Professional Books

Excellent reference.

However, I didn't like the idea of using MIX assembly language. Book would have been more readable if examples were in plain english pseudocode (even better would be 'C'). At least second edition should have taken care of this aspect.

I also suggest books from Cormen & Sedgewick on same subject.

This book is bible of computer programming.

It contains most detailed explanation of searching and sorting methods I ever found in a book. Contains all internal sorting and searching and external sorting and searching algorithms.

The only drawback of the book is that all algorithms are written in MIX - some kind of assembler, and because of that they are hard to read.

I just bought the book I needed out of the set. I needed to build a database that did not use any commercial package (this gives full access and no royalties). This book saved my bacon. I almost did not buy it when all I saw in it was math. But I was desperate and it paid off. Turns out you could not explain it any other way. This book goes way beyond binary, and bubble sorts. I use it primarily for balanced trees. I may try some thing more exotic later. I can not tell you about the other volumes but this one will defiantly pay for it's self.

As a previous review said: "This is a book about the science of algorithms. Algorithms are either right or wrong."

Knuth uses the MIX programming language throughout, and if you hope to learn programming by reading this book, you should look elsewhere. Maybe someday we'll have 2^32 registers, but we will still be trying to make our programs work faster on this, as yet, uninvented architecture. The fundamental concepts will remain the same, and people will still be reading Knuth to understand them.

A good reference for serious computer science students. Others should look at O'Reilly. They have some really good books on visual basic.

This is an encyclopedia of what is known about sorting and searching and what computers can do. It is nothing else.

Graduate students in computer science (especially those in theory, algorithms and the occasional compiler fan) will benefit. Hackers and script kiddies will probably not benefit from this book.

First the basics: it's great, it provides wide-ranging and deep analysis, it shows many views and variants of each problem, and its bibliography is helpful, though not exhaustive. The historical notes, including sorts for drum storage, may seem quaint to modern readers. And sorting has been done, right? You just run a shell program or call a function, and tap into the best technology. Does it need to be done again?

Yes, if you're on the edge of technology, it does need to be done again, and again, and again. That's because technology keeps expanding, and violating old assumptions as it does. Memories got big enough that the million-record sort is now a yawn, where it used to be a journal article. But, at the same time, processor clocks got 100-1000x ahead of memory speeds. All of a sudden, those drum-based algorithms are worth another look, because yesteryear's drum:memory ratios are a lot like today's memory:cache ratios of size and speed - and who doesn't want a 100x speedup? Parallel processing is moving from the supercomputing elite into laptops, causing more tremors in the ground rules. GPU and reconfigurable computing also open whole new realms of pitfalls as well as opportunities.

Knuth points out that the analyses have beauty in themselves, for people with eyes to see it. His analyses also demonstrate techniques applicable way beyond the immediate discussion, too. Today, though, I have nasty problems in technologies that no one really knows how to handle very well. I have to go back and check all the assumptions again, since so many of them changed. If that's the kind of problem you have, too, then this is the place to start.

//wiredweird

My judge uses all kinds of crazy words, things that people don't usually hear in everyday courtroom proceedings...yet I have found most of them in this book! In my efforts to reduce my overall strokes and improve my realtime, this book has been my sidekick. Not a day goes by that I don't look for some help between its covers. It's awesome!

This is a great book for students to increase speed by using briefs and brief phrases, I love it!

This book will become a staple in my realtime library, love it!

If you are a court reporting student, you can benefit from this book. I found that this book contained a lot of briefs that was not incorporated in my theory book. This book will help you gain the speed to pass speed test.

This book is great!! I am a court reporting student. I wish I had bought this book when I first started school. It would have saved me much time. There are several options for the words, and even if they are not your theory, it can give you an idea of how to brief the word according to your own theory. I use this book almost daily in practice, and my speed has increased 40 WPM in two months. I credit it all to being able to find a brief and save strokes. BUY IT!!!

Paul Harmon's book is quite simply a masterpiece, one of the best technical books ever written. He writing is lucid and every page contains nuggets of insight. Unlike most technical books this one actually provides useful examples that you can immediately put to good use. Harmon begins the book with a masterful background into the business process field (worth the price of the book alone) and then gets into the nitty gritty laying out a methodology for analysis and change. An essential book for anyone remotely interested in business process change.

I really liked the first edition of this book. It has an overall approach plus a toolkit to start a business process redesign project. This second edition have only a very overall approach. It puts together many things not well integrated. It seems the author didn't select the topics, just included it.

Yes, the approach in three level is an interesting framework, but it's not enough for what is missing from the first edition.

Business Process Change provides a very clear and comprehensive discussion of the methodologies surrounding successful business process management. This has become my new guide for developing a BPM Group within our organization. I very much look forward to more writings by Paul Harmon.

This is about the best Business Process book I have read so far. I worked in a IT transformation for a big Telecommunications company which entailed adopting a new approach to Business Process and Operational Process Development and I found this book very useful. This book with the book Business Process Management - Practical Guide to Successful Implementation provided me with most of the knowledge needed.

I think this is the best book that I have seen that allows an organization to consider business process at the enterprise and department level. I have been engaged in business process management in the government for years, trying to define the processes, trying to communicate them, trying to improve them. This is by far the best treatment and guide I have seen. This is what I have been looking for and couldn't find.

this is good companion to C in nutshell. answering your c question quickly and effectively.

Not intended as a reference or a tutorial for the C language, this book fills one niche well - the gory, often forgotten or differently understood, fine details. When writing code, and noticing some behaviour which doesn't look completely natural, this FAQ can often help clear some things out.
In my opinion it is also good to read it at least once from the beginning - this gives some good insight on the language that might not always be immediately visible to beginners, or intermediate programmers who do not have years of experience behind them.
Most every C compiler these days supports some extensions and non-standard features, and some of those might be difficult to notice as non-standard. This book will also help you program in a more portable manner, and think in more standardized C.

Summit gives us an extensive test of our C knowledge. While C has a simple syntax, and lacks object oriented complexity in notation, there are many nuances that catch out unwary programmers.

A lot of the questions revolve around the assembly language-like constructs in C, for pointer arithmetic. Very easy to trip up here. And also in the related area of memory (buffer) allocation.

If that is not enough to keep you busy, Summit also talks about issues of portability across different operating systems or across different versions of the same operating system. At least you usually don't have to worry about the version of C itself. For system dependencies, Summit covers both unix and MSDOS. While C and unix grew up together, a reality is that much C programming goes on under Microsoft.

The references to MSDOS in the text reflect that the book was written in 95. Though even then, Microsft was deprecating DOS in favour of its newer Windows offerings. A newer version of this book might be overdue. Where Summit would no doubt discuss C under XP.

Simply put, this book does a good job of condensing years of FAQs from the comp.lang.c new group. Some of the questions really get down into the nitty gritty of C. The answers are easy to read and understand.

This is an essential book for any programmer. I remember buying it when it first came out in Fall 1995. I was an undergraduate senior at the time and thought I was a hotshot C programmer. How mistaken I was! Reading through this book was a humbling experience, as each page showed me fine details of C that I did not already know.

This is an excellent book. It is organised into chapters on different aspects of C, and in each chapter are dozens of FAQs that range from rather common to extremely fine-detailed. Three chapters which I particularly liked were Chapter 1 (declarations and initalisations), 3 (expressions and evaluation order), and 6 (arrays and pointers). Later chapters introduced new (at the time) concepts to me, including getopt, variable-length argument lists, and preprocessor tricks. The level of detail provided in each answer is extraordinary.

Other things I liked about the book: The index is excellent. There is a lot of discussion (spread across the FAQs) on the differences between K&R and ANSI C. (This was relevant to me because at the time, I was splitting my work between gcc and the proprietary cc compilers on DEC Ultrix and SunOS.) The style of writing is friendly and does not talk down to you. This is not a beginners' book!

Note that there is an online version, but it does not have nearly as many questions as in this book.

This book is a treasure if you were a follower of the AFL. And it does not matter what team you followed, you will like to old pictures and stories when it seemed players loved the game more than the money.

The gang is all here! Coach Sid Gillman, QBs
Tobin Rote (who started in the CFL!), WR Lance
Alworth, RBs Keith Lincoln, et, al. Highly
recommended work of sports journalism! Pick
Up On It!

An outstanding and informative history of the LA/SD Chargers from their inception in 1960 through their entire 10 year history in the American Football League. Author Todd Tobias was very thorough in his research. The first chapter which was about the history of the AFL Chargers was probably my favorite part of the book. I also enjoyed the interviews that Tobias provided from former players and coaches. The game by game statistics are very important to me as well because they provide me with references. I am a stat freak so that was an added bonus for me. The only problem that I had with the publication was that Ralph Anderson was not listed in the section that contained all of the members of the Chargers from 1960 through 1969. It was obviously just an oversight. I also wish that there would have been more information on Anderson since he led the chargers with 44 pass receptions in the 1960 season. Anderson died tragically of a diabetic seizure in November yet still led the team in pass receptions. I would like to learn more about Anderson but there seems to be very little information available about him. But overall it was a magnificent job by Tobias and I really enjoyed reading it. The Chargers were without a doubt the finest team in the AFL throughout the early years as evidenced by playing in five of the first six AFL Championship games. But this book makes you understand that they were the classiest organization in the AFL as well, all the way from the top with the ownership of Hilton, the outstanding coaching provided by Sid Gillman, Chuck Noll, Al Davis, Jack Faulkner and Joe Madro. Just a super book and I would recommend it to any Charger fan, any AFL fan and any fan of pro football in the 1960s.

The book would have received 5 starts, but for not having enough color photos. Overall, it's a wonderful book to add to any football collection. If you live in San Diego, love history, and you're a Charger fan, this book is for you!

Until this book came out, I hadn't had any luck finding a quality book on the history of the San Diego Chargers. This book covers the first ten seasons of the San Diego Chargers- the American Football League years.

With its glossy pages and dimensions of just over 12 inches tall and over 9 inches wide, the book is well-suited for presenting photographs. Just about every page has at least one picture.

The book consists of four main sections:

The first is a 15-page chronological narrative history (with photographs).

The second section consists of 16 pages of nothing but photographs. Eight of those pages have at least one color photograph. The only color photographs in the book are in this section. By far most of the book's pictures are in black and white.

The third section is 76 pages and is where the bulk of the reading is for this book. This has the author's interviews of 59 people connected with the Chargers- players, coaches, and one beat writer. Each interview is written up separately and lasts about a page or two.

The last section is 93 pages of San Diego Charger statistics and box scores of every regular and post season Charger game of the 1960's. And, like the rest of the book, there are plenty of photographs throughout this section, too.

The book is well-written. The photographs are enjoyable too. My main complaint (or wish) is that I would have liked a longer chronological narrative of the team's history than the 15-page one provided. However, the interview and statistical sections flesh out much of that history but just in a different format.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in San Diego Charger history of that era. And I thank the author for writing a book on a much overlooked slice of football history.

It is not actually what I expected, it's not about the triangle or theoretical stuff, it's about a very special man who loves the game, and a very pleasant review of his life and basketball career as one of the most importants coaches of our time.

Great book about Mr. Winter's childhood, military career, college basketball coaching, and of course NBA career. Not an Xs and Os book about the "triangle" or "triple-post," but full of nuggets such as how he helped Dennis Rodman, and how the wrong drink caused them to lose one game against the Jazz in the NBA Finals!

The Book inspire me a lot how to be a great coach. And inspire me the main concept of Triangle offense which is very important to my coaching career for teaching the youth how to paly basketball in Team Concept with a well designed offense stragety by Tex Winter!

Ann Parr does an excellent narrative on Coach Tex Winter's life. A great read packed full of both vintage and recent photos as well as memorable quotes from family, friends, players and coaches in a superbly designed graphical format that is pleasing to the eyes. As a father and granddad, I highly recommend it as a gift for your kids - who could easily learn a thing or two from Tex's wisdom and philosophy on the importance of honesty, integrity and teamwork...not just in basketball, but in every aspect of one's daily life (a positive example that seems to be often missing in America these days).

Think Phil 'Jax' is THE MAN? Sorry, wrong answer.
All nine of his Championship rings are the res-
ponsibility of Texas E. Winter, former great
NCAA player from Texas (1940's) and Coach.
I am simply amazed that this virtually ageless
man continues to be a top NBA Ast. Coach in
the League in his '80's. Tex Winter for Pres.!
Hey, he can't be worse than Bush/Clinton/Bush, Jr.!

Wonderful tips and insights in this book! A great resource for both beginners and professionals alike. It's fun, engaging, and informative. The best part of the book is that it centers around real-life stories and examples, so you not only pick up some "theory", but see how it works in practice. Describes many simple techniques that work! I think it can be helpful not only for coaches, but for managers, as well. Highly recommended!

You will not be disappointed with this book. Whether you are a consultant/trainer, supervisor or simply would like to better manage your personal relations, this is the book for you. Great exercises - excellent definitions and insights. This is a super buy!

The book conveys the author's approach and techniques for effective coaching, starting with a model to help an observer see the big picture, followed by eleven stories to examine coaching in action, and twelve coaching tools used with success in the field. A highly useful and insightful book that brings the reader, to the extent words permit, into contact with the coaching process. Very highly recommended.

The practical and innovative tools contained in this very original book are described in an authentic and engaging manner. I recognized many of my own clients in the deft descriptions and stories provided by Thier. I often felt like I was in the midst of a lively coaching tutorial. Creative applications to my own coaching practice were sparked for me as is evidenced by the numerous folded-down page corners on my copy! I know that I will return to Coaching CLUES to refresh my thinking and practice. Thier is an artist.

There has been a lot written on coaching. What sets this book apart are the compelling stories and practical tools for getting results. Thier's wisdom and experience come through on every page. Anyone engaged in coaching (as a coach or client), or anyone who's just interested in self-improvement, will benefit.

This book is much more informative and essential to the working actor than the countless others you can find on a bookshelf. Instead of giving the same advice (which usually isn't good to use in an audition situation), it expounds on the idea that you already have some idea about what you need and gives you real, nose-to-the-grindstone advice on how to tighten things up and give a real whammy of an audition.
As well as advice on choosing the appropriate 16 bars or monologue, it gives advice about representation, Actors Equity, resumés, headshots, you name it.
Here's a hint: This book is soo worth it, we used it as a textbook in a collegiate course about auditioning.

I don't know how I auditioned before this book. For any high school or college student going through program or emphasis auditions, this book is essential. And even better, for professional auditions, this book is a handbook on how to do everything you will need to know.
I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to be enlightened.

As a student of Music Theatre, this book is a fantastic guide to the well rounded audition. This book even landed me the audition! This book is well worth a read for ANYONE who is autioning in Acting, Singing and Musical Theatre.

My son plans a career in musical theatre and this is the fourth book that I have read on the topic. The others included the book by Shurtleff and the one by Silver. They were all good but I liked this one best because it covered all of the practical aspects of performing songs and monologues for auditions. It guides one through all of the details. Since this is the most current of all the books the frames of reference are more appropriate.

Actors, whether seasoned or new, who regularly audition for musicals and plays should not omit taking at least a peek at the advice in The Complete Professional Audition: A Commonsense Guide To Auditioning For Musicals And Plays: it's a 'must' for would-be pros and provides an edge over the competition in both musical theater and regular play auditions, from locating the right music or monologue to demonstrating unique talents in a mere 2 minutes. An added bonus: chapters which discuss the realities of a working actor's life beyond the audition, from union regulations and the roles of agents to further reference tips, including web sites. Simply invaluable.

Mike Dulworth reiterates what we all seem to know and still forget or neglect so often: Success is closely linked to knowing people and most importantly staying in touch with them as well as being of service to them.
Mike goes beyond describing and recognizing the tremendous effects of a network, he provides simple and effective tools to implement the few key steps to build and maintain my own network. I particularly liked the idea of the Personal Board of Directors, which at its core is nothing more than a formal request for permission to ask for advice. I personally implemented this tool right away and with minimal effort. After a few short weeks I already enjoy positive results.

Humans are social animals. Therefore, in both personal and business life, networking is an important force. For example, knowledge workers often face complex problems whose solutions require gathering information from people with a variety of expertise, whom they may not know personally. Author Michael Dulworth is the first to admit that much of networking is simple common sense, but doing it well, he says, requires planning. In this straightforward book, he provides a quick explanation of how to improve your networking skill, whether you're an introvert or an extrovert, and of how to use networks in your work life. The book includes an especially interesting section about analyzing organizational networks. Even though the book is short, it is somewhat repetitive. Still, getAbstract recommends it to recent graduates, workers and managers who want to improve their performance and get ahead in their chosen fields.

Mike Dulworth surprised me with his refreshing and expanded ideas about networking. This is not a "how-to" book, but rather a book which opens up the possibility of all kinds of networking opportunities. Have you thought lately about peer-to-peer networks, network accelerators, or PBODs? (Personal Boards of Directors.) What I learned in this book will keep me busy for years.

This book outlines the importance of connections, and introduces a metric to assess your networking skills and the quality/breadth/depth of your network. The Networking Quotient (NQ) is the ideal third dimension, to complement the frequently measured Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ).

This book provides wonderful suggestions and motivation for each of us to extend our connections a bit further!

I enjoyed The Connect Effect and especially the Networking Quotient portion. The book includes a lot of autobiographical information about how networking has had such a positive impact on the authors life. I hope that it drives success in the VeraMax project as well.

I do more sewing and tailoring of regular clothes than costumes (which is a hobby). And I use this reference all the time. For example, when taking measurements or doing fittings for family and friends, I pull this out. It actually helped me to understand patterns better, and my tailoring skills have increased dramatically.

I also found it useful when finishing our basement and creating my dream sewing space.

I'm also using it for my research for a class on fabrics and fibers.

I recommend this book as a great resource for anyone making clothes.

I am a former student of Rosemary Ingham's, now graduated and working as the Costume Shop Supervisor for Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. I use her book almost everyday. Her instructions for sewing, altering, and patterning are easy to understand, clear, and concise. Plus there are great visuals to go along with the words by her writing partner Liz Covey. I can't wait until the next edition is complete. This best thing about it is that you don't have to be a professional costumer to use this book. A must for all sewers.

This book is wonderful. I got the book when I was in school and it has been in my tool box ever since. I recently had the pleasure of working with Rosemary and found her working style to be as informative and educational as her book. It has helped me with many projects, both professional and personal, and should be in every costume technician's library.

I am a free-lance costumer that travels around the country a lot for my work. This is the one book that travels with me as a basic reference for whatever the directors might throw at me. Most of the information is presented on a basic level (ie pattern blocks are for slopers, not finished garments), but a book would have to be the size of an encyclopedia to include detailed information on how to construct everything and would still miss something. This book gives you enough information to get you started and you can figure out the rest.

I am a student costumer and I hav had nothing but good experiences with teh Costume Technician's Handbook. I finally learned to draft my own patterns from this book - a skill no teacher has ever been able to drive into my skull. This is an absolute necessity