A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

Six months' hard labour, 28 Jul 2007
Face it - learning Teeline is a complete pig. There is no getting round it.

This course is better than most, because it avoids the pompous secretarial tone of the older tomes. However, Dawn's nasal sing-song voice annoyed the hell out of me, and some of the sentences ('who is responsible for filling the bathroom with bubbles?') could only have been generated by a very strange mind.

My six month relationship with Teeline for Journalists is over (thank God), but that voice will haunt my dreams forever.

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

Six months' hard labour, 28 Jul 2007
Face it - learning Teeline is a complete pig. There is no getting round it.

This course is better than most, because it avoids the pompous secretarial tone of the older tomes. However, Dawn's nasal sing-song voice annoyed the hell out of me, and some of the sentences ('who is responsible for filling the bathroom with bubbles?') could only have been generated by a very strange mind.

My six month relationship with Teeline for Journalists is over (thank God), but that voice will haunt my dreams forever.

Agenda for Solving the Most Important Problems with Improved Socially Focused Organizations, 16 May 2008
Most books about emerging, improved leadership and management methods capture high points among well known examples that haven't changed in years: Fortunately, The Power of Unreasonable People is a happy exception to that common weakness in being forward looking. As an example, the book ends with a call for filling in what's missing for social entrepreneurs to become an unstoppable force that solves the world's most important and persistent problems.

Who should read this book? Anyone who wants to make a difference in producing a society that provides better opportunities and qualities of life for everyone. If you think you might want to start a social enterprise, you should be reading this book today.

Why do I say these things? I recently sat through four days of conferences at a well-known university where the leading lights among its alumni described what they were doing as social entrepreneurs. I was appalled by what I heard. All but one organization had no larger vision than to slowly build a small effort from foundation grants. If you added up all of the likely results from these organizations, it wouldn't amount to much . . . except to warm the heart strings. Clearly, no major solution problems were going to be improved except in a few locales.

What's more, the leading lights were almost totally unaware of other, more effective methods for how to accomplish similar things. They needed to read this book rather than attend those conferences.

I started writing about social entrepreneurs in 2002, and it was hard then to find examples of superior operating models being used by entrepreneurs (as opposed to attention-getting methods that reporters like to write about) that were affecting over 10 million people. A lot has changed since then. Now I run into social entrepreneurs all the time through my teaching who are developing operating models that could affect hundreds of millions of people.

I was pleased to find out about a number of social operating models in this book that could serve as useful examples to others in different fields. I intend to recommend this book to everyone I know who wants to learn about such new models. I also intend to read more about the most interesting of the many cases in this fine book. That's rare for me because I read a lot. I applaud the intensive research that is the basis for this book. Well done!

The book does have one limitation that I think would be worth addressing in a future book that updates what is reported on here: There isn't enough discussion of how to develop better business models by assembling bit and pieces of what others have done in new ways.

For example, the book correctly applauds (through different examples) the operating principles of open-source innovation, serving more people by eliminating harmful costs to provide offerings for 5-10 percent of the usual resources, employing local people with a good understanding of what's needed, measuring social performance as a way to inexpensively encourage others to shift their focus, and being able to become large rapidly. Imagine what could be accomplished if the best enterprises mentioned in this book had a process to add the aspects of those approaches that they aren't using now.

Check it out and take action!

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

Six months' hard labour, 28 Jul 2007
Face it - learning Teeline is a complete pig. There is no getting round it.

This course is better than most, because it avoids the pompous secretarial tone of the older tomes. However, Dawn's nasal sing-song voice annoyed the hell out of me, and some of the sentences ('who is responsible for filling the bathroom with bubbles?') could only have been generated by a very strange mind.

My six month relationship with Teeline for Journalists is over (thank God), but that voice will haunt my dreams forever.

Agenda for Solving the Most Important Problems with Improved Socially Focused Organizations, 16 May 2008
Most books about emerging, improved leadership and management methods capture high points among well known examples that haven't changed in years: Fortunately, The Power of Unreasonable People is a happy exception to that common weakness in being forward looking. As an example, the book ends with a call for filling in what's missing for social entrepreneurs to become an unstoppable force that solves the world's most important and persistent problems.

Who should read this book? Anyone who wants to make a difference in producing a society that provides better opportunities and qualities of life for everyone. If you think you might want to start a social enterprise, you should be reading this book today.

Why do I say these things? I recently sat through four days of conferences at a well-known university where the leading lights among its alumni described what they were doing as social entrepreneurs. I was appalled by what I heard. All but one organization had no larger vision than to slowly build a small effort from foundation grants. If you added up all of the likely results from these organizations, it wouldn't amount to much . . . except to warm the heart strings. Clearly, no major solution problems were going to be improved except in a few locales.

What's more, the leading lights were almost totally unaware of other, more effective methods for how to accomplish similar things. They needed to read this book rather than attend those conferences.

I started writing about social entrepreneurs in 2002, and it was hard then to find examples of superior operating models being used by entrepreneurs (as opposed to attention-getting methods that reporters like to write about) that were affecting over 10 million people. A lot has changed since then. Now I run into social entrepreneurs all the time through my teaching who are developing operating models that could affect hundreds of millions of people.

I was pleased to find out about a number of social operating models in this book that could serve as useful examples to others in different fields. I intend to recommend this book to everyone I know who wants to learn about such new models. I also intend to read more about the most interesting of the many cases in this fine book. That's rare for me because I read a lot. I applaud the intensive research that is the basis for this book. Well done!

The book does have one limitation that I think would be worth addressing in a future book that updates what is reported on here: There isn't enough discussion of how to develop better business models by assembling bit and pieces of what others have done in new ways.

For example, the book correctly applauds (through different examples) the operating principles of open-source innovation, serving more people by eliminating harmful costs to provide offerings for 5-10 percent of the usual resources, employing local people with a good understanding of what's needed, measuring social performance as a way to inexpensively encourage others to shift their focus, and being able to become large rapidly. Imagine what could be accomplished if the best enterprises mentioned in this book had a process to add the aspects of those approaches that they aren't using now.

Check it out and take action!


Assistant Secretary, 01 Jun 1999
What is your job description?

How much is the salary when some one starts off?

What is the History of the Company?

How long have you been working as an Assistant Secretary?

What is the job availability? ( Current and Projected)Excel Graph (i.e.: job openings):

What are your Job Responsibilities?

What is your work Environment like?

What are the Individual Traits and Characteristics Recommended for this job?

What are the Training / Education Requirements?

What are the Job Upward Mobility Description of the company?

What is the Soft Skills needed?

Assistant Secretary, 01 Jun 1999
What is your job description?

How much is the salary when some one starts off?

What is the History of the Company?

How long have you been working as an assistant secretary?

What is the job availability? ( Current and Projected)Excel Graph (i.e.: job openings):

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

Six months' hard labour, 28 Jul 2007
Face it - learning Teeline is a complete pig. There is no getting round it.

This course is better than most, because it avoids the pompous secretarial tone of the older tomes. However, Dawn's nasal sing-song voice annoyed the hell out of me, and some of the sentences ('who is responsible for filling the bathroom with bubbles?') could only have been generated by a very strange mind.

My six month relationship with Teeline for Journalists is over (thank God), but that voice will haunt my dreams forever.

Agenda for Solving the Most Important Problems with Improved Socially Focused Organizations, 16 May 2008
Most books about emerging, improved leadership and management methods capture high points among well known examples that haven't changed in years: Fortunately, The Power of Unreasonable People is a happy exception to that common weakness in being forward looking. As an example, the book ends with a call for filling in what's missing for social entrepreneurs to become an unstoppable force that solves the world's most important and persistent problems.

Who should read this book? Anyone who wants to make a difference in producing a society that provides better opportunities and qualities of life for everyone. If you think you might want to start a social enterprise, you should be reading this book today.

Why do I say these things? I recently sat through four days of conferences at a well-known university where the leading lights among its alumni described what they were doing as social entrepreneurs. I was appalled by what I heard. All but one organization had no larger vision than to slowly build a small effort from foundation grants. If you added up all of the likely results from these organizations, it wouldn't amount to much . . . except to warm the heart strings. Clearly, no major solution problems were going to be improved except in a few locales.

What's more, the leading lights were almost totally unaware of other, more effective methods for how to accomplish similar things. They needed to read this book rather than attend those conferences.

I started writing about social entrepreneurs in 2002, and it was hard then to find examples of superior operating models being used by entrepreneurs (as opposed to attention-getting methods that reporters like to write about) that were affecting over 10 million people. A lot has changed since then. Now I run into social entrepreneurs all the time through my teaching who are developing operating models that could affect hundreds of millions of people.

I was pleased to find out about a number of social operating models in this book that could serve as useful examples to others in different fields. I intend to recommend this book to everyone I know who wants to learn about such new models. I also intend to read more about the most interesting of the many cases in this fine book. That's rare for me because I read a lot. I applaud the intensive research that is the basis for this book. Well done!

The book does have one limitation that I think would be worth addressing in a future book that updates what is reported on here: There isn't enough discussion of how to develop better business models by assembling bit and pieces of what others have done in new ways.

For example, the book correctly applauds (through different examples) the operating principles of open-source innovation, serving more people by eliminating harmful costs to provide offerings for 5-10 percent of the usual resources, employing local people with a good understanding of what's needed, measuring social performance as a way to inexpensively encourage others to shift their focus, and being able to become large rapidly. Imagine what could be accomplished if the best enterprises mentioned in this book had a process to add the aspects of those approaches that they aren't using now.

Check it out and take action!


Assistant Secretary, 01 Jun 1999
What is your job description?

How much is the salary when some one starts off?

What is the History of the Company?

How long have you been working as an Assistant Secretary?

What is the job availability? ( Current and Projected)Excel Graph (i.e.: job openings):

What are your Job Responsibilities?

What is your work Environment like?

What are the Individual Traits and Characteristics Recommended for this job?

What are the Training / Education Requirements?

What are the Job Upward Mobility Description of the company?

What is the Soft Skills needed?

Assistant Secretary, 01 Jun 1999
What is your job description?

How much is the salary when some one starts off?

What is the History of the Company?

How long have you been working as an assistant secretary?

What is the job availability? ( Current and Projected)Excel Graph (i.e.: job openings):

New techniques for changing behavior, 18 Jan 2008
This book is a joy, and, as the authors no doubt intended, an inspiration. Often, those who try to create change over the long term give up and become resigned to the way things are. Into this stable situation come five authors - Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler - full of optimism, examples and, best of all, practical techniques you can use right away to create change. It would be easy to say the book is too optimistic, or that it claims too much is possible, but some of its examples show the success of sweeping, ambitious changes. Instead of clinging to a dour but "realistic" view of the world, they invite you to re-examine your influence strategies and analyze your environment for new clues, whether you are trying to change yourself or your employees. The social possibilities are exciting. We recommend this book to anyone who is trying to create social change, and especially people who are open-minded and at ease with new ideas.

Social science gems you might be able to apply, 07 Nov 2007
Some examples, some methods, some references, but you'll still need your own creativity. If constructive change were that easy, would the world be in the shape it is in.

So what you won't find here is mention of Latin American socialist solutions that are not in progress in many nations there. A harmless omission or a conflict of interest for a training company that does a lot of work with the Fortune 500? Or any mention of the problems of sustainability of resources worldwide along with global warming? Great challenges but perhaps not the best thing to present to multi-national corporation trainees at this time. Instead learn about ex-cons, African villagers, and phobics. Or productivity problems with American workers. Are the authors steering readers to some extent in the kinds of changes to consider? But the social science findings do lend themselves to use by socialists ... and even union workers. Unfortunately, those with the influence and leverage to make things happen in the world seem as likely to start the Iraqi conflict as to seek nuclear arm disarmerment: something we need to work toward. A great place to influence the world right now would seem to work toward preventing nuclear disaster, which hangs over us, as can be studied in Looking for Square Two: Moving from War and Organized Violence to Global Community

The research is good and if you, like me, haven't followed the social sciences closely you can learn some and get good references to follow up with. Alberto Bandura (cognitive psychology), Miguel Sabido (Mexican TV producer), Mimi Silbert (Delaney rehabilitation of convicts), Don Hopkins and Kelly Callahan (Carter Center) on the amazing approaching near eradication world-wide of the guinea worm, Ethan Reid (identifying vital behaviors), Dr. Berwick (preventing medical mistakes) ... these and more with excellent examples. Methods to turn to like looking for positive deviance, constructing vicarious experiences, identifying vital behaviors, and noting recovery behaviors. There's a good deal here.

Personally I would have wished for someone else to have written it all up. The tone tends to be dogmatic and like a car salesman's hard sell, which seems needless given that the material presented is itself so compelling.

So who will apply the lessons of this book. Will it be corporate leaders who may force it on employees? Or via such leaders social scientists whose research may not be used for humanistic purposes? That's the rub. Much of the influencing in the world has been destructive and with the war machines so well funded one wonders to what extent constructive influences will win out. As the world heats up, as water supplies dwindle, as food sources are diminished, the changes we need may not be those the Fortune 500 or their trainers have in mind. But it is good to be exposed to this information, which these authors do, albeit with an some pro-business slant.

Full of interesting insight into human behavior, 15 Oct 2007
I tend to carry a lot of pessimism into a book such as this, partly because I'm exceedingly individualistic, partly because I consider the vast amount of sociological self-help books to be pure hokum, and partly because I know that I am personally way too messed up in the head to be radically "improved" by the contents of a single book. I also have a latent fear that a book such as this is somehow going to be a manifestation of that infernal Who Moved My Cheese? book. Believe it or not, however, I found Influencer to be a valuable read, as it provides a lot of fascinating insight into the workings of the human mind. Whether you call it motivation or manipulation, it is the authors' contention that you can change virtually anything by understanding and implementing the types of techniques and strategies they identify and expound upon in this book.

To be a true "influencer," you have to change your way of thinking, according to the authors. The real secret is not to concentrate on producing the outcome you desire; instead, you must target the behaviors responsible for producing that output. You absolutely have to change behavior patterns in order to yield the results you are after. It takes work, experimentation, etc., but baby steps in the right direction can ultimately lead to giant leaps in virtually any aspect of life, not just business. The authors identify and discuss six sources of influence which you must address in order to bring about and sustain comprehensive change. Success requires deliberate practice, a lot of honest feedback, the setting of mini-goals along the way to keep people motivated, flexibility and mutual collaboration, etc. There really are no magic formulas here; the influence strategy you ultimately adopt must be personalized and comprehensive if you are to succeed. If you don't truly understand the behavior in question or you try to pick and choose between different sources of influence, you will most likely fail in your endeavors.

The authors do a good job of showing why the most simplistic agents of change do not work very well at all. You don't have to be the parent of a teenager to know that lectures rarely yield the desired results. The more you yell and threaten, the less likely you are to get what you want. On the other hand, you would think that incentives and rewards for desired behavior would work well, but the authors show how this strategy can also backfire. So how do you enable these all-important behaviors and forge a workable strategy? The authors boil it down to three things: improving personal mastery through deliberate practice, working with others to build personal capital, and changing the environment. It is amazing how you can influence human behavior just by making even the smallest of changes inside a person's environment. For example, I know that complaints about the slowness of a certain business software program declined significantly after the words "Please Wait" were replaced by "Processing." The program wasn't one bit faster than it used to be, but people thought it was simply because it was no longer prompting them to wait. The authors pack this book full of even more telling examples than this, offering empirical evidence for every recommendation they endorse.

This book hasn't radically changed my life, but it has given me a lot to think about. I would definitely recommend it to a wide range of readers, as it is more of an idea book than a practical guide aimed at a specific audience.

Tedious, 20 Sep 2007
This book claims to show anyone how to be an "Influencer" capable of changing anything for the better. Influencers achieve their desired results through academic study of the problem and utilization six "sources of influence" which are personal, social, and structural motivation and ability.

These are pretty common sense elements of change; I don't think the authors have discovered anything new here. Each source of influence is illustrated by endless examples of well-known Influencers who have accomplished good things from improvements in health care to rehabilitation of criminals. (I would have like to see some photographs of them and their work.)

It all seemed to me to be overly-academic and needlessly drawn-out. I think the authors could have more effectively conveyed their message in 40-50 pages rather than 257 pages. The book is not designed for light reading or personal quick-fix self-help; it is probably best-suited to people in management positions who desire change in their employees. The overall feel of the book is extremely academic and, for me, dull and repetitive.

A practical, easy-to-use resource for minute-taking, 23 Jan 2007
The unsung hero of any corporate meeting is the minute-taker, quietly and diligently recording the decisions, big and small, that fuel the engines of business. Minute-taking is not simply the process of scribbling notes on a pad. A skilled minute-taker distills lengthy discussions down to their essential messages, and creates order and harmony from the often discordant process of reaching a consensus. Office communication consultant Joanna Gutmann carefully explains every aspect of the process, from setting up the meeting and distributing the agenda to taking notes and formatting the minutes. You will encounter quite a bit of redundancy if you read the book cover-to-cover, but we believe you will find it to be an indispensable reference if you are assigned to take the minutes.

Fantastic Step-By-Step Guide, 19 Sep 2003
I have a new job where I am required to take minutes of meetings. I've never taken minutes before in my life. I bought this book in my hour of need. It is fantastic! It takes you through the process step-by-step offering advice in plain English.

I have taken a few meetings now and everyone is shocked at my ability - they all think I've been minuting for years!

Highly recommended!

Great value for money, 17 May 2003
Saved a fortune with this easy step by step guides. Local training centre was offering tuition at high cost.
Very convenient to teach yourself to achieve great proffessional results. Ideal for first time readers. Now I can up-date my CV

Excellent!, 16 Mar 2002
I started Teeline last November in an evening class and our teacher uses this book to teach us. It's great to learn and I think I could have nearly managed without the teacher sometimes ... Every now and then a short form which we haven't learnt yet is thrown in a piece, which can be the only confusing bit for someone learning on their own.
I've also bought the 'Teeline Word List' and the 'Teeline Word Groupings' which are essential once all the theory is learnt and help build up speed.

Great book for the first time teeline learner, 05 Feb 2001
It guides you through how to write teeline step by step. It has small excercises after each theory to use what you just learnt. Great book for a teeline beginner. After practicing using this book, I could manage 50-60 words per minutes.

Teeline Gold Course Book, 09 Sep 2004
I thought it was good, the pages are laid out well and the course progresses logically at a good speed. Each lesson builds on the previous one and doesn't introduce too much too quickly. However, it does seem to be aimed at secretaries more than journalists.

Very incitful and easy to learn in a matter of months., 11 Feb 2001
Teeline Gold has helped me learn teeline within a matter of months. Each unit is specified a combination of special outlines and word groupings that makes learn fun and efficient. The content of the book make it easy to follow especially with the answers at the back of the book incase you happen to get stuck and need that little help without going crazy. Although the book is aimed at the business world and not much of the journalistic aspects are covered but it does show you the very simplist of words and how to combine them.

Pete, you need this book!, 11 Jan 2003
If any of you have just started teeline you need this book! i'm always trying to write out copy from the newspapers and often get stuck on complicated words. i just turn to this little gold mine and there it is!! plus, if you know your theory, which you should do if you've been at it a couple of months, then you understand why you went wrong.
It is a teeline dictionary, you look for the word and the s/hand version is there, and if its not, a variation of it will be and you can easily figure out the rest.
GET IT NOW!!

Essential, 16 Mar 2002
While learning Teeline I found this book essential. It should be called Teeline 'Dictionary' as that's what it is really. Each word has its Teeline transcription and some have a short form like 'arrange', 'representative' or 'important'. I think I'll still be using it even in a few years' time for reference.

This is essential bed-time reading, 21 Feb 2000
This was my first encounter with the work of Mavis Smith and Anne Tilly and it will not be my last. The words they have chosen and the clever manner in which they are laid out borders on the poetic. Many of the outlines are simply breathtaking. Their interpretation of the word 'luxury' is so brilliantly avant garde it defies belief. As outline designers they are gurus in a market renowned for its high levels of gangsters and charlatans. If you are new to the scripting craft then you will find yourself gripping this book as if your very life depended on it. The legendary shorthand lecturer of this era, Anne Forgrave, described this book as, "very useful." What more can I say? Hacks of the world ignore this book at your peril

Easyscript Express, 20 Jan 2008
This is a really quick and easy method of shorthand. I've tried other shorthand methods that use various signs and symbols, and have them difficult to remember. But Easyscript uses a logicial method that makes perfect sense, and is easy to relate to. I must recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn an uncomplicated method of shorthand in minimal time.

Easyscript - Practice Makes Perfect, 05 Sep 2006
It took me about 7 hours to understand and feel confident using Easyscript. I read through the the book once, doing all the exercises then re-doing them until I felt totally comfortable.

It is very logical system and therefore easy to use and a lot of the abbreviations used are ones I've always been using. I am really impressed with this form of speedwriting.

It's been a blessing!, 20 Dec 2001
I had a need for a "fast-to-paper" method of recording verbal communications. I have been using Easy Script for several months now, after having received and read your "EasyScript Express" book and applied the lessons and practice sessions therein. I started putting the concepts to good use immediately, and have found EasyScript to be a benefit to my work.

EasyScript has become a real benefit to my job, as I'm sure you can see. My notes have become more accurate, I'm able to record more detail, and (most importantly) I'm able to record more necessary information as opposed to doing it in longhand. Thank you for a unique method of fast note taking. It's been a blessing!

A great concept!, 24 May 2001
I think that this is a great concept. I have previously taken Gregg shorthand and found it to be more work than it was worth. It's great to use the letters from words to make abbreviations. I'll pass EasyScript along to my peers, friends and relatives. It can be useful to almost anyone in any area.

I prefer EasyScript, 06 Mar 2001
It's an interesting method of shorthand. I prefer Easyscript because the abbreviations make sense. This method is much easier than learning shorthand symbols. With practice EasyScript will be very beneficial in taking notes and dictation.

Six months' hard labour, 28 Jul 2007
Face it - learning Teeline is a complete pig. There is no getting round it.

This course is better than most, because it avoids the pompous secretarial tone of the older tomes. However, Dawn's nasal sing-song voice annoyed the hell out of me, and some of the sentences ('who is responsible for filling the bathroom with bubb