Models Books

C. Nicandro Cruz UNAM. México

This book is an precise and extensive endeavor for understanding the problems, boudaries and potential use and application of knowledge for improving governmental performance.

Te basis of Dunn's approach to policy analysis, is that it depends to the production and transformation of five policy relevant information (about policy problems, policy futures, policy actions, policy outcomes and policy performance) through five policy-analytic procedures (problem-structuring, forecasting, recommendation, monitoring, and evaluation).

Perhaps the most important distinction is that problem structuring, "...which affects the use and asessment of the other four procedures, is really a metamethod (method of methods) that funtions as central regulator of the overall process of policy analysis." (page 65)

This analytical framework provide one of the most single effective way to analyze public policies and government programs, where the most important analyst's role is both to generate useful knowledge for decision making in all phases of policy process, and to generate plussible arguments by analythical procedures.

It is an ideal book for bachelor and graduate students interested in public problems that face governements, and in the role that can play all policy analyst in policy making.

Dunn's contribution to the study and use of policy analysis in academic and professional activities its out of question. 06-04-200

nickcruz@teleline.es

Everyone once in a while a work comes along that redefine the way humanity organizes itself. The Bible, the Magna Carta, the Unibomber Manifesto, and Mr. Dunn's book all can be placed in that category.

Having attended his classes while in graduate school, I internalized his teachings and made myself a better bureaucrat than anyone could has imagined. Every day I use his book to enlighten me on the manners and ways of building a better bureacracy in my village panchayat in Viknashapathanam District of Andra.

This book is only book I use.

What is educative policy What is the politics analysi

If anyone is interested in knowing more about origins of ships he/she need not look any further. Naturally our knowledge is limited, but this book gives a good account with descriptions of what is known.

Superb!
This is a highly detailed account of the evolution of boats & rafts into ships - lots of detail, drawing heavily on archaeological evidence, without any wild assumptions about the supposed shape of the boats.

This is not a coffee table book, with lots of pretty pictures and large print, but a real source of up-to-the-minute detailed info for the scholar as well as the casual reader.

What is especially good, is that each chapter is written by the leading expert in that field, using the latest available data and supported with lots of photos/drawings to illustrate points.

However, this forces each chapter into a different written style and sometimes this comes across as a little 'heavy', but most are very fluidly written.

I am very impressed with the content, layout, presentation and production of this series (I have 6 of the books so far) and I would recommend this in preference to other comparable books.

Sientificly written book which covers the early tries of mankind on the water to the great travells of the Vikings. You should be familiar with the technicus termini of wooden shipbuilding while reading this fantastic book.

Another "must have" for the scratch-built diorama enthusiast. This hard-bound book has 192 pages, over 200 illustrations (color) and over 100 color photographs. It covers every genre of model building, from armor, figures, planes, ships... even trains. Lots of tips and techniques on buildings, roads, bridges, figure conversions, painting, and detailing. Large page format, and superbly laid out. Great photos and a large pool for ideas! Superior "how to" book for the novice and intermediate builder.

This book covers everything from scenery to scratch building figures and vehicles. If you are into modeling anything from A to Z this is the book for you. It is especially useful for modelrailroaders and anyone who builds dioramas.

Another "must have" for the scratch-built diorama enthusiast. This hard-bound book has 192 pages, over 200 illustrations (color) and over 100 color photographs. It covers every genre of model building, from armor, figures, planes, ships... even trains. Lots of tips and techniques on buildings, roads, bridges, figure conversions, painting, and detailing. Large page format, and superbly laid out. Great photos and a large pool for ideas! Superior "how to" book for the novice and intermediate builder.

This book is typical of Shiryaev, who is a representative of the Russian school of probability theory. Not only the book explains the technical details clearly, but also it explains the "bigger picture" as to why this particular mathematical set-up makes sense and it is a good approximation of reality. The book reflects the (admirable) Russian style of teaching: explain the origins of theory, which are usually some specific problem; then carefully develop a mathematical theory tailor-made for the given problem; finally, disclose the essence of the problem and produce a beautiful result.

Before reading this book, I have been quite familiar with stochastic calculus and semi-martingale theory. What interests me most (sometimes puzzles me most) is the way how theory is applied to financial math problems, esp. the justification of certain "conventions" (e.g. we always start with discounted process, play with martingale measures, and do certain standard "rituals" in pricing and hedging). Sometimes people abuse those conventions when the theory's set-up is not quite appropriate. Shiryaev's book shows the justification and limitation of theory, by clearly explaining the origins and specific contexts of theory. This is especially helpful to getting a true understanding of the subject. I would say after reading his book, my mind has achieved a harmony.

I read Shiryaev's book on probability (GTM 95) many years ago. It was a pleasant experience. Now I'm happy to have this kind of experience again. From lines of the book, you can see the author's passion and deep understanding of financial math.
I only regret I didn't read this book much earlier.

This monograph starts from the very basics and develops as it progresses. Its historical notes found all over the book makes it unique and entertaining. As a mathematician aspiring to break through the STREET, I found it very accessible and comprehensive. If you have Brownian Motion and Stochastic Calculus at Shever/Kaaze's (how ever you spell their name) level, you will skim through this book with in weeks. But if you don't, don't panic, you will still be fine with some introductory level measure theoretic probability course.

You will enjoy it as I did.

The Essentials of Stochastic Finance: Facts, Models, Theory by Albert N. Shiriaev, et al offers a clear treatment of both theoretical and emperical Finance. Shiryaev presents not only the essentials of probability as it is applied to finance,but he also covers recent develpoments in Mathematical Finance. It is very well written and it can be covered in one year (depending on the audience). Each topic moves from the specific to the general, beginning with one or more examples to lead into the theoretical results. This is the most comprehensive book out there. It covers Mathematical Finance, Martingale, Markov Thoery... to Econometric ARCH GARCH FGARCH ...to theory of Finance CAPM APT... PART II of the book requires a good knowledge of Stochastic Calculus at Karatzas and Shreve level...
Outstanding...

In comparing this book with, say Goldberg's "Genetic Algorithms..." (may be the most popular genetic algorithms text), this book reads more like a German habilitation thesis (which I imagine it may have served as such), where as Goldberg's book seems more of a light introduction for the mathematically uninitiated. Indeed, Back's book seems quite scholarly with lots of useful references, and gives a good introduction to not only genetic algorithms, but also to evolutionary strategies (a paradigm that is most applicable to Euclidean-type search spaces) and evolutionary programming
(simular to ES and not to be confused with genetic programming).

I found Chapters 1 and 2 quite good, in that Chapter 1 presented the biological motivations for evolutionary computing along with a brief introduction to the theory of computation and computational complexity, while Chapter 2 gave a very good introduction to the above-mentioned evolutionary computing paradigms. The remainder of the book reads more like a report on the author's experiments in evolutionary computing.

It is important to note that Goldberg's book does not cover Evolutionary Strategies, which I have found to be a more fruitful approach since it is specifically designed for Euclidean space where many if not most interesting optimization problems are formulated in.

Finally, I offer bit of advice for those who plan to read through this book. Some of the definitions are stated with such generality that they seem very opaque upon first reading. It is very important to understand them, so do not give up! Once the defintions are understood, the algorithms will seem much easier to comprehend. In fact, the algorithms have a very simple outline:
i) initialize population
ii) while the terminating condition is not yet met: recombine to form new population members, mutate the population members, select the most fit population members to form the next generation.
The partial analyses provided for the algorithms can be skipped on first reading.

I don't really know why this book didn't sell as well as some of the other standard books in evolutionary algorithms. It's much better in many respects and presents a balanced view of the entire field, including evolution strategies, evolutionary programming, and genetic algorithms. Anyone who is interested in evolutionary algorithms should have this book....

Although this book is much less popular than Goldberg's and Mitchell's, it is the most complete reference on evolutionary algorithms in my opinion. If you're looking only for an introduction to EAs, this may not be the perfect book for you (the 2 other ones are more concise) but if you're seeking a detailed review of foundations of EAs, this book is excellent. It provides mathematical insight, and examples of how to implement such algorithms.

When I saw a copy of this book I was immediately pleased with its appearance and organization. My interest was fully primed so I purchased the book and began to read. I discovered that the book was very pleasant and easy to read. The new organizing principle set forth in the book provides a beautiful and convincing flow of relationships which carry the reader to the conclusion that a very acceptable explanation has been given for the existance of three quark-lepton families.

Gerald Fitzpatrick's book addresses what the physics community has called "The Family Problem," i.e., why did nature choose to create the basic building blocks of matter in triplicate? All known matter in the universe is made of the subatomic particles which are called quarks and leptons. Quarks bind together strongly to form protons and neutrons while the familiar leptons, namely, the electron and the elusive electrically neutral (electron) neutrino experience only electroweak interactions. But nature didn't stop there. These particles are found in three families despite the fact that the known matter in the universe is made of only those particles that are members of the first family. The second and third families consist of two additional quark doublets plus the muon and tau leptons as well as two additional neutrino flavors. In the words of the famous physicist I. I. Rabi when confronted by the discovery of one of these EXTRA PARTICLES (the muon) " Who ordered that?" The otherwise highly successful description of the sub atomic realm "The Standard Model" is unable to shed any light on this mystery. This" Family Problem", is the problem that Fitzpatrick addresses in this book. Fitzpatrick's approach is a unique application of the Cayley-Hamilton theorem (for matrices) that extends the so called fermion-sector of the standard model. Using this theorem he develops a simple but compelling mathematical structure to expand the standard model to incorporate these "extra" particles. This mathematical approach utilizes a Lorentz 2- space that naturally accounts for nature's triplication of families. Postulating an eigen function, utilizing the standard model's fermion number as the eigen value, the author derives all the quark and lepton Quantum numbers as an intrinsic feature of his theory. In addition, based on the mathematical structure that Fitzpatrick utilizes in his theory, a topological distinction is revealed between the first family and the second and third families. Based on this theory the first family may be thought of as having a cylindrical topology while the two higher families have a Mobius strip topological configuration. Finally the author summarizes possible connections of his theory with Planck level physics and Supersymmetry. Fitzpatrick's book is a must read for anyone who has a curiosity about the wonders of the subatomic world. The author's style is clear and straight forward and every facet of his theory is explained in adequate detail. Throughout this book the reader will find himself on an adventure of mathematical beauty and profound physical insight.

Despite the phenomenological success of the "standard model of
quarks and leptons" in providing a framework for analyzing high
energy particle experiments using particle masses up to the highest
energies currently available in accelerator laboratories, it remains
"ad hoc" in a vital respect. We have found three
generations of quarks and leptons, which fit together in the way that
the standard model provides, but there is no generally accepted reason
why the sequence should stop at three. Gerald Fitzpatrick goes
slightly outside the usual model by generalizing the scalar
"fermion number" to quantum numbers in a two-dimensional
real space attached to each fermion or antifermion. To do this he
invokes an "organizing principle," which accomplishes
precisely what is needed to solve this "family problem"
posed by the observational cutoff at three generations. In so doing
he provides a parsimonious formulation of the quantum numbers of the
standard model, consistent with all currently known facts. At the end
of the book he even provides speculative reasons why his model could
be the low-energy consequence of some theory which takes the final
step of unifying gravitation with the strong, electromagnetic and weak
interactions covered by the standard model. I sincerely hope that
some young theoretical physicist will have the courage to step just
slightly beyond conventional approaches and explore the path
Fitzpatrick has opened up. Rich rewards could lie down that
road.

H. Pierre Noyes
Professor, Theoretical Physics

Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
END

This book was an interesting read. Part of it was a story about a Canadian school kid who tranformed a hobby he had beginning at age 14 into a successful modeling agency. Another part of it had to do with describing the nuts and bolts of starting a small business and expanding it later. And then there was the author's message throughout the book that he thinks it's a good idea to have a business that is consistent with one's personal values.

Some might argue this book is nothing more than an advertising piece for the author's business: Ben Barry Agency. I must say, if that's why the author wrote this book, he did a pretty good job of accomplishing his goal. But the book has value for aspiring entrepreneurs, too. It tells the story of how the author made his business happen over time. And those stories don't often find their way into print.

Small businesses normally are started by people who merely want to enter a market and compete within it to make a profit. They accept the industry norms, the competition and clients within the market as givens. They may try to differentiate a bit so they can steal market share, but they normally don't try to buck the system too much. The story in this book is not about a normal small business. And I hope readers don't read it as tough it is. The author indeed bucked the system. But I certainly recommend the story be read and analyzed and hopefully used in some fashion when developing a business plan of your own.

I loved every time I saw the author talk about business plans, business models, and strategic planning. This is what entrepreneurship is all about. Do the research, the planning, and then write it up in the form of a business plan with a good business model included.

The author was a natural at marketing from a young age. Early in the book he boasts that he did not do any reading about business, nor had he taken any classes or seminars. But the thought processes he describes he went through back when he was 14 had a lot to do with sound marketing logic. He was big on reading soon thereafter, and he wasn't shy getting up in front of people and talking. And he wasn't afraid to reach out for counsel, help, and making cold calls on the phone.

My favorite chapters in the book were 15 and 16 which considered the following ten (or 20) questions:

1. What issue matters to me? Does business matter to it?
2. Who am I? Who can I become?
3. What do I know? What must I find out?
4. For whom am I speaking? To whom am I speaking?
5. What little do I have? How can I make the most of it?
6. What do I have to offer? How is it better than what others offer?
7. How do I sell my product? Do I also sell myself?
8. How do I run my business? Am I the boss?
9. Is my life my businss? Does my life include my business?
10. How do I make it to the top? How do I stay there?

I would have liked the book better if there had not been so much emphasis placed on the need for acceptance of non-traditional models in the fashion industry. I understand what the author was talking about, but I think he went a little heavy on it. And I don't think I needed to know that the author is gay. His sexual preference was irrelevant regarding the subject matter of the book. 5 stars!

an excellent and articulate book for people interested in the process of creating a business of any kind. this writer is remarkabvly gifted

Ben Barry brings a fresh new approach to the interrelationship between models, the media and society. When a realization that models were not generally representative of normal people dawned on Ben, he naturally asked himself why things happened they way they did. Why are the models that we see daily on TV, in print ads and magazines these rare anomolies of the human form? What is their purpose? Ben, then a young high school student, set out to find modeling jobs for his friends and subsequently become their modeling agent. He represented women and men of all colors, shapes and ages following upon the notion that these were real people and that these were the people that society wanted to see advertising products.

As a young, innovative entrepreneur, Ben has now built up the Ben Barry Agency to be an agency recognized across the planet as having models who are people. Achieving this, however, was not an easy feat. He documents many of his tribuations during Toronto's Fashion Week and with make-up mega-power L'Oreal as his models failed to offer these industry standards what they wanted.

Most importantly, Ben pushes forward the notion that business and a benevolent social good can work hand-in-hand despite many misconceptions about corporate organizations. Rectifying societal wrongs can be done however the business of correcting these injusticies needs to make a profit such that they can continue to make a difference. Ben discusses how creating inclusive media images of models and earning money work in tandem allowing his agency to generate income while continuing to push the belief that all people from all walks of life should be represented in our media.

I highly suggest reading this unique account as it is bound to not only inspire, but force all of us to think critcally about changes that we would like to see in our world.

The simple story of the love of a man for a woman, set amidst (an intense study of) tribal life and wolf packs 100,000 years ago. Eve leads her tribes out of Africa intent on finding the Tribe of Lost Brothers and Sisters. She meets up with Brother Wolf and his packs, and Neanderthals. In the 21st century, Dr. Arny Singer, Nobel Laureate discovers the link among Eve, the Neanderthals, and wolves (just as the Earth Mother had planned). Arny is treated to a trip back in time to witness his discoveries. He falls hopelessly in love with the most beautiful and fiesty woman Earth Mother had ever created. Discover who the Earth Mother favored: wolf or man, and why.

This novel was the most romantic epic I have ever read. I loved it. The protagonist, Eve, is in her forties. Eve leads her people to an Eden that is pure and free, not only for mankind but animals as well-nirvana. The love is appreciated not only between Eve and Arny, other tribe and Clan members, but between mankind and wolves as well. The author speared my heart through the deep connections expressed between people, the love of animals, and the respect of nature. I hope he writes his next book with the same sensitivities. The author mixes hunting, mysticism, customs, song, wrestling, tie-matings (weddings), art, and story-telling to create a dynamic portrait of the times, people and wolves. There are cameos by ravens, cave bears, cave lions and an arctic fox that spice the stew and steal your heart.

I was so happy to see a story about BLACK EVE and even happier after reading it. Eve is a role model for all of us. I can recommend this beautiful story. With wolve, cave bears, cave lions, ravens and neanderthals it has something for everyone. My son says, "It's the wolves, mom". Ok, my grandson won't give the book back. Read and enjoy it.

I was assigned to develop a stochastic model for air pollution (well, back to 3 weeks before, I had no idea what time series analysis was !!!). After spend some time searching around for an easy-to-understand textbook dealing with time series data, I found this book is the best. It is comprehensive and clearly explain with many good excercises. What you need is some basic knowledge in ARIMA (which could be find from general econometrics textbook or SPSS guideline) and simple linear regression and then you will love this book as I am now.

Being a noive to Box Jenkin method, the clear, and well organized exposition of this book took me step by step to a firm understanding of the method within a short time span, and keys to practice it. After finishing reading a copy from the library, I find it worths to purchase one for reference.

It is an excellent book for understanding time series analysis, well written and clearly explained. Readers should have some knowledge of univariate ARIMA model but no expertise is required. The book focuses on how, why, and when to combine the effect of other variables and the univariate ARIMA model. The suggested methods are demonstrated by a well-explained example. The author describes each step in the analysis in detail, this greatly helps in understanding the logic. Therefore, I highly recommend this book for students or persons who have a preliminary knowledge of the time series analysis technique, and who want to develop a more in-depth understanding of the subject. In addition, it is a must-have reference book for all time-series analyst.

Fantastic compilation of uniforms in color drawings. Special to me in this volume is the best coverage of the mameluke uniforms I have found; Including Western type uniforms

Very interesting, well-printed book. Very good (detailed) illustrations in "computer style" discover all details of uniforms. "Histoire & Collections" is great publishing agency. Don't think twice - all these books are exciting.

I am a person who has a lot of money wrapped up in Uniform print books. Napoleonic is my favorite era and I own most of the good works that have been published in the last 20 years. Some of these books can cost up to $500 new or when out of print as much as $700. Now we come to the Jouineau/Jean-Marie Mongin series. Wow, what great books for [item price]. For [item price] you get the uniforms of the Imperial Guard Calvary in color with lots of detail. One of the drawbacks (if you can call it that) is that they are computer generated images. This makes it inexpensive to produce numerous different unifoms. It does of course eliminate the uniqueness of a hand drawn print. But each book has dozens if not hundreds of images. Any person who has an interest in Napoleonic uniforms should gladly pick up this series. Well worth the money.