Industrial Books

Being involved with Programmable Logic Controllers and manufacturing, I found this book full of inspiring ideas and tips on the financing, personnel and operations of technology companies. Dick Morley invented the PLC. It is nice to be able to get it from the horse's mouth, as they say. It is an indispensable management tool. I keep this book on my desk just in case another management consulting firm comes here and tries to sell me yet another analysis and subsequent engagement. I would not need an analysis as long as I have this book as my reference.

I do have a slight problem with the prejudice that "We don't invest in a deal if the president has a Ph. D." That would have made companies like Apollo, Celeron, Cisco, Intel and Silicon Graphics non-financeable. People should be judged by their intelligence, not their degrees. Let's make a deal, Dick. If you don't hold my Princeton degrees against me, I won't hold your M.I.T. degree against you, OK?

Intriguing snapshots of the mind of Dick Morley. Each piece is a couple of pages, so they're great quick but deep reads (in the bathroom or otherwise) for the manufacturing (& innovation) professional. He packs a lot into each essay, and keeps 'em coming.

"Out of the Barn" is written by the "Harley-Guy" Dick Morley (Inventor, author, consultant, engineer and "Dad" to 37 children) he is also known as the as the inventor of the programmable controller, the floppy disk and other revolutionary and "world-changing" inventions. Dick is self-described "serial-entrepreneur" whose consistent successes in the founding of high technology companies have been demonstrated by over three decades of achievements.

Some of Dick's entrepreneurial success stories are used in the book "Winning Angels" a practical, hands-on guide to angel investing. Dick's inimitable style and character are easy to discern in this book about the fundamentals of early stage investing.

In his book "Out of the Barn" Dick gives us a collection of his published articles and candid thoughts in one easy to read compilation. He brings his unique way of thinking to discuss revolutionary concepts in his own style. His humor is entertaining and his prose is educational. He will definitely make you think. He challenges you to consider the possibilities and those things that may not (yet) be possible.

Through the short stories in the book you will appreciate his wide range of thinking and find yourself scrambling to catch up, as he moves on to ponder other great thoughts. His homespun vision is full of predictions and forecasts of the future and its possibilities. This book reads just like any one-on-one conversation with Dick. Anyone who has had the pleasure can attest that a chat with Dick can range from the ridiculous to the sublime. Sometimes deep and cogent and other time's light and airy, but never dull.

Dick speaks and writes with an earthy manner that is full of provocation and prevarication you can never be exactly sure, which is half the fun. You can read this book anywhere, at any time, and you will.

Once upon a time, before "Dot-Com" and "Dot-Bomb", there was Dick Morley. This gentleman and his book hearkens back to a time when value was measured by utility, and less by flash. Mr. Morley, the inventor of the staple of industrial automation, the PLC, has touched all of our lives with his practical and creative views of the chaos within which we live.

As a renewed sense of value reemerges in our post-Dot economy, Mr. Morley's insights are again proving to be most timeless.

Get this book.

The format of this book is a series of vignettes. And not to be dis-appointed there is plenty of wisdon to be had even in a fireside chat with Dick.

I have done it several times in person and find it VERY stimulating. For those not so luck try this as a premier.

Listen to Dick and LEARN.

Besides being quite possibly the best small business book I've read in a long time, Outfoxing is just plain FUN to read. Mr. Marks, a "foxy" business owner himself, shares the ways you can identify what kind of small business owner you're dealing with, what their most pressing business needs are, and create a strategy for marketing and communicating with your small business clients. He gives an insider view on the psychology of small business owners which helps with such common issues as getting paid time. He identifies the most common objections small business customers have and how to get around them. I especially loved that he puts an emphasis on creating loyalty and long term partnerships with our customers.

I can't count the number of "aha" moments this book gave me - and I'm supposed to be one of those crafty, seasoned business owners myself. I am going to be using this book as a gift and giveaway for a long time - it's fantastic!

Required reading for anyone who is dealing with small to mid-market companies-- or thinking about entering this marketspace. Gene has worked successfully with both large Fortune companies and the small to mid-market sectors and in this book he discusses the differences and really hones in on the small to mid market space. He then takes it to the next level and gives you the tools you need to be successful in this market space. Gene's writing style makes for a quick, straight-forward read.

I have not enjoyed a business book as much as this since Gerber's E-Myth. This book is very cleverly written and demonstrates a knowledge of small business that can only come through years of experience. Filled with useful information and fun to read.

It takes a fox to know a fox and the author knows his foxes because he's one too. So if you deal with foxes as does the author this is a very entertaining book that will give you a lot of great ideas for being foxier than you are.

You've de-bunked the mystery of the small-business fox and given us great insight on to how best to recognize management styles and apply crafty techniques to win their business and continued loyalty!

Finally! A simple, informative perspective on the complex office dynamics that so many of us face. The scenarios are well laid out and the examples easy to relate to. While other discussions of office dynamics tend to over-analyze situations, this book provided me with a straightforward roadmap to recognize and deal with daily personnel issues.

In an easy-reading format the authors have pointed out many office situations that relate to family situations. They give practical and useful suggestions for handling these problems. Worthwhile reading for anyone who works in an office setting.

This book is a must for anyone who has to manage people in an office, organization, and even on a committee. It is easy and interesting reading and a MUST to understand why the people you manage behave as they do.

Many of the issues raised in the workplace are also common to family life, from the desire of the youngest to rival the oldest child to bullying and rivalry. Parenting The Office equates these lessons learned from children to business and family life alike, using case histories to discuss applications and clarify problems.

I thought the book was a very fun and informative read!! I thought the best thing about the book was that it gave a model to understand and apply real-life management techniques in my office. The book caused me to think about the myriad of situations that happen in my office and how I can handle them better. My wife read the book as well. She was fond of it as well.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who deals with people in a business situation!!

As a veteran business communications professional, I consider Partnering Intelligence an insightful and useful read.

Dent's book effectively blends theory and practice in a way that elevates the concept of partnership to a repeatable formula for success. While we all intuitively understand that partnering skills are a vital part of any successful business relationship, Dent has provided a system by which to measure and develop such skills. You'll have to read his book to see how his Partnering Quotient and Partnership Continuum combine to form a pathway to effective partnership that anyone can follow.

I'll also add that Dent's book is especially pertinent in today's fluid business environment, where companies are merging and building alliances at an unprecedented rate. As we know, virtually every aspect of business is transforming in accordance with computer networking technology, rapidly rising global population growth and increasing diversity in markets and the workplace.

All this adds up to more change in shorter periods of time and more business interaction - trends that demand better partnering skills. What an important time for corporations to instill a strong partnering capability in their people!

This book is an amazing guide to assessing your partnering intelligence and then, as the title indicates, using your abilities to create smart business alliances. Partnerships are the basic building block of human relationships of every kind. The ideas in this book are applicable to a business setting but are just as satisfying in any personal interaction. Successful relationships is what this book is about. Isn't that the point of living?

I liked Partnering Intelligence for three main reasons: 1. I believe the principles Steve Dent espouses. I think they are true and I know they can work. 2. I appreciate the clear examples used throughout the book to show how the ideas are translated into the workplace. 3. The many tools and assessments that Steve includes are a great model of his own desire to partner with the reader by offering practical ways that the ideas can be put into practice by others.

I know that I will be using the materials in this book to good effect in my consulting work over the next few years. Thanks to Steve for his hard work in putting together this excellent field-guide to building effective partnerships.

As a psychologist and organizational consultant, I found Dent's work to be quite comprehensive and in a way that is easy to read, understand, and apply. He appropriately touches on everything from the JoHari Window to group stage development in his effort to educate his reader and to facilitate better partnering. I look foward to using this work as I train and consult with businesses, non-profit organizations, and student groups alike!

Creating and maintaining strong partnerships is critical in today's economy. This book gives solid advice on how to develop successful partnerships. Whether you work for a business, non profit organization or in government, learning how to find and develop potential partners has become essential. This book provides the road map to developing and maintaining successful relationships and has helped me do my job better.

This is the original, and, in my opinion, still the best reference book on phase lock loops.

a detailed comprehensive coverage of all aspects of phase-locked loops. The book contains lots of paper references relating to each chapter and has many examples as well.
A recommended book for research students.

Superb book. Essential reading and reference for any serious PLL designer. This updated edition does for DPLLs what the original did for analog. I haven't seen any author come close to Gardner for comprehensive, accurate treatment of these topics.

Este libro contiene todo lo necesario (de lo mas simple, a lo mas avanzado) para poder entender como funciona y como implementar un Lazo de Enganche de Fase (PLL). Ademas está explicado con mucha simpleza y claridad.

I am gladly surprised to see how the author has taken the effort, not just to make a routine revision of the classic book, but to write a completely different book. Non interesting material has been removed, while new up-to-date topics have been added (for instance Charge Pump PLL), based on the own author research, and other published papers.

The approach of some classic analysis has also changed. In particular the approach to the so called Loop Filter as a controller and not as a filter.

In summary, a very valuable addition to PLL literature, worth to buy even by readers that own previous editions.

Marty Stuart is able to capture the inner essence of the people and places he photographs and conveys it to the reader/viewer. I really enjoyed this essay.

this is just an awsome book to read' there is so many interesting photos and stories. to me its breathtakeing... i am a longtime fan of marty stuart' and will always be, i hope he writes a volume II to this book. would be neat to see what else he has to say about this day and time... love ya marty... the rockabilly king you will always be..

Marty Stuart is country music's renaissance man. What a truly rare combination of talents: great voice, great picker, great songwriter, great photographer, and is keenly aware of the fact that he's had the good fortune of having stood among American icons.

The photos in this book are excellent by any standards. I was expecting the photography to be so-so...generally when a talented person tries to branch out, it doen't translate to their new endeavor...but I have to say he's got an excellent eye. Not only that, but he can spin a yarn like a true poet, and that is what makes this such an all-around joy to both read and look at.

Something to look for in this book: the story of going to see Connie Smith in concert as a boy and telling his mother "I'm going to marry her one day"....and 27 years later, he did just that. Wait until you see the picture he took.

This book captures an important piece of American history and does it well.

Marty's keen eye catches the souls of his famous subjects in a way that the ordinary photographer has missed. This book is a masterpiece (just like his last album) and belongs on every coffee table in America. His photos are unbelievable and his accompanying words prove Marty's talent goes way beyond his music.

Marty has been blessed, not only with musical talent, but with a real sense of being a part of history. Thank God Miss Hilda turned him onto photography, as well as music. The moments captured in his book will be there for us to remember people and places long after they are gone. Not just for the good times, but the hard times as well, the "road", the music, the eyes of the pilgrims looking out at you from these pages, make for an absorbing journey across America and thru Marty's life. And he's right about using black & white vs color. Makes you LOOK, not get drawn to some bright color, instead of getting the point of the picture. Give the boy another 25 years and I know we'll get a companion volume to cover the new millenium part of his journey. Although, I hope he doesn't wait THAT long.

Before MLK, Gandhi, Tolstoy, or Thoreau, there was the brilliant Etienne de La Boetie, who explored civil disobedience, resistance to tyranny, and the brutal exploitative nature of the state.

Murray N. Rothbard's insightful introduction places this pioneering work in historical context and in the pantheon of Libertarian classics.

Boetie wrote his "Discourse" around 1553 when he was about 22 years of age and a student at the University of Orleans. This libertarian essay, two centuries ahead of its time, was never published by the Catholic and soon-to-be conservative Boetie. Huguenots published it anonymously in 1574 and fully credited it in 1576 (Boetie died in 1563 at 32 years of age).

The "Discourse" is an abstract, universal, naturally reasoned argument passionately calling for widespread civil disobedience to tyranny. Harold Laski later made the observation that "A sense of popular right such as the Friend of Montaigne [Boetie] depicts is, indeed, as remote from the spirit of the time as the anarchy of Herbert Spencer in an age committed to government interference" (see his "A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants, p 11). Boetie appealed to man's universal nature rather than presumed or real historical precedents resulting in a timeless document that speaks to all ages.

Boetie begins "I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him . . .". He asks "Shall we call subjection to such a leader cowardice? . . . If a hundred, if a thousand endure the caprice of a single man, should we not rather say that they lack not the courage but the desire to rise against him, and that such an attitude indicates indifference rather than cowardice? . . . What monstrous vice, then, is this which does not even deserve to be called cowardice, a vice for which no term can be found vile enough?"

Boetie made a profound insight into the nature of the State - all states, including tyrannous ones, are based upon general popular acceptance.

Boetie continues "If we led our lives according to the ways intended by nature and the lessons taught by her, we should be intuitively obedient to our parents; later we should adopt reason as our guide and become slaves to nobody". He says ". . . there can be no further doubt that we are all naturally free", and asks "what evil chance has so denatured man that he, the only creature really born to be free, lacks the memory of his original condition and the desire to return to it?"

"He who thus domineers over you . . . How does he have any power over you except through you? How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you?", he asks, ". . . you can deliver yourself if you try, not by taking action, but merely by willing to be free. Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed".

Boetie is saying that tyranny dissolves when the majority of the ruled withdraws its consent and thereby deprives the ruling minority of its support and grudging acceptance. Yet, the ruled seldom accomplish this. Boetie tells us the reason is "habituation":

"It is true that in the beginning men submit under constraint and by force; but those who come after them obey without regret and perform willingly what their predecessors had done because they had to. This is why men born under the yoke and then nourished and reared in slavery are content, without further effort, to live in their native circumstance, unaware of any other state or right, and considering as quite natural the condition into which they are born . . . it is clear enough that the powerful influence of custom is in no respect more compelling than in this, namely, habituation to subjection. It is said that . . . nature . . . has less power over us than custom."

Boetie made a second profound insight into the nature of the State - all states are in essence a hierarchy of privilege that benefits a limited minority. In his illustration of this point, Boetie employes the language of natural law and natural rights.

Boetie also noted the State's use of propaganda and techniques of information warfare (IW) employed upon its subjects to maintain servility. He says "it has always happened that tyrants, in order to strengthen their power, have made every effort to train their people not only in obedience and servility toward themselves, but also in adoration."

In conclusion, Boetie should be considered the first "Gandhi" or advocate of civil disobedience and it should be noted that he grounded his notions in man's natural right to liberty as dictated by natural law. His insights into the State ring true today. Modern Americans allow themselves to be regulated, taxed, and shipped off to invade and bomb their global neighbors to the same extent as their "cousins" across the pond in the United Kingdom - a phenomenon that no doubt has their liberty-loving forefathers rolling in their graves. Boetie hoped education would induce the withdrawal of consent, but as his turn to conservatism lays tribute, it is the weight of the yoke that prompts any reaction.

"...And you are at once free. I do not ask that you place hands on the tyrant, but merely cease to obey him, and you will see him, like a colossus, fall of his own weight and break into pieces." So begins this short classic. It reads as if written with words of fire. Astonishing clarity and moral certitude bathe the ideas expressed. There is no room for temporarizing in La Boiete; the breathtaking clarity of his ideas blew cobwebs from my mind. It was like learning to walk on two legs instead of four. Some toung in cheek references to how his rhetoric does not apply to the France of the Capetian dynasty merely add flavor and wit to his insights. Non-violent resistance and civil disobedience both trace their modern pedigrees to this work. This is a book for the ages, and it is a shame that it is not widely available in English. (Knowledge Products excerpts it on tape in their, "Giants of Political Thought" cassette series.) I wish every student could be given a copy of this book; then, our liberty would face a brighter future than now appears to be the case. -Lloyd A. Conway

"The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude" has influencedsome of the world's greatest social thinkers; from Leo Tolstoy toMohandus Gandhi to Ayn Rand. Written in the 1550s, as something of an underground tract or pamphlet by a young French student and friend of essayist Michelle de Montaigne, this short work remains a timeless expose of the psychology and inherent corruption involved in social or political power. The work has been in and out of print in English (Some of its various titles over the years were "Slaves By Choice," "Anti-Dictator," "The Will To Bondage," and "The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude"). In North America it has been out of print for some time now, unfortunately. Since its original circulation in the early 1550s as "de la servitude volontaire ou contr'un," this short but powerful work seems to find its way back into print whenever the winds of social change began blowing toward tyranny.

Etienne de la Boetie's THE POLITICS OF OBEDIENCE has also been named THE WILL TO BONDAGE edited by James J. Martin. The focus of the Boetie's book is the fact that the "Terrible Tyrant" is often a wimp and a coward and only survives because of the sychophants who readily obey him and betray each other to prove their loyalty.

Boetie cites historical examples of tyrants who ruled large populations due to the fact that their immediate supporters and the masses of people were immune to thinking that they could do better if their changes or regime changes. Yet, history provided very few examples up to the time of Boetie(the 16th. century). Boetie witnessed some of the excesses of the Reformation and Counter Reformation and the fact that tyrants were only too willing to take advantage of religious hatred to exploit their subjects.

Boetie's work is relevant in the 21st. century. The game of politics has not changed much except for the fact that The State has expanded exponentially since the 16th century. Boetie's argument that thinking only have to withdraw their support to bring the State to its knees which Ghandi did in India. Yet, there are so few surviving examples of this political ploy to expect too much except to write for the record.

What has made the situation worse is that the State has layers of burcaucracy with brainless bureaucrats who staff these powerful offices. These bureaucrats are basically useless and stupid and easily fit James J. Martin's description as "The New Stupid." They are useless which is why the State has made them indespensible.

This book has been reissued only a few times since it was first published in 1577. Yet, the reappearence of this book is a good sign that some people still consider it an important study in understanding the State

This book has precise and up-to-date information on ferrets, written with a tinge of humor. It is also complete with pictures and amusing illustrations.

this book will tell you the tricks of the trade of caring for these little cuddly troublemakers. Anything from wriggle-free nail clipping to how to ferret proof everything. Great book, pretty good ferret disease overview as well.

From her touching memorial to her fuzzies ,all the way through the practical hands and hearts on information Ms. Jeans delivers what she promises a very practical guide to ferret care.All fuzzies should be lucky enough to have owners that have read this book. Better than raisins, a new snuggy sack or jingle ball. Thank you again Ms. Jeans

Deborah has done an excellent job on the Domestic Pet Ferret. Up todate and precise imformation. A must have book for potential buyers of ferrets. It is the ABC of Ferrets !

As a new ferret mommy I wanted to make sure I did all my homework before bringing the little one's home. This book covers all the basics and then some and offers the author's own experiences as a ferret owner as well. Even if you are not new to ferret parenting this book is a great resource for the lifetime of your ferret. I am looking forward to anything new Deborah Jeans puts out.

If you are interested in this high challenging and highly satisfying skill of becoming a process consultant, read this book, by one of the biggest names in the PC universe...Edgar Schien. This book is a classic and all OD consultants should read it !

Process Consulting is not the typical consulting intervention where 20 somethings come into your organization, do a survey and hand over a thick report after collecting $ per hour !!

Process Consulting is both an art and craft performed by people who intervene in organization systems that are seen as 'human systems' and are sensitive in not inducing 'dependency' of the client. The delicate art is to intervene at the process level rather than the content level and extricate without creating much ripples. Most known consulting deals with 'content' consulting and therefore has more measurale outcomes than the supposedly soft process consulting.

Process consulting is truly empowering and the consultant is a traveller in the process of discovery with the client, constantly asking questions.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

Edgar H. Schein is Professor of Management Emeritus in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a real academic heavyweight having written numerous books, articles and papers. In 1969 he published 'Process Consultation: Its Role in Organizational Development', of which he states that he "was writing more in anger than with perspective". In this follow-up book he tried to explain and clarify the concept of consultation and helping which was outlined in the first volume. "The goals of this new book, then, are (1) to reaffirm the concept of process consultation as a viable model of how to work with human systems, (2) to clarify the concept were needed, and (3) to introduce some modifications and new ideas that elaborate on the original ideas."

The book is split up in 3 parts. In Part I - Introduction and Overview, which consists of three chapters, Schein introduces the common grounds of managers and consultants (which is the helping orientation), process consultation, and "the process" itself. He introduces a definition of process consultation which "is a set of activities on the part of the consultant that help the client to perceive, understand, and act upon the process events that occur in the client's environment." Whereby he emphasizes that the concept of process central is to understanding consultation and management. "Process refers to how things are done rather than what is done." He continues, "Process is everywhere. In order to help, intervene, and facilitate human problem solving, one must focus on communication and interpersonal processes."

In Part II - Simplifying Models of Human Processes, which also consists of three chapters, Schein examines several models of consultation and argues that the process-consultation model works for consultants as interveners and is potentially most useful for managers. "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." He introduces the basic ORJI cycle, which is based on the fact that our nervous system observes (O), reacts (R), analyzes, processes, and make judgments (J), and intervenes in order to make something happen (I). He later updates this cycle into a more realistic depiction of the ORJI cycle, through the introduction of 4 traps. Schein than states that the cultural rules of interaction is possibly the most powerful determinant whether a viable helping relationship will be established. In the final chapter of this part, he examines in detail a simplified model of the change process: (1) Unfreezing; (2) changing; and (3) refreezing.

In the final part of the book - The Consulting Process in Action, which is also the longest part of the book with five chapters, the author examines in detail the strategy and tactics of intervention. "The most important point to be made about clients is that the consultant must always be clear who the client is at any given moment in time, and must distinguish clearly among contact, intermediate, primary, and ultimate client." Schein discusses what the consultant or manager can actually say or do to accomplish some of the goals of process consultation. "The strategy and tactics of intervention have to be guided by the ultimate assumptions underlying the helping process." In addition, he provides categories of types of interventions and discusses the possible dilemmas that can arise in the consultation processes. "The skill of intervening is to be so tuned in to what is going on that one's sense of timing and appropriateness is based on the external events, not one's internal assumptions or theories."

Yes, this is a good book on process consultation. I was somewhat concerned when I started reading this book, due to Schein's highly academical background. However, the book has been a revelation. It is highly practical and has good tips on which can be put in practical use. I believe that it useful for both consultants and managers, as the author set out from the start. I believe that the three parts can be read in any order, whereby the last part is possibly the most useful as it is the most practical. Please note that the writing style is now somewhat outdated and academical. Highly recommended to consultants and managers alike.

This volume and its follow-up, Volume II, are essential reading for consultants and anyone interesting in taking a leadership role in improving an organization. Schein devotes entire chapters to the key human processes in organizations: communication, roles, group problem-solving, group decision-making, leadership and authority, intergroup processes, and interventions. In each one, he not only explains what he has learned through years of study and experience, but also the most salient aspects of organizational theory relevant to each area.

Schein differentiates process consultation from other forms of consultation by first making clear the role of the process consultant, who is not an expert providing information or advice, but rather a coach who seeks to help a client understand and act on events, which happen in the client's organization. Consulting is helping the client to understand problems and to decide how to solve them. The consultant's role is to teach diagnostic and problem-solving skills, not to work on the actual problems.

Communication is a central group process critical for effective functioning of groups and organizations. The process-consultant can help a client understand the communication patterns in a group by assessing who talks whom and how much. Interruptions, who interrupts whom, how much and when can be useful information when attempting to diagnose an organization's shortcomings. Schein includes in this chapter an explanation of the filters, which inhibit or enhance an individual's capacity to communicate effectively. They are: self-image, the image of other people, the definition of the situation, motives, feelings, intentions, attitudes, and expectations. When groups come together to accomplish a goal, certain predictable tensions may undermine the groups ability to solve problems. Individuals in the group may be concerned with their own role in the group, their ability or expectation to influence the group, the need to have the group's goals connect with their own goals, or whether they will be accepted and respected in the group. Sometimes groups need assistance in identifying and processing these tensions before they can concern themselves with the necessary task and maintenance functions required to accomplish their task.

For groups to solve problems they must become good at problem formulation, evaluating solutions, forecasting consequences and testing proposals, action planning, implementing action steps, and evaluating outcomes. Schein offers sage advice for groups wishing to develop their capacity to improve: (1) Don't confuse the symptom with the problem itself (2) Don't evaluate courses of action prematurely - remain open (3) Test proposals using multiple sources and methods, and (4) Plan for action carefully and methodically. Schein offers clear explanations of various decision-making models, which are helpful for a consultant or leader to understand. Groups will function most effectively when the decision-making model is clear and understood. Often models are employed by default, which can alienate and undermine group members and subvert effective improvement efforts. A central failure of leadership is often the gap between what leaders say and how they behave. An effective leaders and process consultants need to become experts in this problem and its potential effects. Awareness of group processes will not only help the leader avoid interpersonal or intergroup problems, but it will also help solve them should they arise. Schein includes useful sets of Likert scales to rate group effectiveness and mature group processes; a model of the stages of group problem-solving; and a continuum of leadership behavior.

Schein's view of the process consultant as a capacity builder parallels his implicit view that organizational leaders need to understand and seek patterns of behavior that downplay coercion and expertise and emphasize participation and differentiated responsibility. This volume and its partner, despite their ages, are still relevant and useful to the leader or consultant.

This book is a fantastic resource for Business Analysts and Project Managers alike. I've recommended this book to several of my contemporaries, and use variations of many of the tools discussed in the book. If you've ever had a creative block on how to demonstrate good analyses, this set of tools will provide you with the spark you need.

Traditionally, project management tools and techniques have been seen as vehicles for reaching an objective or, more specifically, a project deliverable. However, most project management literature just describes individual tools and, at best, loosely gathers them into a quasi-toolbox to aid the project or program manager in doing the job more effectively. Thankfully, the business community finally has Project Management ToolBox by Dragan Z. Milosevic, not just another review of available tools and techniques, but the most comprehensive text ever published on the subject. The author makes a strong case for the need for a more systematic and pre-constructed project management toolbox, one that is of significantly more value than the simple sum of its individual tools.

Within the book, Milosevic develops a new role for project management tools and the toolbox in three distinctive ways. First, the book provides a clear roadmap for how to deploy and customize each tool depending on the specific project and company environment. Second, the book goes beyond individual tools by offering a more effective approach, i.e., constructing a toolbox, unique to an organization, which gathers together a predefined set of tools, thus supporting not only individual project management activities and deliverables but also the complete project management process. Finally, the book spells out how to customize the toolbox. Constructing a generic project management toolbox has value, but customizing it to fit a company's competitive strategy significantly enhances that value.

The book content is clearly and logically organized by project management process - initiating, planning, implementing, and closing - and then by practical applications. This helps users locate tools according to use, i.e., to support one or more specific deliverables in the project management process. Also, it reinforces the applications aspect of the toolbox for a standardized, company-specific project management process.

In summary, the Project Management ToolBox is not just the resource for a collection of project management tools and techniques. It offers an extensive set of tools that goes beyond the limits of generic domains and also takes the guesswork out of when and how to use them in order to support the project management process and to deliver concurrent projects as dictated by a company's strategy for competitiveness and profitability. It also describes how to link project goals and practices and the organization's mission, and it offers much value to managers of organizations of any size or endeavour. In short, it is a must-have book for the project manager.

I don't share many of my consulting "know-how" secrets, but in this case I will, because I think the field of PM will benefit from the ideas presented in this book. After working 20 years in the consulting and project management field, I felt I was as knowledgeable as one could be about managing projects. Then one day, I came across Dragan's PM ToolBox. WOW! Every page is an eye opener. And this book really is a toolbox because its filled with detailed examples, report layouts, checklists, and figures which I have personally incorporated into my projects management and documentation. And those work examples have helped me win additional PM business many times over.

If you think this is just another "Here are the PM process steps" book, then click on by. But if you do, you will miss out on the chance to reach a higher level of excellence in the field of project management that will set you apart from the rest.

Thanks Dragan for a job well done!!

I must say I was excited to discover this book: finally a book holding a comprehensive set of templates! For each tool/template, the author provides answers to practical questions that most people face and provides a short case study to illustrate its usage.
Good Job ! It is to be used as a reference material, not to be read cover-to cover.

If you're a project manager, this is one of those invaluable resources to add to your personal "toolkit".

This is a very practical reference book to keep close to your workspace. It contains more than 50 tools you can incorporate into your practice.

When that moment arrives in the project where one of your managers demands some additional piece of information presented in a particular way (as Murphy's Law describes - always at the busiest, most hectic, time), and perhaps it's one of those things you've never personally done before ...

Don't panic, just reach for the "Toolbox".

Each tool is described clearly, most including a table, diagram, or sample of the tool, along with instructions as to best practice use of the tool, e.g.:

o When to use it

o The best place in the project life cycle to use it

o Its benefits (in case you need to "sell" its use within your organization), and

o Advantages/Disadvantages - enabling you to make smarter choices among the tools, and more effective application of the one you select

One suggestion for future editions: I'd like to see more correlation of these tools with the Project Management Institute (PMI)'s PMBOK - both in terms of consistent language and project phasing. (The author does include a short appendix that attempts to do some of this.)

Notwithstanding, I still consider this book a valuable resource for my practice.