Koncocoo

Best Business School Guides

Complete GMAT Strategy Guide Set (Manhattan Prep GMAT Strategy Guides)
Fractions, Decimals, & Percents GMAT Strategy Guide (ISBN: 9781941234020). Purchase of this set includes one year of access to Manhattan Prep's online computer-adaptive GMAT practice exams and Question Banks. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"These books don't emphasize tricks or easy ways to 700+ score, instead they methodically cover areas tested, and should be pretty much all you will need (besides the Official Guides - see below for links). If this is above your budget or you are in a rush, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension - a significantly revised book (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books). ~~~. I have gone through all of the books and here is how it looks: Overall, all books have undergone some degree of updating; not just slapping a new cover as some providers do, so you will be better of buying the 6th if you are deciding. IR - substantial changes and improvements - the book needed them, and is now split by question type and organized a lot better. Quant - mostly minor updates (less than 10% new content). RC - Major update. SC - Restructure with the main difference is that the idiom section is cut down and rewrite of most chapters (more than 20% of content updated). CR - Improvements in text-heavy areas that put people to sleep before."
"The combination of these books, the GMAT Original Guide Bundle (buy those for practice problems), and hours of studying produced a 760 GMAT score!!!"
"I has a chance to review a preview set, and I see a number of meaningful changes in this edition: - GMAT Roadmap and IR books are now included with this set, making it a total of 10 books. - The Quant books have been improved in terms of layout and structure (though content is mostly the same). - The Verbal books have undergone a pretty significant improvement in terms of content (still analyzing the changes; check back in a few days for complete analysis). - Now the series start with Fractions/Decimals/Percents, then go into Algebra, Word Problems, Geometry, and Number Properties. (I feel this is a good improvement - first, it is getting rid of some of the strange names MGMAT used and second, Number Properties was a pretty tough book to use as the first step). If you are just starting out with GMAT prep - get this bundle; it's a good deal for the Manhattan GMAT Guides (separately they cost close to $150). If this is above your budget, then would recommend you pick the best of the pack: - The GMAT Roadmap Great collection of wisdom (see my review of this book). - Number Properties Guide (condensed overview of Arithmetic and strategies for saving time/solving questions more effectively). - Word Propblems Guide (includes some of the hardest topics - probability, combinations, and statistics). - Sentence Correction (the best book out there on SC). - Critical Reasoning (only second to PowerScore CR but by a slim margin). - Reading Comprehension (there are no other dedicated RC books on market really). Between these 5 books you should have 80-90% of the GMAT covered and the rest could be picked up from the remaining books and practice with the Official Guides. *** Each book comes with access to 6 online gmat tests and additional question banks. Also, if you are new to the GMAT, download 2 official practice tests from GMAC and take one of them before you start prepping to get your level - very helpful to track your progress along the way but don't waste these tests - they use real retired gmat questions and though it is possible to recycle them (there are close to 900 questions in the banks), would recommend you use something less valuable for your practice such as MGMAT tests included with these books)."
"I recently decided to go back to school for a masters and wanted to do well on the test, but not spend a ton. After I finish, I plan on ordering the GMAT Official Guides which have all the practice questions and after going through those books, then taking the test."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The Sandman, Vol. 4: Season of Mists
To make it right, Morpheus must return to Hell to rescue his banished love — and Hell’s ruler, the fallen angel Lucifer, has already sworn to destroy him. His other books include Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, American Gods, and Stardust, (winner of the American Library Association's Alex Award as one of 2000's top novels for young adults) as well as the short story collections M Is for Magic and Smoke and Mirrors . When not drawing or painting, Mike swears he can be found "wandering through the desert kicking coyotes" and "watching the sun rise in the west."
Reviews
"You're going to see everything form satire to a brilliantly weaved mythology, to social cometary, to fairy tale telling, to suspense, to horror, to romance, to literary critique, form, and analysis - and all it delivered bound and wrapped, with a punch in the nose."
"The previous volume, Dream Country, felt more like set-up for future story lines (one of which pays off in this volume), while this one feels more like the first volume in the sense that it expands upon the lore and provides fantastic character development."
"Thus far The Sandman has been a series of stories, rather than one cohesive one (although certain events from prior volumes are referenced in this one)."
"When I got to college many of my brothers were passing around the old president's copy of Watchmen and I was floored by how great comics could be. I made my way through many other Alan Moore works finding, with a great deal of surprise, that I rather linked Swamp Thing which brought me to Neil Gaiman. this is quite simply the best comic book I have ever read (excepting for Maus, which is in a separate category."
"First up, all of the 10 volumes of The Sandman novels deserve 5 stars. Something that happens in one volume may become vitally important 3 or 4 volumes later."
"Lots of good surprises, and once again Gaiman finishes up an unfinished story (that of his long-lost love Nada) that he teased several issues back. Well thought-out characters, extremely intricate plotting, the ability to talk about adult subject matter without being prurient, rewarding the careful reader with Easter Eggs, etc."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Manhattan GMAT Test Simulation Booklet w/ Marker
This unique product gets students comfortable with the GMAT's laminated scratch paper and special marker, a disconcerting feature of the actual test. In 2000, Teach for America alumnus and Yale graduate Zeke Vanderhoek had a radical idea: students learn better from better teachers.
Reviews
"Purchased this for a co-worker of mine that is ready to take the Gmat test, and it worked out very well."
"Otherwise, this is a great resource for GMAT prep and very similar to what you will use on test day."
"Now that I have practiced using this scribble pad I have observed a noticeable difference in my timing (also I have practiced a lot more since the last attempt but still...)."
"Absolutely fantastic comparison to the real thing and was a huge benefit to have to practice with so that game day had no differences!"
"At the official test I got the same pen but a slightly different booklet: white with the lines creating regular squares instead of rectangles as in this booklet."
"exactly like the gmat book."
"The book I received is fine but was pretty disappointed that the marker is completely dried up and unusable."
"Now I have a pad and no pen to write with."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Job Hunting & Career Guides

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
Voted one of Top 100 Business Books of All Time on Goodreads. People are using this simple, powerful concept to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives. By focusing their energy on one thing at a time people are living more rewarding lives by building their careers, strengthening their finances, losing weight and getting in shape, deepening their faith, and nurturing stronger marriages and personal relationships. In. The ONE Thing. , you. '. ll learn to. *. cut through the clutter. *. achieve better results in less time. *. build momentum toward your goal. *. dial down the stress. *. overcome that overwhelmed feeling. *. revive your energy. *. stay on track. *. master what matters to you. The ONE Thing. delivers extraordinary results in every area of your life. --. work, personal, family, and spiritual. Gary Keller. is chairman of the board and cofounder of Keller Williams Realty, Inc., which holds the #1 position as the largest real estate company in the world.
Reviews
"Have you ever felt the Universe arranged everything for you to be at the right time on your computer, reading the right article that mentioned the perfect book you were meant to read at that specific point in your life? Not because it wasn't understood the first time around, but because I simply want to inundate myself with all its the ideas. Below are some of the highlights that profoundly resonated with me but I invite you to grab a copy and read the whole book. Extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus. Success is actually a short race -- a sprint fueled by discipline just long enough for habit to kick in and take over. How we phrase the questions we ask ourselves determines the answers that eventually become our lives."
"Or do they pull off something worthwhile and can they really aid someone find the business success they are seeking? Are they preaching to an already converted choir to confirm their preconceived notions or are they offering fresh insights and trying to broaden the horizons of readers? This book is authored by the very successful founder of one of the nation's great realtors, Keller-Williams. Gary Keller is targeting those business folks who want to find single minded success - the kinds of self-sacrificing, dedicated, and single-minded people he wants to hire and who will make themselves (and him) a great deal of money. Keller believes in focus, utter dedication to your one thing, and driving to breakthrough barriers to get to your one big purpose. He is not a big believer work life balance - he actually rejects it and calls it a lie. In other words, the key ideas are underlined in what looks like pencil - as if a previous reader had done it for you. I hear any number of executives talk about this as they are on their third marriage and fathering their own grandkids. There is a lot of benefit that comes from having succeeded and getting the space and time that comes from financial success."
"It's realizing that extraordinary results are directly determined by how narrow you can make your focus. well written, incredibly simple, concise, practical analysis of the whys and hows of discovering and executing our ONE Thing. The Focusing Question - Helps us arrive at The ONE Thing. "When everything feels urgent and important, everything seems equal. We become active and busy, but this doesn't actually move us any closer to success. Activity is often unrelated to productivity, and busyness rarely takes care of business.""
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Vocational Guidance

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers
From the author: “For the last two years, I’ve interviewed nearly two hundred world-class performers for my podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show. For most of my guests, it’s the first time they’ve agreed to a two-to-three-hour interview, and the show is on the cusp of passing 100 million downloads. I’ve used dozens of the tactics and philosophies in high-stakes negotiations, high-risk environments, or large business dealings. The lessons have made me millions of dollars and saved me years of wasted effort and frustration. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show , which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running.
Reviews
"I have hereditary cholesterol problems and my forays into a ketogenic lifestyle dropped my particle count from ~1950 to ~1225. There are many other great things that have come as a result of my exposure to Tim's podcast, too many to list here. This is supposedly a "recipe book" (according to page xvi in the Foreword). A few guests on his podcast have amazing things to say about meditation (Sam Harris, Naval Ravikant, Kevin Rose, etc.). But there is no central place to which you can turn to find out the collected wisdom of the many guests who have delved into this topic. In fact, there's not even one central place in the book that gives a list of the commonalities between the guests. They have the discipline to turn down the good, so that they can pursue (and achieve) the great. It might teach the tactics and routines and habits of world-class performers, but there's FAR TOO MUCH here to make it valuable in showing YOU how to achieve those heights."
"This book suffers from the expectations of his previous work--Tim is honest about presenting "Tools of Titans" as sort of a glimpse of his journals/notes from his life's work, but this book loses nearly everything we've come to expect. It's WebMD with a clouded personality...it's a bit like a bound website without the hyperlinking. He's shown he's capable of completely rethinking a problem or a lifestyle or a way of doing things, and this book isn't like that at all."
"It was worth the price especially after 200+free episodes of the podcast which I enjoy every week."
"I ordered this book yesterday, and it showed up on my door step today. The book is laid out in a format that is easy to navigate should you want to go back to reference again."
"The four-hour work week was a mindset changer, the 4-hour body gave me a playbook for anything I want to do physically and the 4-hour chef showed me how to have fun learning. The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich. The 4 Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat Loss, Incredible Sex and Becoming Superhuman. The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Job Resumes

How to Write a KILLER LinkedIn Profile... And 18 Mistakes to Avoid
Are you getting the results you want from your LinkedIn profile? Already a #1 Amazon best-selling e-book, this LinkedIn "bible" offers 18 detailed strategies and writing tips PLUS 7 Bonus tips that will teach you how to get found on LinkedIn, and how to keep people reading after they find you. "I was in a career transition and had been stuck for weeks on how to maximize my LinkedIn profile's potential. "Using Brenda's insightful techniques, I transformed my one-dimensional career history into a compelling brand-focused profile that has increased my profile reviews and name search results by 20%!"
Reviews
"To quote: "If you have contacted a particular employer, most of them now research to see what there is about you on Linked In (and on the internet in general. What will get my profile to the top of employer's searches, and make them keep reading once they've found it? The fixes range in difficulty from quick and easy (how to put your best photo forward) to not-so-easy, such as effective utilization of your professional contacts, but al of Ms. Bernstein's advice is of the "Well, that makes sense!"
"This book was a life-changer for me."
"I would not have bought this book at it's $24+ list price for the paper edition."
"Aside from that, this book shows examples and formatting techniques that will help you get noticed by and peak the interest of potential employers who are using the site's search engine for recruitment. Although most social networking websites are constantly updated and changed due to changing trends in technology and to keep users interested; the basics, structures, formatting, and the talking points in this book should serve as a template for any future changes to the interface."
"In her book, Bernstein clearly outlines step-by-step what you need to do to improve, refine and increase the visibility of your profile."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Volunteer Work

A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity
In their recounting of astonishing stories from the front lines of social progress, we see the compelling, inspiring truth of how real people have changed the world, underscoring that one person can make a difference. “Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn show you, through many amazing vignettes matched with serious evidence, that you can make a difference. “Readers will be inspired by the stories [Kristof and WuDunn] tell….There are so many problems in the world, and so many organizations wanting charitable donations, that we can sometimes feel overwhelmed. Kristof and WuDunn’s commitment and passion for substantial action is inspiring.” — Publishers Weekly “[Kristof and WuDunn’s] vibrant portraits of ordinary citizens who are motivated to effect real and dramatic change present a rallying call to action and a voice for the power of volunteerism….This is a slow-go read in the most positive sense; it is hard not to constantly put down the book in order to further investigate the many exemplary causes that are profiled.” —Booklist “The authors deliver a profound message that packs a wallop.” —Kirkus “ A Path Appears . shows how someone with little can make a massive difference to the world we live in.” — The Christian Post “This is a lyrical guide that addresses the deep human yearning to make a difference. A Path Appears offers practical steps that any of us can take to empower others, and ourselves.” —Anne Rice. “Nobody clarifies the social challenges of our time, or the moral imperative to help meet them, better than Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Their latest book, A Path Appears, offers an inspiring roundup of the many simple and effective ways in which we can lend our hearts and talents to grow hope and opportunity both at home and around the globe—and an important reminder that just because we can’t do everything doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do something.” —President Bill Clinton. “Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn have done us all a great service by shining a light on the problems faced by the poor. With insight, compassion and optimism, Kristof and WuDunn show us that we can all play a role in making the world a better place. “ A Path Appears is an insightful book focused on how individuals can contribute to positive change and the remarkable people behind the organizations that make it happen. A Path Appears is a helpful and inspiring guide for anyone who wonders what difference a single person can make in building a more hopeful world.” —President Jimmy Carter, founder of the not-for-profit Carter Center. “While reading A Path Appears , I felt I was taking a much needed rest under a shaded grove of trees on my own journey to ‘make a difference.’ I highly recommend it as an absolutely terrific investment of time that will leave those who read it more hopeful and motivated.” — Deborah Fikes, executive advisor of the World Evangelical Alliance.
Reviews
"At the end of the book, the authors summarize: 1) Find an issue that draws you in and research it. 2) Volunteer, get involved, or do something more than just writing checks. 3) Use your voice to spread the word or advocate for those who are voiceless. These are really great ideas, but I wished they had been drawn out sooner so readers could be thinking about this approach while reading the chapters. I do think people will feel increased hope after reading it, but my concern is that the people naturally drawn to a book such as this are likely already in a giving mindset, it may have been a better service to the concept to make the book a little more reader friendly to appeal to a wider audience and change their perspective."
"Kristof and WuDunn follow on the successful Half the Sky and continual coverage of social issues through news stories, columns and social media in this work that makes the connection between the stories they tell and the audience that consumes them."
"As I was about to start reading this book, I hoped I would see that there are many good people out there trying to make a change in the lives of people in need. As for the other parts of the book, it is completely based on experimental data and should be read by all those concerned with the lives of the people we share this Earth with."
"From understanding the importance of regularly speaking with your children to learning about how giving chemically affects your body; this book will enlighten you and change your perspective on how to give meaningfully and help someone who can't help themselves without you."
"Would highly recommend this book for those that need some practical ideas and inspiration to jump in."
"We cannot avoid the fact that there are discouraging circumstances all about us, but Krustof and WuDunn demonstrate that "A Path Appears" to each of us who want to do more than stew about the complexity of the problems that plague us."
"I like this book a fair amount."
"I bought this book as a gift for a good friend of mine and they have made it a calling to take action on problems they see."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Job Markets & Advice

Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0: How to Stand Out from the Crowd and Tap Into the Hidden Job Market using Social Media and 999 other Tactics Today
New chapters integrate using social media and social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo in your job search, along with case studies from successful guerrilla job hunters that detail what works in today's hyper competitive job market with commentary from America's top recruiters. Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters 3.0 explains in step-by-step detail how to use the newest social networking sites and digital tools to perform a precision-guided, all-out job-hunting assault. Get access to cheatsheets, case studies, before-and-after sample resumes and cover letters, and proven tactics that you can tailor to your situation to make it drop-dead simple to find a job fast. "An e-mail chain letter combined with a targeted Facebook ad generated leads within hours." If you're looking to effectively attack the job market with zeal and enthusiasm I've got only one piece of advice for you: read this book.
Reviews
"I have used ideas for it every day in my counseling of candidates to Upgrade their careers through carefully defined strategy."
"My colleagues will despise me for recommending this book because Dave Perry does give away recruiter secrets to getting hired."
"I purchased this book to help my daughter (recent college grad) launch a job search."
"I am still working with my current employer but want to switch to a new career adventure into sales & marketing for a startup or for a consulting company. It's been 8 years I've not searched a job, and having studied guerrilla marketing during my MBA program, GM4JH 3.0 was an obvious pick. I read the book a couple of months ago I am now actively putting into practice the many suggestions. Even if you are a sharp job hunter, you'll learn a lot of great tips. Not the way that the energy will fall a couple of hours after as you may have experienced with other books or conferences you attended."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Job Hunting

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. Learn how to uncover the hints and hidden details in a question, discover how to break down a problem into manageable chunks, develop techniques to unstick yourself when stuck, learn (or re-learn) core computer science concepts, and practice on 189 interview questions and solutions. Extensive coverage of essential topics, such as big O time, data structures, and core algorithms. At Google, she interviewed hundreds of software engineers and evaluated thousands of hiring packets on the hiring committee.
Reviews
"The DP solutions in this book are not actually tabular DP formulations--I recommend looking at the problems here http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~bcdean/dp_practice/ (Brian Dean's Dynamic Programming Practice Problems)."
"I got several offers and without doubt this book helped. The specific coding questions that I would have failed outright on had I not read the book include: breadth first search/shortest path, fundamentals of hash tables, and recursion (fibonacci)."
"I frequently recommend this book to recruiters that would like to help give their candidates an edge."
"Like this book, the material very well structured, with real life examples."
"Good paper quality, great questions organized into exercises covering most important basics like Data structures, programming languages, problem approach etc."
"The afternoon before I interviewed with Amazon for a scientist role, the HR said you should prepare for data structure and algorithm."
"I've been writing software for a long time, and I'm competent at my job. Because the presence of books like these create a vicious cycle: prep book gets written; interviewees study/memorize answers; interviewers make questions "harder" to compensate; new book gets written! The grinder continues to turn, and whereas ten years ago you could get a good job with some string or linked-list manipulation questions, now you've got people who consider whiteboard coding of topcoder elite questions to be the baseline measurement of programmer competency. You'll even run into lazy interviewers who take questions directly from this book, which is the ultimate in stupidity: if "good" candidates have prepared from the book, and you ask questions directly from the book, what are you really accomplishing, other than a test of memorization skills? I've seen it myself."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Job Interviewing

Cracking the Coding Interview: 189 Programming Questions and Solutions
And as such, I know what it's like to be asked to whip up brilliant algorithms on the spot and then write flawless code on a whiteboard. Learn how to uncover the hints and hidden details in a question, discover how to break down a problem into manageable chunks, develop techniques to unstick yourself when stuck, learn (or re-learn) core computer science concepts, and practice on 189 interview questions and solutions. Extensive coverage of essential topics, such as big O time, data structures, and core algorithms. At Google, she interviewed hundreds of software engineers and evaluated thousands of hiring packets on the hiring committee.
Reviews
"The DP solutions in this book are not actually tabular DP formulations--I recommend looking at the problems here http://people.cs.clemson.edu/~bcdean/dp_practice/ (Brian Dean's Dynamic Programming Practice Problems)."
"I got several offers and without doubt this book helped. The specific coding questions that I would have failed outright on had I not read the book include: breadth first search/shortest path, fundamentals of hash tables, and recursion (fibonacci)."
"I frequently recommend this book to recruiters that would like to help give their candidates an edge."
"Like this book, the material very well structured, with real life examples."
"Good paper quality, great questions organized into exercises covering most important basics like Data structures, programming languages, problem approach etc."
"The afternoon before I interviewed with Amazon for a scientist role, the HR said you should prepare for data structure and algorithm."
"I've been writing software for a long time, and I'm competent at my job. Because the presence of books like these create a vicious cycle: prep book gets written; interviewees study/memorize answers; interviewers make questions "harder" to compensate; new book gets written! The grinder continues to turn, and whereas ten years ago you could get a good job with some string or linked-list manipulation questions, now you've got people who consider whiteboard coding of topcoder elite questions to be the baseline measurement of programmer competency. You'll even run into lazy interviewers who take questions directly from this book, which is the ultimate in stupidity: if "good" candidates have prepared from the book, and you ask questions directly from the book, what are you really accomplishing, other than a test of memorization skills? I've seen it myself."
Find Best Price at Amazon