Diane Carter ,base in Queensland, is a motivational speaker who has had an amazing life. She will tell you that 10% of what happens to you is based on the situation, but 90% of what affects your life is how you respond to the situation. Diane  contacted the  other day concerning her new book “Dare to Live..Trust Yourself” which is launching this month.

This is a fascinating book that looks at Diane’s life and then provides inspiration to the reader. The book is divided into “Dare” sections, Dare to Survive, Dare to Laugh, Dare to Fall in Love, Dare to get your priorities right and so on.

Diane lived in Zimbabwe before moving to Australia and the first chapter in her book starts with a camping trip to the Zambezi River and the attack by a hyena while she was camping one New year. This book is an inspiration and well worth reading.

Proceeds for the book go to cancer charities.

To obtain a copy of this book go to www.dianecarter.com.au

I have been aware of the book “Blue Ocean Strategy” by W.Chan Kimand Renee Mauborgne published by Harvard Business School Press  ISBN978-1-59139-619-2 for some time. Infact a number of pepole have encouraged me to read it since it came out in 2005, but I must admit it had not been on my priority list ….. until now.
The book is about business change. That most companies work in a red ocean full of competitors and the only way out is to develop a ‘Blue Ocean’ strategy, an area  where you do not have any competition.

It is an excellent book for reading in todays turmoil and full of ideas for now.

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“What business books would you recommend to help me think more clearly about my business and get ahead of the competition?”

I’m often asked versions of this question by seminar attendees and Terrific Tips newsletter readers. My response is to ask, “What are the best books you’ve read that have influenced you in some way?” Then I recommend getting hold of those books and rereading them.

You can’t expect to take in and act on all the useful information in one reading of a book. Understanding and remembering are two different things. You may have picked up something really valuable or had a flash of inspiration while reading a book, only to get caught up in the busyness of life and have that thought retreat into the recesses of your mind.

Rereading influential books is something I do myself especially in the early part of the year, my thinking time. I’ve just finished reading for the third time the first book on the ‘Ten Great Books’ list below and I’ll share with you some points from it in the January ‘Terrific Tips’ newsletter. I hope this list will encourage you to pick up and read or reread at least one of these books.

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by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Random House 2007, ISBN -13-978-1-4000-6428-1

People are looking for new ideas, but some work and some fall by the way side, but why?

Part of my Christmas reading was ”Made to Stick”, a book that as
recommended to me recently. This turned out to be a great read over the
Christmas period. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone
who is looking to find ways on how to get ideas across, whether it be
to team members or customers.

The book explains a very simply process on how to put a strategy
together to get an idea across, the book uses stories and is a joy to
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