Book Description
In this, his first major book, Mark Steyn--probably the most widely read, and wittiest, columnist in the English-speaking world--takes on the great poison of the twenty-first century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone. The world will be divided between America and the rest; and for our sake America had better win.
Customer Reviews:
A Must-Read!.......2007-10-10
This book was every bit as good as I had heard. I've always enjoyed Mark Steyn, but hadn't gotten a chance to read this yet because I had a stack of books in front of it. That's my loss, because this was one of the most profound and eye-opening books I've ever read. To be honest, I pay pretty close attention to this conflict we find ourselves in, so most of the individual facts in this book weren't exactly foreign to me. But Steyn pulls all this together and presents it in such a concise, clear and entertaining way that I was able to put the pieces together in a way I hadn't even imagined. His demographic data alone is shocking, and should make every person in Europe and Canada sit up and take serious note - I'll be paying very close attention to what happens over the next few years "across the pond", as they say, for how goes Europe, so will eventually go America. I plan to buy several more copies of this book and hand them out to friends and family. I highly suggest it.
Excelent book. Really crunches the numbers like no other book........2007-10-05
This book really lays out the problems with hard numbers and facts in a way I have never seen and is easy to understand. I recomend this book to anyone who is worried about the muslim issue. People in Europe better read it asap!
America Alone is Excellent.......2007-10-04
This book gives a lot of attention to fertility rates in Europe, Scandanavia and the United States. Many other good observations and opinions are included as well. It will give you some insights into what may occur in various countries in the future vis-a-vis the Muslims and non Muslims.
What a sad worldview.......2007-10-01
I can't even begin to describe the serious flaws in this book...
But I gave it one star instead of zero because, if you want to study logic and how to detect subtly and not so subtly flawed arguments, buy this book.
What's sad is he's done actual research (but distorts everything to fit his way of thinking), and some muslims, like some christians, some jews, some whatever, really are dangerous and want to hurt America, but he makes his side of the controversy look like a bunch of, what's a nice word... 'baffoons'.
I think he seriously believes the things he writes in his book, which means he's stressing himselfand others out for nothing, and ultimately, pushing away the moderates that might listen to a more logical argument against religious extremism
Excellent.......2007-09-21
With the many positive reviews already posted, there isn't much more for me to say, so I will just say, "Read a few of the reviews, then, most definitely, read this book."
Book Description
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT is a time-tested, Web-supported, teaching/learning/testing system that delivers comprehensive resources. The text uses the 3-x-3 writing process to guide the user in writing effectively. Accurate, detailed model documents provide numerous examples for learners to emulate, and abundant activities and cases develop skills. The variety and depth of resources in both print and electronic media are unmatched by any competitor. Mary Ellen Guffey leads the market in providing instructors with timely, innovative, and continuously refreshed teaching tips and support through her Web sites, monthly newsletters, and conference presentations.
Customer Reviews:
Student review.......2006-10-19
My writing has improved 200% because of the information presented in this book. I am a junior marketing major at Northern Illinois University. This text is enjoyable to read with great visuals and equally interesting real- world examples. I will definitely keep this book. The skills learned from this book will guide me in my career for years to come. Thank you for writing this book and to my professor for choosing this book.
BUSINESS WRITING INSTRUCTION TAKES QUANTUM LEAP!.......2004-10-01
As a college business communication instructor and corporate writing consultant of 20+ years, I feel my career is about to take a quantum leap forward with my discovery of this magnificent compendium of materials. Mary Ellen Guffey has done ALL the hard work! Juicy, readable text: done. Riveting "inside" information on cool corporations: done. Web-based support? Manuals? PowerPoints? Videos? Done. Fresh writing prompts, some packaged with the research already done? Done. With my old text, I've been drowning in an attempt to supplement and update and enrich the dated material enough to keep it relevant and arresting. Now I'm finding that I have plenty of time to interact with students over their own writing and presentations. I've always felt one-on-one and small-group interaction to be a huge part of my mission as a classroom teacher. Thanks to Mary Ellen Guffey, I'm able to do more of it, while spending less time overall on take-home work. Thank you, Mary Ellen, from the trenches--not just for a marvelous tool, but for a whole toolbox full of them.
Perfect for the Classroom!.......2004-09-27
I am an instructor at a business college, and this textbook (along with the accompanying website for students) proved to be wonderful for use in the classroom. The chapters were lively (even for a four-hour lecture class!) and provided real-world details and examples. The website accompanying the textbook has plenty of extra information for classroom use, as well as activities that students can do to review chapters and test their grammar skills.
A Great Book for College Students.......2004-09-23
Business Communication: Process and Product has been the best textbook I have worked with. Everything is presented in a clear and reader-friendly manner. Of all the books I have had to purchase for my courses, this was well worth the investment. Even though I recently earned my degree, and am no longer taking classes, I am still benefiting from owning this book.
BC:PP is an instructor's dream!.......2004-09-22
I teach an entry level MBA class that focuses on Leadership and Communication. Previously, the text for this class was average to poor. I dreaded using it. Starting this semester, we're using Mary Ellen Guffey's Business Communication: Process and Product text. It's a dream! It's a joy as an instructor to have an academic text such as BC:PP that is (a) very applicable to real-world business situations, (b) easy and fun to read, and (c) filled with tons of great ideas for class and homework assignments. In addition, instructors can request support materials such as video, PowerPoint chapter reviews, chapter tests, etc. that save a TON of time and effort! I am truly enjoying using this book, as are my students. I'd HIGHLY recommend it for any undergrad or graduate level communication course!
Amazon.com
If there ever was a pair of docs who can make the small intestine seem truly intriguing, here they are. Dr. Mehmet Oz is an alternative-medicine maverick and a cardiologist known to implement acupuncture during open-heart surgery. Dr. Michael Roizen developed the RealAge concept of calculating one's biological, as opposed to chronological, age. Here they've whipped up a witty guide to the workings of the entire body, appropriate not just for those who can't tell their pancreas from their pituitary. Even Cheers' Cliff Claven types who think they know it all will likely be humbled by the 50-question "body-quotient" quiz that starts off the book.
With much sassy humor (they describe the adrenals as similar in shape to Mr. Potato Head's hat), they give a guided tour of the body's anatomy and major systems (hormonal, nervous, digestive, sensory, etc.) including plenty of fascinating trivia along the way. How often should you get your thyroid level checked? How much gas does the average person produce in a day? And, most important, how many times a year do most people have sex?? Drs. Oz and Roizen know. They also reveal plenty of bizarre (and potentially life-saving) facts such as this: If your earlobe has a prominent vertical wrinkle, it's likely that your arteries are aging faster than they ought to be. If only 8th-grade health class had been this fun.
The docs' main goal in presenting all this info is twofold: first, it's your body, so shouldn't you finally learn how it works? And, second, they want to help teach ways of preserving the body's health and youthfulness. To that end, they've included an "Owner's Manual Diet," a 10-day menu plan designed not for weight loss, but to make you feel "years younger." Its simple recipes are each meant to benefit a certain body system, such as Tomato Bruschetta, packed with the antioxidant lycopene, which has been proven to boost immunity. --Erica Jorgensen
Book Description
Between your full-length mirror and high-school biology class, you probably think you know a lot about the human body. While it's true that we live in an age when we're as obsessed with our bodies as we are with celebrity hairstyles, the reality is that most of us know very little about what chugs, churns, and thumps throughout this miraculous, scientific, and artistic system of anatomy. Yes, you've owned your skin-covered shell for decades, but you probably know more about your cell-phone plan than you do about your own body. When it comes to your longevity and quality of life, understanding your internal systems gives you the power, authority, and ability to live a healthier, younger, and better life.
You: The Owner's Manual challenges your preconceived notions about how the human body works and ages, then takes you on a tour through all of the highways, back roads, and landmarks inside of you. After taking a quiz that tests your body of knowledge, you'll learn about all of your blood-pumping, food-digesting, and keys-remembering systems and organs.
Just as important, you'll get the facts and advice you need to keep your body running long and strong. You'll find out how diseases start and how they affect your body -- as well as advice on how to prevent and beat conditions that threaten your quality of life. Complete with exercise tips, nutritional guidelines, simple lifestyle changes, and alternative approaches, You: The Owner's Manual gives you an easy, comprehensive, and life-changing how-to plan for fending off the gremlins of aging. To top it off, you'll also get the great-tasting and calorie-saving Owner's Manual Diet -- a thirty-recipe eating plan that's designed with only one goal in mind: to help you live a younger life.
Welcome to your body. Why don't you come on in and take a look around?
Customer Reviews:
You: The Owner's Manual.......2007-10-06
This book is very informative. It takes the human body and breaks it down so anyone can understand it. I have learned a great deal about my body and the abuse I do to it. Would recommend it to anyone and everyone. Oh, and I love the humor too!
Heath for Dummies.......2007-10-06
Health for dummies. Fun and quick reading. But, before you buy the book. Look through the 50 question quiz. If you are interested in the questions and were not able to answer them, then go ahead and buy.
Look at the menus at the back of the book. If you are not interested in changing your diet, you might look elsewhere.
Look at Page 127-139 for an excercise plan: Very basic
Page 173 simplistic smoking cessation plan
Interesting points
1) Take half an aspirin with warm water for the rest of your life.
2) Ideal blood pressure: 115/76
2a) Systolic Pressure exerted when the heart contracts
2b) Diastolic: Pressure in arteries when the heart is at rest
3) HDL should be at least greater than 40
4) Should be maximum heart rate: Exercise hard 3 mintues. Heart rate should be 80-90% of 220 - age.
5) Recovery time after 2 minutes:Heartbeat should be 80% or drop by 66 or more beats
6) Definition of clinical depression is sadness for more than 2 weeks
7) Enamel and bone are the first and second hardest thing in your body
8) 650 muscles in the body
9) Pneumonia: Old man's friend
10) 26 feet of tubing
11) Most active muscles are in your eyes. 2 million working parts
12) caruncle: reddish pink fleshy substance on the inside corner of your eye. remnant of the reptilian eye.
Tried to be a little too funny.......2007-10-01
I liked this book, but ended up skipping over a lot of the parts that were supposed to be funny. I would have liked the pictures to be labeled correctly, not with funny made up names for body parts.
You: The Owner's Manual.......2007-09-29
Great stuff, easy read. Very informative. I read it and then my Mom read it.
Very "YOUseful".......2007-09-28
In short, just a very informative book that is successful in achieving several goals. For one, it educates the reader in the inner workings of the human body. It does this quite entertainingly through trivia, facts, and interesting pictures (for instance the authors use a lot of elves). Additionally, the book also gives you many helpful tips on self-care and how to keep your body running smoother. While there is a lot information, I really would like to have seen a reference section at the end of the book. All in all though, it's a pretty informative and amusing read that should enhance the well-being of many. Also recommend Treat Your Own Rotator Cuff for readers who might need more specific info on shoulder pain and rotator cuff self-care.
Book Description
“Politics is stuck,” writes Bill Bradley, in this insightful, informative, and provocative book about America at a crossroads, but “idealism isn’t dead. It can be reawakened.”
What will it take to make America a better, stronger, truer country? asks the bestselling author, former Knicks star, and onetime presidential candidate. Bill Bradley believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. With clarity and urgency, Bradley shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true. He then offers a new story about our nation, based on America’s rich heritage and his belief in the character of the American people. Bradley explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America’s future. He asserts that the American people are ready for the truth and suggests that the party that chooses to embrace this new story will be in power for a generation.
Writing from his own experience in politics and drawing on his knowledge of history, Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party’s structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. Each party, for different reasons, fails to deal with the real issues that now confront America.
This informed and inspiring call to action is addressed not only to the parties and elected leaders, but to citizens as well. Bradley proposes things every American can do to shape our nation’s future. He points out that if eighty percent of the electorate voted, instead of fifty percent, it would be the most important change in American politics since women got the vote. Now more than ever, he says, we need to embrace an “ethic of connectedness,” a combination of
collective action and individual responsibility, to solve our nation’s most pressing
problems, and he argues that the fate of all countries is bound together as never before. Writing today with the freedom of a private citizen, Bradley provides this transformative and eye-opening book about the danger and the promise of America’s choice at this crucial moment in the nation’s history.
Customer Reviews:
A "HOW-TO" for citizenship and political leadership.......2007-09-29
Why should you read this?
- If you care about our democracy and want to help make it strong again
- If you want to understand the big domestic challenges we face today
- If you want thoughtful proposals to addresses those challenges
- If you want to better the understand the Democratic and Republican parties; what makes them function, what makes them DYSFUNCTIONAL
- If you want to hear an insider's take on what makes our democracy tick, what makes it great, and what threatens its survival
This is a terrific book. If I had the money, I'd buy one for every member of Congress.
I listened to this book unabridged on audio, narrated by Michael Prichard. He does a good job capturing Bill Bradley's dignity, but to my ear doesn't quite capture his enthusiasm and passion for good government.
excellent.......2007-08-28
bradley is a truly brilliant man. the book is filled with hundreds of good ideas. hopefully he will stay involved in politics. the problem is that the people who need to read this book will not. our government is controlled by big business and greedy men with their own agendas. how soon is that going to change? i highly reccomend this book.
Call to Greatness.......2007-08-20
You'd swear Bill Bradley was running for office or dashing down court for a breakaway three-pointer. This one-time presidential contender and New York Knicks superstar writes with the energy and urgency of a man on a mission.
Read his book, The New American Story, and you'll be tempted to join him. Bradley has issued a powerful call to action--one that promises to rescue our nation from political infighting and restore America's leadership role in the world.
His is not a story of military might and moral superiority; it is the story of our nation's founding principles, written by the men and women whose active engagement at pivotal points in history assured the country lived up to its highest ideals.
We have a choice before us that could transcend our current state of affairs, says Bradley. A choice that puts country over political party, the common good over the distracting issues that divide us.
One of our nation's most admired leaders--Abraham Lincoln--knew a thing or two about bringing a divided nation together. When he was president, Lincoln would often sneak out of the White House on Wednesday nights to hear sermons of a well-known preacher at the New York Presbyterian Church. One night, an aide asked Lincoln what he had thought of the sermon. "The content was excellent. The minister had a strong voice and a good delivery," said Lincoln, pausing. "But he forgot the most important part. He didn't ask us to do something great."
Bill Bradley is asking us to do something great.
"The answers to our problems rest in our hearts as well as in our heads," Bradley says in the introduction to his book, "and until we understand that, we'll make marginal improvements, but we won't make the quantum leaps that our Founders made and hoped we would continue."
I am drawn to stories of ordinary Americans who overcame obstacles to achieve great things. Freedom fighters on the Underground Railroad. Journalists who exposed unethical business practices at the turn of the 20th century. The immigrants who built our transcontinental railroad. A country lawyer who became a United States Supreme Court Justice, America's chief prosecutor of Nazi War criminals, and the founder of international law. These are the stories I want people around the world to know about when they think of America and its unique contributions to the world. That's why my husband and I make historical documentaries for a living.
Bill Bradley's book had me from hello, or at least from the moment I read the book jacket blurbs written by David McCullough, David Halberstam, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Robert A. Caro, all Pulitzer Prize winners. Because I love history, and because I believe in the strength of our nation's collective character, I kept on reading.
There is no question the bold policies outlined in Bill Bradley's book will be hotly debated in the coming weeks. He takes both political parties to task, taking aim at the current administration's policies with the finesse of a seasoned athlete and senator. And while I don't agree with every single one of Bradley's strategies on health care, education, environment, tax reform, and national defense, if this American story is to have a happy ending, I, like all other Americans, will have to look for common ground, and make sacrifices for the greater good.
Bill Bradley has faith that, given the right information--the true American story--we will do the right thing.
Current state of affairs for the middle class .......2007-08-07
I confess I have read many other books on the current status quo and state of politics in our country before reading this book. If you have too, this may be a bit repetitive as most issues have been discussed before. What I do like about Bill Bradley's book is it is not simply a laundry list of complaints. He offers at the end of each chapter (designated to each issue) some thought out solutions. This is a good book for eye-opening for our major issues - health care, education, energy... and would recommend it to readers who want to learn more about the who, what and why our social issues are being ignored by government. I also recommend "War on the Middle Class" by Lou Dobbs or "Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It" by Thom Hartmann. I enjoyed reading those a little more.
Long-winded and Confusing Story.......2007-07-29
I'll confess right up front that I haven't finished the book yet, and I'll update this review when I do. I'm still slogging through lengthy, wandering passages that fail to make any points. I keep waiting for any kind of "here's a solution" or "here's what we should do" sentence, but I have yet to find one. He spends a lot of pages in the first 25% of the book telling the reader about the "story" that he says we're being told -- by whom? On every issue he seems to pick the most extreme right-wing position as representative of this "story" rather than the positions that the majority of Republicans and conservatives hold. And thus far all he's offered for his "new story" is idealistic pie-in-the-sky notions with no plan to get there. I trust that he gets there in the second half of the book.
Just one example of the poor writing and editing: In the section titled "Inequality" in chapter on The Economy, he goes on for quite a while about financial inequality, then about globalization and technological change, finally claiming that you can no longer get ahead by working hard. He then admits that that there is no way around benefiting the wealthy if you want to encourage investment. And then this sentence:
"But there is no excuse for failing to conduct rigorous oversight of and increase resources to education ... which in the long run will result in ... greater equality."
Okay, he tied it back into equality, but how did he suddenly switch from tax cuts and investing and unions to education in the middle of the same paragraph? Where did this out-of-the-blue accusation come from that someone isn't overseeing and funding education? I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that accusation, just pointing out that it's completely out of place in any kind of logical or narrative flow.
And so goes this story so far. I'll keep at it and hope the writing and presentation of ideas tightens up. Maybe his publisher paid him by the word...
Book Description
CMMI® (Capability Maturity Model® Integration) describes best practices for the development and maintenance of products and services across their entire lifecycle. By integrating essential bodies of knowledge, CMMI provides a single, comprehensive framework for organizations to assess their development and maintenance processes, implement improvements, and measure progress.
This book is a definitive reference for the most current release of CMMI (version 1.2). In the new edition, the authors have added tips, hints, and cross-references in the margins (in color) throughout the process areas to help you better understand, apply, and find more information about the content of the process areas. The book also now includes brief, insightful perspectives on CMMI written by people influential in the model’s creation, development, and transition. A new case study from Raytheon illustrates a real-world application of the model to a services organization. Whether you are new to CMMI or familiar with an earlier version, if you need to know about, evaluate, or put the latest version of CMMI into practice, this book is an essential resource.
The book is divided into three parts.
Part I offers the broad view of CMMI, beginning with basic concepts of process improvement. It describes the process areas, their components, and their relationships to each other. It explains the model’s two representations as well as paths to the adoption and use of CMMI for process improvement and benchmarking.
Part II, the bulk of the book, details the generic goals and practices and the twenty-two process areas now comprising CMMI. The process areas are organized alphabetically by acronym for easy look-up. Each chapter includes goals, best practices, and examples for a particular process area. The two CMMI representations are described so that you will easily see their similarities and differences and thereby be better able to choose the right approach for your organization.
Part III contains several useful resources, including CMMI-related references, acronym definitions, a glossary of terms, and an index.
Customer Reviews:
exactly as mentioned in the product description.......2007-08-09
i bought this product and it was exactly as mentioned in the product description before buying this product. the shipping was fast too and care was taken to ship the product carefully.
all in all a good and a trustworthy deal.
A wonderful yet dangerous Model.......2007-07-20
Much like the King James Bible and the Anarchist's Cookbook this book is dangerous in the wrong hands. When used properly the Model is a highly effective tool for measuring organizational maturity and for developing an organizational maturity roadmap. In the wrong hands it can actually hurt an organization. Typically this harm is manifested either by process wonks who zealously accept the Model at face value rather than interpreting it for their organization or by senior management and sales reps who don't understand the model and see maturity levels only as a means for business winning. I think this is a great Model, just remember, if you are going to use it, make sure your organizational needs drive your interpretation of model and not the other way around. And for all that is good and Holy, please read the entire book (specifically the section on Process Components)!
excellent reading.......2007-05-12
Gives an overview of the CMMI in the beginning and followed by detailed discussions. Ideal read for people to new to CMMI
An invaluable reference........2007-02-03
CMMI translates to Capability Maturity Model Integration and describes a set of recommended practices for developing and maintaining products throughout their life cycle, not just at the beginning. Its components include a basic overview of structure and idea, then a survey of the goals and practices of the 22 process areas comprising CMMI. The authors are part of a team central to CMMI development, so their technical combined knowledge offers advanced college-level computer holdings an invaluable reference.
CMMI Second Edition.......2007-01-15
Much easier to use than the first edition. Should be more helpful to a beginner to the CMMI process.
Book Description
Drawing on their extensive clinical experience in working with groups, Marianne and Gerald Corey provide a realistic approach to the blending of theory with practice in group work. This best-selling text has been updated with new examples, guidelines, insights, and ideas that demonstrate how group leaders can apply the basic issues and key concepts of the group process to a variety of groups. Offering up-to-date coverage of both the "what is" and the 'how to' of group counseling, the Seventh Edition features a greater focus on group work with children, the elderly, issues in both women's and men's groups and in school settings.
Customer Reviews:
Group therapy made easy.......2007-09-17
Easy to read and follow. A great resource for learning the first time or needing a refresher
group process text .......2007-08-07
This book is a must in the field of counseling. Clear, thorough, and concise. Also, Amazon shipped so quickly I had it before many in my class who had ordered from different vendors.
Organized, thorough textbook for group therapy.......2006-08-01
Marianne and Gerald Corey have written a well-organized text. The information was provided in a logical order and in an easy-to-read format. It covers group process as well as basic practical advice for the group leader - how to form a group, screen clients, where to meet, how long the meetings should last, etc. The group therapy taught in its pages is based on a thinking, feeling, and behaving model that can be integrated into group practice with other theoretical orientations.
This book was used in a masters counseling class on groups, and half our class was based on our own experiential group. The sections on the different stages of a group were particularly pertinent as it mimicked our experience. My only complaint with this text is that in the final four chapters, there were perhaps too many group proposals. I tired of reading all of them but that could have been end-of-semester inertia.
Great Book.......2006-07-14
The book was great and helped me understand the porcess but my professor was also great. Great professor and great book=knowledge!!!!!!!!!
Groups: Process and Practice.......2005-09-30
It was in good shape, but it took along time to get to my home.
Book Description
The simple revolution has begun. From the design of the iPod to the uncluttered Google home page, simple ideas are changing the world.
Simple Church clearly calls for Christians to return to the simple gospel-sharing methods of Jesus. No bells or whistles required, so to speak.
Based on case studies of four hundred American churches, authors Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger prove that the process for making disciples has quite often become too complex. Simple churches are thriving, and they are doing so by taking these four ideas to heart: Clarity. Movement. Alignment. Focus.
Each idea is examined here, simply showing why it is time to simplify.
Customer Reviews:
Concise and practical.......2007-09-07
Well, it would be awfully ironic if the book wasn't easy to understand. Fortunately, the authors do with the book exactly what they are calling leaders to do with their churches. They outline a simple structure for streamlining churches and letting loose the baggage that slows churches down.
The process is...simple (sorry to repeat). Churches should seek clarity, alignment, movement, and focus. Clarity is the singleness of purpose, stated in a single phrase. Movement is making sure there is a process of spiritual development that runs through the ministries of the church that fulfills the purpose. Alignment is the process of making sure that all the ministries of the church cannel people through a similar movement to fulfill the purpose. And focus is the challenging process of saying "no" to everything that distracts the church from its purpose. The authors have decided on this clear process as a saving grace to churches, repeat it fluidly, and walk the reader through all four steps.
The theory is based on a study of a number of churches that were considered thriving and many that were not. The authors say that their data shows highly significant difference between thriving churches that simplified and complex churches that did not.
The only part of this book, or the genre, that ought to give the reader pause is that the authors presume that ministry requires a strategic process through which people are funneled on the way to spiritual growth. While that is the reality of modern, institutional church management, it seems to overrule the fluid and organic (if not disorganized) ministry of Jesus and the disciples while co-opting their names. This is not a major critique of the book, just the observation that business management principles are governing the church whose founder had very little to say about business management.
Nonetheless, for those of us who find ourselves dealing with the necessities of management, this book is an essential read. It's well-written, accessible, and offers the bird's eye view that a lot of churches miss.
Good for discipleship and Church Growth.......2007-08-29
This is an excellent book that tells pastors and church leaders to keep it simple, rather than complex and this book tells you how. The basic premise of this book is that simple sells and that keeping it simple and maintaining focus is the best method of discipleship and church growth. If you have been trying to write long vision statements or missions statement or purpose statement and have come away frustrated, then this book is for you.
Simple, but could be simpler.......2007-08-23
I think this book will help many traditional North American churches to lower the bar of how church is done and raise the bar of what it means to be a disciple (to borrow from Neil Cole). But as a former pastor who has recently begun to enjoy the simplicity of a network of microchurches that has no paid staff, no building to maintain or enlarge, and yet enough time to be a small army of disciple-makers, I find Rainer & Geiger more complex than is necessary. If you like simple, you might like simpler even better!
Excellent example of making things simple.......2007-07-22
Simple church not only explained clearly how necessary it is to simplify our way of doing church,or more precisely making disciples, the book was a very good example of doing this. The demonstrated and illustrated in a straightforward way and the process suggested was very simple to follow and easy to apply. Great job!
Excellent -but felt slightly cheated.......2007-07-18
Excellent book, but really this should have been an article, or perhaps one chapter of a book. There's not really enough material to be a book.
Book Description
Praised nationwide by instructors throughout the helping professions, INTERVIEWING IN ACTION gives students the clinical wisdom and hands-on practice to fully develop their clinical interviewing skills. In this Second Edition, Bianca Cody Murphy and Carolyn Dillon reinforce their superb RE-VIEW Practice Method of skills development with even greater emphasis on the importance of relationship building as a key to successful clinical process. As suggested by the book's new subtitle--RELATIONSHIP, PROCESS, AND CHANGE--the authors show students how they can promote change over time using the client-clinician relationship as an impetus for growth. A book and video package option offers many teaching and learning solutions. With this option, students purchase the package--the book and the full video at a greatly reduced price. The video includes short, specific clips that illustrate the chapter's discussion in action--in real client/clinician settings. The 120-minute video features six client/clinician pairs, including one completely new to this edition.
Book Description
The Toyota Way Fieldbook is a companion to the international bestseller The Toyota Way. The Toyota Way Fieldbook builds on the philosophical aspects of Toyota's operating systems by detailing the concepts and providing practical examples for application that leaders need to bring Toyota's success-proven practices to life in any organization. The Toyota Way Fieldbook will help other companies learn from Toyota and develop systems that fit their unique cultures.
The book begins with a review of the principles of the Toyota Way through the 4Ps model-Philosophy, Processes, People and Partners, and Problem Solving. Readers looking to learn from Toyota's lean systems will be provided with the inside knowledge they need to
- Define the companies purpose and develop a long-term philosophy
- Create value streams with connected flow, standardized work, and level production
- Build a culture to stop and fix problems
- Develop leaders who promote and support the system
- Find and develop exceptional people and partners
- Learn the meaning of true root cause problem solving
- Lead the change process and transform the total enterprise
The depth of detail provided draws on the authors combined experience of coaching and supporting companies in lean transformation. Toyota experts at the Georgetown, Kentucky plant, formally trained David Meier in TPS. Combined with Jeff Liker's extensive study of Toyota and his insightful knowledge the authors have developed unique models and ideas to explain the true philosophies and principles of the Toyota Production System.
Customer Reviews:
Toyota Way Fieldbook.......2007-10-09
Great addition to the Toyota Way book. Includes interesting tools to help implement and sustain principles.
Excellent Lean Mfg Reference Book.......2007-09-28
For those interested in learning about a Lean environment, this is probably one of the best references.
Implementing Lean Principles.......2007-07-19
This is an excellent on how to implement lean in a manufacturing facility. The plant leadership at our site has used this book to start a bookclub, reading one chapter a week and reviewing it the next. I wish we would have read this book sooner. It would have help to reduce a lot of frustrations. The book also covers Toyota's leadership structure and suggests how to go about implementing lean on the shopfloor if you are just beginning the journey.
Practical and useful "how to" companion to the Toytota Way.......2007-07-16
Book description: what's the key message?
While Jeffrey Liker's book The Toyota Way was an examination of the 14 Principles of the Toyota Way, it was not an explicit "how to" guide at a tactical level. This follow up book is intended as the more practical guide to Becoming Lean (to borrow the title of an earlier book written by Liker). The Fieldbook is organized in the framework of Toyota's 4 P's:
* Philosophy
* Process
* People and Partners
* Problem Solving
The book starts first with "philosophy," not lean tools. It develops an important relationship between the two. The book, in its entirety, emphasizes that copying Toyota tools, regardless of how thoroughly, is not enough to become lean. Early chapters talk about defining your company's purpose and philosophy, providing many examples of Toyota's purpose and unique view of their place in society and the world. From there, the Fieldbook guides you through a reasonable progression of lean topics and methods to work with in your own company. While there is no simple linear progression through a lean transformation, the authors address the challenge well in structuring the flow of the book. Typical "early" stages of lean learning and implementation are covered first, including learning how to identify waste, establishing process stability, and developing flow. The book spends more time on organizational culture and management methods, as opposed to tools. The book remains practical and actionable, rather than theoretical.
A strong central portion of the book focuses on developing leaders, how to lead in a lean environment, and how to develop "exceptional" employees. One particular highlight are the detailed examples, including a breakdown of the roles of Group Leaders, Team Leaders, and Team Members in a lean setting, not covered in most lean books.
The book recognizes that companies are not Toyota as a starting point. Rather, they are trying to become a Toyota-like lean organization. There is a chapter on respecting suppliers and managing them as Toyota does. The last sections of the book cover Toyota problem solving and implementation strategies, including a discussion of the pros and cons of different common lean transformation or implementation approaches, including kaizen events and the development of a "Company Production System."
How does it contribute to the lean knowledge base?
This book is a unique compilation of Toyota Production System methods, concepts, and philosophies. There are many adaptable examples of Toyota tools and methods, including Standard Work Combination tables, Cross Training matrices, 5 Why's problem solving analysis, and A3 reports. There are many new case study examples in the book that will be helpful, even to an experienced lean practitioner.
The book is also unique in that it is co-authored by a former Toyota team leader, an American, as opposed to reading an older book by Toyota executive Taiichi Ohno or consultant Shigeo Shingo.
What are the highlights? What works?
The book is very readable and easy to understand. Its layout and format borrows many of the good practices of the "For Dummies" series. You might consider this to be a "Toyota Production System For Dummies" book. There are many callouts with icons indicating "Tips" and "Traps" to look out for in your own lean implementation, to help avoid common lean implementation mistakes or failure modes.
This is very helpful, as the authors realize that it can be difficult work implementing lean. They never talk down to you or make you feel bad that you might struggle with the Toyota Way in your own environment, because you are not Toyota.
Furthermore, co-author David Meier was a group leader at Toyota. Many perspectives on Toyota come from the process or industrial engineering perspective, but the perspective of front-line supervisor is of significant value and often overlooked.
What are the weaknesses? What's missing?
While this is clearly a field book in its application focus, it is less clear how it is connected to companion book, The Toyota Way. The 14 principles of that book are mentioned briefly but are not integrated into this book. The Fieldbook has value as a standalone volume, but those looking for a specific companion to The Toyota Way will be disappointed.
You might be surprised to not find much information about Kanban, a process made famous by Toyota. Although the concept of pull is covered, there is no chapter on Kanban or examples of calculations or Kanban cards. Thankfully, there are many references and other books available on this topic.
How should I read this to get the most out of it?
The book can be read straight through. For an experienced lean practitioner, it can easily be used as a reference book. Topics are well organized and tools are easy to find with a well-documented index. For example, if you want an example of an A3 Report, you will find many pages of explanation about the tool and how to use you. You will also find fully completed examples of the tool. This is extremely helpful and adds to the book's value as a practical reference.
Great addition to Toyota Way but not as good.......2007-05-27
The Toyota Way Fieldbook is excellent and it's a great addition to the Toyota Way. It's hard to write a book as good as the Toyota Way, this book is good, but not as good as Toyota Way.
When I started reading the fieldbook, I was highly dissapointed. The first 200 pages basically just explained the basic lean tools. It's good if you do not know them, but I felt that the book didn't add anything to the existing lean literature. I expected more from Jeff Liker, especially after the excellent Toyota Way.
Part IV of the book starts around page 200 and talks about developing people. Here, for me, the book took a turn and became better the more I continued. (I also immediately ordered the new Toyota Talent book to hope to get more information on this side of Toyota). The organizational structures and training descriptions was very concrete, as I would expect in a fieldbook. Then Part V started around page 300 and it was... excellent. It's about find root causes and continuous learning. Just chapter 14 is worth the whole book. The description of the "therefore" method and it's relationship to the 5why's is very important. (this section talks about how 5why is a method for finding the root cause, but it's just as important to abstract the problem in "the true problem" so that you got more flexibility in ways of solving it).
The last part is about managing the change. The stories are all very nice and concrete. The advise is useful.
I really like this book, especially chapter 14! It gave me, again, new insights in Toyota's way of working and especially it's culture. The stories made it concrete and they were fun to read. Recommended, after you finished the Toyota Way.
Book Description
Fundamentals of Nursing, 7/E presents the fundamentals of nursing care within the framework of the nursing process. Hallmark features are a clear and accessible writing style, a focus on practical application with real-world examples and case studies, and an appropriate level of detail for beginners. The book is supported by a state-of-the art technology package to enhance the learning process.
Provides the fundamentals of the nature of nursing, contemporary health care, health beliefs and practices, the nursing process, lifespan development issues, integral aspects of nursing, assessing health, and promoting psychosocial health and physiologic health.
For Nurses and Health Care Professionals.
Customer Reviews:
should you get this used?.......2007-03-28
The other students in my class got the next edition, and there are some changes that make this one outdated. However, I am getting by and paid only a fraction for my books of what the other students paid. If you are intellectually resourceful, it may be worth your money to buy this edition used. If you are financially resourceful, it may be worth your time to buy the current edition.
It is a wonderful textbook for all nursing student and nurses.......2006-12-02
Sorry for my English...
I'm reading it now and I feel that my understanding of nursing is growing from chapter to chapter. I want say thanks for autors of this book for their greate work. After reading I feel safely when I need care for clients in hospital and I just understand what I have to do and why.
Perhaps, the book is not horrible and it is just my class.......2006-05-02
This book tries so hard to make social and cultural variances seem like scientific fact. Of course, a nursing text should discuss patient care but not as always black and white; it edges on stereotyping at times. Conversely, if physiology is mentioned, the science behind the concept is often ignored. I think this book is based on pseudo-science at times.
Perhaps, it is just my class that has confused me because the book, lecture and exams have nothing to do with each other; so, consequently, the book seems less relevant.
The procedures in the back of each chapter are helpful.
Good soruce of information.......2006-02-11
This book provides good explanations for the various processes and procedures of nursing. I really like the additional material such as the CD and the website.
Book Review.......2006-01-15
The book was as advertised -- new and unmarked. The CD package had not been opened. I am very satisfied with my purchase and the savings.
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