels.; Decide on your company image and stick to your guns.; Leapfrog the competition.; Learn from both successes and missteps.

Price: $24.95 USD

How companies turn value-added into real profits The Dollarization Discipline shows organizations and marketers how to effectively communicate the economic value created by their products and services. Too often, when companies compete using conventional sales and marketing approaches, they force customers to make financial decisions (how much to spend), based on non-financial arguments (product features and benefits). On this playing field, the company that can show true financial advantage in real dollars and cents wins every time. This book offers a step-by-step strategy for doing just that. Every day, good companies suffer because they create value for customers but aren't able to keep their fair share. This is because most marketers can't fully explain the value customers get from their products, and the argument falls to the lowest common denominator-price. The solution is an approach to sales and marketing that goes beyond articulating features and benefits, but calculates the monetary value a customer receives from a product or service. This enables the seller to price the product as a true reflection of its value-and also let's the seller prove it to the customer! With real case studies and detailed, step-by-step guidance on effective dollarization, The Dollarization Discipline finally offers a practical, straightforward way for marketers and business leaders to prove the value of their "value-added." Jeffrey J. Fox (Gilford, New Hampshire) is the founder and President of Fox & Company, Inc., a marketing consulting firm. Fox is also the author of the bestsellers How to Become a CEO, How to Become a Rainmaker, and How to Become a Great Boss. Richard C. Gregory (Farmington, Connecticut) is a Senior Consultant with Fox & Company.

Price: $27.95 USD

This is the remarkable story of how two brothers - Edouard and Andre Michelin - turned a sleepy, family tyre firm in the heart of rural France into one of the most innovative and successful industrial empires in the world. Edouard, a landscape painter at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, displayed an engineering genius for tyre-making and product innovation, whilst Andre, trained as an engineer, displayed a creative genius for advertising and marketing. Together they kick-started the world motor industry and created a tourist industry around the motor car and their now legendary "Michelin Guides". The Michelin history, as described here by Herbert Lottman, reveals insights into the development of this remarkable business.

Price: $31.00 USD

Business decisions and strategies are influenced by a number of external factors, generally referred to as Business Environment. The modern business is placed in a very complex and intricate environment. The constraints and opportunities provided by the nature of the economy and the economic system, political and legal framework, social system, geographical and ecological conditions, demographic factors etc., have profound impact on the business. The type of product to be manufactured and marketed, the marketing strategies to be employed, the way the busienss should be organised, the technology to be adopted etc. are all influenced by the environmental factors. For formulating appropriate business strategies, one should, therefore, have proper understanding of the business environment. This book provides a brief account of some of the important environmental factors

Price: $45.00 USD

Getting Attention: Leading-Edge Lessons for Publicity and Marketing is a savvy and innovative guide to getting your message heard in today's dynamic and noisy markets. It's an insider's look at what works and what doesn't in the fast-paced, high-tech world of communications. You'll learn to leverage a spectrum of new and often free technologies, not only the Internet, to distinguish your product or service and reach customers and influencers. Getting Attention reveals how to tailor a message for a specific or multiple media so that it has the best chance of reaching and informing your target market. And most importantly, the book features countless guerrilla tactics for achieving the publicity and marketing results you need without spending a lot of money. You'll learn how to blend innovative and traditional promotional techniques and create programs that build customer relationships and bolster your bottom line. Gain the real-world success secrets from leading marketing visionaries from the non-profit, entertainment, government, and corporate high-tech fields. Whether you're a PTA volunteer, a manager at a start-up company, or the head of a Fortune 1,000 corporate communications department, Getting Attention can help you successfully position your product or service for success. Get professional publicity on a shoestring using next-generation promotional tools and technologies Insider tips and techniques on message-crafting for noisy markets and getting free and effective media coverage A Silicon Valley insider's guide to how the high-tech industry and new technologies are transforming the publicity game for every business

Price: $46.95 USD

Few of today's products will last longer than those of an earlier era. Indeed, some blame producers of planning obsolescence into their products. Despite this, consumers are at the very least compliant; meaning the current throughput of materials and energy in industrialised economies is unsustainable.In this provocative book the creation of product durability and the design of longer-lasting solutions emerge as an absolutely vital element in the pursuit of sustainability. Its multi-disciplinary approach consolidates the significant growth in product life-span knowledge from an impressive range of experts. Contributors discuss the different means of product life: historical, design, engineering, marketing, law, politics, consumer behaviour, technology and systems of provision, and the economic context of each.Resource scarcity has re-emerged as a threat to future generations - the debate now is how do we avoid economic, social and ecological collapse.

Price: $134.95 USD