Practitioners Books

This is an excellent book for project managers and key team members who are involved in development projects. Although this book is out of print it is worth the effort to track down a copy because of the emphasis on planning and estimation. This material will serve you well with any development project life cycle methodology from the Rational Unified Process to the often disdained but frequently used waterfall model. The book starts out strong with a 5-page chapter devoted to outlining the challenges that you'll face. After 25+ years in the industry I think the challenges cited are as fresh today as they were when I started out. Hopefully this succinct chapter will be read and heeded. Launching the project is covered well in the scant 18 pages of the next chapter. Chapter 3 on analysis and design is a bit out of date with respect to more modern approaches, but chapter 4's thorough and accurate treatment of project plans and estimates makes this book worthwhile. The final two chapters on implementing the project and project manager roles and qualities are mediocre. However, the 30-page appendix titled "Estimating Guidelines" is pure gold. This alone is worth the price of the book, but combined with chapter 4 it is the core of the book and a compelling reason to track down a used copy of this out-of-print book. I give it 5 stars.

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The MIDP Kit is a power-packed resource guide for the implementation of development projects. It is an excellent guide for project management practitioners, and a must-have for instructors. It is a first-rate teaching manual and self-learning guide. The content is rich and the presentation is excellent:

CONTENT: The Kit embraces a sequence of twelve logical processes, which if properly executed will lead to effective management of development projects. These are: Understanding the project and project management; Structuring the project organization; Building the project team; Analyzing the project context; Refining project objectives, scope, and other parameters; Preparing the WBS, Responsibility matrix, and Master Schedule; Planning and scheduling with CPM; Obtaining management approval and support; Designing control and reporting systems (time, cost, resources, and scope); Organizing procurement; Executing and controlling the work; and Terminating the project.

For each module, the Kit presents: a brief introduction covering essential project management skills, processes, and procedures; and instructional objectives, giving focus for better understanding and use of the module. The other modular elements are a session outline covering the essential project management content; and participant materials including a copy of each lecture and visuals, case studies and group exercises, homework, and in some modules, pre-class study materials. Each module also presents on-the-job-tasks for the PM. This is indeed a how-to-do list, which if assembled for twelve modules, provides a complete step-by-step guide to managing development projects - a handy material for the development practitioner.

LESSONS LEARNED: 1) Twice I have used the Kit in Africa. In using it, I included a final session on "PM Integration" tying up the modular processes into a distinct methodology. A flow chart, effectively showed the iterative nature and flow inherent in the overall PM process. 2) Using the Kit reminds me of the proverbial dry meat, which the African elder would advise you "to eat in bits" so that you can enjoy the flavor. Dry meat swells in the mouth as it gains moisture, and with a big bite, you will shortly find difficulty chewing and unable to savor its richness. The Kit is a densely packed reservoir of practical knowledge that will yield the best results only if you pay deliberate attention to every detail, as each is an important knowledge element. 3) An MIDP Book of Readings is desirable accompaniment to the Kit. Such a text containing copies of the modular references, plus other relevant publications arranged according to the modules, will enhance the value of the Kit and widen its client base.

This book bridges a gap between the theory of markting and its every day practice.

A marketing plan is the central focus for all the goals , proposals and activities of marketing in a company and probably the most important document to determine the performance.
Nevertheless and precisely due that , the marketing plan has become an enervating activity that requires time and demands considerable skills in a series of management functions and marketing.
The purpose of this book is clarify this process , establishing very clear patterns and explaining step by step how to proceed .

In a nutshell: nicely written introductory text that covers the basics of performance analysis. It starts with an overview of performance analysis and associated techniques. The subsequent chapters lay the groundwork by giving key concepts and techniques, and then segue into the techniques themselves.

Content and Organization: 278 pages comprised of 11 chapters, a glossary and two appendices of probability distributions and selected statistical tables. Chapter topics are: (1) Introduction, (2) Metrics of Performance (what you should be measuring), (3) Average Performance and Variability (introduces statistical concepts and techniques related to computer performance analysis), (4) Errors in Experimental Measurements (good discussion of accuracy, precision and resolution, and the fundamentals of error quantification with which to validate your findings), (5) Comparing Alternatives, (6) Measurement Tools and Techniques, (7) Benchmark Programs (this chapter merits a book of its own), (8) Linear Regression Models, (9) Design of Experiments, (10) Simulation, and (11) Queuing Analysis.

This book requires some probability and statistics skills, but is a much gentler introduction to the subject than Raj Jain's classic, The Art of Computer Systems Performance Analysis. There are two things I especially like about this book: (1) it does not immediately launch into quantitative methods. Instead, it introduces them in manageable chunks that will not intimidate a reader whose math skills are rusty. (2) It includes design of experiments, which is a powerful tool that will also prove invaluable in capacity planning - the flip side of performance analysis.

If you've thumbed through other books on computer performance analysis and felt the learning curve was too steep or your math skills were not up-to-par, this book will give you the basics and begin you on a journey towards more advanced techniques. I highly recommend it as a first text on performance analysis and give it 5 stars for making this important discipline accessible to a wider audience.

For those of us who have been and are reading tens of books about meditation "to learn how to", Rene David Alkalay's has finally achieved this goal. In a gentle conversation with the reader, using examples that make you smile because they are so familiar and intimate, the author puts you to task with very precise assignments... to do NOW. Do not expect to follow yet another's journey, but to engage on your own, trusting to open your own channels.

I am a RN and also soon to be a counselor. In our field we need more direction like this to help develop programs which integrate medicine and mental health. ALL tehrapist should use this as a tool to help guide in development of a collaborative model with all your clients MD's.. it is a MUST!!

Expert guidance on New York state and federal practice
Discusses principles, rules and exceptions
Citations to the New York and federal authority for each topic
Detailed practice tips and strategies
Leads to other primary and secondary resources



Extensive guide to New York practice, reviewing significant issues, principles, and exceptions. Addresses the adoption of the filing system for commencing actions in Supreme and County Courts, amended disclosure provisions, and statutory and caselaw changes. Discusses similarities and differences between state and federal practices. Section titles discuss: The Courts and Their Jurisdiction; The Statute of Limitations; Personal Jurisdiction; Appearance; Venue; Parties; Papers; Pleadings; Motions Practice; Accelerated Judgment; Provisional Remedies; Disclosure; Pretrial Incidents; The Trial; The Judgment; Res Judicata; Enforcement of Judgements; Appeals; Special Proceedings; Small Claims; Arbitration; Federal Practice Reviewed and Compared: Parallels and Pitfalls