Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, Inc.

MELT Hand and Foot Instructor Training

admin — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:00:22 +0000

MELT Weekend Training Retreat with Sue in June!

Location: SomaRanch

Type of Training: MELT Hand and Foot Instructor Training

Who Can Register: Anyone

Session One Dates: Saturday, June 22, 2013 – Sunday, June 23, 2013

Take the first step in professional MELT training at the beautiful Soma Ranch, outside Houston, Texas. For more about Soma Ranch, go to http://somaranch.com/

Choose from luxurious shared, semi-private, or private off-site accommodations that include three healthy meals each day. Or stay at one of several Montgomery, Texas, hotels.

Training is from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday and Sunday.

The foundation of MELT professional training is a 14-hour course that examines the latest scientific understanding of the human body as it relates to alignment, stress, chronic pain, and the negative effects associated with aging.

Participants will gain an understanding of the neurofascial system – the interconnectedness of the nervous system and the connective tissue system, which creates a whole-body communication network that serves to support, protect, and stabilize us in motion and at rest. In MELT, we call this system the Autopilot.

Discover how the Autopilot works – and why it often doesn’t work well, particularly as we age. Learn what you can do to keep it functioning efficiently. Then find out how the MELT Hand and Foot Treatment can tap into this system to improve whole-body connection, communication, and alignment.

Prerequisite: None. This training is appropriate for anyone who is fascinated by the workings of the human body and who wants to help themselves and others stay active and pain-free for a lifetime.

CEUs: ACE, AFAA, NASM, NCBTMB, PMA

Read more about MELT Instructor training here.

Training may be canceled if minimum number of trainees not reached by Early Bird deadline.

Questions? Send them to info@meltmethod.com

Rwanda, Inc. Authors Editorial in FORBES

admin — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:00:23 +0000

The Markets Endorse Rwanda’s Path To Economic Growth

By Andrea Redmond & Patricia Crisafulli

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Amid the rhetoric, pro and con, around Rwanda, the impartial voice of the marketplace has spoken, with a ringing endorsement of its economic turnaround and prospects for continued growth.

Last week, Rwanda’s debut on the global bond market raised $400 million with an offering that was heavily over-subscribed by nearly eight times. Final yield on the 10-year bonds of 6.875% was less than reported expectations in the low-7% area, due to strong buyer interest. Proceeds will go to repayment of bank loans, infrastructure such as a hydropower project, expansion of the national airline RwandAir, and the completion of a convention center in the capital of Kigali.

The successful bond issue triggered a flurry of enthusiastic postings on Twitter from Rwandan government officials (very savvy users of social media). Finance Minister Claver Gatete hailed a “great day for Rwanda after the investors have shown confidence in our economy….” President Paul Kagame tweeted his congratulations to those who worked to bring the bond offering to a successful conclusion, adding “Let’s continue forward.”

Beyond Rwanda’s enthusiasm, what speaks even more loudly is the oversubscription for these bonds. Yes, there is interest these days in higher yields and geographic diversification. But specific to Rwanda, the success of this offering shows widespread recognition that what has happened to transform this country socially, economically, and politically is real and sustainable.

Rwanda truly is the ultimate turnaround. For the African nation, the comeback has been from the depths of human bankruptcy: genocide in 1994 in which 1 million people were killed in 100 days. Since then, the rebuilding has been impressive, with GDP growth that has risen by 7-8% annually in recent years. In 2012, GDP per capita grew to US$644, up from $593 a year before, according to Rwandan government figures.

Fitch, which affirmed a “B” rating on Rwanda, noted its “solid economic policies and a track record of structural reforms, macroeconomic stability, and low government debt” (23.3% of GDP in Rwanda, compared to the median of 43.5% among B-rated peers). Certainly, the country is not without its challenges; it is landlocked, which vastly increases transportation costs for imported goods, and more electrical generation capacity is needed. It is often clouded by geopolitics, most notably the morass of conflict in the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kagame draws criticism for being too tightly controlling, and human rights watchers charge the country suppresses political opposition and free speech.

Rwanda, post-genocide, remains a complex place. Having the perpetually turbulent DRC as a next-door neighbor (where some masterminds of the genocide have sought refuge) complicates matters. Yet the country, backed by the strength of its leaders, has clearly put itself on a path of revival and renewal based upon values such as one Rwanda for all Rwandans. It offers universal health care and 12 years of compulsory education for all children, has made significant gains in poverty reduction and food security, and seeks to foster private sector development though homegrown entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment.

As we wrote in Rwanda, Inc., the country is no Garden of Eden for business investment. The wheels turn slowly at times with extra bureaucracy—the unintended consequence of strictly enforced zero tolerance for corruption, a policy that is a huge positive for business—and there is need for human capital development, particularly at the middle tier. But Rwanda’s progress continues apace, which the marketplace, the impartial arbiter, recognizes.

Andrea Redmond and Patricia Crisafulli are co-authors of “Rwanda, Inc.: How a Devastated Nation Became an Economic Model for the Developing World” (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2012).

Power Entertaining Tips from Eddie Osterland

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:23 +0000

Below are excerpts from a recent newsletter by author Eddie Osterland, where he shares some of his secrets of Power Entertaining:

From the Desk of Eddie Osterland
MASTER SOMMELIER (MS)

“When you ‘power entertain’ you position yourself as a center of influence – be it with clients, business prospects or others you want to impress.”

Secret #7: Serve wines in pairs! Design Power Entertaining events around side-by-side comparisons of different wines at various points throughout the evening. Doing this adds an intellectual dimension to your event or dinner party. It can also be a lot of fun, both for you and your guests. For example, do a side-by-side blind comparison of a good wine ($15/bottle) and a very good wine ($35/bottle) and see how people distinguish the flavor of one from the other. Or, serve a Cabernet from France and one from California to illustrate how geography influences winemaking styles and taste. Or, serve up the same wine from two different vintages (years) to demonstrate the importance of age to a wine’s flavor.

Secret #15: As host, stay attentive to the needs of your guests throughout the evening. Inattentive hosts, especially at business events, are (regrettably) more often the rule than the exception, in my experience!

Secret #18: Don’t Forget the Sound, Light and Magic! No Power Entertaining event is complete without paying a little attention to stagecraft! Consequently, feature music, maybe some mood lighting, if feasible, wireless mics (if it’s a big crowd) and a good sound system. Play CDs or MP3 music selections between wine/food servings. This adds festivity to the air.

Want to learn more about Power Entertaining?

In my new book, Power Entertaining: Secrets to Building Lasting Relationships, Hosting Unforgettable Events, and Closing Big Deals, (Wiley, 2012) I outline everything I know about business and home entertaining as the result of having spent more than 30 years in the food, wine and entertainment industries. It really is the only guide you’ll ever need to help you entertain others with knowledge, skill, and confidence.

To order Power Entertaining today, please visit my website to purchase an personally autographed copy: www.eddieosterland.com. Or go to www.Amazon.com

The Power of Pause Released in Taiwan

admin — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:00:04 +0000

The Complex Chinese translation of Nance Guilmartin’s The Power of Pause was released on May 1st in Taiwan.

Also, check out this 2011 PBS interview:

DSM Agency New Deals

admin — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:00:33 +0000

As seen on Publishers Marketplace:

Non-fiction

Rights to NYT bestselling author Sue Hitzmann’s THE MELT METHOD, to Faces, for Complex Chinese rights, by Joanne Yang of Bardon Chinese Media; to Anu Elara in Slovenia, by Vuk Perisic at PLIMA Literary Agency; to Euromedia Group in Czech Republic, by Kristin Olson at Kristin Olson Literary Agency; and to Marti in Turkey, by Hatice Gok at ONK Agency, on behalf of Doris S. Michaels at DSM Agency.

RAIN Book Review

admin — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 15:31:48 +0000

As seen on bobmorris.biz:

Rain: A book review by Bob Morris

Posted on: April 9th, 2013 by bobmorris

Note: I read and reviewed this book when it was published about four years ago and recently re-read it in combination with Secrets of Great Rainmakers as I now complete a revised marketing plan for the balance of this calendar year. Rain is my personal favorite among all of Fox’s books, although he published several other bestsellers after this one. I identify with the central character because I had two newspaper routes when I was Rain’s age. Also, I needed to reconnect with Fox’s unique insights on how to create rain, especially during a drought such as the current one that began years ago. If you need to generate some rain, check out this review I posted in 2005.

Portrait of a Young Entrepreneur
This is the most recent of ten books that Jeffrey Fox has written and is, in my opinion, his most entertaining. In the first part (Pages 1-128), Fox presents a business narrative in which a fictitious youth named Rain embarks on a brief but productive career as a newspaper boy. (Presumably Rain is Fox’s surrogate.) Like Forest Gump, he encounters a series of adventures but unlike Gump, he seems to have more “street smarts.” Fox cleverly introduces a number of challenges and opportunities to dramatize several basic business lessons. Then in the second part of the book (Pages 129-192), he shifts his attention to his reader whom he invites to compete “a series of analytical exercises anchored in each of Rain’s adventures. The exercises are designed to illuminate Rain’s entrepreneurial thinking and his rainmaking principles.” Actually, completing the 29 brief exercises does more than illuminate the Rain’s ”rainmaking principles”: It also enables the reader to make direct application of most (if not all) of them to her or his own circumstances.

I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because when doing so, I recalled many of my own experiences when I was Rain’s age and growing up on the South Side of Chicago. I had one paper route that I completed in the morning and later added another in the afternoon. After two years, I also began to work three days a week (4-8 PM) at a newsstand near my home. After about another year, when summer vacation began, I stopping delivering papers but continued to work at the newsstand Monday through Friday, 4-8 PM, and caddied at a local country club each weekend. I certainly did not have Rain’s entrepreneurial inclinations. I was simply determined to earn as much money as I could. I also encountered slow pays and no pays, hostile dogs, and customers impossible to please. I also hated getting up mornings when the temperature was near zero and the winds off Lake Michigan nearby were howling or when I was delivering papers afternoons when the heat and humidity were each 90º or more.

How many boys and girls today deliver newspapers? I have no idea. Most of the newspapers in Chicago when I was growing up no longer exist. It seems that in most other major metropolitan areas, there are no evening newspapers and only one morning newspaper. Presumably child labor laws now limit the employment opportunities for those in the 10-15 age range. So, where can they have the experiences and learn the lessons that Fox portrays in this book? I have no idea. However, although younger readers may not be able to identify with many of the situations in which Rain finds himself, I think that they will enjoy reading this book. I hope that many of them also get a clearer sense of the importance of meeting obligations (e.g. being on time, completing tasks), keeping promises to others, being alert to learning opportunities, and meanwhile making whatever personal sacrifices may be necessary.

As I read Fox’s book, I also recalled several life lessons that Robert Fulghum shares in his first book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Play fair, Don’t hit people, Put things back where you found them, Clean up your own mess, Don’t take things that aren’t yours, Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody, Wash your hands before you eat, When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together, and Be aware of wonder. Simple? Of course. Naïve? I don’t think so. Fox and Fulghum affirm many of the same values that can also be found in the world’s most venerated holy works. In my opinion, there is no other business principle that is more important than The Golden Rule. It is central to the culture of the world’s most highly admired companies. Moreover, it is no coincidence that – year after year — these same companies are also among the world’s most profitable and most valuable.

Those who share my high regard for Jeffrey Fox’s latest book are urged to check out several of his others, notably How to Get to the Top: Business Lessons Learned at the Dinner Table (2007). I also highly recommend his How to Become a Rainmaker (2000) and then Secrets of Great Rainmakers (2006) as well as Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People, and Fulghum’s aforementioned book. To those in need of additional recommendations, I suggest these: David Whyte’s The Heart Aroused, Michael Ray’s The Highest Goal, James O’Toole’s The Moral Compass and then Creating the Good Life, and Bill George’s Authentic Leadership and then True North.

Book Review: The Neatest Little Guide To Stock Market Investing

admin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:00:39 +0000

As seen on seekingalpha.com:

Jason Kelly has issued a new 2013 edition to his perpetually best-selling The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing. It is a book that I heartily recommend for both beginning and experienced stock market investors. (It sports a 4.9 reader review on a 5-point scale at Amazon).

It is no accident that The Neatest Little Guide has been selling so well since the first edition in 1998. It is not only an accessible guide for newcomers, but it is also sophisticated in its investing strategies. The basic concepts remain timeless. Everything in the book is based on facts supported by sound reasoning. It is an intelligent approach. Terms are explained and used consistently. The writing style is conversational and accessible, with a nice dose of humor. But the book never becomes so informal that important concepts get shortchanged or mangled. As Kelly has taken the book through several editions, he has honed his ideas until they are razor-sharp and very clearly presented.

The Neatest Little Guide has 8 chapters, 3 appendices, and an index. The chapter titles themselves give a good presentation of what you will find here:

1. Speak the Language of Stocks

2. How the Masters Tell Us to Invest

3. How History Tells Us to Invest

4. Permanent Portfolios

5. Get Ready to Invest

6. Research to Riches

7. This Book’s Strategy

8. Bon Voyage

I want to highlight a few features that I believe give this book special value.

Chapter 2, How the Masters Tell Us to Invest, is a gem. In about 60 pages, it presents the basic ideas of six of the best stock investors ever. They are:

Benjamin Graham
Philip Fisher
Warren Buffett
Peter Lynch
William O’Neill
Bill Miller

PUSHBACK on Shangai Top Books and Axiom Book Awards Lists

admin — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:10:18 +0000

Selena Rezvani’s PUSHBACK is featured as a top business book in Shangai and has been awarded a silver medal by Axiom Business Books for Women/Minorities in Business. Congratulations, Selena!

As seen on on shangaidaily.com:

3.Pushback

Women can and should ask for more money, better assignments, flexible schedules and anything else they deserve.

As seen on independentpublisher.com:

15. Women/Minorities in Business
Gold: The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, by Valerie Young, Ed.D (Crown Business)
Silver: Pushback: How Smart Women Ask – and Stand Up – For What They Want, by Selena Rezvani (Jossey-Bass)
Bronze (tie): Big Bold Business Advice from New Jersey Women Business Owners, Edited by Joyce Restaino (Woodpecker Press) and Vital Voices: The Power of Women Leading Change Around the World, by Alyse Nelson (Jossey-Bass)

DSM Agency New Deals

admin — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 13:00:58 +0000

As seen on Publishers Marketplace:

Business/Investing/Finance

The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing author Jason Kelly’s THE 3% SIGNAL, an automated stock market investing plan that anyone can manage for long-term financial gain, to Kate Napolitano and Phil Budnick at Plume, in a very nice deal, by Doris Michaels of DSM Agency (NA).

FOREIGN

International Non-fiction

Rights to Stanford professors Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz’s FAIL FAST, FAIL OFTEN, to Purple Cow Contents Group in Korea, in a nice deal, by Henry Shin at the Eric Yang Agency, toNihonbungeisha in Japan, in a very nice deal, by Miko Yamanouchi at Japan UNI Agency, on behalf of Doris Michaels at DSM Agency.

Russian rights to Charles Pellerin’s HOW NASA BUILDS TEAMS, to Erfolg, by Doris Michaels at DSM Agency.

Stock Market Investing Rising on Amazon

admin — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:12 +0000

The Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing 2013 is now a top 10 book in Stocks and Introduction to Investing on Amazon!

Be sure to check a review of the book, as seen on The Dallas Public Library:
by Teresa Bocanegra

This really is the Neatest Little Guide to Stock Market Investing; it delves into just about everything you will need unless you have very advanced knowledge on the topic. First of all, there are the basics that many authors never discuss like what exactly are stocks and why and how does a company put stock up for sale on a major stock exchange? Author Jason Kelly includes a very interesting history lesson when answering these questions. From there he immediately jumps into the differences between the many types of brokers available to choose from (towards the end he then reviews specific brokers such as Fidelity, Schwab, TD Ameritrade and many others). Do you need a hands-on broker or perhaps an online account where you take charge of when and what to purchase with your funds? So that you are not left to float on your own, Kelly delves into stock analysis and such topics as “growth investing vs. value investing,” as well as “fundamental analysis vs technical analysis.” Next, how do you actually read and understand a detailed stock quote? What is “net profit margin,” or “price/book ratio” or “return on equity”? To let this all sink in, I recommend you pull up a stock quote and follow along as you read the book. For extended stock quotes, the Dallas Public Library has an online subscription to Morningstar and it is free to use with your library card number and pin. From the homepage, http://www.dallaslibrary2.org/ click the “Databases” link, and then “Business and Professional Resources,” from there, you will see Morningstar listed.

In the next section, Kelley introduces us to the “Masters” of investing. Profiled are Benjamin Graham, Philip Fisher, Warren Buffet, Peter Lynch, William O’Neil and Bill Miller. I was so inspired reading their stories and methods that I plan to find a couple of extended biographies on a couple of these legends. Their methods are then applied to numerous investing examples to help readers understand how to utilize these tools with their own investment choices. Kelly does not leave you to your own resources for further education, he takes the time to review multiple sources of information such as various magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and investment related websites. There is an extended coverage of Value Line Investment Survey and how to use it. “Value Line” is also available for free at the library. You will find this at the Central Library, 5th floor and at the Audelia Road Branch.

Kelly also discusses many of the free online tools available for analyzing stock. This book has a little bit of everything and points you in all the right directions for continuing your education. One of the last pieces of your education involves pulling together all the learning picked up throughout the book. You build your own portfolio, step by step and apply all the research methods and analysis that you’ve just read about. It is almost like a final exam (with open book and multiple resources) where all your learning gets put to the test. I highly recommend this book! I will use this again and again for a refresher and as a reference source.