Industrial Books

I've been putting off raising beef for years. Now I know just what I want to do. I have a great opportunity because I dont have to correct my calving season. Just water and fences. This book will guide you through all the steps and explain why you should do things. I couldn't put it down.

South Africa's Farmer's Weekly said this was a book every cattle farmer should have. I agree. Its easy to read, comprehensive and I hope that one day there will be a South African edition.

My entire family has been involved in Ranching for my whole life, I purchased the book before I even started cross fencing my first ranch. This book gives great advice to properly set up a Ranch, what to do, how to do it, when to do it, etc....It is the most thorough book of the 20 or so I have read to date. I highly recommend this book. Though all the ideas are great and give you good ideas, and best practices, not all of the ideas and tips are feasible for a person who also holds down a full time job and has a ranch on the side. The book is certainly written for the full time rancher

All in all, a great Book.

I also do not own any livestock and found this book to be a great read. I had just read The Omnivore's Dilemma (loved it) and wanted to read a book on the subject of grass fed cattle, I found this book and when I saw the mention of The Omnivore's Dilemma on the front cover I knew it was the book to read. I am interested in raising some livestock in the future and want a solid base of knowledge before I start since I have never raised any animals (except of course the usual dog and cat). After reading this I have decided to do many things different than I had previously thought I might. I also have to say I agree with "Mara" another reviewer about the fertile cows and bulls, I did think of that on a number of occasions while reading the recommendations.

Exelent text, a whole world of things you can do on your ranch or farm to improve and benefit your operation on a gentler way to nature, great book.

Developing speech applications is not easy to master. Even with VoiceXML becoming more widely adopted, there are a lot of intricacies that that a developer must understand. This book will provide you with a solid foundation to become an effective speech application developer.

The book did very well in presenting the limitations of the current speech recognition technology (dialog design, large vocabularies, promtp design, etc.) and made suggestions on how to overcome such problems in specific situations.

When this book came out a couple of years ago it was the first and only book on designing speech recognition systems. It was very valuable then, but now more books are available that cover the same information and more, for a lot less money.

This book is simply the best for your bookcase if you are a voice dialogue designer. I would strongly recommend it to novice and expert alike, especially for those learning VoiceXML for the first time, or working with it day to day.

Grounded in hours of human-computer experiments, and a multi-disciplinary approach to user interface design - this book is a rare combination of a careful ear for human language and dialogue, extensive engineering experience, and pragmatic knowledge of the strengths and limitations of current voice recognition technology.

The second edition has brought it bang up-to-date. It cuts through the hype that has always surrounded each successive generation of voice technology - focussing always on the building of robust useable interfaces which work with the user rather than against them.

This book is so well organized and articulated it's bound to be of value to anyone doing ASR application development. My own experience in voice response runs from end-user representative to application designer and I found every chapter enlightening. In this second edition of Bruce and David's ASR style guide, I believe the end users will find the new sections on voice portals and managing your voice talent of particular interest. And all users should take particular note of the expanded discussions of usability testing and performance reporting.

I found the first version of How to Build a Speech Recognition Application so useful that I actually took the time to compared the new edition, page for page, with the original. That was a relatively easy task, because the authors retained the original section numbering wherever possible. My comparison showed that the original guidelines have been substantially updated, based on continuing research and the hands-on experiences of both the authors and other acknowledged experts. In addition, I believe the new sections and expanded discussions of critical design considerations are going to prove valuable to both novice and seasoned developers.

In short, developing effective telephony dialogues is a complex, rapidly evolving and downright expensive task. Given that reality, every development team ought to have at least one copy of this landmark style guide.

Author, Bruce Balentine's goal with How to Build a Speech Recognition Application is to produce the Strunk and White of speech recognition. An electronic musician and composer, Balentine was a pioneer in the speech recognition field. The text's examination of the problems of navigation from human perception to machine recognition give comprehension to even the layman. The book is well organized and structured with the +,/,- system which allows a novice to follow. According to linguist, Dr. John White, the first chapter could stand alone as a treatise on the dynamics of the human speech interface with the machine.

I HAVE BEEN AN ALAMO FAN ALL OF MY LIFE. I HAVE ALMOST EVERY BOOK AND ALAMO MOVIE EVER MADE IT SEEMS. THIS IS A TREMENDOUS BOOK. FOR A VIEW OF THE ALAMO COMPOUND YOU CANNOT DO BETTER THAN THIS BOOK. WELL DONE. IT'S ABOUT TIME. FOR THE ALAMO EXPERT, HISTORY FAN OR SOMEONE WHO WANTS A VIEW OF THE ALAMO AS IT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THE TIME OF THE BATTLE THIS IS YOUR BOOK. OH FOR THE RECORD NOT ALL OF THE ALAMO DEFENDERS WERE SLAVE OWNERS THEY WERE MOSTLY MEN DEFENDING THEIR LIBERTY. IT WAS ALSO NOT A RACE WAR IT WAR A CIVIL WAR. REMEMBER THE ALAMO. AND I STILL THINK THAT DAVID CROCKETT WENT DOWN SWINGING.

If you are looking for a complete detailed description of the Alamo fortress - this is it ...Great

I seldom enter Amazon reviews but this book so far exceeded my expectations I had to put up a 5 star review. There is nothing I can add to the very good reviews already posted - if you have even a passing interest in the Alamo or Texas history you will be entranced by this book. A steal at the price.

Historians who have focused considerable attention on the 1836 siege and battle of the Alamo have, no doubt, often longed to learn exactly what the place looked like at that time. Numerous paintings, drawings, diagrams, dioramas and models have attempted a close representation of the makeshift fortress, but often have created as much confusion as clarity.

Mark Lemon set out to rescue the original mission-turned-fortress from years of destruction, decay and Hollywood distortion. This he achieved through a thorough examination of surviving records, drawings, diagrams, maps, plats, photographs and archeological discoveries at the Alamo from the time of the battle to the present. His book get's you inside the Alamo, and outside too - what it looked like, almost what it must have felt and smelled like, to both the besieged Texians and their Mexican besiegers. He was able to literally recreate the fortress in a 1/48 scale model, based on all surviving documentation about the Alamo. The enhanced photos of the model by Gary L. Foreman with artistic embellishment by William Hamilton, create a breathtaking panorama of what the Alamo looked like in 1836 when the Mexican army under General Santa Anna approached and laid siege to it. The size of the model enabled the artists to capture incredibly minute details of the fort's interior as well, down to the hand tools used by the Alamo defenders, stretched hides outside the fort's kitchen, and the long-gone iconic statues that once stood in the church's niches.

All of this is supplemented by countless drawings, sketches, diagrams and schematics that detail every corner of the compound, most of which disappeared long ago. Lemon's intricate knowledge of the fort enabled him to create drawings of interiors, including James Bowie's sick room, that were previously the purview of speculation alone.

The book goes beyond mere representation by suggesting how an understanding of the fort's structure enhances our knowledge of the siege and battle. Gun emplacements, for example, are recreated down the finest detail, as is the actual construction of the various buildings in the compound, including thathched-roofed adobe houses that were part of the outer walls.

The book is a gorgeous work of art and an invaluable, historical document that will remain the standard in Alamo representation for some time. The only closer view we'll get of the 1836 Alamo will have to be from a time machine.

Lemon's book should serve as a powerful motivation for the City of San Antonio to recover the Alamo grounds and recreate the fortress to the extent possible. The millions of visitors who walk the grounds each year should be given a far better idea of what the Alamo really was, rather than the tasteless assortment of junk shops that now stand where Travis, Bowie and Crockett fought and fell.

AW

For over forty years, I have been deeply interested in the Alamo and the historic/heroic battle that was fought there. And I have often wondered how the Alamo truly appeared in 1836 and what I might have seen had I been there. Would it resemble the accepted depictions I've seen in numerous books? Would some of the Alamo's unique features be there or would reality reveal something else? When viewing all the graphic evidence together, it becomes both a confusing and difficult task when trying to decide who is right and who is wrong. Am I looking at fact or fiction...artistic interpretation or a true rendering? Well, after carefully examining Mark Lemon's ground-breaking book - "The Illustrated Alamo 1836: A photographic Journey", I can say, "I know...I've been there."

Prior to the release of Mark Lemon's work, artist/historian George Nelson produced - "The Alamo: An Illustrated History" in 1998. A year later in 1999, historian Alan Huffines and historical illustrator Gary Zaboly presented - "The Blood of Noble Men." Both Nelson, and in paticular, Zaboly, began a process of peeling away the myths and fallacies that had become some much a part of the Alamo's architectural legend. Mark Lemon has, not just taken the next step, but has made a gigantic leap...and we, the readers, as well as the Alamo itself, are the beneficiaries. "The Illustrated Alamo 1836: A Photographic Journey" is without question a landmark book that beautifully documents one of this countries most treasured landmarks. Mark Lemon's hard work and dedication has delivered the goods...and believe me, there is much "good."

Clearly, Lemon's penchant for detail, no matter how small, is obvious in each picture and drawing. Every brick, every stone, every stick...every shovelful of earth, appears to have been calculated and accounted for. His devotion to the truth about the Alamo's true architectural history has produced a "must have" book that will be referred to for generations.

Enhancing Mark Lemon's amazing reproduction is the backround work of filmmaker and photographer Gary Forman and graphic designer William Hamilton. The team of Forman and Hamilton have successfully taken Lemon's Alamo and transported it from the worktable to the banks of the San Antonio river. The realistic addition of earth and sky contribute mightly to the effect that "you are there" and help the reader complete the "journey." This is a book I strongly recommend and I eagerly look forward to Mark Lemon's next pictorial endeavor.

Yeah, it's not perfect but it isn't totally dry reading and it is great as one of several first books. I just liked reading it and I didn't fall asleep while doing it like some of the other bee books I have. Also picked up info not in some of the other books. Heck, used ones are so cheap it is very worth buying.

This was the book that turned me into a beekeeper, before I ever bought my first colony. The information on basic beekeeping is solid, and the descriptions are engaging.

I have read most of the beekeeping books that Amazon carries and I will highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get into beekeeping. It goes into a lot of detail just where a new keeper needs it. If you are an experienced beekeeper and are looking for detailed information in things like queen rearing then you may want to to get a book written specifically on the subject because that area in particular is a volume or two into itself.

A nice read, but having kept bees for about 4 months now I found it a little weak. Prior to Vivian's I have read a book by Dadant Publishing which gave a good foundation. Also talking with other beekeepers has also helped conciderably. At times I found the book a little on the quaint-side which for me wasn't of interest. Also found his section on Africanized bees (so-called Killer bees) weak. Presently I am in Brazil working with these bees. Certainly they require a different approach a little more protection and a larger smoker, etc. I've been working with them since I started and am still at it. Certainly they can be aggressive, but one learns to adapt and they are a good producer of honey. An excellent and well informed article on the Africanized Bee can be found in "ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture" by A. I Root. The article gives a balanced and much more positive picture of our little Africans. They tend to be more disease and mite resistant, and build up quickly, etc.. So don't worry to much they might even bring some positive aspects to their weaker European cousins.

This was my first book on beekeeping, and I whole-heartedly recommend it to any beginning beekeeper. I now have some 20+ beekeeping books but this is still my personal favorite. The information on bee diseases is a little old, but the clear concise explanations of all other aspects of small scale beekeeping and his warm writing style more than make up for this. Mr. Vivian obviously enjoys his bees and his affection for them only serves to foster the same in the reader. If you are thinking of beekeeping, or introducing the subject to a friend then this is the book to buy.

This soft-cover book is written like a children's textbook, but Hine's photos look great all throughout. There are quite a few full-page prints, roughly 8x6 sized. I'm very satisfied with the purchase; only Aperture would print a book with better quality reproductions, and that's out of my price range right now.

Lewis Hine was a photographer who took pictures of young children at work. There were many different jobs that children held during the late 1800's into the early 1900's. Hine's photographs were extremely powerful. Each photograph provided information about the types of jobs children held and gave some family history. The majority of the children had little to no education because their parents relied on them to work and earn an income. Many of the factories preferred the work of younger children compared to adults because the children were quicker and were too young to complain. Hine has displayed photos in this book of children as young as four years old shucking oysters. The most dangerous job that was portrayed in the book was coal mining, unfortunately it was also the best paying job; a child had to be at least fourteen to perform the tasks. Parents often lied about their child's age to get them into the mines. The book would have been just as powerful without any of the information. The pictures were enough to convey the children's stories. Russell Freedman has done a wonderful job putting this book together. Seeing the children physically working was moving and emotional, which helped the author get his point across.

...

This book weaves Hine's story together with his photographs of kids working in Maine's sardine canneries, Texas cotton fields, New York laundries, Tennessee and Georgia cotton mills and in textile mills all over the U.S. south. He took some of the most haunting photos of dark tunnels and grimy breaker rooms in Pennsylvania coalmines. He went inside glass factories, to farms, and onto city streets at 1 a.m. to photograph children distributing newspapers and 1 p.m. to watch them shining boots.

...

If your kids occasionally gripe that they have it tough, get them this book and show them what the word means. Alyssa A. Lappen

This is a nonfiction photographic essay book that will touch any reader's heart. Mr. Freedman seems to know the facts and life of Mr. Hine very well. There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book as wee. The information at the end seemed hard to believe but true. The book is only 11 years old so the facts aren't that dated. There are many saddening facts in this book. It reveals the truths about child labor in the text and photos.
The book was written to shine light on child labor history and to showcase some of Mr. Hine's photographs. The book is very interesting to read. There are quotes from some kids who worked in the factories and also some quotes from Mr. Hine who took great pride in accurately recording the facts about his subjects. This book could spark an interest in further study of this topic.
The information in this book is broken down and presented in an understandable order. The text is a harsh reality but it is presented well. The style gets the reader emotionally involved. The language is relatively simple and easy to read.
The information is laid out well and the references are listed in the back. There is a table of contents and bibliography and acknowledgement page.
The photos are a wonderful enhancement. The book would be nothing with out them. They are strategically placed and make the book what it is. There are captions that describe the pictures and they are discussed in the text.
This book could be used in the classroom to show what life was like and to talk about immigration and economic conditions.

Freedman has collected dozens of black and white photographs taken by Lewis Hine during the first decades of the twentieth century. Hine worked as an investigational photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). The NCLC wanted the United States government to pass laws concerning child labor, and thought that photos of the work children did would be more effective persuaders than mere speeches and statistics. Hine traveled the nation with his camera taking photographs, sometimes despite risk to his person.

The text of the book serves partly as a brief biography of Lewis Hine, and partly as explanatory backdrop for the scenes in the photographs. Freeman gives enough background information to put the images in their context, but not so much data as to overwhelm the reader. The machines, tools and environments are so strange to the modern eye that without clarification, many pictures would be meaningless.

The most shocking photographs in the collection are of the young boys involved in the coalmines. The filth on their faces, hands and clothing is astonishing. By comparison, the dangers and deplorable conditions of working in a cotton mill are not as readily apparent as those of working in a coal mine. However, reading Freeman's text exposes the dangers of moving machinery and smothering lint and humidity not so clear in the photos.

The book concludes by sharing the changes in child labor laws that Hine's photographs helped bring about, as well as information on the child labor situation of today.

This book is full of eye opening and shocking information for the unaware. School may be hard, but without child labor laws things could be so much worse.

I bought this book as a step in investigating fires and arson steps of investigation in writing a novel. It does have a lot of good information, but it's very generalized--not specific. Good for the amateur fire sleuth that wants to get enought information to be able to 'talk the language.'

The best fire investigation reference book on the market today. Thanks John.
Mark Howell
AIC-Fire
Denton, Texas

If you are a fire cause and origin investigator, you need this book! If you don't use it, you can bet an attorney will use it against you in civil or criminal proceedings. This book should be right next to your NFPA 921. DeHahn writes in a pragmatic and easy to understand format. I understand that the 6th ed. is getting ready for relase so you might wait a couple of weeks and get the latest. Bravo Dr. DeHaan, you've done it again!

The best book I know about fire; I like it for the strict scientific and pragmatic approach and the lot of practical hints, useful for a fire operator but also for a fire student.
Reading it, I understood a lot of things I watched in my 20 years of firefighting, and it changed my perception of fire behaviour and my understanding of a post-fire scene analysis.
A great help, and this edition is a lot better than the previous I had, the 3°.

Written in an understandable, practical manner, this book makes a difficult subject comprehensible by even the unscientifically minded.
The author writes clearly and the book is very readable. The text is accompanied by great photographs & illustrations.
What a relief to find this book after attempting to plow through some of the other texts on this subject. Highly recommended!

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

As a corporate consultant and trainer, I'm always looking for ways to increase my effectiveness in helping clients really learn the material at hand. Like many, I don't consider myself particularly funny, and worry that I could do more harm than good by trying too hard to incorporate humor into workshops.

Doni Tamblyn does a terrific job not only showing the reader how to easily and safely insert humor, she also references fascinating research that clearly supports why humor is so critical to the learning process. The book is written in a friendly, approachable style that makes it a fun read, and I appreciate the handy index to the "95 Ways" listed at the beginning of the book for quick reference.

I highly recommend this book not only to other professional trainers, but to speakers and presenters of all types. Personally, after trying some of Tamblyn's strategies, I not only feel more confident in front of a room, but hey, I'm having more fun too. You can't beat that!

"Laughter and Learning"

I'm reading this book, and I sense it is what I have been waiting for. I believe Doni Tamblyn has really nailed it. She's given structure to what seems to be the very complex art of effective teaching. I'll start giving her methods a try by using the "smooth" vs "crunchy" approach for initiating group/team work, and by finally using some of those cartoons I've been accumulating for years.

I'm also thinking about how I could apply some of her ideas to my online distance learning courses, where teaching and learning are not in a traditional classroom. This environment lacks the needed spontaneity, but I could see what would happen if I divided my online class into small discussion teams competing for bonus points for "fabulous prizes" to be awarded at our once-per-week lab meetings.

I appreciate that Ms. Tamblyn has combined her comedic experience with Dewey's ideas, theories of motivation, accelerated learning, and optimal/compatible brain learning, the
Koran, the Talmud, famous quotes, tips on psychology and comedic delivery, and has taken the time to share her synthesis of them in a book. Her Laugh and Learn is not only a great how-to book, but also a scholarly piece of work. I don't usually find how-to books with an index, references, endnotes, so many examples, and a case study! (Her "anatomy of a creative learning module" is precious.) Thank you, Ms. Tamblyn!"

After 19 years of school, I now reserve weighty treatises for subjects like international law. What I needed as a trainer of nonprofits in proposal writing and development, was some good technique in leavening what can be awfully dry subjects (after all, they're about getting money) with a whole lot of fun. Ms. Tamblyn's "95 Ways" sparked my creative juices and I use her techniques whenever I teach. Plus, I've been incorporating some of her exercises into my workshops to teach nonprofit folks how to leaven their presentations when they get that much longed for meeting with a potential donor.

This is a "grab it and go" book that fits in your briefcase along with your handouts. If you're a trainer - nonprofit, corporate or otherwise - you know the feeling of "dead air." During the break, turn to almost any page in "Laugh and Learn" for a technique or an exercise that will uncrink your brain and ramp the room up for your returning learners.

You won't become an expert in the science of humor with "Laugh and Learn." But, hey, they give degrees to people for that kind of in-depth knowledge. As a trainer, you will go as far as you like in incorporating humor into the business of teaching - safely, judiciously and successfully.

Thanks, Ms. Tamblyn. You are a funny lady, and you know how to teach what you know!

Recently, an old friend suggested that I read Doni Tamblyn's Laugh and Learn, a "how to" book that delineates various exercises, all intended to increase creative thought. At first I was reluctant to read the book--as a high school teacher I am bombarded by teaching methodologies, each one claiming to be the magic key that will unlock student achievement and motivation. So I was surprised when I discovered that Laugh and Learn was 1) witty 2) entertaining 3) well-researched 4) practical and, best of all, actually works!

Through a combination of data compiled from brain-compatible research, and an enormous catalogue of easy to read, easy to implement student activities, Tamblyn makes the compelling case that creative thought flourishes best when learners are first instructed to avoid being clever and original. While the ultimate goal may be to reach heights of innovative thinking, Tamblyn assures us that such heights will more than likely be reached when the learner's mind is relaxed enough to begin making the connections that distinguish the truly interesting thought from the mundane.

In each chapter, Tamblyn discusses the hows and whys of encouraging learners to lose their anxiety and increase their joy as they discover the creative process within themselves. Although the book is a virtual treasure trove of fun activities for students, my favorites have been the "mind map" and the "finish the sentence ball toss." (You have to read the book to find out why these activities are such big fun!) Again, the idea behind each activity is to "sneak up" on the creative drive before it has a chance to realize that it is being scrutinized and therefore shut down like a wall flower at a jr. high school dance.

At least one or two days a week, I incorporate a Laugh and Learn activity into my lesson plans. My students love the program. And their test scores and projects reflect the influence of Tamblyn's techniques upon greater retention of content and increased motivation for success. This is nothing short of a miracle, when you consider the natural reluctance of teenagers to try anything that might make them look "uncool" in front of their classmates.

Laugh and Learn is both brilliant and of enormous practical benefit--two qualities not often found in teacher training manuals. Tamblyn's book should occupy a special place on every educator's desk. Five stars, Ms. Tamblyn, five stars and more...

Nice little guide to refer to. Granted it's not a full book and it lacks some deeper points, but it covers the basics for new comers.

The Lean Pocket Guide is undoubtedly the best value Lean book ever written. All the Lean tools are clearly defined, along with good, simple illustrations. The Key Points at the end of each section provide additional insight into Lean applications. All our employees have one of these. It was very rewarding to see - on the day following giving these to our employees (there was an employee that did not particpate very often in our teams) having The Lean Pocket Guide opened on his bench to the Standard Work chapter. I need say no more!

I recently purchased the Lean Pocket Guide (published by MCS Media, Inc. i.e., The Lean Store) and found it to be the most book for your money that is on the market. This book set the standard for good, informative information on Lean. The illustrations and explanations were perfect for the folks on the shop floor, as well as my supervisors.
A Lean book that practices what it preaches!

This little book is full of great ideas and concepts and can help you out on the job, but also if you are a person looking to become familar with these concepts, this is a great book to read.

Hello, this little booklet is excellent. You get all information on lean concepts in your palm and right where you need it -not at your desk- but on the shop floor.

Even better would be customized country versions to spread the lean culture widely amongst companies;-))

Regards

Ralf Lippold

The tips and guidelines of this book helped me not only to build a maintenance management system [aluminum rolling mills] from scratch but also to create a CMMS program (database) from where I could print many reports as well as work orders. Athough I have read many many books on maintenance and reliability topics, this particular book helped me to understand and apply the proposed theories focusing on details.

This is not AMPSB (another maintenace planning and scheduling book), when you read this book you can actually feel that you are in the real working world.Doc does not talk concepts he tells what happens in real Maintenance World and how to go to World Class Maintenance Management practices using 6 planning and 6 scheduling principals. I like the way Doc takes a reader through planning and scheduling of maintenance work by examples which makes this book different from other books, you cant find other texts doing this unless you are in the classroom. The Appendix about Work Order System is a million bonus for those who want to develop their SoP (Standart Operation Procedure). I will stick to this book as a reference in the process of developing a World-Class Maintenance Organization.I will also recommend this book to Maintenance Project Managers and Maintenance Management Consultants of any system (take it from me I am in aviation and I am applying his concepts). If you want to start or improve your Maintenance Planning Department START BY READING THIS BOOK.Good job Doc. If the was a 10 star I would have given it a 10star, this is a unique book I have ever read and practical to use.(...)

Hand-on experience is crucial for performing successfull maintenance. It can be only your personal experience or, if you are dedicated to continual learning, you can "borrow" some of hard-to-gain experience from top-class professionals.
Every sentence in this book is illustrated with very concrete examples from real life, and that makes it invaluable. Author has comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of maintenance, and that is visible on any page of this book, so although it is thematically concentrated on planning and scheduling, it can be used by anyone involved in structure of companies' maintenance organisation.
From explaning overall corporate strategy regarding maintenance to decribing every particular day-to-day task of maintenance planner and scheduler, this book guides you through the whole process, in which planning and scheduling are vital subprocesses to bring anything else to life.
Although the book is oriented to explain manual documentation system, you can easily bring described principles in very extensive use of CMMS practice. You can only benefit from broader view that can only tear you off "computer-will-solve-everything" dreams.
Great!

This book provides details not found in others I have read. There is a great section on Wrench Time. I have presented 4 Stars only because I feel that this is not necessarily a book for beginners. A good basic knowledge is needed to interrupt processes and terminology difference between your facility and the book text. The examples presented in the book are designed as for a manual application so you must be able to mentally translate them into the application of your CMMS.

I highly recommend this book, more over, reguardless of current Planning/Scheduling level every Planner and Maintenance Professional should have a copy for quick review. It is our company's point of reference for providing knowledge as we build towards World-Class Planning/Scheduling.

Doc Palmer has provided a great tool for all Maintenance Program Designers and others to use. Mr. Palmer has provided good details and examples in the book while also making it as enjoyable to read as it is informative. I highly recommend this book to all who are step one and beyond in Maintenance Management and Development. One of the hardest espects of starting a new maintenance program for a company is often getting management to except the required changes. The Maintenance Planning and Scheduling Handbook helps by often having a ready example or referance to provide a second means to demonstrate to the client the how, why and effect on his bottom line. This reason alone is worth the cost of this book and then some.
Doc Palmer also drives home the truth about CMMS; when to invest and when to wait. This for me is very important for my specialty is designing Preventative Maintenance Operational Programs for the client. Once I have done so the client can invest in the exact CMM software they require. Unfortunatly all too often clients approach this backwards; they buy the program first and then hope someone like myself can make their operation work with the CMM. They end up spending thousands and a lot of their valued time for little reward at the end. If your company is in this position or about to be read this book before you do anything else.

I purchased this entertaining and well-written book a couple of years ago. It has served as a step-by-step guide as I have made the transition from the traditional classroom to online learning.

From basic learning principals and definitions to specific "how to" examples and checklists, this book has it all and delivers it with a sense of humor that will have you chuckling aloud and keep you engaged, interested, and wanting to learn more. I continue to use this book as a resource, returning to it again and again, whether in need of a reminder or looking for inspiration to help me move forward.

If you are considering making the journey to online learning, this book will provide the light to help you along your way.

In 150 pages, the authors lay out the key information both HR/training practitioners and web-geeks need to work together successfully.

Written for the non-technical HR practitioner who needs to understand both the training concepts and the technology choices she will be faced with, this book also provides a technical reader (me) with the language and central concepts used by training professionals to develop their courses.

I could see this text being used as the starting point for an project team comprised of HR professionals, trainers, and web designers to build on -- each member of the team required to read it to establish a common framework and language. A few hours spent reading this up front would save countless hours of 'churn' later on in the project.

Very few of us have the time or the patience to read a non-fiction book front to back. We want current information, solutions to the problems we are experiencing today, and answers to questions we can not answer ourselves. We want to find these golden nuggets of information quickly and easily and, we do not want a lot of theoretical or academic fluff.

"Making Sense of Online Learning" meets those requirements. The Shank and Sitze book and companion website are perfect "just-in-time" resources for anyone involved in online learning. Whatever your level of experience and expertise with online learning, I am sure you will find lots of useful and insightful information in the book and the website. While I have designed, developed, and taught various online courses, I still found the book and the website valuable. I know it will help me, my clients, and my students. Thanks, Patti and Amy!

Jackie Dobrovolny, Ph.D.
Instructional technology consultant & IT faculty at University of Colorado at Denver.

The audience for this book is the person who wants to take their first step into traditional online learning. And by traditional, I mean self-contained courses and the management systems that support them (as opposed to deeper simulations or integration with knowledge management or ERP or CRM systems, etc., etc.,) For these people, the tone, the content, and the sympathy are dead on. Before going to a conference, or reading any deeper books, or subscribing to any of the current magazines, or meeting with your boss or advisor, this should be required reading.

Like many instructional design professionals, I struggle to stay abreast of the lighting-fast developments in online learning. Replacing the comfortable and relatively stable vocabularies and design considerations of yesteryear are rapidly evolving media, terms, technologies, and standards.

Both veterans and novices alike may now know a great deal about some things and very little about others. We need resources that can help us fill the gaps in our understanding and enable us to speak intelligently to our clients, colleagues, and employers. We also need simplified ways of explaining these topics to our audiences.

Patti and Amy have provided just such a resource. By peeling away the jargon and complexity in an even-handed and measured way, they have clarified many mind-numbing subjects. Along the way, they have taken care to point out universal considerations, such as the importance of designing for usability and building training around real-world challenges. They have also provided excellent checklists to use when considering the acquisition of expensive technologies, such as learning management and content management systems. These tools alone can help organizations avoid costly and frustrating blunders.

Patti and Amy have successfully blended sensible guidance; classic learning theories; online learning terms, definitions, and applications; and many excellent resources into a "must read" book and companion Web site. Readers will hardly realize the plane has left the ground by the time they touch down gently but firmly at the end of a smooth and delightful journey.