Services Books

Although this is a departure from author Lundin's famous "Fish" series of customer service focused books, "Top Performer" demonstrates yet another means of identifying and delivering excellent customer service. It is novel in that most people would never seriously consider a street performer to be excellent at focusing upon the "needs" of his customers and then delivering customer service that fulfills those needs. As in the "Fish" series, "Top Performer" will deliver those "light bulb goes on" moments. The lessons that it delivers are easy to recall and should be part of any process used to identify and deliver superior sales and service. This is a fast and easy read which you will end up going back to periodically for a refresher course.

What a cool concept, increase the energy of yourself and those people around you. Without getting metaphysical, Lundin and Hagerman have touched on something that is real but cannot be seen. A great, fun read to keep me on the path of continuous improvement.

Lundin and Hagerman have authored a book that is surprising in its depth. A burned-out businessman goes in search of new energy to stay on top of his game. What he finds surprises him and it will surprise you, the reader!

This clever fable of life lessons from a street performer is something we all need to learn. Life is about relationships--about living the moment with gusto--about honoring mistakes and surprises, and finally about taking care of one another. The principles that spark the protagonist are good advice for life. This book is a great gift. How rare to find a "business book" that is fun to read and offers life-changing advice.

Anyone who works in sales or customer service industries should definately read this book. It tells the story of a successful salesperson who finds that the extra hours and discipline which have worked well early in his career are no longer enough. His home life is strained, his motivation is low, and he no longer can sustain himself on the challenge of just meeting his targets. He finds the answers he needs from discussions with street performers and learns tools and strategies to excel and rekindle the excitement in his job and life. A quick and fun read full of great ideas that stick with you!

A wonderful journey in the land of intuitive reasoning and inner potential mining. For those of us struggling in the pursuit of new business ideas or suffocating in unattainable bottom lines. Top Performer will help you tap your natural energy, awaken your curiosity and leverage your unique abilities. A truly sustainable new year's resolution!

This is such an easy read and so common sense. Not a quick fix, but very healthy and applicable theories.

Has good info for newbies to fitness and seasoned vetrens. Also it is an easy read. YOu can get the majority of the book read in one night. One Negative is the last few chapters are more wordy than nessasary.

As a Fitness Trainer, I was amazed at the wealth of good/valuable information this book provides. I had read it originally 10 years ago, and teach many of my clients the principles Mr. Bailey describes. Use this book as your guide to weight loss!

After reading this book, I know why all those diets I've tried failed. I was so happy to finally find someone who understands the special dietary needs of women and who could thoroughly explain away the diet myths out there. It is one of the most helpful books I've read in years.

I am fed up with the magazine image American women are sold. Thin is being sold as fitness. Covert's tape helped me to affirm my belief in fitness, not just appearance. And another thing...has anyone else noticed that on the cover of most women's magazines you are given teaser titles on how to loose 10 pounds fast, and than in the bottom corners, pictures of cookies and 19 layer chocolate cakes?

I read this book in the early 90s when I was working for an organization that served food to people with late-stage HIV disease. As I write today to an old friend about the path my life has taken, this book (and Sandra Lipsitz Bem's Lenses of Gender) comes to mind as being absolutely critical to a shift in my political perspective and life choices. Specifically, I moved from social service to social advocacy work because this book made clear the role of welfare institutions in the maintenance of social, political and economic inequality. Frankly, reading the book while working in such a context made me absolutely sick to my stomach (in the way that awakening to your sucker-hood usually does). I recommend the title enthusiastically. (And note that so much still needs to be done.)

This book offers a rare first hand glimpse into the welfare experience, and in doing so exposes many hypocrisies and problems within it. MUCH has been written about welfare, but rarely has anything been written regarding how welfare recipients see themselves and the system. Therefore, this book is a must for anyone who thinks they know everything about how the welfare system operates, or how it should be run.

The book starts off with Funiciello's experiences as a welfare recipient, including her decision to go on welfare, and her attempts to find a job which should have been able to break her out of it. She then talks about her experiences with a welfare rights organization in New York. She tells stories of women who were trying to navigate their way through the welfare bureaucracy with varying amounts of success. She then goes on to give her opinions about what is wrong, and why we have yet to come up with a satisfying solution.

This book was a breath of fresh air for me, and forced me to reconsider much of what I thought about welfare, it's role in society, and the treatment of its recipients.

Shortly...I enjoyed this book enormously. Ms. Funiciello is a concise and clear writer. She writes about welfare from the recipient's point of view, revealing the absurdities and cruelties without getting sesationalist. A very good read.

Theresa Funiciello used her own (and her friends) experiences on welfare to show readers what being on welfare is really like. No cash cows existed for these women, they were at the bottom rungs of an 'affluent' society.

She argues that big corporations receive their own welfare in the form of tax subsidies. However because they are rich in a capitalist society championing the accumulation of wealth as success, we are not supposed to view this arrangement as being 'lazy' or 'lacking a work ethic'. Attacking low-income women who cannot write a multimillion dollar check is considered politically safer.

Funiciello is also wary of liberals who claim to support welfare mothers, but are too busy talking about themselves to hear the women themselves(pp. 212-255). She takes the Catholic Church to task for claiming to organize against poverty, while it is simultaneously one of the country's largest land holders (p. 226-227) and now appears more interested in self-preservation than alleviating human suffering. She also dislikes non-profits which don't eliminate poverty, but somehow are eager to have that one additional charity ball where they can don diamonds and eat caviar.

Funiciello believes that it is the American system itself which puts American women and children in poverty. She is savvy enough to recognize that some so-called 'do-gooders' whose own income depends on working in anti-poverty programs are not eager for a real socioeconomic revolution to occur. Then these 'colleagues' would have to see Funiciello and her sisters as activist equals instead of victims or cases. Even some social workers who started out with good intentions became burnt out from their own time spent trying to decipher the mysteries of American social services.

Contrasting, Funiciello's social justice calls for a universal guaranteed income which would prevent people from becoming poor. Funiciello says the success of this program would ultimately rest on initial and subsequent program appropriations, but provides European evidence to document these programs do work and people do not stop working with a guaranteed adequate income (pp. 300-302).

Instead, it can actually open up paid job hours for more people in a society (pp. 304-305) and eliminate the corrupted social service professionals from the field by virtue of a greatly reduced clientele base.

Funiciello also provides a concise synopsis of inner-city and older suburban neighborhood deterioration. Neighborhoods do not simply deteriorate on their own, the best and brightest in a community move away from an area which they sense is becoming neglected and those who cannot move away are left to attempt muddling through as best they can. The closure of stores and banks inadvertently prompts some of those remaining people to legitimize the underground economy as being their only means for survival.

Funiciello writes on a very timely topic with focused indignation. Her personal convictions are based upon experience, but she recognizes the dangers of drowning arguments in emotion. Because this book lacks an index, the prospective reader must commit to reading the entirety of this title and will find it very difficult to 'jump' around in the text.

Funiciello has spent time on both sides of the welfare system and within which found an undeniable constant...the desparate need for change. In her informative masterpiece, she creates three short books. A personal account as a welfare receipient, the reality of non-profit organizations, and a look at possibilities in welfare reform. Each section is written with remarkable insight and is teeming with pertinent information. The most inspiring trait to this piece is that Funiciello, even at the darkest of moments, remains a glimmer of hope for the men, women and children struggling to survive in the most powerful country in the world.

no matter how experienced a person can be in sex, we all must read this book. it not only gives basic understanding of sexual behavior and act, it also goes over other ares like understanding transvestites, fetish, sexual diseases, etc...

This is a great textbook. It's clearly written, and it's actually enjoyable to read. The author appears to have had a good time writing it, and included many limericks, engaging examples, and other items that make this textbook anything but dry.

I had to buy this book for a class and expected it to be very dry and... well.. a textbook. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find humor from the authors of this book, allowing me to actually enjoy a required reading. The book is written in an easy to understand language that doesnt boggle the mind and overwhelm. Great book!

The textbook is well organized and informative. A wealth of information that is not only informative but very enlighten. With the addition of the CD-ROM and PowerWeb it becomes an excellent well rounded textbook.

This was the text used in my Human Sexuality course at Western Michigan University in the fall of 2007. I enjoyed reading it, very thorough and indepth, covering a wide range of sexual topics. The authors, who are also educators, use humor at times in the text, as well as paying respect to the seriousness of the topic. Very fair and unbiased in my opinion on it's take of sexual pathways taken in life. It includes a CD-ROM which has additional information from each chapter in the form of discussions and interviews the student can watch. A text that is user friendly, and incorporates a wide variety of psychological patheways and perspectives, without endorsing one as "correct." I would recommend it to any Professor teaching the course.

A WONDERFULLY fun book -- to read, to refer to, to give as a gift to alll your girlfriends! Endless information, up-to-date resources, very knowledgeable and savvy and the only book you need about vintage on the net. I hope it gets a new edition every other year or -- knowing the net -- EVERY year; I'll keep every edition, because none will ever be obsolete. These authors know their audience, know their subject, know their territory. A book you'll read again and again and never, ever, finish. :->

Virtual Vintage stands out from most other books on the vintage-resale-thrifting topic -- even though it is geared to the online market. First, the writing is both excellent and entertaining; I found the book hard to put down.

Additionally, the authors also offer some good tips -- laced throughout the text -- on HOW TO WEAR some of this old stuff. As much as I love vintage fashion, and have collected it for several years, I am often at a loss as to how to WEAR some of the pieces, or how to incorporate my vintage "finds" into my real-life wardrobe. So far, few books actually address this issue, and tend to focus instead on buying, selling or simply "collecting" vintage fashion.

This book is thorough and carefully put together -- like a great outfit. I hope the authors write more on this topic, and maybe put together a how-to guide to vintage fashion.

Kudos!

Usually I don't "read" antique guide books, but a couple of pages into this one and I was hooked. In Virtual Vintage you'll find common sense tips on buying and selling vintage on-line, the A to Z of navigating eBay (I learned several new tricks) and lots of design and fashion tips. The book presents useful info including international size conversion charts, how to remove stains from clothing and must-see Hollywood films for clothes lovers. It was so well done I wanted to learn more about Virtual Vintage's two women authors and how they came to write this surprisingly literary guide book.

Virtual Vintage has a section that rates many of the dot com vintage sites for content, ease of use and return policies. Virtual Vintage is considerably more user friendly than most other antique/collectible guide books that I've seen... I am also fond of the book because it gave my vintage site a great review! I will certainly recommend this book to my web customers.

Usually I don't "read" antique guide books, but a couple of pages into this one and I was hooked. In Virtual Vintage you'll find common sense tips on buying and selling vintage on-line, the A to Z of navigating eBay (I learned several new tricks) and lots of design and fashion tips. The book presents useful info including international size conversion charts, how to remove stains from clothing and must-see Hollywood films for clothes lovers. It was so well done I wanted to learn more about Virtual Vintage's two women authors and how they came to write this surprisingly literary guide book.

Virtual Vintage has a section that rates many of the dot com vintage sites for content, ease of use and return policies. Virtual Vintage is considerably more user friendly than most other antique/collectible guide books that I've seen... I am also fond of the book because it gave my vintage site a great review! I will certainly recommend this book to my web customers.

Virtual Vintage covers the world of online vintage fashion. If you are new to buying and selling vintage fashion online, its a great place to start. If you are not new, it still had plenty of tips that I didn't think about before.

The book is much more than online vintage fashions. It also goes into detail about what to look for from different designers, periods, etc. It has chapters on how to repair and care for your vintage fashions. The back of the book includes a directory (with summary) of online retailers to check out.

I found this book easy and enjoyable to read cover to cover rather than just as a reference. The authors write in an informative yet enertaining way.

The only negative thing I would have to say is; when will there be an updated version??? Some of the online sites and eBay information is dated, as is to be expected in a virtual world.

I have used the Voice of the Customer and Concept Engineering processes for the past 7 years at both large and small companies and have continued to relly on this book. The process can be well adapted based on the scope of the project. The book is very cleary laid out and is an excellent reference. It is packed full of helpful tips and information. I recommend it to anyone wanting to proactively listen to their customers.

The principles used in this book are some of the most useful I have come across. In one book it allows teams to analyse a problem in a structured way, come up with solutions and make execution plans. All without the members of the teams killing in each other. The techniques allow people to do this because it is based on logic and fact instead of opinion.

The Voice of the Customer is an emerging discipline in global business today. "Voices into Choices" is one of the best text I have read on the subject of how to go about obtaining, analyzing and turning customer data into innovative solutions. The book is laid out in easy to follow chapters that takes you through a simple step by step process. Each chapter starts out with a one page summary of that particular step. Additionally this page is very useful to go back to as a review. At the end of each chapter is a checklist that enables you to make sure you are ready to move onto the next step. The book is conveniently wire bound to keep it open to the page you need. If you are interested in optimizing your customer research, this book is for you.

This book captures a process we relied on heavily at McKinsey and Co. It is a step by step guide to helping project teams understand, interpret and act upon the customers' needs. This book is helpful to anyone running a project - whether it is an internal or external project. As the president of a large business, I am ready to buy this book for my entire staff. I would be thrilled if my employees ran projects in this manner and streamlined their communication with me. One of the most useful books I have read in the last five years and hopefully one that my staff will quickly adopt as their process they use to manage.

As a Research Fellow with the Procter & Gamble I purchased over 200 copies of this to provide a training framework for our people in Product Development positions worldwide who have responsibilities for understanding, and more importantly effectively translating the consumer's desires into breakthrough products. This 'manual' demystifies this very human process in exciting -not boring- formats. The processes described are those that were once only understood by a limited number of professionals. Voices into Choices makes listening, gathering, digesting, and communicating consumer needs a fundamental new skill that can be learned and mastered by an infinite range of businesses, profit and non-profit.

I have used the skills learned to map needs for several new, global P&G products, and at the same time used it for my church long-range planning process. These are core skills that seem boundless; only limited by the imagination of the person who has learned them.

Although I have recently retired from P&G, it will stay as a primer that I will continue to use my consulting business.

Geoff Thompson is a martial arts expert. A 6th Dan at Karate and 1st Dan at Judo as well as studying many other styles. However buying this on the basis that you might learn something about martial arts would be a mistake.

The story basically covers his life as a doorman with small periods covered before and after these years. Its a violent true story and the tales he tells are compelling reading. Working in Coventry in the 1980's, he dealt with some of the nastiest hoods and nutcakes around. As a Doorman Thompsons main tactic was to initially try and sort the problem out without resorting to violence. However when it came to the crunch and a troublemaker had to be dealt with - "BANG" he would nail them with a knock-out punch (to the side of the jaw I guess) before they could do anything. Invariably one punch was enough, however sometimes if the mood took him he would roundhouse kick their head as they fell to the floor!

There is one particularly unpleasant incident, which Geoff Thompson was not involved in, that he recounts that I found hard to read. Partly this is because I knew he was describing something that was a true story. So if you are easily upset by descriptions of acts of violence this not a book to buy.

Geoff Thompson has gone on to write, appear on TV, and produce a huge amount of material on martial arts and the psychology of fighting and self-defence. Everything I have read of his so far has been of interest. You will probably only read this one once (I did in 3 days) but its well worth getting.

When I first came to the end of reading Watch My Back, I felt compelled to go right back to the start and read again. It isn't just a book about martial arts or bouncing - it is a book about life and the sort of fears and worries that we all have lurking within. And as with all of Geoff's other titles, there is something that we can all gain by reading them. Watch My Back really affected me and my life in many ways. Firstly, it made me realise that no matter who you are, we all have obsticals in life that can be overcome if we really want it. And secondly, it forced me to eventually meet and befriend Geoff, who is a great man. His advice has led me to try my hand at writing and I am now a published author myself. Watch My Back - simply superb!

Geoff T. takes you on a ride through the torid storm that was his life 'on the door.' He opens up his heart and allows you to share in his dreams and his fears in one of the most honest accounts that I have ever read. He unfolds entire situations for you to read that help you to better understand just what a cruel, sadistic, egotistical world it is that we live in but also leaves room for humour. GT battles his own demons, describes the various opponents he has faced and shows not only one of the toughest and dedicated minds but also one that came to learn discipline and philosophy to get him out of the rut that he found himself in. A must for any doorman (bouncer) or wannabe but a compeling read for any member of the general public.

This is one of the most insightful books that I have ever read. If you want to learn fighting, learn it from this guy, he knows what he is talking about. This book is great for the soul and body.

Geoff is a great author who has undergone a few changes since this book was released in the early part of the 90's. His books give you the truth about physical confrontation and how to react in certain situations. He has no qualms about stating weaknesses in the Martial Arts of today that have not moved with the times and can be downright unsafe for those who think that combat in the dojo/training hall is the same when hit with the scary reality of an assault which is never announced in the same way as taught in the gym. This books pulls no punches and is as real as you can get without immersing yourself in the same dangerous role of doorman. He has released an updated book which encompasses his other books "Bouncer" & "On the Door" as well as this in the one volume of "Watch my back". He has risen was above his many counterparts in the Martial Arts and is now a major influence to a great many people with his views and positive outlook on life . His books now show the futility of violence and show how the bigger man can walk away and hold his head high without letting the ego get in the way My advice is to get reading from this great man, his knowledge and advice could help you in many aspects of life from physical training to being a better person. The world needs more like him.......

This book is a must read. It contains some of the most useful and applicable spiritual guidelines that I have ever run across. It contains simple, easy to understand concepts about real life--relationships, marriage, the afterlife, prayer, selfishness, giving, guilt, usefulness, the list goes on. The format is easy to read and easy to understand, and the content is amazingly helpful. This is not one of those silly entertaining and yet useless life guides. It is a down to earth, realistic resource of ideas as to how to enrich your life.

This book has gotten me through so much! I open it up when I need a little inspiration and always find a passage that speaks to where I'm at. I also love the comentary at the back. It really helps dig deeper into the passages by Emanuel Swedenborg. I highly recommend this books for anyone who wants some spirituality in their day.

This excellent little book helps me keep my mind raised up and out of the petty and selfish mire we all sink into at times. It's guiding wisdom teaches how to love the neighbor as yourself, which is easier said than done. These are valuable meditations especially in times of despair.

When I need to center myself, or be inspired, and especially if I just have one minute before moving on to the next thing on my list of things to do, a quick reading from Way of Wisdom is perfect. It is just enough of a thought to keep my mind active and growing, but doesn't take much time. It is a good pick-me-up in down times, and the notes in the back are great when I want to explore an idea further. If you want small thoughts from Swedenborg, this is the book to try!

This books is a brilliant introduction to the New Church (The New Church is based on the old and New Testaments and the Writings of Emanuel Swedenobrg.) It provides beautiful quotations from a variety of works from Swedenborg's Writings. It is appropriately named for it will guide the reader, in the Way of Wisdom. If you are look for a sampling of Swedenborg's works, or for a great inspirational gift...this book is perfect for you. Find out more about the New Church and the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg at www.newchurch.org

We: The Ideal Customer Relationship by Steve Yastrow
The Failure of Marketing by Jack Trytten


The Sales profession is going through another major transition.

Forty years ago, salespeople were professional visitors. They followed a pre-determined route, collecting orders from customers. Sales main responsibility was to make sure customers knew what products were available.

At some point, the concept of features and benefits was introduced. The salesperson's job changed to that of educator: educating customers about features and benefits so that they could make decisions about the best products for them.

Aggressive application of the features and benefits concept pushed the salesperson into the role of "Trusted Advisor". In this role, the salesperson probed to discover unmet needs the customer may have. "What keeps you up at night?" became a standard question; with the theory that once a need is discovered and matched with a benefit, a sale is made.

Now, sales is transitioning again. This time the salesperson fills the role of "Co-Conspirator", requiring a broader approach to the selling relationship. In this evolution, the salesperson and customer engage in a relationship where the objective is to align as many shared goals as possible in order to make the salesperson and the customer both more effective.

Yastrow and Trytten do an excellent job of describing this phenomenon from unique and complimentary perspectives. Both are descriptive and effective in their approaches.

Yastrow hits the relationship issue head-on. He sells the idea that we should be changing our financial transactions with our customers into ongoing partner encounters. Yastrow tells us that the objective is for our customers to think of these as "We encounters", where we addressed the issue, rather than they or me.

Steve systematically shows the reader how to initiate and create these relationships. He does an excellent job outlining a process to align with your customers' goals and execute based on that alignment. If you aspire to be a top salesperson or drive your organization to an effective, differentiated market position, you will understand and appreciate Steve's guidance.

Trytten takes a different tac, tracking the evolution of marketing, from Peter Drucker's definition in 1954 ("There is only one valid definition of business purpose: to create a customer."), through the classic definitions and objectives (4Ps anyone?), to the dismal record of today's marketers (80% product failure). He details in practical terms how the profession veered off-track and became trapped in outdated paradigms.

Jack defines the real objective as discovering the "something else" that causes your customers to buy from you. (We used to call that the "need behind the need".) He walks through several examples that show how the failure to recognize "something else" dooms the organization to a commodity competition, based on price. Trytten then shows how to overcome that trap to create a relationship with your customers that opens new markets and profit opportunities.



Both of these are outstanding business books.
We: The Ideal Customer RelationshipThe Failure of Marketing: Why Your Company Isn't A Growth Machine

What a beautiful premise upon which to write a book that builds customer relations: "Man's will to profit and to be powerful have their natural and proper effect so long as they are linked with and upheld by his will to enter in relation."

The above quote by philosopher Martin Buber in I and Thou wonderfully aligns with the relational process developed in We that goes from encounters, to relationships, to complementary goals, actions, and outcomes that creates mutual success for both the customer (small or large) and the client. This process "focuses on engagement, not experience."

Steve Yastrow's writing style is easy, adaptable and thoroughly cognizant. It's a book for everyone, not just marketing professionals. The way in which he redefines widely used business constructs such as "the customer" and "teamwork" makes them wholly understandable and applicable. There is no you or me, only We. Yastrow takes business constructs out of the realm of mere mental images and buzz words to actionable goals and results that benefit the customer and client.

The "Try This" sections include accessible attainable actions that can make a difference in results if applied. And the stories are gems, ones that we can all naturally relate to. The stories and the relational process developed here evolve out of a very natural place, a place that is familiar to all, that place of necessary relations with others. Yastrow frames the relational process by addressing both the individual and the group, giving the engagement process profound purpose in life and business.

I highly recommend this book.

Steve's first book, Brand Harmony, made a simple idea compelling. Although everyone "knows" that an organization's brand or a product's brand must be communicated consistently, this book helps employees "want" to be on the same page as their CEO. His second book, We, has the same simple and compelling impact. If we can motivate our employees to see customers as essential partners, they are more engaged and productive. These are books you can give to a shop floor supervisor, or a VP Marketing, and strike a chord.

In "We: The Ideal Customer Relationship", marketing and branding consultant Steve Yastrow (who through his consulting firm Yastrow Marketing has services such clients as the McDonald's Corporation, the Cayman islands Department of Tourism, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, and Jenny Craig International) lays out a persuasive case for the necessity of a business (regardless of their product or service) differentiating themselves from their competition in the eyes of their targeted consumer demographics. Yastrow maintains that the best way to do that is to build strong relationships based on having the customer consider the business in terms of 'we' rather than 'us and them'. Backing up his argument with practical, 'how to' information and instruction, Yastrow has written a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide that is solid, practical, accessible, exceptionally well written and organized, and very highly recommended (and profitable) reading for entrepreneurs, company executives, and corporate managers.

I read this book and felt that the messageis right on. The more opportunities we have to build dynamic strong "WE" relationships, the more opportunities for sales grow. In this book Steve has done a lot of his own research on why people buy products and services. By a large percentage purchases are made at companies where the customer has a relationship with people at the companies. The book was a real eye opener for me personally. I am now going to make stronger efforts to make "WE" relationships. I have already felt the outcomes of how people feel toward working with me when the effort is made to make to other person feel special. After reading many books on sales strategies, I think this book hit the message out of the ball park.

Thank you for making this book available to us.

Chad Coe

These guys know what they are talking about. Web services with real life examples and great points such as web services inside the firewall. I greatly recommend this book!

Real life examples, diagrams, easy to read, and is up-to-date - this book is recommended for architects, managers, developers, who would like to get a good understanding of SOAP and XML Web services. This book contains answers to your "what", "why", and "how" questions pertaining to XML Web services. The chapters flow nicely. It also talks about BizTalk and ebXML and how they fit in Web services paradigm. This first volume ends with discussion on more recent Web services standards (WS-****).

Collaboratively written in a light and engaging style, by Brian E. Travis and Mae Ozkan, Web Services Implementation Guide Volume 1: Getting Started is a straightforward and "user friendly" instruction manual that accessibly teaches the reader what web services are and how to take advantage of them. Written especially for systems architects and developers, it describes in direct, friendly language how to automate internal systems, determine integration points, and then reveal integration points as web services. Enhanced with a tutorial on the state of web services standards, real-life examples of web service use, code samples and more, Web Services Implementation Guide Volume 1: Getting Started is an excellent beginning guide for anyone ready to take the first step into capitalizing on the manifold advantages of what the World Wide Web has to offer.

I read the book very easily. It thought me so much about web services, how it evolves and where it is going to. It cleared many questions I had in my mind. I am technically enhanced now! It is fantastic to understand the cool technologies.

This book is one of many new titles on web services (the book's introduction makes the case for using a lowecase-w in "web" services). Most of the books that I have seen cover the world of web services in terms of this or that tool. Java J2EE, Microsoft .NET, IBM Web Services Toolkit, etc.

This book gets beyond a particular implementation of code and talks about the business reasons for implementing web services. This includes planning, automating processes behind the firewall, determining security issues and so forth. This is the only book I have seen that covers such architectural facets.

As a developer, I found the coverage of the technologies very helpful. As my company's chief architect, I found many things to think about in the book.

The book covers the standards (XML, XSD, SOAP, WSDL) in a very accessible way, with witty commentary so it does not get boring. This is quite a feat for such an acronym-rich technology.