Rating: 
Summary: It's true! It works,The FAST do eat the SLOW
Review: A comprehensive,factual and entertaining roadmap for all smart business men and women to speedily navigate the inner city battleground that is the competitive marketplace of today.Jason Jennings and Laurence Haughton's concise and practical account of leadership strategy, and numerous tactics, show how being fast creates a unique and compelling point of difference. What's more their advice and observations work! Over the past ten years I've enjoyed a close professional relationship with Jason Jennings and his consultancy, in two large global media organisations. Firstly, I witnessed the transition from a hemorrhaging State run bureaucracy, to a fast, efficient, customer focused company, that when privatized, became a prized acquisition and cash cow. Secondly, Jason's teaching, strategic analysis and operational skills prevented the real threat of bankruptcy, and in just two years, the business units were producing record revenue and over 40% EBIT. An incredible turnaround, proving that the fast do eat the slow, and in the process gain the economic benefits. A great read,and essential reference for those serious about leading their organizations successfully and consistently in the 21st century.
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Summary: Prophets of Speed Deliver Profits for Business
Review: As a student and user of the Jennings-Houghton selling method, I applaud their study of speed in modern business. These are lessons for business and lessons for life. Leaders who recognize and embrace good ideas no matter where they come from and then shave away bureaucratic speed bumps are destined for success. It may seem like they're restating the obvious. That's how epiphanies go.
Rating:
Summary: Tight and Meaty
Review: Awesome! This is the stuff that the top 1/100th of 1% of the companies out there understand and use. I loved it. Every chapter is loaded with industrial strength wisdom. If it were any other book it would probably be 500+ pages - it's adroit, clean, and powerful. All the fat has been strained away leaving huge, tender hunks of life lessons from guys that 'walk the walk'. Despite being concentrated it is remarkably readable, interesting, and "fast". These guys are great story tellers...and the ring of truth is resounding. The thoughts are so clearly organized and unambiguous it makes for rapid assimilation and understanding. (I especially like their teaching on guiding principles. It gives an exciting, current day relevance to the timeless ideals of creating value-based priorities and corporate definition, like an easily digestible Stephen Covey or...Ben Franklin on steroids.) In summary, it's concise, fluid, and relevant. I expect it will be a best seller...useful texts like this are not kept secret. In a word, zesty!
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, Practical, Useful
Review: Based on many years of strategic consulting, Jennings and Haughton take us through the basic blocking and tackling of making and sustaining business speed. This is not a theoretical B-School analysis or some abstract case-study analysis, but a very practial, hands-on set of "how tos" the authors' have proven throughout their years of working with some of the speediest companies around. Their access to the highest levels of companies like Schwab speaks volumes about their credibility and the value of their content. Though every scenario they describe may not apply to each and every business model, the general ideas they put forth are hugely valuable for any practicing executive. Highly recommended.
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Summary: The new "Ries & Trout"?
Review: Easy and fast, as business must be. Nothing new, as everything on earth, but things that everybody needs to remember (or to know). This book must be besides the Ries &/or Trout books on your office. EXCELENTE.
Rating: 
Summary: Simple management philosophy that worths a read
Review: I think most people understand the importance of "speed" in the marketplace. The problem lies in "how" to incorporate this element into their daily business before they or their companies had been eaten by someone else. I am sorry that the author had not done a good job in this respect. He said a lot about the advantages of being speedy, but not practical methods of pushing it through bureaucracy, redtape, human resistance to change, the long term committment of top management......... Perhaps I had demanded too much from such a small book. However, I really believe the author is capable of giving us more, judged by his smooth and intelligent writing skills and choice of words. Below please find some copy and paste for your reference. Speed, merely for the sake of moving fast, without a destination inmind, is haste. Eventually, out of control, speed will land you in big trouble. But imagine how many more races you would win if you had a big head start. Think about the advantage you would have if you knew what the future was going to look like and were able to spot trends before the competition. Consider the power of being able to think about things quickly and accurately, tackling in minutes the same big issues and questions the competition would be processing for weeks. pg 9 Question everything...all the time. If you want to hone your anticipatory skills, accept nothing. Question everything. Ask how and why of everything that's presented to you. pg 19 A fund manager's best year will likely be his or her first. He or she is without a need to defend the previous year's choices and is able to ruthlessly assess the viability and potential performance of holdings in the fund. Dr. Richard Geist, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. pg 101 It's not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survive; it is the one most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin pg 111 When you refuse to abandon, bad things always seem to happen. p.s. The main book title is very interesting. I think if the author did add one more word "idiot" in the end, the impact will be even bigger.
Rating:
Summary: Simple management philosophy that worths a read
Review: I think most people understand the importance of "speed" in the marketplace. The problem lies in "how" to incorporate this element into their daily business before they or their companies had been eaten by someone else. I am sorry that the author had not done a good job in this respect. He said a lot about the advantages of being speedy, but not practical methods of pushing it through bureaucracy, redtape, human resistance to change, the long term committment of top management......... Perhaps I had demanded too much from such a small book. However, I really believe the author is capable of giving us more, judged by his smooth and intelligent writing skills and choice of words. Below please find some copy and paste for your reference. Speed, merely for the sake of moving fast, without a destination inmind, is haste. Eventually, out of control, speed will land you in big trouble. But imagine how many more races you would win if you had a big head start. Think about the advantage you would have if you knew what the future was going to look like and were able to spot trends before the competition. Consider the power of being able to think about things quickly and accurately, tackling in minutes the same big issues and questions the competition would be processing for weeks. pg 9 Question everything...all the time. If you want to hone your anticipatory skills, accept nothing. Question everything. Ask how and why of everything that's presented to you. pg 19 A fund manager's best year will likely be his or her first. He or she is without a need to defend the previous year's choices and is able to ruthlessly assess the viability and potential performance of holdings in the fund. Dr. Richard Geist, professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School. pg 101 It's not the strongest nor most intelligent of the species that survive; it is the one most adaptable to change. Charles Darwin pg 111 When you refuse to abandon, bad things always seem to happen. p.s. The main book title is very interesting. I think if the author did add one more word "idiot" in the end, the impact will be even bigger.
Rating:
Summary: five stars
Review: I thought this a quite good book. It is admittedly contrived in spots. But it definitely gives details of why the companies profiled in this book are so successful. I find the one star reviews below strange, unless they were written by people who own or work for companies that have equaled or surpassed in speed of growth the companies profiled in this book. It is a worthwhile book.
Rating:
Summary: Average Book
Review: If you did not read many books of management, you will certainly profit from reading this book. There'a a total lack of care for personel but a lot of good ideas.
Read a book on Emotional Intelligence together with this one, mix them both and get to work!
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Summary: Read this book before your competitors eat your lunch!
Review: Jason Jennings' and Larry Haughton's background as journalists adds great value to this book. They don't tell you what they think, they tell you what some of the most successful people in the world have told them about the value of moving quickly. If you're looking for magic dust or other simple solutions you'll be disappointed (but that probably wouldn't be the first time). However, if you can honestly look at yourself in a mirror (be prepared) and are willing to work hard, this book can make a major difference in your business. It already has for me. On page 24 they tell the story of a banker who put his managers through a 'what if' planning session and how that helped make the bank even more profitable. Based on that lesson, I put my management team through a similar exercise so they could identify changes they could make without a budget ax hanging over their heads. Subsequently, business conditions dictated the need for a major cost reduction and it had to be done within 48 hours. We not only met the deadline, but did so without having to resort to layoffs. Cutting costs is never easy, but this was the smoothest plan I've ever implemented because the managers knew it was their plan, not a corporate mandate. I've had the benefit of attending their seminars over the last year, and the lessons learned there and in this book have been instrumental in developing a lot of new revenue. Read this book before your competitors make the first move.
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