From Publishers Weekly
A well-known figure in the world of New York real estate as founder of the Corcoran Group, Corcoran has fashioned a funny handbook for professional sales savvy-targeted at women-that works. Equal parts business primer, Oprah-spirited coming-of-age memoir and sneaky PR brochure for herself, the book, which proceeds chronologically along the life of Corcoran's real estate agency, from its birth to its sale, is organized around 25 life lessons (e.g., "If you don't have big breasts, put ribbons on your pigtails"; "You've got to bully a bully"; "Never be ashamed of who you are"). She explains these snappily worded lessons by drawing on various crises from her company's history and bits from her childhood. Corcoran grew up with her parents and nine brothers and sisters on one floor of a house in Edgewater, N.J., and had a vision all along ("When I started my business," she writes, "I saw myself as the `Queen of New York Real Estate' "). She opened the first Corcoran Group office in 1978, and ever since then has perfected the art of marketing herself, hiring the right people and motivating her staff; the organization now brings in over $2 billion in annual revenue. With the noticeably skilled help of career technical writer Littlefield, Corcoran has produced a likable and worthwhile book, an honorable contribution with heart.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Barbara Corcoran is one clever lady. And she gives the credit to her beleaguered Mom's teachings. Hailing from a cash-strapped New Jersey family loaded with kids, love, and life lessons, Corcoran parlayed $1,000 into a multibillion-dollar real estate firm. She defuses our cynicism and mistrust of the wealthy with the perky, canny, and sincere delivery of her rags-to-riches story. Unafraid of sounding silly, this joyous workaholic passes on her inspiration with real humility and makes friends of all of her listeners in this uplifting recording. D.J.B. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine--
Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine
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