Purchasing Books

This book is not what I thought it would be.

Looking at the cover I expected a richly and colorfully illustrated handbook. It is not. First of all, this book looks exclusively on the supply (hence "sourcing") side of the supply chain. Secondly, the colorful graphics are mere black and white or gray shade images, very hard to read, some are hardly legible. I don't mind gray shade figures and illustrations, if they are designed that way; here, obviously, color print was too expensive, so they opted for black and white instead, big mistake. Thirdly, the typographical layout is terrible; headings and sub-headings are so similar they are hard to separate and what's worse, they are not numbered. All in all, this looks more like at set of papers written in MS Word, put together in a book. Hmm...well, but what about the content?

Visible and in plain sight flaws aside, this book is a good read. The authors demonstrate a solid hands-on practical knowledge of their field. It does not dwell on theory but relies on in-depth analysis and case studies.

Unfortunately, most of the chapters lack a bibliography list. Thus, the text itself is free of any references, and academically, to me as a researcher this book is interesting, but not so valuable. In research, reference is king.

Oh, as I found out, the "Risk Wheel" that so prominently features on the front cover, was developed by

"...Supply Chain Redesign LLC, a consulting firm that focuses an supply chain management, and has created a framework and process to better understand the drivers that create supply chain disruptions and mitigate the risk more proactively..." (p. 76)

Having a look at [...] I then discovered that it is in fact run by Handfield himself. So, the book is probably written using case studies from his consultancy practice? Hm...very clever marketing...

Slightly flawed, bur nonetheless, Supply Chain Risk Management is an excellent book!

Its obvious from the headlines today that this book is a load of manure. Exactly the opposite of the book's premise has happened. Funny thing is, its happened before and will happen again. Real Estate, like everything else, goes in cycles.

Lereah is a master of comedy. Often while reading Mr. Lereah's tome i became overcome with laughter, sometimes experiencing convulsions. The convulsions were so severe that i would need to rest for shortness of breath. Thanks for your service Mr. Lereah, you've made a significant contribution. This books identifies you as one of the few who were ahead of the curve on the mortgage and credit issues we now confront. Also, I miss your hilarious monthly commentary on new & existing home sales--somehow you were always able to find a silver lining. Proud of you!

Let's see, the boom busted, what? Last year, and it's still sliding downhill.

Here is a recent quote from Lereah himself from a May 6, 2008 Newsweek article about the housing market:

"We're not at the bottom," he says. "[People] want it to be near the bottom, but we're not there yet. The leading indicators are still very bad. Pending home sales are still in bad shape. Mortgage applications are low ... There's still supply out there in abundance ... This thing is going to get worse before it gets better."

And...

"We're probably going to end up with a 20 percent [decline], but if I'm wrong it will be even more than that."

Well, since the title of his book is clearly shown WRONG by current events, it would be advisable to skip this boatload of malarkey.

David Lereah was the chief economist with the National Association of Realtors during the housing bubble. Additionally, he was often on TV and Radio, as he was the most oft-cited expert on real-estate markets.

This man's speeches and philosophy were echoed across the land, and were believed by many (though not all, to be sure!). The book captures the idiocy that is his economy analysis of housing.

If you read this book looking for good advice, you're in for a disappointing and dangerously misinformed afternoon. If you read it to see what a bubble looks like when it's growing (and near it's peak), then it's possible you can get something out of it.

That said, I can save you time: If somebody is claiming that fundamentals don't matter, they're wrong.

Awesome Book! I totally agree with other posters on the historical signifigance. It has the same weight and dark humor aspects as Ernon's "Code of Ethics" Employee Handbook from 2000. Aside from the hilarious writing, the best part has to be the great cover illustration of the floating house... It's just out of reach...but maybe with an 80/20 Stated Income I/O loan package we can make it happen! Hooray!

THIS BOOK MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO GET YOU TO PURCHASE THE WRITERS HOW TO PRODUCT. IT WAS INTERESTING BUT ONLY HALF OF IT WAS SUBJECT MATTER AND THE REST WAS A GLOSSERY OF THINGS THAT I DDNT KNOW WHAT IT WAS FOR.

Thank goodness I did not purchase this book! The library saves me again. A worthless read that did nothing to educate me in investing in probate real estate. The author focuses on anecdotal stories, mostly of success with making money off personal property--not real estate.

I concur with everyone here. after reading this nonsense i wondered who i felt more sorry for, me for the hours of life i will never get back, or for the trees that died to publish it. I agree with the previous post, look at the death records and then work backwards. And that didnt waste your time or kill any nature.

This book does not give solid practical advice. If you're a new investor who has never bought a house before, perhaps this would work for you. But if you've bought and fixed up a property it isn't for you. You'd be better served going to the probate court in your area and asking questions. It included lots of general anecdotes, but it makes one wonder why he wrote it if he weren't truly going to share how to do it. The actual probate advice in this book could be condensed to a 10-page pamphlet.

I too had high expectations of this book. What a let down. I read alot of real estate books and this is the first time I felt cheated by the author. I thought this was a step by step book on how to purchase probate properties but I was dead wrong. Save your money, we all can't be wrong about this book...

Based on an extensive research project this book promises a lot but delivers nothing. The first thing that you have to recognize is that there is hardly any structure at all. Repitions abound without adding any value. The style of writing is close to unbearable - they could have put the contents into a fourth of the pages. The cases are sketchy at best; they claim to offer best practices but are nothing new. The book tries to look into the future and puts forward a wildly speculative view of what the authors think lies ahead; again they do not offer a vision but describe the status quo in future tense. For people who like real satire I recommend Moody's Harley Davidson poem! Summary: Only recommended for those who need to own every book on the subject...

As a purchasing professional, I turned to this book to gain insight to new or advanced purchasing practices that might help me in my work and I was very enthusiastic about the book when I began reading it. Instead of new knowledge, I found repetitive stories about the mass production environments in the automotive and related industries. Although some new thoughts or ideas were presented, I did not feel as if this book taught me anything novel or cutting edge. It is simply a repeat of purchasing concepts that can be found in many other operations or supply chain books flavored with managerial buzz words and the self-glorifying personal success stories of the authors and the companies they work for. If you work in a job shop environment or for a small to medium size business, this book is virtually useless. If you are in a huge mass production environment with a large budget, it might be of some value, but my guess is that you would already be familiar with the concepts presented.

There is very little to offer supply management professionals in this book. It is poorly written and the examples are of minimal value. It is clear that the authors are really only comfortable in large manufacturing environments. I am disappointed I paid good money for this book.

As a senior management exec, I'd have to say that this book was of no help at all. Although it has helped the supposed top ten companies with purchasing, I have used a completely different strategy using simple purchasing techniques. I suggest you read, "Managing and Purchasing Problem Solvers" by Jonathan T. Monczka. This book is much more efficent describing management principles clearly. I do not reccomend "The Purchasing Machine" at all.

Ifyou are looking for a "how to" book, look somewhere else. This book appears to have only general rules of the thumbs , wrapped in lots of manager lingo (people resource allocation, globalization, etc.) Overal very disapointing. The only positive side are the occasional industry examples, but there are not enough of them to make this book a good buy.

Unless you are planing on buying a car that is from the early 1990's or the 1980's, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK! It is totally out of date and has no relavant information to someone buying a car in 2006!

The fourth edition is basically the third edition with a six page addition listing his 13 best choices including a paragraph or two of commentary on each choice and a few "you might also want to check these" suggestions. The book does have some useful general suggestions if this is your first time for buying a used car. If you are looking for specific models to buy, go to your local library and copy the last six pages.

I purchased this book before i went out to buy a car and I'm really glad i did. This book covers all cars, old and new. It also talks about cars that are prone to problems or recalls. It talks about what all cars should cost if they're in poor, average, good or great condition. I used this book as a guide and thanks to what I read, I purchased a good car at a great deal.

I flipped through this book when I was in local bookstore recently. TRASH. Don't waste your money. I've never been very fond of Jim Mateja's review style (he writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column on cars), but you'd think he'd at least have the decency to update his used car guide so that it would actually be useful in 2002. The book was written 7 years ago, and you're not going to find any recent, relevant info on the current used car market here. Jim spends a lot of time talking about late-'80s automobiles, which may have made good used cars in 1995, but are little more than old junkers now. Do YOU think that an '87 Oldsmobile would make a great choice for a used car? Right, but Jim sure does. You'll find everything you need for buying a used car on the 'net now anyway. Avoid this book and keep your cash in your pocket.

This book, although 4 years old now, is a wonderful guide forthose of us who know next to nothing about cars. It provides greatgeneral rules to follow when judging cars, along with a list of known "lemon" cars and a list of "cream puffs" (cars that are worth a look no matter what year). There is an incredibly detailed chapter on inspecting a used car, whether you are buying from a dealer or a private owner. I learned more about cars from this one book than I have in my 32 years on this planet. I know what to look for in tire wear, spark plug wear, and fluid levels. I avoided a $1200 mistake by knowing that transmission fluid is supposed to be bright pink or red, and if it's brown or black that you are looking at an abused transmission. I almost bought a 1994 Nissan Maxima from a private owner trying to pull one over on an unsuspecting female that he thought knew nothing. The book also tells you how to take care of your purchase, how often to change fluids and filters, and what to look for in a mechanic. This book is a true bargain.

I admire the work of paleontologist, John A Long, and gave a very enthusiastic review of his fine book, The Rise of The Fishes. Unfortunately, Long, like a few other academic paleontologists, has dropped the requirement of scientific accuracy, in favor of a biased polemic when it comes to the subject of fossil ownership. For the record, I have no problem with private ownership of fossils legally collected on both private and public lands. Regardless of where you stand on this controversial issue, readers of this book will be disappointed to discover Long's gullibility as he follows "America's self appointed, "top fossil cop" on an around the globe boondoggle to construct a documentary film. That officer, Steve Rogers, has Dr. Long hoodwinked into imagining shady characters at every location. At one point, he's even advised to glance at customers shoes in a fossil shop, because, according to Officer Rogers, high-roller fossil thieves are particularly keen on expensive footware. Trust me, the paranoid "cloak and dagger" scenarios become laughable in short order.
The whole mess of a book winds up at the Tucson Fossil Show where Long enjoys the company of friends he asserts are "legit dealers"- who, nonetheless, market fossils to the general public. At the show, he expresses childish delight in securing a fine fossil fish for his museum collection - an option I assume he would deny others without academic credentials. Reader's should remind themselves that fossils kept in private collections are not usually lost, and that most of the world museums are filled with specimens donated by private collectors. The record of major museums in documenting and maintaining collections has been spotty, at best. There are fewer and fewer displays of fossils available to the general public. More specimens are stored in basement boxes than can ever be displayed. Dr. Long never mentions the fact that many of the illegal or stolen specimens he describes (most notably from Russia and China were removed from institutions by those scientists and curators in charge of protecting them) While on the subject of protecting fossils, we should consider that our own Smithsonian Natural History Museum has a loathsome policy that states, if a fossil is no longer needed, it must be destroyed rather than sold. (Note: Unless the original donor can be located or another recognized public institution will accept the specimen as a donation - a time consuming task that is not likely to occur unless the specimen is a major find worth a great deal of money)
In the end, Long suggests that academics, governments, commercial fossil dealers and collectors open new lines of communication to work together and find a common ground where all can benefit. The inaccuracies and tone of the Dinosaur Dealers is hardly a step in the right direction.

The book is really rather interesting, although there is still the feeling that they are fighting an uphill battle, and attitudes such as the previous reviewer's rather narrow political rant are exactly the reason for that.

Why someone should have an inherent right to own a peice of history is beyond me.

The fact that John Long is an Australian has little effect on it; neither Australia nor America fail to recognise property rights, and neither Australia nor America allow the insanely unrestrained greed-based capitalism (as opposed to rights-based) that some Americans seem to promote.

Perhaps what we need, in addition to this book, is a philosophical tome outlining the reason why a right to an education, and a right to access the fruits of scientific endeavours, sometimes override the rather obscure "right to take anything thats in the ground and abritrarily claim to have a property right to it". I wonder why they left that out of the UN DHR?

This book needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Long, an Australian paleontologist, has a very different view of private property than most Americans and this socialist outlook tends to color an otherwise potentially interesting book. While most of us would be horrified at the idea of allowing the government to arbitrarily seize private property, Long continually espouses the view that "science" should take greater precedence than property rights in regards to fossils without ever actually making a convincing case for why this slippery slope should even be considered. He seems to think it is self-evident that citizens have no right to private property if a paternalistic government thinks your property has significance to an elite few who study an otherwise highly esoteric subject that contributes little real value to society. Over and over he argues that the United States should adopt laws like South Africa (the originators of apartheid -- good choice Mr. Long) where the government has the right to seize what private citizens find on their land so that people like Long can study it. Clearly, we don't allow the government to uproot yew trees from our yard just because the taxol in them can make cancer drugs, so exactly why does the interest of a group of people who study dead animals override the long history of private property in the United States? We are never told. I suppose if you ARE a member of that elite it's just obvious.

Because of this paternalistic socialist attitude, he takes the claims of opponents to the private ownership of fossils at face value without checking his facts on such a regular basis that the book attains a silly, preachy tone well before getting half way through it. In one bizarre example that should be an insult to American veterans, he cites well a known blowhard Wyoming policeman who claims to have been awarded the US military's Purple Heart medal for participating in a fossil "sting" operation in Wyoming that didn't involve the military at all! The same policeman claims to have netted over [money amount]in illegal fossils in a single day, yet a quick internet check of the Congressional Record shows the sting in question netted only about [money amount]worth of fossils in ALL OF 1995. Long also fails to mention that this same sting operation fell apart at one point when it was discovered that a fossil assumed to be stolen had actually been legally purchased from a private quarry. Still more obfuscation comes when Long fails to mention that of the various potheads and rednecks this backwoods investigation successfully prosecuted, virtually every one was for things unrelated to fossil theft! In fact, the Congressional Record indicates that Long's figures regarding how many people were prosecuted at all is wildly inflated. Long claims over 100 people were prosectued -- the Congressional Record for 1995 says 2. Hmmm....someone seems to have pumped up the number a bit.

Obviously, if Long can't even check his most basic facts there can be little doubt that while his book reads like an adventure, it's really little more than propaganda disguised as a detective story. I have no doubt this book will be used as a rallying cry for all sorts of draconian government regulations attempting to criminalize a perfectly legal trade, but then again it wouldn't be the first time a bunch of hogwash has been used to justify the use of stormtroopers.

This book needs to be taken with a huge grain of salt. Long, an Australian paleontologist, has a very different view of private property than most Americans and this socialist outlook tends to color an otherwise potentially interesting book. While most of us would be horrified at the idea of allowing the government to arbitrarily seize private property, Long continually espouses the view that "science" should take greater precedence than property rights in regards to fossils without ever actually making a convincing case for why this slippery slope should even be considered. He seems to think it is self-evident that citizens have no right to private property if a paternalistic government thinks your property has significance to an elite few who study an otherwise highly esoteric subject that contributes little real value to society. Over and over he argues that the United States should adopt laws like South Africa (the originators of apartheid -- good choice Mr. Long) where the government has the right to seize what private citizens find on their land so that people like Long can study it. Clearly, we don't allow the government to uproot yew trees from our yard just because the taxol in them can make cancer drugs, so exactly why does the interest of a group of people who study dead animals override the long history of private property in the United States? We are never told. I suppose if you ARE a member of that elite it's just obvious.

Because of this paternalistic socialist attitude, he takes the claims of opponents to the private ownership of fossils at face value without checking his facts on such a regular basis that the book attains a silly, preachy tone well before getting half way through it. In one bizarre example that should be an insult to American veterans, he cites well a known blowhard Wyoming policeman who claims to have been awarded the US military's Purple Heart medal for participating in a fossil "sting" operation in Wyoming that didn't involve the military at all! The same policeman claims to have netted over [money amount]in illegal fossils in a single day, yet a quick internet check of the Congressional Record shows the sting in question netted only about [money amount]worth of fossils in ALL OF 1995. Long also fails to mention that this same sting operation fell apart at one point when it was discovered that a fossil assumed to be stolen had actually been legally purchased from a private quarry. Still more obfuscation comes when Long fails to mention that of the various potheads and rednecks this backwoods investigation successfully prosecuted, virtually every one was for things unrelated to fossil theft! In fact, the Congressional Record indicates that Long's figures regarding how many people were prosecuted at all is wildly inflated. Long claims over 100 people were prosectued -- the Congressional Record for 1995 says 2. Hmmm....someone seems to have pumped up the number a bit.

Obviously, if Long can't even check his most basic facts there can be little doubt that while his book reads like an adventure, it's really little more than propaganda disguised as a detective story. I have no doubt this book will be used as a rallying cry for all sorts of draconian government regulations attempting to criminalize a perfectly legal trade, but then again it wouldn't be the first time a bunch of hogwash has been used to justify the use of stormtroopers.

About 4-5 months ago, I decided to take the plunge and invest in some new audio components. Though a few of the components I owned had been considered bottom level high end, I wanted to go the separate amplifier/tuner route with a new cd player and a new pair of modern day speakers. In other words, kick it up a notch. Partial to European components, I discovered the British publications HI FI Choice and What Hi Fi? Great glossy photos,with Excel/Powerpoint graphic charts rating different components by category.Very instrumental in assisting me purchase my tuner,amp,headphones and cables.But now I thirsted for more. I was hooked, a true audiophile was blossoming. There had to be a book somewhere. Much to my surprise one of the largest book chains here in the Northwest, who usually retails more shelf titles than anybody out there had not even a section devoted to high end audio. Fortunately I tracked this book down with Amazon. Mostly written in a definitional format with well emphasized headers,it explains the sound process in an understandable manner without overly technical descriptions which can befuddle and intimidate novices. Excellent diagrams and photos of various components are an additional welcome.Home theater and two channel audio are carefully distinguished and the Brands and Choices section,which is always a subject of controversy given it's subjective nature, was discussed in an unbiased manner. All this without the snobbery often accompanied by discussions regarding high end audio.My only gripe would be the segments on plugging in and set up. The author seems to imply the process of interconnecting cables between components is difficult.Perhaps in home theater,(which I don't partake in) but for two channel audio, it's not a difficult process and the manuals I have seen are quite good with their illustrated instructions. Connecting is but a a manner of minutes.The book is a solid audio primer. However as one possibly becomes more serious minded he or she might wish to look into Harley's Guide to High End Audio, a huge manual which get's into philosophic matters regarding the creation of sound with more emphasis on technical details.But for those getting their feet wet or wanting to build the confidence needed to walk into a high end shop and hold their own (and let's face it, this experience can rank second only to walking into a car dealership), then you can be assured this book will provide you with the necessary vocabulary. Reassuring to know that amidst the negative prognosis of some with regards to the future of two channel audio,(let's keep in mind that the turntable is making a bit of a comeback too),people like Adams and Harley are committed to seeing that those with the interest and belief get the necessary knowledge to put together a home system leading to many hours of rewarding listening surpassing previous listening experiences. Not a bad thing at that. And without in many instances, completely breaking the till.And as I'm still doing research to purchase new speakers(probably will buy within a couple of months of this review going on-line) and speakers probably the toughest purchase with over 400 brands out there and possibly committing to an arduous testing process,you can bet I will consult this book on quite a few occasions before committing my cash.

The basics of hifi equipment is clearly explained and the progression of sound systems from stereo to surround sound is clearly compiled, however these basics don't go beyond the very basics like what is a sub woofer and what components are needed for dolby digital sound.

In the preface the author does state that this book was written for the consumer and for people that want to know more about sound.Firstly, this is an understatement unless this definition of consumer is one of someone who has never seen a hifi of any kind - let alone has switched one on. Secoundly if one wanted to know more about sound, enough so that you'd buy a book on the subject, then frustration would be what one would be left with.

Initially sound systems may seem daunting, but save your money and set aside a few hours to compile all the basic questions you have on sound systems and then search the net. You'll get far more than this surface treatment. "A basic intoduction to sound and a basic overview of sound systems"

This book has a lot of problems: the title is completely misleading; there's far too little useful information; and overall it's very short in length.

Within the first five minutes of opening the book you realize that the editors really did a good job of misleading the buyer/reader. The "Complete" Guide to Audio? Uh, No. There was nothing "complete" about it. The title should be "A Brief Introduction to Audio". Take a couple of minutes and have a look at a different book, Robert Harley's "The Complete Guide to High-End Audio". You'll learn real fast what "complete" means.

For a beginner, there was some useful audio information: the author does a decent job of explaining the basics of sound, speakers, etc. However, there was just too little of this and he really just scratches the surface without going any deeper. I'd say, for every ten pages, there was one page of meaningful information. Way too much fluff.

Even with all the fluff, the book is still way too short. (162 pages, which could have fit in half that space.) As I said, just have a look and compare it to Robert Harley's book, "The Complete Guide to High-End Audio".

the software delivered on cd with this book is worth, i didn't read the book. the ERP simulator is a very good concept, the application itself however is buggy, i think they released unfinished beta version.

As an almost novice in ERP systems, I found it interesting to follow up all the chapters of this book: "ERP; tools, techniques, and applications for integrating the supplu chain". The book starts with the history of ERP and descriptions of every aspect of enterprise production systems. Chapters on backgrounds for operations management and each module of ERP systems follow this introductory part. At the end, real-world application issues and implementation problems are discussed. Examples and attached simulator (MICSS, contained in a CD-ROM) provide further demonstration of real case studies. I recommend this book to the intermediate level of ERP users of developers.

I should believed Jim (another reviewer of this book). This book does not focus on ERP. Rather, it's a basic operation management book. There are only 2-3 chapters that really talk about ERP but only introduction. If you look for the introduction, "Daniel E. O'Leary" book is much more valuable (Enterprise Resource Planning Systems : Systems, Life Cycle, Electronic Commerce, and Risk). Although I am an IE, I don't think this book will be interesting other IE too. Like I said in subject, the author(s) try to pull everything, e.g., SCM, OM, and ERP and call it's an integration. The simulation game does not capture neither "fundamental" or "application". I still don't understand why APICS publish this book in the market.

This book is highly recommended for the average person looking to buy a violin. It has a complete checklist of all the violin parts that the consumer can examine in person, and a description of how each part should be constructed in a quality instrument. Many suggestions are given on how to locate a good violin, and in particular how a used violin is often a better bargain than a new violin. This book would probably not be a good buy for violin experts, except as a refresher, since it is designed for those new to the instrument such as parents buying instruments for children, or adult learners.

This book only gives a very brief explaination on the selection of fiddle/violin. It may be good for those do not know anything about violin, but extremely useless to middle level or above!

This book only gives a very brief explaination on the selection of fiddle/violin. It may be good for those do not know anything about violin, but extremely useless to middle level or above!

I tend to agree with other reviewer about this book needing to be completely rewritten. Even though it was revised in 1994, the author still makes references to things occuring in 1987 "at current press time." Clearly, the original text wasn't revised. If the book was revised in 1994, these type of references should has been eliminated. Other than the text being out of date, the book itself has a lot of worthwhile information. The author rates the collectability (if that's a word) of each of the cars using a five star system.

I disagree with other reviews that recommend you don't waste your money on it. I know of no other book that provides the information that this one does, and found it extremely useful when shopping for a BMW. I wish it included a table (which I ended up creating myself) of "Buy/Don't Buy" models.

If you don't know about BMWs, it is useful.

This was probably a fine book when it was first written in the early 1980s, but it's been badly (cheaply?) updated since. It's now almost incoherent -- certainly not up to the standard set by some of the (excellent) other books in this series (Corvette, Mercedes, Ferrari). Needs a cover-to-cover rewrite, done by someone knowledgable. Don't waste your money until it happens.