Research Books

I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, Paul Dunn. Paul had already set me up to become a value pricing (VP) fan as that what he lives and breathes, and so I was already in a positive frame of mind to read the book. Well, the book blew my mind! It delivered on all of my expectations and then some. If you are serious about making a difference in your business, then you absolutely have to read this book.

This book is not just for accountants and lawyers. It is for any service organisation that has a pricing policy. The science behind VP and how to value your services is incredible. And when you've read it, you'll see just how much common sense there is in VP.

We are now working on introducing VP into our firm and while it's not going to be all beer and skittles as we go through the process, what we can see as possible on the other side of VP, we know will make it all worthwhile.

Read and enjoy!

The author Ron Baker get the point across well, that pricing by the hour is old fashioned to say the least and creates harm between you and the customer. He also shows clearly why value pricing is ethical and how to make the most of your marketing preactices. I would highly suggest this book. It is worth way more than the price!

Having read the previous edition of this book for just 20 minutes I e-mailed the author to tell him that "I have seen this book described as the most important book in the profession. Without a shadow of a doubt, it will change my life."

The new chapters make this latest edition even better. Read the chapter on Total Quality Service to understand how to compete in the future. Ron Baker will completely change your views on pricing professional services. You will start to charge what you are worth with a consequent improvement in both income and self esteem.

Recently I was in a group of 70 accountants who listened to the author speak on Value Pricing for just ten minutes. At the end he received a standing ovation. In my 30 years in the profession I have never seen accountants show such enthusiasm for a speaker and his subject.

If you want to change your professional (and personal) life for the better buy this book.

I bought this book on a trial basis, due to its cost. It came on a Friday, and I scanned it that night. I wrote the check next morning.
This book changed my attitude about my profession. I was ready to quit. Burned out, tired, frustrated, and angry.
Within one month, I had identified 5 major clients and had more than doubled the revenue from those clients. My staff is happier because they feel they are being treated as professionals and generating fees more in line with their abilities. We have "dismissed" several non-productive clients, and haven't missed the revenue. We work fewer hours at more enjoyable work and actually make more profits. It has positively affected my home life as well.

Run, don't walk, to order your copy of this book. Ron Baker does for pricing our services what Montgomery did for Auditing.
What a novel idea, to get paid for the value of the services that we provide to our clients.
Ron Baker's goal, as he so aptly describes it, is "to trash time sheets forever". Keeping track of time is the biggest waste of time ever perpetrated on professionals. Accountants have become slaves to the concept of "the almighty hour". We are not selling hours but intellectual capital.
Ron takes you through every step necessary to start your trip to successful value pricing. You will learn exactly how to present this to your existing clients. You will also learn how to use a change order when there turns out to be hidden surprises that no one anticipated. He will explain the concept of service guarantees as an excellent way of gaining new clients and show you in detail how to draft service agreements to use. The book comes with a CD-Rom that has many forms and agreements referred to in the book.
I don't know too many people who are thrilled about the idea of having any work done for them without knowing exactly what the cost will be. It's like boarding an airplane in Los Angeles, flying to New York, and being told your fare will depend on how many minutes you're in the air.
Ron Baker is truly one of the very few original thinkers in the accounting profession. Listen to him; learn from him, and I promise you that you will improve your professional life and most important, your bottom line as well.

This is simply the best book for those analyzing longitudinal data (data measured at more than one time point). Singer's coverage of Hierarchical Linear MOdeling (HLM) is clear, well-written (sprinkled with humor, it's like a lecture by the most popular prof. at your school), and geared towards researchers who need their programs to run, not just learn the mathematical underpinnings. Singer and Willett (the coauthor, not listed above!) set the standard for presenting math/statistics book examples.

THe authors accomplish the latter by keying her examples to data located at a UCLA website; you can run the same programs on the same datasets used in the book (wow!), and compare your output, troubleshooting any problems you may have. Singer and Willett (her coauthor, not listed here!) provide outputs and programs correspoing to several of the most popular statistical programs, including SAS and SPSS.

SInger and Willet also explain the rationale for using HLM over more traditional techniques such as regression. Simply stated, regression aggregates at a level that cause one to lose information (and hence the power to detect differences.) HLM allows one to look at overall differences due to time, but also the trajectories of individual differences who are "nested" within those time points. It's the (relatively) new thing, and is increasing used by investigators, and desired by peer reviewers.

As supplements, I suggest using the UCLA website mentioned above, subscribing to an e-mail LISTSERV for interesting (though sometimes compicated discussions of "multilevel modeling" (MULTILEVEL@JISCMAIL.AC.UK), and searching for Judith Singer's website through Google or A9 (if you use A9--"Alexa"--enough you'll get a small discount at Amazon.com). Also, compare Amazon's and Judith Singer's (through her website) current prices on this book.

I find Professor Singer's Book to be a most informative and useful tool for anyone who wishes to better understand Multilevel Modeling.

This is an excellent book. Multilevel modeling and survival analysis are becoming increasingly important in psychological studies, but are pretty complicated procedures. Singer & Willet offer both a conceptual background and practical ways to do the analyses in a clear, understandable manner. The book is very readable and will be an important reference for future analyses!

Clearly written text... and usefull for researchers.
I would recommend it to anyone starting to learn about the subject!

This book does a particularly good job of explaining the substantive meaning of the equations involved in multilevel modeling analyses. It spends a lot of extra time explaining what the equations mean in real world terms using examples from actual data sets. I teach a graduate level course on HLM and I much prefer this book to the Raudenbush & Byrk book because it not only does a better job of explaining the math (for graduate students less comfortable with statistics) but the chapters are also sprinkled with incredibly useful advice on actually running the analyses (getting them to converge, interpreting them, etc.) The Raudenbush & Bryk book probably does a slightly better job of presenting the equations, but it falls short on explanation and practical advice. If you were only going to buy one HLM book, I would start with this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story - a parable explaining the concept of Intelligent Design for those not inclined to immerse themselves in the theory. I recognized all the common arguments against intelligent design which were skillfully woven into the parable and properly explained, for those who want more, at the end of the book.I used the parable to better illustrate the concept to my children and it really drove the point home in an easily understandable manner.
It's a good story, easy to read and a worthwhile asset for your library. I'm going to get all my teenagers to read it since it's pretty difficult to run much theory past them.Even though they understand the basics of the argument, I need them to know more so that they can better explain it to their friends and even their indoctrinated teachers.This is an excellent way to get the job done -I thoroughly recommend this to all those interested in ID and especially for those that have family members or friends that are difficult to engage on the topic!

I found this book to present a unique perspective on evolution and intelligent design. Unlike most books that are heavily into theoretical arguments, the Cave Painting illustrates the debate with an allegory -- highlighting presuppositions and logical flaws. If you prefer more detailed and scientific reasoning, the second HALF of the book is a thorough set of endnotes including copious quotes and references to support the arguments presented in the text. Highly recommended.

This book does all things well. It entertains and explains at the same time. It is not only a masterful introduction to the subject, but a concise yet comprehensive summary of the matter as well. Buy more than one so you can share it with others - somebody you know needs this book. And the conversations that ensue will more than make up for the investment.

The Cave Painting is a critically important book that covers one of the most heated controversies in the western world today. In short, the contents of the book are summarized in the introduction: "We are the product of intelligent design or we are not the product of intelligent design. One of these claims must be true and truth is not changed by your theory or mine." For this reason it behooves us to carefully look into the facts. The author, an accomplished corporate attorney, in 526 pages carefully documents his case. Many Neo-Darwinists may not agree, but they need to at least carefully review the evidence which has convienced millions of Americans and many scientists that life, which as Richard Dawkins documents, appears to be designed, actually is designed. Page 229 to page 526 carefully documents the author's case with 691 footnotes. Is design an illusion, as argued by Richard Dawkins, or is design real, as most Americans have concluded. Bullock covers many of the arguments against Intelligent Design, showing why and how they fail. One example, which I can relate to because of my career research involvement, is the claim by Richard Dawkins that half of an eye is better than no eye (page 262). The enormous amount of research on sight has shown why this argument is fallacious. Half an eye is in no way equal to half as effective vision as a whole eye, but rather no vision. As Duke-Elder documented in his 24 volume classic work, the eye is clearly irreducibly complex. Work on disease conditions and knock out genes has repeatedly confirmed this. One still has vision in spite of certain conditions, such as near-sightedness or far-slightness or astigmatism, but these conditions result from slight eyeball variations and are not comparable to half an eye or even one-twentieth of an eye as Neo-Darwinists try to argue. Even very minor variations, such as in tear production levels, can render vision difficult or largely impossible. These examples in no way show how the eye could evolve from a cell. Some argue "don't evolutionists have a neat progression from an eyespot to a lensless eye to a human eye, proving the eye can evolve by slow gradual changes from non-differentiated cells?" Sounds logical. My response is "read the book."

The Cave Painting presents, in an exciting prose, the crux of the "Intelligent Design" debate. By demonstrating the concept of "design inference" in an actual novel, Mr. Bullock clears the air for all future discussion.

Everything in the universe has the scientific right to be studied -- and it also has the right to have this question asked of it:

"Is it naturally occuring, or is it designed?"

In contemporary culture, this question is asked of many issues: forensics, archeology, SETI, and any venture where one must decide whether something is "deliberate" or "accidental". Mr. Bullock demands that this question also be allowed to be asked of biology, DNA, or life in general.

A great book, great appendices, and long over-due!

If I would only have the joy to read one book in my lifetime, it should be See Under: Love.

See Under: Love took my breath away, moved me to tears and touched me in the tenderest reaches of my soul. It is brilliant, imaginative, engaging and humane. The way characters, themes and time wind into each other transport the reader to a place far beyond the mundane. I loved every word. Immediately upon finishing, I went back to the first page to reread. My second reading was more deliberate and careful, and I caught much that I had overlooked in my first pass. I am sure that I will reread it again and again.

I originally bought this book after Jonathan Safran Foer enumerated it in his "Five Most Important Books" for an August 2007 Newsweek piece. Foer called it, "The novel of the 21st century" though it was first published in English in 1989. I thank Jonathan Safran Foer for his own works and, here, this recommendation. And in turn, I hope that I can pass this rare jewel on to others. This is my first review (well, not really a review which is elsewhere on Amazon but a recommendation) but I am compelled to do so. Months after the reading, I find myself thinking about See Under: Love and feeling grateful that I experienced it. This is not an easy book to read but the rewards are multifold. And when you are done, read the transcript of a talk that the author gave for a San Francisco Symposium at http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0411/is_1_51/ai_85068470 for even greater insight.

David Grossman has taken the worst that man has to offer and spun it into a magical, magnificent ouevre which will touch you with the human spirit and make you proud to be alive.

Words fail. I beg anyone who has been considering buying into Jonathan Safran Foer's hype to instead find themselves a copy of this, the book from which he appears to have stolen most of his ideas, instead.

All hyperbole aside, this wonderful book has few equals. It demands attention, and reflection, and time, and it rewards those willing to invest those things in it beyond compare. Nothing short on a meditation the way our lives are impacted by the moral calculi of others, and the way our own actions reverberate throughout the generations.

As an Israeli who have read it in Hebrew, I would like to add a few words. One thing: this book is entirely different if you read it in Hebrew. It losses a lot in the translation, and not because the translation is bad, rather that the combination of different layers of very special Hebrew combined with Yiddish, along with the cultural context, makes it a book that is an impossible mission for the translator. Of course, you can't ask someone to learn Hebrew just for this book (and this still won't be enough, because he has to be born again as an Israeli and grow up here to understand everything...), but the book has numerous universal aspects that can be translated, and it's still, even after the translation, a must-read.
And now, for the book itself (if there is such a thing the book itself...).
This is by-far the greatest Israeli book that I have ever read. I had one feeling that went along with me throughout the journey: I don't know how the hell he did. I just don't know. Like a magician that makes a trick you just can't figure. The scope. The depth. I cannot describe this book. It defies space and time. It is a masterpiece.

I don't think I am qualified to write a review of this piece of art. Think Toni Morrison on LSD, or maybe Falkner writing in Hebrew as Isaiah, composing in a way never before conceived, about of all things, The Hollocaust! I guess this most twisted example of human depravity requires such a book. However, if I had not read Mr. Grossman's beautiful love narrative, " Someone to Run With" I would not have known at first if it was a work of genius or a tale told by an idiot, and might not have hung in there long enough to declare it the former - 5 stars! However, a second reading may be required to understand the nuances.

One of the best novels I have ever read. Don't miss it!

I worked closely with the author for over a decade and know first-hand that what he's saying here is both valid and smart. But what really knocks me out is something even bigger.

Henry is a thinker, dreamer, inveterate tinkerer and creative type. In another life, he could have been Michaelangelo. What he ISN'T, however, is an author. Until now. And that's my point.

What Henry 's done here is what he's urging you to do. To step forward, get out of your comfort zone and do something new, different and challenging. To rekindle your inherent spirit to create. These are the threads that we, as Americans, have been pulling forward since our nation was born. But as Henry points out, they've become frazzled
in recent years and good ol' Yankee ingenuity isn't what is used to be.

I was in the meeting when a client asked us to take a "Safe risk". I'm a writer and simply walked away shaking my head over its inherent lunacy. I never thought about writing a book. Henry, an art director, used it as the thesis for his book.

I told you he was smart.

Caroselli bangs the drum for more creative input and control within the corporate structure.

What happens when bean counters are given carte blanche to reorganize an activity that is essentially a product of creative thought?

The short term answer is obviously greater profits but at what cost? Every member of a board of directors should read this book. It explores the real cost of sacrificing everything to the great profit Moloch.

Perhaps long term corporate prosperity is better served by open communication within the company and this would perforce include those pesky creative types and their expensive ideas.

Clearly Disney was a uncompromising mavarick genius who risked everything to acheive an ideal. Shouldn't we be looking for the same attributes in our corporate leaders?

Well written and interesting.

This highly readable and anecdotal observation by a talented and seasoned business professional defines the type of leadership that is critically needed in business today.

The business of America is business. And American business must continue to be innovative and idea-driven business. Idea generation involves seeking excellence through open-mindedness, vision, and tenacity. As the author explores the courage and cost of being an true innovator, he concludes that anyone can engage in a more free associative approach in the search for innovation and become an innovator himself.

Caroselli encourages readers to initiate lasting and real results by sticking to the essence of their vision while searching for innovative approaches to problem solving and effective execution.

Caroselli is accurate in observing that business managers often toss aside good ideas in favor of the easy sell. It will always be tempting to pay "lip service" to innovation and just "manage the work" rather than "make something happen."

It is significant that Caroselli recognizes that the Chinese and Euro markets are growing too quickly to be ignored. To maintain out standard of living as North Americans, we will be compelled to revisit the kind of Yankee ingenuity and idea generation that made this nation whatit is and to assure that our prosperity can continue.

A highly recommended read for any business person- management, creative or, optimally, a person who is both.

Caroselli accurately describes the shortsightedness of corporate America today. While I'm sure there are exceptions, I could relate what was written to my 25, and still counting, years in corporate America. I've seen the shift toward short term results at the expense of the long term for many years. When the "long term" comes, corporations end up in fire-fight mode for survival which drives even shorter term decisions and the expense of true R&D and new "idea generation". The book enlists many excellent real world examples to deliver the message.
The book is written in a very entertaining and casual way to make the points feel close to home. Bravo Mr. Caroselli!!

Other customers reviewing Cult of the Mouse here have written that it's excellent and wise; a fresh, important inside look at the ossification of an iconic American corporation -- Disney -- due to its managerial snuffing of the very innovation and creativity that made it great. I agree and recommend the book to you without reservation.

What I need to comment on is Publisher's Weekly hatchet job "review," which fails to disclose a key fact necessary for any reader to judge that review's credibility: The publisher of Publisher's Weekly, Reed Business Information, is also the publisher of several entertainment industry trade publications such as Variety, Daily Variety, Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News, etc. etc. As any subscriber to these publications can see on a daily basis (and I am such a subscriber), Disney is one of Reed Business Information's larger advertisers and customers. Shouldn't a credible journalist or reviewer reveal such an important business relationship to the reader? Shouldn't the reader who comes to Amazon for information about a book be informed that the "Editorial Review" is not written, as most customers would assume, by an impartial reviewer, but by a reviewer in business with the company that is the highly displeased subject of the book? Isn't that usually the way journalists and reviewers behave -- disclose their conflicts of interest, rather than hide them?

Caroselli describes artfully within Disney the "don't tell the truth, just tell the toppers what they want to hear" type of communication that is so antithetical to the innovation and creativity that was once Disney's hallmark. Is Publishers Weekly and its parent, Reed Business, guilty of the same in its "review?" Hard to say for sure. But it's easy to say that ANY reviewer worthy of that name should disclose its conflicts. The failure to do so here illustrates just how important Caroselli's message is for corporate America.

So let me make my own disclosure: I met the author once, at a conference I organized about the harmful effects media consolidation and concentration have on creative artists. He asked me to read his manuscript and I was so impressed that I was honored when he asked me to write a jacket blurb. Now, that disclosure wasn't so painful or difficult, was it, Publishers Weekly?

Read the book. Decide for yourself. You won't regret it.

The story of John Crowley and his family is amazing. Anand did a great job of telling the story in a way that I could feel what the family was going through and the business challenges that John took on.

This book gives great insight into what parents of terminally ill children experience and the lengths they will go to to save those who are the most important people in their lives. A must read, especially for those who have any similar experience!

This is a great book. John Crowley discovers that his two youngest kids are dying from a rare disease - one so rare that nobody has bothered to invest a lot in a cure. Crowley ends up quitting his job, starting a drug company and finding a drug to treat his kids. Only to discover that the FDA considers it a conflict of interest to include his own kids in the trials!

It's a great heart-warming story of a family's struggle with a little known disease written by a great writer - Greeta Anand. The book is mostly about the business side (as opposed to the medical side) of the disease. It's a story about the dad's struggle to find a cure for the disease. He's never run a company, never gotten funding, knows little about biology or science, and yet he starts a very successful biotech company and finds a drug that works - all for his kids.

I found the conflict of interest part interesting. John Crowley brings in people suffering from Pompe to meet the people in the company. Most of the researchers have never met anyone suffering from the disease they are trying to cure! And get this, it could be considered a conflict of interest to meet the people they are trying to cure! That doesn't make a lot of sense to me. In the computer high tech world we consider it a very good thing to meet your users - you are making the product for them! In Crowley's case the visitors helped motivate and empassion his company.

As a father of small children and a businessman I really enjoyed this book on multiple levels. Very well written. I could not put it down. Watch out, it made me cry several times.

Ms. Anand tells a wonderful tale of true love. Love of a husband and wife faced with unexpected challenges so early in their marriage, and how they struggled to keep that love alive under both sad and horrific conditions. Love of children for their parents and each other. Love of family, both immediate and extended. And love for each and every person touched by the fight for the cure. I was swept away by the human drama and just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next, the story look another unforeseen turn. It's amazing to realize that this is a true story. Life and love doesn't get any better than this.

Perfect condition. Written extremely well. After actually visiting Biosphere 2, this was a must read!

This book is a well-written and entertaining look at the Biosphere 2 project from a former insider (literally as well as figuratively). The author does a good job of setting the broader stage for BIO2 as well as dissecting why it is widely regarded as a failure by the public and scientific community. Recommended!

Many people in 1991 were fascinated by the idea of Biosphere 2, a closed, hermetically sealed, self-sustaining, man-made ecosystem with a desert, an ocean, a rainforest, a savannah, a marsh, a habitat and an intensive farm, all in three acres. On September 26 eight people entered the structure for a two-year stint living "as if on Mars, farming all our food, recycling our water, our waste and even the oxygen we breathed..."

But bad publicity dogged the project even before the team went in. The public grew skeptical, as the Biospherians were dismissed as frauds, cult figures, publicity hounds and charlatans. None of which, strictly speaking, was completely false. Or completely true.

Jane Poynter, who celebrated her 30th birthday in Biosphere 2, and went on to found an aerospace firm with fellow Biospherian (and later husband) Taber MacCallum, attempts to set the record straight with this emotional and wide ranging account.

Poynter was an upper-class English girl who joined the Institute of Ecotechnics at age 20 for travel and adventure - and, no doubt, to escape her parents' conventional expectations. The IE group, headed by charismatic and authoritarian John Allen, were Synergists who believed in a "strict adherence " to three avocations - theater, philosophy and business - to keep themselves in intellectual, emotional and economic balance. This was the group that went on to conceive and build Biosphere 2.

Poynter was an early candidate for the team. Her training included stints on a Ferro-cement research vessel built by IE staffers and an outback ranch in remote Australia populated primarily by large meat-eating ants, plagues of flies, and termites who ate the tires off cars. Lessons in resourcefulness, difficult physical conditions and close, isolated living may have been useful as Poynter says, but nothing could really prepare any of them for the Biosphere experience.

"After thirteen months in Biosphere 2, we were starving, suffocating and going quite mad."

Inadequate food had plagued them from the start. In part this goes back to the cult-like group dynamic.

The Biospherian candidates worked on design and construction of Biosphere 2 (earth being Biosphere 1), and were shifted to different tasks in order to have well-rounded experience. In practice, shifts were sometimes made to punish a staffer for disloyalty, i.e., criticism. Criticism was also dealt with in less subtle ways.

Poynter, as agriculture manager, was asked to draw up a report showing that Biosphere 2 could produce all of the food they would need. When she could only arrive at a total of 80 percent she, and two others who sided with her, were fired from the team. Poynter and another woman were taken back three days later without explanation - the third was shunted to some other aspect of the program.

This type of behavior was common and served to keep all of them cowed, off balance, and unwilling to point out snags. When a certain root fungus was cited as a potential problem, John Allen's response was to make the scientist "jump up and down, screaming `pythium, pythium.' " The fungus was indeed a persistent rice-crop killer.

Their second big problem was a steady, unexpected drop in oxygen. For months they did intensive experiments, but the debilitating riddle remained unsolved until an outsider provided a clue in a casual phone call. Serendipity and science working together would seem to give the Synergists' creed of balance a lift.

But the "going mad" part never really got better. Much of Poynter's book focuses on the interpersonal acrimony, which eventually divided them into two groups of four. Difficulties were exacerbated by backbreaking work on inadequate diets in low oxygen, but even when these problems were somewhat alleviated relations stayed poor.

Of course, the manipulation by outside management never got better and it was that that separated them into loyalists and non-loyalists. Poynter was a non-loyalist. When she walked out of Biosphere 2 her time as a Synergist was done too.

But her book seems balanced and open - something of a catharsis. She celebrates the science, such as it was, and laments that more was not done later to study closed-ecosystem reactions. There was one more 6-month group sojourn inside, but the project was too expensive to continue.

Though the two years were arduous she counts them a success - "we had proven that a man-made biosphere can successfully sustain life, including human life, for an extended period of time without inexplicably crashing, or devolving rapidly into green slime." True, but they did need two infusions of oxygen, which would not have been possible in space, and for all their psychological problems they always knew they could walk out at any time.

Naturally many questions remain, particularly about the environmental science. Though the environment was carefully engineered and controlled they still had ceaseless problems with insect pests (including ant intruders from outside) and plant diseases.

Poynter is at her best describing daily life; the "dysfunctional family" they became, the feasts and famines, and the daily grind of work, though you get the feeling she's leaving a lot out to avoid pressing on old wounds. An absorbing, varied and often suspenseful read.

-- Portsmouth Herald

It's the 15th anniversary of the Biosphere 2 experiment, when eight individuals sealed themselves into a 2-acre desert building to survive without any help from the outside world - and here one crewmember shares what life was like behind the glass. It was designed to be a mini version of Biosphere 1, and was a self-contained ecosystem which could be viewed either as a prototype for a space habitat or a small version of Planet Earth experiences. The author helped design the experiment, lived it, and walked away from it in the end: her account holds insights for us all.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I found the Jayne Poynter's book to be very interesting both for her personal "lead up" to how she came to be on the Biosphere crew, as well as the drama of the 2 years inside -- all the problems they had, both technically and psychologically.

It's too bad the media spent so much time trying to find out why something might be a "fake" (for lack of a better term) with Biosphere II rather than trying to appreciate the enormous magnitude of the project and it's intent.

As I understand it, Biosphere II sits largely unused today. I certainly hope that a university or two will get involved to keep the facility operating. There's a lot to be learned, and I suspect the majority of the cost is already spent.

No Doubt, Hong Kong is facing the Post Industrial Era since year 2000.

After the Rapid changes of Internet Age, Globalization is the next development in the coming decade. But it makes more competition and prices down in the Global markets. All the traditonal and industrial products are over supply than demand in these two years.

When you think back on the rapid development in Computer and Internet business since year 2000, they have over one time growth for every 18 months and the price is down for 50%. Thus, it makes the competition are so quicky and fast in year 2002 or even in the coming decade.

" Post Industrial Era " is coming now. It means that all the industrial products are over supply in the Global markets. Now we are needing the Elite people and knowledge workers to help all industries to re-fresh and re-build their new roads. High-tech skills and people are welcome in the developmet of Globalization.

New Business models and E-business structures are the only way for us to go and keep on running in the year 2003!

In order to keep your business in the rapid growth of the global markets, please try to absorb more Elite people in your Corporation in time.

No Doubt, Hong Kong is facing the Post Industrial Era since year 2000.

After the Rapid changes of Internet Age, Globalization is the next development in the coming decade. But it makes more competition and prices down in the Global markets. All the traditonal and industrial products are over supply than demand in these two years.

When you think back on the rapid development in Computer and Internet business since year 2000, they have over one time growth for every 18 months and the price is down for 50%. Thus, it makes the competition are so quicky and fast in year 2002 or even in the coming decade.

" Post Industrial Era " is coming now. It means that all the industrial products are over supply in the Global markets. Now we are needing the Elite people and knowledge workers to help all industries to re-fresh and re-build their new roads. High-tech skills and people are welcome in the developmet of Globalization.

New Business models and E-business structures are the only way for us to go and keep on running in the year 2003!

In order to keep your business in the rapid growth of the global markets, please try to absorb more Elite people in your Corporation in time.

No Doubt, Hong Kong is facing the Post Industrial Era since year 2000.

After the Rapid changes of Internet Age, Globalization is the next development in the coming decade. But it makes more competition and prices down in the Global markets. All the traditonal and industrial products are over supply than demand in these two years.

When you think back on the rapid development in Computer and Internet business since year 2000, they have over one time growth for every 18 months and the price is down for 50%. Thus, it makes the competition are so quicky and fast in year 2002 or even in the coming decade.

" Post Industrial Era " is coming now. It means that all the industrial products are over supply in the Global markets. Now we are needing the Elite people and knowledge workers to help all industries to re-fresh and re-build their new roads. High-tech skills and people are welcome in the developmet of Globalization.

New Business models and E-business structures are the only way for us to go and keep on running in the year 2003!

In order to keep your business in the rapid growth of the global markets, please try to absorb more Elite people in your Corporation in time.

No Doubt, Hong Kong is facing the Post Industrial Era since year 2000.

After the Rapid changes of Internet Age, Globalization is the next development in the coming decade. But it makes more competition and prices down in the Global markets. All the traditonal and industrial products are over supply than demand in these two years.

When you think back on the rapid development in Computer and Internet business since year 2000, they have over one time growth for every 18 months and the price is down for 50%. Thus, it makes the competition are so quicky and fast in year 2002 or even in the coming decade.

" Post Industrial Era " is coming now. It means that all the industrial products are over supply in the Global markets. Now we are needing the Elite people and knowledge workers to help all industries to re-fresh and re-build their new roads. High-tech skills and people are welcome in the developmet of Globalization.

New Business models and E-business structures are the only way for us to go and keep on running in the year 2003!

In order to keep your business in the rapid growth of the global markets, please try to absorb more Elite people in your Corporation in time.

No Doubt, Hong Kong is facing the Post Industrial Era since year 2000.

After the Rapid changes of Internet Age, Globalization is the next development in the coming decade. But it makes more competition and prices down in the Global markets. All the traditonal and industrial products are over supply than demand in these two years.

When you think back on the rapid development in Computer and Internet business since year 2000, they have over one time growth for every 18 months and the price is down for 50%. Thus, it makes the competition are so quicky and fast in year 2002 or even in the coming decade.

" Post Industrial Era " is coming now. It means that all the industrial products are over supply in the Global markets. Now we are needing the Elite people and knowledge workers to help all industries to re-fresh and re-build their new roads. High-tech skills and people are welcome in the developmet of Globalization.

New Business models and E-business structures are the only way for us to go and keep on running in the year 2003!

In order to keep your business in the rapid growth of the global markets, please try to absorb more Elite people in your Corporation in time.

The book is only 105 pages long, but it explains the US/British foreign policies that wanted the war, how the evidence necessary to invade was manufactured, and also the misreporting of the war by the media. It's extremely concise and valueable. The author even manages to squeeze in some semi-tangents that are important. My favorite one is the discussion of the Democratic Party and their belligerence - I just get tired of hearing that the Democratic Party is an anti-war party.

A third of the book is devoted to explaining why the invasion was sought after (as well as the occupation of Afghanistan). Then the book moves to focus on the realities of the war's fighting, and how it is covered. After the end of all "major combat operations" in May 2003 the continued attacks on US troops was blamed on Hussein, who was captured in December 2003. After the fighting continued, it was blamed on foreign interference. The administration said a provisional Iraqi government was needed. After the "free" elections on January 2005 the fighting continued. Since then, the administration has been blaming it on al-Qaeda and other foreigners, which Arnove shows not to be the case. These steps of blaming a domestic resistance to other causes is strikingly similar to that of Vietnam. After facing continued resistance, our policies changed to describe and fight those false causes (strategic-hamlet program-->search-and-destroy operations-->pacification program-->Operation Phoenix-->Vietnamization (which was only initiated after the Tet Offensive of 1968 awakened people to the grim truth of the war). Also discussed in this portion of the book (what's really going on over there) is the liberalization of Iraq's economy - It's straight from the IMF/World Bank playbook. The last section of the book argues, after looking at why the invasion occured and what's happening there now, that we should leave Iraq and provide aid until they're back on their feet.

I'd also recommend that an interested reader look into Bush in Babylon: The Recolinisation of Iraq and America's confrontation with revolutionary change in the Middle East, 1948-83.

Q: How many pages does it take to make a compelling case for immediate withdrawal from Iraq? A: Apparently not many when you have logic on your side!

It is a myth that Bush & Co.--though misguided--had the best of intentions at heart when they ordered the military invasion of Iraq in March of 2003. And this unfortunate myth prostrates the antiwar movement when it deludes itself into believing that a bloody occupation stemming from an illegal war can somehow be salvaged into something beneficial for anybody besides Halliburton.

Anthony Arnove's book explains the real roots of the Iraq war in the context of power and profit (not misguided humanitarianism), summarizes for the reader three years of blood-spattered occupation history, provides eight excellent reasons for immediate withdrawal and then discusses the ABC's of anti-imperialist struggle drawn from the history of the Vietnam War.

This isn't a catchall antiwar book to give to your chicken hawk uncle at the next family reunion. This is a book for the 50 million Americans who already consider themselves part of the antiwar movement and want some real answers about stopping the blood-letting. Or as the author puts it, "...the U.S. left in particular needs far greater clarity about the reasons for the war, the political context of the war, and an effective strategy for ending it." (page 98)

This is the most articulate, politically sophisticated yet easy-to-read appeal to bring our loved ones home now that I've read since the war began.

But don't trust this synopsis--read the book.

This outstanding book makes the case for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign troops from Iraq. This would meet the democratic demands of the Iraqi people, and also of the American and British peoples. In a September 2005 New York Times-CBS News poll, 52% supported the immediate withdrawal of US troops.

Arnove sums up, "Every single argument the Bush administration made to justify the invasion of Iraq has turned out to be false. Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, posed no imminent threat to the United States, and had no connection to al-Qaeda or to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Iraq was attacked not because it had weapons of mass destruction, but because it did not (a fact that has not been lost on other potential targets of U. S. intervention). U. S. soldiers were not greeted as liberators, and the occupation has not paid for itself, or required few troops, or been quickly concluded. Nor has the occupation made the world safer or reduced the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Indeed, it has made Iraq, the Middle East, and the world far more dangerous."

From the start, the war on Iraq was a huge lie. As Arnove writes, "The attacks of September 11, 2001, provided the pretext the Bush administration needed to portray an offensive war to reshape the Middle East as a defensive measure to protect the people of the United States."

Everything we are told about the war is untrue. For example, we are told that the occupation troops conduct a humanitarian war on the ground. In reality, the USA is waging war largely by massive, unreported, bombing: the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing alone dropped more than 500,000 tons of bombs on Iraq between May 2003 and December 2005. We are told that there is no national resistance attacking the foreign occupier, just terrorists attacking civilians. In reality, for every attack against civilians, there are a hundred against the occupying forces.

British governments have always lied to us about matters of war and peace, of security and the national interest. This Labour government is different only because its lies have been more stupid, so that we have rumbled it more quickly.

Arnove's book lays out, in a pretty straight-forward manner (105 pages, not counting the foreword, afterword, appendix, acknowledgement, and notes) the case for pulling all U.S. troops out of Iraq immediately. I read a few other books about Iraq before reading this one, and I would suggest that to any reader, just so they have a frame of reference while reading it. Arnove tries to use well-known quotes and facts to support his argument, and this helps, but there is still so much information on such a complex issue, that I think it would be difficult to read this and fully comprehend it with no prior knowledge of Iraq.

Arnove makes a very compelling case. What's sad is that he's using readily available information to make it, and yet we're now sending more troops to Iraq.

I think the only fault of the book is expecting that it will drive people to action. Arnove isn't really presenting anything new, just laying all the facts out for us in a very clean, logical way, almost like he's writing his thesis. While this style might work if Arnove were a lawyer convicting Bush of war crimes, it just serves to further highlight how this administration works above the law and gets away with it. Even with this much clear evidence against the war it continues on.

This should be mandatory reading for anyone who has bought into the lie filled Bush regime change rhetoric regarding Iraq. A Neocon filled US administration which has been proven wrong in virtually every single one its Iraq pre-war and current engagement contentions.

From "Mission Accomplished", to "Bring It On", to "...the insurgency is in its last throes..." to lies about active WMD programs, lies about Yellow Cake material from Niger, lies about Saddams mythical connections to Al Qaida and 911, this book helps unearth many of the utterly false, and utterly illogical claims told by the current Bush Administration in D.C. regarding their oil based, "Project for the New American Century" military actions in Iraq.

Another reviewer above stated the following, "Suppose the US pulls out and Mr. Arnove is proven wrong. A civil war breaks out."

Hello, a civil war had already broken out in Iraq in case you missed the last 3 years of activity over there!!! That's what the insurgency is, it is a Civil War action! A civil war initiated solely, 100% by the Bush Neocon doctrine in Iraq beginning in April 2003. As far as the war spreading further in the Middle East, there was no war in Iraq prior to the US military illegally attacking that country in 2003. Again, there was no war there! And there is nothing to indicate that our continued military presence in Iraq is reducing the insurgency after 3+ years of occupation. In fact, all logical signs are that it is merely fueling futher insurgency recruits and fueling further deaths in that civil war.

And what happens if the Iraq Shiite cleric Al Sadr, an extremely anti-US fundamentalist, is eventually elected the majority leader of Iraq, which could easily happen given that he's in the majority Shiite sect. Do we then remove him from power because Iraq elected him in a "democratic" fashion, but we now disagree with whom they elected?

The attempt at analogy between US highway deaths versus military deaths is comparable to believing that "Fox News" is "fair and balanced" reporting. If you believe that you probably also believe that there is no civil war yet being waged in Iraq too, LOL.

Very good read, and if you want further information on the real motives behind the Bush Administrations Iraq regime change, do a google search on "The Project For a New American Century" and read up on the true motives behind this illegal war of Don Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Paul Wolfowitz and other Neocons whom Bush has surrounded himself with.

There are several outstanding books on the general subject of Six Sigma and Eckes has written two of the best. Previously in The Six Sigma Revolution, he examined major corporations such as Motorola and GE in which Six Sigma programs really did create revolutions which continue as I compose this review. These are properly acclaimed successes. Of course, little (if any) attention has as yet been devoted to those organizations which initiated and then later abandoned Six Sigma programs. The reasons for doing so vary, of course, but most can be classified within two categories of resistance to change: cultural and technical. As O'Toole brilliantly explains in Leading Change, it is a formidable task to overcome what he characterizes as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." In this volume, Eckes suggests all manner of strategies and tactics by which to overcome resistance and then sustain Six Sigma programs, once launched. Correctly, he stresses the importance to an organization of achieving a "balance" between its culture and its technology. Moreover, at a time when change is (literally) the only constant and occurring at an ever-increasing velocity, its is also a formidable challenge to maintain the proper balance of the two. For many years, I believed that most people fear change. I no longer believe that. Rather, I have become convinced that most people fear the unfamiliar. Hence the importance of constant and effective communication between and among everyone involved. Eckes suggests that this book will show his reader how to "Create the need for Six Sigma" but, in fact, the need probably exists already so there is a need to help everyone recognize that need and appreciate the importance of responding to it. Therefore, Eckes also shows his reader how to "Shape a vision of Six Sigma so that employees understand the desired results and new behaviors of a Six Sigma organization." Also, he shows the reader how to "Mobilize commitment to Six Sigma and overcome resistance" which is inevitable. Only then can any organization change its systems and structures "to support the new Six Sigma culture." Next: "Measure Six Sigma cultural acceptance" and "Develop Six Sigma leadership." All of these components are absolutely essential, difficult to integrate, and even more difficult to sustain in appropriate balance. In this volume, Eckes explains how and he does so with precision and eloquence.

In recent years, I have become more involved in Six Sigma or process improvement programs which vary somewhat in terms of their design and scope but all of which encountered several of the "pitfalls" which Eckes discusses in Chapter 8:

1. Feeling obligated to achieve quick success

2. Clogging up agendas with competing distractions

3. Having unrealistic time frames

4. Ignoring previous quality efforts

5. Conducting poor Six Sigma cultural planning and follow-through

6. Delegating (i.e. dumping) cultural development or seeing it as a one-time event

7. Not having appropriate cultural goals or objectives

8. Not allowing for unexpected interruptions

9. Allowing false or cosmetic positive readings to suggest authentic cultural transformation has been achieved

10. Underestimating resource allocation

Of course, whether or not involved with Six Sigma initiatives, any organization can experience some or even all of these "pitfalls." In this book, Eckes offers sound, street-smart advice on how to avoid them. Time and again, he places great emphasis on the importance of cultural values by which everyone involved in a Six Sigma can be guided and, when under duress, sustained. Herb Kelleher has this in mind whenever he explains what Southwest Airlines competitive advantage is: "Maintaining excellent customer service involves a process of getting people to understand the importance of it to them in their daily lives as well as in others'. We were a little concerned as we go bigger that maybe some of our early culture might be lost so we set up a culture committee whose only purpose is to keep the Southwest Airlines culture alive. Before people knew how to make fire, there was a fire watcher. Cave dwellers may have found a tree hit by lightning and brought fire back to the cave. Somebody had to make sure it kept going because if it went out, there would be serious problems. That cave dweller was the most important person in the tribe. I said to our culture committee, `You are our fire watchers, who make sure the fire does not go out. I think you are the most important committee at Southwest Airlines.' I really do believe that to be the case." This is precisely what Eckes means by "culture" in this book. For everyone in any organization already embarked on a Six Sigma program or now considering one, this is a "must read."

Think about it. Seriously think about it. What was the downfall of your quality endeavor? Your performance improvement plan? Your Six Sigma initiative? Was the wrong strategy used or was it the wrong tactical approach? Mostly likely it was neither your strategy nor your tactical approach. The failure was most likely do to people. Most likely your people hadn't really bought in. Buy-in from your people is necessary for an initiative such as Six Sigma to be successful. The people in your organization create your organizations' culture. How do you get cultural buy-in? How can you sustain that buy-in?

In the book Making Six Sigma Last, the author, George Eckes shows us how. Through heart-felt stories, humorous personal examples, and real business illustrations the author takes us through the process needed to create and sustain a culture that supports Six Sigma.

First we learn about Q x A = E. This powerful formula shows us that: "Q" Quality, the technical and strategic elements of a Six Sigma initiative, times "A" Cultural Acceptance, of the technical and strategic elements of Six Sigma, determines "E" the success of the Six Sigma process. Then, the author addresses resistance. We are reminded that it's a natural process for people to resist change. Eckes describes four types of resistance and offers specific strategies for overcoming each. The next chapters show how to sell it and then manage it. Now it's time to ask did it work? Did you get the cultural buy-in you were attempting? How do you know? In Making Six Sigma Last, Eckes offers a model that is used to measure the cultural acceptance within the organization or as Eckes says, "how well Six Sigma has been baked into the organization". Five case studies are used to illustrate these concepts. Then through profiles of leadership, the author shares real business examples of what worked, what didn't and why. Finally we learn how to sustain the culture that will support Six Sigma initiatives with the chapter on pitfalls: 10 things to avoid.

Making Six Sigma Last is an informative and easy read. It's effective and efficient, hallmarks of Six Sigma. The book leaves you inspired and hopeful that this stuff really can work. Don't start without it!

What I enjoyed most about this book was the applied "psychology of business" in other words, how to get people (organizations)to do what you want them to do and like it!

The book gives you answers to the "what if" questions that anyone trying to succeed in changing their corporate culture has. The examples and the personal tone of the book make it a fast, informative and easy read.

No one knows Six Sigma, which seeks near perfect customer satisfaction, like George Eckes, the consultant who literally wrote the book on it (The Six Sigma Revolution: How General Electric and Others Turned Process into Profits). In his second book, Eckes emphasizes the importance of molding organizational culture to generate broad acceptance of a Six Sigma initiative, using illustrative examples from his workshops. He describes ways to overcome internal resistance to change, to sell the program's benefits and to get key people as well as the masses on board. If you are launching a Six Sigma program, Eckes provides many specific suggestions of strategies you can employ. But because much of Eckes' wisdom can be applied more generally to organizational change efforts, we [...] recommend this insightful book to any executive, whether or not Six Sigma is your strategy of choice.

The new book: Making Six Sigma Last, by Mr. George Eckes, is the the most comprehensive and excellent road map to reach corporate cultural excellence.

The previous book by Mr. Eckes: The Six Sigma Revolution, successfully teaches us the way to implement the tactical component of Six Sigma: process management excellence.

The current book is the only book to date that offers a complete process to achieve the key strategic component of Six Sigma: corporate cultural excellence.

Mr. Eckes has again produced an enjoyable, very enlightening and important Six Sigma book that is easy to read and comprehend.

It is perfect for corporate executives, managers, employees, consultants, quality practitioners, and students of best business practice.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my high regard for the outstanding book: Making Six Sigma Last.

Regards,
Marc St.James
November 24, 2001