Performance Books

At first I was a bit perplexed by a CDROM that's more an interactive objet-d'art than a game; and in the first night I played with this for like eight hours, until I thought I'd played it to death and would never touch it again. But I found its strange imagery coming back to me, and I tinker with it more and more now, sometimes just to hear the interesting background music, of which there is a LOT.

The packaging for this CD says it contains over two hours of instrumental music or spoken word performance, and it's true. Some of the music I recognize from "Ugly One With The Jewels", and some of it was even background music that Laurie Anderson did for Spalding Grey's movie "Swimming to Cambodia" (and as far as I know, no soundtrack CD was ever released of that).

If you find yourself wanting to hear the music on its own, it's straightforward to sift thru the CDROM's directories, find the AIFC files (*.AIF), decompress them (easy on a Mac with SoundApp -- I don't know what you'd use for handling AIFCs on other platforms), and burn them to audio CD for your personal listening fun. Now, there's not many CDROMs where the music is so good that you'd want to do that! But this is sure one of them.

I would love to be able to review this CD-ROM, but 2 1/2 months
after placing my order, Amazon wrote that they could not supply
it.

So why does Amazon still have it for sale?

Clicking the "used and new" link, I find some used versions for
more than the "new" price". It seems there was originally a
Macintosh only version, and then a Windows/Mac version.
A "new" Mac/Windows version is available from Amazon seller
"amana2" for USD$225.

Googling indicates that the Voyager company which produced
"Puppet Motel" no longer exists. I can't find a mention of it at
Laurie Anderson's site, though apparently in the past there was
a reference, pointing to Amazon as the place to purchase the
CD-ROM.

"Puppet Motel" is highly regarded, so I gave it five stars in
absentia. But Amazon deserves a negative number of stars for
pretending to be able to supply it.

When I bought this I was a little worried it would be out of date because it is a few years old, but WOW! Incredible, awesome, always surprising, entertaining. I love it more than her CDs!

I have been involved in architecting and designing Microsoft based business intelligence solutions for the past 8 years. I was very excited when PerformancePoint was launched because it filled a very real need in the Microsoft BI platform. It is always a challenge to find training material when a new product is launched so Adrian and Nick's books have been released at just the right time.
I enjoyed both books(The Rational Guide To Planning with Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 (Rational Guides),The Rational Guide To Monitoring and Analyzing with Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 (Rational Guides)) for the following reasons:
They are clear and simple to understand
They highlight the most important techinical and functional considerations without being too high level
They are practical and not theoretical even though the first few chapters set the scene
You don't need to be a subject matter expert to understand them
They are short so you can read them very quickly

They are great books that will allow you to get up to speed very quickly on PerformancePoint Monitoring and Analytics as well as Planning.

Excellent! Just as highly recommended as the authors' companion book, "The Rational Guide to... M&A w/ PPS. This PPS Planning learning guide's effectiveness is especially noteworthy in light of the completely new Performance Management (PM) sophistication that the PPS Planning Module introduces to Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) developers of all experience levels and, of course, the skill with which this text introduces it. Although other books will delve deeper into specific topics (especially Integration and Business Rules), this one sets a high standard with succinct, authoritative explanations and thoughtful skill-building exercises in every major functional area. As a side-note, this book showcases to experienced performance management technologists just how much sophistication and value Microsoft has introduced into the performance management product marketplace.

PART I - INTRODUCTION: The authors begin by introducing the roles that planning and budgeting processes have been intended to play in the business environment, describing how traditional business processes and technologies have inherently limited their real-world effectiveness in terms of the tasks effecting employee workflow, data accuracy, security, and ease of use, and then explaining how each of those tasks is optimized as planning and budgeting roles integrate into a business intelligence information framework. Armed with this high level perspective, readers are mostly prepared to learn how to actually accomplish this, albeit in ways unexpected by most traditional MS BI developers. Specifically, we will now be building automatically recurring write-back mechanisms so that planning, forecasting and budgetting workflows will write-back data to data marts and, by extension, cubes. We will also be incorporating more types of data sources, not as an unfortunate alternative to good ETL, but on a planned, best-case basis as performance management work-flows require. Lastly, we will be highly leveraging Analysis Services' unary operators and account dimensions.

Before jumping into the "how to do it" section, I caution readers, and especially experienced MS Analysis Services 2005 OLAP developers, that, in light of the new PM requirements just described, PPS Planning will have you building both relational and OLAP objects in ways that are ...let's just say "unique". You might not have done it exactly this way for a traditional UDM MOLAP cube. Although your careful exploration of these unique SQL Server objects is encouraged, I suggest that you delay at least some of it until after you well-understand what PPS Planning is accomplishing. Fortunately, PPS Planning automates the vast majority of those nuances, such that readers, whether developers or power-user analysts, can quickly get productive.

PART II - INSTALLATION AND CONFIGURATION: In addition installation, this section introduces readers to the Planning Administration Console (PAC), wherein PPS Planning applications, model sites, role-based security and data sources are initially configured, and introduces Planning Business Modeler (PBM), wherein most of the subsequent work is completed. Notably, applications created in PPS Planning are instantiated as SQL Server 2005 relational databases, and Planning Model Sites become Analysis Services 2005 OLAP databases with completely-built cubes. As a side-bar, readers are advised, beginning at this point in the text, to take care to document usernames, roles and passwords as entered in this section and to pay extra close attention throughout the book to always login to Planning Business Modeler or the Excel Add-In with the username specified in each specific exercise.

PART III - SOLUTION DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION: Here, we dive deeper. Explanations, followed by respective exercises, covering the creation of dimensions, member sets, business models, model subsites, model security are aptly covered. Although Chapter 9, "Integrating Business Data" -- which will be the least accessible for non-SQL-heads -- provides a balanced coverage of the complex topic so that readers can progress by (carefully) following the cookbook, SQL/ETL pro's will want to decide when (not if) to dive deeper into learn this (by starting with product help files) and learn exactly how it relates to traditional ETL, which it does not replace. Analysts -- prepare for initial bewilderment. Chapter 10, "Defining Business Rules", takes the complimentary approach, without losing stride with excessive business-side detail (and thus losing the interest of ETL-oriented readers), it move readers through the simple use of business model properties, rules and rule sets. Specifically, the configuration of these business rules are close to a culmination of everything learned so far in that, in text examples, they orchestrate the relationship of data "actuals" to "budgets" and "forecasts" within models and thereby govern how budget forecasts and "what-if" analyses are smoothly integrated into a performance dashboard and/or written back into the data mart and OLAP cube without jeopardizing the sacrosanct "actuals" data. Without a doubt, it feels like a very slick way to avoid ever having to say to your DBA, "Well, we've completed our what-if analyses and thanks for the added permissions, but ehhr... we can't seem to find the actual data anymore. But you backed it up, right?" Relax, `cause it won't happen here. Of note, this chapter very briefly introduces "PerformancePoint Expression Language" (PEL), which is an MDX (multi-dimensional expression) short-hand just for PPS Planning. Although additional PEL detail would have been interesting, it would also have slowed the overall pace of learning. Again, see product help files.

The book's last written topic, in Chapter 11, is "Using the PerformancePoint Add-in for Excel". It introduces readers to PPS Planning Forms (and by extension, read-only Reports ) that performance-management users will ultimately use to assign, contribute, review, edit and approve workflow tasks associated with budgeting, forecasting and "what-if" analyses. As before, the book provides an effective, self-contained introduction which showcases some of Excel 2007's new-found sophistication, but which readers will subsequently want to build upon. As elsewhere, it's essential reading and mercifully succinct (unlike this review, I'll admit).

FOUR BONUS CHAPTERS: Although not reviewed here, they are each substantial, virtually essential, and are respectively entitled "Implementing Process Management", "Consolidating Data with Associations", "Operational and Management Reporting", and "Closing the Performance Management Loop". Conveniently, and along with all required databases and code samples, they are available online at no charge.

PREPARATION: As with the authors' "Rational ...PPS M&A" book, the best way to deploy the entire platform to readers' PC's, for learning or light-development is to download the following from Microsoft: (A) Virtual PC 2007; and (B) BI-VPC V 5.1+, which includes tons of software, including PPS 2007, MOSS 2007, SQL Server 2005 Dev Edition. Lastly, I recommend 4 GB of RAM on the machine, and strongly discourage readers' from trying to use the BI-VPC with under 2GB RAM.

For all of the above reasons, this book is highly recommended!

I have a bad tendency of purchasing technical books and never reading them until I have a problem where I need a technical reference. However, I found myself reading this book cover to cover. I have been using PerformancePoint Server (PPS) 2007 Planning since prior to the software release, going back to May 2007. I have also attended a four day long PPS Boot Camp. Even then, I learned a great deal from this book. I found it easy to read and it covers all the technical topics necessary to implement a PPS solution. Before buying a different book, I would recommend checking to see if it covers all the major aspects of Planning, including topics like Business Rules, PEL (PerformancePoint Expression Language), and Data Integration. Data integration is often forgotten or purposely left out due to its complexity, but authors Adrian Downes and Nick Barclay include an entire chapter dedicated to this subject (43 pages). In addition, once you register the book with the publisher online, there's a great deal of bonus materials available for download. These materials include many SQL examples for data integration. You can cut down your development time by modifying the SQL they provided. Also included in the bonus materials are four additional chapters to the book.

This book is great if you're new to PerformancePoint Server Planning or if you've been using it for awhile. I'm using it to study for the PPS exam to gain certification. My employer has tasked me with coming up with a PPS curriculum for other consultants to learn PPS. I'm incorporating this book and "The Rational Guide to Monitoring and Analyzing with Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server 2007" into self study for my peers wanting to learn the software. Both books incorporate a step by step approach that aid in learning.

In summary, this book is jammed pack full of good tips for both new and experienced PPS developers and has a good price point. I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent collection of essays by leading practitioners centering on the nature of human resources in the context of the new forms and dynamics of organization. Topics includes: human resources competencies; measuring effectiveness; redefining and restructuring the human resources function; the new shape and nature of organization; change management; leadership; compensation strategy; and competency-based pay. This gathering of perspectives and some case studies provides considerable insight into the changing nature of human resource management. Recommended. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Butteriss describes how information technology is impacting the human resources function and how to reengineer work processes and retrain staff accordingly. She examines current hardware and software applications. The volume includes a team readiness questionnaire.

Information technology (IT) is changing the entire organizational landscape and human resource management must be in the vanguard of this transformation. Sadly, this is not the case in many (probably most) enterprises, both in the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors. Given these realities, and the consequent pressures for keeping technologically abreast in today's competitive world, this book delivers relevant information that is of substantial value. Well written and substantive, we recommended the book for all human resource professionals whose HR department is not yet keeping up with the IT curve. Reviewed by Yvette Borcia, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

"The equation of Human Resources with the processing of personel forms-payroll, benefits, evaluation, etc.-no longer makes sense to companies diven by global markets, global competition, and new technology...The rapidly changing nature of business in today's economy requires a fundamental rethinking of many HR processes...", Margaret Butteriss writes, "Thus, HR is increasingly becoming an important part of executive planning and actions and far more of an integral part of management than ever before...The HR fuction itself is increasingly being asked to take on new roles, and not all of its practitioners are equally equipped and ready to do this. We are in time when the competencies of individual HR practitioners must be developed to better support the business organization. If the HR function does not meet the challenges of today's global business environment, it is danger of being outsourced or cut out completely...(In fact), some organizations are cutting costs in Human Resources and outsourcing HR because they still see it largely as a transactional and reactive function that can effectively be done by outside organizations. Others are building more strategic partnerships between line, management, and HR experts and are creating a consultative role for HR to cope with the rapidly changing business realities. They recognize that HR can no longer be simply transactional and administrative, but must be far more proactive in assisting senior management plan for the future."

In this context, Margaret Butteriss and other contributors:

* discuss, based on a data from interviews with top Canadian executives and HR professionals, how organizations are being changed by globalization, competition, and advances in information technology, and identify seven key ways in which HR can contribute to dealing with changes in the marketplace and workplace.

* examine general and technical competencies required by HR professionals as they take on more strategic roles.

* define standard measurement ways to measure the effectiveness of HR in organizations such as functional measures, operational measures, and strategic measures.

* provide an example of a company that redefined its HR function in order to meet its current and future business needs.

* identify the fundamentals of Change Management, particularly HR's role.

* look at components of executive leadership development, including the required infrastructure, the process of talent identification, and the selection and resourcing of candidates to fill vacant leadership positions.

* discuss why most performance management systems are either questionable or fail to reach the required objectives.

* define competency and examine the history of competency, and examine the development of competencies and competency scales, both in individuals and job families.

* define the underlying principles necessary for a compensation strategy that supports business direction in a changing business environment.

* look at how individual pay is decided, whether it be on the performance of the individual, the division or department, the team, or the the entire organization.

* discuss how HR professionals can contribute to corporate success by taking a new approach to compensation, and introduce ,based on a case study, the concept of competency-based pay.

I highly recommend.

This is a must read for trainers in any Western discipline. Bob has written a book on how to make a well-broke horse; one that can go in any direction. The information is organized and specific, from evaluating a performance prospect, riding a 2, then 3 year old and on to competition. A great book for anyone looking to lay down a solid foundation for any horse.

This wonderfully photographed and diagrammed book is not just for trainers of reining horses -- riders will love it as well. Loomis presents a clear and methodical training program for the reining prospect. Loomis begins by introducing his philosophy of horsemanship (think not intimidate), the importance of breeding and conformation, then moves to ground work, basic training, conditioning ("never let your horse run out of air"), suppling exercises, body alignment (importance of circles) and advanced manuevers. He is comprehensive, covering shoeing, equipment, and show preparation as well. As the book title says, Loomis approaches Western horsemanship as an art, and he is a master.

Because Loomis is so thorough, non-beginning riders interested in improving their horsemanship will find a wealth of information here. Many horsemanship books suffer from authors unable to convey in written words "the feel" of the horse in response to a cue. With co-author Kadash, Loomis presents his concepts lucidly. The diagrammed sample exercises illustrated throughout the book are another valuable resource for an intructorless rider.

Loomis teaches the reader to think, about how the horse thinks and how the horseman thinks. Trainer or rider, with this book the reader will never stop learning how to improve from whatever level he is at. A tremendous resource!

I first read this book as a beginner looking to get into reining. I found it easy to understand and the concepts very clear. I still refer to it constantly for training and conditioning tips. It's a very well written book, and is not at all 'difficult' to read. In fact, I found it hard to put down! A great book and well worth a look.

As a small business owner, I have searched long and hard for books that will help me set up a development program for my employees. My search has turned up everything from academic gobbledygook written without any clear relation to the real world, all the way to bromide filled nonsense written in such a simplistic manner that there is no clear relation to the real world. The one thing they all seem to have in common is that they present development models that only work under perfect conditions. What I like about Results-Based Development is that it describes an approach that fits in with the imperfect and dynamic landscape of real world organizations. The case studies at the end of each chapter are recognizable for any organization, large or small; and the skills are transferable. Also, the monthly newsletter that I signed up for at the website listed in the book has the makings of a great tool to aid in skill transference.

The writing is reminiscent of Blanchard's "One Minute" books with the emphasis given to collaboration, goal setting, evaluation, and most importantly, pacing. Also, performance-based training fans will feel at home with the emphasis on performance as a primary measure of effectiveness. Michael Austin may well have given us the next gold standard by which to measure all organizational development initiatives.

Michael Austin compares his results-Based Training Development strategies to running four legs of a relay race. He uses entertaining analogies, stimulating diagrams, and straightforward common sense to guide you through this process. Not only will you learn how to run, but also when to pass the baton. From large corporations to small businesses, these step by step instructions will provide personnel at all levels the necessary tools and insights to ensure your company can gain the competitive edge by operating at full efficiency.

Finally, someone has written a book that provides detailed directions on how to hold training & development departments fiscally accountable. Michael Austin dispels the myth that training departments cannot document return on investment objectively. To me as an Accounting Manager with more than 20 years experience, this is welcomed news. My past experience includes involvement with many financial and software conversion projects that undoubtedly would have been far more accountable had many of the concepts presented in this book been adopted by my employer.

If you have budgetary responsibilities, Results-Based Development is a book you will want to buy for your training manager with one caveat, read it first! Austin doesn't pull any punches. He presents a comprehensive strategy for developing employees that define responsibilities for everyone in the organization.

The book is an easy read, but it is deceptively complex. The best part of every chapter is the case study at the end. It is clear that Austin has the experience to back up what he says.

Mark Baumgarten
Accounting Manager
GPX, Inc.

This is an amazing book. . It covers skill mastery in many domains (golf, wrestling, chess, music), showing the commonalities that lie at the heart of exceptional, as apposed to average, performance (e.g. consistent, focused practices over years characterized by high quality feedback, the need for the individual to master self-regulation if he or she wants to increase skill over time, etc.) It also provides a cautionary tale, in the form of a golf pro who developed exceptional skill but who never achieved the type of fame or wealth of say a Jack Nicholas. Why? Because skill too narrowly defined, no mater how great, does not lead to achievement. You have to take in the total context (social, political, etc) if you want your "skill" to lead to widespread recognition. At least that's what I took away from my reading. While the book doesn't lay out an explicit "blue print" for applying it's information, it is still a wonderful resource for trainers or teachers looking to develop high level instruction and to mentor those pursuing peak performance.

Having been an educator physician for some time, Dr. Ericsson reveals the nature of expertise as opposed to good, OK, mediocre, learners. He also lends insight into the difference between casual practice and dedicated or focused practice - which is the key to mastery. Anyone who wishes to be the best learner or the best teacher should read this book - every year.

I'm not done reading it, but it's painful all the way, but painful in the way of the detail. I'm sure if you try hard enough you could figure this stuff out on your own, like people have done for thousands of years, but to see it there in front of you, it's a real short cut for getting to doing what you're trying to do. It's not some lame motivational book like if some nobody wrote, "How to be Successful," in the hopes of being successful by selling it. No, this is real science. It's doesn't tell you what to do at all, and the language is all technical like a robot, because they're psychologists and that's how psychologists talk, I guess, but it's living robot-matter, and they're talking about what they're doing, which is doing things, so there's a reflective aura all around the words, because it's a meta-subject. This is the subject of all subjects.

I bought this book after an introduction to Sandra Shamas' work in Anthology of Canadian Humor (Will Ferguson). A Trilogy of Performances is very, very funny. I found myself giggling and laughing out loud as I read the book from cover to cover. Since it is a compilation of several of her stand-up performances it is loaded with funny stories and honest but humorous observations. I wood characterize Shamas' humor as adult, feminist, and humanist. Not Lenny Bruce adult, but the work is a bit raw and if you have problems with expressions like ski-jump tits then maybe this work is not for you.

Sandra Shamas is a rare, one-of-a-kind talent who can capture everyday life experiences with hilarity, high-fun and humility. I can't believe she isn't a COLOSSAL, HUGE, HUGE hit in the U.S. yet (though I understand it's of her own choosing). Her book will brighten your day or make a dark, dreary night seem like a trip to the circus, but if you get a chance to see her show live, YOU MUST GO! I guarantee you will laugh until food comes out of your nose (Yuk!), and you will reminisce about her shows for years to come. Take a good friend with you -- you'll have the time of your life!

Years ago a friend and I went to see Sandra Shamas perform 'My Boyfriend's Back and There's Gonna Be Laundry'. We still talk about it to this day. It was one of those rare evenings in which the two of us sat staring up at Sandra, hanging on her every word, tears of laughter streaming down our faces which were permanently contorted into a big open mouthed laugh - we're talking sore face and belly muscles at the end of it all kind of laughter. Since then we've been desperate to see more of Sandra's work but were never able to - Until now! Thank you for writing it all down Sandra. This book is a real gift. Read it and weep!

the book will come to light after i attend the class. for now it reads well, but a few topics are unclear.

When a writer has the objective of showing his knowledge and experience in the benefit of others, like Mr. Rummler does, the result is a dense and useful book. This book will certainly enrich the professional lifes of many professionals.

Geary Rummler has been giving wise advice on how companies can improve business processes and human performance for the last 35 years. Many believe that Rummler's work at Motorola in the early Eighties stimulated the development of the Six Sigma movement. In 1990 he co-authored Improving Performance, which is still the best introduction to business process improvement, and is still popular. Serious Performance Consulting: According to Rummler, is a collection of Rummler's writing over the course of the past decade. Much of this material is focused on the analyis of organization performance problems and on the management and measurement of business processes. There are also discussions of the problems consultants face when they try to improve organizational effectiveness. Hammer is a great motivational speaker, but managers who really want to know how to make change happen, turn to Rummler. This book shows you how the ultimate performance guru really approaches and solves problems. If you are involved in Six Sigma or BPM, you have to read this book.

A continuation of from where Volume 1 left off. Again, not a how to guide but a reference into more modern designs, technical aspects and performace. The average person wanting to make a legal silencer via a BATF Form 1 application won't gain much from it, but someone in the business will want to have it on their shelf.

This is the second volume in a series about firearm suppressor design & performance. The price reflects the rather esoteric nature of the subject and that it is not suited to the social misfit seeking to earn time in federal prison by making his own silencer; it is instead, a diligently researched compendium of suppressor evolution and performance. The primary author [Alan Paulson] has tested many rifle & pistol suppressors, some of historic significance, following a documented and scientific laboratory procedure so as to ascertain _comparable_ performance figures for various offerings. Given the unreasonable restrictions on silencer ownership by U.S. citizens, and the now extreme restrictions upon firearms ownership by British subjects and Australian citizens, it is very fortunate to have an English-speaking author undertake such an extensive project, since a similar work undertaken in countries where supressor use is rightly encouraged as the civic responsibility of a firearm owner would not likely be translated from its native language of publication.

At times dry and technical, to anyone interested in the topic it is a vital reference work and a good read, especially the sections on the historical development of the various models of suppressor under test.

This is the largest, most complete, most current book on silencers I have ever seen. It is not a how to make book, but a description of the silencers that have (mostly) been put into production in recent years.

The book starts with a general introduction into sound and silencers and the various problems with silenced weapons including the public relations aspect. After that there are five big chapters on:

The Evolution of Technology for Suppressed Handguns
Silenced Submachine Guns for CQB and Covert Ops
. . . CQB - Close Quarter Battle
Suppressed Centerfire Carbines
The Evolution of Assault Rifle Suppressors
The Evolution of Sniper Rifle Suppressors

Unless you are an expert in silencers, there are an awful lot of devices shown here that you've never seen before. I could list them, but it would take a full page on your screen. This is a book that is going to remain as a standard of the subject for a lot of years.

Written by expert vocal coach Brent Monahan, The Singer's Companion: A Guide to Improving Your Voice and Performance is a guide for lay people and professional singers alike to improving one's singing talent. The Singer's Companion simplifies the art of performance by emphasizing practical techniques rather than complex lessons on physiology and theories. Chapters cover proper stance, breathing, phonation, resonance, range, health, vocal exercises, pronunciation and diction, and more. Diagrams, exercise sheets, sample songs, and an audio CD complement this solid, "hands-on" self-training guide for singers of all backgrounds, from aspiring actors to church choir singers to folks who love to sing in the shower.

While every aspiring singer should have a voice coach to helf him/her along, unfortunately most people cannot. On the other hand, everyone interested in singing should have a copy of this book. This book is basically a series of lessons from a voice coach that can be delivered to you at a small fraction of even one lesson from a coach.

The author has a Ph.D. in vocal pedagogy and has many years of experience in both teaching and performance. The procedure he follows is the same as taught by experts, universities and conservatories. That is he concentrate stance, breathing, resonance, range and all the other concepts. It is a fairly small book, with a lifetime of expeience behind it.

As a recent college music grad, I wish that I would have had this book in my vocal classes. It makes things that can be hard to describe and hard to understand very easy! I love this book!