Chang Books

...this book has just been reprinted by Dover, under the title "Teachings and Practice of Tibetan Tantra." The only differences being that this book has a prettier cover, three illustrations (two thangka photos of Tilopa and Gampopa, and some odd doodle), and lacks the additional intro which doesn't really do anything to the text. Shame on everyone for jacking the prices up on these!

One of the few books I have gone back to repeatedly over the years as a great photographic reference book for the garden. Well put together, fantastic printing job, large views of gardens that an good gardener can reproduce.

This book should have appeared in "For Dummies" series. It assumes no prior knowledge whatsoever about Chinese language or culture, and does a good job of giving a background on both. The writing style is fluent and the book is fun to read. The book was written some twenty years ago. Maybe those days people knew less about China, because it assumes no common knowledge at all. It covers the language, history, cultural background, etc. It is not a textbook, so do not expect to know any of these topics after reading it.

These books are a must have if you are in the medical field. They are a wonderful addition to your collection.

Chang and Kelly have done a wonderful job simplifying a very crucial process in any environment that seeks to improve its operation. The book is short and very directive. I recommend it for any organization that wants to find ways to review its operation and implement changes that will have a positive impact. People are resources and have the ability to share their ideas to make things work more efficiently. I wish more of those contemporary self-help texts would follow this book's example by reducing their 200 to 300 page text to a 104-page workbook process like Chang's and Kelly's. This is a pragmatic approach that can be used immediately by any group.

The Story Of Kites is a fanciful picture book story by Ying Chang Compestine about the invention of kites in ancient China. An author's note mentions in passing that there is no precise record of how or why the kite was invented, yet theories concerning the first beautiful kites make for an engaging tale, enhanced with iconic color illustrations by Yongsheng Xuan.

I found the beginning of the book a bit tedious but, once I made it past the background material and into the core concepts, it got really exciting. This book proposes a technique for dynamically evolving the structure of a nueral net during training. I haven't tried implementing it, but it's a fascinating theory.

Succeeding As a Self-Managed Team : A Practical Guide to Operating As a Self-Managed Work Team
by Richard Y. Chang, Mark J. Curtin

Inside you will find a highly effective model to guide your group's transition to a self-managed team. You'll read about how to plan for, design, and implement self-managed teams. Also included are keys to successfully realigning responsibilities for the management of the team and organizing its workflow. A must-read for team members, leaders, and managers.

1. Introduction
Why Read This Guidebook?
Who Should Read The Guidebook?
When And How To Use It

2. What Are Self-Managed Teams?
Benefits Of Self-Managed Teams
Challenges On The Road To Self-Managed Teams

3. The Team Transition Model

4. Phase One: Plan
Set The Stage
Clarify Your Sense Of Purpose
Determine And Communicate Effects On Others

5. Phase Two: Analyze
Clarify Team Management Responsibilities
Determine The Work Responsibilities And Cross-Training Needed
See That Everyone Has The Right Attitude To Succeed
Clarify The Policies And Procedures That Need To Be Changed

6. Phase Three: Design
Assign Team Management And Administration Responsibilites
Design The Work Flow
Agree On How The Team Will Interact
Create A Detailed Flow Chart

7. Phase Four: Implement
Create An Action Plan For Initial Projects
Ensure Tasks And Responsibilites Are Performed On Schedule
Anticipate Problems And Put Together Contingency Plans

8. Phase Five: Evaluate

Provide Team Members With Feedback From Each Other
Gain Feedback From Important Sources Outside The Team
Celebrate Your Accomplishments

9. Summary

This should help in preparing anyone who is going into a self-managed team for what's ahead.

I highly recommend this book!

This contributed volume is published as item 33
in Springer Series in Materials Science and is
based on updated and expanded proceedings of the
International Workshop on pi-Electron Materials
held at the Northwestern University, Evanston in
August 1996. The workshop was co-organized
by the Japan Science and Technology Corporation
(JST) in commemoration of the Yoshimura
pi-Electron Materials Project, one of Japanese
national projects within the JST ERATO program.
The volume is opened with introductory and closed
with summary chapter by S. Yoshimura, placing
the topics into a wide context of materials science
and outlining future developments. The main body
of the volume is divided in four parts.

The section named Overview consists of
two beautiful chapters. One is from M. S. Dresselhaus
and surveys various forms of carbon. The other
chapter is written by R. E. Smalley and deals
with crystalline ropes of metallic carbon
nanotubes.

The next specialized part, Synthesis and Properties
of New pi-Electron Materials 1 - Carbon Nanotubes,
starts with a contribution by R. P. H. Chang
et al. on formation of nanotubes, nanowires,
and nanoparticles in a hydrogen arc. The following
chapter is more theoretical - the geometry of
multishell nanotubes is treated by S. Amelinckx
and B. Bernaerts. Catalytic synthesis of carbon
nanotubes, especially catalyzed by supported cobalt
and iron, is discussed in an article by
D. Bernaerts et al. The following contribution
from M. Yudasaka and R. Kikuchi similarly treats
graphitization of carbonaceous materials by Ni, Co and
Fe. Article by S. Yoshimura, R. P. H. Chang et al.
concentrates on intercalation into multiwall
carbon nanotubes and required specific reaction
conditions. The last chapter of this part,
written by R. P. H. Chang, S. Yoshimura et al.,
deals with evidence for quantum transport in carbon
nanotube bundles.

The following specialized part is entitled Synthesis
and Properties of New pi-Electron Materials 2 - New
Carbons and Graphites and opens with a report from S. Tanuma
on synthesis and structure of quasi-one-dimensional carbon
crystal - carbolite, and its intercalation properties.
T. Enoki supplies a chapter on novel carbon-based
host-guest systems with He, H2 and O2 as guest
materials. Carbonaceous mesophase formation and molecular
composition of petroleum feedstocks are discussed in a more
applied article by S. Eser. The last chapter of
this part is from Y. Ohki and reports preparation and
properties of several new pi-electron materials.

The last specialized section, Applications of New
pi-Electron Materials, is opened with a report
on a strategy for preparing defect-minimized fullerene
monolayers written by W. B. Caldwell and C. A. Mirkin.
S. Yoshimura et al. deal with carbonaceous thin
film produced by CVD and its application for
photovoltaic cells. N. Yamada reports photoluminiscence
from carbon/silica gel nanocomposite. Finally,
S. Otani et al. describe how carbon materials
promote growth of certain bacteria.

The book extends over 250 pages, is supplied with 150
figures, and has a very pleasant lay-out. The volume
is certainly an excellent contribution to carbon-based
materials science and should find its way into every
library of the field.

ISBN: 3-540-64379-6

If you look for useful informations and are planning to be a excellent infomed Doc, buy NORTON at once.

T h e b e s t M E D I C A L & S C I E N T I F I C & E N T E R T A I N I N G b o o k e v e r - I s w e a r