WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

"What a marvelous book! With warm, engaging stories, Ron Parks has illustrated solid principles of commerce and management. This is the best business book I’ve read."
   DENNIS ROURKE
   Director of Risk Management, First Data Corporation
   Author of The Lost Art of Human Memory

“I was told early on that, if I want to be successful, I should find someone else who is and do what they do. Ron Parks's book introduced me to a successful mentor whom I could consult from my chair at home.  He clearly answered important questions that, due to my lack of experience, I wouldn’t have even thought to ask. The pages are filled with practical advice that has helped me build for the future, as well as avoid costly mistakes in the present.  As a result, my two-year-old business is off to a great start.”
   JAMES P. SCHOLZ
   President, Scholz Images

"Manager's Mentor gives excellent management ideas based on actual experiences in starting and running a company.  You can't beat that kind of advice."
   FLOYD E. OLSON
   43 years managing small and large companies

"I was immediately drawn to the likable voice of this author; the writing comes across as genuine, articulate and credible."
   A judge for the Writer's Digest Annual Competition

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

From 2004 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) 8th Annual Competition
Judges' Comments:
   “A well-written, information-packed book.”
   “Loaded with real-world info, presented very well.”
   “Some great ideas from a very smart man.”
   “Clever and eye-catching cover design.”
 
From Writer’s Digest 10th Annual International Self-Published Book Awards Evaluation     
It's hard for a business/management book to stand out in its competitive market, but this one is fresh, simple and original. I was immediately drawn to the likable voice of this author; the writing comes across as genuine, articulate and credible. You don't get the feeling that this is yet another same-old, same-old book of management advice. It avoids the common pitfalls of business books: it's not dry, boastful or over-generalized.

It's clear that this text was crafted or finessed by a writer/editor of considerable skill, someone who knows how to build and pace a compelling narrative and who understands the power of using metaphor and simile in nonfiction writing. Short vignettes from the author's Nebraska farm upbringing, for example, open each chapter, lending the book a personalized, "real-person"/rural-life charm that works nicely in conjunction with the instructive, focused chapter text. And although the book primarily relies on the author's 30 years in business, it also reveals considerable research into current business trends and theories.

Another asset is that the book has application to a wide range of small-business managers, no matter what kind of widget they might be manufacturing or marketing. While this book is focused on small-business management, even big-business managers and owners could gain something from reading the management advice found here.

In terms of its marketability, this book benefits from its very effective, well-designed cover—one of the best I've seen in this year's batch of nonfiction entries. Framed against a traditional "corporate" blue background, the cover image effectively captures the clean, business-like spirit of the book in a simple, fitting visual. I love the minimalist aesthetic and realism of this cover image: the curled tip of the notebook paper's corner and the crumpled piece of paper that suggests that you don't always get things right the first time. The book's interior design—especially the cleanly rendered and well prioritized (in terms of visual architecture) Table of Contents—is also professional and effective.
   —a judge for the competition