Products Books

OK, I'm not into woodworking or wood collecting; I'm just interested in, fascinated by all those wonderful woods out there. Enter this book. Anything I want to know about a particular wood?? Well, here it is in this book--or at least a good start on it. The only thing I can compare it to is the Peattie books Natural history of Western Trees and Natural History of Eastern Trees. Those too I would just sit down and read--just because they were interesting. This is just a WAY cool book for anyone interested in wood.

After listening to me grumble that I couldn't always tell what exotic aw lumber looks like when finished, the shop manager told me to get a copy of this book. Actually, he ordered me to get the book, since, like most novices, I pestered him incessantly. As usual, he was right.

The meat of this book is a set of 279 two-page descriptions of each wood. The information inclides scientific name, family, distribution, a description of the tree, a description of the lumber, seasoning information, durability, workability, possible uses, supply availability, a photomicrograph, and a photo of the naturally finished wood. Quite a lot more than the average craftsperson might need, but enough to make this a useful volume to a wide audience.

Indexes are provided by common names, family name, and scientific name. I wish their were a few more permutations (I would have liked a listing by geographical sources, having once wanted to know what the native Japanese wodds were. But really, the book has proved most useful as a reference when I am wondering through an exotic wood stash, or evaluating a particular wood for one purpose or another.

It's a very plain spoken volume - just a presentation of the facts in an easily accessible format. An appendix I found particularly interesting discussed wood toxicity (walnut dust drives me crazy). Unfortunately it really only brushes the surface. If you stick to only a few known woods, this book isn't for you, but if you like to explore possibilities than you will indeed find this a useful volume.

279 woods each on 2 pages with ample information, 2 x 3.25 inch photos of the wood, a 1.25 x 2 inch micrographs for identification, and line drawings of leaves and any fruit. I don't see what else a person could want with the exception of more woods covered. Is there ever enough wood? This book is also blessed by the International Wood Collectors Society, a meticulous bunch. This volume is a good size, not too big or too heavy (yet). Maybe there will be a second volume. Hope so.

As far as I could tell the only other book that competes with this book is "World Woods in Color". I had the chance to compare the two side by side and here is my take:

The two books are very similar in many ways. They both include about the same number of woods (around 280) and they both have roughly the same sort of information about the woods. Of course 280 is a tiny number compared to the number of woods in the world, but as far as I can tell these books seem to be about the best there is in print on the subject, and these books do probably cover most the woods one can get on the retail market here in the US.

In any case, the small distinctions I noticed between theset two books were:

"Useful Woods" is organized by scientific name, which means that for most of us to find a particular wood we have to start at the index. "World Woods" is alphabetical by common name, which is easier unless you know the wood by a name other than what the authors considered to be the most common name.

"Useful Woods" is published by the International Wood Collectors Society and this orientation is apparent in the text. There is information such as the origins of the scientific names, and the sources for small samples, which most woodworkers are not likely to care much about, although it is interesting on occasion to read this information.

The color pictures of the woods in "World Woods" are larger but the pictures in "Useful Woods" are plenty large enough for me (2" x 3"). "Useful Woods" includes black and white end-grain pictures, which are useful for identification of an unknown sample. Single pictures are always hard when one is trying to capture something as variable as wood and so it's not surprising that some pictures are better than others. For example, the pictures of Lacewood in both books completely fail to capture the amazing grain of that wood, however, I thought that most of the pictures where pretty good in both books overall.

On average "World Woods" probably includes just a little bit more information on the working qualities of most woods but both books are somewhat thin in this area, at least from a woodworker's perspective.

"Useful Woods" was written in the US where "World Woods" was written in England. This shows in a number of areas, the most important of which are the woods included and the availability information about the woods. This was the final deciding point for me. I figured that everything else being about equal, which I judged it to be, it made more sense for me to get a book that focused on the woods I can get here in the US and that gives me availability information that is focused on the US Market.

So, I went ahead and bought "A Guide to Useful Woods of the World" and so far I'm happy with my choice.

If you collect Heathkit amateur radio equipment or just have an interest in Heathkit or just collect or have an interest in amateur radio history, this book is an absolute must. I had the pleasure of working at Heathkit in the Ham Radio department (although I think we were called something else) for 4 years (1977 to 1981) and that, plus my overall interest in ham radio and Heathkit (had my first Heathkit radio in 1959) has made this book an absolutely necessary reference book for me. The book is very well written, well produced, well organized and of high quality overall.

This book is great guide for the average collector. It is a must if you want to know the approximate value of the kits when NEW. This makes it much easier to set a price when shopping for used equipment.

Chuck Penson tells the entire Heathkit story in the first 30 pages without any unnecessary words. I read the entire company's story in about 2 hours and never yawned or lost interest. The print is a good size so most older readers won't any have trouble. He uses the next 7 pages for advice on how to buy used Heathkits and one page for Heathkit resource websites. He then dedicates the next 243 pages to all the Heathkit Amateur radio products plus a bunch of others. All the pictures are in B&W but they are extremely clear, not some rough copies of rough copies. He gives each product a clear concise description (some 2-3 pages long!) and includes most of the technical specifications. He includes the original cost of each item and the period of time that each item was available. He even shows many of the actual diagrams from the original Heathkit assembly manuals! That was a real trip down memory lane for someone like me who has built hundreds of Heathkits! The last pages of the book include the Heathkit "Master product index" listed first by model number, then by type. That is followed by "product references" which are ALL of the articles written in QST & CQ magazines that were related to Heathkit products. Here you can find "fixes" and modifications to almost all Heathkit products along with reviews by the magazines technical staff. Then there are tube charts showing every tube used in each product. Next, there is a chart of the timeline of each product (how long it was in production). The last 2 pages are of sales data and another QST online reference. Overall, for me, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane because I have built, owned & restored hundreds of Heathkits. I highly recommend this book to anyone who built or used Heathkit products when "Green was King".

If you were a Heathkit builder during their heyday, you'll love this book! You can read it the way you used to read the Heathkit catalog--over and over. Each of the ham radio products has its own page, and the author Chuck Penson gives his opinion as to the rarity of each item (this is a matter of opinion in some cases) With Heathkits now fetching big money on Ebay and other places, this book can also help you to choose carefully before buying a vintage Heathkit. Penson writes in a light-hearted style that is fun to read. Enjoy!

Messrs. Rivkin and Seitel serve up a veritable feast of practical ways to stimulate ideas. A central theme is the importance of borrowing -- and transforming -- existing ideas. Theirs is a sort of modern updating of Horace's definition of creativity as being "A new blend of familiar ingredients." Nice company to keep, guys.

IdeaWise combines business wisdom with fast-moving humor. I found myself highlighting something on just about every page, and having a chuckle or two along the way. This book is very cashew-like: each little nugget is tasty, and you don't want to stop eating them.

Steve Rivkin and Fraser Seitel have written a book that gives you permission to be "creative" by "copying" someone else's ideas. They demonstrate that what may be "new!" and "innovative" in one field can be a tried and true, accepted principle or application in another field. They point out, with great examples drawn from a variety of industries, how "revolutionary" ideas have been, and continue to be, actually "borrowed" from unrelated areas. They demonstrate with numerous examples how the success of the adapted application can surpass the success of the original application. This is not a new concept in some fields; that the synthesis of ideas or perspectives from two different disciplines can lead to some higher concept or value in a third may be well known and taken for granted in some fields, but never applied in so practical and enjoyable a manner as in this book. In a sense, they have "borrowed" and applied dialectics to marketing.

Written in a very practical, irreverent and humorous style, Rivkin and Seitel provide the reader with very practical advice about how to generate more and better ideas by increasing your awareness of the world around you. The actually provide step-by-step guidance on things that will work and specific principles that have to be followed to be successful. They led me to a different way of thinking about things, and for the first time in my 50-some years I am actually carrying around a notepad on which to jot down observations that will at some time find their way into my idea-making. I have read many of Rivkin's earlier contributions, and those authored by Trout and Ries, but this is the best-developed and most useful how-to book with which Rivkin has been associated so far. And they picked "Ideas", the topic on which business and cultural growth is rooted. Who can't use this help?

This book has changed my life. I train product managers and have hired expensive consultants --- until I read this book. Now I know the truth. And boy have I learned my lesson. The only "consultants" I'll ever hire again are Rivkin and Seitel!

Joyce Meyer honestly, practically and scripturally addresses many common hindrances to receiving the grace of God in day-to-day life. Her insights have totally changed my perspective, and my relationship with God -- I'm see much more fruit in my walk with Jesus -- and much less frustration.

This book gave me a true understanding of the scripture" His grace is sufficient". By understanding these principles, I am now free to be the vessel that God wants me to be. I have also gotten a new understanding of "the peace that passeth all understanding" because I am free from guilt!

This book was life-changing! It showed me that God's grace is sufficient to cover my mistakes. I found that I can live a fulfilled life, without wallowing in frustration and stress!

A good friend of mine let me borrow this book to read and it was just what I needed to hear! If you have ever struggled with feelings of unimportance or insignificance in your walk with God or within your church or maybe you find yourself getting caught up in "works" instead of strictly by faith, this book is definitely for you! In her every description, I could see myself mirrored in those actions, but the book helped me to see where I was going wrong and helped me to put the right attitudes into action in my life and get me back on track. There is also a great poem that is found in the book...but you have to piece it together. That poem is worth the purchase price of the book alone and in all sums up perfectly what God wants us to do in our everyday walk with Him!

This is not an in-depth, philosophical treatment of writing (though some may say the author accomplishes it indirectly), but an example after example fun activity tool for teachers--sprinkled with nuggets of wisdom throughout. For those who find such things useful (I don't necessarily) this latest edition includes rubrics, portfolio assessment, and writing across the curriculum. Even if you find only a small portion helpful, the purchase is worth the price. Suitable for primary through middle school.

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

I found this to be one of the most useful books for teaching writing skills. It is loaded with ideas that can be used in the classroom and can be used with teaching teachers how to teach writing skills. This book has some of the most creative and effective ideas I have seen in a long time. In fact I loaned it to someone about a year ago and have not seen it since. This demonstrates its quality. It is an easy read with samples that one can use in class forever. I recommend it highly.

This book provides numerous ideas and suggestions for creative and purposeful writing activities for upper elementary level students. The activities are easy to intergrate in a busy classroom, can be adapted for different grade and ability levels, and the kids love them!

This book helps teachers explore the art of teaching with children. It has many teacher friendly lesson plans that coordinate well with 6 Traits teaching.

I liked the book overall but have to comment on what is in my opinion, a poor choice of nomenclature. In Chapter 7, the authors use the term "functional block diagram" to denote what most engineers would term an "operational flow diagram". I found it irritating to the point of distraction. Unfortunately, there seems to be a penchant among reliability and quality assurance professionals to coin and use acronyms, often at the expense of common understanding. If you can get over that, the ideas the authors are trying to communicate are worthwhile.

This is not a book on Reliability Theory; there are no math equations or statistics -- but it refers you to the very best references and consultants for that. This is a book about making an impact on your company by improving the reliability of its products. It covers the product Life Cycle from concept to obsolescence with what to at every step. It touches every subject important to starting and sustaining a revolution on product reliability right down to the practical details like what kind of people to hire, what equipment to buy, how to budget for and ensure success installing and running a reliability lab, etc., etc. Written at a level so anyone can understand it -- within any size company -- written in a conversational tone like a fireside chat. A great reference for anyone involved in any aspect of improving product reliability.

This is an excellent book for reliability engineers and managers alike. The authors have done a great job of explaining how to implement a successful reliability program. The book teaches everything from how to avoid common obstacles encountered when developing a reliability program to what are the best and most effective reliability tools to use. You will find everything from basic to detailed reliability concepts (read the table of contents; it's very comprehensive). This is the type of book that you'll read once and continue to use as a reference for years to come.

This new book is a refreshing reliability approach to improving the reliability of products. It doesn't follow the ususal statistical approaches to describing reliability after the fact. It is not filled with equations for calculation. Rather, the authors suggest ways for companies to change how they develop products and for people to become actively involved in this process. A wide variety of topics are covered, from establishing a MRB to setting up a HALT lab to staffing. All of these provide great help for those who wish to learn from the lessons of others. This is a people oriented book aimed at helping engineers overcome the common company hurdles to improvement. It6 should be on the book shelf of every reliability engineer.

So Geoffrey Moore has the Chasm Companion. Now the field of innovative disruption so clearly identified by Clayton Christensen has its own implementation book. Like anything put out by Innosight, Christensen's consulting company, the book is thorough from end to end. If you read nothing else you must read the Summary and FAQs at the end. I read it in two lengthy sittings. It is a fascinating read that starts out talking to established companies like P&G , Intel and RIM. Then it hits its stride and the implementation guides, examples, templates and resources are useful for every company. Yes even start-ups.

IMHO anyone working in tech should have read and review this book, But I am a fan of Christensen's work , and if everyone followed his ideas, there would be less work for my consulting firm. The book is full of great case studies Swiffer, Wii, Skype, YouTube, Metro newspapers, ITunes, Whitestrips, Adwords, eBay. Some great lines. " Medical device cos commoditze doctors". " Look for people with the right school of experience - What problems could arise? Who has encountered these problems?" "What job is the client needing done? "

I've read a number of books on innovation, both on a personal and business level. Always looking to find that "edge"... In the book The Innovator's Guide to Growth: Putting Disruptive Innovation to Work by Scott D. Anthony, Mark W. Johnson, Joseph V. Sinfield, and Elizabeth J. Altman, the authors present a methodology for making disruptive innovation part of your company's culture. Along the way, I had my thoughts twisted a bit as to how best to disrupt the standard playing field, while not going head-to-head with the giants right from the beginning...

Contents:
Introduction: Your Guide to Growth; Precursors to Innovation
Part 1 - Identify Opportunities: Identifying Nonconsumers; Identifying Overshot Customers; Identifying Jobs to Be Done
Part 2 - Formulate and Shape Ideas: Developing Disruptive Ideas; Assessing a Strategy's Fit with a Pattern
Part 3 - Build the Business: Mastering Emergent Strategies; Assembling and Managing Project Teams
Part 4 - Build Capabilities: Organizing to Innovate; Innovation Metrics
Conclusion
Appendix - Frequently Asked Questions; Notes; Index; About the Authors

As you can tell from the list of chapters, the authors cover everything from identifying ideas and potential products that would be disruptive clear through to the end where you have a formal organization that can grow and repeat successes in that area. Given their experience in the field, you avoid making mistakes that are all too common and sound correct, but end up being wrong. For instance, companies have a tendency to throw massive amounts of resources and capital behind a new idea or product that will "revolutionize the industry". The problem is that everyone becomes committed to the initial design and plan, and no thought is given to learning and prototyping along the way. The end result is often a product that completely misses the mark in terms of what people want. But by then, so many millions have been sunk into the design that you can't easily go back. The book instead advocates for quick trials and cheap prototypes without large amounts of funding. That forces creativity and smaller experiments, and permits course changes along the way. Only after you get actual feedback do you commit larger resources to it. But by then, you should know the outcome or have a solid idea as to market acceptance.

For me, I was most interested in the first part of the book. The concept of "overshot customers" was one I hadn't heard of in quite those terms. These are the people who don't need or can't use all the high-end performance built into the product(s) being offered, and are actually looking for something far less. To them, "less" becomes "perfect". Why pay for 100% of a product when all you really need is 10% of it? The other 90% is of no use to you. This is also linked to the concept of "nonconsumers". These are the people who don't use your product (or any product being offered) due to constraints of skill, wealth, access, or time. If you can identify these consumers and serve them, you have an entry into the market that can disrupt the incumbents. Finally, I was also intrigued by the concept of "jobs to be done". It's the adage of "people don't buy drills, they buy holes". If you rethink your product as a service that people are hiring you to do, then you can think beyond the boundaries. An example would be the lowly mop. Not much to do differently there. But if you think that people are hiring you (the mop maker) to clean the house, then you look at the product differently. In this case, it led to the Swiffer line of dust mop accessories. Less effort, easier cleanup, and the job is done more quickly. Hence, people "hire" your product as the superior choice. Interesting concepts...

This is a book that deserves to be sitting on the shelf of management in all companies. Actually, it shouldn't be on the shelf. It should be in the briefcases and backpacks being read...

I had the good fortune to meet Scott Anthony and some of the co-authors of The Innovator's Guide to Growth at the Front End of Innovation conference last week. This book presents a number of the concepts from the Christensen series (Innovator's Dilemma, Innovator's Solution, etc) in an approachable, step by step methodology for implementation. In that manner, this book and my book (Make us more Innovative: Critical Factors for Innovation Success) are great companions, since The Innovator's Guide is really focused more on the strategic aspects of understanding how to deploy an innovation capability and align those strategies to corporate goals, while Make us more Innovative is written to detail how to build a complete innovation capability. But enough about my book.

I really liked The Innovator's Guide to Growth because it attempts to take all the great concepts about innovation and break them down into an actual guide that an innovator could follow to bring more innovation to his or her company. This book has a lot of good templates, forms and examples to help a nascent innovation leader define the innovation intent and goals and convince the management team to engage in an ongoing program of innovation.

The book is breaks down into five sections: precursors to innovation, identifying opportunities, formulating and shaping ideas, building the business and supporting systems and structures. Key points from each section:

* A firm can't innovate successfully until it's house is in control and a good game plan is in place
* Many innovation opportunities exist in "nonconsumers" (think the unbanked or un-insured) or in situations where products and services "overmeet" the needs of customers (think Southwest in airlines)
* The chapters on identifying ideas spend a significant amount of time on defining the "jobs" that people want to complete - again harking back to Christensen's books and to the concept of Outcome-Driven innovation which has also been popularized by Strategyn.
* Developing and shaping ideas focuses on refining ideas and targeting opportunities using a strategy map borrowed from Blue Ocean strategy and using innovation techniques such as ideation sessions, analogies and internal and external submissions
* I felt the chapter on assembling and managing project teams was fairly strong and identified a number of good points, especially on the interactions between an innovation team and the executive team, and the innovation team and the rest of the organization
* The chapter on innovation metrics should be must reading for any innovation program

This book takes it's primary focus as disruptive innovation and does not spend much, if any time on any other innovations. It does have a broad definition of the outcomes of innovation (products, services and business models) and does note that many times the most disruptive and most defensible innovation is a business model innovation. It is an especially good book for an executive team that needs to understand how to build an innovation capability and set the appropriate expectations.

There are a few quibbles I have with the book, however. The first two thirds of the book are really loaded with good advice, templates and forms and case studies. Somewhere in the late middle of the book, where the book begins to address refining ideas and building the innovation team, the book begins to become more theoretical and less practical. For example, what kinds of people or skill sets are better or worse for an innovation team? Should innovation be a centralized or decentralized capability? What are the best idea generation methods? What should an innovation process or methodology look like? What are the roles and responsibilities within innovation? These questions are addressed obliquely, if at all, and important topics like rewards and recognition and corporate culture are not addressed at all. Perhaps the team assumed these items are already addressed if the firm has decided to become more innovative.

While I have a number of concerns with the book as a practical methodology for deploying an innovation capability, I can wholeheartedly recommend the book, especially the first six chapters which focus on the alignment of innovation to corporate strategy and intent, and chapter eight, which is about building and managing innovation teams. I think that the segue in the middle and last third of the book from practical advice, templates and forms to more theoretical advice may align to the fact that the actual deployment of these programs is subject to many more variables, but I would have expected a bit more detail in the chapters on organizing to innovate. I will point out that chapter ten on innovation metrics, while a bit short, is an excellent overview and mirrors a lot of good advice on building innovation metrics and the expectations around innovation returns.

This book definitely belongs on the shelf of any executive considering an innovation program or initiative, and on the desk of any innovation leader. This is cross-posted from my blog Innovate on Purpose.

As a small business owner I was not sure this book would be relevant for the clientele I serve. I couldn't be more wrong! The book is written in an accessible and easy to understand way, and the strategies are easy to employ. The Innovator's Guide is a book I keep on my desk and refer to again and again. The book contains a wealth of practical tips that I have used to help my business grow! It especially helped us think about how to build the capabilities to innovate more reliably and set management expectations.

I found the entirety of the book practical and applicable, and highly recommend it to any executive or executive team member in both small and large businesses.

I heard about this book through a friend of mine and bought it. The Slashdot review appeared as I was half-way through the book and it didn't connect. May be it's me, but what I was reading in this book was quite interesting. First of all, this book takes quite an interesting approach to describe the problems in high tech community. It is very readable. The author covers *a lot* of stuff in 230 pages. I do agree with Slashdot reviewer that the author has only described his personal experiences. I've been in the field of IT for over 20 years and I think this is the first time a book talks so much about the people and their mindsets, without trying to offer a new buzzword. Refreshing. Of late I've been dealing with a lot of Indian offshore executives and I highly recommend that high tech companies (may be all companies) in India read this book so that they know how a mature professional ought to think. Part Three of the book is a classic introduction to the real product marketing, just the way it ought to be done in high tech companies. The context framework the author uses repeatedly is quite intriguing, although it just might come across as a little too-rigorous for a professional book like this.

Among many other things, I think this is a perfect book to bridge the marketing gap for engineers (and the engineering aspects for product managers). Product specifications invariably evolve as the product is being whetted - and new features may require re-engineering which could delay the product. This stuff happens every day in engineering organizations. Companies have to trade-off between product features and market timing and an inherent tension develops between development and marketing groups.

As with any problem the solution lies in acquiring knowledge - in this case knowledge of the workings of the various groups responsible for the finished product. The book does an excellent job of guiding the user through this process. Like all good solutions maybe the answer is conceptually simple!

I heard about this book through a friend of mine and bought it. The Slashdot review appeared as I was half-way through the book and it didn't connect. May be it's me, but what I was reading in this book was quite interesting. First of all, this book takes quite an interesting approach to describe the problems in high tech community. It is very readable. The author covers *a lot* of stuff in 230 pages. I do agree with Slashdot reviewer that the author has only described his personal experiences. I've been in the field of IT for over 20 years and I think this is the first time a book talks so much about the people and their mindsets, without trying to offer a new buzzword. Refreshing. Of late I've been dealing with a lot of Indian offshore executives and I highly recommend that high tech companies (may be all companies) in India read this book so that they know how a mature professional ought to think. Part Three of the book is a classic introduction to the real product marketing, just the way it ought to be done in high tech companies. The context framework the author uses repeatedly is quite intriguing, although it just might come across as a little too-rigorous for a professional book like this.

In the Preface, Karamchedu offers a core premise that senior-level executives in high-technology companies must have a specific mindset which enables them to remain connected, not only with their employer organizations and colleagues but also with their family members and friends. "This book is an attempt to record the [in italics] makings [end italics] of such a mindset. More important, we attempt to establish [in italics] why [end italics] the thinking must be in such a way." Karamchedu also examines the reasons for the failure for so many new product designs which are launched in the high technology sector. "Either the product is not what the customer wanted, or the product did not arrive in time, or [it] did not have a compelling advantage over that of its competitor's. Karamchedu identifies three reasons, any one of which could ensure failure. I was also interested in what Karamchedu had to say about an especially formidable challenge: To coordinate, indeed integrate harmonious collaboration between engineering groups and marketing teams.

Karamchedu carefully organizes 20 chapters within four Parts: The Thinking (e.g. "The Problem"), The Forward Movement Latent in Execution (e.g. "The Context of Execution"), High Tech Contexts: A Semiconductor Company View (e.g. "The Semiconductor Value Chain"), and The Craft and the Mindset (e.g. "Manage Expectations"). If I understand Karamchedu correctly (and I may not), he asserts that more often than not, failure in the high-tech marketplace is not the result of faulty technology and/or a defective strategy; rather, because of a lack of cooperation and collaboration between/among engineers and marketers. This lack of interaction almost always results in ineffective execution. Market windows come and go unrecognized until it is too late. Karamchedu responds to one of the most important questions posed in this book: How is it that, in spite of making remarkable strides in high technology product design, development and deployment of these products in markets, we are still struggling to create a harmony between marketing and engineering professionals?"

For me, Chapter 10 ("The Context of Execution") is one of the most interesting and most valuable because it is in this chapter that Karamchedu focuses on a framework of contexts: the technological, the customer, and the economic. All three must be engaged in driving whatever individual employees create, build, and deploy in the market. Thus viewed, "a high technology company is simply a confluence of the three contexts." Karamchedu views all this as a powerful new paradigm to connect the three contexts with the circle of execution. How? Please see page 92.

Lest these brief remarks incorrectly suggest that this is an especially theoretical, hypothetical book, I hasten to observe that Karamchedu seems well aware of that peril and for that reason includes dozens of concrete examples which effectively illustrate his key points. If I have a concern, it is that the material may seem too technical to marketing executives and not technical enough to engineers. I agree with Karamchedu that "the strength of any high technology product is differentiation and a focused approach to selected markets." Hence the importance of having a vision which provides a clear, unquestionable, solid identity as to [in italics] what we are as a company." Karamchedu views his approach in this book as an "experiment" and it probably is. Be that as it may, executives in high technology companies are indeed provided with "something useful to think about" as they continue to explore and refine the craft of thinking on which the success of their organizations so heavily depends.

Well-done, Raj Karamchedu!

Ron has a very laid back writing style. You can tell that he has spent a considerable amount of time in the trenches and appreciates the amount of hard work and focus it takes for a successfull product development project. I would definately recomend this book for anyone serious about wanting to add tools to their product development toolbox.

This is the author's second book on product development. The first one was focused primarily on cost reduction with some material about time-to-market. In this book his focus is primarily on reducing development time through focusing on the new development team processes. Ron offers some very practical advice, and a host of easy to use tools and aids that new product development teams can adapt very easily and quickly. Ron's writing style is that of a practitioner and therefore makes reading the material easy, and is made relevant to a real world environment.

His approach of adapting some traditional lean tools to the product development situation is novel. I found his version of Value Stream Mapping for example, for a basically creative process, very useful.

While this book stands on its own, if you have not read Ron's first book "The Lean Design Guidebook," doing so would give you holistic perspective on both the time and cost factors involved in the new product design process.

Project management professional Ronald Mascitelli presents The Lean Product Development Guidebook: Everything Your Design Team Needs to Improve Efficiency and Slash Time-to-Market, a handbook written especially for design team managers in all business fields. The focus lies upon making the product development process "lean", thereby improving both its efficiency and its effectiveness. Chapters describe how to establish product design requirements, heighten the pace of project execution, and apply self-assessment tools to keep design paradigms operating at optimal levels. The Lean Product Development Guidebook is spiral-bound, able to lay flat or be folded over on itself for easy reference, and is written in plain terms, with numerous black-and-white charts and diagrams illustrating its principles. Enthusiastically recommended as an overview resource and guideline for design team managers everywhere.

I just finished reading "The Lean Product Development Guidebook" and I am totally impressed with the practical tools and common sense tone of this book. The author makes the learning experience pleasant and even entertaining! Most of the two dozen "lean methods" described in the book can be used right away and will provide immediate benfits. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is serious about driving waste out of the product design process.

In this unique book, David Attenborough has undertaken a history of nature, from one-celled organisms in the primeval slime more than 3000 million years ago to modern day's humans. The book presents a chronological account of the life on planet Earth over a period of 3,500 million years. Life on Earth is an astonishing array of characters drawn from the whole range of living animals the world over. Attenborough takes the reader around the world with him into jungles, deserts and remote mountains. The book's 13 chapters follow the sequence of main events in the evolution of life on earth. The book details the emergence of one-celled, then multi-celled organisms; the movement of life from sea to land; adaptation to life in the air; the development of warm-blooded animals; the transition between ground life and tree life; and finally the evolution of man himself.

Thirteen chapters matching the thirteen programs of the BBC series on which it was based. Follows the evolution of life on earth, presenting fascinating observations about the likely functional reasons life unfolded as it has. Offers the grand sweep of life in an engaging and integrated presentation, with a very readable and even charming tone, and including more than 100 excellent color photos. TOC:
1 the infinite variety
2 building bodies
3 the first forests
4 the swarming hordes
5 the conquest of the waters
6 the invasion fo the land
7 a watertight skin
8 lords of the air
9 eggs, pouches, and placentas
10 theme and variation
11 the hunters and the hunted
12 a life in the trees
13 the compulsive communicators

As usual David Attenborough delivers. This book is beautifully written and has breathtaking pictures. Attenborough makes any subject interesting and easy to read. I have learned so much from his writting, and have experienced worlds beyond my reach through the pictures.

A really interesting and informative book by a wonderful author, who has a real talent in writing. I found it simple and easy, (in a good way) and was sad to turn the last pages. It also has beautiful pictures.