Books

In this category you will find an overview of my published Books as well as the new releases of the M. Schall Verlag. Practical reference books and guides from various fields are presented - from ERP software and digitization about Health up to Personal development and crisis management. All titles are available as Print edition are available in bookshops and are aimed at readers who appreciate comprehensible information, clear structures and practical solutions. Here you can gain an insight into the content, background and variety of topics of the published works.

From content to substance: how digital systems are created that cannot be copied

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System instead of individual content

When you move around in the digital space today, you very quickly get a certain impression: if you are visible, you are successful. If you have reach, you have influence. And if you produce a lot of content, you automatically build up something. This equation seems plausible at first glance - but it is deceptive. Because visibility is not ownership. Reach is not ownership. And content is by no means a foundation.

A post can be read thousands of times and yet practically disappear after a few days. A social media post can go viral - and at the same time have no lasting effect. Even well-placed content in search engines is not automatically stable. They depend on algorithms, platform rules and developments that you have no control over.

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Digital ownership explained - How sustainable online assets are created

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What is digital property

For centuries, property was something very tangible. You could touch it, walk on it or hold it in your hand. A house, a piece of land, a workshop, books on a shelf or tools in a drawer - these were all things that could be clearly assigned. They belonged to someone, were visibly present and generally remained so even when political, economic or social circumstances changed.

This article explains what digital property is, what forms it takes and how digital property can be created, especially in today's AI age.

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Why distance is not a retreat - and how a freeze-out creates orientation

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Freezeout - distance in crises

When you are in the middle of a crisis, everything seems urgent. You have the feeling that you have to act immediately, speak immediately, decide immediately. And there is often a second feeling on top of that: If you don't keep at it now, everything will slip away. That's understandable. It's also human. But this is exactly where the mistake often begins.

Because closeness is not automatically clarity. Proximity can also mean that you are too close to see what is really happening. Just like you can't recognize a painting if your nose is stuck to the canvas. You then only see individual brushstrokes - and think they are the whole painting.

A freeze-out, properly understood, is nothing more than a step back. Not to run away, but to be able to see again.

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Using AI as a sparring partner: How thinking in dialog becomes more productive

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AI as a savings partner

I've been using artificial intelligence for almost exactly two years now. In the beginning, it was sober and technical: entering text, typing prompts, reading answers, correcting, retyping. The way many people did it - carefully, in a controlled manner, with a certain distance. It worked, no question. But there was still something mechanical about it. You asked questions, got answers, ticked them off.

I realized relatively early on that I was missing something: flow. Thinking is not a form. Good thoughts don't come from a corset of neatly formulated input, but from talking, trying things out, thinking aloud. So I started to use the AI app on my cell phone more often - and at some point I simply started speaking instead of typing. That was the real turning point.

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Corporate insolvency: A personal experience with a guide for times of crisis

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Guide to corporate insolvency

Looking back, it all started for me in 2007 with a business model that was surprisingly stable. I was selling refurbished Apple hardware and had a direct contact with Apple. More specifically, someone who was in charge of the refurbished department at the time. It wasn't an anonymous relationship, but a working relationship with clear agreements. The goods were in demand, the prices were realistic and the margins were solid - measured against what was to come later.

This model had a decisive advantage: it was flexible. The goods were cheaper to buy, the target group was price-sensitive but appreciative, and expectations were clear. Nobody expected high gloss, but function. This is often the healthiest phase for an entrepreneur: manageable costs, clear processes, few illusions.

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Permanent crisis as a normal state: How narratives distort our perception

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Permanent crisis, narratives

It's strange how certain developments creep up quietly and only reveal their full impact in retrospect. When I think about how I perceive the news today, I realize that my approach to it changed fundamentally more than twenty years ago. Since the turn of the millennium, I have hardly watched any traditional television news. It was never a conscious decision against something - more a gradual growing out of it. At some point, I simply realized that the daily bombardment of alternating doomsday scenarios was neither improving my life nor making my vision clearer.

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The Affinity graphics suite becomes free: What professional users need to know now

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Affinity graphics suite free of charge

If, like me, you have been working with layout and typesetting programs for decades, you usually notice such changes more clearly than those who have only recently entered this world. I have seen many things come and go over the years: In the early nineties, I worked on the Atari ST with Calamus SL and later, under Windows, with CorelDraw! Later came QuarkXPress, then iCalamus, Adobe InDesign - and finally, a few years ago, Affinity Publisher. Since then, the Affinity suite has accompanied me through almost all my book projects. Over the years, it has been a reliable tool, pleasantly straightforward, clearly structured and free of the ballast that many large software houses have added to themselves over the years.

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„The Magic Wall“: Two children's books that strengthen the courage of young readers

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Children's books by Jana Kollmann

At a time when many children's books seem fast-paced and are often designed for short-lived effects, it is worth taking a look at works that have been written with real attention to detail. Books that take the time to build a world that not only entertains young readers, but also conveys courage, imagination and inner strength.

This is exactly the kind of book Jana Kollmann writes - an author whose roots, life path and artistic influence are recognizable in every line.

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