Rating: 
Summary: A good book, not just for business...
Review: I have to admit: this is only the second ONE MINUTE MANAGER book I have read. While I appreciate the brevity and conciseness Blanchard uses in these books, I find the stories he wraps these messages in to be, well, trite. That said, I found THE ONE MINUTE APOLOGY to be of interest enough to overlook that drawback. Sure, it's still a rather silly story delivering the message, but the message itself is solid, rock-solid.A recurring complaint of the ONE MINUTE MANAGER approach is that it routinely over-simplifies complex subjects. Well.... yeah, it does, and thank goodness. Life is complicated enough. Business moreso. What people need, what people want is simple solutions to help them solve problems or at least get STARTED solving a problem. This is where the ONE MINUTE APOLOGY is successful: it takes a very complex (and emotional) issue and gives the reader a very easy step-by-step approach to making amends when it's appropriate and necessary. Is there more to the act of "apologizing"? Are people affected by others' actions more deeply than this book implies? Is it more difficult to really show someone you've offended that you've truly changed your ways? Perhaps. But this book goes a long way in helping people start down the road to reconciliation by offering up a simple way to say "I'm sorry" in a meaningful manner.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple but important information
Review: I love this book! I don't read many business parables, but a friend recommended this. Such valuable information-it really demonstrates how a person can make their life better if they are willing to think, listen, and be honest with themselves. Not just good for a business audience-good for everyone.
Rating:
Summary: I actually learned something! :-)
Review: I opened page one of this book thinking it would be a lesson given in reaction to the recent business scandals in this country. Well, it is, but it's also much more. This book, in a simple, straightforward way, cuts to the core of what's really important in life. It teaches you how to get respect with integrity, and feel good about yourself while doing it. It was a pleasant surprise to find such deep insights in this little "business" book. I think people might shy away from this book, just because apologizing and everything that goes with it can be scary and difficult. Trust me, The One Minute Apology is worth a read. Your spirit will be lifted.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should learn how to say Sorry and mean it
Review: I read the One Minute Manager series when they started 20 years ago, and didn't like the format because I couldn't relate to a Manager who was instantly available & accessible. I was accustomed to having to wait hours, and more typically days, to speak to my manager - by which time the matter had either gone away or I'd sorted it myself anyway. Then when I was in my 40's I found myself in the position that I could be a One-Minute Manager myself, and worklife became fun. So now I find myself re-reading the One-Minute Manager series with a new perspective on worklife. Now, why did they write this one on "Apology" - did the concept begin before or after the latest round of scandals in US business? Either way, it is trying to set a new moral high tone for those CEO's etc who have become as arrogant as the Roman Emperors of 2,000 years ago? This little book provides the antidote - but unfortunately can't force such people to recognise that they have made a mistake in the first place, and owe an apology. No book can do that. Only the Board, Stockholders and the Legal system - but the latter tends to constrain them not to say 'Sorry' to anyone! Oh, and it applies just as well to your personal/family life!
Rating: 
Summary: Apology Required!
Review: I received Ken's latest book for Christmas and I was greatly disappointed (I was disappointed that I couldn't easily take it back and get something to read with substance). Apologies are very critical to our society and in all relationships. They are the "lubricant" that reduces the friction between people, groups and countries. Without them our entire history would be different. That is why Ken and Margret's superficial treatment of the subject is so frustrating and disappointing. They had the opportunity to really address the issue but instead they decided to provide the reader with a trite and overly simplistic story that provides the reader with minimal insight and information. I hope another author picks up where Ken left off and publishes a book that truly addresses the issue of apologies. I wish that the professional book reviewers would realize that the average reader has the ability and desire to digest a book that consists of something more than an overly simplistic "bedtime story". Thanks.
Rating:
Summary: Importance of business integrity without being preachy
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is full of useful wisdom, and its lessons speak much of the integrity of the authors. One thing that impressed me is how engrossed I became in the story itself. Of course I knew that it would have a "happy ending"; still, I found myself reacting as I would to any good novel, wanting to see what was going to happen next. Another thing I liked was the use of history to teach important lessons about proper behavior in business (and other) dealings. My final comment is, again, praise for the strong current of personal integrity and self-knowledge that ran through the book. It was this dual commitment to self-awareness and the importance of doing the right thing that I found most useful.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: I was mildly enlightened, and amused, by Ken's original One Minute Manager book; to bad his latest attempt at "making a buck" just insults me.
Rating:
Summary: Bringing a famiy together
Review: Initially a friend at work gave me this book to read. I was a taken aback, wondering why she'd think I needed to read it. She promised me it would change my life. I looked at the length of the book and figured, "why not." She was right, but I also realized the benefits of the story could also help with my family -- there was recently a death and the family started taking sides and simply didn't get along. I brought up THE ONE MINUTE APOLOGY, some said I was ridiculous (but read it secretly), while others were amazed at how much it helped me. The outcome was outstanding, we got together and could really talk about our feelings and honestly say we were sorry.
Rating:
Summary: Too Simple To Be Effective
Review: Making the case for managers to tell their staff that they are sorry when they make mistakes is admirable, but in practice it simply would not work. Once again, Blanchard is good at coming up with ideas that sound good, but when managers put them into practice they fail to live up to their concept. It would be more practical for managers to correct a problem by actions, instead of private and public apologies that might make them seem weak and lacking effectiveness.
Rating:
Summary: Pure pabulum!
Review: The authors and the publisher have taken pure pabulum and tried to convince the reading public that it is "pure simplistic genius". Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that the writing style is simple but it is also true that the writing addresses the issue in a highly simplistic fashion. I am not sure what world Ken and Margret live in but it is one that I am not familiar with. Their book reduces the highly complex world of business, the military and other endeavors to a one-dimensional cartoon strip. If managers were to ignore all they knew and applied the "secrets" that Ken proposes they would find themselves very quickly ending their careers. Maybe Ken and Margret are simple minded, but the rest of the adult world is not. Please save us from any more "one minute manager" dribble.
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