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"Achieving 100% Compliance of Policies and Procedures" is the third book of a four-part series on policies and procedures. This exciting new business book focuses on a subject that fills a major void for those individuals who are responsible for the life cycle of business processes, policies, and procedures. This 359-page book is all about change and continuous quality improvement as it applies to policies and procedures. A real-life case study is used to help explain the principles of this book. The reader is led from a labor-intensive system (procedure, procedure flow chart) through the necessary steps, including a cost-benefit analysis, to accomplish compliance and continuous improvement, resulting in a business process/procedure and a $2 million dollars savings. This book is about improvement and metrics and contains five quality tools for measuring policies and procedures. As the title suggests, the goal is to achieve 100% compliance, or complete acceptance by the customer. While a compliance goal of 100% is ambitious, you'll find the process of achieving the goal is just as important as achieving it. Through plans and goals, you'll increase productivity, profits, and customer satisfaction; as well as minimize process variation, enhance quality, reduce cycle and response time, and help the organization become receptive to change and develop a proactive (forward thinking) outlook. This book is a necessary addition to any procedures writer's reference library as it helps to ensure that the policies and procedures infrastructure remains stable by demonstrating to the reader how to write effective policies and procedures that can be measured, communicated, trained, mentored, audited, and improved. There are more than 75 illustrations, examples, tables, flow charts, and written procedures using the standard writing format introduced in my first book, "Establishing a System of Policies and Procedures." Most readers will find something useful in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Awesome books!
I bought and used all four of Stephen Page's policy and procedure books. From the very first day, I was able to get up and running on a project that was very demanding and challenging. Not only did he provide examples, but he was always there for advice when I hit a rough spot.

I HIGHLY recommend these books!

Dana Rosenboom

Processes, Procedures, and Quality
I was impressed with the amount of useful information included in this book; everything seems to have been well thought out. It would appear that the author has "lived" his words and this is what makes this make book so useful to me. Because I know that when I implement his ideas that they will probably work. His case study is also very meaningful as he very carefully explains how to go from a labor-intensive procedure and go through process improvement, metrics, and arrive at a streamlined, high cost saving, new procedure.

I have bought all four of his books on procedures and this book is what makes it all worthwhile. Though I found that each book is unique in its own way and that you really need all four to write a good system of policies and procedures.

I would definitely recommend this book. He has a 40-step plan of action at the front of the book that gives you an A to Z approach to the development of any policy or procedure or process. I have printed this list and I keep it tacked on my walls.

Jim T. Armstrong

Good book for quality professionals
Of Steve Page's 4 recent books, I found this one to be the most interesting. It contains all kinds of ideas for projects.

A communication strategy is obviously Steve's speciality. He knows how to use the various methods to the most advantage.

His idea for a compliance plan is a clever take-off on process control plans. He also adapts other quality tools, such as scatter and pareto diagrams to use with documentation. However, you would need another book for more details on the tools themselves.

Auditing is another of Steve's specialties which he shares with his readers.

I wish he had gone into more detail on determining the cost of documentation. He no doubt knows how to calculate it, as best as one can. He gives a detailed example on how a new (purchasing) procedure saved a company money, but not enough on the cost of producing the document itself.

I would definitely recommend this book to all who work with ISO 9000 compliance.

Essential for TQM, ISO 9000 and GMP organizations
Of the three books that the author has published on policies and procedures this one is a masterpiece, and is essential to anyone who works for a company that employ TQM, ISO 9000 or FDA GMP.

Where his first book, Establishing a System of Policies and Procedures, provides a roadmap for new policy writers, this book takes the subject to a much higher level by providing a process that encompasses communications and training strategies, a compliance plan, and continuous improvement. These align seamlessly with ISO 9000, as well as FDA GMPs, and is consistent with the TQM Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle. In addition, the self-assessment and auditing approaches set forth will assure policies and procedures that reflect a mature organization that is focused on quality and continuous improvement.

Among the highlights of the book are the numerous checklists, real-life examples, and an underlying strategy for the development of a comprehensive and complete system of policies and procedures, and a means to assure compliance. I particularly liked Appendix C, Cost of Quality, and the succinct description of tools and techniques in chapter 11.

Another strong point is the complexities of marrying policies and procedures writing with a continuous improvement cycle and auditing are handled in a structured, logical sequence. This is no small feat for a writer, and it is one of the reasons this book is so valuable. This book sets a standard in the field and is one that I'll always recommend to colleagues and clients.

TQM-Based approach to implementing and ensuring compliance
This book is one of the most eye-opening, practical and insightful books I have read in a long time. It's one thing to write effective policies and procedures, it's quite another to implement them, and more difficult still to ensure compliance. The author's approach addresses the implementation and compliance challenges head-on.

The key strength of this book is the continuous improvement approach. I am familiar with the TQM Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle because I use a similar approach called Entry Criteria-Task-Validation-Exit Criteria (ETVX)when I am developing processes that are governed by policies and executed by procedures. What I had not thought of before reading this book was how to best implement and enforce policies and ensure procedure compliance. This book showed me how to superimpose the PDCA or ETVX cycle on communicating, measuring and continually refining policies and procedures by starting with writing policies and procedures that can be measured. I found the 40-step plan provided in this book to be straightforward and easy to manage. Do not let "40 steps" deter you because the steps are small and build upon one another. This is reinforced by a case study that completely illustrates how the 40-step plan is applied to a realistic example.

How to implement your policies and procedures is covered in the chapters on communications and training strategies, which are exhaustive and filled with tips and guidance. These chapters are fleshed out with a chapter on creating a review and communication control plan, which is essential for keeping your policies and procedures up-to-date and ensuring that they are living documents that are meaningful to your organization. Outdated policies are often ignored, which is worse than having no policy at all. Ignored policies undermine authority, which is the foundation of a policy. Outdated procedures can result in technical and cost risks at best and unsafe working conditions at worst. The next chapter on establishing a compliance plan is excellent. It incorporates measurements and validation, and shows how to develop and use the compliance plan. This is augmented by an invaluable chapter on developing self-assessment checklists, and how to evaluate the results of an assessment and how to rectify gaps.

Among the most valuable (to me) chapters in this book were: preparing an organization to be receptive to change (a major implementation barrier), conducting audits (key to compliance assurance), and conducting continuous improvement activities (keeping the policies and procedures relevant and aligned to changing requirements and business imperatives).

The information and approach given in this book will make the difference between policies and procedures that are "shelfware" and those that provide real guidance and are meaningful to an organization. I personally think this is one of the most important books on the topic, and the only one that I have come across that actually shows how to implement them and ensure compliance. ... Read more

Book Description

Create winning presentations and reports using the most powerful data analysis tool and this comprehensive guide. This book explains how to use the software to analyze and format data, generate reports, perform advanced interactive reporting from the Web, and much more, making it the ultimate one-stop Crystal Reports resource. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Very helpful Reference
Right now we're working on web based reporting and Window apps. So Part II and Part III are very helpful. Instead of hacking around and wasting time, just open this book and find what you need.

Excellent Reference
I write a considerable number of Crystal reports, and I keep this book on my desk for reference. I always find helpful information when presented with unique reporting requirements.

The Complete Lifesaver
The Complete Reference 9 saved me. I have questions this book has answers. The Tips and Cautions. These are good extras - they bring up things I didn't think of. Very valuable.

Good reference--Let's be fair
For critics of this book, the author explains in the preface that calling this book "complete" is a marketing tool--albeit one that is a bit misleading--and that there is no way a reference on Crystal Reports will be "complete" enough to answer every single quesion. Granted there are ways the book could be improved (more screen shots, more typical scenarios, etc) but so far this is the best CR 9.0 book that I have found. Perhaps book publishers should consider this.

"Complete Reference" - NOT
When I hear the word OR read the word "complete", I tend to believe that's exactly what it is ... complete. This book, however, quite often refers you to the online help and does not give adequate information about the existing functions methods that are currently in the Crystal Reports. "The Complete Reference" means I can look up any function and read a description of what that function does and how to use it. This book does not provide that. Furthermore, I have previous versions of Crystal Complete Reference and this book, along with others repeats the EXACT wording out of those other books. I figure, I can understand why because it's accumulative, but, I would rather have a separate book with JUST the new features. ... Read more

Book Description

A step-by-step resource for clear communication of all types of policies and procedures.

Policies and procedures—they’re what make a company run efficiently and legally. Now managers have a definitive guide to creating accurate policies and procedures documents. The book is useful for professionals in such areas as:

• health and safety
• human resources
• office management
• administration
• quality
• manufacturing
• customer service
• finance and accounting.

Readers will enjoy the unusually friendly, informal approach of this book. Loaded with examples, checklists, guidelines, quick tips, work plans, and forms, it is ready for immediate use. The book shows how to:

• write (and design) documents clearly (so employees will understand and follow the policies)

• plan, analyze, and research each element

• help employees increase efficiency, reduce mistakes and frustration, and save time and money—by providing clear guidelines to follow

• avoid legal mistakes that can get a company in trouble. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent. Easy to read or use as a reference.
No dry reading about theory here. Ms. Campbell has created a very useful tool.

Poorly Written, Hard to Understand
I found this book hard to understand and it didn't follow any great pattern or flow.

Useful, but a bit too general
The book is easy to read and understand. It provides helpful guidelines and background material to design procedures. It works a bit as a checklist, in order to remember all the elements in procedure writting. However, it's not meant for any particular industry, and is very general. I would have liked to find more specific examples, and maybe sections for particular industries.

This book was very helpful in getting started.
This book was very helpful in getting started with the procedures that our department so desparately needed. The book didn't mention the computer industry in particular but everything applied. It helped us get the information extracted from the appropriate people, pick a format, plan, and write. The book is easy to read and not dry at all. The 'tools and resources' check lists were great. This book was worth the price tag for me. ... Read more

Book Description

From persuasive memos to complaint letters, sales letters to executive summaries -- this exceedingly useful guide helps the business worker write clearly and in an appropriate format, style and tone. Numerous examples show how to overcome writer's block, organize messages for maximum impact, achieve an easy-to-read style, find an efficient writing system and much more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great reference book - - timely, too!
This is a well-written, carefully organized book that belongs on desks across America! Topics covered include organizing before writing, overcoming writer's block, suiting letters to complex situations, and using grammar and punctuation properly. If I had to provide one criticism, it would only be that the book is too short! As a reader, I didn't tire of the useful sample letters and would have happily read more and more. A great reference for the tentative writer and a good refresher for seasoned writers, as well. ... Read more

Book Description

Create presentation-quality reports and complex, interactive analysis documents both on and off the Web with help from this thorough resource. Learn to use this powerful reporting tool to develop and design reports, make maps, tables, and charts, and much more. Produce visually appealing reports quickly and effectively, extract and present data from SQL databases, download ready-to-use sample report templates. Get the information, advice, and tools you’ll need to conquer the learning curve and produce winning reports and report-based applications. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very valuable
Like vitamins - read one a day for better reports. Glad I bought this book.

Disappointing Read
This is a disappointing read. Half of the book is the reference material from the help files and the other half is random report design techniques that don't fit together. Give this one a pass.

Superbly organized and very highly recommended
Crystal Reports Professional Results, by George Peckis a superbly organized and very highly recommended resource which provides a wealth of tips, ticks, and techniques on the creation and presentation of expert quality reports and complex, interactive analysis documentation both on and off the Web. George Peckis is particular adept at explaining just how to develop and design reports, make maps, tables, and charts, extract and present data from SQL databases, download ready-to-use sample report templates, and so much more.

Crystal Guru in a Book
If you're just getting started with Crystal Reports, you've had some introductory training and know your way around the basics fairly well, but you're just not sure if some particular thing is possible or how to do it, this is the book for you. (Even if you are not just getting started!) Some of us are lucky and have a Crystal guru in the cubicle next door for those one-off questions; the rest can look them up in this book.

The first half of the book is tips and tricks, some more tricky than others, but all in the realm of good-to-know. I consider myself a sophisticated Crystal Reports developer and yet I found tidbits of knowledge that I had never come across before. The topics covered are broad, encompassing report formatting, formula creation, grouping enhancements, and more. Putting just some of the tips into practice will make you look like the guru.

The second half of the book is a Crystal Reports formula reference that I did not find much more helpful than the Crystal Reports help files. However, the tips section is more than worth the price of the book!

Only half a book
I already have George's CR 8.5 book and I think its great. When I saw the description for this book I was very interested in reading it. Unfortunately, once I got the book in my hands I was let down.

As I went through the chapters I saw that it was really a "Tips and Tricks" book. This is mostly stuff that I already read in his 8.5 book. So I didn't see much new information. But the really bad part was when I got to page 200. The book was over! Yes, this "400" page book is only 200 pages.

The last 200 pages are a printout of the Crystal help file. I've read books that have what I consider too many tables copied out of a help file. But this book goes over the top by having a full 50% of its content being a copy of the help file. What was George and his publisher thinking? It reminds me of the Tom Petty song The Last DJ, "The guys at the top want to see how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free."

In summary, the first half of the book is a lot of repeated tips from his 8.5 book. The second half of the book is worthless. If you want a good CR book, get George's 8.5 or 9.0 book and pass this one by. I'm shocked to see that a great CR author such as George put with his name on the cover. ... Read more

Book Description

Winning Grants Step by Step is the definitive guide to writing persuasive and successful proposals. In easy-to-understand terms, Mim Carlson leads you through creating a proposal--from start to finish--that fulfills the three most important criteria grantmakers demand from a competitive proposal: a clearly stated purpose describing what your organization is trying to achieve, compelling evidence that demonstrates the importance of this goal, and a well-reasoned plan that outlines how your organization will meet the goal in a cost-effective manner. And, once the workbook exercises are completed, your organization will have a fully developed grant proposal. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

For beginners
Mim Carlson's "Winning Grants" provides an excellent overview of what steps to follow when seeking foundation funding. It provides a fair amount of general information that will be useful for readers who lack proposal writing experience. Unfortunately, the book suffers from being a bit too general in its approach. The author attempts to cover both private and public grant writing, but the overlap between these two areas is not great enough to justify lumping them together. My only other complaint is that an index is not included.

Pragmatic worksheets
If you come in to our nonprofit management support organization and ask for a book on grant proposal writing, there are two we'll pull out right away: Grassroots Grants and Winning Grants Step by Step. We're often asked which to choose. Of all the books we see, these are the two we most often recommend, but they do have different approaches.

Winning Grants Step by Step takes a pragmatic tone. It accepts the rules of the game and offers to show you how to win within them. "Most funders prefer to give grants for new and expanding programs or in support of special projects and new ideas rather than for the general operating expenses of an organization or the ongoing costs of established programs," it explains. "Because funders have these preferences, this workbook uses the idea of creating a new program as the basis for developing a proposal." (The book does also give examples of core operating support proposals, and does start with a planning guide to help you see which programs fit your priorities).
In the introduction to Grassroots Grants, on the other hand, the publisher shares her qualms about publishing a book about grants at all, preferring that the reader focus first on developing more renewable and less restricted gifts from individual donors. "This book is about two things: money and power," says Grassroots Grants, and calmly analyzes the dynamics of both in the grant proposal process. This big-picture view is in the end more pragmatic - it encourages you to take control of the grantseeking process by searching out those funders and pitching those programs that really best fit with what you are trying to do.

Both books have excellent project planning guidelines. As Winning Grants Step by Step observes, "Generally, organizations will spend approximately 80 percent of their time planning a project and only 20 percent of their time writing and packaging a proposal," so this section is obviously very important. Both books ask questions such as "What is unique about your organization's project?" "Is anyone else working on a similar project?" "What members of your community support each project?"

Both also contain useful information about finding appropriate funders, which is key to the process - much more important than your writing skills is finding the right funder who cares about projects like yours. Although Winning Grants Step by Step puts this information at the end in an appendix, you should really read it first, particularly the excellent section on corporate giving programs. Grassroots Grants contains very helpful guidelines about what to consider when deciding whether a funder is really a good fit for your organization, and detailed information about ways to develop good relationships with potential funders.

The books have different approaches to how they help you with your own writing. Winning Grants Step by Step has a workbook format, with questionnaires you fill out as you go, so that by the time you have completed them you will have addressed most of the subjects covered in a typical proposal, and it will be easy to cut and paste the appropriate bits into the funder's preferred format. It comes with all the worksheets on a CD-ROM so you can fill them out electronically and reuse them. If you like project planning, but get nervous about the writing process, this format may help walk you through. Grassroots Grants has questionnaires throughout the text, and it has more examples of proposals, query letters, and other documents with notes on how they were developed. If you like to write by reading examples to inspire you to your own purposes, this book will suit you.

Ultimately, these books complement one another. Even if you prefer the workbook format of Winning Grants Step by Step, the "big picture" you get from reading Grassroots Grants will help you answer all those questions. Likewise, if you prefer the style of Grassroots Grants, you can still benefit from the excellent sections on overhead costs and planning for sustainability in Winning Grants Step by Step.

good, basic overview but don't use alone
I am a consultant, grantwriter, and trainer who specializes in technical assistance and training for HIV/AIDS services. I provide a copy of this workbook to participants in my grantwriting ("Bringing Home the Money!) workshops, because it's a good, basic overview of many of the different parts of the request for funding proposal.

What's most useful about Carlson's book is that it provides a summary for participants and another way of explaining some of the things I teach. There are also good worksheets included in Carlson's book, designed to help first-time grantwriters grapple with the different proposal elements. Carlson also includes a CD-ROM with different forms that can also be helpful.

However, there are important limits to Carlson's book, thus the caveat in my review title that you NOT use this book alone.

1. Carlson's book is very general. For certain funders or funding areas (such as in HIV/AIDS), grantwriters need to include and be very familiar with things like public health data and certain standardized evaluation methods. You will not get that kind of information or guidance in Carlson's book.

2. Some of the sections lack sufficient details that can help first-time grantwriters better understand the concepts. For example, the budget and budget justification section are weak. She does not provide any explanation for "priority/target populations," a concept important to HIV/AIDS and other public health programs.

3. Carlson starts off with a good premise: Helping grantwriters understand the writing of a good proposal by having funders--the people who would actually read and decide on your proposal--speak about what makes good and bad proposals. It's a great idea and one that is the backbone to my own workshop. However, it is a thread that Carlson quickly drops and doesn't bother to integrate into the entire workbook.

4. Finally, the different elements are presented in such a way that they remain disintegrated, separate, fragmented from each other. In reality, a good proposal (i.e., one that is most likely to be funded) includes all the required elements (abstract, description of need, work plan, goals and objectives, evaluation, etc.) that are written well, are strong in content, and all work together in an integrated way.

To Carlson's credit on my last point, I should note that very few writers of grantwriting books and guides have succeeded in showing the latter, although I think it's one of the best signs of a well-written, strong, viable program.

In summary, then, this is a good first place to start if you're new to grantwriting or need a refresher. But definitely use it in conjunction with a great workshop and/or other grantwriting resources that are available.

Good for foundation grants, not so good for gov't grants
The information contained in this book primarily applies to non-governmental entities soliciting grants from non-profit foundations. Organizations like the NSF, NIH, etc., have fairly strict guidelines and don't permit the "excesses" encouraged in this book.

As the review title states, this would probably be a very useful book for a charitable organization looking to obtain funds from corporate foundations. However, if you're looking for research money from a government organization like Nat'l Science Foundation or Dep't of Education, this book is virtually useless.

Invaluable to the small nonprofit organization
This book should prove invaluable to the small nonprofit organization without development staff. Its clear and logical steps are easy to follow and non-intimidating for the uninitiated.

In my practice as a consultant to small nonprofit organizations, I found that the three areas most often not understood are: building relationships with funders, clearly setting and articulating outcomes and objectives; and providing a rationale why this particular nonprofit organization is uniquely suitable for providing this particular service or goods. Carlson's book provides instructions to help an organization address these three areas in a simple straightforward way. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

RFP Book Review
RFP Handbook is a great addition to any IT project manager's bookshelf. It is clear that the author is writing based on real-world experience. The book offers a good foundation for creating RFP's and offers practical advice that will keep you from making costly mistakes. It also provides examples and templates for writing an RFP. I wish I had this book ten years ago. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is responsible for, or contributing to, the creating of an RFP.

Resource and guidelines with a coherent approach
There are literally hundreds of good books on proposal writing, but only a tiny handful on writing RFPs. From among the handful this book stands out for a number of reasons:

(1) It clearly described the RFP process from start to finish - and RFP development is a process with a defined life cycle.

(2) The author goes well beyond the immediate objective of writing an RFP and managing the process by including thought-provoking material on post-award vendor management. This material sometimes escapes the RFP development team who is more focused on getting to the award milestone without thinking about the post-award ramifications.

(3) It's not boring - the writing is lively, and the material is presented at a fast pace. The pace, however, does not leave gaps. Every facet of the RFP process is covered in sufficient detail.

In addition to the above, the approach set forth in this book is consistent with best practices in RFP development. I especially like the copious checklists, the RFP roadmap, and the way illustrations are skillfully used to reinforce concepts and advice.

Note that the focus of this book is information technology and software acquisition. Some of the material is unique to those domains; however, the basic principles and RFP process can be used for virtually any type of RFP, from office services to purchasing furniture.

Overall, this is the one book I recommend for RFP development. If you are an IT professional, regardless of role, the chances are you will be involved in this process at some point in your career, making this book a valuable addition to your library. If you have recently been assigned to an RFP team you should get this book as soon as possible, and use it as your compass and blueprint if your organization does not already have a formal RFP process in place.

Good Resource
A great resource for preparation and review of an RFP. A helpful guide for people with and without RFP experience.

The RFP book that htelp me to do the job well done
I was in charge to define the RFP for a big imaging system project and this book gave me the tools to plan, supervise and create the RFP that point out the requirements, so the providers can easily develop the correct solution in their proposal.

This book is ahead. Has very good explanation (easy to read and understand), well structured and the examples are good to have a clear idea of the content that should have all the topic of the RFP. It gave me the tools to map the plan, the definition of the requirements and the development of the RFP document.

This book must be in any library.

Informative and detailed
I highly recommend this book if you have never written an RFP before. It is easy to follow, provides good insite into writing an RFP document, and gives adequate samples that explain the process. ... Read more

Book Description

Here is the most complete and up-to-date resource of model business correspondence for every conceivable occasion. From sample letters, memos and e-mails, this guide allows the user to use samples as is, or adapt for their own purpose. This book contains more than 300 model documents demonstrating the key elements necessary to convey the writer's message. Easy organization allows user to quickly identify the specific letter needed. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Fax Memos, and E-Mail
Exceptional Book, full credit to the Author, this is the best book I have come across, I will recommend this to everyday Jo bloggs user like myself who were struggling to right decent letters.

Little guidance
This was very basic and had few examples to choose from when trying to form a letter. What little guidance received was common knowledge. This is best suited for high school students.

This Is An Indispensable Business Writing Guide!
The use of Internet technology has made the effective communication of thoughts and ideas in a variety of formats and styles possible. Good Website design alone, however, does not assure that one's intended business message will get across as well as planned and hoped for. Good writing and presentation skills are also important factors to consider in the overall communication process.

Robert Bly has written The Encyclopedia of Business Letters, Fax Memos, and E-Mail to assist people to create a variety of important business correspondence that can be put to use in the office and online. Bly, the author of The Copywriter's Handbook, offers his readers some quick solutions to meeting many practical business correspondence needs. He provides plenty of samples throughout the book that cover a broad range of business needs, including correspondence with colleagues, vendors, employees and employers, customers, handling complaints and requests, making collections, and producing sales and direct marketing letters.

Readers will be impressed with the ease with which they can learn to create their own business letters. Following the guiding principles, samples, and instruction in this book will result in generating favorable responses in making sales, marketing products and services, issuing warnings for poor worker performance, making the firing of people much easier to accomplish (gulp!), terminating services, apologizing for poor performance, and many other tough real-life circumstances they are likely to face in the business world someday!

Bly offers some very helpful tips on customizing letters to meet specific circumstances such as time-sensitive communications, varying message tone, generating favorable responses with creative wording, and preparing correspondence intended for faxing and e-mailing. Bly cautions his readers by reminding them that once someone sends an electronic communication there may be no way to stop it from reaching its destination. Watch your words and emotions!

Readers will learn how to produce many top-notch communications for any purpose, including office correspondence, faxes, e-mail, newsgroups, and Website design use. This book will assist business people of all levels of experience to get any message across much easier with more confidence! This is an indispensable business writing guide. Look good in print and online! Highly recommended for novice business owners! ... Read more

Book Description

Crystal Reports is the no. 1 tool for creating reports from any data source, including a wide variety of database and ERP products. The new version introduces many new features and features tight integration with .NET, new XML functionality, and more. Mastering Crystal Reports gives power users and developers all they need to the most out of the product. It goes well beyond just teaching simple reporting skills but offers thorough coverage of application and web development with Crystal. There is an entire part devoted to Crystal programming, including creating Web Services and using Crystal with .NET and Java. There is even a section on Crystal Enterprise, a web-based platform for reporting and analysis. Author Cate McCoy is an experienced writer, consultant, and trainer, with years of experience using Crystal Reports. Coauthor Gord Maric is president of a computer consulting company, with a focus on database technologies and Crystal. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Very disappointing for a beginner
I'm a Crystal Reports beginner. This book is not useful at all. You can easily create a simple report by following the steps described in first two chapters. However, after that, I was totally lost. The book describes a lot of things available in Crystal Reports without following samples. There are samples available for each chapter on the web. However, there was no connection between the samples and the book. I don't how the sample reports were produced and I just couldn't learn how to create reports by just reading the book. I'm very disappointed at the book.

Disappointing for the Non-Beginner
Here are the good points:
. the examples do follow through many of the features of Crystal Reports 9

Here are the bad points:
. there is a lot of unnecessary verbiage which pads out the size of the book; the verbiage is intended to make the text friendly, but for someone trying to determine how a feature works, it is highly obstructive and irritating
. the typeface in which the book is set is quite difficult to read
. the examples do not pass on understanding of the principles of each feature; the attempt to grasp a general concept gets drowned in the details
. many features (too numerous to mention) are glossed-over, including advanced features needed by the enterprise programmer
. the index includes references which are totally useless (e.g. McLuhan, Marshall who has absolutely nothing to do with the topic) and lacks completely necessary references
. while not a "1,200 page tome" (see another review) it is a 639 page tome

While the title includes the word "Master", this book is really for the programming beginner. For example, veterans do not need another tedious review of object-oriented programming, or SQL, or Basic language syntax, and so on. Seeing as there are entire libraries on these topics, the reviews are necessarily inadequate anyhow.

I wanted to learn Crystal Reports 9 and this was excellent
Already a SQL, VB, and .NET programmer, I wanted o add CR to the repetoire. I picked this book up from Amazon and was pleasantly surprised with the depth and descriptions. If you're looking for a book that gives you the low down on CR, pick this one up.

I also travel as a consultant often and this book is not a 1,200 page tome either (which I appreciate).

Enjoy!

has to be the worst
This has to be the worst title I have picked up in a while. The author rambles on and on and on about things that have nothing to do with Crystal Reports. Endless filler material here with sample code that looks like it came straight from the Crystal web site. In terms of report design and use, Crystal: The Complete Reference (Peck) is a much better book and I wish I could swap this one for it!

Best & Comprehensive
This is one of the best and most content rich of all the Crystal Reports books.
Contains everything from the most basic usage to the more complex reports, formulas, SQL and programming issues.
If you are an instructor and need a book to use teaching CR this is the book for you. ... Read more

Book Description

What is this book about?

The addition of Crystal Reports 9.0 to Visual Studio .NET 2003 offers developers a reporting tool that allows you to turn almost any data into interactive, dynamic content through portals, wireless devices, and Microsoft Office documents. This code-intensive guide takes you step by step through developing reports and incorporating them into applications.

First, you gain a thorough understanding of how this version of Crystal Reports differs from previous versions and how it fits into the .NET platform. Then you begin creating reports and learn how to integrate them into both Windows and Web-based applications. You explore XML Web services, find out how to work with ADO.NET, and learn to use formulas and logic in your reports. Finally, you develop distributed reporting applications and discover how to deploy the applications you have created.

Packed with real-world examples of working applications, this comprehensive second edition provides a complete understanding of commonly used features, examples of integration with a variety of databases and platforms, and much more.

What does this book cover?

Here are some details on what you'll discover in this book:

• Advanced report design
• Methods for creating reports using the Expert
• How to integrate reports into Windows and Web-based applications
• Development and deployment of distributed reporting applications
• How to create XML Report Web Services and work with ADO.NET
• Tips for using parameters with Crystal Reports and customizing the report content at run-time
• Options for working with different data sources
• How to use the features contained in the properties, methods, and events associated with the Crystal Reports engine

Who is this book for?

This book is for programmers seeking a comprehensive guide to the functionality of Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET. You should have some experience with .NET and Visual Studio .NET. Some familiarity with Crystal Reports is helpful, although this update includes a large section on report design.  ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Am I missing something here?
I read the 2nd Edition. Many other reviewers thought the book was really good. Hm...it has some interesting ideas for additional, future work I would like to do, but ...
1. I found it to be rather disorganized. He jumps around a lot in the book, and sometimes it is hard to follow his examples. He tries to do two things at the same time: explain the different options in Crystal Reports and go through a detailed example (which doesn't cover all of the options).
2. I got off to a bad start in the book right away because he gives the .NET project the same name as the report, which confuses my version of Visual Studio .NET (2003 EA). In the sample code that can be downloaded from Wrox's web site, he uses a different name for the .NET project.
3. His explanation of cross tab reports is a joke (and has some mistakes in it). Fortunately, he uses a good example(s) for the cross tab report(s) and a reasonably intelligent person can figure it out.
4. He doesn't cover some of the "fun" stuff in report design like sizing and aligning report objects. He doesn't give you good tips for rapidly developing reports (other than using the report experts). He has written another book for beginners which I haven't read. Perhaps he covers some of these things there.
5. He could use more examples and more detail on subreports in his book. The reviewer from Singapore, for example, might benefit from that.
6. He does a very good job of reviewing the capabilities of Crystal Reports .NET versus the full retail versions of Crystal Reports like versions 9 and 10.
7. He does a good job of showing how to use Crystal Reports within the Visual Studio .NET IDE (which a lot of reviewers liked). However, he mentions the context menu for the report designer several times but never gives a screen shot of the menu in the book. One of the first things I did was to make a screen shot of that menu by doing a right click on the report I was designing.
8. Folks, if this is the best we can do, I plan to write my own book(s), beginner and advanced.

Hands Down The Best Crystal Reports.NET Book
I have been writing web applications using "Classic" ASP and notepad since it was first introduced with the early versions of IIS and have recently started upgrading these applications to ASP.NET after many months of soul searching. Part of my reluctance to upgrade these applications was that most of them were for simply displaying data and statistics, which I painfully created my own layouts for (as there was little alternative)

So when I saw there was a copy of Crystal Reports included with .NET, I decided to give it a try to see if I could actually use reports instead of presenting the data in my own format and bought this book to help me along.

I can not tell you what a difference that this book as made-- I quickly zipped through the report design part and got straight on to the integration with web forms and found that I could create and integrate a report in a fraction of the time it took me before to do a manual table layout. The book is the right size and is down to the point.

If I had one criticism, it would be that the coverage of report design didn't cover graph formatting in depth, but it did get me enough to get started.

This is by no means a reference book!
This book glosses over many of the critical details to get your reports running smoothly in .NET. It is a very, very basic tutorial...and that's it.

It's about the intersection of CR and .NET, not their union.
Page-for-page, I got a lot of value out of this book, and quickly (2 work days, cover-to-cover, running and tweaking the downloaded examples.). It concisely covers exactly what the title says it does - CR.NET - not stand alone CR 9, nor Enterprise. It addresses an issue that both Microsoft and Crystal/Seagate documentation have always given short shrift to in earlier versions of CR - how the tool (CR.NET) is intended to be used in the context of the larger IDE (VS.NET).

Still, the bad reviews here are somewhat valid. The important legacy issue of porting old CR 7 and 8 reports into CR.NET is not addressed - even though the topic would be germane to the subject matter. Also, while I haven't had any troubles using SQL Server stored procs in CR.NET so far, I have to agree that the topic is important and germane enough to deserve specific discussion. God help me for saying this about a Wrox title, but it would have been worth making it a little thicker to cover these topics.

And hey, it's nice to see Wrox taking the time to let one author write a thin, coherent book instead of rushing out the thick, incoherent collections of chapter-length articles that they usually do.

The Complete Reference
I am an old VB developer trying to make the transition to .NET. I bought the other crystal book (which is a back breaker) and found only a few pages of .Net. I picked this book up after having a read in the store and it fits the bill. I reccomend it. ... Read more

Book Description

In the everyday work world, most professionals are on their own when it comes to writing reports, memos, proposals, and other necessary correspondence. The Business Style Handbook is a practical and comprehensive guide that focuses specifically on the writing issues that frequently arise on the job. Insights and feedback from Fortune 500 communications executives provide tips and advice on improving writing style and effectiveness, while more than 1,200 alphabetized entries cover the essentials of style and usage, grammatical concepts, and more.

Reviews (15)

A writing handbook with cultural and social backgrounds
A while ago, a friend asked me to review some business correspondence when I was in Beijing. Subsequently, I always thought that it would be helpful to find him some business writing reference books. When I came across The Business Style Handbook (in both English and Chinese), I recommended them to my friend.

The book is very practical. It differs from a regular dictionary in that it contains not only definitions for terms but also their cultural and social backgrounds. Look for the references for items such as 360-degree review, 401(k) or cookie. They are very helpful to people with different language backgrounds. Another advantage is the included examples, such as how to properly use kudos. Additionally, the first five chapters provide an excellent summary on modern business writing. In all, no matter it is for a beginner or as a reference, the book provides a lot of value to its readers.

The Business Style Handbook
An invaluable tool. I just started back in the workplace after an absence of many years and this book put me right back on the business track. It even helped my son with the writing of his resume. Thanks for all the useful information.

Precise and Easy.
I write on tight deadlines and can't afford to make mistakes in the work I produce. This book is a big help. It is a valued resource for questions on grammar, spelling and pronunciation. And it is written in plain english; no need to wade through discussions on the fine points of grammar. It also makes a great gift.

Worth Recommending - especially to those who report to you
I spend a good deal of time at work writing documents and e-mails. When I have questions about how to write something correctly, The Business Style Handbook is my reference tool of first resort. Its focus on business and finance is invaluable. Where else could I quickly find out whether to use a hyphen in enterprise-wide or parentheses with 401 (k)? The chapter on e-mail is also useful, as is the information from the Fortune 500.
It is now suggested reading for the employees in our Fortune 500 company.

Style - A to Z
As an owner of a small business, this book has been an enormous aid in "putting the company's best face forward." Our success often depends upon the image we project in all our written materials. This simple little book is a necessary tool for getting it right the first time. The entire staff keeps it handy at all times. Though our world is getting faster and more hetic, there is no need to sacrifice grace and eloquence in writing style - even in an email! Buy this book. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Perhaps the best thing about Structured Query Language (SQL) databasesis the fact that so many excellent reporting products can talk to them. One ofthe best SQL reporting and charting products is Crystal Reports. CrystalReports 8 for Dummies shows you how to use this product to maximum effect,even if you don't yet know the first thing about SQL, databases, or effectivestrategies for presenting information. It patiently reveals what you need toknow, using all of the Dummies tricks--including lots of illustrations and a doseof humor--to get the facts across.

This book does a great job with stepped procedures. You find out what to do invarious situations, of course, but also what Crystal Reports will do inresponse. This approach to procedures helps ensure that you always know what toexpect as you navigate Crystal's interface. Coverage of formulas is particularlygood, shedding some light on a subject that sometimes causes new Crystal usersto stumble. The SQL tutorial material is quite strong as well, teaching you theessentials effectively. This book will be a big help as you extract data fromdatabases and prepare it for use. --David Wall

Topics covered: Crystal Reports 8 for novice and intermediate users; howto manage database tables with Crystal Reports, with emphasis on extractinginformation from databases, performing calculations on it, and presenting theresults as reports and graphics; reports; subreports; drill-downs, SQLconnectivity; and Crystal's function library. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Great Beginnings
After reading so many of these book reviews and wondering if they were accurate, it's time to contribute, help others and affirm that reviews regarding this book are indeed accurate.
While I resented buying anything that says ..."for dummies" on it and have absolutely avoided doing so in the past, I must say that when I got my hands on this particular dummies book I was pleasantly surprised. While the others are mindlessly verbose for filler, this one is not. The writer sticks to what you really need to get started using this powerful application.
It's was a classic situation: I needed a fast start and had to produce something useful in an unreasonably short timeframe. It worked. I've used this book as the starter and also purchased "a very heavy" book for the advanced work I yet need to do. It's a useful two-pronged approach that works. Thanks to Doug Wolf for some very nice, concise work!

Great Tutorial - Goes way beyond the Manual's Tutorial
If you want a great Tutorial on how to use Crystal Reports 8.0 or 8.5 this is the book for you. Once you get a good feel for the product and you need to delve into more complex reporting needs and scenarios the product manual would be your next step... or other reference books such as CRYSTAL REPORTS 8.5 - The Complete Reference, published by McGraw Hill/Osborne.

Just what it sounds like...a good beginner book
Well this book is just what it professes to be, a book for the people who said "I've got this big program, now what?" It'll get you going on creating your first reports and getting productive on Crystal reports rather nicely and quickly. Especially if you already have reporting tool experience (just as simple as knowing how to use MS Access reporting tool or something else) you'll find it so easy to follow along!

However if you're a power user, such as an Enterprise administrator or developer looking to add Crystal Reports data to your apps this book won't completely satisfy your needs, be prepared to step up to one of the more complete references after you're done with this book. Still though you'll want to start here.

(Just as a side note: the price for Crystal Reports 8.5 the Complete Reference is cheaper here at Amazon.com than anywhere else including shipping).

Great for a quick tutorial
This book is fine for the casual user of Crystal Reports. It has good examples and directs the reader firsthand through some of the really tough topics, like drilldown and cross-tab reporting. While it is an excellent introductory book for the novice, I really can't recommend the book for a more professional user. The book lacks the depth of content required for such a complex tool as Crystal. The book for that is Peck's "The Complete Guide to Crystal Reports 8". The thing this book really lacks for the casual user is possibly a section on conversion of earlier versions of CR to version 8. Otherwise, it is an outstanding way to dive right in to report building the Crystal Reports way.

Great Update to Crystal Rpts 7
Continuing the high standards set in "Crystal Reports 6," Wolf makes fast work of learning and using Crystal Reports. The updates in the books clearly coincide with updates to the software while giving beginners immediately useful tips and tools. ... Read more

Book Description

Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours guides the reader through understanding data sources, to creating simple reports using the provided report wizards to custom reporting creation, modification and design techniques.Crystal Reports 9 includes unprecedented technological advances and user interface design improvements. Crystal Reports can access data from the most widely used databases and can integrate data from multiple databases within one report.

Reviews (7)

Get fast experience
I wasn't knowing anything about Crystal Reports, then it was needed that I design critical reports about some data, the project system engineers decided that Crystal Reports is the solution.
I bought the book, and it really helped me to do the required job, it took me less than 2 weeks to read it all, and it was really ver helpful.

Good beginner book
Lets be honest, any book that says Teach Yourself ... in 24 Hours is a beginner book. And as such, this book is great. I am a application programmer and needed a PRIMER to get started and this book not only allowed me to do that, but allowed me to meet my business critical deadlines on time. Although I may need another book for advanced topics in the future. I find that I can write most of the reports requested of me with this handy book. I even told Crystal Decisions that they should contact the author to have him write their manuals, which are inadequate and hard to follow.

Only for beginners
Like someone else said in his review, this book is good for beginners. I'd like to confirm that, and maintain that's its ONLY good for beginners. The book glazes over much of the material and never goes in depth for any of it. If you've already had just a little experience with crystal reports already, this book won't help you much at all. It can hardly be used as a good reference.

Needs more stuff and less fluff
I have used many SAMS books in the past and have been VERY happy with their books. Normally they are very to the point and allow you to quickly get to the "meat and potatoes" of how to get things done. Based on that history I chose the SAMS book when I needed to learn Crystal Reports. This book is nothing more than an overpriced "marketing tool" for Crystal Reports. This book did not deliver the "caliber of substance" I have come to expect from SAMS.

Great Book!
I am new to Crystal Reports 9 and this book is totally awesome! It is very straightforward and easy to understand. This book is layed out very nicely and walks you through all of the steps you will need to create your reports, from how to get into Crystal Reports 9 to how to deploy the reports. I am only through Chapter 9 and am feeling very comfortable that by the time I am finished with this book, I will have no problems writing reports. I hightly recommend this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Beat out the competition for the best jobs

Create an image of accomplishment, professionalism, and competence that today’s employers are begging for! Job-seekers have paid hundreds of dollars for the expertise in these dynamic guides — and regarded every cent as well spent! With these job-landing tools on your desktop, you’ll have the same savvy working for you, for far, far less — with the same great results.

101 Best Resumes packs tried-and-proven advice you’ll use to:
*Create a resume that gets you in the door
*Target your resume for a specific positions - over 70 different categories are covered
*Experiment with traditional and new formats
*More!

101 Best Cover Letters shows you how to put together compelling letters to accompany your resume. Learn how to:
*Ignite interest with the first two sentences
*Turn references into endorsements
*Send your cover letter online
*Pick up smart interviewing tips...negotiate a higher salary use the Internet in your job search...work with recruiters... and much, much more! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

GREAT Book, BUT NOT in Digital Format
Great examples of cover letters with explanation of what makes them great, but I only know this because I bought the printed version after not being able to read the examples AT ALL in the downloaded digital version. I even tried reading on a 19" high resolution monitor using the PC version of Microsoft Reader, .

The problem is that even though Microsoft Reader allows one to change the fonts of the print to suit the reader, scanned images like ALL the cover letter examples are not scalable, so it is impossible to distinguish an e from an o, l from an i, and so on.

Amazon should not sell books with graphics and fixed images in digital format, or at least should warn customers of the issue before they pay to download a book in digital format that has over 70% in unscalable, unreadable format.

GREAT FOR THE NEWBIES or EXPERTS OUT THERE!
This book was a great investment! The cover letters give you examples to use in your own letter and show you the strengths found in each cover. I actually took a highlighter to this book and highlighted my favorite lines and ideas out of certain letters. I then implemented them into my letter. Great for everyone, the professional or the inexperienced. YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

I was very disappointed with this purchase.
I was very disappointed with this purchase. The only subject the letters cover is for use in getting a job. If I had known that it was strictly targeting getting a job I would have never purchased this. I was looking for a book that had a variety of letters you would find useful in the business world, not getting a job.

Best on the market
This is the best book of its kind on the market. It's letters were varied and covered more topics than I needed, but will use in the future. Definitely worth the [money]!

the best letter which is ever readed?
ya this is good book and i can tell that everyone should read this ... Read more

Book Description

THE CONSULTANT'S GUIDE TO PROPOSAL WRITING

Third Edition

When clients make the decision to hire you, they are putting more than money on the line. They are also putting their company's future and its reputation in your hands. That's why your success depends on your ability to gain prospective clients' complete confidence, not only in the solutions you offer, but in you —your capabilities and character.

In this latest edition of his bestselling guide, Herman Holtz—the "Consultant's Consultant"—shows that the most effective means of doing this is with a strategic, well-written proposal. But that's only part of the picture. He also shows you why and how a winning proposal, when correctly used, is an indispensable tool for forging lasting relationships with clients and increasing income.

The first book devoted exclusively to this critical consulting skill, The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing takes you through all of the steps involved in researching, planning, designing, writing, and presenting winning proposals. Drawing upon nearly three decades of experience as a successful consultant to both government and Fortune 500 companies, Herman Holtz shares everything he knows about what clients really want to see in a proposal and how to give it to them. He also provides valuable tips on effective language and design, what information to include and what to leave out, how not to undersell or oversell yourself, and how to generate interest in additional and future services.

This Third Edition has been thoroughly updated to cover all of the important technological advances that have occurred since the last edition, as well as important new trends in the consulting markets themselves. You'll find a new chapter on how to market yourself in cyberspace via Web sites, e-mail, and other online resources, plus a new section on the latest in desktop publishing technology and how to make the most of it. This edition also features guidance for the growing numbers of consultants specializing in proposal writing, and for professional writers who would like to add proposal writing to the services they offer clients.

The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing, Third Edition gives you everything you need to know to simplify one of the most difficult consulting jobs—winning clients.

From America's foremost expert on consulting, a complete guide to developing winning proposals

A winning proposal is more than just a statement of proposed consulting services. An effective, well-crafted proposal is a valuable marketing tool that can:

• Win new clients
• Generate new business from established ones
• As much as double your income!

In this updated Third Edition of America's #1 consultant's guide to proposal writing, Herman Holtz —the "Consultant's Consultant" —tells you everything you need to know to research, design, write, present, and get the most out of winning proposals. He tells you what clients are really looking for in proposals and how to give it to them. And he shows you how to:

• Get the most out of the latest desktop publishing technology
• Market yourself via the Web, e-mail, and other online vehicles
• Find and tap key online research sources
• Discover the keys to creativity
• Avoid common errors in proposals
• Safeguard your proposal against piracy
• Solve the problem of page-limited proposals
• Develop cost, technical, presentation, and competitor strategies
• Sell to the government
• Make the bid vs. no-bid analysis and decision

Reviews (1)

The Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing: How to Satisfy
Review for the Consultant's Guide to Proposal Writing: How to Satisfy Your Client And Double Your Income.

This particular book was rather helpful to me, for as a writer already, and knowing the pressures and demands (edits, edits, edits, and deadlines, deadlines, deadlines)besides pleasing the client and of course attract the attention of the desired reader---this book is a straightforward how-to on what you need to do inorder to meet and satisfy all the elements when writing a proposal.

The content and context are thorough and easy to understand and follow for someone experienced in proposal writing but also matter-of-fact enough for anyone desiring to dip into this specific field of writing. It also provides basic a