Industrial Books

I guess that's what the intent of this book and it gives examples from an expert in Training. The articles from several experts in the field of training also supports the content and adds value.
Recommended if you need an overview, although in some chapters goes into details. Yet, there are several other books that focus on preparation, presentation, evaluation etc. which might be more focused on these topics.

I am a project management trainer. This book gives and reminds all the things. What the trainer is, adults learn, the training cycle, increasing participation, icebreakers etc... In fact I like the "dummies" series. I recommend it.

Although I've been a trainer for years, this book reminded me of some basic training concepts I have not used in a while.

Don't feel silly for getting this book just because it says "for dummies."
I have a masters in training so I wouldn't say I am a dummy in the field, and I believe this book is a fantastic resource to remind you of many training techniques and principles. I Def. Recommend!!!!

One of the pitfalls of being a training specialist for such a long time is that it is easy to become complacent with your knowledge level and your writing habits. "Training for Dummies," which should be titled "Training for Schmarties" is one of those books that will help you avoid that.

Author, Elaine Biech covers the instructional systems design model (ISD) or A.D.D.I.E., in detail. These are analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. She states the difference between what it means to be a teacher vs. being a trainer. This is one of the only texts I have seen that offers some construction of an instructional design draft, although I wish she would have shown and explained a two-column format in depth. She did provide samples of a three- and four-column format.

Biech goes into overdrive regarding implementation from room set-up, the things that could go wrong, dealing with nervousness, and handling the disruptive influence, all types of them, to mention just a few. She also covers the four (or five if you prefer) levels of evaluation superbly.

One area I was hoping that she would address is how trainers can deal with managers who make disastrous training decisions that will be a supreme waste of time and money, but will blame the trainer rather than recognizing their decision as the reason for failure. (I was once asked to do training to control or reduce absenteeism. Thank God, he had a poor memory)! This is a constant uphill battle for trainers and I see half-hearted training efforts squandered on almost a weekly basis. (If you're out there reading this, no, you can't have Team Building in only one day Why? Because it's not enough time to build teams, dummy)!

I have a few dozen texts on training. If you could only have one of them, this would be the one I would give you. If you're serious about training, it is one book you need to keep on your table instead of your shelf.

Remember...

No train, no gain.



P.S. Don't get overconfident if you have a full seminar in Hawaii or Scottsdale, AZ. They might have other reasons for being there.

The author: a great reporter.
The book: a detailed "story" of manual workers, from Sicily to Cuba and India...
Very good images, very well printed. Very very good black and white warm tone.

Salgado, like Bresson, Smith and Evans goes into the detail the world of WORK, it is an amazing array of images.

Wonderful book! Highly suggest buying if interested in socially concerned photography. Only negative comment is that the book designer chose to place some images on a two page spread which means the subject of the photo's are in the crease.

My wife and I saw these photographs exhibited in NYC quite a while ago (mid to late 1990's at the ICP?) and were extremely impressed, and I think that the book does them justice. Some are almost difficult to believe are real (see Brazilian gold miners on pages 300 & 301).

I was lucky enough to see this wonderfully humane expose and photographic genius while it was on tour at The Philadelphia Art Museum years ago. At that time, I passed up buying this book at the Museum Store and regretted and searched in stores for it years later.
If this book were on everyone's coffee table and looked at page by page ... there would be much more respect and much less oppression in the world. Good people would see to that.

Author Vince Thompson presently serves as a consultant helping Internet companies build sales and online marketing solutions. He has spent 15 years as a middle manager and it is his own experiences that were one of the inspirations of Ignited. This book is dedicated to those hearty souls known in the modern world as middle managers. Thompson refers to "The Middle - perhaps the most crucial location in the world of business." He calls the world that middle managers survive in as "quake country", where the environment is always shifting, eroding and being constantly squeezed.

The research for this book included an online survey of over 100 in-depth interviews with middle managers from a variety of organizations including Gateway, ABC, Rawlings, Intel, Bank of America and others. The surveys revealed an underlying disconnect between many middle managers and the corporate goals and vision of the organizations they work for.

Ignited is written to motivate and inspire middle managers to realize that they can make a significant contribution to their organizations, careers and personal lives. Ignited is intended to offer a better solution to managers who struggle to perform well in the complexity of our modern business world. Thompson defines Ignition as "the coming rebirth of purpose and power that managers in The Middle can experience if they choose to make it happen."

This inspirational book is divided into three parts. Within these divisions are 14 chapters. Part 1 is entitled "Get More Power" and it offers some sound pointers for improving the personal perspective and basic thinking of managers. This of course leads to an improvement in behavior and decision-making. Experienced managers will find many of these tools to be common experience, but younger managers will glean much from this part of the book. Part 2 is "Get More Purpose" and is the heart and core of Ignited. This section includes seven keys that emphasize the unique value that managers offer in the middle. Thompson refers to these keys as "Ignition Points" that make changes happen when clearly understood.

Part 3 is entitled "Get More Success" and it is dedicated to help the reader develop a balance between the daily pressures of a management career and making your personal life happy and successful. In this part of the book the author offers a five-step program to restore balance to a stressed out manager. This chapter alone is worth the price of admission!

Ignited is a book that anyone who has ever been in a management position can appreciate and relate to. It is easy to read and offers practical information based on research, common sense and experience. If you are in a middle management position, or have a friend who is, you will find this book a way to ignite your career to another level.

Ignited is a treasure chest overfilled and brimming with insights, tips, techniques, motivations, and inspiration for the people who are the backbone of organizations-- middle managers.

Ignited is an eminently practical book that lends itself to immediate use from word one. I recommend when you sit down to read the book that you have a highlighter pen, a number of bookmarks and some note paper-- this may not be formatted as a workbook, but you'll end up treating it as one and applying its advice as you progress through it.

The author, Vince Thompson, has many years in management and so writes from personal experience as well as education and research. His analyses, explanations, and suggestions all give you a sense of his having "been there" and confidence in his advice.

Thompson gives you a solid grounding in all the essentials of managing both up and down the organization and then shows how to leverage those essentials into formidable skills that ignite your management style, your organization, and your career. The essentials include understanding and applying the principles of networks and networking, team-building, access-gaining, self empowerment and leadership-- all from an uncommon perspective. He helps you learn to become a key (and highly effective) manager by harnessing the power of knowledge of organizational processes (what is done, when, why, how, and by whom) and people in or related to the organization (who does what, knows what, has what connections, has what power, etc.). He tells you why. He tells you exactly how. And, he provides clear and interesting examples and anecdotes to illustrate his points.

His own enthusiasm and excitement, paired with his knowledge-packed narrative, will ignite you.

In a remarkably thorough and informative Introduction, Vince Thompson observes that managers in what he characterizes as "The Middle" are "the connective tissue in their organizations. Only they have the ground-level expertise required for success, the links to people above and below them in the corporate structure, the insights into customer needs, competitive realities, and the organization's strengths and weaknesses." Thompson wrote this book for them but also for those to whom they report because, as he correctly insists, the potential contributions that managers in The Middle can make are too often ignored or under-valued. Thompson's book offers a better solution: "a way for [managers in The Middle] to stay within the corporation and begin making the kind of difference [they] want to make, taking back [their] businesses, careers, and lives in the process."

First, Thompson asks his reader respond to ten questions that comprise "The Ignited Quiz." The purpose of the responses is merely to suggest (rather than measure) to what extent the respondent is an effective and empowered manager in The Middle. In this context, I am reminded of what Ernest Becker suggests in his book, The Denial of Death. No one can avoid physical death but there is another "death" that can be denied: That which occurs when we become wholly preoccupied with fulfilling others' expectations of us, both in our personal lives and in our careers.

Thompson then carefully organizes the material that follows "Base Camp: The Ignited Quiz" within three Parts. First, he offers some basic tools for improving the thinking and behavior of managers in The Middle. Next, he provides seven "Ignition Points" that are keys to the unique value that managers in The Middle can create. Finally, in Part III, he explains how to create a balanced fulfilling life while earning a living. They are not mutually exclusive. The challenge is to understand what really is most important in one's life, then achieve and then sustain an appropriate balance of those values dreams, objectives, needs, interests, and obligations.

Of special interest to me is what Thompson has to say about what he calls "Quake Country," a land of perpetual change. "A place where companies merge, morph, rise, and fall at an ever-accelerating pace - where the only thing certain about the latest management buzz phrases - from `failing fast,' `coopetition,' and cannibalization' to `process commoditization,' `productive friction,' and `social networking' - is that they will be replaced by new ones tomorrow, each change leaving the essential business problems behind." Much of value has been said and written about the difficulties that C-level executives face when struggling to make sense of and then respond to such an environment. Indeed much has been said and written about the extent to which C-level executives (especially CEOs such as Dennis Kozlowski at Tyco, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Schilling at Enron, John Rigas at Adelphia, and Gary Winnick at Global Crossing) have exacerbated these difficulties. To the best of my knowledge, very little attention has been focused on those who manage in The Middle. Hence the importance of Thompson's book.

Here is a representative selection of Thompson's key points:

"The concept of Management Value Added (MVA) is based on a simple question that you should ask whenever you're making a decision about how to invest your time and energy: `What value does management add?' And how could your actions `add value' to any situation in business? That's right - by helping to meet your bosses' needs. The goal of MVA is to ensure that you are adding the value most important to your boss and company but also that you are always adding value in every situation." For example, managers must understand that if they are going to a meeting, they better be well-prepared to add value to discussions. Perhaps a better example would be a situation, what Bruce Bodaken and Robert Fritz characterize as a "managerial moment of truth," when supervisers have an opportunity to provide constructive criticism to a report-to that will be of substantial value to her or his performance and thus to the overall performance of the given organization.

"People come and people go, but processes - once developed, codified, and set in motion - tend to perpetuate themselves until someone deliberately changes them (which is often easier said than done). The sum of the processes defines what the company does and determines whether or not it is successful."

Citing Steve Mummulo (of US Search) as an example of a "Linkmaker," Thompson sums up the lessons to be learned. "When you're trying to get something done, use the proper channels first. Then, if the official procedures don't work and you find you must make an end run, do it in a politically sound way: Explain your reasons, get your boss's support, and keep people informed. Above all, show results. If you can make your network pay off, you'll be a hero. If you don't, you won't."

Citing Henry Mintzberg's concept of "emergent strategy," Thompson asserts that it is the strategic role of managers in The Middle "not simply to execute the strategy dictated by the top executives of the firm, but to supplement it with creative ideas, initiatives, and inventions of their own, driven by their first-hand knowledge of developments in the competitive arena, their own capabilities, and the openings for profit they perceive."

Given the organizational constraints that limit, often discourage, and sometimes even punish open and honest communication (especially "bad news"), how can those who manage in The Middle help their team members overcome barriers when tough corporate challenges demand clear and frank communication? Thompson suggests these tactics: "Acknowledging the constraints. Establishing an important business context and purpose. Recognizing the crucial role of the team member. Creating a separate space where it's safe to be open. Rigorously avoiding any form of recrimination or retribution for negative or `politically incorrect' statements."

This review is somewhat longer than I originally intended but I consider the issues that Thompson addresses to be so important, and his insights and counsel about managing in The Middle to be so valuable, that I felt obligated to include several quotations from his narrative. If I understand Thompson's ultimate objectives correctly, they include the following:

1. Help those who manage in The Middle to be more effective as "the connective tissue," as "the links to people above and below them in the corporate structure." This will strengthen their organization and, at the same time, expedite their career's development as well as nourish their personal growth.

2. Help those "above" (i.e. in senior management especially CEOs) to understand, appreciate, and then take full advantage of what managers in The Middle offer as "connective tissue" and "links" as well as their insights into customer needs, their awareness of competitive realities, and their understanding of the given organization's strengths and weaknesses.

3. Help those "below" the superviser to whom they report. As Vince Thompson correctly observes, "If you help your boss achieve success with his or her boss (not by going around your boss but collaboratively), you're really onto something. You're focusing on the issues that matter most at the highest levels of the company - the ones that'll get you the most recognition, the most power within the firm, and permission to pursue all your other dreams and goals."

As I finished reading this brilliant book, I was again reminded that organizations and even individual careers resemble vehicles in many different ways. Here's one example that seems especially relevant. Let's say you have just purchased a 2005 "cream puff" Mercedes with a full tank of gas, new tires and a new battery, tight breaks, and it has just been washed. Looks new. And of course, it has been properly inspected, registered, and insured. Then when you insert and turn the key, nothing happens. Nothing. The car isn't going anywhere and neither are you until the ignition problem is solved.

For many people, particularly those who "insert and turn a key" in their organization and/or in their career...and nothing happens, this will be the most valuable business book they have read in years.

Ignited has several good ideas to help a middle manager creatively navigate the corporate minefield. I found several of the ideas worth trying out, and discovered that I was doing a few things right but needed to modify some behaviors. This is a fairly easy read but you need to take time with each section to evaluate your behaviors and style in order to get the most out of it.

Good book. Buy it.

Middle management is one of the toughest positions in corporate America. You're expected to run things successfully, while often not having enough sway and power to implement your plans. A book that aims to remedy that is Ignited: Managers! Light Up Your Company and Career for More Power More Purpose and More Success by Vince Thompson. An excellent book that should be on the shelf of every manager...

Contents:
Introduction - Living in Quake Country; Base Camp - The Ignited Quiz
Part 1 - Get More Power: Action with Traction; The Manager's Universe; Leadership in Limited Space; Managing Your Emotions; The Deadly Lack of Empowerment Trap
Part 2 - Get More Purpose: Ignition Point 1 - The Process; Ignition Point 2 - The People; Ignition Point 3 - The Message; Ignition Point 4 - The Landscape; Ignition Point 5 - The Strategy; Ignition Point 6 - The Story; Ignition Point 7 - The Spirit
Part 3 - Get More Success: Selling From The Fulcrum; Your Own Sense of Balance
Index

The reason why people put themselves into "the middle" is to make a difference in the lives of their coworkers and the company in general. But it's not an easy road. Ignited starts with a quick quiz that will give you a general idea as to how your attitude plays out in relation to your job. Then the three parts of the book help you find your path to a more effective role in the company. Part 1 talks about general principles of management that might sound like common sense, but that often get lost in the midst of the battles. I really was struck by the effectiveness of the "universe mapping" exercise. It shows you who you are linked to in terms of your success. Following that up with an attempt at mapping your boss's universe can then give you the insight as to what you need to do to make them successful (and yourself in the process). Part 2 then gives you the tools you need to effectively run the areas that are uniquely yours as a manager... your people, your message, and so forth. The final part of the book then sums up the newfound power and opportunities you have as an ignited manager, and gives you the roadmap on how that new position and knowledge can be leveraged for your success and balance in life. By the time you've worked through the book and focused on the changes outlined, you should be infinitely more involved and effective in your position.

Rather than read yet another book on how a CEO leads, focus instead on reading something targeted to your specific situation and circumstances. This is that book.

El libro es uno de los mejores que he leido, es muy didactico , recomiendo este libro para todo aquel que quiera aprender algebra lineal.

The book is ok. But It has A lot oF math proof and Word problems

I self studied this book to improve my applied math skills. The book progresses well, with examples clear and easy to follow, even for a non mathematician such as myself. My background is only through the Calculus level. The book begins with linear equations then moves to matrix algebra, a logical approach. The author balances nicely what he refers to as "scaffolding" and the inherent efficiency of the topic.

With the exercises, I focused on the steps required to reach an accurate result and how I may apply this to the business I'm in and used Mathematica for many of the interim computations. This approach worked well for me and allowed me to better understand the topic as a whole, though it's doubtful I could have gotten away with this approach had I been in a formal classroom.

Linear algebra is the Babel language of sciences, this book helps you to get proficient in speaking it. Clear-cut presentation, mathematical rigor and historical gossip is in such an unison, that you'll crave for a sequel. This is the 18-th 5-star rating, you shouldn't hesitate any more!

This book contains a comprehensive treatment on the topic of matrix analysis and applied linear algebra. The concepts are clearly introduced and developed. It is rich with detailed proofs that are easy to follow. Results are summarized and clearly grouped and marked for reference. As a researcher and a practitioner, I found this book quite useful in explaining mathematical concepts without the need for a classroom instructor.

Besides, this book comes with a CD that contains a PDF version which makes it quite useful to port as a reference. It is very rich with problem sets that add insight, both theoretically and practically. It is accompanied by a solutions manual which strengthens comprehension.

I highly recommend this book. I think it deserves to be a model to follow for authorship in the digital age.

March never leaves my desk. It covers everything. From functional group transformations to mechanisms to FMO theory - you name it it's there. Highly recommended for any advanced undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral researcher. It's a bookshelf staple that any organic chemist should have available.

I'm pretty sure that you _must_ have this book if you are studying advanced organic chemistry. Maybe it's not the best one to use as a study guide, but it's extremely helpful as a reference book both for undergrads and graduate students. However, one can argue that this edition is a bit out-of-date.

I bought a copy of this text (2nd Ed) after finishing my sophomore year of college, and it proved to be the best single investment I've ever made in chemistry. I used it so often, I had to duct-tape the book together.

I think the happiest moment of my career was when my name appeared in the index of a later edition. Anyway, buy it and treasure it.

This is by far the best text I have found. Although it is considered a text book, it is more handy as a reference tool. I have seen no other book that contains more information than March's. This book is actually worth the price.

I paid more for my 4th ed. new, and find it to be worth even more. It is not a cookbook per se, but it is a very comprehensive textbook that details general reactions by functional group. It outlines every way known to remove, add to, or otherwise modify every functional group. There is as much commentary as is needed, if not more, and every pathway is mentioned regardless of how exotic or primitive and low-yielding. The corresponding OS synth refs for specific cpds. are given for each type of reaction, along with a total of 15,000 other refs in footnotes. This was cutting-edge in 92, with much updating of the 3rd ed. The index will take you to the section that shows how to make the manipulations you want - if it doesn't, it probably can't be done.

Huge book. Lots of tips. Color photos. Interviews with the pros. An overall great guide to team creativity.

This book has become one of my favorite books in my library. Extremely creative ideas and large, colorful photos. I am very pleased to have this book.

Very nice book with lots of pictures for inspiration. However, I would like to know how successful the ads were and how this is measured. A clever ad does not always translate to improved sales.

I use this book all the time for class (I'm an ad design student) and it's always helpful.

The book was fantastic. I'm an advertising student and it has come in especially handy when I'm stuck for ideas. Cool campaigns and lots of insight into getting those juices flowing.

As an adult Model Rocketeer for the past 16 years, I can say that every Rocketeer should have this in their library. It is indeed "the Bible" of Model Rocketry. It is a goldmine of information and technical know-how, and will lead a beginning Rocketeer on the right path. Even someone who's just curious about Model Rocketry will learn a lot from it.

This is without a doubt the best book on model rocketry I've ever seen, and I read it from cover to cover. It deals with every aspect of rocketry in a very accessible manner (for example, presenting formulas for various calculations, but not requiring their use). It is organized so that the reader can focus on single aspects of a rocketry program (for example, separate chapters on aerodynamics, rocket propulsion, recovery systems, altitude measurement). I am a science teacher and coach to two Team America Rocketry Challenge teams, and I keep copies of this book available for my teams as reference. I wish it had more information on electronic payloads, but that is a more advanced topic, so it is very forgivable. If you own only one book on rocketry, this is the one to buy.

Great reference for all levels. Perfect for schools or curriculums that have a model rocketry club.

Very detailed, easy to understand, its rocketry 101 and much more.

Model rocketry has come a long way since this book's first edition was published and the book does a great job of covering the basics of "How to get started" while addressing the ever expanding set of topics being introduced 40+ years later. The book provides some of the hobby's history and the 'hows and whys' of model rocketry. The book balances detail such as mathematics to compute aeronautical computations with rules of thumb one can use if science and math are not as interesting as building and safely launching a cool model rocket. While the book does not comprehensively cover mid and high power model rocketry topics, it does address some of the basics for those 'moving up'. Photos and illustrations are great.

Arie provides a very good picture of companies that have sustained centuries of change. His research reveals what makes them click and what they aare doing that others are not doing. Some of his insights are packaged within the context of a company that truly has life time employment which some of us can not even imagine. His experiences in management and leadership will not necessarily ring true to many of us. Many of us simply will never have the opportunites that he has had. On the other hand, the work that he captures is excellent on sustainability and I highly recommend that if sustainability in business is an interest to you, that you read this book.

I am re-reading the book, and was compelled to share my love and appreciation of the deep understanding and unique approach to organizations and to the ways of dealing with change offered by Arie de Geus.

I'm undergoing through deep change in my life; my business is growing and changing. The book gives courage, foresight, support, tools and a map both to pass through the process holistically, and take responsibility for the future. I see how my whole company is taking responsibility for its future. I give credit for this movement to the ideas and concepts laid out the the book.

This is a must read for all those people who are interested in the subject of organizational learning. The book illustrates clearly the challenges companies face in encouraging its employees to learn. Also, it provides a lot of examples and strategies from Shell. Overall, it is an excellent for a any person, even if they are not in a managerial position in a company. If the reader is such a position, then this is a must read.

Companies die all the time. The current business climate favors short term profit over long term survival, and most companies don't adapt fast enough. De Geus explains why this is, and what we can do about it, but what makes this book an essential read is that he gives us a new way of looking at organizations and the meaning of work.

The problem is that, in management, you get what you reward. This is a well-known truth and explains the dysfunction we see in most companies. As de Geus puts it, "The difficulty lies in our definition of corporate success...the dominant school of thought in business administration measures success purely in terms of quantity: the maximization of revenues, market share, share value, or proceeds."

The solution de Geus comes up with is novel and revolutionary. It is to look at companies differently -- not as machines, but as living beings. In fact, he goes even further than this, saying that companies actually are living beings. It is only because they are living that they can learn and adapt and hence sustain themselves over long periods of time.

This view seems extreme, but it is soundly based in philosophical argument and it is preferable to the alternate view that companies operate like clockwork and their employees are simply assets. The complexity of organizations can indeed be understood better by analogy with human psychology and biological ecosystems. And a company is able to survive and learn only because it has an identity that outlives any of the people working within it.

de Geus draws on the work of leaders in the fields of psychology, philosophy, evolutionary biology and immunology. He agrees with other management writers like Drucker, Collins and Buckingham on basic management truths, like the need to focus on strengths and develop people continually so as to maximize their effectiveness. However, he provides fresh and original insights on management and helps us look at our organizations in a new way.

For example, the natural consequence of thinking of organizations as living beings is that a company's primary goal becomes survival. This in turn leads to a different way of looking at the company's people. The company will survive only if there is synergy and an underlying contract between the company and its members whereby the members are helped to reach their potential in return for support of the company's goals.

Many years ago, I read Peter Senge's book, "The Fifth Discipline," and its depiction of the learning organization became an ideal for me. I didn't expect to be as profoundly affected by "The Living Company," but the ideas are, if anything, even more basic to finding meaning in work, and will likely stay with me. This book is essential reading for any leader wanting to build a sustainable company, but it's also thought-provoking for anyone who wants to make change happen in any organization.

Graham Lawes

I found this book to be a relief and escape to the way the corporate world has evolved. By taking a look at long living companies, the author has extracted some timeless advice for corporations to pay attention to. The thing that "lowered the score," so to speak is that there were hardly any statistics or hard numbers involved to back up his claims, regardless of the intuitive excellence of their teachings. If this book is to make a difference and it has the ingredients to do so, I thought some hard results outside of the longevity would have to be produced and they weren't. What I particularly liked was how the distinction was made between living companies and economic companies. More importantly, how people need to realize that you can't run a company with some of one philosophy and some of the other. You'll have to pick this up and read it to understand this, but I think if you do, you'll see that most companies are attempting to mix oil and water today and unfortuneately, I agree that they will be "dead before their time." Overall, this was a very insightful book and upon reflection to my own life, sarcastically entertaining.

Chip needs to talk to my boss and your boss ... our company culture is soo lacking and if we followed Chips methods I know the culture could be great. That would make our customers, employees and investers happy too.

Instead of "the beatings will continue until morale improves" why not take the team to the beach and throw around some ideas!

Great read for executives, managers and people in startups. Buy this book help spread the happiness ;)

Bill

Loved it. I can't wait to read it again. I bought a second copy and gave it to my CEO.

What is so wonderful about this book is that its lessons can be applied to anyone with passion for making things better. While I may or may not be an executive one day myself, the concepts of self actualization resonate in sales and pretty much all areas in business.
A must read for anyone serious about business and how the human element is motivated for success.

Chip Conley presents a cogent perspective on achieving self-actualization in business. It is refreshing and inspiring that in today's competitive, dog-eat-dog world, businesses are finding that success is possible through providing a culture where people can find meaning. By engaging mind and heart, employees will become tied to the success of the organization. Applying this same concept to customers and investors, Chip Conley is able to demonstrate, through his experience at Joie de Vivre, that you can withstand even the most difficult of market conditions by applying Maslow's theory of self-actualization. This book is a must read for business leaders and entrepreneurs alike.

There is considerable print, film documentary and factual evidence on the critical and pessimistic side of how businesses and corporations are surviving and thriving today, - but Chip Conley is relentlessly optimistic, practical, responsible and idealist - as much in his business as in his writing. The development of his company has been remarkable to watch from the sidelines, and this book effectively explains how he has done it and why it works. A great read that makes cynicism hard to hang onto!

This book is proof that there are thoughtful, caring, and people driven entrepreneurs. It is possible to be very successful without being driven by insatiable greed and boundless narcissism. The author, Chip Conley, is a Stanford MBA who has carved out a great reputation and financial success with a California based boutique hotel chain called "Joie de Vivre" (you can find their website at jdvhotels dot com).

Conley has all the great personal stories showing his personal commitment to his businesses, being willing to sacrifice personally to give it time to succeed (the entrepreneur who has not lived for extended periods without a paycheck is the exception rather than the rule). What makes Conley quite special and someone it seems I would like to know (despite our likely polar political views) is his how thoughtful he is about what he is trying to do and his reaching into the meaning of his work shows on every page of this book. Just look at the end of each chapter for a list of additional reading on the subjects discussed!

Abraham Maslow is a hero to many thinkers, however, the closer you get to the front lines of business survival the more his ideas seem like a luxury rather than foundational principals. However for Conley, Maslow's philosophy is the bedrock of what Conley is about. He uses Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs and its usual presentation in a pyramid as the model for his own trio of pyramids to express what his business tries to accomplish. Conley turns Maslow's five section pyramid into three section transformation pyramids that consist of a base of survival, a middle section of success, and the peak section (note the title of the book) of transformation.

The author sees his work in three constituencies (and provides a group of chapters on each one): employees, customers, and investors. The sound principle being that without great employees who embody your business you won't have customers and without successfully building a profitable customer base you can't reward investors. However, Conley wants more than the base part of the pyramid for each of these stakeholders.

For employees the transformational pyramid is: Money (survival), Recognition (success), and Meaning (transformation). That is people come to work for their paycheck and feel good about their jobs when the business demonstrates that it sees their contribution. However, when the employee sees their job as a way to express their own values because they align themselves with the company's mission, it can create a meaningful transformation to the employee's life. That is, the paycheck provides motivation, recognition creates loyalty, and meaning sparks inspiration.

The transformational pyramid for customers is: Meets Expectations (survival) which creates satisfaction, Meets Desires (success) which creates commitment, and Meets Unrecognized Needs (transformation) which creates evangelism. For investors the pyramid is: transaction alignment (survival) which creates trust, relationship alignment (success) which creates confidence, and legacy (transformation) which creates pride of ownership.

Obviously, there is much more to these statements than I can bring out in this little review. My hope is that by listing them you will become intrigued about what Conley is talking about and want to get the book and read it carefully. I think it is an interesting read that will fire you up to want more for and from your business than a fatter bank account (although that is indeed a part of the story). The author illustrates his points with many examples from his own work that demonstrate how practical and desirable these principles are.

Bravo.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

The author knows his stuff; instead of hiding behind equations and leaving it up to you to work out what it all means; he tells you what in means and gives you the equations.

I am a mechanical engineer, but lately I have been doing a lot of signal processing and data analysis using MatLab. This book was a great way to get back up to speed. Its clear and concise without geting too bogged down in theory - lots of directly applicable tips and info.
Its also free for download on the author's website, www.dspguide.com, and from Analog Devices website in their training materials area, [...].

I have BS in computer science and 8 years of S/W development experience in telecommunication industry. But my primary skill is protocol development and systems programming.

But as a music lover, as a musician, I've been interested in DSP technology for a long time and tried several times to get acquainted to the technology with no avail.

I guess the reason I failed is I couldn't understand the exact meaning of mathematical languages in DSP area.

I'm still in the middle of this book but now I can understand what the mathematical languages mean. The author is very precise using math languages and translate the language into easy plain english without missing any clarity and bravity of mathematical language.

I'm gonna keep working on DSP with this book as my hobby and finally when the time comes, all I gotta do is use my programming skill to develop a useful DSP S/W.

This book tells everything you have to know about the mathematics to realise any signal processing application.
With the help of the examples (written in BASIC, I have some adapted into C) you can realize filters and signal synthesis/processing with FFT. There is no theoretical overhead.
With the help of this book I have developed a modem software within four monthes, without any basic knowledge in DSP.

I am a graduate mechanical engineering student and I have found that ALL engineers today are required to have a GOOD fundamental understanding of electricity and electronics. The most difficult of electronic concepts to grasp for the uninitiated is DSP. After skimming through other books and becoming quite frustrated hacking my way through others I have found not only the best introduction to DSP in publication, but also one of the best technical books I've ever seen...and I read a lot of technical books outside of required texts. Excellent job by the author...books like this do not come around often enough.