Professional Books

The book is very usefull for clinicians, it gives you real good tips about when a person is in real risk to comitt suicide. I think it's a great tool for clinical staff to have in treating people who suffer from any kind of mental health problem, as well as for students that are in training. It's wrriten very clear and it's easy to follow.

This book is very useful for mental health professionals. Even if you're not doing sucide assessment, per se, it's good to know what questions to ask, and how to ask them, of ALL clients!

The book is very well organized and well written. Although I've only read about half of it, I think I've learned a lot, and am looking forward to reading it to the end.

Dr. Shea shares great insights into the interview process for suicidal patients. Too often there is a reliance on demographic or symptomatic factors to determine suicidal risk. Dr. Shea convincingly brings us back to the realization that suicide is an individual choice and the risk of suicide can only be estimated by understanding the individual's thought processes regarding suicide. Theorectically sound and practical book.

This was an excellent guide to suicide assessment and I highly recommend this book to any mental health professional. Beyond that I think this book is valuable for any clinicial who may one day have to talk to somebody about suicide. Well written and organized.

I'm currently in school for addiction counseling and felt this book would be good to read. It is well written and easy to read, with a lot of good advice. As a counselor in preparation I know I will be having sessions with people who are experiencing suicidal ideation, & while I know this doesn't qualify a person to do suicide assessments it certainly gives a good method for drawing out as much information as possible. It makes me feel a little more comfortable about the job I am going to be doing.

This is a great book for anyone interested in project management, or has been given the PM role without any prior training. It's also good for those of us who already think we know it all - I'm sure there'll be gems in it for everyone.

Any project one can undertake is not necessarily going to be like all the others. "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is an informed and informative handbook for managers in charge of making their projects the best they can be with proper planning, strategy, and beginnings. With advice on warning signals to help people stay on the right track, "The Principles of Project Management: Run Projects on Time and To Budget Using This Simple Step-by-Step Guide" is a top pick for community library business collections and any would be project leader.

This is a short book, but it's packed with useful information about project management. It neatly avoids getting bogged down with PM jargon, instead cutting to the core concepts. It's not designed to get you through a project management qualification (though it might help!), but will certainly help you to become more efficient at managing projects, which at the end of the day is what *really* matters. Aimed at people who want to get projects done, even if they're not officially 'project managers' within their organisation.

The book is broken into five sections - what project management is (and just as importantly, what it isn't), getting started with projects (covering the who, what, where, why and when of project initiation), getting the project done (tools, best practice, project control), the essentials of good project communication, and finally following through - closing off the project.

Rounded off with appendices covering essential project tools, templates, and links to useful software apps, this is a great book for people starting out in project management. And whilst not strictly aimed at experienced project managers, I'm sure that everyone will find something useful to take away.

Great stuff.

Do you find yourself responsible for executing projects and need some guidance on how to get the job done? If you do, then this book is for you! Author Meri Williams, has done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to get projects completed and delivered on time.

Williams, begins by explaining why Project Management is a difficult thing to do effectively. Then, the author explains why leading teams, managing schedules and implementing ideas, takes a lot of focus and hard work. Next, she gives advice on work styles and issue tracking. The author also discusses why stand-up meetings are very difficult to prepare for. She continues by showing you why closing on handling is a total disconnect. Finally, the author discusses how to measure operational success, ongoing support and maintenance.

This most excellent book aims to lay out defined steps to get projects done right and on time. But, more importantly, the author designed this book for people who are working on larger projects by themselves.

'The Principles of Project Management' is one of those books that does nearly everything right in my eyes. A small footprint (204 pages = don't say more than you need to), fantastic design, and good writing and content. It's no secret that sitepoint is one of my favorite technical publishers out in the field today and nearly every one of their books gets 5 stars from this reviewer.

This book is no different.

Project Management is a difficult thing to do and do effectively. Managing schedules, leading teams, getting ideas to fruition all takes a lot of hard work and focus. To be a good project manager you have to wear all sort of different hats and it's a daunting task. Like salespeople, if you are a great project manager you can have a lot of success and a lot of times it's the kind of skills that can't be taught, but are ingrained inside you.

But you can make those skills stronger no matter what level project manager you are.

From Gantt charts to tables to delegation, estimates, and becoming an amateur psychologist working with your team, this book is one of the best inros to becoming an effective project manager. You will learn all the necessary skills to be successful and have fun while learning.

If you are an experienced PM you owe it to yourself to read this quick book and if you are newbie this should be required reading. Great content and ideas + a great design make for an outstanding effort and book!!

***** HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Viscosity estimation and other properties of gases

When you need physical property data, and you don't have exact information; this book provides best available estimations of the physical properties. It has been a great help to me, over the years.

Having worked on a piece of an earlier edition, as a grad student at U of Mo - Rolla; where Bruce Poling was a professor, I know how much work it is putting this together for the industries. My hats off to Bruce and his co-authors, and especially to Nanci, his wife, for doing yoman's work on this 5th edition of a classic!

If you are a chemical engineer and do not own this text, you will have a hard time. This text covers all physical properties of organic, and some inorganic, gases and liquids. It offers complete theoretical development and practical equations which are amenable to spreadsheets and numerical analysis. Particularly useful is a comparison at the end of every topic showing the accuracy of each method in predicting a property. Presented in tabular form, it allows the reader to choose a method which is sufficient for his/her needs. You may decide to choose a method that is less accurate but easier to program. Every chemical engineer should have this text. My only regret is that we did not have time in undergraduate to use this text. I learned its value from watching the graduate students.

If this review was helpful, please say so. Thanks.

The book is an absolutely practical treatise of applied thermodymamics. The explanations of how to use property estimation methods are excellent, but invaluable are the comments on their accuracy and recommendations as to when to use which method.

The book served as my operating manual for the ASPEN software for modeling chemical processes. The book documented nearly every method used by ASPEN.

I was a bit unconfortable when I bought this book since I was suspicious that this one was one of those unreadable thermodynamic books. Fortunately I was wrong. This book provides you with a complete treatment of the properties of gases and liquids in a plain language stressing the understanding of the basic laws governing the behavior of liquids and gases instead of the mathematic that goes with it. The treatment of the topics is very suitable for engineers since it allows quick understanding of the phenomena and provides a wealth of correlations and methods for estimating properties. The appendixes contain all kind of basic information indeed helpful for applying the correlations showed. Without any hesitation, this book is well worth its price.

I've read a lot of these types of books, being a reformed "I went to law school so I WOULDN'T have to do sales" type. This is one of the most useful practical books on the subject I've ever come across. In fact, I liked it so much that I'm back to buy two additional copies to use as loaners to some other folks in my firm.

The Chapters are all very short, no more than 5 or 6 pages with each addressing a particular real life situation such as "Avoid Random Acts of Lunch (or How to Make Your Business Development Pay Off): How Can I Avoid Wasting My marketing Efforts in Random, Unplanned Actions?" What I liked about this book was that it acknoweldged a deepseated fear many of us have as lawyers when it comes to marketing and suggested alternative ways of looking at the task in a more positive light. Then, in addition to the attitude switch, Maraia dispenses concrete easy suggestions in every chapter that I can definitely see myself implementing immediately and getting results very quickly.

This book is especially good for someone just starting out on the marketing path, but even experienced professionals will find something new they can use.

Maraia is a recognized expert in the field of rainmaking for professionals, and this book is a compilation of tips and advice from his years of consulting with hundreds and hundreds of attorneys and other professionals who hate the thought of asking for business. Maraia disarms the reader's objections and recharacterizes the task of rainmaking in a manner that is both fresh and appealing to professionals. Why ask for business directly when you can simply reconnect with a dormant client or an old college friend? Maraia teaches that rainmaking is all about making relationships, about connecting and reconnecting in ways that demonstrate that you truly care about and want to help others. As Zig Ziglar has said, "You can get anything you want if you just help enough other people get what they want".

There are no platitudes here - only practical and immediately useable advice, organized for easy reference. I'm recommending this book to every professional that I know. Who knows? Maybe I'll get a referral.

There are several excellent marketing books that are specifically aimed at lawyers and professional service firms. I think this is the best. From "Twenty Ideas for Increasing Client Satisfaction" (Chapter 9) to "Using Speaking to Win New Clients" (Chapter 34), and "Avoid Random Acts of Lunch" (Chapter 16) the advice is specific, detailed, and exteremly useful. The 48 short, practical chapters are especially helpful as job aids - read only what you need, exactly when you need it. And if you have any doubts about whether it works, just read the 67 testimonials in the front of the book.

Can rainmaking for lawyers be simple? According to Mark Maraia, it can be--and his book tells attorneys how.

This is one of the best books around on rainmaking for lawyers. It suggests many actions that lawyers can take to develop clients, and breaks down these actions into easily understood steps.

As a coach to lawyers, I particularly appreciate how Maraia stresses this simple maxim: every client communication is a client development opportunity. How true! Every client communication--whether a legal bill, an email or a conversation--should be used to enhance the attorney-client relationship by building trust and communicating value. This can't be emphasized enough.

Maraia also explores topics like cross selling and developing associates' marketing skills. These techniques are too often ignored by lawyers, and Maraia clearly explains why they are effective.

One caveat: my lawyer clients who handle international matters and deal with foreign clients have had to modify some of these rainmaking tactics. Effective cross-cultural communication means communicating with cultural sensitivity and awareness. In a global economy this is critical. A few of Maraia's suggested techniques--while effective with American clients--can be too direct and off-putting for those foreign clients used to an "indirect" communication style. However, Maraia's basic principles are sound and can be easily tweaked for multicultural rainmaking.

Maraia also emphasizes that rainmaking training (through this book or in person) is much more effective with follow-on coaching. In fact, recognizing that lawyers will become more effective rainmakers if they customize and implement the rainmaking techniques with the help of a trained lawyer coach, Maraia explains that he only offers in person training with follow-on coaching. Regardless, this book is a great, straightforward and practical resource.

I started reading Rainmaking Made Simple as just a book and couldn't help jumping around to different topics. It is really more like a desktop reference guide. I bet I've read different sections of it 3 or 4 times. I've found this to be a handbook that you can go back to time and again. I know that's what I've been doing.

Also, I noted right away Maraia has done lots of work with professional service firms that bill themselves or their organization hourly. It took me about one minute to start translating some of his examples into what I do with my company.

Did I like it? Yes! It's a great, down-to-earth reference guide that makes sense to own.

Abundance is not just money but vast resources available. A practical read with overtones of spiritual wisdom. The prosperity prayer is one of the best pieces of this book. Lynn Robinson shares some of her and her clients experiences and practices to tapp into sources for a more abundant life. Not woo-woo, not magic, metaphysical but within the realm of using your sixth sense and common sense. Great for small business owners.

Lynn effectively connects with the reader in Real Prosperity. By citing real issues that stop many from seeking prosperity, you feel like she's talking with you, 1 on 1. Lynn's heart-felt compassion and understanding shine throughout.

Snipets from her own life experiences and intuitive work with her clients make the concepts more real. Quotes and success stories inspire: some even add some comic relief. The techniques, questions to ask yourself and suggested steps all combine to make this a readable and actionable resource on your path to abundance. Devour it cover to cover, highlight and earmark the parts that speak to you, because you will refer back often. If you're serious about attracting prosperity in your life, this book will show you how to use your intuition to make it happen. Read it, believe prosperity is possible for you, and take action to create it. Further, if someone has helped you achieve prosperity, this book makes a great thank you gift of gratitude.

As someone who also owns Divine Intuition and the Intuitive Life audio tapes, thanks Lynn, for creating another great resource: I'm grateful for your advice and inspiration in achieving prosperity in my life!

I discovered REAL PROSPERITY during a time in my life when I was asking GOD some serious questions and researching books on total life prosperity for the highest good of all. Many are weary of get rich schemes and others are weary of giving to the church for fear they will be taken to the bank. What this leaves many humans with is the experience of not having enough money constantly flowing into our lives because we aren't giving out, as well as a feeling of distrust, fear, worry and anxiety about money flowing into our lives because we think there isn't enough available for us. I was so enthusastic when I began reading REAL PROSPERITY and taking notes in my journal. I was most impressed with the flow and ease of REAL PROSPERITY as Lynn Robinson wrote with clarity, wisdom, honesty and compassion. I truly benefited from this empowering, timely and awesome book and I believe you will, too.

Fused with prayers, prose and real life examples, REAL PROSPERITY is a book that will challenge you to live the highest best vision of your life possible while taking full comfort in KNOWING that what you need and when you need it will be provided by the Father (and we are speaking of more than just money). All we have to do is take a look at nature to see GOD's goodness, abundance and love at work.

You'll turn to REAL PROSPERITY again and again as a source of encouragement inspiration and life application that truly works!


Happy Reading!

[...]

Why is it that some people enjoy lives of luxury, abundance and success, while others struggle to make ends meet? Intuitive consultant Lynn Robinson answers this question as she illuminates the keys to real prosperity, and how to enjoy a life overflowing with more than enough of what you need and want. Robinson shares tips that have helped her thousands of clients realize their dreams over the years, and describes people who are successful, happy and prosperous as, "It's as if prosperity and success seek them out. They magnetize what they want to create through the power of their mind and emotion."

REAL PROSPERITY helps you listen to your prosperity intuition to discover a personalized roadmap to achieving your goals. REAL PROSPERITY is full of excercises, quotations, and stories that describe a spiritual path to abundance. One of my favorite parts of the book is where Robinson points out that often it's often the bleakest times in our lives that turn out to be launch pads for new opportunities and success. This pattern becomes obvious when successful people look back at their lives... and see how they made the biggest turnarounds in the midst of major life changes.

REAL PROSPERITY is written in the very energy of prosperity it describes, so the very act of reading it immediately boosts one's prosperity consciousness. I give this book my highest recommendation!

The first thing I opened to when I placed this book in my hands was the billfold blessing, written by that well known thinker, Anonymous.

It goes like this:

"Bless this billfold,
Lord I pray
Replenish it from Day to Day.
May the bills flow in and out
Blessing people all about.
Help me earn and wisely spend.
Show me what to buy and lend.
Thank you, Lord, for bills to pay
For the things I need today.
When `tis empty,
Fill it more
From thy vast abundant store".

I appreciated those words - the use of the word "billfold", heard so rarely, brought me in touch with my friend, Tom. The flowing nature of the blessing reminded me of what I already know - some of the standard laws of prosperity... giving and receiving, keeping the flow moving through giving, appreciation of the bills we pay - continual replenishment.... It seems fitting that the first words I read would be some that would resonate so strongly with me given author Lynn Robinson's focus on Intuition.

This book is filled liberally with familiar and unfamiliar quotes... familiar and unfamiliar methods and formulas of becoming prosperous. What was the most magnificent was the unfamiliar - Robinson's unique take on prosperity.

I was disappointed when I saw the familiar, "Decide what you don't want, decide what you do want" but my heart heated up when it saw, "Pump up the positive emotion" followed by "Pay attention to intuition" and gave specific examples and ideas.

I also appreciated Robinson's take on Gratitude "Financial Miracle Gro."

Other new nuggets include listening to Your (Highly Intuitive and Divinely Guided, naturally) Inner Millionaire and my personal favorite of the entire book, "Writing Help Wanted Ads to God." Hey, I am all for creative manifestation.

There are also practical (albeit brief) chapters concerning the path to a debt free life and having a divine investment plan.

Finally, Robinson writes this book as if she was talking to a friend. Her enthusiasm and joy for life floats upon the page quite deliciously. I know I will recommend this one to many, many, many people.

Remember that? This is a must read/item for those that have lived the history. If you've been part of the ride, then you know the story. But Jerry Reynolds has filled in the blanks with information that you could only get from... well, from Jerry Reynolds: The front office background on the Terry Tyler and Derek Smith trades; Bobby Hurley's potential and toughness; the head coach candidates; actual Bill Russell conversations (apparently he could talk... and laugh). What? We could have "stole" Detlef Schrempf!?!? The book even helped explain my "unique" encounter with Jawann Oldham on the day he was cut loose by the Kings.

Aside from all the great Kings gems that have been unearthed, there is some foreground on Jerry himself as well as documentation of his "rise" up the organization. Like everyone else, I would have liked for the book to be longer--182 pages for 20 years is just not enough. Oh well, Reynolds Remembers is a great and easy read, but to the Kings fan, it's truly great literature--the man did minor in English after all.

The details within "Reynolds Remembers" paint a vivid and entertaining picture of what life was like for a struggling and then reborn NBA franchise. It was filled with anecdotes and humorous observations of true events. I enjoyed it very much.

Although, I wish there had been more than a single page describing Jerry's "the Carly Simon period." Maybe we'll hear more in a sequel.

Jerry Reynolds and Don Drysdale's Reynolds Remembers: 25 Years With The Sacramento Kings is for any interested in the evolution of a shortstring operation which couldn't compete to a model NBA franchise. The Kings are celebrating their 20th season in Sacramento, California - and Jerry Reynolds was part of them before their rise to fame. His memoir celebrates their growth and provides a powerful leader's first-person experiences.

I have been a Kings fan my whole life and I truly enjoyed reliving the past 20 years with Reynolds. It is amazing on how fast we forget the early teams and players and how soon we get used to 50 win seasons. Reynolds uses the same humor and great one-liners in the book that he uses in his telecasts. I just wish the book contained more personal stories and memories and I can only hope that a sequel is in the works. Here's to another great 20 years of Reynolds and to another book.

A riveting read. I could not put this book down. A truly must read for all Sacramento Kings fans. A book any real NBA fan should enjoy. Being able to learn some of the inner thoughts of a real NBA insider is rare.

If only there had been more amusing stories and anecdotes Reynolds is so well known for. These reflecting the personalities of NBA players few of us fans ever see. Maybe this will be in Reynolds next book "Reynolds Remembers More" ?? We can only hope!!

There seem to be three categories of computer security books. The first category is books written for system administrators or computer owners, and explains how to protect the computers under their control. The second category is the "true crime" genre that recounts the exploits of black hat hackers or explains the hacker culture (sometimes as "how-to" books for non-programmers). The third, and rarest, category is books for professional programmers that explain the coding idioms that make programs more secure or more insecure.

This book is an excellent contribution to the third category. It explains how certain ways of programming in C and C++ make programs vulnerable to security attacks. There are many code examples throughout the book illustrating the issues.

Although everything is explained in great detail, the treatment is not superficial. (No background in computer security is required, but the reader should be at least a journeyman C or C++ programmer.) Some of the security holes will surprise readers familiar with the basics of computer security. My favorite example: Many programmers know that the gets() function once was involved with compromising 10% of the computers on the Internet in a single day, but did you know that printf can also be a security flaw in some cases? The statement:
printf(s);
can allow an attacker to run any code of his choosing if s is a string provided by the attacker. Even more surprising is the printf attack has been used successfully on popular programs.

This book should be read by any programmer who does I/O across a network, or who writes applications that provide a captive environment for their users (data entry stations, information kiosks), or who writes programs to manipulate sensitive data. Even programmers merely curious about security issues will find this book a readable treatment. I guess the Black Hats can read the book to get more ideas for future attacks.

I can personally vouch for Seacord's expertise. He is a security analyst as the Computer Emergency Response Team/Coordination Center, and I've worked with him on the ANSI/ISO C Programming Language Standards Committee. I've found his information on computer security both educational and valuable.
[...]

This is an important book for people that write computer programs and their managers.
It is also very well organized and well written. Seacord reveals how the bad guys take
advantage of bugs in programs to break into a system or damage it. It is the most
complete list of exploitable bug types that I am aware of.

Many examples are given, naming software that have been exploited by bad guys. Some
may protest that this provides the bad guys with a list of easy targets. All of the
vulnerable software has been updated to fix the bug, and the improved version has been
available for a long time.

Everyone that writes software intended to be used by someone else should read this book.
Every organization that writes software should have a copy.

Most of the security flaws are buffer overflows. Secord shows how, from the simple use of
gets() through mistakes triggered by subtle differences in the rules for signed and unsigned
integers of various sizes. There are other ways, and some are quite subtle, but still
preventable. The bad guys are not Jay Leno's "Dumb crooks."

The primary way to frustrate the bad guys is to not have any of the bugs they exploit.
Seacord admits zero bugs is an elusive goal and recommends defense in depth by the use of
various freeware or commercial packages intended to trap or prevent certain errors.
He lists and describes many, with their strengths and weaknesses.

Read this book and make your code better. Read it again, next year.

The following are my opinions, based on over 40 years writing software, but I doubt
Seacord would disagree. Every security bug is also a bug that can cause a crash or a
wrong output from a program. The major cause of fewer bugs is the attitude of the
programmer. Managers can affect the attitude of the programmers by their choice of
questions. Do not ask "Is it done yet?" Instead try approaches like: "Tell me about how
you validated the inputs and how you identified all the inputs." "Who reviewed your test
cases?" "How did you decide you had tested enough?" The fewer bugs of any kind in your
product, the less likely the bad guys are going to target it, other things being equal.

I had the honor of taking a short course at a software security summit from Robert Seacord. I would have to say it was one of the most informative security related courses that I have taken. This book encompasses the course that I took and does a great job of explaining what to watch out for when writing code.

I highly recommend this book for any serious developer.

This book slipped under my radar, but I recently picked it up and was quite impressed.

This book is fairly unique in that it is accessible and well-written, yet, at the same time, unabashedly technical. It's quite simply a very good book, and it should prove valuable to readers new to software security, as well as experienced security consultants and vulnerability researchers.

I know the problem domain intimately, and was quite impressed at the level of thoroughness and the technical depth of the coverage. This book isn't merely a well-written exploration of known insecure programming idioms and attack techniques; there's actually a considerable amount of original research and material that you won't find elsewhere. Specifically, the coverage of integer issues goes above and beyond what has been previously written, and it's incredibly topical given the current trends in vulnerability research. Seacord's mastery of the C language and his ability to distill the practical rules of thumb out of the somewhat fragmented C standards really results in an excellent resource.

Seacord gives an unsettling walkthrough of vulnerabilities present in much of C and C++ coding. Buffer overflows take up a significant portion of the discussion. Which leads into considering how these can be introduced into unwary code. Consider C. The common string functions of strcpy, strcat, gets, streadd() and others are shown to be very exposed to error or attack. C++ also has similar drawbacks.

The text explains that much of these trace back to some bad usages. Strings are defined to be null terminated. And bounds checking is often not done. While this is often true of code that the programmer writes, it is also true of various common C library functions, like those mentioned above. In fact, Seacord goes so far as to emphatically assert that gets() should never be used in your code. Instead, he suggests fgets() or gets_s().

Seacord also covers other topics, like dynamic memory management, which might have vulnerable heaps. Various 3rd party analysis tools are suggested, to find these errors.

Overall, the book can be quite disturbing, if you are maintaining a large body of C or C++ code. Might make you want to delve in and replace those gets(), at the very least.

While the text doesn't mention this, it turns out that recent languages like Java and C# have far more robust string handling abilities. They were written after the above flaws in C and C++ become apparent.

Its a great book, very usefull. The product arrived in time and in proper conditions.

Everything we use everyday comes from somewhere. Getting that product from point A to point B in a timely, cost-effective way is important to everyone in the transportation industry. But the attacks against America both domestically and abroad have shown that we are as vulnerable as ever, and one way to secure our business interests is to secure our transportation networks.
That is the subject of this excellent book, written by three veterans of the industry and featuring a foreward by Tom Ridge, the first Secretary of Homeland Security. Using their years of experience, the authors develop in the book the concept of Total Security Management, and use compelling case studies to illustrate their point that a secure business is a successful business. The book breaks down the global transportation process, shows where value is added along the way, and how to maximize that value while minimizing risk, not only from terrorism but from other less malicious but equally damaging impacts. The book further demonstrates the financial benefits of investing in security, and also how to protect physical corporate assets, whether they be fixed or goods in transit. A "Book of the Month" of the American Society for Industrial Security in December 2006, this book is a must for anyone working in or around global transportation industries.

America's transportation networks are vulnerable. The nation's "wake up," on September 11th is now amplified by government and media clarion calls to protect our ports. Securing Global Transportation Networks answers with an ingenious foundation using Demming's Total Quality Management as its blueprint. Anyone in the public, private, or academic sectors who is serious about transportation will mark themselves ahead of the curve with a first edition of SGTN on their bookshelf.

The authors make a very compelling case that organizations should adopt security as a core business concern.

The book empowers its readers by showing how organizations can avoid disruptive events through planning to protect people, facilities, supply chains, and business reputation. It also outlines how to plan for recovery from those inevitable catastrophes. The book includes many real world examples.

Another benefit of the book is that those in the technology sector can gain insights into how to be part of the security solution.

This book is both well written and comprehensive. The authors have described the multiple facets so clearly that you do not need an MBA to read it.

Total Security Management is a wake up call for global executives. Today's companies are no longer in control of their own fate unless they become proactive. Securing Global Transportation Networks provides an innovative approach to supply chain security and the relationship to value creation. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with responsibility for protecting any part of the supply chain or operating in the business of trade.

An excellent book that shows how important it is to adjust one's negotiating strategy to fit the situation. Unlike so many other books on negotiation which offer a cookie cutter approach, Watkins does a superb job in helping you develop strategies that will work in just about any situation.
A great companion to the book "Bargaining for Advantage" by Shell.

Michael Watkins , author of 2003's classic "The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels" has followed it up nicely with "Shaping the Game: The New Leader's Guide to Effective Negotiating." Whereas the earlier book was a step-by-step guide to what a new leader needed to accomplish, the latest book focuses on how negotiation skills can play a key role in successful transitions.

Watkins, an expert in leadership transitions and in negotiation, has come to believe that, "...effective leaders negotiate their way to success in their new roles." This book is meant to help ensure success in that endeavor.

Watkins sees four objectives for negotiations during career transitions:

1. Create value for both the new leader and for the organization.
2. Ensure that the new leader captures a fair share of that value.
3. Build and sustain relationships by the way the negotiations are conducted.
4. Enhance the new leader's reputation as a tough, creative and trustworthy individual.

His framework for negotiation likewise contains four elements:

1. Matching negotiating strategy to the reality of the situation. No more one-size-fits-all negotiation strategies.
2. Planning to learn and influence.
3. Shaping the game - strategies to change the negotiation game to better suit your strengths.
4. Organizing to improve your skills as a negotiator, and those of your organization.

I like the way Watkins has organized the book. He provides plenty of clear, visual models of the negotiation process. Each chapter is concluded with a checklist that summarizes the key things to watch for when negotiating. The book is a fast read, and it will be easy to find what I need to help in specific situations later.

If you are entertaining several options for future employment, or entering a new position, consider using two books as guides. First, use George Bradt's The New Leaders 100-Day Action Plan: How to Take Charge, Build Your Team, and Get Immediate Results as the most practical step by step guide to early success in the new role. And use Watkins book to help you understand how to do some of the tougher steps in Bradt's book.

If you have any need to negotiate in your current role (and all of us do), pick up Watkins book to help you improve your ability to create and capture value. His stuff will work whether or not you are a new leader.

This provides a nice clear layout of the ideas behind successful negotiations. It's helpful to think clearly about the values and motivations of all the 'players' in the process. Great book and easy but thoughtful read.

This excellent guide to negotiation is concise, highly readable and eminently practical. Author Michael Watkins simply and clearly outlines the essentials every negotiator must know. More importantly, he situates negotiation where it belongs - at the very center of every leader's required set of skills. He duly notes that negotiations differ in many ways, and that a negotiator needs to adapt a strategic approach to each situation and context. Where appropriate, he draws on the work of other writers about negotiation, sometimes correcting their broad generalizations and oversimplifications. He illustrates his advice about negotiation with the story of Paul, an executive whose career exposes him to various negotiating situations requiring a range of skills. This tactic could be hackneyed or hokey, but in Watkin's hands, it works well. We highly recommend this book as an excellent tool for honing your negotiation and leadership skills.

In "Shaping the Game: The New Leader's Guide to Effective Negotiating", Michael Watkins came up with a high quality book on critical skills required for successful negotiations. The author wrote an interesting and insightful book on achieving effective negotiations. Negotiation involves getting people who both have common and conflicting goals to be able to present and discuss issues and reach an agreement acceptable to all parties.

This is a very useful book that presents the negotiation process methodically, which helps the reader to follow and understand the process. The ideas you learn from the book are very helpful in any negotiating situation, whether one is interviewing for a job, buying a car, leasing a house, making a sell or negotiating between managers and workers for salary increase and conditions of service or a major contract.

This is an excellent book that is essential reading for all managers who need to learn the techniques, strategies and practices of effective negotiations. The author reinforces his well presented arguments, proposals and solutions with an interesting story of Paul whose duties require him to be involved in various challenging negotiating scenarios that should assist readers in reinforcing the concepts that they would have learnt.

Dr. McCormick helps us get it "right." Servant leadership is all about knowing and living this truth: One leads most effectively when serving.....and one serves best by leading. This is the biblical pattern of leadership and when genuinely lived in one's everyday world it works as long as it is congruent with one's heart. Dr. McCormick also helps us understand that for one to consistently live the pattern of leadership that one must stay very close to the One who is the source of pattern.

Shepherd leadership is not for wimps. It is for leaders who want to be both strong and servant leaders. Both emphasisze vision, teaching, and service, but only servant leadership notes how leaders most have an edge, meaning they must make tough decisions.
This book has a number of practical suggestions for today's leaders who must both listen and direct. Leaders must add new skills to their arsenal, including being more accessible, genuine, and interactive. Many challenges for leaders are included in the book with practical solutions. It is a great approach using wisdom from a popular psalms with practical applications and stories. It is tough love for today's leaders in these tough times.

I understand the aphroism is really "brevity is the soul of wit" - but this small volume demands that the phrase be recast. McCormick and Davenport take the 23rd Psalm apart and suggest some basic principles about leadership that come from the psalm. The book is loaded with examples of each of the styles or main points. But perhaps even more valuable is a series of suggestions to work with the principles established in each chapter.

I found the most interesting issue raised in the book one about Supply Side management. I have been a CEO of an organization for more than a dozen years. McCormick and Davenport suggest that the role of a leader is too often looked at from the demand side of the equation - those inevitable lists. But leaders should also consider the supply side - what excites you about the job? How does one find those niches which make the lists of to dos a bit less demanding. Many leadership jobs seem to be comparable to that of Sisyphus. But with a little attention to the supply side - those inevitable demands become less onerous.

Buy it, read it, use it!

Book Review by Robert Tunmire (from Baylor Business Review, Fall '03)

Many leaders, like me, have highly dominant personalities. We may struggle with the "softer side" of managing. Shepherd Leadership: Wisdom for Leaders from Psalm 23 gives us excellent reasoning and examples of how a "softer" - yet truthful and effective - approach can be a more effective management style.

The analogy of the leader as shepherd is a credible one, and presented in a straightforward manner. The authors clearly lay out, guided by Psalm 23, what a shepherd's responsibilities are and how that applies to a leader's responsibilities in the real world of business. Each chapter ends with two items: "Shepherd Thinking," and "Shepherd Doing," assisting with application of the chapter's concepts.

Read the rest of this review at
http://www.baylor.edu/bbr/index.php?id=10399

In Shepherd Leadership, McCormick and Davenport present a refreshing model of leadership which takes the person as a whole into account. As someone who is young in my career, I found this book valuable in helping to develop my management style and philosophy. I left business school with strategies, theories, and policy, but very little in the way of leadership practices, which left me treading water when first entering a management role.

One section that stood out for me was the shepherd leader's toolkit. The compass and the frame represent two valuable practices for leaders at any level. The compass reminds you to set clear direction to navigate through the maze of information, reports, meetings, and endless action items that you encounter on a daily basis. The frame sets boundaries and expectations for your organization while still allowing your employees room to creatively explore new approaches.

A fantastic read for anyone who's just been thrown in the deep end of management!