Industrial Books

One of the best and most usefull books I have ever seen. It gives an excellent, intuitive concept of transmission line theory and develops a good understanding of the subject along with formulas, & important rule of thumb design rules. It is a great book for someone who wants to understand the signal integrity issues and the physicall design factors that affect it.

It's an excellent book, written beautifully, crafting complex concepts from the very basics of electrical engineering. An excellent resource to get you started in the world if Signal Integrity.

Too bad I couldn't give this book TEN stars (i.e., "FIVE Stars" is the highest available rating by Amazon.com).



I received the book "Signal Integrity" last week and took a glimpse of it and fell deeply in love with the author's writing style and organization (progression of thought). His thought progression reminds me somewhat of Sedra and Smith's Microelectronic Circuits, another wonderfully written textbook for undergraduates.



I wish this book as well as some others would have been around twenty years ago...Oh well, better late than never I suppose.



I applaud the author IMMENSELY for his ability to collate many design ideas and tips in this outstanding title.



May God bless him for his effort, and continue to do so. : )

I have read Black Magic by Johnson and believe that Bogatin's book is superior. I bought this book as a beginner hardware engineer and this book does a wonderful job of explaining and integrating different concepts I learned as an undergrad. Universities don't stress SI enough (even at my school, electromagnetics was optional), and Bogatin's book does an great job of integrating and enhancing what one is taught at the unversity level.
The reason I prefer this book over Black Magic is that it puts more effort into explaining the fundamentals of Signal Integrity (what causes it, how to fix, etc) rather than going in depth into the mathematical theory and calculations behind the phenomena. As engineers, we have computer programs that do much of this calculating for us and we need to understand "rules of thumb" that will help us design/test better in the future.
I believe this book is an excellent addition into any hardware engineer's library, as well as for students intersted in hardware design/test as a career.

I had the excellent book High-Speed Digital Design A Handbook of Black Magic by Johnson and Graham but went ahead and bought this book. I'm glad I did. The two books cover the same subject quite differently and I think they are complementary.
Signal Integrity Simplified has many great layout/note tidbits mentioned by other reviewers but the one thing I really liked is that below each formula is an explaination of each variable in the formula, even if you should already know what the variable is from previous formulas and text. This makes it a good reference that doesn't have to be read linearly. In addition, the author gives an example of when each esoteric formula applies and I found myself saying over and over, "Oh, I do have that case in my design." In other words, the examples were exactly what layout or frequency range I was dealing with.
"Everyone" knows there are 3 basic circuit elements: resistors, capacitors, and inductors. But this book refers to the fourth, the transmission line. Much of the book is dedicated to this element, as it should be for a signal integrity book.
This book focuses on 100 Mhz to 4 Ghz designs. Any modern digital signal has rising/falling edge frequency components in that range. If you are doing board design, don't let the price scare you away, you need this or one of the other signal integrity books.
Geez, I sound like one of those glowing fake reviews but I can assure you I've no interest in the sales of this book and have been doing real circuit design for 25 years.

This "Unofficial" book is very good. David does a great job of showing exactly how to build each project with informative snapshots from the program Lego Digital Designer. The programming was missing a little of information on what to fill in the for each module, but his comments provided enough information to fill in the modules. I did have a question for David and he responded with the answer I was looking for.

I love the Lego Mindstorm kits, and I've always enjoyed No Starch Press's books. So I was excited to hear about their Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventor's Guide (ULMNIG). These are two great tastes that taste great together.

Unfortunately, I was led a bit astray by the title. "Inventor's Guide", to me, summons mental images of crazy legos hacks, but that's not the goal of this book.

In the introduction, the ULMNIG describes its true intentions--taking you beyond the user guide and instructions that came with the Mindstorm kit. It does not assume any previous experience with Lego or Mindstorms, but helps you explore a broader range or projects and possibilities.

As an entry level book, I think the ULMNIG overwhelmingly succeeds.

The book starts with a description of the lego pieces, then provides basic guidelines for building sturdy structures and functional gear trains. For me, this was the weakest part of the book. Don't get me wrong. It has solid information, and should be useful for beginning builders. But it felt too short and too superficial for my tastes.

The ULMNIG then spends two chapters exploring the NXT-G programming language in detail. If you are going to use NXT-G, then you need to read these chapters. They provide a lot of information that will help you get the most out of your Mindstorm brick. They are also much clearer and more informative than the user manual. Reading these chapters will save you from hours of frustrating trial and error.

Finally the last half of the book covers six new robot designs. Four of these designs are radically different from each other. One is a differential drive with a ball castor. One is a four-wheeled steering vehicle. One is a six-legged walking motion sensor, and one is a stationary bot. There are also two variations on the differential-drive bot.

This gives you a nice combination of projects. The designs increase in complexity, allowing you to improve your skills as you progress through them. Building them will teach you a wide range of design techniques, while the variations show you how you can modify existing designs for other purposes.

The projects are definitely the highlight of the book. Working through the projects will teach you more about building robots than the rest of the book combined. And, once your finished, you should be ready to jump into your own projects.

Unfortunately, advanced builders/programmers might find themselves somewhat disappointed with this book. The ULMNIG hints at several advanced topics: building dynamic structures and third party programming languages. Unfortunately, these only get the briefest introduction. A few paragraphs each, tops. And the ULMNIG doesn't even mention other advanced topics, like third-party sensors and hardware, or attaching your own circuits to the NXT brick.

So, I would not recommend this book for everyone. But, if you've finished all the projects in the Mindstorm Users Guide, but your still struggling to build your own robots, then this is definitely the book for you.

I'm a coach of a FIRST LEGO League team and I bought this book to help my son "get to the next level." I am making this book mandatory for every team member next season! It is informative, yet easy to read. It covers all the bases from good robot design to programming explanations. I can't recommend it enough!

This is a great beginner/intermediate level book for both kids and adults. The building section is excellent at explaining HOW to use the technic pieces. The programming section is a very good primer for those new to the NXT-G programming environment and language. It sets you up well for the building & programming projects found later in the book. As a middle school teacher running a robotics club, I set some of my more advanced 6th graders to work on whatever project they wanted to from the book. They jumped into taking on the guard-bot and the golf-bot which are the more advanced projects. With little guidance from me, they were very successful and had a blast. That shows how well written and designed the book is!

The Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventors Guide

Author: David J. Perdue
website: http://www.davidjpredue.com ; http://www.nxtguidedavidjpredue.com
Strengths: Very nice schematics, parts listings and visuals to highlight or the parts for the machines. Easily readable. Good for novice robot builders but also advanced users will find it helpful as well.

Weaknesses: The book has black/white text.

Novice/Intermediate/Advanced

Rating: 5/5

reviewed by Dr. Eric Flescher, Olathe, KS: (dreric1kansas@aol.com)


Introduction

I have been working with robot kits for many years. I started with the Fischertecknik robot turtle which I built and was able to use with the logo interface with my Apple IIE. Later on I heard about Lego Mindstorms and bought a set to use. It was tough going and after much delay because of the programming and the light issues with the brick, I was able to get legos finally working. Since then, I have worked with several kits and working with PC and Macintosh interfacing. But I was still looking for more a more helpful guides to build more interesting robots. I think I found one in The Unofficial Lego Mindstorms NXT Inventors Guide.

This author David J. Perdue knows his stuff and Lego Mindstorms. He has been creating MINDSTORMS since 2001 and just won the NXT Camera Bot Building Challenge competition and is the author of Competitive MINDSTORMS (Apress, 2004). He has received three Special Mention awards for his creations on the official online MINDSTORMS and is a full time student, pursuing a degree in Management information Systems in Texas. So I opened the book to see what else I could find out and how I could use the book for my LegoMindstorms in the future.

In the beginning, it was difficult to use Mindstorms. For me the kit did not work at all. Working with Macintosh was not an option. There were minimal additional information for working with the robots beyond the parts, software and initial schematics. I had to use a PC. This version works with PC (needs Windows XP or higher and will or already have shipped Vista version) or Macintosh OSX (version 103.9 and higher). It was not until later that I learned from a Legos salesman that the light in the room could be an issue. Its little things like this that kept me and possible others, from doing more with robotics.

I was hoping that the book started with novice programmers and robot creators. This books has "novice " beginning information so this book can be used with those who are new to Lego Mindstorms or are upgrading to the NXT version. It is good to know that this advanced robotic author, is "down to earth" with his writing and when "speaking" the language of robots. I have not upgraded to the NXT version yet and so and wanted to see whether it is would be worth upgrading myself but if so how and what ways could the robots be used with this new version.

The black and white screenshots are integrated within the instruction. The visuals are large enough to read and decipher what you need to know. The lack of color does not really hurt. I really liked the screenshots and illustrations listings of the parts for assembly. However it would have been nice if they were in color (the parts are a multitude or colors. Tables do however include numbers, piece names and the place color however. When you need more information about the parts, they are all there listed and illustrated/ photographed.

Throughout the book, there are helpful ideas in the way of bold notes that are "peppered" throughout the tutorials. In addition, there are pointers that go along with the "balloons " which have text inside of them about related to the robot parts. Circles and arrows highlight the illustrated areas in the screenshots that the author is clearly targeting for his instructions. This makes the understanding of the parts even more explicit.

The introduction introduces Lego Mindstorms, NXT, building , programming and starting and working with robotic projects. Here is an outline of the chapters and what is in store for you.

Part I in entitled "Introduction to LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT". In the Chapter 1, LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT starts off with building robots, the programming of robots, activating robots and what can you do with robots and NXT. Chapter 2 is includes solid but easy to understand information about starting with the NXT robotic set.

Part II illustrates the building with 4 chapters. There is electronic pieces, understanding the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT pieces, the need and building sturdy structures, and working with and building with gears

Programming section is in Part III . Chapter 7 introduction has a nice introduction to the NXT-G system. Later 3 chapters involve advanced NXT-G programming a. There is also more in the form of unofficial programming languages for the NXT.

Part IV involves 6 robot projects and that is where your in-depth robotic education really begins. You are taught the author's Mindstorms method, and working with 6 nice in-depth but easy to understand projects.

Appendices are good resources. Appendix A has LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT piece library. The Appendix B NXT-G has nice quick reference guide section that includes information for advanced programming to perform more intricate tasks. The author details a lot of the complexity, not only with words but also visually illustrates how to and in what ways to to complete the array of blocks, sensors and programming information. While it is not easy to learn, this section takes you "once step at a time". Appendix C informs with other internet resources.

Conclusions

I recommend this book highly for its in-depth tutorials, the visual schematics and the quality of the reading that makes the information well understood. No one said building robots was easy but with this book, you will learn and go further than you thought you could achieve. What I like about this book and the way the author has crafted this book is that he actually invited you to build robots in a none intimidating way. The in-depth information, the visual assemblies and tables, and the easy to read information along with the tutorials will allow you not only start but develop your skills in robot building. You will learn to be creative but at the same learning the logic of the machines and how to build robotics. I know there are many books that teach Lego Mindstorms out there but I am glad I chose this one first.

Detail in drawings opened up a whole new understanding of the ship's rigging. Many thanks

It is an excellent book. Very informative. Gives you added information needed to Build your model. The plans are easily read and can be reduced or Enlarged to other scales without too much problem. As I am new to model Scratch shipbuilding it is a great start for the information needed to carry out the task. Also the Historical interestThe 100-Gun Ship Victory (Anatomy of the Ship Series)

I bought this book for a 76 year old friend interested in learning about the workings of the gun-ship Victory. He couldn't be happier and has spent hours poring over the information provided in this very well written and illustrated book.

This book contains all the information you would need to "scratch-build"
HMS Victory in any scale or to improve any kit on the market. The detail is amazing and leaves no guesswork whatsoever. A "top-of-the-line" book,
just like the ship itself. Lord Nelson would approve.

Admiral Lord Nelson, the most successful naval commander of all time, died on board his flagship HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Arguably the world's most famous ship, HMS Victory was never decommissioned by the Royal Navy and is now the world's longest serving warship.

Writing this review as someone who, primarily, conducts research into ships but also as one who builds model ships, this book is ideally suited for either purpose. Beginning with an explanation of "First Rate" ships and a list of all those which held that rating, author John McKay takes the reader briefly through a career summary of HMS Victory before moving on to her design and construction. From here on he leaves no stone unturned as he describes each and every facet of the ship - right down to how many tons of salt meat or biscuits she would carry.

Everything from her various repairs and refurbishments to the more specific aspects of her steering gear, ground tackle, pumps, boats, sheathing, accommodation, masts, rigging, yards, sails - and so the list goes on, is fully explained in excellent detail.

The equally excellent photography is only eclipsed by the ultra-high standard of technical drawings which cover every aspect of the ship.

One final point; This excellent series of books include a scale drawing of the vessel to which the book refers on the reverse side of the dust jacket. These are sometimes overlooked.

Altogether a "First Rate" book.

NM

This is the best, most-amazing book on US WWII fighter aircraft that I have ever read, and I've read a lot of them. There are other good ones out there, but this one is very special. I didn't even know about it until it was mentioned by a fellow pilot in Aces High. I'm very glad for that chance method by which I learned of this fine work.

This is more of an echo/chorus to the previous reviews. Thus, it is only helpful in the context of reading those first...

If you want technical information overload on U.S. WWII fighters this is the place to find it.

It would be nice to see other writers and publishers be as successful, as this book has, on similar subjects.

I second Dan Fords review in its entirety, except that I do not think the book either too big or heavy. I would have liked even more, at least the P 35A, P 36 and P 43. It is an incredible compilation of data. It is obviously not Mr. Deans fault that some of it is wrong, (e.g. If the data was right, the P-39 would have had enough climbing capacity to perform well over Guadalcanal in 1942.) It is too much to ask to expect him to tell us everything.

Make no mistake, this book isn't for military enthusiasts who want to know about the operational history of the planes mentioned and who shot down what with it, leave that to the hundreds of other books out there on the same subject. The purpose of this book is to give you a true in-depth and technical understanding of each of america's fighter aircraft.

This is a true technical resource book that is also fun to read and will educate you on the true handling characteristics of the aircraft contained in it. It constitutes more of a pilot-related information bible than anything else, this is the book to hit if you ever get lucky enough to be offered to fly a warbird, it also makes an excellent resource to those who want to create simulations or wargames.

In the end, military aviation buffs will find it extremely interesting, but this is truely a pilot's guidebook.

If you need info on how these planes worked, real detail, not the typical picture book fluff, in the average book, this is the book for you.

Nuts and bolts info you can really learn from.

A complete Day to Day timeline for each plane, pilots comments on everything from the cockpits to the ground handling and how good of a gun platform.

Info about all the systems and structures.

Simple the best, short of Warren Bodies Books on the P-38 and P-47.

Miss Johnson shows the humility, the kindness, and insight: All three traits imbibing her as the Professional photographer of The Traverse City State Hospital. She has done justice for those gone; future generations shall grasp a better understanding of the hollow halls of antiquity.

I was excited to receive this book as a present as I lived in Traverse City for several years and visited the grounds of the state hospital where the photographs from this book were taken quite often and have a great interest in the architecture of Thomas Kirkbride. I was especially hoping to be able to finally see the inside of Kirkbride's Building 50 (one of the most complete Kirkbride main buildings still standing), the gothic building that graces the cover (the building was closed and inaccessable while I lived in Traverse City). While there are photographs of the buildings on the ground prior to their recent conversion as multi use/mixed housing, most of the photographs were reprints of historic photographs, not the lovely work of Heidi Johnson and the pre-renovated buildings. There also were many pages of just words without any photographs (while the detail of the first 20 deaths of patients is "interesting" I would have enjoyed Ms Johnson's work a bit more). I was also a bit dissapointed by the size of the book. It appears to be a coffee table book but is quite a bit smaller. All in all, the book is quite lovely but for someone interested in the Kirkbride asylum architecture this book was disappointing.

The somewhat haunting photographs of the interior of the asylum makes one try to imagine how life was for those souls who lived there. The beautiful architecture of those majestic buildings and well-manicured grounds is a testament to an era of compassion. There is one photograph in particular that caught my attention, on page 185 that has what appears to be a ghostly image of a man standing in the doorway of room 50. A book you can look at over and over again and see new things in the detailed photographs.

This book should be required reading in Psych 101 classes. Photography classes as well.

The author gently uses her camera and prolific writing style to tell a story that both inspires and shocks you at the same time. There are incredible amounts of patient and staff histories both touching and surprising. The book inspires one to ponder the life of each person profiled.

One can only hope that Johnson continues along the same lines and creates another masterpiece like Angels in the Architecture.

"Angels in the Architecture" is a first-rate homage to a former asylum, the Traverse City State Hospital of Michigan. Heidi Johnson has masterfully combined her hauntingly beautiful photographs with both archival material and first-hand reports from the trenches. The result is a powerfully compelling journey into the soul of a once vibrant institution that provided care to thousands of its wards.

This product was in perfect shape and I received it in no time! I was very happy with this transaction!

I strongly recommend this book. I read "set phasers on stun" and thought it was very good. The author has done even better this time.

Fascinating stories on human stupidity, negligence, incompetence and lack of common sense that ends up costing people's lives. Anyone involved with Engineering, Sciences or Maintenance needs to read this book. Actually everyone should read this book to understand human failings and why no one should ever take safety for granted. Every day people die needlessly and this book details how and why.
I really commend the author for bringing these stories to print and hope that it may save some lives.

I just finished reading "The Atomic Chef" and found it difficult to put down. I simply couldn't resist finding out what unexpected consequence or turn of events was around the next corner.

This is an absolute must read if you are in any way involved with the development of new products or services. Sometimes things don't go as planned despite everyone's best efforts. Like the bumper sticker says, "stuff" happens. This book gets into the stuff to reveal what really happened. The author painstakingly researches and recounts the real story behind mismatches in people and technology.

If you like fairy tale endings this may not be the book for you. However, if you are interested in learning the true details behind real world events, I highly recommend the Atomic Chef. In contrast to more traditional Human Factors books or case studies, the Atomic Chef presents enjoyable and eminently readable accounts of actual events.

Little things can make a big difference, I'd recommend The Atomic Chef's cautionary tales to any student or professional interested in learning more about the relationship between people and technology.

This anthology of 20 brilliantly written true stories should be of special interest to anyone dealing with technology management or product development, but it also would be enjoyed by any lay reader. As a well-known expert and writer on human factors engineering and human error, Steven Casey has obviously selected these stories because each subtly educates the reader about the role of the user interface in system failure, but also because each is tremendously interesting.

Although each chapter stands solidly on its own, a few stand prominent in my own mind due to personal interests. "Rhymes and Reasons" is a beautifully written story of musician John Denver's fatal flight in a new aircraft. Although an accomplished pilot, Denver's piloting skills were no match for a confusing set of aircraft controls and displays in his just-purchased home-built plane. The story makes the clearest case possible for the importance of good user interface design and ergonomics, and like all the stories in the book this one is thoroughly researched and referenced.

In addition to aviation and aerospace settings, the stories address transportation, maritime, medical, and various everyday events in contemporary life. Particularly poignant is "Event Horizon," a disturbing accident involving a child and an MRI machine in a New York hospital. In hindsight, the reader understands the procedures and barriers that must be in place when dealing with powerful new technologies like this.

Casey throws some truly hilarious stories in the mix to break up the pattern of predictability inherent in a book on error and disaster, and this approach works well. But, overall, be forewarned: the author is skilled at putting the reader in the "pilot's seat" to experience the confusion, shock, and terror that can occur when technology and human behavior conflict. I highly recommended this book.

This book is an excellent source for words used in the sound arts and audio recording industry that you need to know to go into the business. Trying to find accurate and consistent definitions is very hard but this book puts the definitions all in one place in a clear and understandable way.

Great item to have if your going to be working in the field of music.

When I first got into audio engineering there was no way of understanding some of the more technical concepts I was expected to know. This book makes it really easy to understand a lot of the terms, I still always keep this book handy when I'm reading an AES journal article, just to help me out if there is something I don't understand.

I almost always find the answer to my question when I look it up here. Clear definitions and explanations of even advanced concepts.

The Audio Dictionary is a great book for anyone who's looking for a concise, clear explanation of any audio-related term. It's not (and does not pretend to be) a complete treaty like the Handbook for Sound Engineers, but offers a quick and reliable solution for those questions for which you don't have an answer from the top of your head and don't want to spend 2 hours reading the complete scientific explanation.

I consider it a must-have for any Audio Engineer who takes his profession seriously and have at least one copy in the library of each school we operate in Spain.

I've purchased and read (well partially) several books written about robotics. The reason I mentioned partially is they all disappoint me to near disgust. They all re-hash silly things such as resistor color codes, number systems, and skim over discrete electronic component operational theory - often erroneously. The authors even copy and paste microcontroller instruction tables into the book! (This information can be found free on the web.) Anything to stuff the pages. All this is available in other books on the subject of basic electronics. I'll step off the soap box long enough to say thanks to these authors: Brad Graham, Kathy McGowan, and Brad Graham. This book descibes great ideas for home built machines for guys with real tools. Although it still lacks in some areas, it should provide the really mechanically oriented with inspriation to build some utilitarian machines. You won't find any ideas for toys made from hose clamps and duct tape with a 9 volt battery for a base in this book. So, if all you have access to is a soldering iron and a hobby shop this isn't the book for you. But, if you're looking to get real with some machines to entertain and/or do some work then this book is a must read.

A great book for beginner's and intermediate robot builders. The book gives a great overview from structural to electrical construction and gives good advice on what to buy and where. It provides an brief explanation of each device and how to make it work best without getting into the complicated workings of each device (unlike David Cook, author of Robot Building for Beginner and its sequel ) I used it extensively when i first started out and still use it for reference. It is a fairly new book so none of the information is really outdated.

If you want to build radio controlled robots then this is the book to get. Good price and a long-lasting buy. Easy to read and understand (except in some of the radio sections, they take a little bit of thinking).

Cons: I wish he would have included more advice on where to find some of the parts. He does list some websites in the back but i had better luck searching what i needed in google. He doesn't talk to much about "aftermarket" antennas for both the video/audio reviver or R/C unit.

Really the only other draw back was then he talked about speed controllers. It is probably the most confusing section and boring. He didn't talk about how to hook everything up either. As far as speed controllers go he didn't discuss dual over single motor controls per unit and amperage considerations. I didn't see anything about fuses or breakers in there either which are important in protecting what will be an investment.

Finally he didn't talk about where to get motors if you don't want to or can't get old used wheelchairs.

Overall it is a good book and deserves a look from any builder.

Easy to read, but not an exact blueprint of how to build the two robots he presents. The author does explain the robot design in layman's terms, and with a sense of humor. He does go over the entire building process in general terms, without much techninal detail. He recounts a few of his mistakes, like his 400-pound monster robot going haywire and wreaking havoc. It was really fun to read.

He presents a lot of sources of information and components, which I have found very useful. He has done an excellent job of using affordable and available components.

The robots he built are very impressive in size and scale (150lbs and up!), yet are not excessively complex. The robots are radio-controlled, however - very little information is given on software/AI development. He does an excellent job with explaining the mechanical frame, drivetrain, and housing construction. There is some useful information on electrical/electronics components as well.

If you want to build an impressive robot for a reasonable cost, but are somewhat lacking in mechanical design (describes me exactly), than this book is for you. You'll need to be able to do some basic welding - but it's not hard. As of this writing, i'm 30% finished on my robot.

In summary, I highly recommend this book for some educational and humorous reading

I liked the "Humanoid Robot" book a little better, but this book helped avoid some of the pitfalls from building a creature, without spoiling any of the fun.

I read this book, I loved all the way through!!!!
Full of instructions, and helpful pictures, this book is awesome!
My friend is reading it, on my recomendation, he loves it! Anyone who's read it that I know really liked it. It's very easy to understand. The author, Brad Graham, did a great job!
An out-of-this-world read!!

The book offers many useful advices, which I have already applied at work. Some issues regarding e-marketing are little bit outdated (the book was written in 1998), but it's overall still a good investment.

As many other mention, this is a very good book. It clearly demonstrates the unique fundamentals of marketing to business buyers: their process and concerns. It contains descriptions on numerous methods of marketing to business and then the actual details of execution. You can tell this book is written by someone who makes his paycheck by marketing to businesses. There's also good explanation of some of the common mistakes and weak points of execution that others fall into.

The book also hits a homer on detailing how to write good copy. The advice is applicable for whatever your message is and how that message is delivered, and how to get your message through.

I take off one star because this book was published in 1998 and contains little advice on Internet marketing, which is now a major component of a company's marketing effort. Instead, the book goes into great detail on direct mail marketing, which I suppose was big in its day, but is less relevant today.

The best book I've found on B2B marketing. Bly's straightforward writing style makes it easy to understand the different direct marketing mediums and how to utilize them for success, especially for lead generation and keeping your company's name first in a customer's mind. I amazed more businesses don't use these techniques. The chapters on hard sell and soft sell marketing should be read by every marketing manager as Bly explains where and how to use these selling techniques. Another great section in this book is the "Checklist of Direct Response Tips and Techniques" so you can refer to these bullet points when you need guidance in creating sales letters, direct mail packages, self-mailers, postcards, ads, brochures, catalogs, newsletters, websites and more.

Business to Business Direct Marketing focuses on what you need to know as a business leader or as a copywriter to produce effective B2B direct marketing campaigns. Bob not only explains what needs to be done, by why. The book is filled with clear examples from past successful campaigns.

Whether you are a marketing manager or a copywriter, you need this book.

This book is well worth the cover price. It will make you think about every single word you put on your marketing material. I encourage sales professionals to read it too. Reason: So many of the Salespeople I consult with are responsible to write their own letters and are sending numerous emails to clients. The more you can understand the art of persuasion and word power, the better your sales!

While this book is about using Microsofts Project 2003 Software it contains a wealth of information about leadership and business and street smarts of managing yourself. Many times in life we get so involved we "can't see the forest because of the trees". Boged down in details we lose sight of the big picture. Ron provides clarity that can help anyone move forward with laser like effeciency, if they want. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to live larger, and be more successful. Lee Holden

I recommend this book to anyone getting started in PM

I have just started using this application and this book has turned me in to a confident user. All of my departments projects will now go on to Project 2000. Ron not only explains how to use Project, he also describes the principles behind them and the common problems that can occur while trying to run a project. He also explains the importance of "iced mochas and pistachios" and other necessities.
the book is well written, applicable and easy to read. Ron's Mum should be proud :)

I was just hoping to find a book on how to use MS Project 2000, but instead I found an excellent reference on project management that also teaches MS Project. That is the value of this book - it teaches good project management skills, and how MS Project can help you reach your goals. I especially recommend this to project management rookies.

Everything is explained so that is easy to understand, even amusing sometimes. I think a book like this would be perfect for a beginning course on project management.