Communications Books

... then try this book! There are no cheesy gimmicks here, just simple and sound advice on how to bring people you meet into your fold by asking, "What can I do for this person?" rather than "What can they do for me?".

Even experienced networkers could learn something valuable from this book.

Thank you Darcy, Judy and Gayle for this wonderful book. With the tips & best practices you laid out so clearly, I have gained substancial confidence this past year with my "Tribal Introduction". Your abundance message rings true with the dramatic increase in my personal network within my community and business organization. As a recruiter and President of my district's Netwroking Association, your book has inspired me to 'work my pond' with ever increasing success.

This book was a disappointement for me, yes, I does give some useful insights into networking and what it is all about. However, most of the chapters are based on common sense that you would do anyway (I hope!!) such as being polite and striking up conservations with people and being nice to everybody regardless of class.

It doesn't give much insight either how to approach contacts at later dates once you have established informal relationships.

If i had to say the one thing i learned the most from this book was to carry business cards where ever i go, they are the golden key to networking.

I loved this book - I see so many people either not giving themselves permission to network and/or not allowing others permission to network at events everyday. Coming to events without business cards and not being ready to introduce yourself is such a loss for all involved - Top it off with showing up but only wanting to speak with the party you came with is so limiting - I love this book and the concept of "Permission to Network" as a focal point was fantastic to see. Everyone needs to read this and then apply the practice at every networking function they attend as well as apply this in general life skills. Good things can only come to those open to recieve them! ;)

I considered giving this book only 4 stars, because it occurred to me that the authors don't live in my world, instead they live in a world where people don't do anything else but jet around the world and network with each other - whereas the furthest I've travelled in my job is Chatswood, a few stops further along the railway line.

But then I thought, that possibly a reflection of differences between Australian culture and the field of work that I'm in (I.T., where people are notoriously insular). I also thought that if they can manage to create relationships like that and have so much fun, then best of luck to them... who am I to hold it against them? Plus, they would obviously know what they're talking about in regard to networking.

So I gave it 5 stars on the basis that the authors have put together a witty and fun book that somehow did wonders for my networking *confidence* - and lets face it, the only person whose attitude you can change is yourselves. And somehow this book managed to do this.

As a professional certified coach, I love this book and use it as a resource in the programs I facilitate on leadership development and business coaching. Tom has such BIG HEART and through this book he provides a wonderful road map on how managers and leaders can begin to create more high performance work teams.

This will become one of your go-to books re: the coaching process. I know it's one of mine! Incredible insights as well as lots of advice, tricks, tips, etc. A must buy for coaches, or those who aspire to become coaches.

In this three-part relational guide for the development of "a performance-focused, feedback-rich organization", consultant Tom Crane offers the reader his insights on three aspects of transformational coaching; the model, the coach, and the culture. The unifying theme, the heart drives relationships, and relationships drive performance, is evidenced by the title of the book and the statement, "If you chose to incorporate any of the practices described, pay attention to how your relationships are enriched and your results are enhanced."

The 'model' part is a three-phase methodology for coaching; starting with connecting, preparing, and establishing expectations (the Foundation); progressing into exploring and issues identification (the Learning Loop); continuing with options, commitment, and follow-up (Forwarding The Action.) The 'coach' element is an introspective piece including communications and style. The 'culture' part covers both `what it is' and seven principles for creating the change.

From reading the book, it is easy to see that Crane believes in intrinsic motivation and in people. He uses a most wonderful term, "positive regard," for how a coach or leader might look upon those they work with. I could not agree more with this sentiment. If you share this feeling, this is a book worth the read, as it gives wonderful guidance for how to bring out the best in people.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

This book does have some good background information about coaching. It is pretty dry though. If you want to learn about coaching, take an accredited coaching certification program. I did, and this was one of our required reads. It happened to be my least favorite and gave me very little practical information to use during a coaching session. If you want to read an inspiring, empowering book, read Breaking the Rules by Kurt Wright.

Tom Crane goes to the true essence of coaching. He developed a comprehensive coaching method to transform knowledge into performance and action into results. A must read not only for coaches, but also for managers and leaders.

An excellent step through Cisco networking. This book begins with the definition and ends with future development. All aspects of high speed networks are covered along the way.

John has succeeded in making the whole complicated area of what happens behind the computer seem easy to understand. He has explained how to use technology to one's advantage and understand the value of doing so. A well recommended read.

I gave the book as a gift to a friend who is the CIO of an ISP and I know he went out , bought 10 more copies for all of his managers and thanked me with a note saying the John Vacca book is a God sent for his business. What more can I say

With the rapid advances in technology, upgrading of high speed networks will occur sooner rather than latter. High-Speed Cisco Networks by John Vacca provides experienced networking professionals with a step by step approach to all they will need to know about Cisco's LAN and WAN systems. It is the reference tool to use to understand the Cisco products so that planning, designing and implementing a high performance LAN or WAN system can commence.

I have been working in IT & network support for some years now, and am currntly untaking the Cisco Acadmey programs. This book turned up at the right time, as it explains things with greater clarity than anything else I have found. The presentation is logical and of a linear manner, making this my first choice in reference material, for both my studies and professional undertakings.

In an age of all kinds of self-help books, this one is simple and it SHINES. Written from a (subtle, non-infringing) Christian perspective, it is loaded with information about how anyone can immediately improve not only their relationships with their children (and therefore their child's well-being) but can also apply this information to all relationships. I think it would work wonders for teachers as well!

You know when you hear truth because it's so simple, and makes so much sense, that you think, "Of course that's the way it is! Why didn't I figure that out myself??" That's the feeling this book has all the way through. An unforgettable message that could change the way you live!!

I have three children of my own, I was a school teacher, now I am a Pastor of Family Ministries and this is the first book I give expectant parents. I have read dozens of books on raising children, secular and Christian, this is the best. Let me explain.

It is simple.
Dr. Campbell does not get bogged down in the minutia of emotionally charged details. He doesn't preach about spanking, breast feeding, dating v. courting, negative and positive reinforcement, and the like. He tells you what is going on in a child's heart and allows you to determine the details.

It is foundational.
The principles he shares are so obvious that you are almost embarrassed that you didn't think of it. I found that not only did it help me be a better parent, it helped me deal with many of the issues that I had from my own childhood.

It is easy to remember.
I have read this book at least four times, but even after the first reading I could remember the major principles easily. They just make sense. The emotional tank; the difference between discipline and punishment; the fact that saying, "I love you," to your children does not make it real to them; these principles never leave you.

It is flexible.
These principles are not tied to one reading of Scripture or a single body of research. Also, they are adaptable to many different parenting styles.

It is powerful.
Every time I council a teenager, I ask them if they believe that their parents love them. They almost always say, "Not really. They only love me because I'm their kid. But they don't really love me." It astounds me because Dr. Campbell quotes teenagers in this book and they are almost verbatim what I consistently hear. The reason is that kids do not feel loved just because you put a roof over their heads and gave them the latest iPod. They need so much more. When the realization of the truths contained in this book hit many parents, they simply sob. They realize that they missed it and their children are paying the price.

Most parents are doing their best and simply do not know. No matter what the circumstances, it is not too late. Our God is a God of miracles and he can move powerfully in our lives. Read this book, believe God for his grace, and learn how to really love your children.

Tons of books out there on child raising. I have been counseling military men and women for almost thirty years. Would that most, if not all, parents would sit down and read this. This would be a different world. Oh, and it also greatly helped me understanding how to make movement toward my children in love and not in anger and shame.

I think this is an excellent book because it steers away from the external performace-orientation of some Christian books. These books sometimes almost view raising a child like training a dog. The whole focus is on getting the child to do the right thing, to obey. This title also steers away from the other extreme forms of parenting--the child is a delicate, fragile piece of glass that must be coddled, never contradicted or criticized, given whatever he or she wants, and praised for each and every thing they do.

Campbell moves to a more biblical focus. He shows that if you build a healthy love relationship, you can exercise appropriate discipline in love and children will actually appreciate it and come to view it as what it is--the most loving thing you could do for them.
-Dennis McCallum, author Organic Disciplemaking: How to promote Christian leadership development through personal relationships, biblical discipleship, mentoring, and Christian community

this is a book with old-fashioned values - discipline, politeness, etc.. modern parenting theory could use a look back to some of these values. i am as modern a woman as anyone - but to think through how unloving it is for me to let my kids do whatever they want was really good. we have to be parents, not just friends.
however, in most traditional models (i.e. our grandparents generation) there was a cold distance between parents and children. this book also confronts that shortcomming - making it a well-balanced book.
it's hard for me to get through or respect many parenting books - but i zoomed through this one and drank it all up! i recommend it to all of my friends with young children - even babies!

without a doubt the most clear, coherent and educational introduction to astrological archetypes. steven forrest's syntax embodies the essence of capricorn: rich, yet concise. every reader will be moved and enlightened, engaged and empowered.

Not the same old perspective on why to use astrology. One natal chart has the possibilities of 10,00 personalities. Check yourself against the intent/purpose of each house to see if your life reflects living at optimum or the pits. Raise your baseline of self awareness and learn the understanding of moving toward more wholeness...thus more cheer, contentment, bliss, success.

Basic fundamentals.....and you think you know them.....but still, as I'm reading....I'm learning more and more.

The Inner Sky is the best book I have found on learning how to read and interpret birth charts on your own. It doesn't contain already written interpretations, instead it teaches you step by step what each planet and sign represents and shows you how to put it together and form your own interpretation, and it is so basic and do-able! I recommend this as the starter book for anyone wanting to learn to read birth charts - hands down!

I knew nothing about astrology before this book. Nothing about signs, planets and houses. Now I know what I bought this book for: read my own birthchart.
The author explains everithing you need to understand and read the informations in a birthchart.
Besides this, the author uses a very easy language and style.
The best thing in this book is that you don't get confused. The author teaches you a sistematic way, step-by-step, to read a birthchart and not to be a "fortune teller".

If you're thinking about taking the Security+ exam from the position of a complete newcomer to the field of INFOSEC, then this book is highly recommended. The print quality is not that great, there are a few typos here and there and the humor sometimes gets a little tedious. But look beyond these shortcomings and this book is worth every penny you spend on it. In fact, if the Security+ exam were not as technical as it is, then this book would be the definitive text. The material is laid out in simple language and yet technical details like port numbers are covered nicely. In all, if you are new to INFOSEC, or you just want to be sure of your foundations, then this is a good place to start. For the exam, read this book first and then get Security+ Prep Guide by Ronald L. Krutz and Russell Dean Vines to provide more technical insight. Polish both off with the 100-page study guide that you get with Security+ Transcender and you should have no problems achieving 85% pass mark.

Congratulations to Helen and Tcat, their book is one of the most organized and practical technical books I have ever seen. I has been very useful to study and day-to-day tasks. A very good choice to prepare to Security+ Exam and IT security career.

I like how this book ties in real life examples and stories into its pages. This makes it a bit more interesting read then most dry, boring, and technical books on Security+.

When you are purchasing any can of material you must do your research on the product. Well I did and it has paid off!
You well not find a better book when your pursuing your Security+
certification! This book not only gets you going in the right direction, but the authors have also included links if you want to delve deeper into the particular subject they are addressing.
(I mean they did their research!)
The software they also include in my opinion is just simply one product you just cannot do without!

There are just too many kudos to list!

When purchasing any kind of material you must do your research. Well I did and it has paid off!

This is the book you want to have when you are pursuing your Secutity+ certification!

It has so much information that is presented in a way that makes you want to never let it down!
Not only will you have this wealth of information, but the authors have included so many hyperlinks related to subject they are addressing. This is great for the person that just wants that extra touch!

The tools which they include on the cdrom are just ones you must have! The missus and myself love testing each other.

There are just too many kudos too list!

When you wake up at 4:30 in the morning and start reading you know you have a great book in your hands!

As a blind man, I found Peter Anthony's book, Key Master, to be marvelously descriptive. My spirit was re-awakened by the crafty ability of the conjoining of the spiritual and political realms. Anthony's uncanny clues regarding our current geo-political quandry leave you questioning the status quo. This story is about unconditional love and compassion surpassing anything I have read of late. Each relationship is filled with courage and sheer chutzpa. I recommend this book for anyone blocked with spiritual skepticism or who has been derailed politically. Key Master has certainly put me back on track and for this I am truly grateful.

Michael Tapia

Many books promise to deliver but Peter Anthony definitely delivers in "The Key Master". I found myself totally absorbed in the life of the central character and ran the gamut of laughter and tears as the book progressed. But the final outcome of this read was a message of hope. If Ethan can live through, and overcome the adversity he faced in his life, we all can. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and keeping the faith can sustain us through anything. I cannot wait for the sequel.

The Key Master is awesome. It is so spiritual and full of such detail. I found this book so easy to read and very hard to put down.I can't wait for Peter Anthony to do another book. Great Job!

Rhonda
Plano,Texas

Such an inspirational book. It brings you in at the very beginning, feeling all sorts of emotions, from happy to sad and just plain overjoyed. Leaving me wanting the story to continue on.

I just returned from a trip to Spain and this book couldn't have made a better impression on me at such a well needed moment in my life. Particularly in that I'm at a crossroads about to turn 30 and going through Saturn Returns, where ever facet of daily life seems to be filled with noise and complication. Anyone in a simlar place whether it be work, relationship or life in general can relate to this story. I walked away feeling more than uplifted - I actually recall parts of the story at the most peculiar of times in my day to day which seldomly happens with anything I read. I'd definitely recommend this for yourself or for a friend.

This book was a big help in passing my TCP/IP exam, but I do not recomend it as a single source. My strategy, which has served me well, is to read the book once, take a practice test (eg Transender), figure out what concepts you do not get, study those areas of the book, take practice exam, repeat untill you are scoring high on the practice exams. This book work out great for that and it is cheap and a quick read. Perfect.

Only get this book if you're already experienced in the TCP/IP world. Passed the test with flying colors! I used this book to review beforehand. Wished it had a little more practice questions, but overall good material!

This is a great book. Even if you're not interested in takingthe test, this book is worth the price. It seems to cover almosteverything on the test. Buy the book if you want to take the test.

It is a very good book. It is not a thick book, but it contains many materials relevant to the exam, and you can get the main points from this book. I would say its content is even better than other training guide in the market. Of course, it is just a revision book, you cannot get any training from it, just get the facts only. In addition, I also find that its content is even same as the live questions that can help me pass the exam.

If you already know TCP/IP this book will help you slam-dunk the test! Its explanation on subnetting is the best I've seen. If you're new to WINS, DHCP and DNS then you better try another book. New Riders Training Guide on TCP/IP (ISBN 1562059203) is great- know this book and you know TCP/IP on NT! I studied both of these and scored a 966.

This is a very useful book for will be speaker.
The book is very easy to read.
I'll recommend the book.

This is an informative and creative handbook aimed at the occasional to frequent presenter who may be nervous, unpolished, or just looking to improve. Kevin and Cyndi write colorfully, keeping your attention by using stories and short chapters devoted only to a narrow topic, intentionally making it easy to flip to what you need to know right now. The simple fact that they make the best of what could be dry material is enough to convince me that their suggestions have merit.

If your job includes speaking to audiences for the purpose of departing meaningful information, then you must add this book to your list. Every once in a while it is a great idea to polish your skills with the latest and greatest information. "Present like a Pro" is a well structured book that departs from clichés and goes into detail around the art of public speaking - from conquering the butterflies, to really impacting messages that stick!

I had the pleasure to meet Kevin a corporate training day a few week sbefore purchasing the book. I found him to be one of the most relevant, grounded and effective speakers I had ever attended. Once I found he had co-authored this book, I bought it within days.

This book is one of the finer books on public speaking I've ever reviewed. The beauty of it is in it's ability to be used in many ways. For instance, if you just want to hit key chapters relevent to your particular engagement it even offers which ones to read. It also offers a end-to-end approach which I think flows well for those who need a complete point of view in their speaking.

I would take issue with a previous review noting the lack of A\V embesshiments to speaking such as powerpoint... This is a book on building successfull tactics to speaking. It offers key strategies to prepare, connect and flow with your audience.

I have always dreaded speaking myself, not out of phobia, but out of a lack of confidance to think on my feet. This book really identifies why a good presenter has made themselves good and how we can use those same techniques.

I have attended a few "be a better speaker" workshops which focus on a few of the ideas presented here. The difference in this book is in it's completeness and relevence. I will bring it with me to every speach I make from now on.

I bought this book last year based on the reputation of one of the authors. I present about 25 times a year and I found the book very useful. I used a number of tips and techniques immediately with good results. The authors practice what they preach in their writing structure and style, proving the effectiveness of some of their techniques/points.

A very good book that covers most of the power converter architectures. An excellent addition to your personal library.

The book is so clearly written you can open it practically anywhere and read just the items of interest.

Concepts are supported by properly simplified schematics.

All the math needed for your own designs is shown and explained, but in such a way, that if you do not need the math right now, you can skip it.

Half the reason I bought this book was to learn to build switching power supplies, the other half was to learn analog design in general. The book is excellent for both purposes.

I recently graduated from Virginia Tech (undergrad), and I had only two classes that focused on power supply design/analysis. As an extension to what I learned in those classes (basics about buck/boost/flyback design and fabrication), this book is fantastic.

The book assumes you have a basic knowledge of EE principles, but nearly everything is explained in great detail. Topologies are examined one by one, and the author includes ALL of the derivations that lead to his design equations, which leaves very little room for misunderstanding. Each section contains pros/cons to using that particular topology, how to remedy common problems, and even talks a little about component selection (although since this book is years old, there are probably better components out there).

I haven't spent much time looking at the magnetics design section; however, it seems as though it would be useful. The chapter on loop compensation is excellent as well, offering a complete refresher of control theory and the design/analysis/use of Type 2 and 3 controllers. As I said before, the author assumes you're starting with very minimal knowledge of power supplies, so every equation and assumption is clearly justified in writing.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this text to anyone who is interested in power supply design or has to gain a quick understanding of something in the workplace since it not only includes the "quick and easy" design equations but also how to get there if you really care to know.

If you're an avid electronics enthusiast, you've more than likely had to build some power supplies. The days of building simple linear supplies are over. If you need various voltages that are carefully controlled and/or just want to build efficient supplies, you need to build a switchmode power supply. This handbook will take you through the major topologies, explaining them all in detail, along with the necessary math to choose the proper components, and the theory of how it's done - and how to choose the proper topology in the first place. The book is well-written and stuffed full of very useful information. Power Factor Correction is also covered, with examples, chips, and theory to build PFC circuits, along with transformer design and theory as well. This book is a great book to buy with "Switchmode Power Supply Handbook", by Keith Billings. Keith's book presents additional information and transformer design mock-ups, along with additional ways to calculate and pick components. Used together, you have the information you need to build a working switching supply with a minimum of hassle. Of course, this assumes that you're already famaliar with electronics and magnetism, and have a good working knowledge of algebra and basic trig. These books are not meant for beginners by any means. I am one happy customer to have found such a good reference for an art that seems to only be known by a few anymore, and other reference materials do not even begin to go into the depth that this book does.
The only shortcoming is that Pulse Width Modulation power supply chips are not covered much, but this book cannot be expected to keep up with the latest PWM chips used in switchmode supplies. This problem is easily resolved by going to National Semiconductor's website and getting current datasheets on PWM chips for standalone, voltage-controlled or current-mode designs, of which they have many. Motorola also has reference materials available on PWM offerings that they carry.

Although a good primer on the basic switching topologies, with an excellent chapter on inductor and transformer design, I couldn't help but feel that this book is more than a little outdated (which it is, at nine years old). There was no mention of synchronous or polyphase switchers, inductorless converters, charge pumps, high-frequency designs...and the section on MOSFETs left out what I feel was a great deal of information about paralleling and load sharing. Many of Linear Technology's app notes go above and beyond the material presented in this book...and they're free.