英語書籍：Soup（１）節選

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***** 英語書籍：Soup 簡介ZT *****

Only a few months into her new job, Nancy wondered whether
or not she should have said yes to the CEO position at
Soup, Inc. Sales were declining, bankruptcy and takeover
rumors were swirling, and employee morale had never been
lower. The company had lost both flavor and heat; and
nobody likes lukewarm soup. How was Nancy going to turn it
around?

Sometimes the answer you need is right in front of you. On
a lunch break, Nancy steps into Grandma's Soup House, a
little place she hadn't noticed before, and happens upon
an unexpected source of inspiration. New from the
bestselling author of "The Energy Bus" and "Training Camp,"
"Soup" tells the "stirring" story of how Nancy discovers
the key ingredients to revitalizing her company, her team,
and herself.

A recipe for success for anyone in any position, "Soup"
delivers the powerful message that the quality of your
career, business, and team is determined by the quality of
your relationships.
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SOUP: A RECIPE TO NOURISH YOUR TEAM AND CULTURE by Jon Gordon
INTRODUCTION

When I think of soup, I think of my grandmother. She loved to cook,
and food and love were one and the same to her. When she cooked, she
wasn't just making a meal. She was pouring out the love in her heart
and sharing this love with her family. When we ate her food, we
loved her back. And no soup, no matter who made it, ever tasted as
good as hers. Her love made the difference.

I've discovered that who stirs the pot has an impact on what's in
the pot. For example, did you know that some wine experts can
determine the personality of a winemaker simply by tasting the
wine? There is a common challenge experienced by chefs I call the
"stirring-the-pot phenomenon." No matter how carefully different
chefs follow the same recipe, the final product always varies a
little bit because we can't separate who stirs the pot from what's
in the pot.

The same is true in business and in every aspect of life. Every day
you are stirring the pot of life, and the most important ingredient
you can put into your soup is you. Your love, optimism, trust,
vision, communication, authenticity, appreciation, and passion make
life delicious, and the relationships you create at work and at home
determine the substance and quality of your soup.

In my work with countless businesses, professional sports teams,
hospitals, and school districts, I've seen firsthand how one person
who grabs the spoon and decides to stir the pot can make a
difference. One person who decides to bring out the best in others
by sharing the best within him or herself can transform teams and
organizations.

My hope is that in reading this book, you will decide to be that
person--that by your example, you will lead your company, your team,
your family, your classroom, your hospital. That you
will invest in others and create engaged relationships that foster
teamwork and create a culture of greatness.

Soup is meant to be enjoyed together. So, let us read together,
learn together, eat together, lead together, and create success
together.

Enjoy!


CHAPTER ONE
Hungry

Nancy's stomach growled as she walked with Brenda toward their
favorite lunch spot--a burrito joint with dirty floors, old
furniture, and cheap, oversized burritos. After a long morning
analyzing spreadsheets, reading reports, and engaging in heated
discussions that lasted well into the lunch hour, Nancy was tired,
hungry, and in need of food...quickly.

She didn't want to think about the bad news the spreadsheets
revealed. She didn't want to worry about the reports anymore. And
she didn't want to talk to one more person about the future of her
company. All she wanted to do was eat. Yet instead of turning left
into the burrito joint, she grabbed Brenda's arm and whispered,
"Keep walking." Her intuition was stronger than her hunger, and it
told her that the man with the mustache in the blue suit was
following them.

"What's the matter?" Brenda asked, as Nancy began to jog instead of
walk.

Nancy pointed and nodded toward the man following them.

"Again," Brenda said.

"Yes, again. Come on. Let's lose him," Nancy said as she grabbed
Brenda's arm and they ran down the street. Moments later, they came
to an intersection, turned left, made a quick right, and then took
the next left, zigzagging their way through downtown, hoping to
lose their pursuer.

The first time Nancy realized that someone was following her, a few
months ago, it terrified her. She'd called her hu*****and, a retired
police officer, in a panic, only to learn at her board meeting
later that day that it was probably some form of corporate spying.
"More like idiot espionage," she thought. She was told it came with
the job of being the newly appointed CEO of a company that everyone
was watching. With its stock price in the tank, revenue falling,
and rumors swirling, the company was a likely acquisition target,
which meant that business reporters, investors, potential
acquirers, and powerful businesspeople were doing their due
diligence on the company, and it also meant that they wanted to
know more about the new CEO.

Her life wasn't in jeopardy, but her privacy was, and Nancy didn't
like it one bit. She did whatever it took to keep the prying eyes
out of her life, even if it meant forgoing mouthwatering burritos
and running through downtown streets. Thankfully, her effort paid
off, and when Nancy and Brenda stopped in the middle of the street
and looked around, their pursuer was nowhere in sight. They had
lost him, and now it was time to eat. But where?

所有跟帖： 

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• cicila,thanks for your wonderful comments. -紓珈- ♀ (256 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 18:46:02

• The Great Gatsby 是我山大精讀課的教材 -simplex- ♀ (37 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 21:09:34

• 哪一級的，報上名來？哈哈。 -非文學青年- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 22:23:28

• 66年上的大學，70年畢業。專攻英文 -simplex- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 22:30:20

• 真的假的呀？ -非文學青年- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 23:53:15

• 這裏山大的不少。原因是山大沒把學生教好。學生畢業後還要補習英文，哈哈哈 -simplex- ♀ (54 bytes) () 05/24/2011 postreply 00:36:08

• 少壯不努力，老大補英文啊！ -非文學青年- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/24/2011 postreply 07:37:23

• The Great Gatsby Vocab - Chap 1 這個有讀音 -cicila- ♀ (1437 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 18:01:22

• cicila,這個詞匯表真是及時雨，太好了，謝謝你。 -紓珈- ♀ (339 bytes) () 05/23/2011 postreply 18:41:04