Departments Books

this is a fabulous book that highlights a very underlooked area...one of my favorite reads this year....too frequently, managers do not realize the huge amount of value that can be realized through a well-run hr department...no matter how great the business, without execution nothing matters....Tony Miller does a great job of highlighting how HR fits at the center of an organization, its importance, and how HR can help a company obtain its goals...he draws upon a number of cases to help illustrate how to both build an HR department and improve an exisiting one....i strongly suggest this book for HR execs, managers and students who are fascinated with the study of business

Vogel argues that both the pluralist model, and the argument posed by Lindblom (corporations have an inordinate amount of power in democracies) are flawed. Vogel's major critique is that both approaches see the power of business as being stable. Rather, he argues that the power of business varies and these variations follow a distinct pattern over time.

Vogel argues that changes in political and economic conditions affect the power of business in government. He writes, "One of the most crucial factors that has affected the relative political influence of business is the public's perception of the long-term strength of the American economy" (290). To illustrate this point, Vogel discovers an ironic relationship between economic performance and the strength of business power. As economic success increases, the power of big business weakens. Additionally, the inverse is also true. This relationship can be explained in that when the public sees economic prosperity and growth, they assume that big business and corporations should be required to contribute some of their acquired wealth to social programs and other aspects of the public good. As such, the masses expect government to remove some of the power of corporations. On the other hand, when an economic downturn emerges the masses expect the government to encourage business productivity through tax relief, tariffs, and other incentives (9). Due to this relationship, Vogel argues that we often see a shift in the political pendulum from a position of staunch business support, to one in which the power of corporations are curtailed.

In addition to the impact of economic and political changes, the power of business is influenced by the "changing structure of American politics" (10). For example, Vogel cites the rise in political activism on the part of interest groups corresponding with the decentralization in Congress and the weakening of political parties. These changes, especially the rise of consumer and environmental groups who were lobbying representatives of Congress weakened the position of corporations. As a response, big business adopted the strategies of the smaller interest groups, and ultimately developing the idea of Political Action Committees to make a more lasting impact on Congress.

This review of US Air Force and DoD Propulsion Needs is a good introduction to an entire array of propulsion systems and future technologies of the US Air Force as well as the Department of Defense generally. It also contains information on future requirements. It discusses advanced propulsion systems and key programs related to aerospace as well as space propulsion. Some of the programs stated in it as being in the future are already in progress as this book was written as of the end of 2006. It is still excellent. A free copy is available on the National Academy Press website as well.

I have used this book numerous times representing disability clients. It is a great resource for various aptitudes of jobs listed in the DOT. A great book for the money. Well worth having in your library if you deal with the Dept of Labor or Social Security on a regular basis.

When I purchused this item, my main concern was about the condition of the book. The book is in great condition and I am happy with the product.

I really enjoyed this book. The author did a great job putting together a collection of interesting historical photos that really tell a tale. The photos help to put a face on the history of the SBSD and the area. This book is certainly not a definitive history of the department but that isn't what it is meant to be. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of San Bernardino County or the west as it transformed from lawless to suburbanized.

Lots of pictures with captions on the San Diego Police. Not much else, but the photos are a great snapshot of the past. If you're interested in police history you will find this of interest.

You should really enjoy reading about Cabinet history before trying this book, but if you do, you won't be disappointed. This isn't a complete history of the Secretary of Defense (look at the DOD Web page for an excellent summary) but rather a look at the highlights. The best part, in my opinion, was the chapter dealing with James Schlesinger's term in office. Validates my opinion that he was one of the most under-rated and best Secretaries the government has ever seen and is the only real account of his stay in office that I can find. You'll get bogged down in budget detail (a necessity for any Pentagon chief to consider) but the historical perspective that Kinnard gives more than makes up for it. Good Cabinet history.

This is a larger, newer and improved, Soldiers Guide, full of Army rules, regs, history etc..
Has enough information in it to be useful, as no one book can cover everything in the Army.
the sources, appendix, glossary, and index in the back is informative and easy to use as a soldiers guide.

this book has some really fabulous photos of the New York Fire department and they are actual photos by the Fire department itself. rare find for a collector. Not really an interesting book for the modern young reader though.