Performance Books

I like the book for the following reasons and many more: -covers both routers & switches -covers the show commands as well as the equivalent SNMP objects -tells me the inside information (e.g.) Which ver of IOS started supporting sub-interfaces, IOS hidden commands -tells me how I can leverage applications like HpOV NNM, MRTG etc

And it tells all this and more in a simple language (e.g.) The chapter on monitoring CPU & Memory resources explains lucidly how one can be proactive about monitoring these 2 key elements.

The chapter on VLAN management is another good example. One of the topics it covers is about monitoring spanning tree topology changes, how you can use community string indexing to get vlan information for each individual vlan

I am certainly not a professional but found this book very informative. The writing was "reader friendly" but, of course, having a computer and being networked certainly are not enough credentials to fully understand the nuances of this book. I highly recommend this book for people "in the business."

This is a perfect basic resource for anyone just entering the performance consulting field.

This book is an essential read for the experienced trainers that have struggled with bosses who believe that training solves all problems. Mr. Wilmore provides a clear explanation of how Human Performance Improvement can help organizations move from talking about problems to solving them. The book thoroughly explains how we move from being training departments to performance departments.

Judith Hale's book-title should not put off those who don't have the job-title "Performance Consultant". Anyone who is required to determine how performance can be improved--HR Development Professionals and Trainers, especially--will benefit from the tools and worksheets she shares.

The last five chapters of the book detail her techniques and share some of her tools for determining the source(s) of performance problems, identifying interventions that will improve performance, and instruments to help measure the results of the improvement. Her book sits on my shelf within easy reach, and gets used often.

Judith Hale is a proven professional in the field of human performance consulting, and in this book she generously shares her depth of knowledge and experience. Most valuable, I think, she accurately portrays the potentially overwhelming complexity that is characteristic of effectiveness in (a) assessing human performance levels, (b) diagnosing prevailing barriers to higher levels of performance, and (c) designing and delivering "whole system" interventions that can achieve the desired improvements. She also speaks candidly about the crucial relationship and alchemy that must exist between consultant and (manager/executive) client.

Judith has developed numerous tools and techniques to aid her in her own consulting work, and she presents many of them in this book in the context of her full and accurate perspective of effective human performance consulting in action. Even professionals that have been working in this field for years will find tools and techniques that can enhance their work.

I have put this book to the test as a "tool for learning" and I works beautifully. As a 20-year veteran consultant in this field, with much of my current work focused on developing new candidates to do this important work, I have used Judith's book as required pre-reading and as a tool for facilitating workshop activities. It has become required reading for all serious learners, and a regular part of our development programs. I heartily give The Performance Consultant's Fieldbook "two thumbs up."

Too many pilots don't fully understand the intricacies of piloting for maximum performance; their poor introduction to this important area of aviation being the oftentimes insufficient lessons from their flight instructors or from hangar flying. The aircraft's POH (pilots operating handbook) does indeed list several performance-oriented facts and figures but these are usually only valid for aircraft at their maximum gross weights! To add insult to injury, high performance flying is not readily intuitive and, in some situations, is outright counter-intuitive.

Considering how many accidents occur due to this lack of knowledge, a new approach is needed, an approach which entails generating intelligent data and figures tailored specifically to the pilot's particular aircraft and flying conditions so that one can, as the old aviation adage admonishes, "Fly by the numbers."

Such an approach is outlined in the new book, Performance of Light Aircraft by John T. Lowry, PhD, of Flight Physics. Lowry is based in Montana where, due to the mountains, I suspect every flight needs high performance! The conscientious reader is rewarded with the information required to determine aircraft performance by employing what the author terms "The Bootstrap Approach," basically a precise, step-by-step process for determining a propeller-driven aircraft's performance data.

One actually gets to be a test pilot, as it were, in order to collect and then generate performance numbers for the particular airplane. The most noteworthy aspect of this process is that once these numbers are in place, the pilot can use them over and again and for different altitudes, aircraft weights, and wind conditions! This is truly an excellent book.

I do, however, have to point out several things:

1. This is a very expensive book, coming in at close to $70. One would have expected a lower price for a soft-bound book or at the very least, an included CD or disk containing software to help in recording and/or generating the above numbers! (Note: While there is a disk of spreadsheet templates available privately from the author, it costs an additional $45.)

2. Be prepared to spend some time and effort understanding the theory behind the Bootstrap Approach. If one just wants to get the necessary formulae and plug in numbers, contact the author at jlowry@mcn.net for his other book, essentially a field guide to implementing the Bootstrap method.

In 'Performance of Light Aircraft,' John Lowry takes on the daunting challenge of quantifying airplane performance and wins! As a physicist, Dr. Lowry visualizes the myriad of variables affecting performance; as a pilot, Dr. Lowry understands the requirement for practical and readily-available information. So no need to be intimidated by complex derivations or strings of formulas--Dr. Lowry is with us, systematically grinding often unwieldy theory down into a user-friendly methodology he calls 'The Bootstrap Approach' (TBA). Along the way, we see TBA applied to an ordinary Cessna 172. We also get a sense of just how incomplete Pilot Operating Handbooks may be. TBA allows pilots not only to fill in the blanks, but also to glean critical information tailored exactly to the specific airplane.

Whichever path your aviation career follows--be it as a test pilot, designer/builder, professional pilot, instructor, hobbyist--take 'Performance of Light Aircraft' with you.

The Performance Power Grid is a quick read. It provides great clarity as to how focused individual contributions can directly impact the success of any business. I would recommend this book to any leader that has the intestinal fortitude to commit to making a fundamental shift in the way they do business. Leaders ready to invest in the proper implementation of technology and willing to provide an unwavering commitment to drive the energy of the organization to focus on what is truly important to the success of their particular business and abandon policies and practices that simply stroke egos and create a drain on corporate energy and resources will benefit by reading this book.
Dale Carpenter
Sr. Logistics Leader

This book is a must-read for all levels of leadership, especially those wanting to improve performance by focusing on business fundamentals. The Performance Power Grid is a practical 21st century management methodology that transcends traditional theory, allowing organizations to make fact-based decisions in a real time environment while understanding the impact of those decisions on operational, financial and strategic objectives. Imagine having a single and balanced view of performance within your organization and what that would allow you to do. Based on my experience, this book is a true testament to the Enterprise Performance Management methodology and all that it has to offer. Move over Balanced Scorecard and Lean & Six Sigma, we finally have a practical and organic approach to creating sustainable superior performance. Well written and well done!!

Excellent book. PBEV is definitely an evolution of Earned Value Management. It is the first Book I have found that integrates Project Quality, Cost, and Schedule control all in one method. Solomon and Young were very successful in describing the weaknesses of EVM and pointing out the best solutions on the PBEV.

OBS: It is an advanced book for EVM experienced people. I wouldn't suggest you to try to understand PBEV without any knowledge on EVM.

Paul Solomon and Ralph Young have hit the "Best Practices" ball out of the park with Performance Based Earned Value (PBEV). PBEV integrates the best of standards based Project Management, Earned Value Management, and Requirements Management standards into a single well illustrated end-to-end guide for product development teams to follow.

Everyone knows that poor requirements are the single largest source of product rework and project failure. There are plenty of books on requirements analysis, definition, and management, but the problem persists. This is because most books do not weave the requirements process into other project management activities and use a meaningful technique to measure progress toward success.

PBEV fills the gap and shows you step-by-step how a high-maturity development organization starts with requirements, creates Technical Performance Measurements (TPMs), and uses the TPMs to monitor and control product development activities right to project completion. Anyone who believes the old adage: "whatever is measured is improved," will find this book to be the key to truly integrating processes and improving development performance.

I cannot imagine why any pianist would not want this book. Here, Goellerich provides a sort of window in time, allowing the reader to listen in on a master class of Franz Liszt. Liszt provides invaluable suggestions in interpretation, and suggests how the composer may have wanted his piece performed. Since he heard many pieces performed by the composers themselves (Chopin, Schumann, etc), his advice should be respected.

Further, this book provides a great way for the pianist to boost his or her repertoire. There is much music here that has fallen into disuse, and Liszt discusses these works and provides performance suggestions. For example, many of his students played music by Rubinstein, a composer who has, sadly, fallen out of fashion.

Also, since Liszt was taught by Czerny, who was taught by Beethoven, his suggestions for the performance of Beethoven's works are absolute gold.

There is very little technical advice in this book. If you were a student of Liszt, you had a good technique as a matter of course. He seems to focus more on expression, tempo, and clean playing. Technique is not the purpose of this book. Goellerich records Liszt's performance suggestions, and for that, this book should be read by all serious pianists.

Grab this one! If you play classical piano and have an interest in Franz Liszt and his methodology with the students at Weimar, this is the one! I'll add for the record that the diary notes of August Göllerich which is the basis of this book also has the blessing of Lisztian authority and scholar Dr. Alan Walker who commented, " ... as much a record of the life of Liszt's mind as of the life of his fingers [...] an extraordinary bond of friendship and collegiality that existed between Liszt and his pupils ... they were members of an extended family ... Liszt was not a mere piano teacher, but rather a Guru who treated his acolytes like equals."

So too, the quips of Liszt himself are recorded in abundance and unlike the Amy Fay letters home tome when she herself was taught by Liszt [and others] , Göllerich names the student names who were on the 'hot seat' including those times that the "master" was not pleased. One learns quickly that Liszt references to the 'conservatory' or 'doing wash' or those Liszt termed 'uninvited guests' [read: clinkers] made the rounds with some frequency where the clear 'message' for much more practice was quite evident! Or worse!

Score examples abound in the book while Liszt's input on the various pieces is virtually on every page. So too, just as Liszt could be lavish with his "Bravo!" praise, he could likewise pull no punches whatsoever in his criticisms! Ohh yes! While it is quite true that Liszt never charged anything for these group master-classes, which I'll add at once was a distinct privilege, well, it's also true that this was the original, shall we say, 'many are called but few are chosen' kind of thing so students sent packing, urged or self-assessed therein, did happen! Frequently.

It was a given that 'before' the student sought out Liszt, they knew what they were doing on the piano and, if not, they were duly informed forthwith not to mention recorded cases of those who showed up, heard 'others' playing and beat a hasty retreat at the get-go to save themselves any further embarrassment. It was said that if one could not pass muster with the pupils of Liszt, the chance of ever 'impressing' [!] Liszt himself was a virtual impossibility.

What's that? In other words, if I could make with the magic wand thing and we could go back in time, what, are you quite confident to play for Liszt and be 'automatically' welcomed to the fold with open arms? Ahhh! Of course ... the Cage piece ... 4'33" ! Be prepared tho' for the famous Liszt 'stare' when you pull 'that' one on him in between those [alleged] "movements" ! You could always try the "prepared piano" gambit! ;-)

Switching: Get the book, it's a keeper! It's as if you were there simply observing but getting a good dose of the Liszt methodology in the process and the literal awe in which his students held him ... and for good reason therein! Franz Liszt! That says it all.

Doc Tony

[and then ... ]

Voice A: "What's all this business about John Cage and 4'33" ?"

Voice B: [--mute--]

Voice A: "Well, answer me! Tell me what it's all about!"

Voice B: "I just did!" [!]

Voice C: [a 'believer']: "There it is!"

;-)

For the amateur musician, especially the adult piano player, this book is one of the best manuals ever written. It deals in great depth with all aspects of learning, playing and performing. It answers in a very comprehensive and informative way all questions, and doubts, that an amateur (and perhaps many professionals, too) may have about playing the piano or other instruments as well. - This book is a fantastic motivator and is written in a captivating and entertaining manner, one cannot put the book aside without finishing it in the shortest possible time. - A GREAT BOOK !

This book by Dr. Victor Margolis has a great balance of humor and wisdom. The author puts his words on paper like no other. The book is immaginative, interesting and one of those books that you just can't put down. This book is for all who are interested in piano from the beginner to the seasoned pro. I for one am going to buy this book for everyone in my family for the holidays.

This book summarizes many artistic elements of performing Bach, but in a very objective, matter-of-fact way. I found much useful content, but the delivery is very academic, and, in many cases, boring. A sense of humor or story-telling would ease reading, and this book has very little of either.

In Playing Bach On The Keyboard, keyboardist and Bach specialist Richard Troeger takes a new look at the Bach keyboard music available - but directs his examination to the nonspecialist player, bringing in historical background and discussions of musical applications of the styles and instruments Bach employed. From the importance of notational details in understanding the composer's intentions to changes in norms between Bach's period and modern times, Playing Bach On The Keyboard provides classical musicians with a wonderful survey of issues in Bach's music

I am attempting to self-teach myself violin. (I am not entirely a newbie -- I play piano and guitar.) This book and a mirror are indispensable for setup (holding the violin, posture, holding the bow, bowing mechanics, etc). Be aware however, that that's what it is. It is not a method book.

I really love this book. It helped me correct the wrong
posture and technique I used to do. It helped make things
that were difficult to do a lot easier.

It's packed with usefull tips and techniques.

This guide is essential for any violinist advanced or
beginner.

I highly recommend it. Buy it enjoy it and be happy l
ike me.