Rating: 
Summary: Tom Peters Unplugged
Review: I am a big fan of Peters. This book is not Peters at his best. Actually, this can only be called a book because it has a front and back cover and pages in between. The whole thing is just a lot of short, often unrelated snippets of information, with a lot of curse-words included to give it some spice. You need a road map to keep up with all the acronyms he uses. Did Tom Peters actually write this book?
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Summary: Not For Everyone
Review: I gave this book to 45 participants in an innovative leadership training class as a pre-reading exercise. They gave it back to me because of the following reasons: the layout is difficult to follow, you need a glossary to keep up with the acronyms. and what exactly is the point here!
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Summary: Beat poetry with business terms
Review: I read this book mostly in disbelief and with a continually growing sense of anger. Basically, I could not get past the four things that I found offensive about it:1) The typography detracts TREMENDOUSLY from this book. The constantly changing typeface/size/color/effects of the type made the book nearly unreadable. 2) The disorganized thinking. This book is basically a stream of consciousness that reminded me of Alan Ginsberg and Timothy Leary. 3) The continual use of profanity, stupid acronyms and catch phrases. (Note: I cannot take anyone over about 25 seriously if they regularly use the words "Phat" or "Rockin") 4) The arrogance of Tom Peters. It's not just that he thinks he has all of the answers, which I don't think he does, but the arrogance of selling a book like this without at least having someone who is not stoned proof it first says that he cares more for his ego than for his readers. The ideas he presents may not be bad, but I have trouble even knowing what they are most of the time. I wanted to like this book, but could not. I am not exagerating when I say that I believe that this is the worst book I have ever read.
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Summary: You Are The Only Constraint Keeping Yourself From WOW!
Review: I've completed the first three books in the "reengineering work" 50List Series--and think Tom Peters did an outstanding job. For those who read a great deal and believe in these principles to begin with--you may only rate it a "4-Star"--but is still great book--just did not get the "aha's" that someone who has not read as much may receive. His points are right on, and I totally agree with his point that "Knowledge Capital" is key for the PSF--but is especially important to each individual. I love the point he makes that in a PSF--"the people are the only asset"--not only to the company--but, you the employee. You have total control over your own knowledge capital, and if your capital is strong enough--you can select the employer with which to share your knowledge. Dennis Waitley in "Empires of the Mind", comes to the conclusion, that in the future, it will be the employee selecting the employer in which he/she will share part of his working life. This a great read.
Rating: 
Summary: Typical Peters
Review: If you never read another line of text in your life, turn to page 169 of this book and read the last sentance. Learn it, live it, and you'll be set for life.
Rating:
Summary: Tom Peters at his best!
Review: Since I had totally loved the "Circle of innovation", I was anxious for Tom Peters to release his series of "50" books. I wasn't dissapointed! This is Tom Peters at his best. Not only does he again throw business dogma out the window, he goes so far as to re-invent the style of a business book. It makes for a great read and the many tips he gives are really useful. I am looking forward to his next one!
Rating:
Summary: Tom Peters at his best!
Review: Since I had totally loved the "Circle of innovation", I was anxious for Tom Peters to release his series of "50" books. I wasn't dissapointed! This is Tom Peters at his best. Not only does he again throw business dogma out the window, he goes so far as to re-invent the style of a business book. It makes for a great read and the many tips he gives are really useful. I am looking forward to his next one!
Rating:
Summary: Vintage Tom Peters "Wow"!
Review: This book has several potential uses. Although I have worked in professional service firms almost my entire life, I found this book to be a useful reminder of what makes a professional service firm great. Although Tom Peters did not intend this purpose, I think it may be the best use of the book. The second use is the intended one: Turn your internal business department into a professional service firm look-alike. The book will work well for those who have driving ambition to be the best. For those who do not share Peters' passion, this book may seem over the top. Peters is a very qualitative thinker, so it would be easy to misapply his ideas in a way that created a tough work environment that created little benefit. For example, The Dance of Change warns against trying to create new language and culture in an organizational sector because everyone else may think you are weird and ignore you. Peters could create that kind of tension for a group if you followed his advice too literally (he suggests that you use questions like "How can we wow you?" when working with colleagues in the firm). On the other hand, Peters is at his best when he is a little off-the-wall because he makes you think. There are plenty of references to outstanding books, and he is really trying to create a picture of perfection. That is helpful, because most business books simply share dated information about past best practices. As someone who helps executives design simple, effective approaches to perfection, I applaud the effort. Peters would do well to accommodate other perspectives. Being totally committed to work and perfection through maximum effort often does not appeal to people as a permanent life style. What should the other people do? If you are an ambitious MBA who wants a mentor, you could do a lot worse than adopt this book as your guide. If you want balance in your life, you had better read Life Strategies as well. Keep up the good work, Tom Peters!
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Summary: Motivation
Review: This may be stream of thought, this may be disjointed, this maybe is a collection of things that someone or other has come across before, and this just might not be the last word on anything. But, as a motivational exercize for someone who wants to create a world-class professional service organization then this is a "must read". This is "motivation by telling stories", anecdotes in other words, business life is too fast for Russian stories, so read it and enjoy it, then take it into account in everything you do. Regards, martyn_jones@iniciativas.com
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Summary: Good suggestions for invigorating your department
Review: Tom Peters sees himself as the antidote to the Dilbert mentality -- the relentless negativism caused by workplace bureaucracy that stifles creativity, stamps out individuality, and does its best to turn people into uninspired, clock-watching drones. Peters seems to understand that many workplaces ARE uninspiring, but he urges you to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. And those of you who run departments are in a great position to turn your department or company into a nimble, energetic Professional Service Firm that empowers employees and sees clients as equal partners in a creative, exciting task. Whether you work in a law firm, an accounting office, or a purchasing department, Peters thinks you can make your work dynamic, inspiring, and challenging -- and treat your employees like valuable individuals. This book is divided into fifty chapters, each of which offers a suggestion for ramping up into the dynamic world of the Professional Service Firm. The book reads like a management consultant who has been reading too much beat poetry (lots of ellipses, exclamation points, and all caps) but it works -- the book reads like an energetic screed that packs a punch. If you're interested in books that empower and inspire, please read my book "The Rules of Ruthlessness," which offers a message somewhat similar to Tom Peters' books. You can buy "The Rules of Ruthlessness" on Amazon, and you can learn more about the book at ruthlessness.com.
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