212 the Extra Degree [Unknown Binding]

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• ASIN: B00182WLF6
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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

63 of 76 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?

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 212: THE EXTRA DEGREE by Sam Parker is a short book that has a lot of meat in its relatively few pages., December 9, 2009

By 

Blaine Greenfield "eclectic reader" (Belle Meade, NJ) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

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

212: THE EXTRA DEGREE by Sam Parker is a short book--make that,

a very short one--that has a lot of meat in its relatively few pages.

You may have seen its basic premise; e.g., in an email that's

been widely circulated on the Internet (without giving proper

credit to Parker):

* At 211 degrees, water is hot.

At 212 degrees, it boils.

And with boiling water, comes steam.

And with steam, you can power a train.

One degree.

Applying one extra degree of temperature to water means the difference

between something that is simply very hot and something that generates

enough force to power a machine--a beautifully uncomplicated metaphor

that ideally should feed our every endeavor--consistently pushing us to

make the extra effort in every task, action and effort we undertake.

Two-twelve serves as a forceful drill sergeant with its motivating and

focused message while adhering to a scientific law--a natural law. It

reminds us that seemingly small things can make tremendous

differences. 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 like how Parker then expands this premise through a series

of thought-provoking facts, including this one:

* Two of auto racing's premier events are The Daytona 500

(stock car) and the Indianapolis 500 (formula one). Each takes

roughly three to three and half hours to complete. In the 10-year

period between 1997 and 2006, combining all 20 races, the winner

took the checkered flag by an average margin of 1.71 seconds and

took home $1,426,003 in first place prize money. The average

prize for the second place finisher was $716,464--a difference of

$709,539 - roughly half of the amount banked by the winner.

The author also offers a series of action steps you can take, such as:

* Eliminate one half hour of television watching each day and get

182.5 hours each year to allocate elsewhere (equivalent to four and

half weeks at work).

And he concludes with several reflections that will get you

thinking about life . . . I particularly liked the following:

* Complaining once less a day chokes off 365 seeds of negativity

a year.

As the holidays approach, methinks 212 would be the perfect

stocking stuffer for almost anybody on your list--including your

children and grandchildren, as well as nieces and nephews, who

could all gain from Parker's valuable insights.