We've all been there--so frustrated by an annoying co-worker or nagging spouse or whiny child or editor (ahem) that we feel like throwing whatever's in our hands. These days, that something is often a smartphone (for 75% of Web-browsing men, it's an iPhone).
But before life's frustrations leads you to hurl 3Gs worth of connectivity at the nearest brick wall, try putting your device to a more constructive use. From reducing stress and conquering fears to controlling behaviors or managing impulses, a whole new breed of apps are a tap or two away--finally a way to deal with your neuroses without the embarrassment of being seen in the self-help section!
Many of the current offerings were developed from successful programs and courses offered by experts. Several are based on cognitive behavior therapy. (CBT is based on the idea that our thoughts cause our feelings and behaviors, not external things, like people, situations, events, or, well, iPhones. Changing thought processes therefore, changes the way we act). Others encourage keeping a daily record of thoughts, feelings, and responses. All carry a common disclaimer: "not a substitute for medical or psychological treatment."
Of course, there are experts who are skeptical of their efficacy. In terms of anger management, Steven Stosny, Ph.D. says an app could work only as a portable reminder for those who have gone through treatment. The author of Love without Hurt, and developer of the program, HEALS, Stosny likens using an app to control anger to learning a complicated exercise program or practicing tennis. "Problem anger isn't about stress or relaxation, it's about an inability to see anyone perspectives but your own," asserts Stosny.
True, however, 70% of all illness, both physical and mental, is linked to stress, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So until health-care reform becomes a reality, apps could be a (convenient/private/inexpensive) way to take the edge off every day stresses.
Here are five compelling apps available for download right now.
Personal Power Path "Anger App" Anger Management Course
Cost: $59.99
How it works: Designed to help the more than 16 million people who suffer from anger-related stress, the six-week instructional program from EDB Media Inc., teaches users basic anger management techniques, as well as behavior and thought modification. The program incorporates an online support community, guided weekly instruction, journal entries, daily motivations, and informative videos.
The app riffs off an existing online program that has an established user base and online community.
According to a company spokesperson, "It can help improve relationships, help users regain control of their lives and learn basic anger management skills while working privately and conveniently on their phones."
How it Works: Recording negative thoughts into the program, allows users to study patterns and gain an understanding of what is untrue, unrealistic, and unfair about each thought, thereby creating their own "referee" which offers insight into limited thinking.
The app's creator Andrew Arrow, is a software engineer who battled depression with cognitive behavioral therapy. He believes those who have tried CBT and failed, attempted to do the exercises mentally, either because they didn't have pen and paper handy, or because their thoughts can be off-putting. The convenience of recording with the app eliminates the hurdle. "Over time your referee will kick in automatically helping you to avoid thinking a biased thought that might cause a negative emotion."
How it Works: This will certainly make it past the TSA. Developed in conjunction with Virgin Atlantic Airways (Sir Richard Branson makes a personal video appearance) the app tackles the fear of flying from take-off to landing with an in-flight explanation video, FAQ from the general manager of Flight Operations, relaxation exercises and fear therapy and (if all else fails), a fear attack button for emergencies with breathing exercise and quick tips.
Mental Workout claims a 98% success rate and includes testimony from that famous formerly fearful flyer, Whoopi Goldberg. Need extra incentive? For the one out of three adult Americans anxious or afraid to fly (according to a Boeing Company published report) downloading the app gives you 2,000 Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles.
How it Works: This app is a multi-modal program that employs monitoring, relaxation exercises, positive thinking, and humor to reduce stress. Users fill in a daily and weekly record of stress levels. There are quizzes to rate emotions and pages of inspirational quotes. Over time with this tool-kit of techniques, users should learn adaptive, positive coping skills.
According to the company, PsiApps, Inc., iStress was developed by professionals through feedback provided by their clients and "teaches stress management skills to produce a calm, relaxed life style when confronting daily 'close encounters of the aggravating kind.'"
How it Works: Perhaps the most esoteric app of the bunch (with the most-comprehensive wellness claim) My Photon Buddy taps (pun intended) the high frequency photon energy, "that flows through and around every thing, including your body. It will influence whether you feel happy or sad, and keep you in good health or bad." A character of the user's choice will guide adults or kids to locate a series of acupressure points that, when tapped, alleviate a host of modern ills from anxiety to migraines, and more.
The company emphasizes its use for children (just pick one of the younger "buddies") to help cope with peer pressure, testing anxiety, even enhance sports performance.
It's a hybrid aimed at providing social benefits while keeping an eye on the bottom line. Over 100 have been formed in the six states with laws that allow for their structure. Unlike nonprofits, L3Cs pay taxes, and contributions made to them are not tax deductible.
A (very) brief lesson in how it works
The ability to attract a mix of investment money is the key difference between L3Cs
and LLCs. Venture capitalists and angel investors will always be on the
hunt for breakout businesses because that is what they are set up to
do. But foundations have a more difficult row to hoe when making
Program Related Investments (PRIs). Even though they are required to
spend at least five percent of their assets in a given fiscal year in
order to maintain their tax-exempt status, foundations will often make
grants with no financial return at the expense of PRIs that could earn
a return.
Why? Because the IRS requires them to prove the PRI
relates to their mission and that the risk is higher than the return.
The new designation eliminates the hurdle. L3Cs are specifically formed
to further a socially beneficial mission. Can you say transparent?
Why this, why now?
Think of L3Cs as "a for-profit with a nonprofit soul," says Bob Lang chief executive of the Mary Elizabeth & Gordon B. Mannweiler Foundation. Lang, a leader in devising the L3C concept, says the business structure--a low-profit limited liability company--was designed to make it easier for businesses with an altruistic eye to attract investments from foundations and additional money from private investors.
In addition to the economy, "The timing was right," Lang says. "Government is so big and tottering on broke, while nonprofits are proliferating, but too many are doing the same job."
Lang doesn't believe that businesses always get the best allocation of capital by maximizing profits. He argues that a low-profit model is still a good investment likely to attract funding from a variety of sources. L3Cs aren't quite give-aways but offer something other than cash in return. "As an investor, I'd be willing to risk rather than donate," Lang says. "Ultimately the work being done is worthy and society gets a return too."
Who's milking it for all its worth?
For now, the burgeoning number
of L3Cs is filling needs from preserving family farms to providing
consulting services to others pursuing the designation.
To the 10 organic dairy farms that were dropped by H.P. Hood, joining with the
Maine Farm Bureau and the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners
Association (MOFGA) to form Maine's Own Organic Milk Company (MOOMilkCo)
as an L3C just made sense. The company's goal is to keep the member
farms in business by offering them a fair price for their milk. Using a
start-up grant from Stonyfield Farms, MOOMilkCo will pay the farms the
difference between the organic contract price and the conventional
price during the interim period. In return, the farmers are part owners
of the company (45%), and are responsible for returns of unsold
product through reductions in the company's profits.
Though it sounds like a cooperative MOOMilkCo points out that the "attempt to
maximize the profits of the cooperative, sometimes at the expense of
the individual members." Their L3C will provide a stable and profitable
market for the individual farms, while the company maintains only a
fraction of the profits. "So yes, that means Farm Bureau and MOFGA will
see little, if any, return on their half-percent ownership shares in
the company, but will see some Farm Bureau/MOFGA members stay in
business and profit on their own right. That is, after all, what a
membership-based organization should be doing," touts the company's Web
site.
Lang is currently working on an initiative with the Montana
Food Bank with a similar goal, to assist local farmers by providing a
place to purchase, process, and retail their produce.
L3Cs may also be part of the solution to the beleaguered newspaper industry.
Jennifer Towery, president of Newspaper Guild Local at the Peoria
Journal Star is currently working towards develop a plan to either
purchase and restructure the Peoria Journal Star as a locally based,
independent, L3C newspaper, with a focus on community service and local
news, or start a new newspaper with the same objective.
Towery says an L3C newspaper presents an opportunity, "to hold the principals
of journalism more dearly, not less, far more dearly than corporate
ownership does today." She believes that while the return on the
investment may be small financially, there will be a return. Comparing
subscribers' renewal rates to shareholders withdraw their support,
Towery says, "That's quality control. Frankly, I'd rather work to put
out a quality product to show my community we're using its investments
well than to try to give Wall Street shareholders a bigger dividend."
Her vision would set up a firewall between the business and the news and
cap the purchase of shares so no business or individual could own a
majority. "Both subscribers and advertisers already feel ownership and
want to flex it to suggest stories or demand coverage. We explain to
them that neither subscribing nor advertising buys editorial control.
Being an owner in an L3C newspaper doesn't either," says Towery.
Instead she plans to educate them on exactly what they're buying,
"Better trained reporters, better staffed beats, certainly."
As foundation support already exists for news, Towery is confident they
can find PRI investments. But she's more interesting appealing to the
community and asking every individual to buy a share. "That would
provide a stable, quality newspaper whose profits and interests are
local," she emphasizes. And it might add a level of trust the big
papers are quickly losing.
Not everyone's a believer
Apparently, even transparency has its limits. Crain's Detroit Business reported concerns that some early L3Cs "may not have a truly socially beneficial cause or a business model that will attract both nonprofit and for-profit investors," according to Rob Collier, president of the Grand Haven-based Council of Michigan Foundations. Collier observed that there needs to be a specific definition for "socially beneficial purpose" and what reporting requirements they will have.
Over at Chronicle of Philanthropy, a recent story discussed the fuzzy middle ground created by L3Cs and the potential for greater scrutiny by lawmakers and the public. Though Diana Aviv, chief executive of Independent Sector, a nonprofit association in Washington, made this prediction she doesn't believe that will mean the end of tax-exempt groups.
Bottom Line
Caryn Capriccioso, MNM, a principal with interSector Partners, (the first L3C to hang out a shingle in Colorado) has seen that hope in action. Her joint consulting venture with Rick Zwetsch was popular immediately, racking up almost 200 hours of pro-bono education services.
Capriccioso acknowledges, "Right out of the gate, there is a level of trust and understanding because this business model just resonates with certain people." Called innovators and creative thinkers because they chose this business structure, Capriccioso says the L3C is just a step toward what she hopes will be a paradigm shift.
Legislation must be passed in the remaining states to make the structure legally recognized nation-wide. That's already in the works according to Lang. But more important are the implications for nonprofits. "In the for-profit world, only the best survive. Why can't nonprofits be on the same metric?" he muses noting this may be an opportunity to allow "true charities" such as churches, to rise above the proliferation of smaller local service organizations.
Capriccioso believes L3Cs will ease the burden for all nonprofits. "Small and medium-sized businesses and large corporations will have an increasing part to play in addressing social issues while simultaneously focusing on creating shareholder value. It is possible to focus on a bigger mission and still maintain a solid fiscal bottom line."
What is completely constructed of steel, reinforced with corrugated steel walls, able to withstand winds up to 140 mph, and can make a comfortable living space for the survivors of the Haitian earthquake? A standard shipping container. And researchers at Clemson University are scurrying to figure out how to turn their project, known as SEED, into a way to contribute emergency housing to Haiti right now.
SEED was initially conceived as a way to utilize some of the estimated 30 million shipping containers that were languishing in ports all over the world by turning them into homes for victims of hurricanes in both the Caribbean Islands and the United States.
A research and development team led by Pernille Christensen, associate professor Doug Hecker, and assistant professor Martha Skinner, received an Environmental Protection Agency P3 grant and funding by Container-It of Atlanta, Sargent Metals of Anderson, and the Intermodal Steel Building Units Association. A model container will be part of the 2010 National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, D.C., in April and a prototype was to be built in the Caribbean in the next year.
Then disaster struck. "This situation [in Haiti] which is so sad is forcing all of us to be quicker to implement something of great need while people are ready to help," says Skinner adding, "this is something that will help a lot of places, and a lot of people."
Hecker notes that despite being originally earmarked for hurricanes, the containers' "unibody" construction "are also very good in seismic zones and exceed structural code in the United States and any country in the world."
Creating a Home from SEED
The way he describes it, the container is simply cut in a few strategic places to allow for airflow and light while it is still in the port, then transported to the site for further modifications such as a coated with ceramic paint for insulation and fitted with wooden shipping pallets that act as "pods" for bathing and cooking.
Christensen explains that at 320 square feet, the containers are roughly equivalent to what many islanders are used to. "Extended families of 6 to 12 people often live in 200-to-400-square-foot spaces," she says.
Additionally, the containers are augmented with another surplus item: 55 gallon drums fitted with an interior slip to protect against leaching. On the roof of the container they become the real "seeds" of the project" filled with dirt and planted for "emergency food restoration." Christensen says other surplus items such as old tires can also be made into raised beds for growing food.
She says the ability to restore people to homes in their neighborhoods that they can be proud of--brightly painted, secure, and sustainable- strengthen communities. The fears raised by the toxicity of the trailers FEMA provided to the victims of Hurricane Katrina would not be a factor. It would also cut down on looting.
Growing a SEED Home
But even Skinner admits that logistically, getting these homes to Haitians is going to be a complex task.
The main port in Haiti, in Port-au-Prince sustained considerable damage according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Port cranes may be submerged in the water, cargo containers have been tossed on their sides, and an oil spill--possibly caused by a broken pipeline--has fouled the harbor's waters, according to the Miami Herald. However, a Reuters report on January 18 said the U.S. military planned to have the port opened in 2-3 days. The accompanying photo illustrates the damage, but you can also see a good quantity of containers stacked by the shore.
This is exactly what the SEED team believes could be the beginning of hope for displaced Haitians.
Skinner says, "We are working to get shipping companies on board to donate their empty containers already in Haiti, and governments that have sent containers with goods for the relief effort and neighboring ports could also donate." She says the are also looking for a company to donate or set up the equipment needed to modify the containers at the port.
"We will probably put a team together but we need help," underscores Skinner. "It is a huge, but could also be a simple task, if all entities get coordinated."
The auto industry may be on the skids, but technological "advances" keep on coming. So while we are driven to distraction with in-dash tweeting and all manner of GPS and fuel efficiency diagnostics, Fast Company took a look back at some tech that debuted in the past few years to see how those innovations have (or haven't) held up.
SmartCar's Paddle Shifters
How they work: Manual transmissions ordinarily mean a 5-speed stick shift on the floor. In the Smart Fourtwo, the shifter(s) are paddles on the steering wheel. The recent upgrade to the transmission software has made it possible to go from the automatic mode to standard just by holding the right shifter in for a second longer than one would for a shift. So, no longer does the driver need to take the manual gear shift and move it from mode to mode to change shifting options.
The problem: Other cars you'll spot this in? Ferrari F430s and Formula 1 race cars. Askmen.com offered a shriveling observation, "You just don't need this feature in a 71-horsepower car. Another 71 horsepower, please, yes; paddle shifters, no."
What drivers say: Shanna Trenholm, a former moderator at the national SmartCar forum, begs to differ. "I find when I drive, especially if I need to get out in traffic, I will change from automatic to standard mode with the tap of the paddle shifter. It's quite responsive, and fun," she says.
The bottom line: Trenholm believes the feature keeps the driving active, "something that most people traveling in two-ton Barcaloungers-on-wheels forget that driving should be. We should be awake and aware when operating a motor vehicle, not lulled into relaxation with all the comfort features of a living room."
Lexus Advanced Parking Guidance System
How it works: The Lexus LS 460 L's Intuitive Parking Assist/Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) was both a design milestone and a leap forward for automated cars. Drivers who want to parallel park simply position their car side-by-side another, ahead of the selected space. Then, put the car in reverse to activate the backup camera. By pressing okay, braking, and taking their hands off the steering wheel, he backup camera, ultrasonic sensors, and electric motors in the vehicle's power steering system maneuver the car into the space automatically.
The problem: The base price of Lexus LS 460 that comes with the Advanced Parking Guidance System is over $65,000. One wonders how often the owner of a luxury vehicle finds it necessary to personally shoehorn their sedan into a curbside space. According to Brad Moon, general sales manager of Lexus of Greenville, the feature is not as popular in South Carolina as it would be in other places. "There's not much need for parallel parking here," says Moon adding that the biggest hurdle is consumer mindset. "People are leery to let the thing back in by itself," he observes.
What drivers say: "The 'advanced parking guidance system' and the 'intuitive parking assist' were anything but," wrote Jay Shoemaker in a review for The Truth About Cars. "Aside from being slow and complex, there were occasions where I felt obligated to intercede, sensing imminent danger."
The bottom line: Over at Carconnection.com, Bengt Halvorson says simply, "some will find it helpful, but to others it's a gimmick," and advised skeptics to watch a few YouTube videos and decide for themselves.
Ford Flex's Fridge
How it works: In another move to make commuting as cushy as sitting in your living room, the Ford Flex offers an honest-to-goodness refrigerator as an add-on (around $800) to the vehicle which has a base sticker price of just over $28,000. A compressor creates chilled liquid that can lower the temperature of a beverage 41 degrees F in two and a half hours. It has a freezer option that can chill to 23 degrees. The whole thing can hold about 7 12-ounce cans.
The problem: The size and shape. It fits between the second row of seats and it is small. Popular Mechanics observes, "the cooled area has a curved shape that will keep some items from fitting."
The bottom line: Michael Anselmo, general manager of Five Star Ford in Scottsdale says that while the fridge isn't selling like hotcakes, he estimates it is in about 60 percent of the Flexes he sells. "It's mostly for soccer moms who want a sharper looking car than a minivan," he says, the fridge just facilitates carrying water for the team.
What drivers say: Stocking up on beverages for his family on their 10-day trek through the withering heat of the southwest, Kevin Heslin of New York says, "I wasn't convinced it was all that useful. It definitely was too small for our vacation in Arizona, and I don't think it would be of much use on short trips either when the drive would be finished before the drink would have time to warm up."
Prius Fuel Efficiency Graphing
How it works: An internal gauge acts as an energy monitor and provides fuel consumption history and a hybrid system indicator, along with the odometer with twin tripmeters and cruise information that measures average fuel economy, average speed and distance to empty.
What drivers say: Caissie St. Onge, a Prius owner in Westport, CT, doesn't agree. She says, "Once you learn the driving habits that negatively affect your mileage, you get in the habit of doing them by feel and don't need to look at the screen."
The bottom line: It's not really an issue in the 2010 model as the graph is now in the dash-top instrument panel and no longer on the navigation screen.
Run-Flat Tires
How they work: Like their name, run-flats allow drivers to continue to drive despite air loss. The tires are self-supporting with very stiff sidewalls which create a hard ride. BMW 3 series, Toyota Sienna and Chevrolet Corvette are some of the cars that sport them and Dunlop, Bridgestone, and Michelin are manufacturers.
The problem: The technology that keeps the tire up when conventional ones would be sinking is not under manufacturer's warranty for very long --around 20,000 miles as opposed to 30,000-90,000 on others. When a new set is necessary after limited mileage, it comes with a hefty price tag of $800 or more.
What Drivers Say: Not one of the tech "advances" evoked as much vitriol as this one. In fact, several sources asked not to be named (probably because they were cursing so much). One who wasn't shy about making his point was Jeffrey Saad, chef and finalist on the Next Food Network Star. "My Mini had one" Saad tweeted. "Drove home at 60 mph and didn't realize it was flat until I got home." Saad was lucky. Being able to get home is a good thing. But if not if you exceed 50mph, the manufacturers' instruct. There are several reports of tires blowing out and catching on fire.
The Bottom Line: Michelin discontinued its PAX run-flats, but others are still available. Consumer Reports remains optimistic, saying their safety trumps any issues and technology is getting better while the price is coming down.
This morning I discovered after taking a 20-minute career assessment test on MyPath.com that, in addition to being a writer (a career I've built happily over more than a decade), I also possess the skills to be a teacher or a public speaker. It's certainly not as far-fetched as the results of a similar five-minute quiz I took on Careerpath.com, which indicated several, let's say, alternate jobs that also matched my skills and knowledge. They were ... wait for it ... coroner, economist, and electrical engineer.
I'll admit to being a lot of things, but proficiency in math is definitely not one of them, as anyone who is reasonably acquainted with me would agree. And last time I checked, being either an economist or an electrical engineer required more than a rudimentary knowledge of the multiplication tables. Dead bodies notwithstanding.
(Full Disclosure: I declined to take the test offered by Monster partner About U, which promised a 22-page report and an MP3 that would delineate my passions, all for the low price of $149.)
So for a free assessment with a small time investment, it would seem that the MyPath test had a better handle on who I am, even going to so far as to suggest, "You might want to be a little more generous in your assessment of your abilities."
Drilling down to those specifics is the whole point of MyPath, a career management Web site guided by Manpower, a $22 billion employment services organization. The site officially launches this week after the viral success of beta testing with 150,000 users and four years of research and development, according to Tammy Johns, senior vice president of global workforce strategy.
In an age of increasingly-personalized Web tools, Amy Bernstein, editor-in-chief of MyPath, is banking on the fact that by giving individuals the tools to know themselves, MyPath can serve up targeted career advice and relevant information to produce a more informed global workforce.
To this end, Bernstein explains that they've vetted everything from those assessments to webinars, articles, and continuing education courses before adding them to the mix. Johns particularly crows about the tests--developed by Harvard professors for Career Leader and already used by over 250,000 professionals--as well as articles by renowned industry professionals. Though it's a lot of content, "We're not trying to be Macy's, this is a boutique," she explains, "and you'll never get bombarded by job ads."
Which is not to say that job search is not a component of MyPath. It is. You get to it through a "back door" of sorts, says Jeff Joerres, Manpower's CEO, once you've navigated some of the content. "This is not a job board, there are already enough of those. MyPath has a holistic, longitudinal view; that is a very different lens."
As such, job search isn't as prominent as "Groups," the first choice on the top navigation bar. Communities were a driver of the initial research says Johns, detailing how Manpower reached out to their branch offices in five U.S and five European cities and discovered that what their clients really wanted was to connect with others on the same career path to network and learn.
"Does the world need another social networking site? Yes," asserts Joerres. He believes the future of social networking is micro-focused and points to MyPath's nascent, but growing, micro-communities of finance and accounting students and graduates, for example.
Joerres insists that MyPath is not trying to be a competitor of LinkedIn, rather he notes that LinkedIn had spawned targeted communities within the overall user group, and they are using some of Manpower's career assessment tools to enhance their own offerings. Like Microsoft's Toolbox, Joerres says the functionality improves the more the person uses it because the system stores the information to provide more targeted results.
With storage comes a privacy challenge. Joerres maintains that people can "be themselves" on MyPath as opposed to open job boards where individuals must guard what they say, given that potential employers can access their information. Berstein adds, "This is no Farmville," referring to the popular Facebook game that when played, automatically posts updates to the live feed letting friends and co-workers know when the person is slacking off.
Bernstein points out that while the tools are free, with the exception of Skillsoft's continuing education courses, there are no solicitations on the site either. "This is an honest attempt to help," she says. So MyPath, is like Twitter, with no apparent revenue stream?
Joerres says, "We see MyPath as a long-term strategy for developing the workforce by improving individuals' skills, connecting them to trusted content, and if desired, helping people find jobs. MyPath will help Manpower make money as a result of building a relationship with candidates and clients." It's worth noting that MyPath is initially catering to professionals in IT, engineering, and finance/accounting, key industries targeted for Manpower Professional's growth.
As Johns looks at an online landscape littered with the various social networking and recruiting platforms that have sprung up in the last few years, she says simply, "It's just a bunch of people until you give them the tools. I'd rather not have 50 million people [signing up arbitrarily] but for 3 million to come when they really need to."
Amid all those candles and evergreens, baked goods, freely pouring cocktails (and the promise of sneaking in a tax deduction) we humans are inclined to give to those less fortunate this time of year. But there isn't much incentive when paychecks have been cut or lost, investments dried up, and health care costs are more than ever. Even the most giving among us may be inclined to wonder: Why should I give?
Here's a compelling list of reasons why you should do good, especially in challenging economic times.
Because It's Good for Business
When carefully planned and managed, strategic philanthropy efforts can tackle important societal issues and at the same time enhance business success, yielding a double bottom line says Harvard professor V. Kasturi "Kash" Rangan in an interview for the Harvard Business Review. But don't just take his word for it. The 2008 Cone Cause Evolution Study has the numbers to back it up: 85% of American consumers have a more positive image of a company or brand that supports a cause they care about. And if your business wants to capture Millenials, there's even better news: 88% of 18-24 year olds would switch to a brand with a cause. Additionally, across age groups, causes helped consumers cut through the marketing clutter and make a purchase--38% of participants in the study bought a product associated with a cause last year.
Because It Can Boost Your Self Esteem
"Giving makes us feel capable, competent, and generous," says Dr. Ellen Langer, a professor in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. "It is important for our psychological well-being." As for the effects of the economic downturn on charitable giving, Dr. Langer says if people are withholding it is not so much about having less, but rather that for many this is the first time they are uncertain about how much they will have tomorrow. "There has always been a level of unpredictability, and it has a greater effect on the moneyed classes because they have more to lose." Conversely, Dr. Langer notes that those who had little to begin with tend to be more generous. "Money has different meaning to them."
Because People With Less Give More
In a study measuring monetary giving as a percentage of an individual's income, Arthur C. Brooks, author of Social Entrepreneurship found a surprising result: "It is low-income working families that are the most generous group in America, giving away about 4.5 percent of their income on average. This compares to about 2.5 percent among the middle class, and 3 percent among high-income families." The reasons for this were documented in a recent study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. "Among donors with income less than $50,000, the motivational statements that resonated were 'helping to meet basic needs,' or, 'helping the poor help themselves.'"
Because You Can Target Giving to Where It Does the Most Good
Wealthy philanthropists can afford to retain a private consultant to help decide where their donations will have the greatest impact. For the rest of us, there is GiveWell.net. Like a Consumer Reports of charitable organizations, GiveWell provides ratings for a variety of programs based on a cost/benefit analysis of their impact. Elie Hassenfeld, a co-founder of GiveWell, says, "The best way to accomplish good is to make an active and conscious decision about your gift." As such, he advises researching an organization to determine if your dollars will cost-effectively change lives.
Because Giving Is An Integral Part of America's Economic Fabric
Consider this: In 2008, amidst the worst economy since the Great Depression, charitable giving in the United States exceeded $300 billion, according to Giving USA 2009. "The fact that charitable giving was still more than 2 percent of GDP in 2008 is a bright spot in an otherwise negative climate for donations," said Nancy L. Raybin, chair of the Giving Institute.
What's more, on a per capita basis Americans give to causes and charities 3.5 times as much as the French, 7 times as much as Germans, and 14 times as much as Italians, according to Arthur C. Brooks.
Because It Will Help Keep the Strain off Government Funds
Investments in human services programs from individual donors and businesses may help offset the costs to federal and state government funded programs such as Medicaid. Adam Brickner, executive director of the Phoenix Center, says their programs to treat and prevent substance abuse help keep people out of the ER, court, and jail thereby saving taxpayer dollars. "The cost to the system increases the longer a person is addicted," says Brickner pointing out the additional drain on unemployment and welfare as well as lost wages to the overall economy.
Because It's a Wise Investment
Rhett Mabry, a vice-president of the Duke Endowment, believes that potential donors need to think about their charitable giving as an investment. "Cost benefit must be a part of the philanthropic process," he says. Research by James Heckman, a Nobel Laureate in Economics from the University of Chicago, and Art Rolnick, a Senior Vice President of Research for the Federal Reserve, and a member of the Fed's Open Market Committee, predicts a $3 return to the public treasury for every $1 spent on high-quality child development services to children in poverty. That is in addition to other benefits such as a 48 percent reduction in child abuse. "It saves society money in the resource-deprived state of our economy," says Mabry.
Because It Really Can Be an Investment
Microfinance is an option for those who'd like to give, and eventually get paid back. David Roodman, research fellow at the Center for Global Development says that a donation to a group such as Freedom from Hunger would even be tax-deductible. However, Peer-to-Peer lending organizations such as Kiva, are not, according to the IRS. Roodman maintains that it is still charity. "You take a significant risk (the microcredit lendee might default) and you earn no reward to compensate for that risk. If you do get repaid, and usually you will, you can recycle your money into a new loan," he says.
It's a safe bet that one of your doctors has an iPhone. But what you may not realize is that he or she is using it as part of your overall treatment. From reading APGAR scores to x-rays, there is a fascinating array of health-care tech available in app form. Some are created by savvy developers, while others are built out of necessity by the doctors. Currently, the FDA has no over-arching regulation in place for mobile medical apps, despite the fact that they have indicated in the past that under certain circumstances the iPhone may be considered a medical device and therefore regulated as one, according to a report by Brian Dolan on Mobihealthnews.
"Many medical imaging software applications are considered medical devices and, as such, are regulated by the FDA," says Justin Dearborn, CEO of Merge Healthcare. "FDA regulations mandate that rigorous processes must be followed during software development, productization, and maintenance." Dedicated resources, domain knowledge and familiarity with standards allow companies such as Merge to speed up the submission process, but approval varies by product and the process to get an app to market, as outlined on the FDA's Web site, is a rigorous one.
However, data mined by Mobclix, the industry's largest mobile ad exchange, shows record growth in health-care apps: 1,399 are currently available, up from just 616 in June. It will be interesting to see if this steady increase spurs the FDA to create special regulations just for medical apps. In the meantime, here are a few noteworthy downloads as prescribed by professionals for Fast Company.
What it does: Epocrates is a suite of apps that enable users to check medication dosing, interactions, whether the drug it's covered by the patient's health plan, and more.
What the professionals say: Adam Tanase DC, says the Interactions Check function allows him to add every medication a patient is taking. "It then cross-references them for possible drug interactions and side-effects. It's my job to find and eliminate the cause of a patient's health problem. If the cause of your headaches or dizziness is not due to a spinal problem, and instead is due to the side effects of your medication, I think it's important to know this right away. Epocrates plays a supportive role in helping me help others."
What it does: This quick reference to International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems codes (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) helps to classify diseases and a wide variety of signs, symptoms, abnormal findings, complaints, social circumstances and external causes of injury or disease.
What the doctors say: "Health-care providers must frequently scramble to come up with ICD9 codes for unusual or complex diagnoses in order to bill appropriately. ICD9 Consult is an excellent solution for those moments when you don't have time to consult a thick book or spend time seaching online for the right code. It allows you to easily search through the different codes or browse by type of disorder (infections, circulatory, respiratory, etc.) or procedure," says Joshua Schwimmer, MD, FACP, FASN.
What it does: Let's obstetricians monitor patients' statuses, such as baby's heartbeat, remotely. Requires the AirStrip fetal software suite to be installed at the hospital.
What the professionals say: As a solo OB/Gyn in a rural area, Susan Corbett, MD often has nights full of triage and laboring patients. "At least with AirStrip OB, I can minimize unnecessary trips to the hospital and more importantly, respond quickly to situations that need my attention," she says. "Often times, I can provide intervention and orders to the labor staff thereby decreasing the lag time between fetal changes and effective intervention. Many times I recognize changes in the tracing before the nurses have consulted me."
What it does: The SonoAccess™ application is a direct link to SonoSite with resources such as videos that demonstrate techniques for specific scanning procedures, quick guides for reimbursement information, and more.
What the professionals say: Brian Gill, president of GPS Medical, an ultrasound sales and service company, reviewed SonoAccess in his blog. Regarding the videos, he wrote, "The videos are helpful, however, many of the documents are quite difficult to read on the iPhone. They're PDF files that are also available on SonoSite's Web site, and you can look into the SonoSite Virtual classroom. It's much easier to read the documents on a larger computer screen than pinching-and-scrolling on the iPhone."
What it does: By keeping track of patients--when and why they were seen--this app assures that any daily visit, consult, or procedure charge is accounted.
What the professionals say: Necessity was the mother of invention for Camil Sader, MD, FACS, a general and laparoscopic surgeon. Aggravated by the fact that he had to copy long lists of patients daily from the day prior's list, he used his insight on the iPhone's capabilities and hired a coder to produce Dr. Rounds. Now he can walk around the hospital and can check off patients right from his phone, he tells CBS12-TV, without having to rely on a bunch of paper lists.
What it does: Physicians can e-prescribe as well as view patient allergies and problems, lab results, medication history and potential drug interactions directly from the iPhone or iPod touch.
What the professionals say: Amos Johnson, M.D., points out, "Today, interactions are so important between drugs, safety factors with allergies and patient illness. Things such as renal failure and liver failure need to be collated and monitored and when I write a simple prescription or send a patient for a simple test, I have to be aware of those factors. With time being a critical factor, a solution such as Care360 Mobile that does all of these things for me consistently and accurately is an important part of the care process."
What it does: Doctors can review a patient's summary while speaking with the patient on the iPhone, quickly access prescription details--including favorites and full medication search--and send up-to-date patient summary information directly to emergency rooms.
What the professionals say: This app has transformed the way Dr. Larry Glazerman, assistant professor and Director of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at the University of South Florida College of Medicine, practices outside of the office --and makes it safer. "When I get a call from a patient at 3 a.m., I no longer have to guess who she is, what medications she's on and what problems she has because I have all the information at my fingertips. If I need to send her to the ER, I can send my notes to the ER physician. I can also check my schedule and sign off on tasks virtually anywhere, at any time," he says.
What it does: The basic package allows EMS personnel to record the critical interventions during a cardiac arrest. Full Code Pro records every critical intervention from CPR, defibrillation or securing an airway to venous access, drug administration and patient packaging, in an instantly accessible and easy-to-use log.
What the professionals say: The company's Web site explains that the app was created by paramedics in one of the nation's most aggressive EMS systems. "With Full Code Pro, the paramedics, EMT-Bs, nurses, and EMS personnel can focus on patient care, critical interventions and achieving positive outcomes without sacrificing proper documentation. The reports generated by a cardiac arrest are among the most closely scrutinized in the business."
The numbers are in, and eBooks may very well be the bright spot in book publishing's dim future--but only if publishers can figure out a way to keep the momentum going.
EBook sales accounted for $46.5 million as of the end of September, according to the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF), but that number only represents trade eBook sales through wholesale channels. Retail numbers may be as much as double these figures due to industry wholesale discounts, says IDPF. It's a drop in the bucket for book sales overall, which amounted to about $1.26 billion for the month of September, according to the Association of American Publishers
(AAP).
What's most astonishing, though, is that eBooks have sold like hotcakes without a marketing or sales strategy. Publishers are moving quick to catch up as new digital innovations come to market.
"Everybody's awake now," says Mike Shatzkin, a 40-year industry veteran and founder of the
Idea Logical Company, a firm of digital publishing futurists. He lauds larger publishers such as Random House and Hachette for being way ahead in terms of the mechanics of getting eBooks to market. But one of the publishers' biggest problems, he says, is that their selling strategies are built around book formats, and not about the interests of the people reading those books.
Brian O'Leary, founder
of Magellan Media, a publishing industry consultancy, agrees that the approach to finding the eBookworms varies from publisher to publisher. For instance, he notes many of Hachette Book Group's titles have had simultaneous print, audio, and e-book versions that are marketed and sold using common campaigns.
HarperStudio's publisher, Bob Miller, acknowledged that their overall strategy so far, is integrated with their print program because many of their eBooks and digital audiobooks have traditional print versions. This from the HarperCollins imprint that rocked the publishing world recently when they announced a 50-50 profit-sharing deal with authors--a departure from the traditional 7% to 15% royalty-- and publishers of the multi-media "Vook" CRUSH IT!
Miller speculates that commercial fiction categories such as thriller, mystery, suspense, romance, and science fiction will continue to sell briskly in digital format. "Readers of these genres will continue to like the convenience and low cost of this format and are less concerned about having the physical book to keep on a shelf," he says.
But O'Leary suggests publishers such as HarperStudio would do well to take a page from the genre publisher's playbook. Though he's not advocating a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy, he notes that Harlequin has enjoyed much success by marketing short-form digital downloads for Nocturnal Bites separately, and recently announced the start of a digital-only imprint.
Indeed, Harlequin Enterprise Ltd.'s Brent Lewis, vice president of digital and Internet for Harlequin Enterprises Ltd., has been leading the strategic charge of Harlequin's digital publishing and marketing programs that now reach over 50 million readers in ebooks and digital audio, as well as on Harlequin's own site, in mobile distribution, and digital-only content.
Lewis' revealed Harlequin's not-so-secret ingredient in an interview with Fast Company last year: their consumers. "At Harlequin we have a very powerful brand that people have been very loyal and engaged to since the business began."
While Harlequin has its finger on the (ahem) throbbing pulse of its readers, it will be interesting to see what strategies evolve at Random House when industry vet and ex-Amazon employee Madeline McIntosh assumes the newly created position of President, Sales, Operations, and Digital on December 1. Her appointment will "unify their physical and digital sales efforts for adult, children's, and international titles, distribution, publishing operations, IT, and corporate digital-publishing capabilities in an interconnected team," according to a statement from Markus Dohle, Random House chairman and CEO.
They managed to pull out a blockbuster under current leadership. Crain's New York Business reported sales of Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol sold 100,000 e-books its first week out, or about 5% of total sales for the book. September ebook sales at Random House (much of which are presumably The Lost Symbol) pulled in $22.6 million, which is a 700% increase over Kindle sales last year. While every month can't be a Dan Brown blow-out, a good marketing strategy to find and retain loyal readers will help shore up the revenue model.
Right now, Shatzkin says eBooks are more profitable than print because there is no physical inventory, and in many cases the publisher has negotiated lower royalty payments (and other than the aforementioned specific instances, no one seems to have a marketing plan). As such, he believes Amazon, proprietors of the Kindle eReader, is subsidizing publishers for digital editions because the price they are paying up front for a digital edition is the same as for the print version.
O'Leary believes this too, will change. As publishers gain experience and sales grow, the cost of creating them will fall. "In the last year retail prices for e-books have been set lower than their print counterparts. If those lower prices stick, they will leave little room for retailer or publisher profitability under the traditional publishing model," he adds.
Yet Shatzkin wonders whether good marketing strategies and proper branding of digital books won't keep them from being cost prohibitive to the consumer. "There is plenty out there to read that's free. Will the public plunk down $25 for Ted Kennedy's eBook?" he asks, then responds, "I think it will take a while to answer that question."
When does free Wi-Fi, a selection of $5 entrées, and hip décor fail to draw a throng of eager diners? When it's a mom-and-pop eatery owned and operated by locals, for locals (or anyone who wants to feel like a local). The problem faced by many of these earnest endeavors is that despite trying various promotions to attract customers, the way the big chains do, they don't have the resources to reach them. Combine that lack of resources with overall tightening of consumers' wallets and it's a wonder any independent restaurants are still open for business.
But some are beating the odds.
Kokopelli Mexican Cantina, for one. The family-owned restaurant has been serving southwestern fare in Prairie Village, Kansas, for just over five years. At the end of 2009, in the midst of a lingering recession, Kevin Lyman says they will have an 8% increase over last year. "We are up 18% total spent from 2007," he adds. What's their secret sauce? "I owe all this to our rewards program through Original Restaurants," he declares.
Lyman's restaurant is part of a network of locally owned establishments called KC (Kansas City) Originals. The umbrella organization Original Restaurants was started in 2007 by Kermit Austin, an entrepreneur with years of experience developing rewards programs for restaurants and retailers. By developing a software program called PowerCard, the organization helps grow groups of locally owned restaurants in smaller metro areas through marketing programs, Rewards Card Programs, and customer satisfaction management. Independents can't (and don't want to) deliver consistently in terms of standard menus, pricing, and décor like the large chains. But by banding together under the Original Restaurants program, they can take advantage of different ways to attract and retain loyal customers the way the chains do.
The program also helps position some of the restaurants to stay competitive when the chains move in, says Austin. Most see an increase in the bottom line, Austin says: "The bump averages between 2% and 5%. Restaurants that take advantage of the email tools, birthday postcards, etc., get a better return, but even at 2%, it builds business."
The success of Kansas City Originals, spurred the creation of others in Birmingham, Louisville, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, and Columbia, SC. Austin says the six Originals now account for 147,000 Rewards Card members pouring $3.5M per month into a network of 212 locally owned restaurants. Expansion plans include launching groups in Charlotte and Phoenix in January. "We'll go in with a city-wide group and as it grows, we'll split them in to neighborhood groups," he explains.
Ultimately, Austin says the goal of Original Restaurants is to raise awareness. "These restaurateurs capture each community's flavor and unique personality. They stimulate the economy, support local charity initiatives, and offer employment opportunities within local communities. Not to mention these groups are passionate about food. Diners get great food, and a great deal. It's a win-win for everyone."
Aspiring authors check your Twitter feed. Are you witty? Are you providing a fresh perspective on something that's hot right now? Can you make your 140 characters sing with all the abbreviated elegance of a budding Bard? If so, you may be one of the lucky plucked from the millions of tweeps in the micro-blogosphere by an agent ready to make a deal.
Agents on Twitter
On Twitter, and soon maybe in real life, comic grammar and usage may outstrip the need to know if it's ever okay to mix dashes and colons. And why not when @fakeAPStylebook offers the helpful, "Do not combine a dash and a colon. It will open a portal to the Lost Tomb of Colonel McCormick," while proffering a giggle, "Also, it looks like a tiny dong." Dispensing such abbreviated witticisms earned Fake AP Stylebook a horde of loyal followers in just two short weeks. And not long after that, agreed to be represented by literary agent Kate McKean.
Kate McKean has been an agent for four years, and has spent most of that time with the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc., in New York. She says she "goes where the writers are" to search for fresh voices, often directly contacting potential authors she finds on the Web. Twitter was also her vehicle for signing Alan Beard and Alec McNayr. Their book, Historical Tweets, is due from Villard in April 2010.
Of Fake AP Stylebook, McKean says simply, the content is good and "It speaks to a specific market." What market in particular? "A market of word and writing geeks." Grammar and humor both have shelf space on the shelf in a traditional bookstore, McKean adds, and it helps that both are established markets--but also emerging ones. "There are a lot of ideas that don't have that kind of space on the shelf."
McKean admits she gets queries via Twitter, but she's not biting. Ironically, she prefers to receive solicitations through the more traditional channels of email and snail mail. Also, she wants to make it clear that she's not just looking for funny and quirky. She's looking for contemporary fiction, non-fantasy young adult (no vampires, please), crafts, and sports--with an emphasis on talent and passion. Oh, and make sure you have a platform (a large following doesn't hurt either). "That wins out over, 'look I'm trying to be funny,'" she says.
Byrd Leavell, who has spent nearly a decade discovering literary lights with the Waxman Agency, is no stranger to playing an agent in the vein of 007. He made his latest coup sleuthing with a tweet of his own, trying to find the writer behind the stream @shitmydadsays. It wasn't easy, says Leavell, because he didn't list his real name and was only following LeVar Burton.
Still it all unfolded quickly. "I spent an hour reading it, and then the next two hours trying to track the author down. But he saw my tweet, sent me a direct message, hit it off right away, and started working on the proposal the next day," says Leavell.
Leavell points out that it helped that the mystery tweep was Justin Halpern, a senior editor at Maxim.com, who not only knew his way around a sentence but who also had a large following.
"As soon as I read Justin's feed it was clear that what he was doing was funnier than anything I'd read in months and was hitting a nerve--300K followers couldn't be wrong. From that point it was simply a matter of figuring out how to package it in a book that made sense," explains Leavell. Halpern's book will be published by It Books in time for Father's Day, and, astonishingly, will also be made into a television sitcom by CBS.
Though he's kicking himself for not snagging Fake AP Stylebook, Leavell says he'll continue to look for undiscovered work in his favorite genres, narrative non-fiction and humor, on Twitter. He agrees with McKean though--no matter what the subject, "It has to work in the marketplace. It can't just be navel gazing. You have to ask, 'Would I spend $20 on this?' and the answer must be yes."
Publishers on Twitter
Publishers are also reaching out to potential new authors through Twitter. When George Plumley responded to a tweet from Matt Mullenweg, co-creator of WordPress, he didn't know that Carol Long, Executive Acquisitions Editor at Wrox Press/Wiley Publishing, was looking for a book. Plumley says he'd never even considered writing a book, but less than a month later Long had inked a deal with him to publish WordPress 24 Hour Trainer, due out this month.
Like McKean and Leavell, Long points to Plumley's feed as being professionally written and enjoying a large following. As for trying to skip over the agent, Long says that though Plumley did get representation, "It's ALWAYS great to conscribe talent for writing technical books w-o an agent, as you can qualify tech people more easily."
A Cautionary Tale
Brandon Mendelson, the self-proclaimed "Most Followed Non-Brand, Non-Celebrity, Non-Media Outlet On Twitter (for now)" recalls that he'd been working on one of the first Twitter novels in English when he was approached by a few agents. It would be enough to make the heart of any would-be novelist sing. But Mendelsohn smelled a rat. "The first one wanted to charge me, which is the first sign you should chase them back into the woods with a hand grenade," he says--tongue firmly planted in cheek. Several others couldn't provide references. Mendelsohn notes that these "agents" were also not members of the Association Of Author's Representatives (AAR). "It is not as cool as being part of the fellowship of the rings, but it's a must have," he says about the organization.
In the meantime, Mendelsohn is continuing to work the old-fashioned way, one entry at a time, for his book Dracula and Kittens. With a twitter following of more than 900,000, he's confident he's doing all he can to attract a legitimate offer. "It's incredibly hard to find a publisher for fiction as a new author, which is why I took the easy way and co-opted Bram Stoker's novel," he quips.
So for him and other hopefuls, McKean maintains, "Twitter is all about writing. You are forced to use language well and hone your skills to make it brief. Whether you'll get a book deal from Twitter, well maybe not. But it's one more outlet that I look at as an agent."
Cost: $59.99
Cost: $4.99
Cost: $.99
Amid all those candles and evergreens, baked goods, freely pouring cocktails (and the promise of sneaking in a tax deduction) we humans are inclined to give to those less fortunate this time of year. But there isn't much incentive when paychecks have been cut or lost, investments dried up, and health care costs are more than ever. Even the most giving among us may be inclined to wonder: Why should I give? 
EBook sales 
Miller speculates that commercial fiction categories such as thriller, mystery, suspense, romance, and science fiction will continue to sell briskly in digital format. "Readers of these genres will continue to like the convenience and low cost of this format and are less concerned about having the physical book to keep on a shelf," he says. 
When does free Wi-Fi, a selection of $5 entrées, and hip décor fail to draw a throng of eager diners? When it's a mom-and-pop eatery owned and operated by locals, for locals (or anyone who wants to feel like a local). The problem faced by many of these earnest endeavors is that despite trying various promotions to attract customers, the way the big chains do, they don't have the resources to reach them. Combine that lack of resources with overall tightening of consumers' wallets and it's a wonder any independent restaurants are still open for business.
The success of Kansas City Originals, spurred the creation of others in Birmingham, Louisville, St. Louis, the Twin Cities, and Columbia, SC. Austin says the six Originals now account for 147,000 Rewards Card members pouring $3.5M per month into a network of 212 locally owned restaurants. Expansion plans include launching groups in Charlotte and Phoenix in January. "We'll go in with a city-wide group and as it grows, we'll split them in to neighborhood groups," he explains.
Kate McKean has been an agent for four years, and has spent most of that time with the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency, Inc., in New York. She says she "goes where the writers are" to search for fresh voices, often directly contacting potential authors she finds on the Web. Twitter was also her vehicle for signing 
Byrd Leavell, who has spent nearly a decade discovering literary lights with the Waxman Agency, is no stranger to playing an agent in the vein of 007. He made his latest coup sleuthing with a tweet of his own, trying to find the writer behind the stream 
