Book Description

Praise for Twilight in the Desert

"This book is likely to be the most important ever written about oil. The veil of secrecy that has surrounded the world's oil resources must be lifted so the world can plan its future.This magnificently researched book of Matt Simmons may very well have the power to make that happen."
—Richard E. Smalley, PhD, Nobel Laureate–Chemistry (1996), University Professor Gene and Norman Hackerman Professor of Chemistry Professor of Physics, Rice University

"Simmons effectively confronts the complacent notion that there are ample oil reserves in Saudi Arabia. Twilight in the Desert should provoke anyone who believes that the recent increase in oil prices reflects either a speculative bubble or short-term supply constraints. It should provoke elected governments that have been complacent about their public's lack of concern about energy policy. And it will inevitably provoke producers like Saudi Arabia who believe they can maintain the veil of secrecy over their resources base that the world so strongly depends on."
—Edward L. Morse, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Energy Policy

"Everyone must understand this thesis, whether you agree or not, since it may change life as we know it."
—Jim Rogers, author of Hot Commodities and Adventure Capitalist

"Matt Simmons has made an important contribution to a better understanding of the complexity of oil field management in Saudi Arabia. His book is a challenge to Middle Eastern oil producers to provide the world with more and better oil field data, which are needed for a better understanding of when existing oil fields may peak. Instead of 'believe me,' he is asking the simple question 'show me' because the timing of oil peaking in the Middle East is essential for energy policy makers around the world. If Simmons proves directionally correct, we are in for a huge and early challenge to find alternative transportation fuels."
—Dr. Herman Franssen, President, International Energy Associates, Inc.

"Twilight in the Desert provides much-needed transparency to a subject long hidden from public view. While all may not agree with its findings, it is the ensuing debate surely to follow that gives value to the author's efforts."
—Robert E. Ebel, Chairman, Energy Program, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC ... Read more

Book Description

Lightning never strikes twice, but Steve Jobs has, transforming modern culture first with the Macintosh and more recently with the iPod. He has dazzled and delighted audiences with his Pixar movies. And he has bedeviled, destroyed, and demoralized hundreds of people along the way. Steve Jobs is the most interesting character of the digital age.

What a long, strange journey it has been. With the mainstream success of the iPod, Pixar's string of hits and subsequent divorce from Disney, and Steve's triumphant return to Apple, his story is better than any fiction. Ten years after the leading maverick of the computer age and the king of digital cool, crashed from the height of Apple's meteoric rise, Steve Jobs rose from ashes in a Machiavellian coup that only he could have orchestrated-and has now become more famous than ever.

In this encore to his classic 1987 unauthorized biography of Steve Jobs-a major bestseller- Jeffrey Young examines Jobs' remarkable resurgence, one of the most amazing business comeback stories in recent years. Drawing on a wide range of sources in Silicon Valley and Hollywood, he details how Jobs put Apple back on track, first with the iMac and then with the iPod, and traces Jobs' role in the remarkable rise of the Pixar animation studio, including his rancorous feud with Disney's Michael Eisner.

• Written with insider scoops and no-holds-barred style
• Based on hundreds of highly unauthorized interviews with Jobs' nearest and dearest
• New information on the acrimonious parting between Eisner and Jobs, the personal vendetta behind the return to Apple, and the future of iPod and the music industry

Reviews (6)

I Have a Very Favorable Opinion of Mr. Jobs Now
After reading this book I have come away with a much more favorable opinion of Steve Jobs.He is the flawed hero type.I found this to be a very enlightening and motivating story.Steve Jobs is the epiteme of the New Age American Dream, a no hoper rising to the top and changing the way everybody sees things.

The truth about the reality distortion field theory is that Jobs doesn't let reality affect him.Rather he is in control of his own reality and he changes it when necessary.It's much easier to change the world when you think it is revolving around you.It's that kind of self-centered focus that many of the world's greatest minds exhibit.Many geniuses are hard to get along with and communicate to, Steve Jobs is no exception.

Horrible Book Title
I can't imagine the Apple folks being happy with the title of the book. Is it:

a) iCon -- a symbol or emblem?
b) iCon -- as in "I've conned you into buying a Mac."
c) all of the above.

Somebody's in trouble somewhere...

excellent sundeck reading
While completing a website: www.linuxfree.net A friend pass this title along to me. Excellent read. Just five years ago Mac was just another bland corporate player. Since the inclusion of (smooth) well-developed and managed unix, the apple family has finally begun to stir well-deserved praise.

Lighten up, Steve.
You would think, with all the fuss Steve Jobs is making about this new release, that it would be the worst hatchet job since "Wired" massacered the late John Bulushi.
In actuality, the approach to the project was even-handed to a fault. William Simon brings his forminable experience with these business giant profiles to the table. His signature combination of terse and flavorful makes for excellent reading.
As the episodes unfold, the Steve Jobs onion is peeled away for the reader to view the admirable along with the not-so-admirable. Great stuff!

Fascinating
I've long been intrigued by the Steve Jobs story as well as the early days of company-building and conflict between he and Bill Gates. This book is a real page-turner as it explores the connection between the technology, consumer-focused brand building and the psyche of the man behind it all. Jobs is a fascinating character and the author's representation of his story is better than fiction.

Another new book I enjoyed recently which has fun analysis of public figures is "The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book." This one also has a cool online application that lets you test your emotional intelligence and learn about it via clips from movies. Fun stuff. ... Read more

Book Description

This book brings together conceptual and empirical material in a systematic way. It provides readers with a basis for understanding mergers and acquisitions and corporate restructuring that are introduced into every session of Congress.The volume provides a complete review of takeovers and mergers in practice, M&A's in theory and practice, the strategic perspective of valuation, restructuring, M&A strategies and strategies for creating value.For CEOs, COOs, CFOs and other top level executives. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Interesting Subject... Boring Book
The subject of this book is quite interesting and the knowledgable authors add many insights into the field of Mergers and Aquisitions.However, the book is poorly written and designed.Simply opening the book will show colorless pages and bland figures that perfectly reflect the tone and content within.There is also a surprising number of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors (something I should not expect if I'm paying over $100 for a book).

Solid text to introduce this topic - readable and helpful
The fourth edition came out in 2003 and I am not familiar with earlier editions.In my view, this is a very good text.In its nearly 700 pages, it provides a solid and comprehensive overview of this interesting and important topic.Obviously, no textbook can be both a survey of the topic and provide complete coverage of every topic.This book goes deep enough that students being introduced to this topic will find plenty to work on and get enough information to develop a feel for all that is involved in changing corporate control and ownership structure for any number of reasons.

The book has 22 chapters in six parts.The six parts are:

1)Takeovers and Mergers in Practice
2)M&As - Theories and Empirical Tests
3)Valuation - The Strategic Perspective
4)Restructuring
5)M&A Strategies
6)Strategies for Creating Value

There are many end of chapter questions and dozens of mini-cases in the book.Plus, there are online resources for students available.

The book provides references at the end of each chapter for more in depth study, a glossary at the end, and an index.

This is a solid text that can also be read by the general reader interested in this topic.

I expected more
Considering the reputation of the primary author, I found the book to be ponderous to read and seemingly focused more on what the authors wanted to discuss than what might be really useful to students and those practicing M&A.The authors should have sought a more appropriate balance between theory and practice. This tome is weighted in favor of theory. It seems to spend more time addressing societal issues and issues of government policy than addressing the mechanics of how to plan for and implement transactions. In fact, only the last few pages of the book deal superficially with an approach to doing M&A.

The book also assumes substantial knowledge of accounting, finance and economics on the part of the reader. The dearth of examples also hinders the readers ability to readily understand how to apply complex concepts explained in torturous paragraphs of prose. It would have been helpful to use more illustrations to communicate concepts that are difficult for those of us that don't have Phds to understand.

Thankfully, there are other books that are far more helpful in explaining both theory and application of M&A. I have found Mckinsey's book on Measuring and Managing Valuation to be a much better guide to understanding how to apply complex valuation techniques. Integration methodology is well explained in Marks and Clemente's Winning at Mergers. For an excellent detailed overview of M&A, see Depamphlis Mergers Acquisitions and Other Restructuring or Weston's other, more recent book on M&A.

Largely Disappointing
The book is really only useful for those interested in a literature survey, discussion of public policy, and somewhat tedious discussion of theoretical concepts.

Written by academics for academics!!!
On balance, this book provides a good overview of the subject and of recent academic studies.However, it is often theoretical and "ivory-towerish."There is relatively little that really instructs the reader about transactions are actually done.A great deal of time is devoted to discussing why they occur, but little practical insight is provided as to the challenges and issues that must be resolved.This book may be suitable for someone who is curious and interested in reading about M&A but provides little guidance for those interested in learning how to undertake transactions. ... Read more

Book Description

Fast food has hastened the malling of our landscape, widened the chasm between rich and poor, fueled an epidemic of obesity, and propelled American cultural imperialism abroad. That's a lengthy list of charges, but here Eric Schlosser makes them stick with an artful mix of first-rate reportage, wry wit, and careful reasoning.

Schlosser's myth-shattering survey stretches from California's subdivisions where the business was born to the industrial corridor along the New Jersey Turnpike where many fast food's flavors are concocted. Along the way, he unearths a trove of fascinating, unsettling truths -- from the unholy alliance between fast food and Hollywood to the seismic changes the industry has wrought in food production, popular culture, and even real estate. He also uncovers the fast food chains' disturbing efforts to reel in the youngest, most susceptible consumers even while they hone their institutionalized exploitation of teenagers and minorities.

Reviews (1014)

McInteresting Look at Fast Food
I read this book knowing I was not going to learn any new and cheery anecdotes about how Ronald McDonald got his start..... instead I read this to solidify the notion that fast food was not a healthy choice. And boy, did this book give you reasons it is not, and I'm not just talking nutritional value here.

I found this book fascinating for the detail was great, well researched, and given to the reader straight. It was an eye opening book. Who knew that due to the meat industry being run just by a few corporations, essentially we are eating the same meat from the same feedlots and slaughter houses whether we buy it at a fast food chain or the local supermarket, and perhaps even the nicer restaurants. I also found some of the content appalling. Cattle are fed cats, dogs, other cows, even old newspaper! If this doesn't outrage you enough, just wait to you get to how these same meat conglomerates treat the low paid, low skilled employees of the slaughterhouses.

This book is insightful and unbelievable, and will make you question how the fast food giants sleep at night.

I'm Supporting What?
I've been trying to write a review for this book and end up not being able to grasp the profound effect it has had on me. I'm left will a feeling of being too small to actually do anything about the "wool" being pulled over America's eyes. From basic human rights to our nation's safety (e.coli, salmonella, etc.), the fast food industry has been able to break laws, cover up incidents and some how flourish, making billions of dollars a year.

I devoured this book, it is easy to read, accurate and eye opening. The contents in this book is something that every American should be familiar. Fast food customers need to be informed of what goes on to deliver that "happy" meal on to that plastic tray from beginning to end. I'd like to thank Eric Schlosser for writing this book, his research has caused me to take a look at what I'm supporting and risking by consuming meat. I for one will not support these arrogant corporate giants and have chosen to stay away from fast food. I have seen the light and it's not from the glowing golden arches down the street!

Appalling. Read it and weep.
Since many other reviewers cover the more repulsive details of Schlosser's book, I will stick to pointing out something I think deserves even more attention: one of the themes of the book is that the fast food industry has its tentacles in EVERY aspect of Americans' lives. Changing this goes far, far beyond bypassing a Big Mac...boycotting fast food is not the same thing as boycotting the fast food industry, when industry practices have made the USDA powerless against meatpackers, advertisers target children as consumers, and schools are taking money for corporate sponsorship.

This a fantastic book and it touches on a lot of areas that I don't normally think of relating to fast food, such as the plight of abused migrant workers in the slaughterhouses and the economics of teen labor. Everybody should read it, even if you never eat fast food, because you're affected too.

Disturbing... Will never eat fast food again!
I must warn the reader that you'll never want to eat fast food again after you read this book. I've never been a big fast food junkie, though I've eaten it if there isn't anything else around, but I won't again take a bite of the same even if I'm starving during a road trip and the only food available is a drive-thru burger joint. Eric Schlosser's book is an impressive, albeit disturbing dissection of the fast food industry in the United States, one that examines each aspect of said industry with unflinching, well-researched facts. The result is an unflattering picture of an industry that has changed US business and eating habits in an almost secretive fashion. The book is a fascinating look into the business and talks about the process of hiring, franchising, purchasing and other practices. The most fascinating and disturbing chapters concern, however, the beef served at fast food restaurants and how it gets there. I warn you that it is not a pretty picture. If you care about the food you eat, these chapters will sicken you. You must read this book (unless you never eat fast food at all). The quality of the food aside, this book is extremely critical of the fast food industry and I believe that if you are a fast food lover, this book will disturb and upset you. As I said above, the picture Schlosser paints isn't pretty, nothing is sugarcoated. This is well-researched and well-written book and I highly recommend it.

KNOW WHAT YOU EAT AND SUPPORT
SCHLOSSER SAYS THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY FAST FOOD/MEAT PACKING COMPANIES CONDUCT FRADULENT BUSINESS TACTICS IS TO "NOT EAT IT". THIS BOOK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE CONSUMERS MUST KNOW WHAT WE ARE EATING, SUPPORTING, AND CONTRIBUTING TO. THIS IS A GREAT BOOK WITH MUCH RESEARCH. ... Read more

Book Description

Innovation is rapidly becoming democratized. Users, aided by improvements in computer and communications technology, increasingly can develop their own new products and services. These innovating users -- both individuals and firms -- often freely share their innovations with others, creating user-innovation communities and a rich intellectual commons. In Democratizing Innovation, Eric von Hippel looks closely at this emerging system of user-centered innovation. He explains why and when users find it profitable to develop new products and services for themselves, and why it often pays users to reveal their innovations freely for the use of all.

The trend toward democratized innovation can be seen in software and information products -- most notably in the free and open-source software movement -- but also in physical products. Von Hippel's many examples of user innovation in action range from surgical equipment to surfboards to software security features. He shows that product and service development is concentrated among "lead users," who are ahead on marketplace trends and whose innovations are often commercially attractive.

Von Hippel argues that manufacturers should redesign their innovation processes and that they should systematically seek out innovations developed by users. He points to businesses -- the custom semiconductor industry is one example -- that have learned to assist user-innovators by providing them with toolkits for developing new products. User innovation has a positive impact on social welfare, and von Hippel proposes that government policies, including R&D subsidies and tax credits, should be realigned to eliminate biases against it. The goal of a democratized user-centered innovation system, says von Hippel, is well worth striving for. An electronic version of this book is available under a Creative Commons license. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

State-of-the-art
The book comprises an outstanding publication in the field of innovation management.It has the potential of becoming the central textbook in the field of user-centered innovation which is an increasingly important research area.

The objective of this book is to provide a state-of-the-art overview of research in the field of user innovation.Also, it aims to show how the different (so far more or less isolated) aspects are related.These are ambitious goals.

From my perspective, the manuscript fully meets them.It offers a profound, concise and easy to read overview of the research done in the past decade.Its outstanding quality is that it manages to relate different aspects in an innovative way and shows the rationale of the research field.It delivers new insights even to a researcher active in this field for some years now.

The book it interesting for a broad audience.It is stimulating even for a specialist in this field.But of course, the main audience is much broader.It should be of interest for scholars and students in the fields of innovation management, new product development, market research, economics and other.It will be of interest also for practitioners and policy makers in the corresponding areas.

I really like the many easy-to-understand examples and its conciseness.One does not necessarily have to have an understanding of the research field before in order to learn from the book (and enjoy it!).

More than another open innovation book
This is a wonderful book beyond the typical managerial how-to-do checklists. This is the reason why I recommend this book especially to managers and practitioners (innovation management researchers will read the book anyway as Eric von Hippel is one of the leading scholars in this field). Managers may find the book, on a first glance, academic, full with tables, numbers and references. But von Hippel is driven throughout his book by the motivation to present not only a fascinating new idea, but to show that this idea is already a reality and that there is empirical evidence that his concepts provide value for companies and customers. This is the main difference to other books in the area which present various fuzzy weak signals but no proof.

Von Hippel's book goes also beyond the open innovation idea of Chesbrough and others as mentioned by the first reviewer.Chesbrough names a lot of important actors in the innovation process, but neglects the - in my opinion - most important one: the customer or user of the innovation. Von Hippel starts exactly here. His approach is focused on the role of users and customers for the innovation process. In this regard, he builds on his earlier word of the 1970s and 1980s, but has a new story to tell: that user innovation is not only changing the corporate innovation process but also the nature of value creation: If manufacturing is outsourced to Asia, and users take over innovation (and perform this process superior to internal innovation processes), what is left for the corporation?

An insightful and practical view on the future of innovation
Democratizing Innovation covers a lot of new ground.It is important both for those responsible for generating innovations inside of companies and those researching how innovations occur.

von Hippel's first book showed that in many cases users innovate ahead of firms.Democratizing Innovation goes much further and systematically presents a new framework for an entire user-centered innovation system.Many people are often puzzled by the success of open source software, wikipedia and other user-centric systems.This book explains why users innovate for themselves and why user innovation is rapidly increasing in importance.Von Hippel shows why users tend to freely share what they develop, why user-innovators tend to band together into communities, and why user-centered innovation is a really good thing from the point of view of both society and economy.

Far from being overly academic ­this book gives very practical advice built onto a clear framework.It offers many concrete examples as to how firms can link to and benefit from product and service developments by users.It is a must read for CEOs­ not just junior staff!

the editor was asleep
I have been for most of my working career a "practitioner," that is someone in business struggling to out-innovate current or future competition.Von Hipple's earlier book, "The Sources of Innovation," back in 1988, was a pathfinding work and got many of us to look more closely at "lead custoners and users" for new ideas and innovations. They were a great source!

In recent years, a new concept, "open market innovation," has helped many of us go beyond our corporate walls to the outside world for new ideas and innovations in designated fields, primarily using the Internet to help cast our net widely.

Proctor & Gamble, for example, help to pioneer this concept, starting in 2000. In 2003, Henry Chesbrough's book, "Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology," went into some detail telling us how to use the concept to improve the flow of worthwhile ideas. His book was followed by C. K. Prahalad, Venkat Ramaswamy's work,
"The Future of Competition: Co-Creating Unique Value with Customers.

Yet, for some reason von Hipple makes no mention of the Open Market Innovation concept to help cast a net to early adopters and way, way beyond. I wonder why? Certainly, he's not that far out of touch.

But more fundamentally, von Hipple's book is too academic - perhaps written more for an academic audience than practitioners who should be interested in applying his ideas in practice. Perhaps his editor was asleep, or couldn't quite figure out what he was trying to say.

In spite of this drawback, I recomment his book. Perhaps senior executives will give a copy to a junior worker and ask him/her to translate it and recommend what their company should do.

Sam Felton ... Read more

Book Description

A concise, streamlined edition of Ebert's larger Business volume, this extremely successful book provides the essence of business in a brief and affordable format.Its compact presentation spans the range of functional areas—management, marketing, operations, accounting, information systems, finance, and law—clearly demonstrating the interrelationships between them. Coverage features the most intriguing and up-to-date examples, case studies, Internet exercises, SCANS-oriented critical-thinking exercises, new videos, part-opening World Wide Web vignettes, and Crafting Your Business Plan exercises. Each chapter contains tables, photographs, and figures carefully chosen to illustrate, in a visually appealing way, the points and messages of the chapter.For anyone—from mailroom to management—who seeks to thrive in today's business world. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Total Disgrace
This book is an absolute disgrace. It is poorly written and lacks any sort of depth. As of spring 2002, it is also comically dated. Don't waste your time or money on this garbage. ... Read more

Book Description

This book offers a unique combination of practical valuation techniques and the most current thinking to provide an up-to-date synthesis of valuation theory as it applies to mergers, buyouts, and restructuring. It includes detailed treatments of such topics as free cash flow valuation, valuation of leveraged buyouts, Real Option Analysis as applied to entry and exit decisions, valuation of special offer structures, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

Barbarians at the Gate has been called one of the most influential business books of all time -- the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history. Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's gripping account of the frenzy that overtook Wall Street in October and November of 1988 is the story of deal makers and publicity flaks, of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms -- giving us not only a detailed look at how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted but also a richly textured social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era.

Barbarians at the Gate -- a business narrative classic -- is must reading for everyone interested in the way today's world really works.

Reviews (59)

Descriptive
Barbarians provides a detailed look into the biggest LBO in history - RJR Nabisco. The author does any amazing job of describing the events, people, industry and money involved in this transaction. The author paints a perception of what drives men in the LBO industry - ethically and economically. He doesn't try to sway your opinion one way or the other. The chain of events, themselves, makes this book worth reading - no player in this transaction is left untouched. I recommend anyone interested in LBOs to pick and read this book. Tremondous insight into the LBO/power player industry

One of the Best of the Subject
This book is a description of the largest leveraged-buy out of the 80's. The book covers the management buy out of RJR and all the financial moves that took place to get it done. It covers the winners and losers and the tactics they used. The authors are investigative reports so they have the ability to provide the reader with a very well constructed and easy to understand story. They really bring the reader into the negotiations and all the high pressure and tension is coved to the reader. The most fun was when the authors took to describing all the financial players involved, their egos and ways of life and doing business. The excesses of some of the companies detailed are really something.
If you are interested in this topic then I would suggest you also read "Den of Thieves" and "Predator's Ball", both of which cover the 80's M&A and Junk Bond world. To get a better understanding of KKR, I would suggest "Masters of Debit" and if you are looking for more info on this particular deal I would suggest "True Greed".

Okay, Okay, But Why Is The Book Great?
To start explaining this book you must understand that the book has been written by two investigative reporters, so it reads like a well written novel. In fact with some of these books you must remind yourself that it is not fiction.

The other thing is that the authors emphasize the people and what they think, their motivations, their egos and their vulnerabilities. It is not a financial book. It is more of a novel. When you combine the writing plus with the emphasis on the people you get a best seller - as we have.

Here is the situation. The CEO's of some of these corporations get greedy and decide that making millions per year and having a fleet of their own jets - is not enough. They want to borrow money and buy the whole company. That is what we had here. The CEO Ross Johnson proposes a leveraged buy out (LBO) of RJR-Nabisco, which had previously merged. His idea is to borrow money and buy all the stock. So it is really a story about Ross Johnson and whether or not he could pull of this (theft) purchase from the shareholders by borrowing enough money. He is abetted by bankers and investment people, and they all want a piece of the action and large fees. It is all quite fascinating stuff.

But he hits a snag. The prize is too big and draws other people into the fray.

Like sharks smelling blood in the water he attracts KKR runs by Henry Kravis - a New York based LBO company. It decides it wants to get involved. The book takes us like a suspense novel through various negotiations and heavy duty meetings in Manhattan until it is finally settled. It makes for a fascinating read.

Recently I read another book that I thought was quite different but just excellent. Ross Johnson in the present book RJR-Nabisco was the CEO of a large public company and he became such by working his way up through the ranks. To me a more fascinating book is Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson also at Amazon.com. Branson starts his career by himself selling a magazine as a teenager, starts Virgin Records, takes on and beats back British Airways with Virgin Airways, and does it all with a flair for the dramatic - and often he owns the companies.

Jack in Toronto

A Classic Tale of Wall Street and Greed
This book became the basis for a paper I wrote in school and by the time I finished the book and the paper, I was actually surprised by my conclusions.

Leveraged Buy Outs (LBO) and Management Buy Outs (MBO) were all the rage in the eighties, and this book chronicles what is good about them as well as what is bad. In the general public's opinion, the bad far outweighs the good, but from a maangement standpoint, they can be a good idea.

The leveraged buyout of the RJR Nabisco Corporation for $25 billion, recounted in this book, is a landmark in American business history. Ross Johnson, CEO of RJR Nabisco, is is just one of the colorful cast of characters involved in the midst of this book, as he sets in motion whagt would become the basis for the events chronicled in "Barbarians."

Should be required reading for all business students and busienss leaders.

fascinating account of the 1980s merger mania
It reads like a thriller. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It is the story of the RJR Nabisco buyout through the eyes of two journalists and it shows that a real world story can be just as dramatic as fiction. This book is one of the most important documentaries of the 1980s. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Daniel Yergin's first prize-winning book, Shattered Peace, was a history of the Cold War. Afterwards the young academic star joined the energy project of the Harvard Business School and wrote the best-seller Energy Future. Following on from there, The Prize, winner of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction, is a comprehensive history of one of the commodities that powers the world--oil. Founded in the 19th century, the oil industry began producing kerosene for lamps and progressed to gasoline. Huge personal fortunes arose from it, and whole nations sprung out of the power politics of the oil wells. Yergin's fascinating account sweeps from early robber barons like John D. Rockefeller, to the oil crisis ofthe 1970s,through to the Gulf War. ... Read more

Reviews (67)

Top notch
This book is a complete and thorough history of the most important natural resource. Its reach is unequalled. From the beginning of the industry in western Pennsylvania to oil's modern strategic importance, the book is simply awesome in scope. Yergin does an excellent job of telling the story and backing it with plenty of source information and footnotes.

After reading this book, I see World War II in a completely new way. Oil as a strategic resource has changed the face of warfare. I always knew this, but couldn't tell you exactly why. After reading this book, I can tell you why. I loved the history of the Germans' and Japanese efforts at synthetic fuels productions. This book also contains a good chapter about the Iran-Iraq war, a topic that has been relatively difficult to find good information on.

If I was forced to make one critical comment about this book I would say that I would have liked to have had one chapter describing some of the basic technical processes involved in refining oil. But with such a long and informative book, I suppose everybody could list "one" more chapter that they would have liked.

Read this book.

What an education!!
As an engineer who has worked in both exploration and refining, I would have to recommend this as required reading for anyone who works in the oil and gas industry. Several years of working in the industry have given me a knowledge base, but nothing like the education Yergin gave me in The Prize. This book looks at the history of oil from its beginnings in Pennsylvania, the Standard Oil Trust, the middle east and all the other major discoveries that laid the foundation for the world's largest industry. The most interesting part of the book I found to be the major part oil and its supply played in both world wars. I had no idea what a crucial factor it was in instigating and ending the wars. What an amazing book!! It may be a bit long for those who are not familiar with the industry. But even so, for anyone with a thirst for knowledge about the world we live in, it will be extremely entertaining. Well deserving of a Pullitzer Prize when it was written.

Understanding the world
This book is comprehensive and well written. It will give the reader a complete history of the development of the oil industry and how it has contributed to the shaping of world events. It is especially relevant to anyone seeking to understand what is happening in the Middle East

A PULITZER
DANIEL YERGIN'S THE PRIZE, A PULITZER !!!
WAITING FOR THE VIDEO ON DVD......

Petroleum History Information
This book is one of the best around for historical information on the petroleum industry. It is put together in a very good chronological and logical manner that links many events and things together with each other through their common link of petroleum. It has a great deal of information on many of the leading petroleum producing nations of the world. Overall, it is a book that makes very enjoyable reading on the history and development of the petroleum industry and its importance in politics and economics. I would have given this book a five star rating if it had including much more information and deserved attention on the country of Canada and its petroleum industry since it is one of the biggest suppliers of petroleum to the United States. Also, mention of the diesel engine in its relationship as a solution to higher cetane vs octane fuels as found in early discovered petroleum is another important fact. It is hoped that if the author writes a revised version of his book that these things be considered. ... 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

This unique book applies economic theory to the business of sports. It deals mainly with professional team sports (with a section devoted to college team sports), showing how supply and demand join at the market level, and how team owners act together through their leagues (or athletic departments through the NCAA) to facilitate their market power. This book will help the reader understand the business side of sports and how it impacts the games seen at the stadium or in the arena.Topics covered in this book are: demand, supply, and sports market outcomes; the market for talent and labor relations; government and the sports business; and college sports.With amusing anecdotes and interesting stories about sports business personalities, this book is for anyone who is involved in the economic side of sports and sports management. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Five Frogs on a Log is a practical and easy-to-absorb manual for corporate leaders facing those intense periods of total transformation that seem--for better or for worse--to define today's business world. Written by Mark L. Feldman and Michael F. Spratt, both partners and managing directors of PricewaterhouseCoooper's global M&A consulting division, the book aims to help managers through the "jolts, curves, and emotional potholes" that inevitably accompany such large-scale restructuring. "The high-priced bankers and lawyers exit with the close," they write, "leaving management to confront the challenge of producing results that justify the price, the added risk, and/or the significant disruption to current operations. To complicate matters, they face what amounts to a new company and a set of unexpected demands that can easily divert them from capturing the value that drove the deal." With help from insightful illustrations and quotations from those who have been there, Feldman and Spratt build upon their basic theory--that speed is of the essence in corporate upheavals of this type--by offering pragmatic solutions for the myriad problems that invariably arise. --Howard Rothman ... Read more

Reviews (23)

This book saved my company twice
I've purchased over 50 copies of this book. Before our first acquisition attempt, I bought this book for the entire executive team. We used it as a field manual. It was great. It gave us solid guidance and confidence while we were sorting out union accommodations and shareholder approvals. But, when union demands became difficult we remembered the authors saying that deal momentum often results in closing bad deals. This is because CEOs generally don't want to walk away from the high investment of time and resources they have already put into deal completion. The authors compellingly asserted that with the odds generally against acquisition success, if you can't do a deal on your terms, don't do it. After much debate we decided the authors had a point. We walked away from the deal. Looking back, this advice alone saved our company.

Our second acquisition was completed. But the two management teams began to argue immediately. We set up transition teams and made certain everyone had a copy of "Five Frogs". This book became our bible for accelerating the integration of the companies. The guidelines on post-deal priorities, reorganization and communication helped break through every impasse. We followed their advice to the letter and we've been growing profitably ever since. We are still following the book's advice and I'm still giving copies of the book to new colleagues and other CEOs. If you're going to merge two companies, do what we did. Buy this book for every member of the management team and insist that they read it. You'll be glad you did.

Unexpectedly fun to read!
I had expected to get a dry, formulaic tome on standard business practices from a couple of long-time PWC executives. What I found in this book is actually an entertaining and deeply insightful guide to merger and acquisition integration strategy. I also found it to have actionable recommendations, and would urge anyone working on a merger or acquisition to READ THIS FIRST!

Very thought provoking
This book is an excellent view of the M&A process from a very different angle. Many books cover the mechanics of the process, but this one looks at the outcomes for human beings - our most important assets. I would recommend it highly.

Worth reading
Having been on the receiving end of several poorly-executed acquisitions, I much appreciated the authors' vivid descriptions of merger complexity - and their straightforward advice on how to avoid it. Definitely worth reading.

The best of them all
My company has been making acquisitions for over twenty years and I think we've read all the merger books in print. "Five Frogs" is the winner when it comes to candid, practical and intuitive advice on how to accelerate through the post-deal transition without destroying shareholder value. Its a fast and easy read that makes its points clearly and with great examples that force you to think intelligently about decisions that must be made and executed quickly. The two chapters on internal and external communications planning and execution alone are worth the price. Our results from following the authors'advice on post-deal priority setting were both powerful and surprisingly painless. We're about to go through the biggest merger in our history and every member of every transition team in both companies now has a copy of "Five Frogs." It's become our merger bible. Also, if you get a chance to hear Feldman speak on the subject, don't miss it. He's an articulate and entertaining speaker who's seen it all. Very motivating. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by Lawton R. Burns and a panel of expert contributors, from the prestigious Wharton School, The Health Care Value Chain analyzes the key developments and future trends in the United States' health care supply chain. Based on a groundbreaking research initiative underwritten by the industry/university consortium— the Center for Health Management Research— this important book offers an in-depth examination of how the health care supply chain helps create value and competitive advantage.
The Health Care Value Chain offers a thorough examination of the trading relationships among the manufacturers of health care products, the distributors, the group purchasing organizations, and the hospital customers and end users of those products. And the authors show how health care professionals and manufacturers can work together to form beneficial strategic alliances.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Limited Readership, Unlimited Ideas.
This is an ace book that will unfortunately only appeal to those wanting to bring all areas of professional health care into a commercial but patient focused new paradigm.

My firm has created a business operating system (all the non clinical stuff) for dentists in Australia - we do everything from the tools to assist them to credibly advise of pharmacy level home care products, to FactSheets on complex services for better and higher levels of compliance to treatment plans, and to achieve all those economies of scale that small businesses can never secure.

It is a well structured book and presents a (psudeo Porter)value based way of looking at health care in a readable and logical way.

If you want to make a branch of healthcare work and you have the energy to think your way through the issues (and to overcome the existing Luddites), this book will assist you greatly. ... Read more

Book Description

This clear, step-by-step best-selling introduction to the economics of health and health care thoroughly develops and explains economic ideas and models to reflect the full spectrum of the most current health economics literature.This book uses core economic themes as basic as supply and demand, as venerable as technology or labor issues, and as modern as the economics of information. Chapter topics include health care, health capital, information, health insurance markets, managed care, nonprofit firms, hospitals, physicians and labor, the pharmaceutical industry, government intervention and regulation, and epidemiology and economics.Useful as a reference work for health service researchers, government specialists, and physicians and others in the health care field. ... Read more

Book Description

World-renowned economist and entrepreneur Paul Zane Pilzer shows you how to tap into the next trillion-dollar industry–– wellness. Already a $200 billion business, Pilzer predicts that sales of vitamin and other health-related items will grow to over $1 trillion annually within ten years. In The Wellness Revolution, he shows entrepreneurs and investors how to make their fortunes in this burgeoning industry.

"Paul Zane Pilzer has proven time and time again that he holds his finger on the pulse of our economy, and The Wellness Revolution is no different. Pilzer’s insights into the future of our healthcare industry are revolutionary and will empower you to the next level."
–– Anthony Robbins
author, Awaken the Giant Within and Unlimited Power

"In The Wellness Revolution, Paul Zane Pilzer reveals the most important secret for tomorrow’s successful entrepreneurs: where to invest their dream. Step by step, Pilzer shows entrepreneurs how to find where they fit in the mega-industry of the future–– wellness."
–– Randy Fields
cofounder, Mrs. Fields Cookies

"Like any machine, our body runs best when operated according to its design principles. Noted economist Paul Zane Pilzer shows how to promote–– and profit by–– the wellness revolution."
–– Michael J. Behe
Professor of Biology, Lehigh University; author, Darwin’s Black Box

"Paul Zane Pilzer has paid great tribute to J. I. Rodale, founder of Prevention magazine and the organic industry in the United States, by showing how Rodale traditions of individual and environmental health make sound economic investment sense in today’s world. If you’ve been looking for the next big, ground-floor opportunity, catch the wave of the future–– The Wellness Revolution!"
–– Ardath Rodale
Chairman of Rodale, Inc., publisher of Prevention and Men’s Health ... Read more

Reviews (19)

A Compelling, Cutting Edge Read
As a former television news health reporter, and someone who is already achieving success building an organization of people who distribute high quality wellness products, I believe Pilzer's book will be compelling reading for baby boomers looking for improved physical and financial health. For those willing to work hard to establish a foothold in this industry, Pilzer offers compelling reasons why the rewards -- both physical and financial -- will be worth it.

Highly Recommended!
Paul Zane Pilzer is an economist with a vision. Pilzer sees technological advances remaking the way Americans think about health. In his eyes, scientific breakthroughs are ushering in a revolution that will transform our current healthcare system - which Pilzer describes as the sickness industry - into the proactive, lifestyle-based wellness industry. His book describes this revolution in two parts. The first half, which will appeal to a wide range of readers, analyzes the current state of healthcare and advances in biology and cellular biochemistry. In the second half of the book, which takes a more dollar-minded approach, Pilzer attempts to identify business and investment opportunities that will arise from the Wellness Revolution. Thus, we from getAbstract heartily recommend this book to both camps: the general-interest reader, and the entrepreneur or investor on the hunt for new opportunities.

Read this book for health & wealth
I won't go over Paul Zane Pilzers credentials as other reviewers have, I believe that if you found your way to this webpage, you already know his credentials.

But the fact is that Pilzer has predicted other trillion dollar industries. He knows what of he speaks. Personally, I am a baby boomer and in a company that is predicted to become the next billion dollar company. I have also had some health problems and hardly a day goes by when I talk to other baby boomers where the subject of health & wellness doesn't come up.

Pilzer has something here. Worth a read for both your health and your wealth.

I'm sold!
Last year, I began wondering why everyone around me was sick and on prescriptions. I didn't remember growing up that way. I had a friend with fibromyalgia and I just began thinking all of this sickness was directly related to the food we eat. I searched for products that would help my friends feel better. I found a liquid vitamin/mineral complex, bought it and shared it with her. She cut her prescriptions in half the first two weeks. My family started feeling better also.
It was at this point that I began my journey into the "wellness industry". I believe that God created our bodies to function a certain way and when we give it unnatural, processed foods, it can't function the way it was intended.

I was glad to find this book after I stumbled upon my personal discoveries. I know now that I am not alone. And, I was so overcome with the lives that are being changed through good products, I got into the industry myself. I've been a Vision For Life distributor for the past year and am helping so many people, both with their health and their wealth. I highly recommend this book for it's facts, figures and knowledge. People definately want to feel better. When you don't feel good, no amount of people telling you to exercise will help. By supplementing with good nutritional products (not like centrum where you feel good just "knowing" your taking it- I mean where you feel good BECAUSE you're taking it) you start to feel better, you start to do more and it becomes much easier to exercise and get more accomplished.

I feel better than I did when I was 19 (thank goodness, I'm much the smarter now too! LOL)

Stay Well Rather Than Cure Sickness!
The main problem with The Wellness Revolution is that the brilliant Paul Zane Pilzer has stretched a magazine article's worth of information on healthy living and ways to develop businesses around that theme into a book. If you know nothing about how nutrition, water and exercise affect your health, you will probably love this book. But you can find better books. If you have been paying attention to those areas, you will find the book to be superficial and limited. As for investing, the ideas are pretty broad. Basically, you should make the economics of your business serve wellness and anti-aging.

What will be new to some are the details of how you can use high deductible health insurance and tax-advantaged medical savings to cut your cost of sickness while having some money left over for wellness activities (like exercise and better food). If you regularly read investment or business magazines, chances are you will know about these ideas too.

For entrepreneurs, the stories of Steve Demos (Silk soy milk), Paul Wenner (Gardenburger), Jill Kenney (Club One fitness), Dr. Frank Yanowitz (The Fitness Institute), Dr. Tod Cooperman (ConsumerLab.com), and Stuart Johnson (facilitating wellness products being provided through network marketing) may help inspire a new business thought or principle. Professionals can look at pages 188-189 for specific examples that apply to them.

Those who want stock purchase ideas won't find much here, although you'll probably have an itch to buy stock in whomever first specializes a whole company in wellness insurance.

As a result, the "how to" part of the book's subtitle is quite misleading.

There is a fine book that can be written on this subject, but unfortunately, this isn't it.

After you finish this book (if you choose to read it), I suggest that you find ways to make your working and investing more health-enhancing for you and others. If nothing else, walk on a treadmill while you watch the financial news at night to pick out companies that enhance health! ... Read more

Book Description

This cutting edge, "how to" manual details proven methods for turning around chronically late, overbudget, and underperforming projects. Project Management in the Fast Lane explains how Theory of Constraints tools can be applied to achieve effective, breakthrough solutions in virtually any environment. It includes a complete discussion of the Critical Chain scheduling approach pioneered by Eli Goldratt-the most significant new development in project scheduling in the last 40 years!The project management tools described in Project Management in the Fast Lane are clearly outlined and will help project managers in manufacturing, construction, and new product development in any field find efficient, practical, and sound solutions to management issues. Common problems related to deadlines, budgets, project performance, and more are thoroughly treated, providing a solid basis for applying tools to familiar problems. This book is sure to inspire managers, executives, engineers, and MIS and quality assurance professionals to rethink their management approaches and create dramatic, profit-driven improvements in their organizations. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

One step beyond TQM
Excelente libro para todos aquellos que quieran comprender de una manera progresiva y efectiva los fundamentos y estado del arte en la programación de proyectos. No son necesarios conocimientos previos de TOC aunque si son deseables, asi como tener claros conceptos de TQM y análisis de causas raices, al objeto de aplicar con exito las recomendaciones del libro. Outstanding book for those who want to understand in a progressive and straightforward manner the fundamentals of nowadays realistic project scheduling. TOC background is not necessary but preferable for a better understanding of the philosophy behind these pages. Root Cause Analysis and TQM concepts are also desirable to succesfully implement TOC to project management.

full of wisdom!
Do not bother reading "Critical Chain" novel. This is the book to start with. Read it twice: it has so much new thinking against traditional thought that unless you already has TOC concepts it requires a second reading (as good movies). It is a little conceptual book, but if you want more practical advice, you can continue with books like "Critical Chain Project Management" by Lawrence P. Leach; Advanced Project Portfolio Management and the PMO: Multiplying ROI at Warp Speed by Gerald I. Kendall, Steve C. Rollins; and if you are interested in Software Engineering: Agile Management for Software Engineering: Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results by David Anderson.

Proactively deals with inaccurate project estimates
The achilles heal of project management, especially in product development, are the estimates of time and resources. Traditional project management approaches do a lousy job of solving this. For example, although traditional PERT was developed to do this, it is not used. (In fact, in most environments PERT is not defined as the tool but as a network diagram because of this.) Finally, there is an effective approach to proactively dealing with inaccuracy in estimates. The critical chain approach can accomplish this, and this is the best book for defining what critical chain is.

Good, but disappointing
Newbold covers the basic TOC concepts and applies the thinking processes to project management. He also has several helpful insights into implementing TOC in an organization. It is good information, but Newbold can't seem to decide what he is trying to accomplish with the book - teach project mgmt or implement TOC in an organization. There is lot's of good information and worth reading, but the information is a bit fragmented. I get the sense that Newbold has taken a set of isolated lectures and tried to make a book out of them. The materials need a class room discussion to really sink in. As it is, the concepts are rather isolated and disconnected. It probably makes perfect sense to an experienced TOC consultant, but was a bit over my head with only having read two TOC books prior to this one.

Great book - very practical
Short review here - if you can't get projects out on time - read this - it will help a lot! ... Read more

Book Description

A comprehensive overview of the natural gas industry. The book covers topics ranging from how natural gas developed and the physical system, to end users and deregulation, and the major players to market dynamics. A perfect introduction to the industry for new hires or a resource book for any level industry player. ... Read more