Services Books

(An earlier review may also appear after trying to merge and update an older acct with a new acct.) ...I picked this volume up at TechEd 2001. It maintains its relevancy four years later. The competition between related books brought the race down to "McGraw-Hill's Encyclopedia of Networking & Telecommunications" winning by one length over the "Microsoft Encyclopedia of Networking".
Tom Sheldon provided the most well-grounded and well-rounded information to fulfill the title of an "encyclopedia of networking" compared to Mitch Tulloch's very good but more Microsofted (I think microsoft as a verb can now come into play) approach to the subject and its fields.
Sheldon's book contains a greater variety of entries and their corresponding information (i.e. terms/acronyms like "NSA" & "PKI") instead of a namebrand focused presentation. I would like to see a "Special Characters" index category like Tulloch's book has, but this is not as necessary when using the search capability of the book's CD edition (which is included and loaded with hyperlinks to outside information sources).
I highly recommend Tom Sheldon's book. It's user-friendly layout and design are easy on the eyes, and I'm glad to have it at my desk (when I'm able to return it there after tracking down who last borrowed it).

I stumbled accross the old 2nd edition in our library and a day later I was in awe of Mr Sheldons fantatistic book. Unlike most networking books their is no waffle in this one. His style of writing disects networking information into logical digestible chunks. The second edition can be downloaded from his site but I recommend you getting your hands on the latest edition if possile because it is more upto date and has lots of new additions. This book is a one stop shop for everything you need to know about networking and a priceless resource for any networking student.

Firstly I'd like to say...Thanks Tom, for helping to keep me in a job! Up until recently I worked as a Network Administrator in Sydney and believe me, your books saved my bacon on more than a few occasions! I first received the electronic edition of the Encyclopedia of Networking whilst studying Computer Technology and e-business in Sydney. The encyclopedia was included as part of the overall course and many references were made in the college's learning guides to certain chapters when more detailed information was necessary on a particular topic. I'm currently involved in the area of Multimedia and Telecommunications and recently obtained a copy of the latest edition, The Encyclopedia of Networking and Telecommunications and am amazed at how much extra and updated information has been included. I keep the book close by at all times and find myself referring to it quite regularly. I could now honestly say that it's become my IT bible! It covers all aspects of networking, the Internet, Electronic Communication, topologies, protocols, security and various configurations in absolute and thorough detail. The encyclopedia also comes with a CD that can be loaded onto your computer as a PDF file and the search facility works brilliantly. I must say that if anyone is involved in, or wants to know anything about Networking and Telecommunications this book is an absolute must! Personally, I can't see how I could do my job without it. Thanks a million Tom! ...John Botica

Tom Sheldon can capture the core of a hard to read, multi-hundred page networking book in less than a couple of pages. Crystal clear definitions, well structured text and diagrams, plus excellent cross-references make his "Encyclopedia of Networking" a huge time saver for any networking professional. Manuel Vexler, Certified Network Engineer

I work for an ISP in the Upstate NY area in 2nd level Internet support. I have found this book to be a very handy and comprehensive reference on Networking technologies. We are also an ILEC and I am impressed with how well this reference covers terms or acronyms that I am unfamiliar with when dealing with this side of the business. Great job Tom! Keep up the good work.

Jason writes out in detail the 50 steps to personal magnetism that explains what attracts others to us, our product we offer, and what we stand for. I have read some of these concepts before, but Jason Hartman's "Become the Brand of Choice" puts all the powerful distinctions (50) together in one place in a simple and easily understood format. I would definitely recommend this book to other entreprenuers! Joe Milunas, President of REInvestingPartners.com

Jason writes out in detail the 50 steps to personal magnetism that explains what attracts others to us, our product we offer, and what we stand for. I have read some of these concepts before, but Jason Hartman's "Become the Brand of Choice" puts all the powerful distinctions (50) together in one place in a simple and easily understood format. I would definitely recommend this book to other entreprenuers! [...]

Jason Hartman's common sense approach and easy
to comprehend delivery gives you the desire to want to know more.
If you want to understand what Branding is all about...
read Jason Hartman's Book: "Become the Brand of Choice"!

Jason writes out in detail the 50 steps to personal magnetism that explains what attracts others to us, our product we offer, and what we stand for. I have read some of these concepts before, but Jason Hartman's "Become the Brand of Choice" puts all the powerful distinctions (50) together in one place in a simple and easily understood format. I would definitely recommend this book to other entreprenuers! Joe Milunas, President of REInvestingPartners.com

Jason's humanly sensitive and ethical approach is commendable. You can tell early on that he's a sincere and likeable guy with loads of integrity, and it's easy to understand why his relationship marketing approach is so successful. It didn't take long for me to completely trust the author -- not something I can always say about marketing books. The book is written in a very accessible conversational style which lends great clarity and makes it an enjoyable read and readily applicable. The goal-setting tips are valuable for application to every area of life. I detect a lot of Napoleon Hill's concepts coming through ("Think and Grow Rich"), but have to say that the way Jason lays them out and applies them is even more readily grasped by me than the original Hill book (which is another excellent read, by the way).

"For many who work in health care today, overwhelming business pressures and perceived barriers to change have nearly extinguished their flame of passion to help others.

Join Quint Studer and thousands of Fire Starters nationwide on an awe-inspiring journey of purpose, worthwhile work, and making a difference.

Hear Quint's personal story and learn how you can apply specific prescriptive tools and practices to create and sustain a worldclass organization... a great place for employees to work, physicians to practice and patients to receive care.

LET YOUR FLAME BURN BRIGHT."

[from the book of the back cover]

Whether one is in healthcare or a non related industry, this book provides superb solutions to providing excellent customer care. As a certified brand strategist, I greatly appreciate Mr. Studer's articulation that one must, and can, hardwire the processes in order to achieve true and perpetual customer service. And he points it out so very well - if one first focuses on superb employee relations, then one will achieve a high level of customer relations.


It is my observation that too many consultants go into companies, identify the customer service issues, hold one or more rah rah events, and then move on to their next project. More correctly, I believe a consultant's responsibility is to work with organization clients to, as Mr. Studer so clearly addresses, hardwire the processes which then will indeed achieve the relationship with employees, channel partners and customers that will so clearly set them apart from their competitors, thereby creating customers who become advocates.

If you are looking for a way to make a difference in your organization from a leadership perspective,(or even on a personal level) you must read this book. Rather than focusing on the negatives, it focuses on the positives of creating excellence-for the patient, the staff, the physicians and all who come in contact with the organization. It is well worth the read!!

Leadership and managment roled into one do-it-yourself manual. There are many books out there about management and leadership theory. Theory is important because creates the mindset that is the foundation for success. We are often then put to task creating our own application. Or we could read and implement the systems laid out in Hardwiring Excellence, the singule best book on HOW TO manage and lead to greatness. Could I be any more clear?

While Quint Studer focuses on what he know best, big healthcare, this book can and is being applied to every industry. (I have applied its systems to hospitality, customer service, and production.) The fact that Quint focused on what he does best is a great example of leadership, and an example of how Quint practices what he preaches.

I have the priviliege of living the same city as Quint Studer and interacting with his organization on a regular basis. I can attest that they practice everything they preach and have excelled wilding while doing it.

I just re-read this book in anticipation of Quint's new book, Results that Last (I think it's due out in October). The practical recommendations for healthcare leaders found in this book just make sense for leaders in any industry. I am really looking forward to seeing how he builds on these ideas in a book that is aimed at business in general.

I love the authenticity of the stories in this book. To my knowledge, it is the first book with a healing theme that has been written with a therapist's voice giving support and explaining and breaking down issues throughout. It has universal appeal and, though it continues to be the best book on sex abuse for teenage girls, it is really appropriate to anyone healing from abuse. I am a psychotherapist and I give this book to my clients of all ages, who all heal through reading it.

Invisible girls is a great book. I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and even as an adult I found it very helpful. I am also the Founder&CEO of Safe Girls Strong Girls a 501 (c) 3 committed to Breaking the Silence on Childhood Sexual Abuse. I give this book to all girls that attend our programs. It is a great resource and allows teen girls to see that they are not alone. Terrific read and a great resource. I highly recommend it.

This book turned my life around. As a survivor of rape and abuse, I had developed many unhealthy habits such as denial and isolation. After reading this book, I felt connected to a larger community and was finally able to get some help! The stories of the girls in this book are so personal and so touching that it is easy to find strength in their struggle to heal.

But the real power of this book for me is that the individual accounts of abuse and survival are used as examples to support the chapters on each kind of abuse. These chapters are filled with information about the abuse, understanding of the typical response (did you count? detach? act out? It's all ok here.), and advise on how to work through the memories of the experience.

I would recommend this book not only to any girl who has suffered abuse, but also to anyone who knows someone who has suffered. It will help you understand the pain and bring a very hidden problem into the open where it can be fought.

I am a clinical social worker in Louisiana. This book has been helpful for several of my clients. The book includes several girls' stories, which have helped to normalize my clients' experiences. It also includes a question/answer section that seems to cover many topics that teenage girls may be afraid to ask themselves. I also found the "Resource Center" at the end of the book helpful. Dr. Patti has a website and is resposive to questions via that site.

I appreciate what Dr. Patti is trying to do here. I do. However, this book is laden with the myths and stereotypes survivors are fighting to overcome in their everyday life. I was extremely disappointed when I read this. The author practically says that "Date Rape" (also known as acquaintance rape, which is by far the more correct term--look up statistics if you're interested in what I mean) is often preventable. This again places the onus on potential victims/survivors to make sure they aren't assaulted. So often, those wo haven't survived a rape or assault are told they shouldn't have had that last drink, or worn a short skirt, or done ANYTHING that could have potentially put them at risk. No one ever mentions that it is a perp's decision to assault someone. She seemed to say that it wasn't the survivor's fault while simultaneously contending that rape can be prevented--and that if you put yourself in a certain position, you were in some way implicitly involved in your own assault.

She also "rates" abuse and assault. While this may seem innocent (Incest, for example, is "the deepest cut"--or wound--it's been awhile since I read it), it implies that other experiences are somehow less damaging. Isn't it more important to support all survivors than to somehow rank their experience and trauma? Who can do that, and why would we want to? Also, the ONLY example of child on child sexual interaction is in terms of "playing doctor." While it is important to differentiate normal exploration and abuse, Dr. Patti fails to include in her book an example of NONconsensual sexual interaction between children. This further promotes the idea that child on child sexual abuse cannot when occur when it can and does.

I could barely make it through this one. I wish her the best of luck, but this book really didn't do it for me. There are others out there that are much better.

I was a bit disappointed in these books, because I love the Crown/Court Duel books so much. These are not like them at all. They seem to be for much younger girls, and there's no romance or anything.

And it was weird but I did not really like Wren. I know I was meant to, but she just seemed like too much of a typical, plucky, orphaned heroine - and she was too matter of fact and accepting of all these amazing events. It wasn't realistic, and I know it's fantasy, but shouldn't the characters still feel real?

I have only read these books once - and I re-read EVERYTHING - so that tells you that they're not that great. But they are probably okay for younger readers.

The book I am reviewing is called Wren To The Rescue by Sherwood Smith. I think this story deserves five stars. It's about a girl named Wren trying to save a friend named Tess who is a princess. The problem is a evil king named Andres kidnaps Tess. Wren attempts to save her friend with the help of a magician and prince. She may just do it. I really recommend this book to everyone. Other books are Wren's Quest and Wren's War.

Emerson, NJ Fifth Grader

After I read Crown Duel, I couldn't wait to read other books by Sherwood Smith. I picked up "Wren to the Rescue", and began reading. I couldn't put it down! After reading Crown Duel, I thought NOTHING could even compare to it--I was wrong. "Wren to the Rescue" has the same nose-glued-to-the-page quality, plenty of action and adventure, lovable characters, and of course, majic. Normally, I'm not really into the whole "evil sorcerer/sorceress-mystical power-wizard school" thing, but this is different. The type of majic that Smith portrays is almost believable, and not the traditional witchcraft that many other books these days are about. I can't wait to read the other two in the series: "Wren's Quest" and "Wren's War"! I would reccomend this book to anyone, but people ages 10 and up will probably enjoy it to its fullest. Happy reading!

Wren to the Rescue is a great read! It keeps you hooked and after you read it, you'll run to find the sequels! I just finished reading it for the second time, and it was just as good as I remembered it.

Wren, an orphan at Three Groves Orphanage, finds out that her friend Tess is really a long lost princess, hidden there because the wicked king Andreus wants to kidnap her. Wren is invited to come back to the palace in Cantirmoor with her friend. Unfortunately, the day after they arrive, Andreus strikes and Tess is spirited off to his stronghold in Senna Lirwan. Wren, being the spunky girl that she is, is not content to sit back and watch everyone else search. She uses a magic spell she saw to transport herself to the magic school, and from there decides to run off with a young magic prentice, Tyron, to rescue Tess.

They decide to find the mysterious mage Idres Rhiscarlan, to see if she will help them. When she refuses, they set out on their own to try to prevent the coming war. After a while, they are joined by Connor, Tyron's friend and a prince. After many adventures, involving warrie beasts, secret passages, bridges, armies, thieves and chraucans, they make it into Senna Lirwan.

Wren drinks from a poisoned stream and Andreus tries to take her, but Idres somehow pops back into the stream and saves her, turning Wren into a dog in the process! Poor Wren! But it doesn't seem to bother her all that much, though she is in danger of being a dog forever.

However, more problems soon come their way. Connor has a terrible secret, Wren's friends are captured, and she must find a way to rescue them alone AND get Tess out, before she becomes a dog for good! How does she do it? Read the book to find out!

Though not on the par of Crown and Court Duet. This book was obviously written for a younger audience, without the same prose, (...) tension, or interesting plot twists that were present in Crown. Still, an absorbing and pleasant read. Recommended- especially for young adults.

I'd been searching for this book to read to my 2 year-old son. I remember just loving it and was sure he would. He does. It's just delightful to hear his astonishment every time another hat appears on Bartholomew's head. It's a must read for children of all ages.

This book left a strong impression on me as a child. One of only a few books that I remembered vividly and was anxious to get for my own young boys (who of course, loved it).

The story is great because it keeps building and building. There is a little violence (threatening to cut off Bartholomew's head), but that only made it more exciting for me as a young boy to read it.

This is a great book for kids ages 4-5 all the way through 8-10. It has a catchy story line about a boy of that age, his problem, how he plans to solve it, and finally the real solution. An upbeat read for kids these days. And, it's by Dr. Seuss.

I LOVE Dr. Suess. Really. We have lots of his books and I enjoy reading all of them to my kids with the exception of this one. It annoys me to no end. That's just it...it seems like there is no end. It's not rhymie or sing-songy like his others. It's just repetitive and boring and ..... oh just YUCK!

I bought this book because it brought back such good memories of my child's childhood and my own as well. I look forward to sharing it with my grandchildren someday. This is a great book to read!

I remember my mother reading Frances books to me when I was little, and I couldn't wait to read them to my daughter. The Frances books are wonderful children's stories.

The book is great, and my daughter had to "read" it as soon as it was opened.

I loved the Frances books growing up and now my two-year is enjoying them. I just read Bread and Jam to her and she loves it, especially the songs Frances sings (I sing them to the tune of Mary has a Little Lamb). I love the parenting advice in the book, too. We love the description of the lunches these little badgers unpack and eat at school. I love the quality of the illustrations and the writing. I think it's children's book writing at the best. So many books now are just plain silly!

I read the FRANCES books to my daughters (now grown) and am buying every one I can get my hands on to read to my two grandsons and my granddaughter. The character of Frances is so very human, and she has such realistic foibles that every child can identify with. Frances is a classic.

(I have no qualms about the parental roles portrayed in the book. Can't parents choose the roles they wish, and isn't the traditional role a valid choice?)

It was one of my favorites as a kid and now I read it to my little girl

I purchased this book, as I want to change my business model, from Break-fix to Managed Services. I read it from cover to cover in a few days and now I am listening to the Audio CD in the Car. It is THE best book on Managed Services that I have seen. The CD is packed FULL of templates and documents you can use to get you going .. so there is no excuse

If there is only one thing you do today.. BUY THIS BOOK

So many pages and so little time yet this book is easy to read. How he manages to keep the flow on what could be a very dry topic moving along at such a fast pace is amazing. Don't be fooled though. You'll be referring back to this book as your business morphs and you're ready to tackle each piece of the MSP puzzle. Each element is well thought out and walks you through the process of implementing a managed services offering to your clients based on value. We all dream about getting our clients to understand the value that we bring to their business. Erik shows the way to make that dream a reality.

As an E-Myth/Gerber fan, I consider Erick's work an "E-Myth for IT Services". It will get you thinking about your business as a business and it provides a roadmap to get where you need to go.

Making the transition from working in to working on your business is the most powerful thing you can do to put more money in your pocket. Do it now. Buy this book!

The contents of this book contains valuable information if you are thinking of getting into managed services. If you include the contents of the CD, it is absolutely invaluable.

I am a business owner interested in the Managed Services market space. I have read so much about Managed services but have not found a step by step guide on how to implement the managed services business plan or sell those services to clients. What I needed were step by step guides on both the topics. I was introduced to Erick's books by another associate. This book and "The Best I.T. Sales & Marketing BOOK EVER!" by Erick were exactly what I was looking for. Erick is not just a subject matter expert in Managed Services but has practiced and implemented his teachings and recommendations. He explains several key concepts and best practices on Managed Services, Deliverables, Pricing, How to identify clients, sell, support and maintain the services and build a long term win-win relationship with the clients. The coverage on How to Hire and Train your sales staff is worth its weight in gold. Included along with these 2 books are several forms, analysis tools and documents which make the sales process a whole lot easier with predictable results. These are the bibles for my managed services business and I refer them frequently. If you are serious about building a profitable managed services business, you must have these books.

McGovern illustrates strategies for creating more impactful web content without boring the reader to death. The advice is practical, easy to follow, and timely. I have been very satisfied with this purchase.

Gerry McGovern's "Killer Web Content" *seems* to be a primer about writing "killer content." And it is. He talks about simple ideas (e.g., "killer, not filler," or, on the Net, "in self-service mode, people go on gut instinct") in simple sentences, with lots of words in red so you get the idea. Then you put those ideas all together and think about them. And *then* you start looking at websites created from the grad school universe by professionals, all too often FOR PROFESSIONALS, that leave you - us - Everyman - frustrated or even amused (and that is not the intent). Ah, the epiphany: you realize that too many people are getting paid too much money when they have no idea how to talk to us: the folks who are surfing at 2AM in hotel rooms, trying to learn something for tomorrow's presentation to the Executive Committee. Obviously McGovern has practiced medicine: you listen to the patient, and the patient will tell you what the problem is. You listen to the customer, and the customer will tell you what she needs to hear. You listen to your children, etc.

Of course, the devil is in the details. Would that there were a standard operating procedure to ferret out the words that each of us wants to hear. Then we could fire Sales and Marketing - all they do is get us folks in Technology and Operations into trouble, right? Nope, says McGovern, you have to talk to people, relate to them, listen to them, hear what they say, abstract the content, try it out on your site. Each word is a hypothesis: true or false. Does it work? Does it bring people? You measure, you re-frame, you redesign, you re-relate. Surely it must be easier than this! All Jeff Bezos did is slap some stuff onto a website, and look at him! Right? McGovern just smiles, probably lifts a Guinness - he hints at his pleasure in Ireland - and, secure in the knowledge that you'll reread his book, just goes on about his business, writing and consulting.

Oh, it seems so simple. Oh, it's not really that complicated. Oh, it is so, so worthwhile. Read the book carefully.

David Block MD, PhD
Editor & Publisher, "The RoadeWarrior: every consultant's ezine"
www.roadewarrior.com
david@roadewarrior.com

I purchased this book specifically to read more about the process for researching usability issues. I am not a market researcher, but I am a web developer who understands SEO, basic usability issues and general web practices. I found this book to be well-written, simple to understand and it provides a pretty good map for researching your web audience. I have actually read it twice now, finding even more the second time around.

I highly recommend this book, I still use it as a resource as I learn more about market research, something I don't particularly care for, but that is essential to my success as a brand manager and web developer.

Gerry is a genius.

I work for a Fortune 500 company and was first introduced to Gerry McGovern through one of his workshops that my company was hosting. I really connected with Gerry's passion for both the customer's perspective, as well as his message to get the fundamentals right. Armed with his book Killer Web Content, I left the workshop inspired with new ideas for solving some of the UX issues we were having with our Careers website (strategic business tool for talent recruiting).

I started to read his book the next week and learned enough useful information with each chapter that I finished it. I got a lot of value from some of the techniques described in Killer Web Content. I appreciated the information specific to generating good content using "Carewords" in the right way and at the right time. I also learned from this book that the web user is a different animal than traditional application users. Gerry has a good handle on the machinations that drive this new information hunter's behavior.

I can honestly say that I've quoted Gerry's work in UX meetings dozens of times since first attending his workshop. Since December, I've given away three copies of Killer Web Content to other UX professionals. All 3 have given it rave reviews! In addition to attending one of his live workshops (absolutely awesome!), I HIGHLY recommend getting this book!

The book is a good read with a lot of useful information about content design and production. Don't expect a detailed tutorial, it aims rather to show you what is important and what approach you should take.

What I liked
- rich information about user behaviours regarding content consumptions (debunks some myths)
- eye-opener findings (did you know that the word 'special offers' is preferred to the word 'deal' when people are asked though when searching, they use the word 'deal'? etc.)
- clear examples and reasoning that can help you in situations when you have to convince clients about some fundamental content issues

What I did not like
- if you have been following Gerry's newsletters as I did, well, you already know most of what the book is about
- there are some chapters that did not tell me really anything (one is about some very rudimentary SEO, another about the importance of blogging)
- the design of the print: there are complete pages written in bold red letters, some pages look like this is the first Powerpoint presentation with an ISBN number

This book got me to a point where I was well prepared and confident walking into the exam. Its an excellent choice.

It was not for me, I've been working for the postal service for seven years, It was a gift for my brother and he raised the score from 78 to 91 by just followig this book tips... The best one in the market as of today.

This book/software package is an ideal purchase for individuals preparing to take the United States Postal Exam 473 & 473-C. The material is not only accurate and up-to-date, it's affordable, easy to follow, and comes with wonderful live customer service! This package takes you from the beginning to the end of this exam. It provides detailed information about each segment, strategies to overcome common obstacles, and finally simulates the actual exam with six practice tests. If you are serious about preparing for this exam, you want this book/software combo! Watch out for fraudulent companies! They are out there, and they will take your money. Unfortunately, I had to learn the hard way. The first company (which shall remain nameless in this review to avoid slander) stole my money by twisting the truth and providing me with irrelevant out-of-date material. If it had not been for the discovery of this book/package and Mr. T. W. Parnell's wonderful support team, I would have failed the exam. If you buy this package and follow the steps, you won't regret it! This book contains, "The Right Stuff!"

This book was really easy to follow and I felt really confident before and after my test. I think I had about a week and a half before my test to do this program and it seems just about right.I was so confident as I took the test, I finished with time to spare and went back and double checked myself. I took the test in 2005 and scored very well thanks to the book and computer program. I have had several interviews because I scored so well. I have had some questions along the way and they have been very helpful. The pathfinder people are very nice people to work with and very up up date on all their information. They communicate well and are quick to respond. I think they have many insiders that give them accurate information that the other books seem to not even have a clue on. You cannot go wrong with this. He gives you clues and tips to make it so easy to do. I have been to the library and read through many of the other books out there before I purchase this one. None of them compare to it in information and ease of use. Just buy it you won't be disappointed!

I bought the CD version of New Postal Exam 473 & 473-C Computer-Based Course (Paperback)by T. W. Parnell (Author), Susie Varner (Illustrator), from Amazon.com merchant wadsjk (http://www.amazon.com/shops/wadsjk). This study guide is great. It gives very helpful advice - even though I modified some Mr. Parnell's suggested strategies to suit my way of memorizing.

I bought the version of this book that came with a CD. The CD has a series of lessons (no substitute for reading the book as Mr. Parnell points out). The CD also allows you to simulate a test taking session. It includes instructions for taking the Exam (which are very similar to the real thing) and realistically times you on each part. The tests and answer sheets are in the book.

This Postal Exam is a TIMED TEST. It will be difficult to get through some of the sections of the Exam unless you practice. On one part of the Exam you are to make 60 responses in 6 minutes - 6 seconds per item! I have taken this Exam twice recently - six days apart. Even though I recieved Mr. Parnell's book two days prior to the first time I took the Exam, I completed 58 of the 60 items. Six days later I was able to complete all 60 on a different version of the Exam.

I'm confident the this book helped me score well on this Exam. I hope to update this review after the USPS sends me my scores.