Industry Books

I was staying at 60 Thompson and our concierge suggested the BlackBook guide. It was extremely useful in finding hot spots around the city. BlackBook guides also make great gifts for friends who are going to the city.

Often stuck in a rut when deciding where to go out at night, I picked up the BlackBook Guide to New York upon a recommendation from a buddy of mine. As a resident New Yorker, I must say, I was definitely impressed. This book truly captured the essence of my favorite local spots and helped to open my eyes to many other night-spots that I never would have known about otherwise. Ignoring the countless tired, old, been-there-done-that types of places, this book seems to include only those places that I actually would enjoy. It certainly makes Zagat's seem geriatric in comparison.

The BlackBook Guide to New York is better than any other I've read. What I especially like about it are the detailed maps that it provides, marking all of the spots that it reviews. Other excellent features include subway directions for each location, something that most other guide books don't provide.

The guide is organized in a very logical way. Tabs on the side divide it into larger regions, while it is further divided into neighborhoods within each region. All you have to do is choose the area you want to visit, and it lays out several excellent options for dining or partying.

Probably my favorite feature is its extensive listings for Brooklyn, which is a really hip and up and coming area that no other guide book is covering. The fact that the Brooklyn entries are almost as extensive as the Manhattan ones really shows that the people at BlackBook know what is happening right now in New York.

Really the only drawback I can find is that it is not terribly comprehensive. It has far fewer listings that most other books, but the reviews for the places it does list are really helpful in deciding where to visit. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to go out on the town in New York.

I love the BlackBook Guide series (used to be the BlackBook list), because the entries are pre-selected by the editors of BlackBook Magazine as the best restaurants, bars, and clubs in the city. Each entry gives you a really good idea of what type of food, service, decor, crowd the venue has, and the writers add humor to the reviews so that they are fun to read. Unlike Zagats, which lets customers rate, the BlackBook Guide is like always having that one cool friend around who always knows just where to go.

As someone determined to squeeze everything possible out of any trip, I can honestly say that BlackBook produces the best city guides I've encountered. I've lived in NYC for two years and I decided to check out BlackBook's guide to New York. As I expected, this guide is spot-on accurate. The reviews evoke the atmosphere of my favorite places in a few words: The Indian restaurant Banjara is "genial and dusky" while Café Gitane's "soothing pastel colors" make it comfortable lunch spot. Although the descriptions in this guide are short, they're right on the money. The editors call Café Gitane a "Europhile's wet dream" (true), and point out that while electronic/world music club Nublu has a "clever, mellow space and lush, jungly back garden," the lack of sign out front is the ultimate purveyor of the club's cool.

The observations in these books, along with the array of other necessary information that they provide makes these guides credible and useful. For restaurants, the guide includes the average price of a two-course meal and a drink at the end of each review, as well as symbols indicating which places are new, cash-only, really inexpensive, or editors' picks. They also factor noise level, elbow room, and the clientele into the reviews. I agree with the judgment in these guides: BlackBook definitely has a New Yorker's perspective, but the editors pull back and see each neighborhood in the larger context that most New Yorkers have forgotten about. They point out that while much of Nolita/Little Italy's has been gentrified, "a distinct Old World Charm lingers," and they recommend a night trip to Chinatown for "delectable, exotic and well-priced" meals, where the fun is enhanced by Chinatown's mysterious nightime aura. I also agree with BlackBook's naming of the Bowery Ballroom and Northsix as among the best places to hear live music. This is a selective list, so the guide doesn't include every bar, club, or restaurant that I like. I do wish this guidebook was a little more comprehensive, but I think they're trying to give you a review of noteworthy places. Although BlackBook's lists (like BlackBook Magazine) seem to be geared toward a cutting-edge readership, these guides are accessible. No matter who you are, I think you can gauge from the write-ups whether you'd like a place or not.



4.5 out of 5 stars

The novel is an interesting story about a man's experiences in the financial industry and his struggles with himself given the ethics of that industry. The author does an excellent job of explaining basic financial concepts so that the reader gets an education in that world, and this makes the book more interesting.

This book has it all--terrific locations, love, sex, and greed, with a main character--Nick Larson--that you just have to root for as he struggles with right and wrong. The author hits the nail on the head with the backroom shenanigans of the financial market. He clearly knows the ins and outs of the financial world. The story portrayed could easily be tomorrow's headline.

Having a background in the securities industry along with twenty five years in he oil and gas business, I was astonished at how Mr. Issacman wove such a realistice story that was so thoroughly enjoyable. I literally could not put the book down.

Even though I have a background in both industries, this book would be of interest to anyone seeking the enjoyment of a well written novel of intrigue that also captures the timeliness of corporate coruption in business today.

max isaacman did a great job describing the pump and dump of a houston oil stock--he also showsthe very human side of a stockbroker who is searching to do good--he is lonely but has to make a living--a onetime big producer -sucessfull broker but when his wife dies --things begin happening to hime--a very human story--a fast exciting read that you can not put down--mr isaacman is the louie lamore for stock traders and investors--

I've read a couple of books on investing in the stock market by Max Isaacman and found them interesting and informative. The problem is that books about the market go out of date quickly, depending upon the cycle. Max's latest is a novel, "Blizzard of Money," and while also about the stock market, it isn't going out of date anytime soon. It is a thrill a minute ride through the world of international oil intrigue, wheeler-dealers, financiers, analysts and stock brokers with a heroin, Nick Larson, whom you can't help but like.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is that I feel I know, or at least recognize, many of the characters. From Nick Larson to his special friend, Linda, deceased wife, Julie, oil tycoon, Bret Wells, money manager, Lenny Zellon and so on, I've believe I've met them all. Another thing that amazes is that the author weaves a yarn with a topic that is, or certainly could be, current news. It is sort of a cross between the old film, "Wall Street," and the more recent film, "Boiler Room."

In our current world we have been swamped with news of boardroom antics and financial manipulation. The headlines have screamed Enron, WorldCom and Tyco. This novel is so real you feel you can almost add the name Nugget Petroleum of Houston to the current roster. Does a Houston setting have a familiar ring? When you add in other wonderful venues such as San Francisco and Buenos Aires you have a novel that has real glamour locations as its backdrop.

This author knows of that which he speaks. He has constructed a story of suspense that is both timely and interesting. It will appeal to those people who are not in the financial arena as well as those that are. While you may not read the entire book in one night it will certainly keep you enough in suspense to finish it in two.

Morgan Stanley like many old-line firms lost its soul at the hands of a CEO who never understood the value of the real enterprise. Phil Purcell tried to take what worked at Dean Witter and impose it on Morgan Stanley a much different institution. In doing so he acquired all of the perks of modern chairmen-the pay, the G-Vs, the compliant board while his firm's performance was tanking.

Eight "advisory directors," retired and respected former partners, set out to rescue Morgan Stanley and restore its name and culture. Called the "Group of Eight" and sometimes the "Eight Grumpy Old Men" they take a stand for old-fashioned business values.

Blue Blood and Mutiny reads like a novel. And it delivers an important message to business-ethical behavior, hard work and understanding of business fundamentals are more important and more beneficial than the gimmick-riden pursuit of a higher bottom line. This real life story will be the textbook case study in value driven management.

This is a very concise historical review of a merger that involves two cultures that tried to combine choosing the wrong an inexperienced leader to make it work, Fortunately, the more astute retired individuals came to the rescue and in time the combination should work. Only time will tell.

Well written, and engrossing.
Very clear presentation of the issues involved and makes a convincing case that "the mutineers" were right, and Purcell had to be removed as CEO.

Excellent book. It's been a long time since I've had a book I could not put down. Thank goodness for the G-8 and the employees who stood their ground. John Mack is a true leader and will continue to lead Morgan Stanley into a league of its own. Well worth the read.

With dagger for pen and venom for ink, Patricia Beard scribes an devastating slant on the Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley merger in her new book, "Blue Blood and Mutiny: The Fight for the Soul of Morgan Stanley ". In a book where J.P. Morgan is revered for his integrity, good will and even-handedness it is clear that the demons from Chicago will get short thrift.

Indeed, we find the satanic Phil Purcell arriving with his banking heretics from Dean Witter to beguile the trusting John Mack and his virtuous management staff. The demons wrest control of the soul of Morgan Stanley and profitability is shrouded in an evil shadow. Quicker than you can say 9/11, the bank's returns go south as Purcell reaps from his half-full cup while investors and staff inherit the wind. The cries on the Street rose uptown to Bankers' Heaven (5th Ave) and were embraced by the legacy of JP himself. Faster than you can say Mack-the-Knife, a Gang of 8, err... a Group of 8 former Morgan executives are blessed with avenging this affront on the investment banking community. Not to spoil the Hollywood ending, but angels never lose and evil is always vanquished.

Wall Street banking is clearly a Darwinian struggle between smart and successful A-type personalities competing for mega-deals. It is a battle between the haves and haves-better where success is fleeting and is measured in bonus, prestige, and ranking on a deal-by-deal basis. Beard's book is the epitome of banking rancor as Purcell is not only vilified, for all his past mistakes as Morgan Stanley CEO, but for any mistake anyone there made as well. Slogans aside, the pro-Purcell claque is not as "bad" as portrayed and, the pro-Morgan Stanley contingent is not as "good". In the end though, John Mack's blue blood is pumping up the Morgan Stanley profits so Purcell gets the deserved lumps.

Board rooms are one of the last bastions of secrecy in today's increasingly transparent world. Talking with the board often causes people to talk in hushed tones and reverence. However, Charan's book reminds us that Boards consist of people with responsibilities to discharge and tools to use. This book is a must read for every executive to remind them of the foundational elements that run the company: customers, cash flow, leverage, etc. Too often we lose sight of these things as we work day to day.

The book is written in a highly accessible style with just enough tools to help executives understand board dynamics, information and success factors. This makes it an ideal book to pick up for a long plane flight or a weekend to upgrade your knowledge and skills.

Sarbanes Oxley and board oversight concerns were the genesis for this book as boards move from what Charan calls Ceremonial to Progressive. However, Charan writes about practices for effective boards helping this book stand the test of time.

In a world where there are fads, changing strategies and constant pressure, executives need to take some time out to reinforce what matters and get back to basics. This is one of those books that everyone should pick up and read.

A spate of high-profile corporate meltdowns ended the days of high-flying CEOs who also ran their companies' boards of directors. Instead, regulators, shareholders and the public now demand that corporate boards oversee CEOs and protect shareholder interests. Ram Charan lays out what your board can do to maximize its positive contributions and add value to the company. His writing is clear and to the point. This book is very helpful for board members who are trying to find their way in the post Sarbanes-Oxley world of corporate governance. Charan provides useful questionnaires to help you analyze the state of your company and its board on several crucial points. getAbstract recommends this book to board members, potential board members, and others who have an interest in modern boards and corporate governance.

This is an excellent book. I highly suggest it for anyone who desires to understand some of the best practices in corporate governance. It is one of the best. The following link suggests another excellent book regarding contemporary corporate governance. [ASIN:0976901919 Compliance & Conviction: The Evolution of Enlightened Corporate Governance]]

Ram Charan makes a complex topic easy to understand. This book can be "speed read" in 45 minutes and it doesn't make you feel dizzy. Ram Charan is a true thought leader and an inspiration.

This book is targeted for those of you who sit on boards, might yet sit on boards, or have an interest in how boards can and should function in the post Sarbanes-Oxley world. After the high profile implosions of several major firms and the revelations of executive criminality, board negligence, and accounting failures, the relevant parties have put pressure on firms to do a better job of functioning in the best interests of the owners of the firm; the shareholders. Among other steps, this included making the boards more independent of the CEO (who was too often also the Chair of the board) and the executive management of the firm.

Ram Charan explains how firms can `evolve' from being an old style Ceremonial Board to become a Liberated Board and then grow into an active and effective Progressive Board. He emphasizes that Progressive Boards have to emphasize the Group Dynamics of the board (how the team works together and how synergistically their talents combine), the Information Systems they use (relevant information they can get outside what is packaged for them by the CEO), and that the board focus on meaningful and relevant issues rather than getting distracted by the minutiae of board processes.

The author explains each of these three qualities in detail and deals with issues of CEO selection, management, and succession. He also talks about how the board should function when it has fully `evolved'. Charan also provides a few helpful questionnaires you can use to determine how your company is doing in certain key areas.

An interesting and helpful book for the target audience.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI

Anita Roddick is truly an amazing woman. This book is like a mini-biography about Anita Roddick and the creation of the Body Shop. This is a great book for people who believe in social responsibility and have concern for the well being of people and the earth. It is rare that one will ever read about a busineess woman that will use her business not just for power and profit but as a vehicle to social awareness. I bought this book for a management class and it is a great reference book for non-traditional management. Roddick truly draws humanity and spirit back into the white collar world.

Interesting to note how few reviews there are of this book. The Body Shop does not kiss the ring of greed and avarice, but shows how holding true liberal priciples of social justice, economic growth through trade, local effort, AND profit go together. Given the lack of female role models in the business world, I would have Body and Soul as a part of any business curriculum. In fact, I am going to do that in my own company's internal training work.

I loved it.

Anita Roddick exposes the myths about mangement. She illustrates pefectly that to be successful we need a vision. Her vision was simple. Employ people who care, employ people who are proud, employ people who will question, employ people who will rattle the cage from within. She perfectly illustrates, in her story about borrowing money, how fickle the typical bank manager was in the 1970's - how we would like to think things have changed.

She is also a realist - she pulls no punches she says.... "Im in this for me!" - yes sure she has an ego to satisfy .... dont we all? - her great quality is that she admits it. Most people do not have the honesty to say it.

I just love how she roots her beleifs about business success in common sense ...... like welcoming new ideas and original thought, trusting your staff and listening to your customers - and then change things.

She also has values that are explicit and wants people who work with her to! also work from a values base

Thank you Anita for a wonderful read - here's to the next edition!!

This is very unconventional business book. This is a story about Anita Roddick and her leadership role at cosmetic company called The Body Shop. Anita Roddick exposes the common myths about management. She illustrates perfectly that to be successful we need the only tool - a vision. When her first The Body Shop opened in 1976 in Littlehampton, England, this hippie woman borrowed money for a beginning of her business. She wants her stores to be clean, exciting, and the people who work there to be passionate about their work. And now she do not like to hire anybody from Harvard Business School, but her The Body Shop today is comparable with Revlon or Este Lauder, her unachievable rivals.

This is the noteworthy story about Anita Roddick and her founding, and leadership role at The Body Shop. More than any single point, she stresses the importance of PASSION (in what you do) with religious zeal.

You'll enjoy reading about the life of this fascinating entrepreneur, and the loyal and dedicated people that helped elevate The Body Shop into the international success that it is today.

This is not a conventional business book. Just thumbing through, you'll notice page-after-page of illustrations, photographs and an inspiring and unique way of looking at the world--both in a business sense and a humanitarian sense. I was so inspired after reading this story, that I felt compelled to visit The Body Shop nearest my home.

Anita Roddick isn't afraid to tell you how she feels. I wish I could've been there when she delivered her speech to an audience of advertising executives and their clients on, "Why I would never use an advertising agency."

Funniest Line in the Book: "I'll never hire anybody from Harvard Business School." You've got to read the book to appreciate it.

She wants her stores to be clean, exciting, and the people who work there to be passionate about their work. This book should be recommended reading for WAL-MART executives, and there employees.

Actually, it's a good book for anyone interested in business, the environment or serving as a didactic for what women can achieve in this world. I plan on encouraging my daughter to read it when she grows up. Good work Anita!

Ok this book is a great general guide to the 757. It contains details of design, flight test, airline operations and more. It doesn't delve too much into technical details but you do learn about the engine choices and such. As well you see photos of every origional operator and some secondary operators as well. This book was published a few years back so any new operators and paint schemes won't be here but it is a great starter book if you like this particular model.

This is an in-depth look at one of the most successful commercial aircraft ever produced, the Boeing 757. Beautifully illustrated with numerous full color photographs, there is also quite a bit of history and information concerning the design, development and production of the 757.

The Rolls Royce RB.211-535C was the initial power plant offered on the 757 airframe, specified by both launch customers, British Airways and Eastern. The history, photographs and schematic drawings of this engine, as well as the Pratt & Whitney PW2037 turbofan which would be utilized later, are a welcome addition to the book. Photographs of the airliner in the livery of many different airlines (including a superb America West "centerfold"), as well as a comprehensive listing of the production run of the 757, including aircraft serial numbers and the airline each was placed into service with, make this a must have book.

The Boeing 757, in my opinion, is the most beautiful commercial aircaft flying today, it is reminiscent of the Douglas DC-8 Super 60 Series (with two engines instead of the four the DC-8 had). Sleek and elegant, it's look is only surpassed by the two classics produced by Lockheed Aircraft, the Constellation "Connie" and the L-1011 Tristar (nothing could ever surpass the Tristar).

If you love the Lockheed L1011 then this book will impress you.
An indepth guide to the L1011.Plenty of colour and B&W photos and comprehensive story make this book great value.

Add this book to your collection.

All of the books in the "Airliner Color History" series are definitely worth a good hard look if you're an aviation enthusiast. This 128-page paperback volume is all about the Boeing 757, and will give any 757 lover all the information he/she could possibly need with regard to this sleek-looking twin-jet, which first took to the skies on February 19, 1982 (on a 2-hr., 31-min. test flight).

It seems hard to believe that the last 757 has now rolled off of the assembly line in Renton, Washington. The 1,050th, and last, 757 to be built was unveiled on October 28, 2004. It was a 757-200 model in the colors of Shanghai Airlines.

The 757 has the distinction of being one of just seven airliner models that has sold more than 1,000 units. And the first 926 of them are listed in the "Production History" chapter of this book, which was published in 2001.

I still regard the 757 as being a "new" model of commercial aircraft. To me, it still has a kind of "futuristic" look to it. As far as narrow-bodied aircraft, I'd say that the B757 is the best-looking airplane in the world's skies today. It would rank second only to Boeing's mammoth behemoth, the 747, on my list of "Favorite Aircraft". You simply cannot beat the 747 for awe-inspiring gazes every time you watch one of those 800,000-pound babies take off or when you see one of them perfectly plunk down its huge collection of 18 wheels onto an airport runway. Simply amazing every time I see one.

But the 757 isn't far behind. The '57 has a certain "bird-like" look to it that just makes it "perfect" in my book (from a "plane-spotter's" point-of-view). Interestingly, too, you might have noticed that Boeing's newest airplane project (to date), the Boeing "7E7 Dreamliner", will have a similar "757 look" to it once it is produced.

Besides listing detailed stats on every single Boeing 757 ever built (through early 2000), other chapters of interest in this book include -- "Evolution", "Design And Development", "Production", "Technical Specification", "In Service", "Customers", "Accidents And Incidents", and "Chronology".

Many, many top-quality full-color photos are included in this volume as well. Plus: there's a goodly number of graphs, charts, schematics, and behind-the-scenes pictures of 757s in production.

It's kind of sad to know that Boeing has rolled out its last 757. But, at the same time, it's a virtual certainty that this magnificently-built aircraft will still be flying many, many years down the road.

If you'd like to see the very last 757 ever produced, you can visit the webpage below. .............

www.airliners.net/open.file/702358/L


Some additional gorgeous Boeing 757 images can be found at the links below. .............

www.airliners.net/open.file/704790/L/

www.airliners.net/open.file/631551/L/

www.airliners.net/open.file/261969/L/

The Airlife's Airliner series of books cover individual commercial aircraft types in an interesting, in-depth manner.

Each volume of this British series covers a unique commercial aircraft type from its design, production, entry into service, its usage by airlines, and in some cases eventual demise.

Each volume features plenty of color and black and white photographs of the subject aircraft along with a complete construction list (accurate to date of publication for aircraft types still being built).

This volume of the series follows Boeing's replacement for the venerable Boeing 727 airliner. The book discusses the various design ideas that Boeing was considering as well as the various efforts that were combined into one of the most successful commercial aicraft programs of the 20th century.

Unfortunately, with the recent collapse of the world airline industry the days of the 757 seem to be numbered ... and this aircraft model may very well follow its parent the 727 into history.

I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

I have used this book daily since I got it as a student. Every time I work with a new recipe, I check with the Book of Yields to determine amounts. Every new ingredient I come across is included. The Book of Yields also helps me save a lot of money by keeping me from wasting food. I use the Book of Yields at home, too. If I have a large quantity recipe, this book helps me figure out how to scale it down.

If you are serious about making a fortune by selling your own music this is the guide that will help you go through all the hardships when starting your own company. Big dreams require big sacrifices and this book tells all about the compromises someone has to make to make it in the industry. As much as i would like to call it the best, another title caught my attention, and it is Ty Cohen's "How To Make A Fortune In The Music Industry By Doing It Yourself: Your Personal Step-By-Step Guide To Having A Successful Career In The Music Business. ... To Sell Music, Book Shows And Get Noticed!" , guide and handbook for the emerging artist.

This book has all the information I was looking for and much, much more. Very well written by somebody who obviously knows the biz. Lots and lots of valuable resources and tips. I'll be referring back to it for years to come.

I got this for my husband whose a musician. It is very practical, goes over things that Music Business books don't. It's written for the musician and by one who is successful.

I love this useful book. It makes sense and order out of the bewildering array of tasks and questions musicians are confronted with on the road to success. The helpful details that come from direct experience make this book real. The book has authority and freshness. The information is generous. The style is uplifting. The book layout works for easy referencing. I wouldn't be without it.

I find this book to be an excellent resource for serious musicians. Those of us who want to make a living doing music in a professional way will benefit from the detailed advice in this book. Everything from alternate venues, to exact rates to expect/charge, to creating press kits, recording/selling cds successfully--it's all here. I use this book as a basis for everything I am doing now to create a successful solo music career. Nyree Belleville is a great Bodhissatva to all those interested in creating a successful music career based on solid business and people skills. HUGE encouragement for musicians in all walks of life!!

O'Neill has created a new genre - all the action of a James Bond flick with the pithy insights of an insider who has really "been there and done that." Where Clancy and Brown extrapolate from the technology trade journals, O'Neill stays firmly grounded in the here and now to create an exciting, well-paced adventure yarn that may well be taking place today! If you enjoy fiction with a healthy dose of reality, a bit of raw romance, and a shooter's point of view, you'll enjoy this. Great read for the beach or cross country plane ride. Enjoy!

This is a fun book. There are a couple of things to like about this thriller. First, it just feels very authentic. You can tell the author did quite a bit of research or has spent serious time in the core of the middle east. I learned a lot just reading the book. Second, it's a thriller! What the heck is really going to happen to this guy and the military plot that simmers all around him? You never find out to the end, and I think there is plenty that surprised me by the end of the book. What more would you want out of a reading experience other than A) being taken on a thrilling ride and B) gaining some exposure to a very topical subject (the Middle East). Most American readers would enjoy this book, even those not particularly into military thrillers.

This was a really good summer reading novel. I was impressed by the detail about the Mid East, especially the oil industry and Saudi Arabia. I'm expecting another book to follow with Captain Chevalier as the main character.

This is a book that begs for screen time ! It is a roller coaster ride that takes you thru the real life grit of the intelligence community in the hottest area of the world needing more of it ! It exposes the quagmire of circles that the average man will never understand in ways you can't help but easily see while stil retaining it's mystery .. It is a total in your face "REAL" wicked smart suspense thriller. I would say that Mr. Clancy has to watch out and I look forward to more from this Author ! Only an insider could write this best and it was more than well done ! OUTSTANDING ! BUY THIS BOOK ! John

I found an advance copy of this novel at my postal center, laying on the table. So, I took it home and read it.

I really enjoyed the novel. I found it sensual, exciting and fun. The down-side is that it gets pretty military at some points. And I'm not a military guy.

The story tells about Captain Francis "Franco" Chevalier who is caught in an impossible situation, with a corrupt boss and an impossible task -- stopy a Saudi Army Colonel from overthrowing the government.

The story is unique in that there are two antagonists -- a Saudi Army Colonel and a wealthy British man.

I think this would make a good film. It has a solid set-up. Two good acts in the middle. Then, it has an ending that is totally different than the first 2/3s of the movie. Plus, a great surprise at the end. The suprise actually shows you your biases in thinkging about the Middle East.

The language and sentence structure of the writing are a little more complex than you'll find in the average "thriller" from Janet Evanovich or Tom Clancy. I think that made it a more valuable and ejoyable read. I also like that the main character sticks up for French-Americans!

This is a forward-looking discussion of the paradigm shift from traditional pyramidal organizations to organic, dynamic enterprises that feature permeable boundaries. The book is a triumphant crusade against fiefdoms and boundaries of all types, and for freedom in inter- and intra-organizational life. It demonstrates how "boundaryless" organizations can increase the ability to respond quickly, creatively, flexibly, and in an integrated fashion to market demands. Case studies of change efforts bring the main points alive. Adding to the value of this work are self-diagnostic instruments, charts, and tables. This book is a rich source of insights about organization plus savvy guidelines for taking action. I highly recommend it.

Checklist can be used to help a manager transition an organization to overcome institutional barriers

The title is a misnomer: Although the authors do indeed suggest how to "break through the chains of organizational structure", they provide an enlightening explanation of four different types of boundaries (vertical, horizontal, external, and geographic) which give definition to any organization. They do not advocate the total elimination of these boundaries (which is impossible, anyway); rather, they suggest how to rearrange them so that an organization can thrive. For the authors, there is what they call "A New World Order":

"In living organisms, membranes exist to give the organization shape and definition. They have sufficient structural strength to prevent the organism from dissolving into an amorphous mess....Like a living organism, the boundaryless organization also evolves and grows, and the placement of boundaries may shift....Because the boundaryless organization is a living continuum, not a fixed state, the ongoing management challenge is to find the right balance of boundaryless behavior, to determine how permeable to make boundaries, and where to place them."

This brief excerpt from the first chapter correctly suggests the purpose of this remarkable book: To explain HOW to meet that challenge.

The material is presented within four parts plus a conclusion. The first explains how to achieve "free movement up and down" by crossing vertical boundaries; the second explains how to achieve "free movement side to side" by crossing horizontal boundaries; the third explains how to achieve "free movement along the value chain" by crossing external boundaries; and in the fourth part, they explain how to achieve "free global movement" by crossing geographic boundaries." Then in the Conclusion, the authors discuss "Making It Happen: Leading Toward the Boundaryless Organization."

The authors also include a series of six questionnaires. By completing each in sequence, the reader is able to determine (a) where her or his organization is now located relative to "the boundaryless paradigm", and (b), what is needed to eliminate the "gap" between where it is now and where it should be. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read The Boundaryless Organization Field Guide. It contains a a hands-on set of diagnostic instruments as well as exercises and tools, and a disk with presentation slides in Powerpoint format.

I agree with the authors: The most restrictive organizational boundaries are in the minds of those within an organization. Organizational as well as personal wounds are usually self-inflicted.

"Like Marko Polo discovering a new world of trade, organizations today are exploring vast new markets throughout the globe. The process is nothing less than a revolution, breaking down once sacrosanct boundaries of space, time, and nationality...In today's world, there is no longer a dichotomy between domestic and foreign. Global boundaries between companies, markets, and people have become irrevocably blurred...For companies such as Unilever, ABB, and SmithKline Beecham, globalization has become a natural part of their business, an integral part of their culture. For most companies, however, the goal to become truly global in mindset, staff, and market seems a stretch. Although the oportunities are tempting, the effort, knowledge, and skill required are much greater than for running a domestic operation, and the risks-once you probe beneath the surface-are equally enormous"(pp.261-262).

In this context, the authors, in Chapter 8, first put forward the following ten reasons why organizations might want to become more global: competitive survival, cost spreading, trailblazing, rule of three, domino effect, evolutionary forces, technological revolution, search for innovation, ripple effect, and benchmarking against other companies. Then, they discuss seven challenges companies face in making the global leap: (1)Establishing a workable global structure, (2)Hiring global supermanagers, (3)Managing people for a global environment, (4)Learning to love cultural differences, (5)Avoiding parochialism and arrogance, (6)Designing unifying mechanisms and a global mindset, (7)Overcoming complexity.

In Chapter 9, to overcome these challenges, they show action plans, and suggest ways of moving forward, from learner to launcher and from launcher to leader into the global arena as summarized as below:

I- From Global Learner to Global Launcher

1. Human Resources Practices

* Supply language/cultural sensitivity training.

* Standardize forms and procedures.

* Set up an overseas presence via joint venture, modest acquisition, or establishment of a headquarters.

* Engage in extensive cross-border relationship building.

2. Organizational Structures

* Arrange short-term visits and international assignments.

* Staff for more diversity in management and board of directors.

* Use e-mail and videoconferencing to maintain day-to-day contact.

3. Organizational Processes and Systems

* Establish worldwide shared values, language, and operating principles.

* Conduct fact-finding missions.

* Design ad hoc transnational teams.

* Hold global town meetings and best-practice exchanges of information.

II- From Global Launcher to Global Leader

1. Human Resources Practices

* Seek complete liquidity of human resources: recruit outside the domestic base; place foreign recruits within the domestic base; promote the best people to global assignments; rotate people internationally; use twinning.

* Aim for a global structure.

* Map global processes.

2. Organizational Structure

* Provide continuing global leadership trining and regular transnational training to reinforce the global mindset.

* Remove/minimize country managers and replace with global managers and focus on global customers.

* Routinize real-time global communications.

3. Organizational Processes and Systems

* Use global reward systems.

* Multiply ongoing transnational project teams.

* Work for global integration (for example, total global sourcing, global design, global engineering, and global purchasing).

Finally, they write that "Many tools are available to organizations, and we have described a good number of them here (as summarized above). But senior management must have the skill and foresight to use the right tools in the right way, at the right time, and in the right sequence...Each stage requires structures that enable the crossing of boundaries, systems and procedures that drive global behavior, and people who can learn to extend their thinking beyond their present outlook."

Highly recommended.

This is a forward-looking discussion of the paradigm shift from traditional pyramidal organizations to organic, dynamic enterprises that feature permeable boundaries. The book is a triumphant crusade against fiefdoms and for freedom in inter- and intra-organizational life. It demonstrates how "boundaryless" organizations can increase the ability to respond quickly, creatively, flexibly, and in an integrated fashion to market demands. Case studies of change efforts bring the main points alive. Adding to the value of this work are self-diagnostic instruments, charts, and tables. This book is a rich source of insights about organization plus savvy guidelines for taking action. We highly recommend it.