212: The Extra Degree [Paperback]

Sam Parker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2005

212° the extra degree captures the essence of excellence in an unforgettable way... At 211° water is hot. At 212°, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. The one extra degree makes the difference. In the original 212° the extra degree softcover, the simple 212° concept is illustrated through a clear introduction and then supported by a series of thoughts, examples, and facts that will help you absorb the 212° mindset. Its purpose is to inspire the extra level of effort that produces exponential results. Let 212° become a part of everyone's vocabulary. This book will encourage anyone who reads it to give that extra degree of effort...the extra degree that will produce exponential results.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sam Parker is a cofounder of Give More Media Inc.-publisher of JustSell.com (an online resource for sales leaders) and Sam s other books including Smile & Move, Cross The Line, SalesTough, and Love Your People. Before Give More, Sam sold products and services in several different industries. A native of the Washington, D.C. area, he now lives in Richmond, Virginia, with his wife, Jennifer (an artist), and their three children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: The Walk the Talk Company; 2 edition (May 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885228678
• ISBN-13: 978-1885228673
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 5.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #32,359 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've got 3 kids and 1 lady. Two of the kids are teens so I'm a bit moody at the moment.

I'm a co-founder of Give More Media Inc. -- a group of people committed to helping people care more about making good things happen (at the office and in life). We publish JustSell.com (tips & tools for sales leaders) and many other sites. We also have an online store at www.GiveMore.com where we sell the books below and the training material and gear we've developed around the themes.

I wrote...

- Smile & Move® (a reminder to happily serve)
- 212º the extra degree® (how a little extra effort can make all the difference)
- Cross The Line™ (about making a choice to commit to whatever we choose to do)
- Love Your People® (a reminder to care for people)
- SalesTough™ (the 8 fundamentals of being tough in sales - coauthored this one)

Everything I've written so far can be read in under 30 minutes. For some reason, I'm obsessed with short content. So much so, I've also written a bunch of pocket cards (a few that stand on their own and several that work with my books and booklets... see GiveMore.com).

I'm originally from the Washington D.C. area (Annandale, VA then Arlington, VA). In the summer of 2001, we moved to the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia (say that with a bit of drawl, it's more fun). We love it here but we'd prefer to be living in the cool downtown area rather than suburbia (hum... drum). I know... Stop complaining.

"A burning passion coupled with absolute detachment is the key to all success."

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948)
Indian activist

I like that but have a problem with the detachment piece.

I write, post, and tweet all over the place. My more personal things are found at http://www.JustParker.com but I'm starting to notice a lot of overlap and trying to think of the best way to bring it all together.

You can email me at Sam at JustParker.com or call me in Richmond, VA at 804-762-4500 ext. 303.

No D-grunts. No Gomos.

LUKSA

(ask me and I'll tell you)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Save your money, September 20, 2006

By 

K. Gordon - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 212: The Extra Degree (Paperback)

SL Parker writes on page four of this charming little pamphlet "So simple is the analogy, that you can stop reading right now, walk away with the opening thought firmly planted in your mind and benefit from it for the rest of your life." I'm not sure about the life-long benefits, but I agree that, had I stopped right then & there, I wouldn't have missed a thing.
Big fonts, bigger margins, poor writing & not even a particulary interesting premise. Most of the passion of the book falls in the last few pages where you are enticed to buy copies of the book by the 100's and give them to everyone you know. Let me save you $10. What Mr. Parker wants you to know is this: If you want something, work for it. Hard. That's it. And it's free.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have, August 23, 2005

By 

G. Fechter (West Palm Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 212: The Extra Degree (Paperback)

This small, simple book is a must have for everyone. Its profound principle about going "the extra degree" easily applies to the professional and personal parts of our lives. It spread through our organization in just weeks and has become part of the vernacular. When we talk about setting goals, we ask the question: Is it 211 or 212?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Motivational Book for you and your friends/family/coworkers, March 10, 2009

By 

Deborah Crawford "Writer, Trainer, Walker, Sm... (Memphis, TN) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 212: The Extra Degree (Paperback)

212 The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson is a small book with some big ideas and a great way of simplifying the notion of taking action and achieving more.

The premise is:

"At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive."

So, it's about the power of one degree, or that tiny bit of extra effort that can make all the difference in our lives.

It's about raising your awareness and understanding that one extra bit of effort, one additional bit of action, can totally change your results. To that end, they have included some quite interesting stories, statistics and quotes throughout the book.

Some of these you will be familiar with, particularly if you are a student of motivational literature. But, some, you might find worth learning about.

One of these is that the average margin of victory in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500 over the last ten years has been 1.54 seconds (how quick is that?) and that the winner--the driver who got there 1.54 seconds faster than the one behind him won more than double the prize money. That's an expensive couple of seconds.

The book is divided into five sections/chapters.

1--Introduction - What 212 degrees is all about.
2--Thoughts and Facts--quotes and examples that illustrate the concept.
3--Stories about Success, Attitude, Leadership, Kindness, Commitment, Belief, Focus and Perseverance.
4--Actions. Sample action steps which will help you heat things up to 212.
5--Reflections. Information about using the 212 information to improve your life--with examples on such ideas as practicing kindness, stopping complaining, and more.

Maintaining motivation can be difficult. Inertia overtakes us and we dig ourselves a rut and hunker down in it, or we burn ourselves out trying to do and be everything and dig ourselves a hole and crawl in. Having resources like this book on hand can help you climb back out and get back to work on what you are supposed to be doing. Then, you'll find yourself climbing mountains and raising the bar. The view is so much better up there!

This book and/or DVD are great for gifts, too--particularly graduations, or for people just starting new adventures such as new jobs, new businesses, enrolling in college, or training for a marathon or 5K.