Publications and Media Books

Reviewed by Bette Daoust for Reader Views (2/07)

I want to start with a statement that this book, although aimed at IT executives, contains valuable information for executives in any part of an organization. Project disaster can happen to anyone at anytime. All projects should be on-time and on-budget no matter where they exist. So where do you start? You start by having a copy of this book and read it from cover to cover, make notes, and review everything with your team.

You will begin with your strategy. What industry does not need to define a strategy? Anything from stating the problem, creating a solution, resource requirements, to return on investment, should come into play no matter what the project. IT executives tend to fall into this far more often than any other executive and this book addresses a number of the issues through example. What better teacher than projects that have not made the grade.

It has been said that Edison found thousands of ways that his inventions did not work and those so called failures were the teaching tools for the successes that followed. Any IT executive that has never reached the point of failure still has a lot to learn. Kozak-Holland presents project disasters where the reader may gain experience through learning what did not work, even though the procedures were put in place to prevent disasters. Following the book to the letter will not necessarily help to avoid disaster; it simply provides a road map to guide your judgment. For example, the author talked about avoiding percentages because peak periods are not taken into consideration. If percentages are used, then disasters are more than likely to occur. Good advice!

So what does this book provide for the reader? "Avoiding Project Disaster" is a plethora of information on how problems can interfere with a project and solutions for avoiding most of those problems. The key message is to monitor the project at all times and never let down your guard. The book will guide any IT executive through the project maze. If you are at all involved with managing projects, then this book is a necessary tool for your team. Do not start your next project without it.

When I first saw the title of this book I had to smile at the thought of the big IT projects with which I have been associated that subsequently sank as though they had run into an iceberg.

An example though of how this book approaches comparing the Titanic with an IT project: One way to get an advance notice of an iceberg ahead is to pull up a bucket of sea water and get its temperature -- it's colder around the iceberg. A sailor was assigned to do this. He was observed filling the bucket with tap water, as the rope he was given was too short to reach the sea. The IT meaning - set up tests, but make sure the tests are real and that the results of the tests are based on real data not what is easy to obtain or pre-determined by other means.

This book is an easy-reading, light-hearted approach to illustrating some real truths about how projects (not only IT projects) really work. You'll pick up a few ideas about why the last project was so late and over budget, and perhaps your next project will go better.

Rowe has brought together an excellent collection from the fringes. This book is entertaining and a great starting point for people interested in the idiosyncratic world of e-zines.

The Book of zines, edited by Chip Rowe, is an excellent and entertaining way to be introduced to zines. This book contains sample articles from past and current zines such as Mystery Date, Hitch, Bust, Preparation X, to name a few. There is an interview with the Pillsbury Doughboy, an analysis of Fonzie's relationship with Marion, sex eduction on vinyl, to name a few articles included in this compilation.

It also includes information on ordering zines.

Do NOT read this book. Work on your art, do whatever, but do not read this book. You can scratch you head at why I'm taking on the project you thought you would get, or why I got the prestigious assignment you were sure was yours. It's all about being a professional, and I don't need the competition. In short, this book will teach you what you do not want others to learn.

This is the best "How to" book I've read on comics. Not "How to Draw or Write" but a practical guide to the business side of the industry. Every aspiring pro should read this book. Thank you Ms. Haines

Writing in a clear comprehensive style, the author relates the history of Thebes, giving much detailed information about its tombs and their decoration. She also tells the story of the rediscovery of those tombs and briefly describes the early travelers' journeys to the Theban area. Illustrated with black and white photographs and line drawings, including many unpublished until now, this book is a fascinating and useful source for anyone interested in Ancient Egypt.

Yet again Prof. Manniche manages to poduce an excellent work. This book makes an excellent addition to Musicians and Musical Instruments in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Egyptian Herbal, and Sacred Luxuries. I am anxious to get a copy of Sexual Life in Ancient Egypt. City of the Dead is oriented toward the student or professional archaeologist. There are plenty of interesting facts that would intrigue the armchair historian as well. I recommend this book and all of the other works this author has created.

I found this book to be practical and well written. It had a strong section on IVR, including a good discussion on application generators. CTI was covered, as well as standards and typical business uses. The call center reporting chapter was a little weak but the other chapters on VoIP, telephony implementation, call accounting and security overcame this limitation. Also, I like the author's writing style. He stays focused on the topic and makes good use of the book real estate.

A re-organization in our company placed telecom services under the Administration Department. Not having a technical background, I was a bit concerned about my new operational and technical responsibilities. The world of Communications always seemed so complicated.

I found this book to be right on target. The concepts of CTI, Unified Messaging and especially implementation of telephony systems were clearly explained and logical. An unexpected chapter on cost management was extremely valuable in Operations. This is not a programming book but a very helpful resource to an individual making decisions on CTI/Telephony systems. There are plenty of examples and illustrations from real systems. The best part is that it was written in plain, easy-to-understand English. I tried to read telecommunications books many times but they were so technical they proved to be a great cure for insomnia.

This book covers traditional Telephony basics, security, management tools and even has an outline for an RFP for PBX and Voice Mail systems. It gives a view of tomorrow's technology providing negatives as well as the positives of new technology such as Voice over IP.

The only negative is that I wish the book were a little longer.

This book is a handy feild guide for all communications techs. A must have for all new hires.

This is one of the best organized handbooks that I have run across for telecommunication and IT specialists. It has everything that you would ever need at your fingertips. It covers everything from POTS to broadband, and even delves into video communications. Formulas? This handbook has 'em.... Charts? They're in there... Need to know the exact bandwidth of an OC-192 line? It's just a flip away. Pinouts? It even had a hard to find pinout for a 6MMJ... I looked everywhere for that pinout!

No self-respecting IT or COMM specialist should go anywhere without this in their back pocket... It's only 20bux to boot!

I know I sound like a commercial, but I was THAT impressed with this handbook. I normally never write reviews. This handbook warranted it. It's definately going to make the IT or COMM specialist more productive, as it will save a TON of time in research.

Kudos to Paul Rosenburg, et. al.

The book, "Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen", is the catalog for an exhibition that has just opened. The first two reviews provide perspectives and understanding that are quite different from those offered in the preceding review from Publishers Weekly.

Leah Ollman (LA Times, 11/18/01) comments that, "We want to know the world and have experiences beyond the ordinary. We want to extend our vision beyond its familiar capacity. These are timeless desires, born with the species. They thrive on wonder, ... 'Devices of Wonder' traces those impulses and the technologies designed to act on them during the past 400 years. Full of serious toys, marvelous instruments and art resonant with the theme of discovery, the show [and catalog] track a history of visual thinking, 'from the world in a box to images on a screen,'..."

Speaking of both the exhibition and the catalog, the hard-nosed and insightful reviewer, Christopher Knight (Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2001) remarks that, "The Wunderkabinett is back, their show asserts--bigger, now nearly ubiquitous and considerably more far-reaching than any Baroque prince could ever have dreamed. Today's Wunderkabinett is sitting on your desk at home or in the office, or perhaps it's resting in your briefcase or on your lap." "Looking at wondrous things in a Wunderkabinett becomes the launch pad for the wonders of looking. Sight connects with insight. Mirrors facilitate reflection. Images are themselves ideas. ... Playful and unexpected connections get drawn. ... The show [and the catalog] is filled with these sorts of surprising delights, which can send your mind off in unexpected directions."

...

The book, "Devices of Wonder: From the World in a Box to Images on a Screen", is the catalog for an exhibition that has just opened. The first two reviews provide perspectives and understanding that are quite different from those offered in the preceding review from Publishers Weekly.

Leah Ollman (LA Times, 11/18/01) comments that, "We want to know the world and have experiences beyond the ordinary. We want to extend our vision beyond its familiar capacity. These are timeless desires, born with the species. They thrive on wonder, ... 'Devices of Wonder' traces those impulses and the technologies designed to act on them during the past 400 years. Full of serious toys, marvelous instruments and art resonant with the theme of discovery, the show [and catalog] track a history of visual thinking, 'from the world in a box to images on a screen,'..."

Speaking of both the exhibition and the catalog, the hard-nosed and insightful reviewer, Christopher Knight (Los Angeles Times, November 19, 2001) remarks that, "The Wunderkabinett is back, their show asserts--bigger, now nearly ubiquitous and considerably more far-reaching than any Baroque prince could ever have dreamed. Today's Wunderkabinett is sitting on your desk at home or in the office, or perhaps it's resting in your briefcase or on your lap." "Looking at wondrous things in a Wunderkabinett becomes the launch pad for the wonders of looking. Sight connects with insight. Mirrors facilitate reflection. Images are themselves ideas. ... Playful and unexpected connections get drawn. ... The show [and the catalog] is filled with these sorts of surprising delights, which can send your mind off in unexpected directions." (...)

This book is incredibly valuable to anyone seeking to learn more about environmental and social movement communication. It's one of those rare books that smartly, coherently and comprehensively lays out the state of research on an important subfield of communication studies. It's also written in a way that is accessible to both practitioners and scholars.

From former Vice President Al Gore to Republican consultant Frank Luntz, there is one thing on which we all agree: in order to make a difference in environmental policy and ethics, we need to reflect on and improve the ways we communicate about the environment in the public sphere. This book is a step in that direction. The author of this textbook is not just book smart. J. Robert Cox, a Professor at the UNC-Chapel Hill, also has served in the Sierra Club as the President of the Board of Directors (2000-2001; 1994-96;2007-present) and as a Director (1993-1999; 2000-2006).

I loved this book, and cherish it in my collection. The stunning illustrations, the sympathetic and entertaining characters, the meaningful lessons learned, and the fresh unique voice all add up to make this a perfect children's book. I highly recommend it to everyone, kids and adults alike. Thank you, Mr. Lyon!

I have this book for my baby boy Ben who is 11 months old. He loves looking at the bright, beautiful illustrations. This is a joyful book full of interesting characters and amazing colours that draw adult and child alike into Buzby's world. The pages draw Ben's attention to every corner, he loves to study the details and colours. I enjoy reading the story because it's funny and it's gentle humour is so beguiling. This book has already gotten dog eared from use and I've only had it a few months. I would highly recommend this book, my nephew who is 12 also has this book and loves reading it. This book is really unlike any other children's book I've seen, and I've seen alot. This is a must have!

Well worth the price. Just couldn't put this book down. Harrington illustrates exactly how journalism should be. Every journalist, aspiring or professional, should read this book!

This book demonstrates just how well magazine nonfiction can be. The journalists selected are not particuarly well-known, but they are masters of their craft and present highly enjoyable reads. Susan Orlean might be the best-known of the bunch, just because her most recent book, "The Orchid Thief," was highlighted in the 2002 movie "Adaptation."

For starters, Orlean's piece "The American Male at Age 10" was a fascinating look at today's youth. Each piece is outstanding in its own way, but may I also present as standouts "TV Without Guilt" (a family whose television is on approximately 16 hours a day) and "The Man Who Couldn't Read" (profile of an illiterate millionaire with two college degrees).

As a bonus for those with an interest in feature writing, "Author's Afterwords" has the writers briefly describe the process of finding and executing their ideas. But if you are an aspiring writer or just appreciative of quality writing, this book is a must-read.