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Toolbox Innovation Communication: Breakthroughs with Skillful Communication: Strategic Models and Methods That Will Help Innovation Succeed
by Florian HohenauerThis book offers a toolbox of models and methods that make innovative ideas successful. Innovation brings progress, competitive advantages, and increases profits. However, innovation also always entails uncertainty and provokes defensive reactions, which is why strong communication skills are needed to overcome internal and external hurdles. Successful innovation communication creates awareness and builds necessary knowledge among all key stakeholders. It is fast, flexible, and pragmatic, anticipates resistance, addresses possible negative impacts, and builds bridges to the future. Florian Hohenauer's book is aimed at communication professionals and those who aspire to become one—especially all those who want to develop sustainable communication strategies and are willing to invest a little more time to establish a strong foundation for them. Renowned experts Christine Dingler, Gudrun Herrmann, Sascha Pallenberg, Christiane Schulz, Gerrit Gericke, and Danijel Višević present their own strategic approaches in guest contributions and interviews. Practical examples illustrate the application of the tools presented.
Toolbox Innovationskommunikation: Zum Durchbruch mit gekonnter Kommunikation: Strategische Modelle und Methoden für Neues
by Florian HohenauerDieses Buch bietet eine Werkzeugkiste an Modellen und Methoden, die innovative Ideen erfolgreich machen. Innovation bringt Fortschritt, Wettbewerbsvorteile und steigert die Gewinne. Innovation bedeutet aber auch immer Unsicherheit und ruft Abwehrreaktionen hervor, weshalb starke Kommunikationskompetenzen gefragt sind, um interne und externe Hürden zu überwinden. Gelungene Innovationskommunikation schafft Aufmerksamkeit und baut notwendiges Wissen bei allen wichtigen Stakeholdern auf. Sie ist schnell, flexibel und pragmatisch, antizipiert Widerstände, adressiert mögliche negative Auswirkungen und baut Brücken in die Zukunft.Florian Hohenauers Buch richtet sich an Kommunikationsprofis und solche, die es werden wollen – vor allem an all diejenigen, die nachhaltige Kommunikationsstrategien entwickeln möchten und bereit sind, für deren starkes Fundament etwas mehr Zeit zu investieren. Die renommierten Expert:innen Christine Dingler, Gudrun Herrmann, Dr. Kerstin Hoffmann, Sascha Pallenberg, Christiane Schulz und Gerrit Gericke sowie Danijel Višević stellen in Gastbeiträgen und Interviews eigene strategische Ansätze vor. Praxisbeispiele illustrieren die Anwendung der vorgestellten Werkzeuge.
Toolbox Kommunikationsmanagement: Denkwerkzeuge und Methoden für die Steuerung der Unternehmenskommunikation
by Ansgar Zerfaß Sophia Charlotte VolkErfahren Sie in diesem Buch Wissenswertes rund um das Thema strategische Unternehmenskommunikation Dieses Buch gibt einen umfassenden Überblick zu bestehenden Ansätzen, Methoden und Instrumenten für das strategische Kommunikationsmanagement in Unternehmen. Es behandelt die folgenden Themenbereiche:Der Beitrag von Kommunikation zur WertschöpfungToolbox für das Kommunikationsmanagement: Analysetools, Planungstools, Umsetzungstools, EvaluationstoolsNeue Tools für das KommunikationsmanagementAnwendungsbeispiele für die ToolboxTop-Tools und ErfolgsfaktorenWeiterhin werden im Buch „Toolbox Kommunikationsmanagement - Denkwerkzeuge für die Steuerung der Unternehmenskommunikation“ aktuelle Erkenntnisse aus der internationalen Forschung neu systematisiert und mit empirischen Daten sowie Best-Practice-Beispielen aus der Kommunikationspraxis von Unternehmen in Deutschland verknüpft. Erfolgreiche Kommunikationschefs berichten darüber hinaus über ihre eigenen Erfahrungen und praktische Lösungsansätze. Ein optimaler Wegweiser für Unternehmensleitung und KommunikationsverantwortlicheAnsgar Zerfaß und Sophia Charlotte Volk stellen konkrete Tools zum Management der Kommunikation vor und wenden sich damit an alle, die den Beitrag der Unternehmenskommunikation zum Organisationserfolg ganzheitlich verstehen und steuern wollen. Die in diesem Buch erwähnten Tools sind zum Beispiel: Communication-Touchpoint-AnalyseZieleradar Sentiment-AnalyseCommunication Value Circle MaßnahmenportfolioIssue MapsCommunication ScrumMit dieser umfassenden Betrachtung des Kommunikationsmanagements richtet sich dieser praktische Wegweiser in erster Linie an die Unternehmensleitung und an Kommunikationsverantwortliche.
Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age
by Brad Smith Carol Browne<P><P>From Microsoft's president and one of the tech industry's broadest thinkers, a frank and thoughtful reckoning with how to balance enormous promise and existential risk as the digitization of everything accelerates.Microsoft President Brad Smith operates by a simple core belief: When your technology changes the world, you bear a responsibility to help address the world you have helped create. <P><P>This might seem uncontroversial, but it flies in the face of a tech sector long obsessed with rapid growth and sometimes on disruption as an end in itself. While sweeping digital transformation holds great promise, we have reached an inflection point. The world has turned information technology into both a powerful tool and a formidable weapon, and new approaches are needed to manage an era defined by even more powerful inventions like artificial intelligence. <P><P>Companies that create technology must accept greater responsibility for the future, and governments will need to regulate technology by moving faster and catching up with the pace of innovation. <P><P>In Tools and Weapons, Brad Smith and Carol Ann Browne bring us a captivating narrative from the cockpit of one of the world's largest and most powerful tech companies as it finds itself in the middle of some of the thorniest emerging issues of our time. These are challenges that come with no preexisting playbook, including privacy, cybercrime and cyberwar, social media, the moral conundrums of artificial intelligence, big tech's relationship to inequality, and the challenges for democracy, far and near. <P><P>While in no way a self-glorifying "Microsoft memoir," the book pulls back the curtain remarkably wide onto some of the company's most crucial recent decision points as it strives to protect the hopes technology offers against the very real threats it also presents. There are huge ramifications for communities and countries, and Brad Smith provides a thoughtful and urgent contribution to that effort. <P><P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Tools of Transport Telematics
by Jerzy MikulskiThis book constitutes the proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Transport Systems Telematics, TST 2015, held in Wrocław, Poland, in April 2015. The 35 revised full papers and two short papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 115 submissions. The papers provide an overview of solutions being developed in the fields of transport telematics and intelligent transport systems.
Top 20 Teens: Discovering the Best-Kept Thinking, Learning and Communicating Secrets of Successful Teenagers (2nd Edition)
by Michael Cole Paul Bernabei Tom Cody Mary Cole Willow SweeneyApplication of the principles discussed in this book could result in you making a positive difference in your life and the lives of others! <p>All teens have the potential to become difference makers, to create meaningful and successful experiences for themselves and others However, not all teens know they have this power. That's where this book comes in. <p>Developed by a team of students, parents and educators, Top 20 Teens presents the Thinking, Learning and Communicating skills of the Top 20, the difference makers. By applying these skills in your personal relationships and school experiences, you can become the author of your life's story rather than just a character in it.
Top Dog
by Andy Bounds Richard RuttleGet the results you want and come out as the Top Dog in everyconversationFancy being the 'Top Dog' in all your dealings? Fedup of feeling like the underdog? So many of us regularly'lose' in conversations before we've even openedour mouths? Often without realising it, we don't seeourselves as a peer of the other person. And we transmit this inwhat we do and say ("I'll fit round you. I knowyou're really busy.") The other person picks up onthis. And, without doing a thing, they're suddenly incharge!Top Dog will teach you how to lead in all your interactions, so youcan get more of what you want, more often.Together, Andy Bounds and Richard Ruttle are experts at helpingpeople achieve more from their conversations with others. Theirtechniques work in every type of interaction--conversations,socialising, dating, interviews, sales, marketing, and networking.Basically, anytime you want to impress and persuade others.Top Dog:* Details the skill set needed to gain competitiveadvantage from the outset * Provides instructive and thought-provoking content,relevant to both beginners, and seasoned professionals* Contains insights from working with some of theworld's largest companies* Addresses how to achieve more from interactions inbusiness and social arenas
Top of the Morning: The Inspiration for Apple TV's THE MORNING SHOW
by Brian StelterDiscover the cutthroat world behind the polite smiles and perky demeanors of morning news in the book that inspired the Apple TV series starring Reese Witherspoon, Jennifer Aniston, and Steve Carrell.When America wakes up with personable and charming TV hosts, it's hard to imagine their show bookers having to guard a guest's hotel room all night to prevent rival shows from poaching. But that is just a glimpse of the intense reality revealed in this gripping look into the most competitive time slot in television.Featuring exclusive content about all the major players in American morning television, the book illuminates what it takes to win the AM -- when every single viewer counts, tons of jobs are on the line, and hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake. Author Brian Stelter is behind the scenes as Ann Curry replaces Meredith Vieira on the Today show, only to be fired a year later in a fiasco that made national headlines. He's backstage as Good Morning America launches an attack to dethrone Today and end the longest consecutive winning streak in morning television history. And he's there as Roberts is diagnosed with a crippling disease -- on what should be the happiest day of her career.So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and discover the dark side of the sun.PRAISE FOR TOP OF THE MORNING"Mr. Stelter pulls back the curtains and exposes a savage corporate world that might have been inhabited by the Sopranos." - Washington Times"A troubling look inside an enterprise as vicious and internecine as a soap opera." - Kirkus Reviews
Topic-Driven Environmental Rhetoric (Routledge Studies in Technical Communication, Rhetoric, and Culture)
by Derek G. RossCommon topics and commonplaces help develop arguments and shape understanding. When used in argumentation, they may help interested parties more effectively communicate valuable information. The purpose of this edited collection on topics of environmental rhetoric is to fill gaps in scholarship related to specific, targeted, topical communication tactics. The chapters in this collection address four overarching areas of common topics in technical communication and environmental rhetoric: framing, place, risk and uncertainty, and sustainability. In addressing these issues, this collection offers insights for students and scholars of rhetoric, as well as for environmental communication practitioners looking for a more nuanced understanding of how topic-driven rhetoric shapes attitudes, beliefs, and decision-making.
Topical Drifts in Intelligent Computing: Proceedings of International Conference on Computational Techniques and Applications (ICCTA 2021) (Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems #426)
by Jyotsna Kumar Mandal Pao-Ann Hsiung Rudra Sankar DharThis book gathers a collection of high-quality peer-reviewed research papers presented at International Conference on Computational Techniques and Applications (ICCTA 2021), organized by the Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), Kolkata Center, India, during 8 – 9 October 2021. This includes research in the areas of intelligent computing and communication systems including computing, electronics, green energy design, communications, computers to interact and disseminate information on latest developments both academically and industrially for computational drifts. The three main tracks are (i) computing in network security, AI and data science; (ii) contemporary issues in electronics, and communication technology; and (iii) intelligent computing in electrical power, control systems and energy technology.
Topics in Cryptology - CT-RSA 2016
by Kazue SakoThisbook constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Cryptographer's Track at theRSA Conference 2016, CT-RSA 2016, held in San Francisco, CA, USA, in February/March2016. The26 papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 76submissions. The focus of the track is on following subjects: secure keyexchange schemes, authenticated encryption, searchable symmetric encryption,digital signatures with new functionality, secure multi party computation, howto verify procedures, side-channel attacks on elliptic curve cryptography, hardwareattacks and security, structure-preserving signatures, lattice cryptography, cryptanalysisof symmetric key encryption, message authentication code and PRF-security, and securityof public key encryption.
Topics in Signal Processing: Analog and Digital
by Suhash Chandra Dutta RoyThis book is a collection of specific research problems in signal processing and their solutions. It touches upon most core topics, including active and passive processing, discrete-time and continuous signals, and design of filters and networks for specific applications. This unique collection of design problems and conceptual insights will be useful to graduate students, researchers, and professionals working on signal processing problems. In addition, the book can also be used as a supplementary text for graduate courses in advanced signal processing, and for professional development courses for practicing engineers.
Topics in Spanish Linguistic Perceptions (Routledge Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics)
by Ortiz-López, Luis AlfredoTopics in Spanish Linguistic Perceptions brings together the most current research on linguistic perceptions of varieties of Spanish. The book includes articles from a range of expert contributors using different methodologies and looking at diverse sociolinguistic settings. Readers will gain a rich understanding of the importance of linguistic perceptions and the societal attitudes they are linked to. Readers will also gain insight into the interplay between socioeconomic groups, and educational and linguistic norms and the perception of non-standardized forms of Spanish. The volume highlights the relationship between language and social perceptions and will be of particular interest to researchers and students in Hispanic linguistics, sociophonetics, and sociolinguistics.
Topics, Questions, Key Words: A Handbook for Students of German
by Paul Jackson Petra HachenburgerIntermediate students and their teachers will find this compact manual an invaluable resource for essay-writing and debate in German. Thirty sections provide questions and vocabulary on a range of contemporary issues guaranteed to stimulate thought and discussion. Includes introductory notes on approaches to group work and writing strategies. Topics include:*computers*the environment*young people*war and peace*the third world
Total Journalism: Models, Techniques and Challenges (Studies in Big Data #97)
by Xosé López-García Jorge Vázquez-Herrero Alba Silva-Rodríguez Carlos Toural-Bran María-Cruz Negreira-ReyThis book aims to explore the diverse landscape of journalism in the third decade of the twenty-first century, constantly changing and still dealing with the consequences of a global pandemic. ‘Total journalism’ is the concept that refers to the renewed and current journalism that employs all available techniques, technologies, and platforms.Authors discuss the innovative nature of journalism, the influence of big data and information disorders, models, professionals and audiences, as well as the challenges of artificial intelligence. The book gives an up-to-date overview of these perspectives on journalistic production and distribution. The effects of misinformation and the challenge of artificial intelligence are of specific relevance in this book.Readers can enjoy with contributions from prestigious experts and researchers who make this book an interesting resource for media professionals and researchers in media and communication studies.
Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life
by Stewart D. Friedman"Students talk about Stewart D. Friedman, a management professor at the Wharton School, with a mixture of earnest admiration, gratitude and rock star adoration. ” -New York Times In this national bestseller, Stew Friedman gives you the tools you need to achieve "four-way wins”-improved performance in all domains of life: work, home, community, and self. Friedman, celebrated professor and founding director of the Wharton School’s Leadership Program and its Work/Life Integration Project, explains how three simple yet potent principles-be real, be whole, and be innovative-can help you, no matter what your age or what you do for work, become a better leader and have a richer life. In this engaging adaptation of his hands-on Wharton course, he offers step-by-step instruction to help you create positive, sustainable change in your world. This proven, programmatic method teaches you how to produce stronger results at work, find clearer purpose, feel less stressed, strengthen connections with the people who matter most to you, contribute further to important causes, and gain greater support for your vision of your future. If you’re ready to learn to lead in all parts of your life-this is the book for you. For a full array of Total Leadership tips and tools, visit totalleadership. org. Also look for Stew Friedman’s book, Leading the Life You Want, which builds on Total Leadership by profiling well-known leaders-from Bruce Springsteen to Michelle Obama-who exemplify its principles and demonstrate how success in your work is accomplished not at the expense of the rest of your life, but as the result of meaningful attachments to all its parts.
Total Propaganda: From Mass Culture To Popular Culture (Routledge Communication Series)
by Alex S. EdelsteinBLURB FOR TOTAL PROP MAILER................ Total Propaganda moves the study of propaganda out of the exclusive realm of world politics into the more inclusive study of popular culture, media, and politics. All the participatory functioning elements of the society are aspects of membership in the popular culture. Thus, the values of popular music, media, politics, debates over social issues, and even international trade become everyday propaganda to which everyone may relate. To emphasize the necessity for new thinking about propaganda, Edelstein creates the concepts of the new propaganda and the old, and he devises a language of "uninyms" to convey their meanings more quickly. "Oldprop" is characteristic of mass cultures and utilizes totalitarian methods of conflict, hegemony, minimization, demonization, and exclusiveness to achieve its goals. By contrast, "newprop" is created by members of the popular culture to allow them to engage in accomodation, enhance the individual, and promote inclusiveness. Shifts in the old and the new propaganda are tracked across social issues such as race, religion, sexuality, gender, gun control, and the environment, as well as in fashion, politics, advertising, sports, media, and politics. Central to the concept of total propaganda is that it is not simply additive; it is the product of new energies that are produced by the fusing of propaganda in such related forums as music, art, advertising, sports and politics. It is these synergies, and their production of new energies, that make total propaganda greater than the sum of its parts. Edelstein concludes that the most important distinction that should be drawn between mass culture and popular culture is its text; i.e., its propaganda. In a popular culture, everyone creates and consumes propaganda; in a mass culture almost everyone consumes it but only a few create it. This formulation offers new ways to discuss power and ideology in media texts. As an example, where once the least informed and the least educated were the most subject to propaganda, now the most informed and most educated often are the first to create propaganda and the first to consume it. FORMER BLURB COPY.......It is widely recognized that the mass media provide us with ample information which we use to construct some sense of the world around us. It is not as widely recognized that consumers of media messages are active in this constructive process, making meanings that are sensible to them in particular life circumstances. The media target a younger, more media savvy generation who are more likely to be participants in the messages than members of any previous generation. This participatory aspect of new media is central to what the author defines as the new propaganda. Although critical and cultural theories are often prohibitive for undergraduate students, the author's formulation offers an accessible way to discuss power and ideology in media texts. Without using the critical discourse, he provides compelling arguments that power and ideology are created and maintained through the active participation of audience members. The conceptualization of the old and new propagandas helps move the study of propaganda out of the realm of world politics into the study of popular culture. The author views all of the participatory functioning of the society as aspects of membership in a more embracing popular culture. This point of view recognizes that the mass media are extremely important forces in the consumer's construction of reality and that they are no longer exclusive channels for disseminating the messages of the powerful elites. Instead, the media -- particularly the new media -- are accessible to and used frequently by less powerful members of society -- children, ethnic minorities, and marginal members of society -- to create realities that more satisfactorily fulfill their needs. NEW BLURB COPY FOR GENERAL CATALOGS... Total Propaganda is a fresh answer to the question of the inclusiveness of the popular culture. It demonstrates how the values of popular
Total Recall: How the E-memory Revolution Will Change Everything
by Gordon Bell Jim GemmellIt will soon be possible to record, store, and recall everything one has ever seen, heard, read, or done. It's not science fiction; it will be the result of new innovations in memory and search technologies. Authors Bell (principal researcher, Microsoft Research) and Gemmell (senior researcher, Microsoft Research) illustrate the inevitability of the new technologies, entitled Total Recall, and how they will change lives and enable people to maintain their health, improve their education, and improve the quality of their work lives. The authors discuss the technologies and research, show readers how to begin creating their own e-memory with today's technology, and address potential drawbacks, such as piracy and ethics issues. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc. , Portland, OR (booknews. com)
Total Sports Media: Production, Performance and Career Development
by Max Negin Marc ZumoffThis thoroughly revised second edition of Total Sports Media (formerly Total Sportscasting) offers a complete guide to sports media across TV, radio and digital broadcasting. Covering everything from practical skills to industry lingo, this book guides readers through each aspect of the sportscasting process, including performance and production techniques, demo reel production, and writing for sports media. Chapters feature interviews with successful sports media professionals who take you inside the real-world practices of the industry, offering invaluable insights on how to carve out a career in the field and forge lasting relationships with team personnel. New to this edition are a discussion of changes in the industry as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, updated sections on career paths and professional development opportunities, and an updated chapter on social media strategies for sportscasters. This book also delves into the unique issues facing women and minority sportscasters. Finally, the authors look at the history of sports media and discuss the future of the industry. Total Sports Media is an essential resource for both students and instructors of sports media, as well as for industry professionals interested in a wide-reaching look at this changing field. A companion website features additional resources for instructors and students, including video and audio examples and links to additional resources.
Total Sportscasting: Performance, Production, and Career Development
by Max Negin Marc ZumoffWhether you want to be in front of the camera, on the microphone, or behind the scenes, Total Sportscasting gives you the skills you'll need to become successful in this dynamic industry. This book covers everything from performance and production techniques to all aspects of sportscasting, good broadcast writing techniques, and how best to forge lasting relationships with team personnel. It also delves into the unique issues facing women sportscasters. And when it comes to breaking into the business, Total Sportscasting devotes entire chapters to career development and demo reel production. For important perspective, we've also included chapters on the history of sportscasting and attempts to glimpse into its future. Total Sportscasting is packed with a variety of features for both learning and instructing: Complete coverage of every aspect of the sportscast, helping you prepare for any platform--TV, radio, and the web Interviews with successful sports journalists, producers, and directors who give you an inside look into the real-world practices of the industry A companion website, which provides additional resources for both instructors and students, including video and audio examples and links to additional resources: www.totalsportscasting.com
Total Web Quality: Wie kleine, mittelständische Unternehmen ihre Webseite umfassend steuern und verbessern (essentials)
by Klaus M. BernsauDieses essential gibt kleineren Unternehmen wie Einzelhändlern, Handwerkern und Gewerbebetrieben eine kompakte Anleitung an die Hand, worauf sie bei ihrer Website achten müssen, um mit ihr erfolgreich zu sein. Der Autor erläutert alle Qualitätskriterien einer performanten Website und zeigt auf, wie diese grundlegend analysiert werden können und welche Schritte anschließend notwendig sind. Er erklärt, wie bedeutend die Themen Usability, Suchmaschinen-Optimierung oder Zielgruppenorientierung sind und beschreibt den Wert von Dialogmaßnahmen, Responsivität und Design.Bringen auch Sie Ihre Webseite einen großen Schritt nach vorne und schaffen Sie einen erfolgreichen und wertschöpfenden Online-Auftritt für Ihr Unternehmen.Mit einer konkreten Analyse-Anleitung, zahlreichen Optimierungsvorschlägen und dauerhaft anwendbaren Prüfmechanismen.
Totally Wired: The Rise and Fall of Josh Harris and the Great Dotcom Swindle
by Andrew Smith&“The Social Network meets Hammer of the Gods&” in this story of a 1990s web titan who made a fortune and lost it all—and what happened afterward (The Independent). One day in February 2001, Josh Harris woke to certain knowledge that he was about to lose everything. The man Time magazine called &“The Warhol of the Web&” was reduced to a helpless spectator as his fortune dwindled from 85 million dollars to nothing, all in the space of a week. Harris had been a maverick genius preternaturally adapted to the new online world. He founded New York&’s first dotcom, Pseudo.com, and paved the way for a cadre of twentysomethings to follow, riding a wave of tech euphoria to unimagined wealth and fame for five years—before the great dotcom crash, in which Web 1.0 was wiped from the face of the earth. Long before then, though, Harris&’s view of the web had darkened, and he began a series of lurid social experiments aimed at illustrating his worst fear: that the internet would soon alter the very fabric of society—cognitive, social, political, and otherwise. In Totally Wired, journalist Andrew Smith seeks to unravel the opaque and mysterious episodes of the early dotcom craze, in which the seeds of our current reality were sown. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Harris and those who worked alongside him in downtown Manhattan&’s &“Silicon Alley,&” the tale moves from a compound in Ethiopia through New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, London, and Salt Lake City, Utah; from the dawn of the web to the present, taking in the rise of alternative facts, troll society, and the unexpected origins of the net itself, as our world has grown uncannily to resemble the one Harris predicted—and urged us to evade. &“Raucous, whimsical, sad and very funny…a fascinating account of what could have been, what briefly was, what almost lasted.&” ―TheWall Street Journal &“Told with verve and style…A valuable history.&” ―Kirkus Reviews &“A brilliant exploration of madness and genius in the early days of the web.&”―The Guardian &“Dark and compelling.&”―Daily Mail &“This is a book whose time has come.&”―Sunday Times
Touchstones: A Guided Approach to Writing Paragraphs and Essays
by Chris Juzwiak"Touchstones," is a paragraph-to-essay level book that begins with a focus on academic paragraphs and essays, then moves to higher-level skills such as using precise language and working with sources.
Tough Calls: ATand T and the Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars
by Dick MartinFor better and for worse, few companies have been so prominently and constantly in the public eye as AT&T. Through decades of growth and dominance, followed by its 1984 breakup and a litany of well-documented troubles, the company has soldiered on, by turns thriving and hanging on for dear life.Perhaps no individual experienced as much of the roller-coaster ride as Dick Martin, an executive vice president and 30-year AT&T veteran with both a bird’s-eye view of and a crucial role in the company’s bumpy history.Tough Calls is the ultimate inside look at how AT&T tried to cope with a “perfect storm” of fierce competition, economic turmoil, and punishing media scrutiny. <P><P>Mixing unflinching candor with love for the company he helped steer -- and clear respect for many of his long-time colleagues -- Martin takes you through boardroom and back room to shed unprecedented light on:* How the 1996 bungled announcement of 40,000 layoffs nearly destroyed the company* How flawed succession planning precipitated sharp declines in AT&T’s stock price* The never-ending, ugly turf battles with the “Baby Bells” brought on by the AT&T breakup* How even small interest groups can have a tremendous influence on business decisions, and how the media are largely responsible for determining what is business news on any given day Tough Calls is also a cautionary tale to be heeded by all businesses, using AT&T’s experience in the brutal telecom wars as a backdrop for new strategies in weathering unforgiving business conditions. <P>Just a few of the lessons to be learned include:* How to avoid the most common mistakes that executives make, such as being held hostage by unrealistic expectations, waiting too long to make critical changes, and building their celebrity rather than their credibility* How to balance internal and external communications, and how and when to deal with the business media* How to improve relationships between PR executives and the “C” suite -- CEO, CFO, Chief Counsel, etc.--and how to make public relations more strategic* How to build and sustain favorable brand recognition and investor allure even in the face of bitter competition and unpredictable market conditionsAs candid and fascinating as it is constructive, Tough Calls is itself a call to attention and to arms, in preparation for the many battles that every business must eventually face, against fierce adversaries, and even within its own camp.