Aldrich Books

Phil Kim and Howard Aldrich have written a brief, accessible summary of several key implications of the social network research for entrepreneurs.
It is very clear and well-referenced, and good food for thought for academics as well as entrepreneurs.

We may be able to use it in our executive education classes for public managers.

Summer Lines is an anthology of poetry published in celebration of the ten-year anniversary of the annual poetry readings conducted in the Jackson Memorial Library in the coastal village of Tenants Harbor, Maine (later moved to the Oceanview Grange in Martinsville to accommodate its increasing popularity). The most beloved poetry from the readings presented over the years, as selected from the works of five eminent poets (Jonathan Aldrich, Mary Burchenal, Christopher Fahy, Elizabeth Gordon McKim, and David Riley) has been collected into Summer Lines, creating a treasury of evocative verse meant to be freely voiced and shared. "Night: The Water Bearer": who is that man / between field and river / coattails flapping / skyward at the cold / close of January? / who is this man / who let the stars / fold over him?

Terrible information to read. Politics is, as W.F. Buckley once said, a seamy subculture, but it is sad to learn those we expect to lead are traveling a crooked path. Be prepared to be angered.

In God's perfect timing I received Will I Ever Be Whole Again? a week or so before the death of my former husband who I took care of for 10 years. Because I have a book on grief coming out in March 2005 I am reading various books so I am familiar with different resources available. Writing about grief is different than experiencing it, and Sandra's book helped me get through a couple of rough spots.

Sandra's honest sharing of her own pain after the death of her husband helps readers feel like they aren't the only person who has ever dealt with such difficult feelings. Combining heartfelt stories, practical tips, and spiritual wisdom, Will I Ever Be Whole Again? is a perfect book to either purchase for yourself or to give as a gift to someone who has lost someone they love.

I especially like the format of short sections and the simple reminders at the end of each chapter. I will add this book to my short list of recommended books on grief. Carmen Leal, author of The Twenty-Third Psalm for Caregivers and The Twenty-Third Psalm for Those Who Grieve.

Sandra pulls you in to her personal life and grief and showsyou not only how to survive it yourself, but how to help others aswell. It is heartwarming and honest. I've read the first version, "Living Through the Loss of Someone You Love" and this new version has all of the same poignant personal stories plus more insight and help on the grief process. Sandra offers up her own personal--and successful--experience in addition to the "self-help" format. As you're reading this book and wake up grief-stricken in the middle of the night and ask yourself, "Is this normal?" the answer you get is from someone who's been there--and who also shows she truly is an expert. Great to give to someone who is grieving when you just don't have the words yourself.

This was a great book, I couldn't put it down. It's great reading for all mothers and grand mothers out there. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I've read this book 3 times in the past several years and the older I get, the better the book becomes. Abby is like an old friend. It doesn't matter how long between visits, you can just sit down and pick up where you left off. This should be required reading of all mothers.

Recently had a family reunion in Nebraska to return ashes of a family member. This book was suggested because it would give one a real feel as to what life was like for the early pioneer families.
The book was a bit silly at first; but as the young lady matured so did her actions and speech. I ended up enjoying it very much and enjoying the insights about life and family that still apply.

This is the story of a young girl who dreamed big dreams and had great hopes of her life. Instead of her life fulfilling her dreams, however, she spent her days baking bread, piecing quilts, and taking care of children. Her children eventually accomplished the great things Abbie had hoped to do, but they seemed to care little for the life Abbie herself had led. It was a disappointing book for me, but it aptly brought to life the hopes and dreams of a young girl, and how real life prevents her from living her dreams. It did inspire me to analyze my dreams, to see if they are realistic, and to consider whether God might have other plans. Good dreams may need to be exchanged for what is best for us.

This book turned out to be a waste of money and time. I was very disappointed. I suffered about 1/3 through, skimmed the rest, then put it in a Goodwill box. The writing is very poor, very boring, and very "empty." There is no substance, no inspiration... no nothin'!

I am always searching diligently for good Christian fiction and non-fiction for my children to read. I bought this for my daughter, who is an avid fan of "Little House" books, yet has grown past them. This book was recommended by a company that I had trusted ONCE before to recommend sound Christian fiction. But I guess that was just one-time "luck." The first book I read recommended by this company was one of the best Christian fiction stories I have ever read. This book, " A Lantern in Her Hand," --a complete flop. It read like a boring soap opera. I actually told my husband it was like a cheap romance novel without any romance. And it is not a Christian book, either, by the way, even though it lacks any blatant immorality. I'm going to stick to Lamplighter books for now!
-C. Anderson

Although I found the story of Aldrich's work on Virtual Leader interesting, I didn't need convincing on the power of simulations coming into this book. As an elearning developer, I wanted general information on the art of creating simulations. After reading the introduction, I thought that I would get this general information interspersed with examples from the development of Virtual Leader. What followed was the story Aldrich's development experience, leaving the creation of additional simulations as an exercise for the reader. As much of the book was dedicated to leadership content that would find its way into Virtual Leader as was dedicated to information on simulations. Not what I was looking for.

Aldrich knows what he is talking about and it reads like a novel. Before you know it you have read most of it and you can reproduce it because of the catchy examples and arguments.
Gave me food for thought while designing e-learning for prisoners and stops me going down the tracks the market wants you to follow.
Ernst Duvert

High profile e-learning industry analyst Clark Aldrich became disenchanted with the yawning gap between the promise of e-learning and the reality. Attracted by the potential application of computer gaming techniques for training simulation purposes, he quit his job with the Gartner Group and joined a project team attempting to design a computer-based leadership development simulation. The result was Simulearn's Virtual Leader. Aldrich's book recounts the experience in this book.

Despite the promise of the title, the book is a curious mix of speculation, case study, and product promotion. Aldrich provides accessible frameworks for thinking about the underlying design considerations for the development of simulations, and some useful insights into the analysis of content and development of simulation architecture. Yet the book is not a tool kit or primer for would-be designers - the advice is rarely actionable - nor is it a deep study of the concepts and application of simulation models. As such its greatest value is as an introductory case study into aspects of simulation design. The case in question is the development of Simulearn's Virtual Leader product, and the book gives little insight into other forms of electronic or other simulations. The author is a Vice President of Simulearn, so his views are not impartial.

Aldrich makes some refreshingly provocative assertions: e-learning has failed to deliver because it's not sufficiently user-focused - it has been sold to senior managers as means of lowering the cost of training, rather than enriching the value of learning. Aldrich believes that education and vocational training are too "linear", emphasizing the acquisition of facts in a sequential, guided way rather than "open-ended", allowing the development of decision-making, interpersonal communication and creative capabilities required for success in work. In contrast, simulations offer rich combinations of linear, cyclical and open-ended learning, with the freedom to make mistakes, try new approaches and hone skills in a secure environment.

The book is often entertaining. Aldrich's account of the analysis of the leadership content in order to arrive at an underlying simulation model and architecture is amusing - framed as a quest to find the meaning of leadership and render it into electronic simulation, with himself as hero. It is slightly clouded by digressions on the nature of leadership - Aldrich seems to approach the subject with little background, and is suprised to find that (to paraphrase Warren Bennis) so much been written by so many to so little effect.

A number of glaring issues go unexamined: the leadership model and the simulation design of Virtual Leader require a standard of behaviour and ethics that are possibly more ideology than reality. Success in Virual Leader requires a degree of conventional virtue that most organizations espouse but is not always practiced by those in power. A fundamentally Machiavellian approach apparently won't work in Virtual Leader, but it is arguably an effective means of gaining and retaining power in most organisations. The player's experience of Virtual Leader is not evident from the descriptions -despite extensive descriptions of the design process and interface, the book gives little insight into how the player interacts with the game.

Aldrich is evangelical, which gives his writing energy and persuasive power, but like many evangelists, he is strong on belief and short on evidence for his views. While he is right to question the validity of conventional models of education and learning, his opinions are largely speculation, or based on the anecdotal evidence of others or his own experience.

And despite the evangelism, if Aldrich's predictions hold true, most organisations will never design a simulation using his approach. They are prohibitively expensive, costing many millions of dollars. At best, they may purchase an off-the-shelf simulation, and customise it to some extent, which is possibly one of the promotional intentions of the book.

This book is really a case study of creating developing and working through the giant project of making a true simulation game where the gamer can be in control of who things go. In the business leadership scenarios mentioned one can learn a great deal

This book has a great casual style that makes it accessible to anyone, yet the ideas are significant.
It's pretty cool - he describes the process he went through to create a game to help people learn leadership skills. What I found interesting is how he came to define leadership, since he had to do it in a way that would permit 'quantization' and definition as a simulation. He admits that the ideas are not new, but I think his perspective is a fresh one. The way he has put them together is definitely new. The result is a visualization of leadership that plays on in your mind - great stuff.
It is also an interesting account of the process he went through when designing his simulation/game. When organized and well written, accounts of groups solving complex problems can be very illuminating, and this one certainly succeeds there too.
I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in leadership; e-Learning; and problem-solving.

This gives the best account of Ames' CIA career, particularly prior to the time he began to work for the Soviet Union, and corrects errors in several earlier books such as Wise's.

This is the only text I have read that provides a compelling and nuanced explanation of why Ames betrayed his country. The short answer is that he needed the money because he was living beyond his means. As a result of his work recruiting and handling spies he no longer believed it was wrong for a person to betray their country. Earley's well-written book explains how he arrived at that point. It also provides the reader with a credible look at what it is like to work for the CIA, and what it is like to work as a spy.

I was reading "See No Evil" by Robert Baer and he briefly mentioned Aldrich Ames and decided to read a book on him. While looking for books, I was pleasantly surprised to find one written by Pete Earley. I had read "The Hot House" a couple of years ago and found Earley to be a very clear and detailed writer. I really could not wait to receive the book. My expectations were high and they were met and exceeded. The book details Ames' life from birth, it details his parents, his entry into the CIA, and ultimately his betrayal of the country. The thing I love about Earley is that he leaves no loose ends. You're never left saying, "but what ever happened to..." or "I wonder who that is...". He's a very clear writer who introduces every subject in the book. He explains the facts sharply and thoroughly, and the pacing is perfect. Earley not only gives you the details, but draws you in with a story line that adds suspense. Earley is similar to other great non-fiction writers such as Stephen Ambrose, Jon Krakauer, Simon Winchester, Mark Bowden, or Kurt Eichenwald in that he takes a real event and tells it gripping way.

On the negatives, there was not an index in my book which made it difficult at times. Also, Earley was not able to get interviews with everyone involved, in particular Ames' first wife, but at the time I'm sure not everyone wanted to participate with the media.

The most important aspect of the book is that Aldrich Ames cooperated with Earley with face to face interviews while awaiting trial and later through letters. But Earley did not take everything Ames told him at face value, he is not lazy or sloppy, he fact checked and questioned everything. He even fact checked with Russian KGB which demonstrates how dedicated he was to the subject. Is it definitive? Definitely not because it came out so quickly after Ames arrest (before revelations of Robert Hanssen) but it is an excellent book.

Step by step we are moving to the truth.
The fiction is banal. Hence - one star for the book. The reality is amazing. Hence - 5 stars for the next book on the Ames-Colby case. The next book will be based on Dekov's memoirs.

Ames was unduly lucky to have not been "netted" much sooner. Mr. Earley gives us a very well written piece of work.Ames was certainly not Kim Philby or 007;but He did get away with His betrayal for some years,and that alone makes it worthy for any 20th Century Historian. The little tidbit of a quite 'hot potato'betrayal story on Henry Kissenger is worth the cost of the book alone.Earley is also fair to Ames'American employers at CIA who finally pinch "the mole".

Although Aldrich provides a good guide with an overall view of pitfalls or benefits of serious games, I did not think there was enough depth in design and effective learning techniques for my research needs. For an HR or training professional who wants to get an extensive overview in this field, this book would be very useful.

In 1985, I started developing educational computer simulations in DOS on the IBM PC. Since that time I have been involved in every new form of educational technology.... touchscreen, videodisc, CD-ROM, internet. For the last 8 years I have been consulting in corporate training. To try to stay smart, I read everything I can get my hands on.

After reading Learning by Doing by Clark Aldrich, I am completly blown away. Clark is a genius. This book is relavent and puts into context everything I have been doing for 22 years.

This book captures in a fun, easy to read informative style, both the pedagogy and technology for creating state of the art e-learning experiences.

I have never been motivated to write an Amazon review before, but I can't over emphasize my enthusiasm for this book. I have already had several of my clients buy this book. The book is well researched and completely current with latest trends and advancements. The use of bullet lists and charts/ diagrams is very helpful. The index is more comprehensive and complete than any book I have ever seen. Clark's editorial comments are right on target.

The book is not a dense encyclopedia, so if that is what you are looking for then supplement your library with some of the other current titles on blended learning. I give this book my highest recommendations as an introduction/ overview to the most current research and pedagogy in the use of educational technology for corporate training.

I especially recommend this book for corporate trainers who are trying to figure out how to evolve from instructor led to a blended learning paradigm.

[...]
I really enjoyed "Learning by Doing" Clark. Your frame of thinking helps place things into a space for mulling over the possibilities. I noticed the big "we have no idea" at the end of the interviews on the question of measuring the effectiveness. That is a big challenge, and I think the way there is already being constructed by Mislevy and others in the "adaptive testing" arena - but instead of giving an adaptive test, we'll just make an unobtrusive observation using the same rigorous theory base without hurting the playability, fun, sim aspects.

What you called the "universal truths" (I wasn't as convinced about sticking it in the intersection of games and sims) are also called "generic structures" in the systems dynamics literature - you probably know that. It makes one wonder if in the authoring environments of the future, those structures will be facilitated through wizards to help people build games and sims. With a few critical questions, the agent could "fill-in" a generic structure to some extent...including capturing the causal chains of events (e.g. what happens first?, when that goes up what does it do to the second thing?).

I really like the clarity of the framework of "sim, game, pedagogy" crossed with "systems, cyclical, linear" and also the idea that sims allow-uses discovery/practice, games allows-uses testing/softening and pedagogy allows-uses presentation/support. The Mislevy (et al) assessment model has four parts: task model (a bit like the sim in that it is the model of everything that the user could be doing, sets the context and expectation), user model (a bit like the game in that it models in clear computational terms what the "winning" user will be doing), the evidence model and presentation layer (collects data, makes judgements about what the user knows, and selects the next item to present to the user). The presentation layer is a bit mechanical...so really the three essential parts of any assessment are the task, user and evidence models, which I think can be brought into a useful alignment with your framework - in order to go after that issue about metrics of effectiveness.

Another thing your model makes me think of is that on the content type side, cyclical contains linear and is contained by systems. e.g. systems models have both linear and cyclic causal relationships, simple cycles are first created by two linear relatinships that bounce back to each other...and curvilinear paths of many kinds are essentially linear at the microscopic level. So that leads me to wonder (and I think your chapters make this point) that pedagogy is contained in games (i.e. games teach) and are contained by sims (i.e. sims can be fun, have prefered goal states like "winning" or "succeeding", use scores, give feedback. etc.) These metaphors might break down on some issues, but they're giving me pause to reflect and relate to your framework.

It is no secret that "conventional eLearning" is not as engaging, interactive and interesting-and therefore also not as effective-as it should be. And we know that even current technology has the potential to do much more for "eLearning," or "technology-enabled learning" than we see today. And the rate of change in most technology is accelerating rather than slowing. It is the future potential that excites most of us who are involved in learning technology.

Games and simulations (G&S) is clearly one of the most interesting and exciting areas of learning technology and undoubtedly will play a big part of "next generation (e)Learning," whether in schools, universities, government or industry. This is now being recognized, and evidenced by the growing number of "conferences-within-conferences" (seen most recently at the Training Fall Conference and Expo in Long Beach) or the Serious Games Summit in WDC-to mention just two-dedicated to the topic of G&S.

Clark's book is a most welcome addition to the growing literature covering G&S-and it is a book I highly recommend for anyone interested in learning technology. And if you are involved in some way in learning and training, you cannot avoid technology and if you want to be conversant and be ready to make (smart) decisions on issues that undoubtedly will soon come your way, if they have not already, the ROI on the money spent on Clark's book will no doubt be great.

Clark is a highly respected analyst-with a long history of insightful writing on learning and learning technology (which thousands of practitioners and analysts have enjoyed for a number of years)-as well as a simulation developer, and a business executive (leading Simulearn). Few others can equal his credentials in the area of learning technology so even before the book arrived in my mailbox I knew that this would be one I would enjoy and find very useful. It did not disappoint me.

Not only is it well written but it is a very nice combination of the following:
-- Clear analysis of different types of G&S. This is very useful as it will help future discussion and dialog and reduce the confusion that results when people think they are talking about the same things but in fact are not. Even if one does not agree with Clark's taxonomy he is nevertheless doing us a service by stimulating a richer dialog around these issues.
-- Lots of good examples. Especially for readers interested in using G&S in their organizations, and therefore need to understand the practical side of G&S, Clark's book is very useful as it provides a range of different examples covering the different types of G&S discussed in the book. The examples come from different types of users and sectors, and few application areas exist where G&S could not be highly useful.
-- Challenges that lie ahead. Because of Clark's varied background he is very well positioned to reflect on the challenges that lie ahead and to give a realistic assessment of where we are heading with G&S. As with other analysts, like Clark Quinn, for instance, Aldrich recognizes that the future for G&S is no cakewalk. It is very hard-and often costly-to build high quality, customized simulations, for instance, as Clark learned when he built Virtual Leader. But as tools and technology improve, as more vendors compete and offer better products, and as buyers recognize the benefits of G&S (See the excellent work by James Gee at the Games and Professional Practice Simulations at the Academic ADL Co-lab, for instance) and demand thus accelerates, "effective cost" per user (nominal cost normalized by learning effectiveness) will no longer be a major adoption barrier.

Clark is also one of the most popular speakers on the conference circuit so once you have read his book you will have more to talk to him about when you meet him at one or more of the upcoming events where he will speak.

Eilif Trondsen, Ph.D.
Director
Learning on Demand Program
SRI Consulting Business Intelligence
(...)

I just finished reading "Learning By Doing" from cover to cover. Those who are practicing in this field will want to read this book to learn of techniques that might not be readily apparent such as branching stories and interactive spreadsheets. I would recommend that they read "What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy" by James Paul Gee first, however, as I found the writing style of "Learning By Doing" a little sparse, like fleshed out bullet point slides. It is clear, though, that the author has a lot of experience in this topic and his book is a contribution to the field.

THIS BOOK IS MORE TO THE POINT. THE COLOR PLATES AND EXAMPLES ARE EXCEPTIONAL. THE EXAMPLES OF DRAWING AND PAINTING TECHNIQUES ARE VARIED AND WELL DONE. THE LAYOUT IS WELL PLANNED AND EXPLANATIONS ARE CLEAR AND CONCISE. THE AUTHER TALKS TO ME AS IF TO A FRIEND. I LIKE THAT. THE USE OF
SEVERAL ARTISTS TEACHING THEIR METHODS IS EXACTLY WHAT I LOOK FOR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE STEPS IN THE DEVELOPEMENT OF A PAINTING HOWEVER.
WHAT WE NEED AS ARTISTS IS CLOSER SCRUTINY OF THE EXAMPLES AND REALLY DIGGING INTO THE ARTWORK BY THE ART INSTRUCTORS. WE NEED EXAMPLES OF WHAT NOT TO DO. HOW DO THE ARTISTS TREAT WORK THAT DOESN'T GO THE WAY THEY PLANNED? SHARE SOME OF YOUR FAILURES AS WELL AS YOUR SUCCESSES. THE FEATURED ARTIST IN THIS BOOK IS RIGHT UP THERE WITH ISAACS, BRENDERS AND BATEMAN. MOVE OVER GUYS. OVERALL, BUY THIS BOOK AND LEARN GOOD ART.

THis has excellant instruction on drawing or painting animals .
Unique color combinations.
This book would be good for anyone wanting to learn how
to improve their skills with animal art.
Wonderful color intensity in book.
thank you DB

I CAN ONLY ASPIRE TO HAVE A SMIDGEON OF THE TALENT DISPLAYED IN THIS BOOK.

I found this book good for painting backgrounds for wild animals and settings to place the wildlife in, something I have not always found easy.
It also gives examples of different lighting effects which I found useful.
It covers all types of mediums.

There's a lot of 'how to paint animals' books out there, but after looking through a bunch of them, this one rates at the top for me so far. The author is really generous with his knowledge and shares his whole process very clearly from start to finish. Comprehensive and helpful and page after page of great tips, insights and examples.
For someone this good to be willing to commit it all to paper like this, - this book is a real find. Even new painters not really interested in painting animals would benefit from this one. This book is a real keeper.