Reviews (1)

From the book jacket:
Aaron Wildavsky's greatest concern, as expressed in his writings, is how people manage to live together. This concern may at first appear to have little to do with the study of budgeting, but for Wildavsky, budgeting made living together possible. Indeed, as he argues here, if you cannot budget, you cannot govern.

Budgeting and Governing gathers in one place a mass of material that otherwise would be lost in a wilderness of journals and edited volumes. With few exceptions, Wildavsky chose the articles in this collection. They are organized largely chronologically, so that the reader can trace the progression of his thought, which moved from studies of the American federal government, through comparative work, and on to placing budgeting within a broader theory of political culture.

Wildavsky wrote about budgeting because, in his words, "when a process involves power, authority, culture, consensus, and conflict, it captures a great deal of national political life." Wildavsky was interested in budgeting because of what it could tell us about the classic questions of politics: who gets what, how, and why? His earlier analyses focus narrowly on budgeting personnel and agency actors in answering these questions, while in his later work, the contending actors become sub-cultural types.

To Wildavsky, budgeting was about finding terms for living together in spite of ideological differences. Budgetary incrementalism helped to manage this otherwise unmanageable task. He thought synoptic budgeting and all related reforms would increase disagreement and raise the stakes, and so were unwise. Analysis had to serve politics, not try to displace it. ... Read more

Book Description

The successful evaluation of capital projects requires not only a thorough understanding of traditional techniques of capital budgeting but advanced techniques as well. Riahi-Belkaoui examines the multidimensionality of capital budgeting in its various facets and in ways that executives with no special facility in the subject can follow. He covers replacement decisions, capital rationing, capital budgeting under inflation uncertainty, capital budgeting in a multinational setting with attention to political risks, social project evaluation, and concepts of wealth measurement and distribution. The result is a wide ranging treatment for executive decision makers in finance, banking, investment, and general management, and for their colleagues with similar interests in the academic community. ... Read more

Book Description

Plan, budget and control all related business expenses and costs to achieve good financial results. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is more ambitious in its scope than originally intended. In the beginning we were simply attempting to write a textbook for use in our public budgeting and financial management course at the Naval Postgraduate School because we could not find another book that covered all that we wanted to teach to our students. However, as we wrote pieces of the book over a period of years, we realized that it would be possible and desirable to produce a book with much broader coverage and relevance.

Budgeting and financial management in the U.S. federal government is highly complex and highly differentiated, e.g., in the processes employed by the Executive branch versus those used by Congress. In this book we attempt to cover the processes of both the Executive and Congress and the relationships between the two. The book provides views from several perspectives, e.g., managerial and political. We attempt to provide readers with an understanding of how federal budget and financial management processes are supposed to operate. However, we then go a step further to show how these processes actually operate often in contrast to the intended template. Additionally, this book is intended to capture and combine the views of the academic and the practitioner, including those of the participants in the process. For the above reasons, we believe this work is unique relative to other books written in this topic area. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Book Review
I found this book really helpful. I started a new job where I was responsible for budgeting. This provided a nice refresher for me. ... Read more

Book Description

The corrolary relationship between strategic budgeting and strategic planning is explored and explained in this major analysis of strategic budgeting, and strategic budgeting in specific companies is compared and evaluated qualitatively. The author then introduces an innovative procedure of strategic budgeting and describes how to adapt it to these organization-specific examples. The design and development of strategic budgeting systems are described in detail, with particular emphasis on information-intensive industries, such as aerospace, artificial intelligence and computers. The application of strategic budgeting techniques to small businesses and government (federal and local) is also covered. Critical comparisons are made between Japan and the U.S., and several sample Japanese cases are presented here for the first time. ... Read more

Book Description

Two important events in 1997--the balanced-budget deal and thecompletion of the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)--promiseto shape U.S. military policy for the next several years.Unfortunately, they are at odds with each other.The balancedbudget accord will result in a real level of defense spending that is 8percent lower in 2002 than in 1998. But the proportionate cuts inpersonnel and weaponry that the QDR calls for are only about half thatsize. Moreover, the U.S. military is near the end of its so-called"procurement holiday" and will soon have to buy more equipment.Inthis study, Michael O'Hanlon suggests a way out of this budgetary fix. In contrast to the current U.S. military posture, built around arequirement to fight two Desert-Storm like wars at once, he offers analternative force structure organized around the concept of a "DesertStorm plus Desert Shield plus Bosnia/IFOR" requirement. O'Hanlon alsosuggests that naval operations be conducted more efficiently by leavingships on forward station for longer periods of time and rotating crewsby airlift.Finally, he argues for a number of selected economies inweapons modernization programs, together with some increases in areaslike strategic airlift, sealift, and transport helicopters. Theresulting force would save over $10 billion a year. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great Analysis
In this book, Michael O'Hanlon suggests a way out of this budgetary fix. In contrast to the current military posture calling for the United States to be capable of waging two Desert Storm-like wars at a time, he argues for a "Desert Storm plus Desert Shield plus Bosnia peacekeeping" capability as well as selected economies in weapons modernization programs to save a total of $15 billion a year. He is a great analyst and I would definitely recommend this book to be read. ... Read more

Book Description

The political consensus in the United States today is that the nation must avoid deficit spending. But as virtuous and unassailable as that goal sounds, it has fallacies and dangers. In a lucid, nontechnical writing style, Benavie shows that deficits can be either good or bad and explains how to tell the difference. Deficits, or government borrowing, can be beneficial to the nation's economic health, he shows, in three main ways. When the economy slumps, a deficit is automatically created and helps to reduce the severity of the recession. When the economy is seriously depressed, boosting the deficit may be the only cure, and deficits supporting such investments as basic research, cleaning up toxic waste, and rebuilding inner cities are crucial to the economic health of future generations. Preventing such borrowing would be comparable to preventing one's family from borrowing money to buy a house or to put a child through college. ... Read more

Book Description

This book explores key policy issues for the non-profit sector against a background of increasing competition, new public management and ever decreasing budgets. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

An important historical analysis of our political economy.
A well reasoned and factually based crtique of the historical record of Ronald Reagan, George Bush and William Jefferson Clinton. All three have served the interests of the wealthy and not the working people of the United States. Our economy is in danger because the wealthy do not wish to work and the working people are not in good wealth or health. A dose of democracy might do our system some good. A tax increase on the upper class would be a small step forward. This book needs to be read and we should heed its lessons. ... Read more

Book Description

As a busy business manager, would you like to spend less time budgeting, and learn more from the budgeting you do? If you answer yes, then Budgeting à la Carte is the book for you.

Most books on budgeting advocate a comprehensive, "seven course dinner" budgeting system. But unless you're the CEO of a major corporation, this is too much information—maybe way too much. What you need instead is Budgeting à la Carte: a menu of budgeting options that allows you to pick and choose only those items that suit your taste, appetite, and business situation.

Explained in detail by bestselling financial author John A. Tracy, this comprehensive resource covers the full range of budgeting procedures, including:

• Income Statements
• Balance Sheets
• Operating Ratios
• Profitability
• Cash Flow
• Price and Volume Tradeoffs
• Cost Allocations
• Capital Investments
• And more . . .

Budgeting, Tracy shows, is not an end in itself. It's a set of tools you can use to maximize financial performance and position. With Budgeting à la Carte, you'll control the tools, and you can decide just how much and what kind of budgeting is right for your business.

Also by John A. Tracy

HOW TO READ A FINANCIAL REPORT For MANAGERS, ENTREPRENEURS, LENDERS, LAWYERS, AND INVESTORS

"[If] you would like to have a minimal understanding of the numbers that make up a balance sheet, income, and cash flow statement . . . then How to Read a Financial Report might be just what you are looking for. Mr. Tracy's book explains in plain English the meaning of the major terms used in financial statements . . ."—The Wall Street Journal ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A useful book on management accounting
A concise yet very informative book for managers interested in running a business 'by the numbers'. It is written in a very practical and easy-to-understand manner. I utilize many of Tracy's ideas in my own job. The book deals not only with budgeting but with management reporting, break-even analysis, project anlysis, and accounting issues in both service and manufacturing enviroments. ... Read more

Book Description

"Jack Kaplan is an entrepreneur‘s entrepreneur. His book reflects his in-the-trenches experience and provides practical wisdom for anyone launching a company. Read this and get started right!"––Ray Smilor, Vice President, Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

"Jack is not only a successful entrepreneur, but also a student and teacher of entrepreneurship. Getting Started in Entrepreneurship is a guidebook of experience and wisdom from the inception of an idea to starting a business. This is an important book about the science of entrepreneurship."––Kevin O’ Connor, Chairman, DoubleClick Inc.

"If you want to start a business but have no time for an MBA, all you‘ll need is in this book. It‘s full of up-to-date, easy-to-understand information that will save you time and money. Don‘t put it on your shelf. Put it beside your bed for those sleepless nights that are part of the entrepreneurial journey."––Professor Murray Low, Executive Director, Eugene M. Lang Center for Entrepreneurship at Columbia Business School

"Jack brings a unique perspective to the world of entrepreneurship; his success in his own business has taught him what needs to be done to build a business; his years as a judge for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® award program have given him a close-up view of how others have succeeded; and his years as a business school professor have taught him how to organize, summarize, and share that knowledge. The road to entrepreneurial success starts here; read this book!"––Ralph A. Subbiondo, Partner, Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneurial Services Group ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Patterns of Entrepreneurship
This is a comprehensive book that is a must for learning the ropes of entrepreneurship. As a graduate of the MBA program at Columbia, I had a special entrepreneurial interest and focus. I am excited to see that Jack Kaplan has added another outstanding book to complement his other books on the subject. Jack is a true entrepreneur who knows what it really takes to succeed.

Beyond the theory, this book offers practical advice.
What sets Jack's book apart from other entrepreneurship manuals is the depth of practical advice firmly grounded in experience. It is rare to get such access to a serial entrepreneur's accumulated wisdom. Jack's advice has been equally valuable in the classroom -- he knows what he is talking about. I would recommend this book highly to anyone with an idea that wants to become a business.

The Entrepreneur's Bible
This book is invaluable. To the new entrepreneur, it is an easy to follow guide for starting a new business -- to the experienced entrepreneur, it is a handy reference for a wide range of topics. This is truly the entrepreneur’s "bible."

A must read for entrepreneurs
Through its broad scope and keen insights, Getting Started in Entrepreneurship provides indispensable advice for start up firms in today's dynamic marketplace. Our team has used the book as a reference guide for issues ranging venture capital consideration to business enterprise decisions.

Getting Started In Entrepreneurship
The book is great. It covers every issue from writing a business plan to preparing for a public offering. Also, the book is well written and easy to read so you can learn a lot very quickly. The book is also great for those who provide services to entrepreneurs because it addresses their important concerns. The book is definitely worth reading. Enjoy! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very basic, generic information
This is not a bad book - if you have had your head in the financial sand for the last 10 years.

If, however, you regularly read the business section then it is an overly simplified quick read that will benefit you nothing, except to show you how much you already knew. Each chapter of the book is basically a well written magazine article, giving general tips for life such as "get a credit card with the lowest interest rate" or "pay off your mortgage early to save interest costs" or "don't over insure yourself".

This would be a good book to give someone just graduating high school, but for anyone with the slightest financial sophistication, it is a waste of time.

Can One Find Bliss with Financial Stability?
Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered

Financial wisdom is not easy to come by. I prefer learning from Ken Marinace's nearly four decades of experience to learning from the school of hard knocks. Marinace is the financial planner for several of my friends and now that he has written a book, I, too, can partake of his astute advice.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Financial Bliss: Your Roadmap to the Worry-free, Secure Financial Future of your Dreams is Marinace's guide to achieving security. It is about as definitive as a guide can be and could be bested only by his personal attention to your monetary affairs.

One of the most valuable chapters is one that answers frequently asked questions. At first glance you might think you know the answers to many of them. They range from questions about securities (What are Class A,B and C shares?) to what appear to be questions that would be asked by only the most financially naive (What is the best way to save for college?). It is likely, however, that in each of them the most experienced business majors among us will find a pithy seed of information will help them plan their futures. I also appreciated the worksheets in the appendix and the author's review of the basics--a sort of reminder chapter that might be perused once a year just before taxes, say, or as part of each New Year goal-setting session.

When you stop to think of it, it is amazing how easy it is to get your own personal slice of Bliss.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards. Her newly released Harkening, also a collection of stories, has won three.) ... Read more

Amazon.com

If there was ever a company that epitomized corporate downsizing, it's AT&T. Between 1984 and 1995, the company managed to slash some 120,000 jobs, and in 1996, in a bit of bravado and posturing for Wall Street, it announced the elimination of another 40,000 jobs (the final number, however, was considerably less). In Disconnected, author Barbara Rudolph looks at the lives of six white-collar workers--a telephone operator, engineer, salesperson, business strategist, corporate planner, and an assistant staff planner--who in AT&T's terms were "accepted for the package," "involuntarily separated," or in real terms, were fired.

Rudolph argues that the American workplace has undergone a profound and lasting change. In the '50s and '60s job security was part of the social contract in a "world of three television networks and one phone company, a single computer giant, and a small clique of regulated airlines." These days, that contract has all but disappeared in the wake of much more fluid and competitive global business environment. She writes:

"Like many of their peers, these six came to see the organization as a kind of family. If they did not perceive it as benevolent, they assumed that it was more or less benign. They imbued it, too, with a rationality and coherence that did not actually exist. They lost sight of the fact that a company is not a purposeful entity but merely a set of shifting alliances that mix people and power, ego and intellect."

At the heart of Disconnected is the story of how these six workers moved beyond the initial insecurity and pain of their joblessness to redefine themselves, find happiness, and at least for five of the six, move on to new and productive careers. Disconnected is a useful primer to the inevitable career changes that most of us will have to undergo as the workplace lurches forward into the new millennium. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A moving, sensitive, and compelling set of portraits...
Barbara Rudolph has accomplished a very difficult task: she has completely humanized the relationships between people and their work, and has gotten six long-term, loyal employees of AT&T who were downsized (fired, dismissed) after many years of service to reveal their thoughts, feelings, fears and triumphs in the aftermath of that blow to their self-image, their self-esteem and their security. It is less an attack on America's corporate culture than it is a tribute to the essence of the people who are the real shapers of our economy and our culture. Rudolph, who according to the bio on the book,has been a business writer for major publications, obviously understands the corporate culture and sets her human stories in a very professionally rendered account of the changing nature of employment and of the corporation as family, then she introduces her subjects to fill in the important aspects of our attitudes toward work and the identities we shape through it. It's wonderful. And, I was first attracted ot the book by the back-cover blurbs from Richard Sennett and Earl Shorris, whose recommendations are once again justified. ... Read more

Book Description

THE CLOSED LOOP

The CAM0I Activity-Based Planning and Budgeting Interest Group consists of managets of budgeting processes, consultants to enterprises developing and using budgets, planning and budgeting software developers and and academics. All were dismayed by the abysmal state of budgeting as they keenly felt many of the problems with current practice. This book contains their thoughts and new approach.

Although current budgeting practices and processes have many problems, the budget is here to stay.

The Closed-Loop Model reflects a powerful new budgeting approach that speaks to many of the problems associated with traditional budgets and budgeting processes while retaining and enhancing the benefits obtained from the process. ... Read more