Book Description

The wedding business is a $45 billion a year industry. With more than 2.4 million weddings taking place in the U.S. in 2004, there are more opportunities for wedding planners that ever before.

Wedding planners have an exciting high-paying job that lets them use their creativity to organize the happiest day of people’s lives. No special education is necessary to succeed in this career.

This book explains how to plan a wedding, including how to prepare a timeline schedule and budget, a step-by-step list of all tasks involved in planning a wedding, how to plan the ceremony and reception, how to select reputable vendors, and how to negotiate contracts and save money. The CD-ROM included with the book has many forms and checklists to use in wedding planning.

This book also provides information on more than a dozen types of employers that hire wedding planners, how to find job openings, how to prepare a resume, and how to do well in an interview.

Additionally, the book covers how to start a wedding planning business with little or no money and explains how to price services, find potential clients, create an impressive portfolio, and where to get creative ideas for weddings. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A MUST HAVE!!!
If you are starting a wedding planning business, this is the FIRST book to buy.Give a lot of inside information, as well as forms that you will need and use when finally launch your business. This book has samples of contracts, timelines for bride and groom as well as a timeline for you the Wedding Planner!!
Is a very informative and complete book. I still check it a lot! ... Read more

Book Description

Based on the authors' consulting experience with numerous Fortune 500 companies, this resource will help you capture the synergies of your next merger or acquisition more quickly and effectively. Augmenting their step-by-step advice with helpful templates, checklists, graphs and tools; Galpin and Herndon provide sound guidance for successfully integrating different processes, organizations, and cultures. The authors also address pre-deal dos and don'ts, people dynamics, common mistakes, communications strategies, and specific actions you can take to create measurable positive results throughout the integration process. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Post-Merger Process Tools for Big Companies
Having been a manager at a large company, I can see how this book would be beneficial for managers at large companies that are doing acquisitions. But from the perspective of a manager at a smaller company that is being acquired, this book was not particularly helpful.

Packed With Knowledge!
This thorough, detailed book focuses on the misunderstood aspects of merger and acquisition management. Timothy J. Galpin and Mark Herndon clearly have vast experience and draw on case studies to illustrate their suggestions. They provide sample surveys and integration flow charts to guide hands-on planning, and offer practical advice that you can apply in real-world situations. Not all of these ideas are new, nor do the authors claim them to be. Instead, they apply the most relevant ideas from management and psychology to M&A. The authors hammer home an extremely consistent message: You must communicate. They present their ideas clearly, even though the book is often wordy and uses a lot of passive voice (alas, business prose). Nonetheless, this is actually a very dense book and the authors are careful not to waste the reader's time. This is essential reading for virgin M&A managers, and we at getAbstract think that even experienced acquirers may find much to learn.

About as "Complete" as Possible
There is already an abundance of resources on the subject of M&A, especially those available on the WWW. If you are looking for a single-volume source, this is probably one of the best. The authors devote 14 chapters to virtually all aspects of M&A. In process, with clarity and eloquence, they explain the "Watson Wyatt Deal Flow Model" which, after appropriate modifications, can be applied to almost any organization involved in M&A negotiations, either as a buyer or as a seller. The final chapter, all by itself, is well worth the cost of the book. In it, the authors suggest various "keys" to M&A success. They then provide:

Resource A: Sample Task Force Charter

Resource B: Integration Planning Template

Resource C: Executive Summary of Watson Wyatt Worldwide's 1998-1999 Mergers and Acquisitions Survey

What we have here is a single-volume in which two experts on the subject of M&A seem to share everything they know about the subject. Even if your company is not currently a buyer or seller, its senior-level executives should read this book. Why? Because you just never know. Perhaps sooner than now anticipated, your company will be courted by another...or it will be attracted to another company as a prospective acquisition. In either situation, this book (and the "Watson Wyatt Deal Flow Model" it discusses) will be invaluable.

Supplement to Wall Street M&A deals
The book is a great supplement to the subject of Valuation models and talks about in depth analysis that goes into the art of valuing a company. It actually goes in to informing the reader about the pre-merger and post-merger outcomes.....very informative and analytical! ... Read more

Book Description

In Launching New Ventures, Allen prepares students to spearhead new initiatives—paying special attention to the process and activities required before a start-up can open for business. A conversational approach engages and encourages students to rely on this text as more than just a reference book. Real-world case studies, new venture checklists, plus Allen's own firsthand experience guide students through the logical process of recognizing an opportunity, testing a business concept, and implementing a formal business plan.

• Stressing the early stages of the process, Allen outlines the importance of completing a feasibility analysis prior to developing a business plan—unlike other texts that focus immediately on business plans.
• The Third Edition covers change management, deal structure, database and guerrilla marketing, emerging business models, and business failure.
• Internet Resources, an annotated list of URLs at the end of each chapter, refer students to relevant web sites for more information on chapter concepts.
• Hands-on tools appear at appropriate points throughout, such as outlines for a feasibility plan, a business plan, and an operational plan—plus a 20-point test to verify the status of independent contractors, an incorporation checklist, and a new products checklist.

Reviews (1)

Most informative book in 8 years of business college
This book fully explains how to start a real entrepreneurialventure and make it a success! The author is the bestexpert in the field. I was introduced to this book throughan instructor who had made this book required readingfor a credit class. Instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on some seminar to start a small business, purchase and use this book to discover how much success you canachieve by thinking "outside" of the box. Launch a venture that can give real financial support to you and your employees. Who knows, you may be the next Bill Gates just needing some basic tools to start. Here are those tools. .......... Michael Taylor .......... V.P. Students in Free Enterprise ..........University of North Florid ... Read more

Amazon.com

Author Nicholas Lore uses the techniques of his career-guidance network, the Rockport Institute, to make The Pathfinder a substitute for a great job counselor. Through goal setting, list making, and other techniques, the book leads readers though the process of deciding exactly what they want to do for a living and finding a way to make it happen. Lore realizes that people have different temperaments and decision-making methods, so he provides individualized advice to suit each one. He also understands that creating a new career requires courage as well as desire, so The Pathfinder devotes plenty of space to motivation and overcoming fears. While anyone looking for a new career will find direction with this guide, people who didn't know they were looking may decide to start once they go through Lore's probing self-examination process. ... Read more

Reviews (72)

Read the book and MAKE LIFE HAPPEN.
I worked with Nick to find my perfect career before the book was published, and now it's like having him in my living room whenever I want. His Career Choice Program has been developed over years of committed work and in the book he distills much of this hard-fought wisdom. His secret weapon? Nothing less than forcing you to work hard to ask and answer the right questions that will lead you to a clearer understanding of yourself and the right career for you.

More than just finding a career though, Nick helps you find a better way to look at your life's work than you had before. His probing questions and clear focus on the questions of "meaning, mission and purpose" can give you an entirely new perspective on the important things in your life. I would rank Nick Lore head and shoulders above the rest of the career guidance field.

Not your ordinary self-help book...
At 58, I found The Pathfinder book to be just what was needed as I prepared for the amazing challenge of transforming my life to reach a goal of combining the benefits of retirement while still generating an income. I had read "What Color is your Parachute?" in the 70's and a multitude of spirituality books recently, but The Pathfinder gave me access to a "portable coach inside a book" I used the book to transform my traditional job into a consultant contract, move from east coast to west coast, and create a career direction that grew out of my "natural talents" instead of my interests. To make that happen I needed a path rather a series of pat answers.

The "Path" that Lore propels us along is less linear (but far more helpful if you are turning your life inside out) than the more traditional job seekers' values clarification exercises, or a "How to Get a Job" guide. This book is less about finding a job you like than inventing or reinventing (in the case of mid-career changers) the kind of life you want to have in the area of work or career. Those of us, who are searching for a life path rather than a job, will find the gentle push of commitment actually gets us to where we want to be. I especially liked the practical way the book moved me past my YEAH BUTTS and into action.

Reading The Pathfinder is like having a witty, insightful, life coach who understands human nature and guides your adventures, through humorous stories and analogies. Those of us who have paid for "coaching" know what the coach's job is: to ask the powerful questions, create structures that support the seeker, share the "gold" they have learned from their life experience, and finally trust the person being coached to be responsibility for the results. At the end of the coaching, the life we invent will be our own and be perfect for us because we made it up... The invention is up to the coached. That too is the gift of The Pathfinder!

I have given this book as a graduation gift to high school kids and to recently downsized executives. The Pathfinder is perfect for anyone pursing the dream of finding the work they love to do inside the life they want to live.

Want career help that benefits you, not the author?
If you're looking for help in finding what will make you successful and happy in the workplace, this is it.

Whether you just want to find what you are best at (and what you'll get paid most for!) or whether you're seeking ways to add greater meaning to the largest part of your life, this is what you need.

I've spent the last 10 years (and that's a lot of books on the shelves, guys!!) trying to figure my career out. Reading Nick Lore's book - and using the Rockport Institute's analysis tools -told me what I needed to know to make real, meaningful changes. I can't believe I am writing this, but now I really am doing what I love - and making money doing it!

I have never met Nick Lore, but I know he's put more work into this book and more sincerity into this work - than any author who has taken money from me in the name of self-help.

If only I had read this 10 years ago!!

Thanks Nick!

TURNING WORDS INTO DREAMS
I have never sent in a review before. I bought this book in 1999. I slowly worked my way through it and systematically took back control of my life. Part of that control meant I moved back to my home country England a few years ago. Recently my overseas belongings were finally shipped over including my "personal workbook" and The Pathfinder. To my amazment, I read through my notes and thoughts and realized I was now LIVING everything I wrote down! I am now running my own business doing something I love and it's growing and growing and I am HAPPY! I do wake up excited about my day and not only that, whereas once upon a time the biggest I could dream was where I am now, now obviously I am dreaming bigger! So, I am someone who can write to say that this book has had a PROFOUND effect on my life and changed it fantastically! There is no higher recommendation. If you are serious about having it all - this book will help you get there with love.

Good Advice for those in mid-career review
This book seemed like it was written to help mid-career person to find an area of work that matches their passion which they were unable to do for whatever reason.

A good book but reading marred by many typographical errors. ... Read more

Book Description

The Talent Management Handbook explains how organizations can identify and get the most out of “high-potential people”by developing and promoting them to key positions.

The book explains:

1. A system for integrating three human resources “building blocks”: organizational competencies, performance appraisal, and forecasting employee/manager potential

2.Six human resources conditions necessary for organization excellence

3. How to link your employee assessment process to career planning and development

The Talent Management Handbook will help you design career plans that boost employee morale, as well as create and sustain excellence in your organization. It is full of simple, efficient, easy-to-follow methods for assessing, planning, and developing high-value people to meet your organization’s current and future needs. And it will help you combine your organization’s diverse human resources activities into a single, cogent system.

Featuring best practices from leading companies as well as contributions from field experts who hold top positions in such leading HR consultancies as AON Consulting, The Hay Group, Hewitt Associates, Right Management Consulting. Sibson Consulting, and Towers Perrin, The Talent Management Handbook is an authoritative resource for creating and maintaining excellence in your organization through people management.

Reviews (2)

Organizational Development Demystified
One of the best books on talent management in recent years. An excellent reference work that concisely describes a straightforward, practical approach to the identification, assessment and management of talent in today's competitive business environment. The editors have drawn on a broad knowledge base of professional expertise from top-rated management consultants and leading business practioners in developing this pragmatic , "how-to" guide. Comparable to a first-rate graduate course in organizational development from a premier business school.

Human Resources Strategy for Business Success
The Talent Management Handbook presents a clear and actionable human resources strategy that is tied to business success measures which are explained in the book.

With great thoroughness, the book integrates the key elements of human resources assessment (performance, potential, competencies, career planning, and succession planning) into a cogent system that can be utilized by both managers and human resources professionals in realizing organization success.

The book provides guidance to readers on the specific actions they need to take to implement key human resources strategies. These actions include training, development, education, career management, and compensation. In a practical way, it outlines the way an organization can cultivate its "best people," protect its incumbents and backups for key positions, and properly allocate its resources.

The book clearly identifies the conditions that will cause turnover, poor morale, and performance problems. Additionally, it shows how diversity can be a crucial part of the human capital plan. ... Read more

Book Description

Now in a completely revamped second edition, the authors of Customer Behavior have adapted the content, length, and end-of-chapter materials in the text, producing a new text that is tailored specifically to upper level 4-year programs, or to graduate level programs.Its managerial approach focuses not only on the household consumer but also on the business customer market.This text goes beyond the conventional subject matter of consumer behavior textbooks, focusing not only on the role of customers as buyers, but also on their roles as users and payers. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Helpful Guide and Reference
Lean Six Sigma: Combining Six Sigma with Lean Speed
By Michael George

This latest book by Michael George has been an extremely helpful guide and reference for our implementation team members and myself. For seven years we have been in the most critical part of our journey toward a Lean Enterprise. An enterprise where the management system includes the principles of total quality, variation management, value creation, and just-in-time production. I have been recommending Michael George's book to freshman implementers and company executives to help them deal with the perceived dilemma many are experiencing. Do they pursue 'Lean' or do they pursue 'Six Sigma Quality'? And of course the answer is 'yes'. The rush to operational productivity in the last decade has distilled many of the key components and techniques of a 'Lean Enterprise' and marketed them as a complete 'Lean Manufacturing' recipe. Unfortunately this selective design has resulted in diluted capabilities and mediocre results for most. The same is true for those who solely depend on managing by constraints or reducing variation incrementally as their core activity. What Michael George offers in his book is a straightforward and field-tested approach for bringing the critical pieces of the 'Lean/JIT' business model, metrics, and leadership behaviors back into perspective. A perspective that helps either the new implementer or the experienced implementer clear up this perceived dilemma. Michael George says the purpose of the book is to show that the combination of Lean and Six Sigma - when focused on the highest-value projects... can produce remarkable results... This is his simple straightforward message that no one else recently has bothered to tackle.

Don A. Blake, Director
Boeing Production System Implementation
Quality & Process Improvement Dept.
Boeing Wichita Division

Packed with Knowledge!
Six Sigma devotees may dispute the need to add anything to Six Sigma, but a shot of lean thinking provides a production boost. Author Michael L. George contends that Six Sigma reduces product quality variation but does nothing to improve delivery time. That may not be strictly true, and certainly is not beyond cavil. Nonetheless, the author's analysis and presentation of the Lean Six Sigma approach is lucid and straightforward. He explains Six Sigma itself much more clearly than some other writers on the subject. Even Six Sigma devotees will find nothing to object to in his treatment, and he provides some compelling examples of the success of the Lean Six Sigma approach. We recommend this book primarily to leaders and managers of firms that rely on factories and other production units. However, the author supplies practical information that may also be relevant to service providers and to every company that cares about customer service, efficient production and the bottom line.

Lean Six Sigma or a selling technique
Well I can say the book is ok. However, I do feel like this book is more about them trying to sell their services to me than to teach or explain Lean Six Sigma... If I wanted to buy consulting or training services I would rather not have it shoved down my throat in a book. .

Dissatisfied
If you are seeking substance and wish to learn, there are other products that better serve that purpose.
If you are interested in improving operations through Lean/6 sigma and have little or no concept of what is involved, this book may provide an adequate overview. In my opinion, however, the overview would be more effective if the book didn't try to keep putting it's foot in the door

An Excellent Book
I truly enjoyed reading this book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Lean or Six Sigma. Well worth the money!! ... Read more

Book Description

Offering proven cognitive techniques for overcoming destructive views and fears, Self-Esteem is a classic guide to challenging the inner critic. Starting with how to recognize the self-critical voice that can be so damaging and insidious, the authors suggest practical ways to realize what is happening, stop self-judgment, gain perspective, and heal past wounds. The result is an exciting opportunity to change core beliefs about one's identity and potential. New to the third edition is an exploration of the importance of goal setting in maintaining self-esteem. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Not perfect, but decent
You may look at the title and think, "Oh, my God. ANOTHER self-esteem book. When will the madness end?" This book was first published in the late '80s and was primarily based off a hit back from that time, "Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy," by David Burns. Burns, along with Aaron Beck, was one of the first proponents of CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy), the theory that negative thoughts and self-defeating habits can affect mood.

Anyway, "Feeling Good" is an excellent book to help alleviate depression, but the problem with it is that it's just too long, too extensive, and too demanding of the reader in the amount of writing exercises it requires. "Feeling Good" can be useful, but it requires a lot of work. In addition, the information on medications is woefully out of date. In "Self-Esteem," McKay and Fanning take many of the same ideas and condense them, making them easier to understand. McKay and Fanning also simplify the exercises so that they make more sense and are easier to do.

The ideas and exercises can take a while to sink in before they can become helpful. There is no quick fix to depression or anxiety. As one of the first popular books in the field of CBT, "Self-Esteem" has held up pretty well over the years. The whole self-esteem movement may be a recent trend, but some of the movement's ideas have some truth to them.

Is this a perfect book? No. As others have complained, it is repetitive. Still, the ideas in it have helped me and others, and I think they can still be helpful to someone looking for useful self-help books today.

Very good book!
This is a very comprehensive self-help book about the nature, cause und treatment of low self-esteem. It is ideal for everyone with low self-esteem and contains many exercises. The authors deal with the following aspects:
- The nature of self-esteem: here the basic concept of the whole book is being introduced: your thoughts determine your self-esteem
- The pathological critic: you explore your inner critic, explore the origin of this critic and get information how to catch your critic
- Disarming the critic: in order to combat your inner critic, you first have to understand its function, then talk back so to make him useless
- Accurate self-assessment: this is one of the highlights of this book. You'll learn the art of accurate self-assessment without using pejorative terms like useless, bad, or inferior
- Cognitive distortions: this chapter deals with the important concept of wrongly perceiving reality and how to combat this tendency
- Compassion: this is one of the most powerful techniques for dealing with low self-esteem. You'll learn ways to better understand, accept, and forgive yourself and others
- Handling mistakes and responding to criticisms: I greatly like the attitude of the authors towards mistakes. There are no mistakes in the world, because all the decisions you chose to make were based on your needs and assessment of the situation. A decision can only be labeled as a mistake with hindsight
- Asking for what you want: this chapter shows how to assert your right without being aggressive
- Visualization and hypnosis
- Building self-esteem in children: the last chapter shows ways how to raise children with high self-esteem by listening to them and validating their feelings. At the same time, it is important to set clear limits and be consistent.

Altogether, this book is full of useful information and exercises. It can be used both as a self-help book and a supplement to therapy.

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read on Personal Development
Self Esteem is a practical book. It's about taking control of your thoughts to take control of your feelings. That's all there is to it.

With inspiring simplicity and logic, McKay and Fanning educate the reader about the causes and effects of strong self-esteem. It also introduces the Critic - the voice in your head that brings you down no matter what you do. Most importantly, it helps you to expose what psychological needs the Critic meets. Once this is figured, one can resolve to meet needs in a healthier manner.

Next, with the reader aware of the needs his or her critic meets, a chart is offered, guiding the reader towards the specific resources mentioned in the book. Some of the written exercises are designed to enhance your awareness. Others are day-to-day activities in which you keep track of your exact thoughts in order to replace them with more realistic ones. In addition, visualization is offered as well, a powerful and simple tool for creating a healthier self-image.

Yet, the authors wisely understand that rebutting old beliefs sometimes isn't enough. As a solution, they offer the technique of hypnosis. The logic behind this is that often the memories that rob us of our worth are not remembered consciously. As a result, many of the exercises in the book will not work, since no memory is there for one to work with. Hypnosis allows one to directly access the subconscious, allowing one to implant healthier ideas of who we are.

Self-Esteem's ultimate goal seems to be to get the reader to measure up against a new standard of worth. An inspiring passage sums it up:

"The truth is that your value is your consciousness, your ability to perceive and experience. The value of a human life is that it exists. You are a complex miracle of creation. You are a person who is trying to live, and that makes you as worthwhile as every other person who is doing the same thing. Achievement has nothing to do with it. Whatever you do, whatever you contribute should come not from the need to prove your value, but from the natural flow of your aliveness. What you do should come from the drive to fully live, rather than the fight to justify yourself."

Reading Self-Esteem, and implementing the solutions, will allow you to feel better about yourself no matter what life throws at you.

The 11 dollar psychiatrist
For only 11 dollars, your life will be a better place. This author will solve the low self-esteem disorder RADICALLY, i wish i had this book before. You will be able to acquire very high self esteem within weeks, if not days.
Good Luck

This Book Packs a Whallop
At first I was skeptical about this book given it's cover, but after reading the first chapter, boy am I glad I did!

Tremendously helpful in dealing with your self - esteem issues, this book will help anyone whether they have low self esteem or not. My favourite parts are:

The role of the pathological critic - the book explains in detail the nature of your own critic and how best to manage and handle it's criticsim.

Cognitive Distortions - we all know we see things differently, but here the book also explains how we process things differently. No two people will process and interpret the same event the same.

Asking for what you want - this is one of my favourites. While reading this book, I was dealing with two issues at work that really bothered me. This chapter helped me explain the "whole message" to the other person, and eventually, ask for what I wanted.

I've read many self-help books, and many of them end up serving up a set of principles to follow. This one is more directly medical/psychological based, and therefore is more practical in application. It even features a series of exercises for the reader to practice.

All in all, a very complete book on the subject of self - esteem, and I would even go further, and core book in any self help library. ... Read more

Book Description

A thoroughly revised second edition of the leader's concise guide to the process of creating and managing an organisation, no matter how complex, that will achieve unique competitive advantages and be poised to respond effectively and rapidly to customer demands.

In this book executives, managers, and consultants will find the concrete tools they need to select and implement an efficient design that creates superior and more competitive performance. In addition to analysing the four key forces shaping today's organisations -- buyer power, variety, change, and speed -- this new edition addresses the concerns of new economy by expanding on the section on the Flexible Organization and includes a new section on organising around the customer. The book:

• Describes what leaders can do to effect the change process
• Addresses the concerns of new economy companies
• Contains rich examples from successful companies

Reviews (2)

excellent resource
Really good intro to ideas and concepts needed to redesign an organization in terms of its structure. Best if you already have some degree of experience in do it so you can really apply the concepts.

Guide to the factors that shape organizational design
Jay R. Galbraith is an internationally recognized expert on organization design. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Effective Organizations at the University of Southern California and Professor Emeritus at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. This book is a updated/revised edition of 'Designing Organizations' which was originally published in 1995. It is split up into 10 chapters.

Chapter 1 - Introduction - really sets the stage for the rest of the book. It discusses the six main organization shapers: the increase buyer power; increase in the number of products and services; the Internet; multiple dimensions (functions, products, and geography, but also customer segments, solutions or offerings, and channels and processes); the requirement for a capacity to change; and speed (in bringing products and services to the market).

The following two chapters discuss how companies have to shape their organizational design, strategy, and structure in order how to deal with these organization shapers. Galbraith introduces his copyrighted Star Model (Strategy, structure, people, rewards, and processes), which looks AND sounds very similar to McKinsey's 7-S framework. Chapters 4 and 5 build on these chapter and discuss how organizations have to link their processes to coordination needs and integrate group processes. Then, in Chapter 6 discusses the easily changeable or reconfigurable organization based on the Star Model, which, according to Galbraith, results from the skilled use of three capabilities: (1) forming teams and networks across organizational departments; (2) the use of internal prices, markets, and marketlike devices to coordinate the complexity of multiple teams; and (3) the forming of partnerships to secure capabilities that it does not have. Each of these capabilities are discussed in detail.

The Chapters 7 to 10 are all very current and fashionable. They discuss the organizing around the customer, customer-focused structures, the design of the virtual corporation, and organizing the continuous design process. Although the subjects discussed are important, some of the examples are too long and take up most of the chapters. Some of the examples also do not really apply to every company/organization but are too specific. Still, these are issues that should not be forgotten about, especially organizing around the customer remains important.

I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed with this book, which is written by a leading authority in the field of organizational design. I believe it is especially the title that lets the book down. It is not so much a guide into strategies and structures; it more discusses the organization shapers and the possibilities that companies/organizations have to tackle the organization shapers. I believe that the book is especially weak in discussing organizational design and structures. Galbraith discusses his own Star-model (which reminds me of McKinsey's 7-S framework) and his reconfigurable organization (the learning organization?), but leaves all other models/designs/structures untouched. I have not been generous, the book really deserves a 3.5-star rating. The author uses simple business US-English. ... Read more

Book Description

In e-Learning and the Science of Instruction authors Ruth Colvin Clark and Richard E. Mayer— internationally recognized experts in the field of e-learning— offer essential information and guidelines for selecting, designing, and developing e-learning courses that build knowledge and skills for workers learning in corporate, government, and academic settings. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A great deal of research in e-learning summarized
Over several million years, humans have learned from other humans, by speech, action and observation. It can be strongly argued that this is hard-wired into our genes, as the survival advantages of communication and learning from each other are obvious. In the last few decades, a new and fundamentally different form of learning has emerged. This form of learning requires only one human, the learner. Instruction is carried out via a computer, which has the advantage that it never grows frustrated or impatient with the student and will repeat the lesson an indefinite number of times.
However, the first attempts to replace the human instructor were not successful. Early programs that were little more than drill and practice were dull and students lost interest very quickly. The repetitive nature and lack of originality proved to be a near-fatal weakness. The first online courses were little more than correspondence courses, where the correspondence was electronic rather than via letters. As was the case with correspondence courses, a small percentage of the students did well, but most found them inadequate.
It turns out that the successful electronic delivery of learning material is very hard, much harder than the traditional method. It requires new forms of thought and a great deal of attention to detail such as colors and sounds. Electronic delivery also requires a level of sensory stimulation, such as a combination of visual and audio, which is consistent with traditional modes of learning.
Therefore, until computers reached the point where the instruction could be multimedia and user-driven, e-learning could never really be a viable alternative. Now, that has changed and this book contains a large amount of collected wisdom about how to construct and evaluate quality lessons. The authors summarize an enormous amount of research in the field, presenting it in an easy to understand manner. I created online courses for a college and instructional material for my corporate training classes before I read the book and I found their pointers to be right on the mark. They described many of the problems I encountered and their proposed solutions were generally similar to those I found through trial and error.
If you are considering either the development of online courses or are evaluating some for purchase, then you should read this book. The current power of computers can easily convince you that electronic education is much easier than it actually is, and this book will help you avoid making errors.

excellent content, okay readability
Although I agree with the reader from Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada that the book reads like a university textbook, I have found it very useful for designing and justifying my designs of online instruction. When someone wants you to change your design, you can respond by saying, "According to Clark and Mayer, people who learn from integrated text and graphics performed 68% better." Stats like that help to justify budgets!

One of the very best
I have been developing and teaching online courses for several years and have an extensive library that I have collected over that time. I have found this book to be one of the four or five I return to on a regular basis.

As a person who serves as a reviewer for other faculty work, I lament that this book is not required reading. In addition to discussing how to correctly use technology it also spends significant time looking at how students learn and how we, as faculty, should adress students in an online environment.

Too Boring and Academic
I found this book boring and not all that practical. It reads like a university textbook rather than a helpful resource for e-learning designers and developers. The example screens are often busy and it is often difficult to perceive the point that is being made. I live by the 80/20 rule, and wish that this book focused on the 20% of the content that will give 80% of the benefit.

Finally!
THIS is the book I have been looking for! It seems that most of the other books on e-learning start with instructional design principles and cover basic HTML and multimedia aspects of moving a course to the web. This book covered researched principles on what on the web helps and hurts learning. Although I do recommend learning instructional design as a starting point for all your on-line classes, this book will be invaluable when it comes to deciding how to present the content. ... Read more

Book Description

A Hands-on manager's guide to making the most of today's product development breakthroughs

A quarter century after MRP first transformed the global manufacturing arena, Next Generation Product Development stands poised to similarly impact new product development. This movement-defining book gives R&D professionals an in-depth explanation of the ways in which companies are able to achieve substantially higher levels of development productivity, while better aligning product development with strategy through new practices and systems.

Processes explored in Next Generation Product Development, and enabled by cutting-edge new-enterprise software, promise to explode the possibilities of what product development professionals can accomplish. This hands-on practitioner's guidebook will:

• Establish a common set of frameworks and concepts
• Introduce new project portfolio and product strategy management practices
• Help R&D professionals increase productivity by 30 to 50 percent

Reviews (2)

Buy the book and begin...
Review of:
"Next Generation Product Development" by Michael E. McGrath

The last paragraph of Michael E. McGrath's newest book "Next Generation Product Development" boldly states that "product development has never been for the faint of heart." And I suspect that most everyone who has ever been involved in such activities will quickly shake their head "yes" to this "truth" statement, and quietly wish there was a better way. Fortunately in his new book McGrath guides us to this better way--a way that offers "more opportunity and promise for getting better new products to market faster, WHILE DOING MORE WITH LESS." The claim is nothing short of a renaissance of product development capability.

I like this book a lot. I like the multi-faceted emphasis on integration. I like the productivity theme and the need for new management processes. And I like the idea that we are only beginning the renaissance of product development capability, especially given the growth of collaborative development.

I confess that I do not like the continued use of the DCM abbreviation (it stands for "development chain management.)" But I suppose I can learn to live with another "alphabet name" because it does get to the heart of the matter--how to manage a lot of INTERDEPENDENT projects, all of which are going on at the same time. Of particular importance are McGrath's thoughts involving a "networked team," new concepts which I think will be fundamental to tomorrow's successful product development.

To join this renaissance, exactly where does one begin? McGrath offers three entry points: changes in resource management, changes in project management, or changes in strategy management. I suppose someone will try all three at once, but frankly just one is probably a lot for an organization to swallow. For different entry points McGrath offers us guidance, with levels of maturity assessments and/or stages of implementation. But even still, there is a lot of material to assimilate and multiple readings of many book sections will be needed to fully comprehend his recommendations.

However I suggest that you don't spend an excessive amount of time studying. Organizations mainly learn by doing, and this book lays out the "learn by doing" path toward success. Past generations of development have emphasized invention, project management, or time-to-market. This next generation is a path toward productivity within the entire development enterprise. It is a path toward "better decision making, better investment in R&D, better return on that investment, more collaboration with external partners, and true empowerment of development activity."

I suggest that you buy the book and begin.

Nils L. Dailey
N.L. Dailey Associates

A Clear and Compelling View of the Next Generation in PD
Michael McGrath has done it again. He has articulated a clear and compelling description of the next major generation in product development - the R&D Productivity Generation. The new generation builds on the major accomplishments of the last generation, which McGrath calls the Time-to-Market Generation. Whereas the TTM Generation primarily focused on getting individual products to market as quickly as possible, the R&D Productivity Generation will focus on the most effective and productive use of a company's total R&D capability (both internal and extended enterprise) to drive overall corporate revenue, profit and market share.

During the TTM Generation from 1992 to 2000, benchmarking studies determined that the R&D Effectiveness Index (the ratio of new product profit to R&D investment needed to create new products) doubled from 0.5 to about 1.0 across all industries. Over the next ten years, McGrath forecasts that the R&D EI will double again to 2.0 driven by the processes and systems of the R&D Productivity Generation. The message is clear. Companies that lead the way in implementing the R&D Productivity Generation will gain significant competitive advantage in the market place.

Through out the book, McGrath illustrates the new processes and systems using an example company, Commercial Robotics, Inc. CRI is a hypothetical company, but represents the kind of advances that are now being made at many different corporations. The example gives compelling evidence for the benefits that accrue to a company that systematically implements the new R&D Productivity Generation.

For all committed to product development excellence, from senior management to individual contributors, the Next Generation Product Development is a clear view into the future and what it will take to be world class in the decade ahead. ... Read more

Book Description

A wall of silent resentment shuts you off from someone you love....You listen to an argument in which neither party seems to hear the other....Your mind drifts to other matters when people talk to you....

People Skills is a communication-skills handbook that can help you eliminate these and other communication problems. Author Robert Bolton describes the twelve most common communication barriers, showing how these "roadblocks" damage relationships by increasing defensiveness, aggressiveness, or dependency. He explains how to acquire the ability to listen, assert yourself, resolve conflicts, and work out problems with others. These are skills that will help you communicate calmly, even in stressful emotionally charged situations.

People Skills will show you
* How to get your needs met using simple assertion techniques
* How body language often speaks louder than words
* How to use silence as a valuable communication tool
* How to de-escalate family disputes, lovers' quarrels, and other heated arguments

Both thought-provoking and practical, People Skills is filled with workable ideas that you can use to improve your communication in meaningful ways, every day. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

One for the bookshelf!
This book is one of the best books on skills on human relationships that I have ever read. It is easy to understand and gives indepth advice on how to improve. The barriers in communication which are brought up in the book are so common to people which can only help by being aware of them. The style is easy going rather than academic! I do suggest doing some kind of counselling course before reading the book because some of the concepts are related to that area; the book has made me appreciate what really happens in human communication. The areas are well researched with quotes and personal experinces which give the book substance. Unlike some information that is recieved this book will deliver if the contents are properly practiced. It is a book that anyone can read time and time again with something to learn each reading.

Skills that Make A Difference
People Skills is a book that I wish I had read as a young person starting out in life. The concepts and skills that are taught in this book have made a big difference in my life, even though I did not learn the skills until later in my career. (People Skills is the basis for a wonderful workshop - Leadership Communication Skills - that I attended as a mid-career adult.) I highly recommend this excellent book to anyone who is interested in improving relationships and increasing job performance.

INSIDE RADHIKA's MIND
The book "People Skills", by Robert Bolton, Ph.D is one of those self help books that is suppose to help you improve your skills in listening, resolving problems, and asserting yourself. Right away the book shows and explains the numerous communication barriers. It's interesting to read about them because they're common types of speech we all use in our daily lives. After explaining these "roadblocks" the next few chapters explain listening and how a person's physical motions can affect a speaker. In chapter four it lists four methods to better listen to others. The latter part of the book talks about assertion skills in relationships and the impact of it. The fourth and final part of the book deals with conflicts, since everyone has numerous conflicts throughout their lives; knowing how to solve a conflict is a good skill to pick up. This section also discusses the emotions involved in a conflict and how to deal with them.
The reason I decided to read this book was because it explained the different roadblocks and why communication is sometimes a difficult thing. It seems easy enough to communicate but when you see the reasons on why a speaker doesn't show much interest in the conversation, it seems obvious. I liked that the author used many quotes and references to prove his points. I like books that explain people's behavior so if that's the type of books you like than this is an exceptional read. It doesn't go into extreme detail but lays down the basics.
Now while I enjoyed reading this book there were a couple things I didn't like. One thing was the feeling that I was reading about an infomercial was one of those. Well since it is a self-help book I guess the feeling is enviable, once you read past the first chapter you don't really focus on it. That was the only thing really that I felt they could have improved. Well there was one other thing and that was that I wished there were more detail. Maybe insight to why people communicate the way they do would have been a good first chapter. They do have whole books on subjects like that so it's not as if I'll never find out. Overall this is an exceptional guide to help people with communication.

Good ideas although too verbose
"People Skills" is a primer on interacting with others. Bolton's premise is that our communication patterns are inherently faulty and he urges the reader adopt his framework to remedy. He presents - in order - listening skills, assertion skills, conflict-resolution skills, and collaborative problem solving skills, with each building upon the others. He blends keen insight into human nature, concepts of psychology and basic Judeo-Christian values into what appears to be a very effective methodology. The skills seem obvious, but in practice are rarely used, and in fact are rather uncomfortable when trying to start using.

I found Bolton's framework very valuable and thus far see its application can profoundly improve my own people skills in both a business and parental setting. Unfortunately, like most books of this type, the text is extremely verbose. Bolton possesses a style that is much less dry and wordy than many of his peers - in fact, I find it difficult to finish most of these types of books - but the ideas plus examples could have been distilled down to one-half the length of the 300 pages. The text is also very well referenced and footnoted, but - as a lay reader - I think the constant crediting other psychologists and philosophers confuse and muddy the message. This could be a book that one could return to periodically to refresh their skills, but its length will prevent the less diligent. I found myself taking detailed notes on each chapter for later referral; while a testament to the material, I wish the author had made it easier to digest.

This book has made a difference to me.
I have read the book "People Skills" by Jim Bolton again, to further improve my ability to communicate with people, and be more of a support to them. I first used the book when I was training to become a telephone counseller for Lifeline a few years ago, (though I did not qualify to become a telephone counseller). I have always found the book "People Skills" to be particularly useful to me for improving my relationships with people in my life. I have received thanks from others for my willingness to listen as I apply what I read in the book. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Good book
I think I have learned a lot from the book. Thanks.. It is a good book.

You've got to be kidding me.
This is literally the worst textbook I've ever used in my entire academic career. This book is jam-packed with jargon ("utilize"), acronyms (e.g.,"ERP," a term that the book does a poor job defining), and slashes. By slashes I mean, do you know how IT consultants love to use two synonymous words when one would suffice? For example: "I love/like to go jogging/running to the store/market."

My MIS professor was a moron, however, so it's understandable that he would choose this book. IF YOU ARE A PROFESSOR WHO IS NOT A MORON, DO NOT MAKE YOUR STUDENTS SUFFER THROUGH THIS BOOK. Thanks.

This book isn't good
Consider the following statement from page 256. Here's some "early lessons" from the "new economy":

Dot-com startups as well as clicks-and-mortar strategies can be viable for B2B for B2C ecommerce if the applications leverage Internet technologies AND a marketplace strength.

Aren't you glad you bought the book? You ALSO need a marketplace strength to be successful, not just the Internet stuff. Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?

USEFUL REFERENCE TOOL
I am finding this book as an extremely useful reference tool for writing my senior thesis at Rutgers University (NJ) on the Internet and B2B transactions. I find it very easy to read and useful, and some of the case studies are very interesting and helpful. Some of the other buyers don't seem to think the book is worth its price but I STRONGLY DISAGREE WITH THEM. I believe the book is worth its price.

Text is often Inacurate or Outright Incorrect
This text has a tendancy to give misleading information or entirely incorrect information. Even in the most basic concepts, the authors misuse terms or create terms used nowhere else in the IT industry. The authors relay their lack of understanding for basic computer concepts in this supposedly 2001 updated edition.

As an example for those who are literate in IT, the authors make statements such as "virtual memory is used only on larger computer systems". Got a 6 year old computer running MS Windows? You've got virtual memory.

If you wish to learn about IT, please find another book written by authors who understand the field, not business professors. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

A good way to view your future
Book Review: The Art of the Long View

¡®The Art of the Long View¡¯ by Peter Schwartz is a book about planning our future. Different to the past, which we already knew, and the present, which is going on, it is impossible to tell what the future will be. However, people, companies, cities, and states, as well as the world like to know about their future. Thus, we could plan the future with a forecasting skill, scenario writing.

Schwartz suggests a long view for the future planning. He argues that scenarios are tools for helping us to take a long view in a great uncertainty rather than simply predicting the future. Admitting the uncertainty of scenario, the author insists that it is possible for us to prepare for the future.

The purpose of this book is giving a guideline to build scenarios. The author explains uncovering decisions, information hunting and gathering, creating scenario building blocks, composing plots, and writing scenarios. Moreover, he suggests the eight steps of developing scenarios (Step 1. Identify focal issue or decision, 2. Key forces in the local environment, 3. Driving forces, 4. Rank by importance and uncertainty, 5. Selecting scenario logics, 6. Fleshing out the scenarios, 7. Implications, 8. Selection of leading indicators and signposts) which are helpful for scenario writers.

I agree with the author in terms of that scenarios are tools for long view. Although scenarios have much of uncertainty, they are needed for planning. It is better to have plans for people and organizations even the results are different to plans. With social, economic, political, and technological points of views, scenarios could be sufficient alternative future.

Liberate your insights!
In "The Art of the Long View," Peter Schwartz, one of the world leading futurists introduces the concepts of scenario planning. He argues that scenario thinking is an art not a science, and people in general has an innate ability to build scenarios, and to foresee the future. From the book, the readers can learn how to build their own future scenarios. They are neither predictions nor mere extrapolations of the present trends. They help us to know the shape of unfolding future reality. A good scenario must have surprised elements with power to break the stereotypes.

The general principles of scenario planning are neatly summarized in the appendix, "Steps to Developing Scenarios." They compose of: Step One: identify the focal issue or decision; Step Two: list the key Micro-Factors relevant to that issue or decision; Step Three: list the key Macro-Driving Forces; Step Four: cross-rank Factors and Forces in terms of importance and uncertainty; Step Five: select Scenario Logic; Step Six: flesh out Scenarios; Step Seven: identify Probable Implications; and Step Eight: select Leading Indicators and Signposts. However, the order of the steps may be muddled in some cases.

For me, as a former employee of Shell in Cambodia, it is an eye-opening reading. I wish I had read this book before I started to develop the promotion plan for Shell Cambodia. The great pleasure of adopting a constant futurist's perspective on things is that it forces you to think of different possible ways things may happen and have at hand the answers to the "what if...?" questions either plausible or implausible. Then comes a mindshift that leads to the change in behavior in managing organization, let it be global corporation like Royal Dutch Shell or AT&T and small family businesses. It is an excellent read if you want to liberate your insights from your existing "mental map".

What a great book?
You have to buy The Art of the Long View. I don't know how to explain how great the book is. Don't hesitate to grap one

Open Your Brain and Reperceive the World
This book will help you to learn the scenario planning process. At the beginning, the author presents a short but insightful example how scenario playing an important role for starting up a gardening tool company. The author also shares an "information hunting and gathering process" which tell you where to get some helpful data. Various factors influencing the futures are also discussed (including socials, politics, economic, technologies, and environment). In addition, at the end of the book, the author provides a user's guide (eight steps of how to hold a strategic conversation) and eight steps to develop scenarios which I found very useful. The book enables us to use scenario planning as a tool to deal with uncertain futures. Scenarios help us to awake and "reperceive" others possible and impossible alternative futures including both short and long term. The author also believes that a good scenario leads you to ask better questions. The point of scenario-planning is "to help us suspend our disbelieve in all the futures: to allow us to think that any on of them might place. Then, we can prepare for what we DO NOT think is going to happen." (p.195)

However, one annoying thing in this book is that the author keeps referring to chapters (e.g. look in chapter 7) but physically, there are just no chapters number indicated in the book. There are just short titles in the table of content and at the beginning of each chapter. You have to go back and forth between the TOC and chapters to to see which one is actually being referred. However, I consider this is a minor issue comparing to what you will learn from this book.

You may find this book useful if you are preparing for your strategic plans, making decisions having critical impacts to your firm or your personal life, or even you are just an ordinary reader, this book will open your mind to a new level of critical thinking and imagination about unfolding futures. Highly recommend.

Scenario for personal life
As an international student who stays in Hawaii for a while, Peter Schwartz's The Art of the Long View inspired me to make planning for my future whether in Hawaii or other places. His explanations about scenario building may be adapted to my personal life as well as in business to plan my better life in future. Moreover, as a human being, we have an innate ability to build scenarios and to forecast the future. He said that scenarios are apparatuses for helping us to acquire a long view in a great uncertainty rather than simply predicting the future. Therefore, it is possible to prepare for our future.

In real time, the eight steps of developing scenarios which he suggested in his book are used in many fields. Most websites about forecasting adopt his idea as a basic foundation to prepare alternative future with social, economic, political, and technological points of views. Although he said scenario building as "art" not "science", it may not reduce the important of scenario building to identify alternative dimensions of future by recognizing the driving forces and composing the plots.

I recommend for a beginner in particularly non-native English speaker in forecasting or in future planning reading this book as a guide. His guide is easy and simple to apply for everyone to anticipate unexpected changes. ... Read more

Book Description

Cost Management: Accounting and Control emphasizes that changing conditions often require a change in cost management systems.Emphasizing this point stresses the dynamic and exciting nature of the field. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great Condition
the book was just like brand new, no underlining, no torn pages etc. the book is great

Graduate Accounting ARGHHH!!!
Pretty good book that explains complex subject matter in an easy to understand manner. MBA students without an accounting background can easily comprehend the concepts presented. The only fault I found is that sometimes the authors get too wordy trying to make their point. One of the best accounting textbooks I've used in my educational career. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling survey of contemporary human resource management offers a balance of practical and applied material as well as underlying Human Resource Management theory.It reflects the latest information, including the impact of global competition and rapid technological advances that have accelerated trends such as shared service centers, outsourcing, and just-in-time training. A wealth of actual company examples demonstrates how concepts are being used in today's leading-edge organizations.For all Human Resources personnel and managers. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Now this is a good textbook
This was a simply stated book that gave common sense examples.

The chapters were easy to understand without having to have your professor explain everything.

There are a couple of chapters that seem like they should be reorganized, and a couple of chapters that should be put in a different order. Overall though, this is a very good book to help you understand Human Resource Management.

Creative multimedia tie-ins, but getting dated?
I suspect that a new edition will be out shortly.Some of the Internet links sprinkled throughout this book are broken, and the text frequently refers to conditions as they were, "as of mid-1997."Hopefully, the authors will employ a proofreader/style editor, as the sytnax is awkward in a few places.That said, this is a good introductory book.The creative integration of Internet links and video case studies ("On Location at Showtime," and ABC News reports on business trends and issues) add to the value of the text.An Internet site allows instructors to develop an on-line syllabus for students to view and download.Key terms are set on the margins in blue print, repeating their definitions from the text.Summaries at the end of each chapter do the same, and include questions designed to verify reader knowledge of major concepts.The book dwells at length on diversity issues, which is appropriate, given the plethora of Exceutive Orders, Supreme Court decisions, and legislation mandating various EEO/affirmative action practices in the HR field.The chapters on recruitment, selection, and training are the strongest in the book, and cover the topics in a fair amount of depth. The chapter on labor unions reveals a pro-union bias; otherwise, the book is ideology-free.Overall, this is a more than adequate treatment of the subject, and is quite serviceable. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Insightful!
This is a comprehensive guide to identifying and developing future leaders. The authors present an exhaustive (sometimes exhausting) explanation of a program called "Acceleration Pooling" - a fancy collective name for grouping everyone in your firm who has the potential to lead. Much of the content seems like common sense, yet, organizations harried by short-term challenges can easily neglect long-term tasks, such as leadership development. This carefully planned, meticulously documented approach may keep organizations from neglecting the future. Despite its turgid, jargon-choked style, this book may fill the need. Time-pressed managers can glean the most important points quickly from chapters 2, 6 and 16, which have some solid gold principles of succession planning. Human Resource managers will want to delve into the other chapters. The authors, who are consultants, make a strong case for hiring consultants to implement this system, and have registered, copyrighted, service marked and/or trademarked every form and bit of terminology that could possibly be protected. We note that many of these leadership building methods, tools and techniques are in the public domain, in case you want to do-it-y