Systems Books

This book is special in that it adds empirical support for the authors' business hypothesis. However, their ideas themselves are not revolutionary. Rather they organized and framed a lot of the ideas that today's business leaders already know and practice.

I suppose that the book is in the tradition of academic research paper rather than overblown business hyperbole. As with any academic oriented publications, they make less than interesting reading, but valuable nevertheless.

Survival of the Smartest is reviewed - very positively - in this month's Fast Company. And having now read it I see why: clear, insightful, and packed with great examples for high tech managers working to improve the performance of thier organizations.

By examining the information managment practices of a sample group of short life-cycle high tech companies, Mendelson & Ziegler create a valuable framework to evaluate your company's ability to manage information in the information age. Also chock full of terrific soon-to-be popular industry buzzwords, including: "Decision Architecture," "High/Low IQ Company" and "Internal Information Dissemination." Use 'em while they're hot.

Survival of the Smartest is one of those management books that made its way through the academic world (or so-called the Ivory Tower) into the real-world. In contrary to what is expected, it does a very good job in connecting these two seemingly unrelated fields.

The novel concept, "Organizational IQ", was developed theoretically by Prof. Haim Mendelson and published in some leading academic journals such as Management Science and Information Systems Research. This book summarizes the results of those publications in an easy-to-read way. Organizational IQ is defined as "...a quantifiable measure of how organizations assimilate information and put together their decision and information architectures." It is argued and proved empirically in the book that High-IQ organizations on average are more successful than Low-IQ organizations. A company's organizational IQ describes how well the organization performs along five dimensions:

(1) External Information Awareness
(2) Effective Decision Architecture
(3) Internal Knowledge Dissemination
(4) Organizational Focus
(5) Information Age Business Network.

Mendelson describes each of these dimensions in detail and supports its arguments through the use of case studies from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Acer, British Petroleum (BP), and Modex (a real company with a disguised name).

Although, the main focus of the book is on the use of Information Technology applications along these dimensions, an average reader will not have any difficulty in understanding these concepts if s/he knows what an Internet or Intranet is used for.

The book can be recommended as a supporting textbook for Strategy, Marketing, or Information Systems courses, especially in the graduate level. Whether you are in academia or in business, it is one of the books you should read if you are interested in how business should be done in the Information Age. Forget about the past Industrial Age books, they are already history... Chrysler has learned it in its own way (page 100 in the book)

PS: One may think that I am too generous in rating the books I comment on. However, one should keep in mind that among the books I have read, only those that are worth reading can make it here-my way of decreasing the information overload for Amazon.com members :)

The importance of this book can be judged by any employee asking why can't we work in an organisation which is better developed on the author's 5 Organisational IQ factors:

1 EXTERNAL INFORMATION AWARENESS, ie each part of our organisation captures external information (customers, technology opportunities, competitors' actions) quickly and accurately

2 EFFECTIVE DECISION ARCHITECTURE, ie in our organisation decisions are made at the right level (by the people with the best information and perspective). As a result decisions : are made quickly, have high quality, instill ownership and accountability

3 INTERNAL KNOWLEDGE DISSEMINATION, ie each part of our organisation knows what it needs to know when it needs to know it. Effective information flows 4-dimensionally: Horizontal, cross functional Top-down, org-wide goals and priorities Bottom-up, operational challenges and opportunities Learning, review over time of all of above

4 ORGANISATIONAL FOCUS, ie organisation systematically fights overload and complexity by: Limiting scope of the business; focusing on core competences; simplifying processes

5 CREATING AN INFORMATION AGE BUSINESS NETWORK, ie Organisation maximises the value of eternal partnerships by applying the above 4 High IQ factors to the entire business network

Would love to share experiences with anyone working or reading up on how to improve organisations IQ factors

chris macrae, chief infomediary, brandknowledge.com e-mail wcbn007@easynet.co.uk

Very easy to read in layman's terms. As the mother of a four year old with PDD, I would suggest this book as a great book to start off with if your child was diagnosed with autism or pdd. It touches on a lot of areas ABA, schooling etc. without getting to technical. It also has statements and examples made by adults with autism/pdd which I found very interesting.

Targeting Autism is an excellent book for those new to Autism. Families and teachers should especially appreciate the analysis and overview of the various educational interventions, from one-on-one methods, to group programs used in many preschool and school situations. The book lists many available resources and spotlights inspiring new advances in research creating an overall atmosphere of hope and possibility for the prospects of more universally effective treatments and eventual cure of this devastating developmental disorder.

Since the symptoms and manifestations of Autistic Spectrum Disorders vary in incidence and severity, those who read this book should not be unduly encouraged or discouraged by the often times conflicting reports of success and/or failure of the various treatments and interventions discussed, but rather use the information given to further investigate the possibilities of each treatment or intervention on an individual or case by case basis.

Why it should be so hard to find a book that thoughtfully discusses the myriad of autism treatments, I don't know. As a parent of a child diagnosed last year at age three, I appreciate this book.

Thank you Shirley Cohen for writing it. Thank you Amazon, for making it so easy to find.

I WORK WITH AUTSTIC KIDS SO I READ THIS BOOK TO UPDATE MYSELF.IT WAS GREAT IIT PROVIDE GREAT EXAMPLES FORM OTHER BOOKS. AND IT GAVE EVIDANCE THAT SOME OF THE CURES MIGHT WORK FORM SOME. ALSO IT PROVIDE GOOD INFO ON ASPEGERS YNDROME MOST OF THE BOOKS JUST GIVE IT A PPAARGPAPH.

First off, she defines autism in layman's terms and with first person testimonials.

Secondly, she provides a life cycle view of autism, so that you have SOME idea of what the future might hold for your child.

Third, she describes how families cope with autism, that some become driven, others fall apart, others adopt a "Holland" approach.

Then she discusses treatments, including a solid analysis of educational approaches such as Lovaas (leans positive), mainstreaming, TEACH, DAP, etc... and non-traditional approaches, such as AIT, FC, etc...

And she talks about recovery too, the controversy that very term raises. She closes this chapter with a quote that could have come straight out of my own heart: "A parent asked, What if my child remains autistic? What will we do? The best you can - with your love, your skills, and all the resources you can marshal - to help him achieve as independent and joyful a life as possible for him."

Perhaps I love this book because so much of what she writes does articulate what I have felt as I've gone over the different options for my son's interventions.

But also, her testimonials from a wide range of sources really help to illuminate autism as well.

And finally, her book is very REASONED in tone.

The only thing missing is a chapter that summarizes her thoughts about what she thinks parents should do. I mean really, most parents are reading these books for ADVICE! Even if parents eventually do something else, its always nice to have a plan laid out that you can either agree with or react against and develop your own. You won't find an action plan here, but the information provided should help you in making one of your own.

This book is terrific. I cannot say enough good things about it. I highly recommend it!

Tics and Tourette's: Breakthrough Discoveries in Natural Treatments

As a concert-pianist, music therapist, author, and an individual living with Tourette Syndrome, I must "take my hat off" to Sheila Rogers for bringing together a cascade of knowledge by various doctors, pediatric neurologists,
authors and many other leading authorities. As there is no cure for Tourette Syndrome, parents, families and adults are desperately seeking out new innovations and ideas with the hope that somewhere a new approach/approaches will come to the forefront. This book offers exactly what so many have been looking for, thought provoking ideas without the side-effects of medication, approaches that
are natural and display underlying common sense!
Since reading the book, I have followed many of the innovative ideas and have found improvement in my own tics.
As a music therapist, which is also a natural, non side effect technique, I have incorporated the many findings in this book with my own student's!

BRAVO! SHEILA J. ROGERS!, what will you come up with next!

Author: Raymond Vacchino M.Mus.(MT) A.Mus. L.R.S.M. Licentiate (hon.)

This book is eye-opening and thought-provoking. Just consider the possibility of your child being tic-free or at least know you might have the chance of reducing the incidence of tics without medication. Get this book, and share it with others.

This was an informative book. There certainly is hope for those suffering from these disorders that doesn't necessarily have to involve dangerous drugs. I am a candidate for a doctorate as a Naturopath and will use this in my resource library. The question to always ask is what is my body/mind trying to tell me with regard to my symptoms. This book will guide you to look at the symptoms and ask those questions. It will also help you begin your journey by suggesting various avenues to explore. It leaves the reader with a sense of hope for successfully treating the root causes naturally. Treatment can be multi-faceted, often like putting together a puzzle. The end result makes it worth all the time and energy spent. Hope is something soarly lacking in most medical resources for these disorders, that makes this book all the more valuable.

After a diagnosis of Tourettes Syndrome a few month ago, and hearing that my 12 year old would "grow out of it" from the medical community, I decided to investigate on my own. My son also has eczema, allergies (environmental and food) and asthma. Being on too much medicine already for a child (in my opinion), another prescription was out of the question. This book is a God-send! I see our situation throughout the book, and Sheila J. Rogers has written in a way that is easy to understand. She provides hope and practical information that I have already put into action (and I'm only half way through the book!). The book does not demean the medical community, but offers an alternative to us who refuse to believe that this is how our loved one has to be. The advice in this book is sound commonsense from reputable sources backed by experience from families of children with TS. I highly recommned this book as a vital key in helping your loved one. Whether your loved one is newly diagnosed, on medication, or you just suspect there is something "wrong"... you need this book!

I repeat, this book saved my job. I'm now in DBA training

I've owned this book for only 48 hours and have read it from cover to cover and I am starting with it all over again!

The Author covers ANSI SQL clearly and in-depth with good examples!

I would recommend this for anyone who wants to learn SQL and have an accurate reference.

It's for beginner to advanced SQL folks!

As a professional Visual Basic, SQL, and Pascal developer, I really needed a reference manual like this one! You know, for those times when you're in the middle of writing some SQL code and ask yourself a question like: "Now how do I format that 'Select' statement?"

I've tried a couple of the "SQL For Dummies" books and returned each of them! I really did not think that a book like this existed, but here it is!

Get this book!

I'm a newbie to SQL, and borrowed a copy of this book from a coworker a few weeks ago. I was hooked from chapter 1. I'm already creating and dropping tables and manipulating data, and understanding everything! This book is wonderful, and I urge anyone who wants a good solid understanding of SQL to get a copy and just sit down and start reading. The examples are easy to follow but not patronizingly so, and there are short quizzes at the end of each chapter to reinforce the main concepts. This is going to be an invaluable resource for me as I continue down this path. Five stars aren't enough!

As a full-time student, I was after a book to compliment course notes that I recieve and get a better understanding of more advanced SQL. The other customer reviews swayed my decision to choose this book and it was everything and more than I expected. Keep those reviews coming.

This book offers the basics to the first part of advanced. It is great in that all of the explinations are followed by many examples on a working database (downloadable). It is quite an amazing and very much worth while book for both reference and beginning SQL

This is an excellent book, plenty of information and very well written, covering every aspect of a FreeBSD system.

I am a big fan of open source software. I've been a GNU/Linux user for years but I must admit I had never played with BSD before. I bought this book because I wanted to set up a network server at home and I thought it was the perfect occasion to try FreeBSD. I expected one of those thick and boring reference books but, hey! I am very glad I chose "Absolute FreeBSD" because it is the perfect example of how write a clear, informative, nice and accurate technical book. The book is not for the absolute beginner but, in general, it's very easy to read. It should be self-explanatory to anyone with a little experience in networking, UNIX-like systems or, in general, computer science.

The author is a FreeBSD developer himself, so he talks about the inner workings of the FreeBSD community, providing an interesting point of view of the operating system, not only as a regular user but also as one of its "insiders".

The book covers everything a BSD system administrator should know. It covers basic things like how to install the system, how to make backups and recover from data loss, how to configure the network, disk management, etc. It also includes detailed explanations and sysadmin tricks of the usual network services: DNS, SSH, DHCP, FTP, printing server, web Server, mail Server... The author also gets into more advanced topics like, kernel tunning, security, performance analysis and tunning or RAID management. I was particularly interested in using hard disk encryption. I thought getting it was going to be a pain in the neck but the book explains how to do it with 6 simple commands. Nice!

In general the book is well structured. Concepts are explained clearly and with a lot of examples. Some chapters cover so many concepts that my brain couldn't keep up with so much information and I had to take a break for a nice beer ;-) The book is worth it's price: 37 dollars for 700 pages.

Only one advice: Although it has a graphical interface, FreeBSD is normally configured trough the good old command-line. Don't expect this book to tell you how to configure your web server double-clicking on an icon, FreeBSD is not Ubuntu or Win2003. The book may not be suitable for Happy Windows Users, used too the click-next click-next click-next way. This book is for computer geeks, system administrators, people that enjoy using different operating systems, people that need to have a robust system to use as a network server, people that like to tune every detail of their machines, or people that need to learn freeBSD and have no time to google every single configuration detail. For any of those people, I highly recommend this book.

Thank you, Janet!
This is the first time ever using nearlymintcollectibles and I was so pleased with the condition of the video. It was in perfect condition. And, I received it within days of ordering it.

This book is worth every dollar.

Easy to read, you don't need to be already an experienced administrator or user to read this book

'Absolute FreeBSD: The Complete Guide to FreeBSD' is another hit in the No Starch collection of books which have their own unique layout and style of writing associated with the authors publishing with them. With around 700 pages of content you will learn the ins and outs of this Unix-like operating system and see how powerful it is and what it can do for you. If you use FREEBSD on the job or are just a tinkerer that plays with non Windows/Mac systems this will enable you do do administration, learn to programmatically script, and get behind the curtain to do more than you thought possible! If you need a FREEBSD book, No Starch makes learning FUN and it's a great addition to your library!

***** RECOMMENDED

I am an InDesign instructor, and this book has helped my workshop participants tremendously. Folks who've been using Quark and PageMaker will also find this book a great time-saver. Will it be updated for CS3 soon? Evenso, it is a great reference book -- my copy is dog-eared (a sign of a useful resource). Bravo!

Living in South Africa, there are not many opportunities to attend InDesign Forums. I am a self-taught typographer, so I found this "Breakthroughs" book most useful and easy to turn to in solving a number of problems.

I am not a super nerd and do not usually buy books on computer program. But I use InDesign every day at work and home and love it. I was just looking for and inexpensive, quick-read to learn some neat new tricks and this book is exactly what I was looking for. I immediately sat on my couch and started reading. I've already used tips from the book and I've only owned it for a few weeks. Not only does it answer your specific questions about frustrating InDesign issues (yes, other people have the same ones as you!) but it gives you tips and ideas that you didn't know were possible and wouldn't have known to ask about. I have already called current and former co-workers to tell them about the simple solutions I have found in this book...it is really great.

A direct to the point explanation book we'll not ever missed. A must have for beginners and advance users.

I use InDesign every day. And still I found so many usefull tips in this book. It is not for a beginner, but definitely the book for every professional. Highly recommend the book.

The Audio Dictionary has a reserved spot on my desk. I have had it only a few weeks and already it looks as if I have had it for five years. I find myself constantly refering to it for specification writing, white papers and design/bid documents. Gary and Glen have really outdone themselves in creating this masterful work.

This book is an excellent source for words used in the sound arts and audio recording industry that you need to know to go into the business. Trying to find accurate and consistent definitions is very hard but this book puts the definitions all in one place in a clear and understandable way.

Great item to have if your going to be working in the field of music.

When I first got into audio engineering there was no way of understanding some of the more technical concepts I was expected to know. This book makes it really easy to understand a lot of the terms, I still always keep this book handy when I'm reading an AES journal article, just to help me out if there is something I don't understand.

The Audio Dictionary is a great book for anyone who's looking for a concise, clear explanation of any audio-related term. It's not (and does not pretend to be) a complete treaty like the Handbook for Sound Engineers, but offers a quick and reliable solution for those questions for which you don't have an answer from the top of your head and don't want to spend 2 hours reading the complete scientific explanation.

I consider it a must-have for any Audio Engineer who takes his profession seriously and have at least one copy in the library of each school we operate in Spain.

This is based on the older published version but with updated material like newer ignition and emission regulation. This book has more colored pictures than the previous edition.
I generally like the previous edition more because it was what I learned with. There is less color and it goes straight to the point. I have only skimmed through this book. Other than that, its a good book to learn about automotive technology.
If you really want to learn, go through each chapter throughly and do the review and questions. (and of course, do hands on)

The best book I ever read, very informative except that the author decided to delete the topic regarding the carburators in this edition. I think they should retain it as part of yesterday, today and future technology to aid new technician in case they ask to repair carburator a lot of car using carburator still running in our street specially in my country Philippines. The rest of the book are awesome!! great!!!!

This book is so complete and exhaustive that it could be called the Automotive technology Bible! But remember, this book is for the serious reader, not for the occasional reader! Buy this if you are serious about the subject.

I am glad that my money got its worth. Excellent book. Never makes you feel "LOST".It covers almost everything related to an automobile. Strongly recommeneded for everyone looking for saving time and money in automotive book search.

I've used this book for my Auto Tech classes and it is the most comprehensive auto tech manual out there. Very informative and highly detailed. Get the accompanying Tech Manual for hands on lessons and projects. No dissapointments!

This is brilliant energy medicine. I was so excited to learn this modality I immediately sourced out the nearest practictioner/trainer. BodyTalk is a perfect example of how we can heal ourselves without debilitating, dangerous drugs, just by listening to what it's telling us. Kinesiology is almost infallible in telling us what's right, wrong, good, bad, and what our body needs or doesn't need. It's easy, fast, and incredibly effective. When everyone finally 'GETS' this, we'll only need hospitals for sewing up stitches. Everything else is able to be resolved with energy medicine, like BodyTalk. If you don't believe we can heal ourselves, or you want to learn how, get this book.

Dr. Veltheim shows in his book only some of what BodyTalk can do. In order to really get the most out of it one must take an expensive class and buy more books...BodyTalk really is the most powerful holistic practice I have seen and research on this type of information is my business.

~
The Body Talk System is a quantum advance in energy healing in its reliance on Innate Wisdom to guide priorities for each step of treatment, and in its focus on rebuilding energy-communication links within the body/mind. It is a carefully designed, precise and thorough system which is highly effective for all kinds of disorders.

The book gives an overview of Body Talk's basic principles and methods, but training is essential to use the system for oneself or others...

This book explores the in depth of the use of kinesiology (muscle testing), a method of asking the body simple questions to help in treatment. It also explains how the treatment is done in an easy to understand way, with photo illustrations. The book explains how the basic skills can be used by anyone to help friends and family.

While the concept of this book is very alien to AMA thinkers, I have had excellent results with similar treatments that I would never have thought possible. I don't argue with results, and there is obviously a lot we still don't understand about the brain and the human body.

For those who are not satisfied with the restrictions of traditional medicine, this book explains an alternative worthy of consideration.

I became interested in Body Electronics when I witnessed a body talk session bring someone out of a 2 month long schizophrenic episode. I then went on to learn it myself.

Body Talk (By John Veltheim) and Body Electronics (as taught by Douglas Morrison) are the 2 most powerful healing modalities I've come accross (along with yoga and meditation), and I've studied many, many healing techniques since chilhood.

This book is well written and teaches the basics of body talk which are easy to learn and apply.

Although my baby is only 8 weeks old we already have lots of baby books that have been given to us. But I liked that your books have the purpose of "bonding" with baby. The fact that some proceeds go to charity made it doubly enticing to me. Lastly the price is reasonable.

I am a certified English teacher and know the importantce of reading to young children. I read about your book in Parents magazine and thought it would make a perfect gift. I have read to all three of my own children and they absolutely love to read now...Thanks for this great opportunity.

I am an avid reader and I want to teach my child the importance of reading from the beginning. So I am happy to see these perfect little board books help me spend time bonding with her, as well as to open up the world of books and reading to her at a early age.

I am an avid reader and I want to teach my child the importance of reading from the beginning. I am happy to see these perfect little board books help me spend time bonding with her, as well as to open up the world of books and reading to her at a early age.

I'm interested in early development (i.e. even for my newborn). I've had many other mothers recommend CDs and videos such as Baby Einstein, but liked the higher interaction that reading books provides. Also, I'm a first time mother, so I'm really walking into new territory. Bonding with Baby books offer the kind of guidance I'm looking for.