Industrial Books

Marty Stuart is able to capture the inner essence of the people and places he photographs and conveys it to the reader/viewer. I really enjoyed this essay.

this is just an awsome book to read' there is so many interesting photos and stories. to me its breathtakeing... i am a longtime fan of marty stuart' and will always be, i hope he writes a volume II to this book. would be neat to see what else he has to say about this day and time... love ya marty... the rockabilly king you will always be..

Marty Stuart is country music's renaissance man. What a truly rare combination of talents: great voice, great picker, great songwriter, great photographer, and is keenly aware of the fact that he's had the good fortune of having stood among American icons.

The photos in this book are excellent by any standards. I was expecting the photography to be so-so...generally when a talented person tries to branch out, it doen't translate to their new endeavor...but I have to say he's got an excellent eye. Not only that, but he can spin a yarn like a true poet, and that is what makes this such an all-around joy to both read and look at.

Something to look for in this book: the story of going to see Connie Smith in concert as a boy and telling his mother "I'm going to marry her one day"....and 27 years later, he did just that. Wait until you see the picture he took.

This book captures an important piece of American history and does it well.

Marty's keen eye catches the souls of his famous subjects in a way that the ordinary photographer has missed. This book is a masterpiece (just like his last album) and belongs on every coffee table in America. His photos are unbelievable and his accompanying words prove Marty's talent goes way beyond his music.

Marty has been blessed, not only with musical talent, but with a real sense of being a part of history. Thank God Miss Hilda turned him onto photography, as well as music. The moments captured in his book will be there for us to remember people and places long after they are gone. Not just for the good times, but the hard times as well, the "road", the music, the eyes of the pilgrims looking out at you from these pages, make for an absorbing journey across America and thru Marty's life. And he's right about using black & white vs color. Makes you LOOK, not get drawn to some bright color, instead of getting the point of the picture. Give the boy another 25 years and I know we'll get a companion volume to cover the new millenium part of his journey. Although, I hope he doesn't wait THAT long.

Before MLK, Gandhi, Tolstoy, or Thoreau, there was the brilliant Etienne de La Boetie, who explored civil disobedience, resistance to tyranny, and the brutal exploitative nature of the state.

Murray N. Rothbard's insightful introduction places this pioneering work in historical context and in the pantheon of Libertarian classics.

"...And you are at once free. I do not ask that you place hands on the tyrant, but merely cease to obey him, and you will see him, like a colossus, fall of his own weight and break into pieces." So begins this short classic. It reads as if written with words of fire. Astonishing clarity and moral certitude bathe the ideas expressed. There is no room for temporarizing in La Boiete; the breathtaking clarity of his ideas blew cobwebs from my mind. It was like learning to walk on two legs instead of four. Some toung in cheek references to how his rhetoric does not apply to the France of the Capetian dynasty merely add flavor and wit to his insights. Non-violent resistance and civil disobedience both trace their modern pedigrees to this work. This is a book for the ages, and it is a shame that it is not widely available in English. (Knowledge Products excerpts it on tape in their, "Giants of Political Thought" cassette series.) I wish every student could be given a copy of this book; then, our liberty would face a brighter future than now appears to be the case. -Lloyd A. Conway

"The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude" has influencedsome of the world's greatest social thinkers; from Leo Tolstoy toMohandus Gandhi to Ayn Rand. Written in the 1550s, as something of an underground tract or pamphlet by a young French student and friend of essayist Michelle de Montaigne, this short work remains a timeless expose of the psychology and inherent corruption involved in social or political power. The work has been in and out of print in English (Some of its various titles over the years were "Slaves By Choice," "Anti-Dictator," "The Will To Bondage," and "The Politics of Obedience: The Discourse of Voluntary Servitude"). In North America it has been out of print for some time now, unfortunately. Since its original circulation in the early 1550s as "de la servitude volontaire ou contr'un," this short but powerful work seems to find its way back into print whenever the winds of social change began blowing toward tyranny.

Etienne de la Boetie's THE POLITICS OF OBEDIENCE has also been named THE WILL TO BONDAGE edited by James J. Martin. The focus of the Boetie's book is the fact that the "Terrible Tyrant" is often a wimp and a coward and only survives because of the sychophants who readily obey him and betray each other to prove their loyalty.

Boetie cites historical examples of tyrants who ruled large populations due to the fact that their immediate supporters and the masses of people were immune to thinking that they could do better if their changes or regime changes. Yet, history provided very few examples up to the time of Boetie(the 16th. century). Boetie witnessed some of the excesses of the Reformation and Counter Reformation and the fact that tyrants were only too willing to take advantage of religious hatred to exploit their subjects.

Boetie's work is relevant in the 21st. century. The game of politics has not changed much except for the fact that The State has expanded exponentially since the 16th century. Boetie's argument that thinking only have to withdraw their support to bring the State to its knees which Ghandi did in India. Yet, there are so few surviving examples of this political ploy to expect too much except to write for the record.

What has made the situation worse is that the State has layers of burcaucracy with brainless bureaucrats who staff these powerful offices. These bureaucrats are basically useless and stupid and easily fit James J. Martin's description as "The New Stupid." They are useless which is why the State has made them indespensible.

This book has been reissued only a few times since it was first published in 1577. Yet, the reappearence of this book is a good sign that some people still consider it an important study in understanding the State

Boetie wrote his "Discourse" around 1553 when he was about 22 years of age and a student at the University of Orleans. This libertarian essay, two centuries ahead of its time, was never published by the Catholic and soon-to-be conservative Boetie. Huguenots published it anonymously in 1574 and fully credited it in 1576 (Boetie died in 1563 at 32 years of age).

The "Discourse" is an abstract, universal, naturally reasoned argument passionately calling for widespread civil disobedience to tyranny. Harold Laski later made the observation that "A sense of popular right such as the Friend of Montaigne [Boetie] depicts is, indeed, as remote from the spirit of the time as the anarchy of Herbert Spencer in an age committed to government interference" (see his "A Defence of Liberty Against Tyrants, p 11). Boetie appealed to man's universal nature rather than presumed or real historical precedents resulting in a timeless document that speaks to all ages.

Boetie begins "I should like merely to understand how it happens that so many men, so many villages, so many cities, so many nations, sometimes suffer under a single tyrant who has no other power than the power they give him; who is able to harm them only to the extent to which they have the willingness to bear with him . . .". He asks "Shall we call subjection to such a leader cowardice? . . . If a hundred, if a thousand endure the caprice of a single man, should we not rather say that they lack not the courage but the desire to rise against him, and that such an attitude indicates indifference rather than cowardice? . . . What monstrous vice, then, is this which does not even deserve to be called cowardice, a vice for which no term can be found vile enough?"

Boetie made a profound insight into the nature of the State - all states, including tyrannous ones, are based upon general popular acceptance.

Boetie continues "If we led our lives according to the ways intended by nature and the lessons taught by her, we should be intuitively obedient to our parents; later we should adopt reason as our guide and become slaves to nobody". He says ". . . there can be no further doubt that we are all naturally free", and asks "what evil chance has so denatured man that he, the only creature really born to be free, lacks the memory of his original condition and the desire to return to it?"

"He who thus domineers over you . . . How does he have any power over you except through you? How would he dare assail you if he had no cooperation from you?", he asks, ". . . you can deliver yourself if you try, not by taking action, but merely by willing to be free. Resolve to serve no more, and you are at once freed".

Boetie is saying that tyranny dissolves when the majority of the ruled withdraws its consent and thereby deprives the ruling minority of its support and grudging acceptance. Yet, the ruled seldom accomplish this. Boetie tells us the reason is "habituation":

"It is true that in the beginning men submit under constraint and by force; but those who come after them obey without regret and perform willingly what their predecessors had done because they had to. This is why men born under the yoke and then nourished and reared in slavery are content, without further effort, to live in their native circumstance, unaware of any other state or right, and considering as quite natural the condition into which they are born . . . it is clear enough that the powerful influence of custom is in no respect more compelling than in this, namely, habituation to subjection. It is said that . . . nature . . . has less power over us than custom."

Boetie made a second profound insight into the nature of the State - all states are in essence a hierarchy of privilege that benefits a limited minority. In his illustration of this point, Boetie employes the language of natural law and natural rights.

Boetie also noted the State's use of propaganda and techniques of information warfare (IW) employed upon its subjects to maintain servility. He says "it has always happened that tyrants, in order to strengthen their power, have made every effort to train their people not only in obedience and servility toward themselves, but also in adoration."

In conclusion, Boetie should be considered the first "Gandhi" or advocate of civil disobedience and it should be noted that he grounded his notions in man's natural right to liberty as dictated by natural law. His insights into the State ring true today. Modern Americans allow themselves to be regulated, taxed, and shipped off to invade and bomb their global neighbors to the same extent as their "cousins" across the pond in the United Kingdom - a phenomenon that no doubt has their liberty-loving forefathers rolling in their graves. Boetie hoped education would induce the withdrawal of consent, but as his turn to conservatism lays tribute, it is the weight of the yoke that prompts any reaction.

This book has precise and up-to-date information on ferrets, written with a tinge of humor. It is also complete with pictures and amusing illustrations.

this book will tell you the tricks of the trade of caring for these little cuddly troublemakers. Anything from wriggle-free nail clipping to how to ferret proof everything. Great book, pretty good ferret disease overview as well.

From her touching memorial to her fuzzies ,all the way through the practical hands and hearts on information Ms. Jeans delivers what she promises a very practical guide to ferret care.All fuzzies should be lucky enough to have owners that have read this book. Better than raisins, a new snuggy sack or jingle ball. Thank you again Ms. Jeans

Deborah has done an excellent job on the Domestic Pet Ferret. Up todate and precise imformation. A must have book for potential buyers of ferrets. It is the ABC of Ferrets !

As a new ferret mommy I wanted to make sure I did all my homework before bringing the little one's home. This book covers all the basics and then some and offers the author's own experiences as a ferret owner as well. Even if you are not new to ferret parenting this book is a great resource for the lifetime of your ferret. I am looking forward to anything new Deborah Jeans puts out.

This book bridges the gap between theory and practical applications without getting bogged down in heavy calculations. It explains the principles of refrigeration and how they are practically applied. I have found it very easy to read. The author obviously has excellent knowledge and experience in this field and he conveys it well. The information structure of the book suits my way of thinking. I have found this book very helpful to my profession. Many thanks to the author. Worth every cent.

I learnt refrigeration from the 1961 edition of Principles of Refrigeration. So when I was asked to instruct junior staff members in this subject this book came to mind. I purchased one copy to see how it handles SI as well as imperial units and then purchased another six for the students. As always Amazon provided an excellent service.

A great reference book for all HVAC technicians,interested in the entery-level refrigeration repair area .Relates the basics,in full detail.An excellent review of refrigeration hardware and applied principles.Rather than guessing at the chapter questions ,it does have an answer-checker,to verify your homework.Although,I don't think you would want to carry this around,in your trunk.It's a good library study-guide and for trouble-shooting residential refrigetaion non-operations.

This is the best refrigeration book in the market, highly technical but still easy to understand, come with a very good explanation about food preservation methods and spoilage factors, the refrigeration aspect are deep, slightly conceptual but mostly practical, a most have for anyone that want to gain true understanding of refrigeration and thermodynamics.

This book covers all the details! I use this book everyday as refrence material. It covers everything from the basics, but also gets into complicated 2 stage design, and other design areas. From A-Z this book has it. If you are a refrigeration Engineer/ Operator this is a must for the text collection.

When I was in art school, our teacher used examples from this book to help us understand and explore 2D design. I just bought it recently to refresh my knowledge of the basic elements of design and to find a new direction for my printmaking. This tiny book is a great guide. Use is to help you explore all the possibilities that 2D design can offer you as an artist. You need to grow with this book. The book will not tell you what and how to do it.

Being new to the design world I needed a book that was simple and not encumbered with a bunch of mumbo jumbo. This book is easy to understand and perfect it really helped me to understand 2D Design. I really love this book!

did a good job in sending my item I would order another book from them in the future

This book is full of information, and is really well laid out. I use it frequently in the 2D class I teach, along with two other 2D design books. I like the clarity and the examples. However, there's no getting away from the fact that although this book is loaded with great stuff, that it is also as ugly and cheesy looking as a bad Xerox. That might be okay for a math book, but ummmmm, 2D design?

A definitive classic for any true graphic design student, as it shows the fundamentals of developing a designer's eye in the relationship of objects in space in conveying communication through imagery. A bit abstract in terminology for the armchair reader, but its foundational language still manages to be engaging and thought-provoking for designers, seasoned and newbie alike.

If you are interested in this high challenging and highly satisfying skill of becoming a process consultant, read this book, by one of the biggest names in the PC universe...Edgar Schien. This book is a classic and all OD consultants should read it !

Process Consulting is not the typical consulting intervention where 20 somethings come into your organization, do a survey and hand over a thick report after collecting $ per hour !!

Process Consulting is both an art and craft performed by people who intervene in organization systems that are seen as 'human systems' and are sensitive in not inducing 'dependency' of the client. The delicate art is to intervene at the process level rather than the content level and extricate without creating much ripples. Most known consulting deals with 'content' consulting and therefore has more measurale outcomes than the supposedly soft process consulting.

Process consulting is truly empowering and the consultant is a traveller in the process of discovery with the client, constantly asking questions.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

In this second volume, Schein builds on Volume I by dissecting the nature of process and change in lieu of the specific group processes that make or break effective group work. Likewise, in this volume, he brings the concept of process consultation home, so to speak, to help managers and leaders understand themselves and their organizations as a consultant might understand them.

Given that process consultation assumes that organizational leaders know their organizations best and are the most appropriate and capable managers of change, it makes sense that organizational leaders understand group processes. Schein emphasizes that diagnosing an organization's problems is intervening to fix them. He provides explanations of the circumstances when process consultation is most necessary. He advises leaders that more time must be spent intervening on how things get done than on what actually needs to get done. "An effective manager must be able to create situations that will ensure that good decisions are made, without making those decisions himself and without even knowing ahead of time what he might do if he had to make the decision alone." (p.39)

Schein provides a useful model for differentiating between the content, process, and structure of organizational challenges and the task and interpersonal aspects of those challenges. He advises that process should always be favored over content; that task aspects should always be favored over the interpersonal; and that structure, while potentially the most transformative element of change, is the most difficult area to address, because people will resist tampering with the comfort structure provides. He also provides explanations on the essential challenges relevant to content and process that every group must face. The lesson he offers for leaders and consultants is that whatever is done to solve a problem must begin with a clarification of the primary task of the group.

Schein devotes considerable space to explaining the ORJI model of intrapsychic processes. (We observe, we react - emotionally, we judge based on our observations and feelings, and we intervene to make something happen.) "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." (p.63) The trap of ORJI is MIRI, i.e., that we misperceive, inappropriately react, react rationally based on bad data, and intervene incorrectly. To avoid the MIRI trap, we must check our cultural assumptions, our personal filters (see volume I), and our situational expectations based on previous experiences. Schein also provides a clear synthesis of the unfreezing, changing, refreezing model of change and improvement. In unfreezing, the motivation and readiness for change are developed; in changing, new points of view are adopted; and in refreezing, new points of view are integrated to affect changes in the process approaches to tasks.

Schein devotes most of the latter half of his book to explanations and analyses of intervention processes. He discusses the "exploratory", "diagnostic", "action alternative", and "confrontive" models of intervening, how they might initiated and when one might use each. "...The tactics of intervention should focus initially on exploration, inquiry, and diagnosis. Only when the consultant feels that the client is ready to think about alternative next steps is it appropriate to move to action alternatives and confrontive interventions." (p.157) Schein also provides specific kinds of interventions which might fall into any one of these four basic categories of intervention.

This volume, taken with the first, provide not only a clear theoretical framework for understanding organizational change, but also useful tools and approaches for pre-empting organizational roadblocks and addressing organizational dilemmas once they've appeared. These books are essential reading for any leader or consultant.

Edgar H. Schein is Professor of Management Emeritus in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a real academic heavyweight having written numerous books, articles and papers. In 1969 he published 'Process Consultation: Its Role in Organizational Development', of which he states that he "was writing more in anger than with perspective". In this follow-up book he tried to explain and clarify the concept of consultation and helping which was outlined in the first volume. "The goals of this new book, then, are (1) to reaffirm the concept of process consultation as a viable model of how to work with human systems, (2) to clarify the concept were needed, and (3) to introduce some modifications and new ideas that elaborate on the original ideas."

The book is split up in 3 parts. In Part I - Introduction and Overview, which consists of three chapters, Schein introduces the common grounds of managers and consultants (which is the helping orientation), process consultation, and "the process" itself. He introduces a definition of process consultation which "is a set of activities on the part of the consultant that help the client to perceive, understand, and act upon the process events that occur in the client's environment." Whereby he emphasizes that the concept of process central is to understanding consultation and management. "Process refers to how things are done rather than what is done." He continues, "Process is everywhere. In order to help, intervene, and facilitate human problem solving, one must focus on communication and interpersonal processes."

In Part II - Simplifying Models of Human Processes, which also consists of three chapters, Schein examines several models of consultation and argues that the process-consultation model works for consultants as interveners and is potentially most useful for managers. "The most important thing for managers or consultants to understand is what goes on inside their own heads." He introduces the basic ORJI cycle, which is based on the fact that our nervous system observes (O), reacts (R), analyzes, processes, and make judgments (J), and intervenes in order to make something happen (I). He later updates this cycle into a more realistic depiction of the ORJI cycle, through the introduction of 4 traps. Schein than states that the cultural rules of interaction is possibly the most powerful determinant whether a viable helping relationship will be established. In the final chapter of this part, he examines in detail a simplified model of the change process: (1) Unfreezing; (2) changing; and (3) refreezing.

In the final part of the book - The Consulting Process in Action, which is also the longest part of the book with five chapters, the author examines in detail the strategy and tactics of intervention. "The most important point to be made about clients is that the consultant must always be clear who the client is at any given moment in time, and must distinguish clearly among contact, intermediate, primary, and ultimate client." Schein discusses what the consultant or manager can actually say or do to accomplish some of the goals of process consultation. "The strategy and tactics of intervention have to be guided by the ultimate assumptions underlying the helping process." In addition, he provides categories of types of interventions and discusses the possible dilemmas that can arise in the consultation processes. "The skill of intervening is to be so tuned in to what is going on that one's sense of timing and appropriateness is based on the external events, not one's internal assumptions or theories."

Yes, this is a good book on process consultation. I was somewhat concerned when I started reading this book, due to Schein's highly academical background. However, the book has been a revelation. It is highly practical and has good tips on which can be put in practical use. I believe that it useful for both consultants and managers, as the author set out from the start. I believe that the three parts can be read in any order, whereby the last part is possibly the most useful as it is the most practical. Please note that the writing style is now somewhat outdated and academical. Highly recommended to consultants and managers alike.

This volume and its follow-up, Volume II, are essential reading for consultants and anyone interesting in taking a leadership role in improving an organization. Schein devotes entire chapters to the key human processes in organizations: communication, roles, group problem-solving, group decision-making, leadership and authority, intergroup processes, and interventions. In each one, he not only explains what he has learned through years of study and experience, but also the most salient aspects of organizational theory relevant to each area.

Schein differentiates process consultation from other forms of consultation by first making clear the role of the process consultant, who is not an expert providing information or advice, but rather a coach who seeks to help a client understand and act on events, which happen in the client's organization. Consulting is helping the client to understand problems and to decide how to solve them. The consultant's role is to teach diagnostic and problem-solving skills, not to work on the actual problems.

Communication is a central group process critical for effective functioning of groups and organizations. The process-consultant can help a client understand the communication patterns in a group by assessing who talks whom and how much. Interruptions, who interrupts whom, how much and when can be useful information when attempting to diagnose an organization's shortcomings. Schein includes in this chapter an explanation of the filters, which inhibit or enhance an individual's capacity to communicate effectively. They are: self-image, the image of other people, the definition of the situation, motives, feelings, intentions, attitudes, and expectations. When groups come together to accomplish a goal, certain predictable tensions may undermine the groups ability to solve problems. Individuals in the group may be concerned with their own role in the group, their ability or expectation to influence the group, the need to have the group's goals connect with their own goals, or whether they will be accepted and respected in the group. Sometimes groups need assistance in identifying and processing these tensions before they can concern themselves with the necessary task and maintenance functions required to accomplish their task.

For groups to solve problems they must become good at problem formulation, evaluating solutions, forecasting consequences and testing proposals, action planning, implementing action steps, and evaluating outcomes. Schein offers sage advice for groups wishing to develop their capacity to improve: (1) Don't confuse the symptom with the problem itself (2) Don't evaluate courses of action prematurely - remain open (3) Test proposals using multiple sources and methods, and (4) Plan for action carefully and methodically. Schein offers clear explanations of various decision-making models, which are helpful for a consultant or leader to understand. Groups will function most effectively when the decision-making model is clear and understood. Often models are employed by default, which can alienate and undermine group members and subvert effective improvement efforts. A central failure of leadership is often the gap between what leaders say and how they behave. An effective leaders and process consultants need to become experts in this problem and its potential effects. Awareness of group processes will not only help the leader avoid interpersonal or intergroup problems, but it will also help solve them should they arise. Schein includes useful sets of Likert scales to rate group effectiveness and mature group processes; a model of the stages of group problem-solving; and a continuum of leadership behavior.

Schein's view of the process consultant as a capacity builder parallels his implicit view that organizational leaders need to understand and seek patterns of behavior that downplay coercion and expertise and emphasize participation and differentiated responsibility. This volume and its partner, despite their ages, are still relevant and useful to the leader or consultant.

From Alien Love Juice to the classic Manhattan, the Professional Bartender's Handbook by Valerie Mallema, is quite complete, not only in its collection of 1,500 drink recipes but in its sheer amount of useful advice in all things pertaining to running a successful bar.
Mallema offers her readers an indepth, but straight-forward, look into the bar business, whether that be in opening a bar or club or in setting up the at-home bar. It's a great read for both the beginning bartender and the entrepreneur.
Useful information abounds when it comes to the different types of beers, liquors and wines, pairing wine with food, using bartending tools, slicing fruit and pouring an accurate shot. There's information on how much liquor to buy for a party to how to determine profits when purchasing an alcohol establishment. Entrepreneurs can get a good idea of what it will take to open their dream bar, from choosing a theme and furnishings to financing and researching liquor and labor laws.
And, with a section on drinking games and toasting suggestions, the Professional Bartender's Handbook is way more than just a collection of recipes.
5 stars

Collections catering to culinary professionals, especially bartenders, will find here an excellent handbook which offers tips and tricks to running a bar, big or small. From recipes for nearly 1,500 different cocktails, shooters and even some non-alcoholic drinks to tips on developing drink promotions and refining presentation, The Professional Bartender's Handbook should be on the shelves of any library catering to food professionals.

Ever wonder what the difference is between Irish whiskey and Scotch whiskey or a lambic and a lager? Or whether that bottle of tequila is still drinkable? Do you know what V.S.O.P. stands for? Want to brush up on your skills as a sommelier? Whether throwing a fantastic party or tending bar professionally, this is an indispensable reference to keep on hand.

Ms. Mellema provides a rundown on setting up a bar complete with lists of how much and what kinds of alcohol and accoutrements to buy, and offers tips on management including how to obtain a liquor license and the different types of insurance policies the prospective bar owner is likely to encounter. But the real meat of the book is the nearly comprehensive listing of drink recipes. While I do have to take off points because there's no recipe for a mojito (there is a recipe for caipirinhas, though), I was really impressed with how many off-the-beaten-path drinks are included. I ran several of the more difficult drink requests past my favorite local bartender and they weren't even in her book!

But although I've discovered several new drinks I love and learned a few new toasts, my favorite part of this book is definitely the final chapter in which bartenders talk about their favorite (and most hated) things about their profession. I have a lot more sympathy for bartenders now, and I won't be ordering frozen drinks anymore!

If you ever wanted to start a bar, this book is for you! The Professional Bartender's Handbook covers everything you need to know from what type of bar do you want, how to manage a bar, how to stock it, and drink recipes (non-alcoholic also). The highlight of the book is the section on case studies from bartenders who tell us the best and worst things about being a bartender. With 1500 drink recipes, this makes a great present for pretty much anyone who drinks! Cheers!

The Professional Bartender's Handbook is an easy-to-use book for anyone. If you're stocking your own bar there are lists of what and how much to buy (including alcohol, mixers, and extras), what tools to have on hand (types of glasses, spoons, strainers--who knew?). There's even a chapter on really starting a bar--from business plan through OSHA regs and promotions.

As for recipes, the book has 1500 of them, from A Bat and a Ball to Zuma Buma, with a separate section for non-alcoholic drinks. Over 200 pages filled with recipes! None are indexed, only alphabetized, so if you're looking for various martinis--from apple to vodka, you could be skimming pages for awhile.

The book starts with the basics about liquor, like the difference between Haitian and Jamaican rum, how wines should be served, etc., There's even a chapter on drinking games and toasts--what more could you want? Everything you need to be a fantastic bartender is right here.

This book is a fantastic resource for Business Analysts and Project Managers alike. I've recommended this book to several of my contemporaries, and use variations of many of the tools discussed in the book. If you've ever had a creative block on how to demonstrate good analyses, this set of tools will provide you with the spark you need.

Traditionally, project management tools and techniques have been seen as vehicles for reaching an objective or, more specifically, a project deliverable. However, most project management literature just describes individual tools and, at best, loosely gathers them into a quasi-toolbox to aid the project or program manager in doing the job more effectively. Thankfully, the business community finally has Project Management ToolBox by Dragan Z. Milosevic, not just another review of available tools and techniques, but the most comprehensive text ever published on the subject. The author makes a strong case for the need for a more systematic and pre-constructed project management toolbox, one that is of significantly more value than the simple sum of its individual tools.

Within the book, Milosevic develops a new role for project management tools and the toolbox in three distinctive ways. First, the book provides a clear roadmap for how to deploy and customize each tool depending on the specific project and company environment. Second, the book goes beyond individual tools by offering a more effective approach, i.e., constructing a toolbox, unique to an organization, which gathers together a predefined set of tools, thus supporting not only individual project management activities and deliverables but also the complete project management process. Finally, the book spells out how to customize the toolbox. Constructing a generic project management toolbox has value, but customizing it to fit a company's competitive strategy significantly enhances that value.

The book content is clearly and logically organized by project management process - initiating, planning, implementing, and closing - and then by practical applications. This helps users locate tools according to use, i.e., to support one or more specific deliverables in the project management process. Also, it reinforces the applications aspect of the toolbox for a standardized, company-specific project management process.

In summary, the Project Management ToolBox is not just the resource for a collection of project management tools and techniques. It offers an extensive set of tools that goes beyond the limits of generic domains and also takes the guesswork out of when and how to use them in order to support the project management process and to deliver concurrent projects as dictated by a company's strategy for competitiveness and profitability. It also describes how to link project goals and practices and the organization's mission, and it offers much value to managers of organizations of any size or endeavour. In short, it is a must-have book for the project manager.

I don't share many of my consulting "know-how" secrets, but in this case I will, because I think the field of PM will benefit from the ideas presented in this book. After working 20 years in the consulting and project management field, I felt I was as knowledgeable as one could be about managing projects. Then one day, I came across Dragan's PM ToolBox. WOW! Every page is an eye opener. And this book really is a toolbox because its filled with detailed examples, report layouts, checklists, and figures which I have personally incorporated into my projects management and documentation. And those work examples have helped me win additional PM business many times over.

If you think this is just another "Here are the PM process steps" book, then click on by. But if you do, you will miss out on the chance to reach a higher level of excellence in the field of project management that will set you apart from the rest.

Thanks Dragan for a job well done!!

I must say I was excited to discover this book: finally a book holding a comprehensive set of templates! For each tool/template, the author provides answers to practical questions that most people face and provides a short case study to illustrate its usage.
Good Job ! It is to be used as a reference material, not to be read cover-to cover.

If you're a project manager, this is one of those invaluable resources to add to your personal "toolkit".

This is a very practical reference book to keep close to your workspace. It contains more than 50 tools you can incorporate into your practice.

When that moment arrives in the project where one of your managers demands some additional piece of information presented in a particular way (as Murphy's Law describes - always at the busiest, most hectic, time), and perhaps it's one of those things you've never personally done before ...

Don't panic, just reach for the "Toolbox".

Each tool is described clearly, most including a table, diagram, or sample of the tool, along with instructions as to best practice use of the tool, e.g.:

o When to use it

o The best place in the project life cycle to use it

o Its benefits (in case you need to "sell" its use within your organization), and

o Advantages/Disadvantages - enabling you to make smarter choices among the tools, and more effective application of the one you select

One suggestion for future editions: I'd like to see more correlation of these tools with the Project Management Institute (PMI)'s PMBOK - both in terms of consistent language and project phasing. (The author does include a short appendix that attempts to do some of this.)

Notwithstanding, I still consider this book a valuable resource for my practice.

This is a very good reference to have at hand. I am a petrophysicist and reading this book has allowed me to do a number of my computation much more accurately.

I am using the second edition to help with my understanding of viscosity, permeability, compressibility, PV diagrams and other calculations.

The book is titled "An introduction". However, the detail in the book is at an intermediate level. You need to have at least some basic scientific and mathematical knowledge to make the best of this book. As an example, it is clearly a level above Dr Hyne's Nontechnical Guide to Petroleum Geology.

The book does not go into great background detail and is more focused on calculations and examples of how they are derived and applied. If this is what you want this book for (as it was for me), it does a great job.

It has an exemplary index that is very useful in finding exactly what you are looking for.

This is definitely a very important book to have for people that study/work in the Petroleum industry.

working in a research institute specialized in oil industry, i find this book always a reference.. and though i have read it, studied it several times.. it keeps on capturing me and helping me. i highly recommend this book, it s amust have for a petroleum engineer.

This book gives you step by step explanations for the basics of petroleum reservoir engineering.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Many organizations struggle with the implementation of the balanced scorecard. It is rumoured that about 70% of these projects fail. There are many reasons given for this, like wrong timing, no commitment of the organization, inadequate IT etc. These failures are a shame because, as the book Quest for Balance shows, the use of a good PMS helps organizations obtain better results! So we should concentrate more on the reasons for PMS-failure and the things we can do to make these successful. This book concentrates on the human factors which influence this success. These factors are still too often ignored, probably because humans are so hard to deal with. Based on case study research the author has discovered which factors are the most important, like visible commitment of top management and a firm belief in performance management. Also management styles are discusses. With this book the failure rate of BSC-implementations surely must go down.

Andre de Waal manages to prove the importance of the human element as a critical success factor for using performance management systems (PMS). In this book he gives a clear overview which factors are important and how managers can use them. He uses very interesting case material to support his views. This book is not only for managers that want to set up a new PMS but also for managers that already use a PMS and struggle with it. A book that every manager needs to read and use in practice!

In every implementation project the most difficult part is dealing with the human factor. It isn't so difficult to technicaly implement a balanced scorecard but getting people to actually use it always turns out to be the most difficult part. This book researches which elements we have to take into account to make sure that managers will use the balanced scorecard. Seeing that the scorecard is one of the most popular management tools of the last decade this is very important. The book provides useful advice as well as proof that using the scorecard indeed helps a company get better results. This is good news for everybody.