Megazines And Book Education

As a young college student in the 1960’s I was swept up in the exciting, confrontational political climate of that period. The Viet Nam War was raging, the military draft was still activated, John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King had been taken from us by assassination. The Beatles changed rock ‘n roll music forever and the movie “The Graduate” changed pop culture.

I graduated from school and began my career in business carrying; maybe burdened would be a better description, these influences at the core of my being. I was liberal without having enough of life’s experiences to really know why I was liberal or what that meant. I saw the world as flawed and felt that collectively we could make things better, safer, more peaceful and fairer. It made me feel good to want these things, although I had no understanding of how to make these altruistic goals obtainable.

Winston Churchill once famously said, “A man who is conservative at the age of 20 is heartless, a man who is liberal at 40 is a fool”. I was soon to cross the bridge from dreamer to realist, much as described by Churchill. I started my own business. That was when reality struck, and hit right between my eyes.

At about the time I made the leap into entrepreneurialism I was introduced to the writer, philosopher Ayn Rand. I read her monumental novel Atlas Shrugged. It was attitudinally, philosophically and politically a life changing experience for me.

Every idea I had nurtured from my formative years was called into question by the hero of Atlas Shrugged, John Galt. Rand’s libertarian philosophy, she called it “Objectivism”, is on full display in this powerful, logically based tale of the benefits and pre-eminence of individual rights. In the story, the productive, creative, ambitious, driven class of individuals, lead by John Galt, essentially goes on strike. Quite the opposite of a mass union strike, this stoppage by the few brings crisis to the many and itemizes the reasons that capitalism is the only economic system that can benefit the most people most often.

The power of Ayn Rand’s thinking, as evidenced by the characters and stories she wrote are enjoying a renaissance today. Born in Russia, she had fled that country after the rise of communism. Her experiences growing up in a totalitarian place made her a fierce opponent of all the “-ism’s”, communism, fascism, socialism, all forms of statism and collectivism.

At the core of the Rand philosophy was a concept based on limited government, laissez faire capitalism and individual rights. She believed that doing what was best for one-self was the only duty a person owed to society. Altruism was destructive to Ayn Rand. The modern liberal, now interestingly called “progressive”, despises the Rand view of man and believes her views reflect selfishness. And yet, it is only through the “selfishness” of the productive, entrepreneurial, risk taking class that all of society reaps the benefits of their creative, industrious enterprise. Poor people do not create jobs, and thus income, and thus taxes that support all level of government altruism and waste.

In this belief, Ayn Rand was really a modern acolyte of Adam Smith, the original philosopher of capitalism. Smith popularized the “invisible hand”, the concept that by profiting and seeking advantage for ourselves, we inadvertently provide benefit for others. America’s Founding Fathers resoundingly agreed with this philosophy and incorporated this principal into the Bill of Rights and Constitution. Rule of law, private property rights, individual rights and limited government enjoyed supremacy in the Founder’s eyes. These principles, so taken for granted and abused by government today, are the very glue that differentiates successful states from dysfunctional ones.

The early years of the 21st century will not be treated kindly by future historians. The lessons that history teaches are being ignored. Thomas Jefferson said, “He is governed best, who is governed least”. Who amongst us can honestly say that we are well governed by our all intrusive welfare, nanny-state?

The lessons and philosophy crafted by Ayn Rand have never gone away. Atlas Shrugged is the most popular book ever published, after the Holy Bible. Sales are again spiking for this, and all of Rand’s books. Because of the awkward intrusiveness and overreaching hand of government, there seems to be a revival of interest in the ideas represented by John Galt and Howard Roark in “The Fountainhead”.

Ayn Rand is the High Priestess of libertarian, free thought. As long as men seek to live free from the oppressive hand of tyranny and bungled government over-activism her place in history will be secure. There has never been a better time than 2010 to dust off old copies of Ayn Rand’s thought provoking classic tales and rekindle the passion for freedom that she so passionately portrays in her works.

by: Geoff Ficke

Geoff Ficke has been a serial entrepreneur for almost 50 years. As a small boy, earning his spending money doing odd jobs in the neighborhood, he learned the value of selling himself, offering service and value for money.

After putting himself through the University of Kentucky (B.A. Broadcast Journalism, 1969) and serving in the United States Marine Corp, Mr. Ficke commenced a career in the cosmetic industry. After rising to National Sales Manager for Vidal Sassoon Hair Care at age 28, he then launched a number of ventures, including Rubigo Cosmetics, Parfums Pierre Wulff Paris, Le Bain Couture and Fashion Fragrance.

Geoff Ficke and his consulting firm, Duquesa Marketing, Inc. (http://www.duquesamarketing.com) has assisted businesses large and small, domestic and international, entrepreneurs, inventors and students in new product development, capital formation, licensing, marketing, sales and business plans and successful implementation of his customized strategies. He is a Senior Fellow at the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Business School, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Let’s face it, it’s not easy to writing a term paper, and if you are writing a research report; it’s even tougher. Perhaps, that’s why I’d like to recommend a very good book to you, one that I actually own, and one which can help you along in the process. The name of the book is;

“How to Write Term Papers and Reports – Eight Keys to a Successful Paper” by L Sue Baugh

Anybody who spends a lot of time in college knows that writing a good term paper will make or break your grades. Of course, once you get out into the real world if you are going to do any type of scientific research writing or are required to write any reports, you’ll note that it’s just as important to your reputation, future career, and upward advancement. In other words, there’s money at stake which is even more important than grades.

In this book, the author explains why it’s important to focus on your topic, and why you must organize and be disciplined in preparing your document. She suggests a preliminary statement, or a first rough draft abstract, which you will most likely (99% of the time) change later. And you can tell that the author is highly passionate and ethical as she is gives advice to concentrate on in-depth research, and to keep meticulous notes.

She goes heavy into the planning process of writing a paper or report, including the use of outlines. And she states that just because you are done with the first draft does not mean you are anywhere near completed, as she says or suggests that editing can often be 80 to 90% of the work. She also spends a whole chapter on how to select topics in various research strategies to use once you do. The author also explains how to evaluate information using statistics, and research with a critical eye.

There are also chapters on how to document references, logical developments, writing style, mechanics, grammar tips, and how to prepare illustrations, along with the graphs, charts, and pictures you use. Lastly, the author goes into how to give oral presentations about your work, rounding out the perfect research project. Indeed, I highly recommend that you have this book in your writing library, if you are going to create term papers or reports for school or business. Please consider all this.

Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes good information and quality research.

Whenever we give a gift, it is obvious that we would like the recipient to remember us giving the gift. The recipient will only remember you if the gift is unique or it is something that is useful which the recipient can use over a period of time. Or it is something of interest to the recipient. Of course, needless to say, it should be reasonably priced.

Books with interesting and unique subjects or books that can serve as a reference book for the recipient of gift fit the bill perfectly. Books are not expensive. Also, people usually tend to keep books and do not throw them away after reading them. If the book has a unique message, the recipient will remember you all his life.

I would like to take this opportunity to recommend one of my books titled Customer Math as a corporate gift. Now this book is ideal for anyone who has a customer. And who does not have a customer in the corporate world? Practically everyone has a customer.

This book is unique because its message is unique and is based on self experience. A Rs. 9,000 mistake in 1997 ended up in my developing the enlightening concept of

Customer Math. Customer Math gives mathematical proof that customer satisfaction and retention not only pays for itself but is also very profitable.

Some of the Customer Math formula discussed in the book include are 1=5, 1=3, 1=12, 1=10000, 10%=47%, 1=23, 5%=50% and 91%=18%. They show how customer defections can play havoc with a company’s bottom line. These formulae will also throw light on how one can acquire new customers even after eliminating your sales and marketing team and doing away with advertising.

Now with an innovative and a useful concept like CustomerMath, you can your gifting unique and interesting for the recipient. Believe me; he will never forget you or the valuable gift that you gifted him.

Avinash Narula is a management practitioner and thinker. One of his key strength is that he turns self-experience in lessons for others through his books, seminars, training, posters and other management enablers.