Enterprise Books

Having just started working for a company that needed a lot of improvements, buying this book was the best move I made. This book details the types of analyses that should be performed to help improve a company's overall performance as well as flush out bad processes. The screen shots help guide you through every analysis along with right to the point explanations. Thanks John Jordan!

This book is a valuable resource for anyone trying to get the most out of Product Cost Controlling in SAP. John Jordan has a rare combination of deep SAP knowledge and lucid writing style. In terms of scope, the book shows the integration of variance analysis from start to finish, from sales planning to management reporting. To reflect this integration, John consistently makes excellent transitions from one section to the next... the logical thread is never dropped. Clear, unambiguous language is used, with explicit instructions on how to proceed. John goes beneath the surface to explain the "why" and not just the "what" and "when". Of particular interest is the discussion of scrap planning and reporting, a highly under-documented topic in the standard SAP documentation. John speaks with the voice of someone who has extensively used these analytical tools, not just someone who has simply configured them for others to use. I highly recommend this book to consultants and end-users in Product Cost Controlling.

John Jordan has written an excellent book on SAP Product Costing. I have read this book cover to cover more than once and use it as a reference often. To me it is more than a book on variance analysis as it also provides great perspective on the product costing process. There is also a good bit of detail regarding scrap analysis as well. I look forward to reading another book authored by Mr. Jordan on product costing in the future.

This is a great book, and a long-awaited resource, for anyone involved in product cost controlling in SAP. It's got great information, from high level to detailed, for people at all levels of expertise. It covers so much more than just analyzing your production variances. It covers the whole process of how variances are determined, including planning, master data, actual postings, and variance calculations. I highly recommend it.

Good Book.Worth Buying and also it does take you through the whole process of the Product Costing and gives you in a Snap Shot what the whole product costing is .There is nowhere in the books the Complete View ,given in one book. After Reading the Book read the SAP help for Cost Center Planning and the SAP book on Production Planning then you have covered all the Bases in the Product Costing

One incredibly detailed fantasy role playing game. There are rules and tables and charts and detail and all other sorts of stuff out the wazoo, for this one.

Not for those that just want your quick and dirty and fast type of action resolution or game.

I have been playing Rolemaster system for about 17 years. It is the game system that I prefer as hands down the best (I started out on D&D). Iron Crown (ICE) has since updated the game system to what they call Rolemaster Standard System or Rolemaster Fantasy Roleplaying, but the group that I game with still uses the materials from the Rolemaster Second Edition (1994). What makes it such a great game system? 1) Because you can account for any game situation. The manuever charts alone add the dimension of allowing a PC to attempt anything. It's up to the gamemaster to assign a level of difficulty and any other mod's he sees fit to the situation. 2) Character development is comprehensive. The ability to create unique characters with skills of their choosing is both fun and rewarding. 3) The Arms/Combat and Spell user systems add variety to the gameplay. Yes, keeping track of some things can be tedious if you let them. Our group made some slight modifications to the combat system (our house rules) that quickened the gameplay, but at the same time did not take anything away from what the system has to offer. As a base system, Rolemaster can't be beat. My experience is with the 2nd Edition. If you take the time to get the hang of this system (I also recommend that you get the Rolemaster Companions for numerous other professions, spell lists, optional rules, etc.), you will be rewarded with a rich and detailed playing environment.

This is one of the best role-playing systems I've ever played. Although it does have a lot of paperwork, it gives great freedom in terms of the creation of worlds and, along with its companions, covers *every* possibility for players.

The best FRPG. It is very different from the storyteller style games (such as Vampire & Mage from White Wolf) but this does not make it worse. It is balanced, with lasting appeal and by far the best hand to hand combat system of any game. The magic system is superb almost as good as ars magica. However rather than try to use the many companions get the standard system - the new rules are better integrated and balanced. If you dont need the extra complexity then the boxed set is all you really need.

However never, ever create a frenzied halfling warrior monk with Martial Arts Throws - its just not on :)

P.S. The martial arts system is head and shoulders above other systems.

One of the most open ended systems alive. Creativity, storytelling, art, gore, this is the one. Iron Crown Enterprises also created MERP (Middle Earth Role Playing) with similar rules in the true spirit of J.R.R. Tolken's the hobbit (w/lots of good references for your Tolken research). These materials however, are for adults, as effort is needed to read, digest and present a game that is both acceptable and enjoyable. Great for a collectors item.

This book is an excellent application of formal methodologies for e-business cases. The examples are useful according to the explanations. I was expecting more emphasis on cost of IT resources or methods in order to calculate. But, the authors guide the book in the resource and performance chapters showing an approach on how to measure from regular sites not from new e-business projects which begin from nothing, without any data from logs or similar metrics. However, the estrict compliance with the methodology presented and the explanation about security provided me with a good reason to have it.

I think it is the only book that deals with the e-business implementation methodocally and lays down a formal procedure. It is very well written and contains appropriate examples. It is recommendable not only for designers but also for managers.

There's not much else I can add to the string of reviews before mine, which ALL give full marks. The words in this review's title are the only that might add value.

This is one of those rare works which does not care to have one eye for the wannabe market. Suitable for both technicians & those folk needing to see the "big picture" (e.g. Managers)

This is one of a series of books about performance and capacity metrics by the authors. Each of their books covers a specific environment (client/server, mainframes, web services), and each explains the theory, quantitative methods and practical approaches using common tools like Microsoft Excel.

This book's focus is on performance and capacity of applications in the e-commerce infrastructure, and like the other books by the authors, it covers every facet while explaining the what's and why's. More importantly, this book will not overwhelm readers who are rusty in math because the authors weave in refresher material as they go along.

What makes this book valuable is the blend of business and technical topics, particularly in Part I where business models are thoroughly discussed. I personally believe that this material is as important as the more technically focused material in subsequent chapters because it wakes up the technical reader as to why their job of developing scalable solutions is important by linking the technical aspects to business imperatives.

Parts II (Evaluating E-Business Infrastructure and Services) and III (Capacity Planning for E-Business) are the heart of the technical matter, and the chapters systematically dissect each aspect of an e-commerce infrastructure from the application layer point of view. This is where quantitative methods are introduced and where the value of the spreadsheets on the CD ROM increase. Note that there are more up-to-date versions of these spreadsheets on the book's associated website, as well as errata for the book.

Practical considerations that blend the business and technical perspectives are presented in Part IV (Models of Specific E-Business Segments). This chapter consists of case studies that tie together all of the preceding material using real world examples.

Because this book is more focused on performance and capacity at the application and business model layer, you should read the authors' newest book, "Capacity Planning for Web Services: Metrics, Models, and Methods". That book covers the lower level details of the infrastructure
to round out the picture of an end-to-end view of performance and capacity management.

A Excellent Book witht a lot of examples and mathematical models that will help to found the correct way to implant a dot com business, Every IT must read it

I can't imagine why this book has been allowed to go out of print. It is a genuine classic and a great personal favorite.

A young man learns all about friendship, loyalty, his talents (both in the arts and in the leadership department) and his family, while at the same time waging war against an "opressive mega-corporation".

Oh, and his father is the CEO.

--Simon Irving has never liked his father's massive international company, Interflux, which makes minor pieces of major things. After spotting a small piece of land which Interflux has planned to build a major factory on but which does not own, Simon buys the land with the entire Student Council money account, starts "Antiflux", puts up various shops and museums as Anitflux bends the rules of owning a piece of land, and overall, protests against his father. --This produces a hilarious novel that is hard to put down! --Marisa

I laughed, I cried... okay, actually I laughed so hard that I cried!! I consider every Gordon Korman book a must-read, but this is just "un"typical enough to delight die-hard Korman fans like myself. The master of comedic storytelling has masterfully woven a typically bizarre story (complete with a new plethora of crazy characters--some crazier than others) and given it a great deal of heart as well. It's hard to believe the "great organizing principle of the universe" has allowed this book to go out of print. If you see it, grab it!

This is the book that got me hooked to Gordon Korman over ten years ago. I checked it out of the library continuously until it fell apart. In college I bought it and would read it monthly when I needed to be cheered up. I would read it out loud to anyone who would listen, and now that I am a seventh grade teacher, I still do the same. My students love Simon and they maintain that I modeled my teaching after the great Querada. What a compliment!

The following, an excerpt from Son of Inteflux, must rank as one of the greatest quotes in modern Young Adult Fiction.

"I can't stand the sight of Long Island!" Johnny announced with much emphasis as he and Simon gathered equipment for their first experiment. "What a hole!"
Stunned that Johnny should feel moved to make such a statement, apropos of nothing, Simon could only manage a week, "Huh?"
Johnny pointed out the window. "Look at that. It makes me sick. A plastic civilization with paper dolls for people. They're all dead out there. They think they're alive, but they're dead. The only thing that's real on Long Island is the boredom. That's it. Nothing else."
"Uh - uh - is there somewhere - better?"
The sheer absurdity of this question caused Johnny to squeeze his eyedropper, spraying vicious red liquid on Simon's shoes. "The city, man! New York! That's what life is about. But not the city they show in the tourist booklets; the real city! Tenement housing -cockroaches - rats! That's real! To freeze all winter and sweat all summer, and write great songs by the light of a bare bulb in an eight-by-eight cold-water walk-up with crumbling plaster and bad plumbing! That's living!"
Simon was sure it wasn't, but said nothing and concentrated on applying the liquid to the leaf on his slide. There was no reaction from the leaf, but his shoes where beginning to steam.
"In the city, if you've got something to say, you go right ahead and say it - in five-foot letters on the subway wall. On Long Island you don't say anything. You sit at home worrying because you didn't buy your kid a personal computer when he was three, so he won't get into the college of his choice, and he'll end up stupid and have to wear plaid shirt forever. In the city, you wake up because they're breaking pavement outside, or because somebody heaved a brick through the front window of the delicatessen you live over. On Long Island, you sleep through the alarm on your fifteen-hundred dollar Piaget watch, but some poor dog half a block away is driven crazy by the sound and smashes his head against a fence until his brains are scrambled. I hate Long Island!"
Simon, weary of the speech, and more then a little nervous about his shoes, said, "If you hate it here so much, why don't you move to the city?"
"Because my mother says if I move out before I graduate, no one's going to feed my fish."
"Oh."

While working on a 90 page directory for our church, complete with written history, pictures, and lists of official acts in columns, I ran into a few formatting questions. I ordered this book and I found it answered my questions in lanugage I could easily understand, point by point, after looking up the difficulty in the books' Index. I highly recommend the book to those using WordPerfect X3. The boxed "Tips" on many subjects from the two authors are a nice plus.

I found the book to be quite useful in adapting to WordPerfect Office X3. My only complaint: My copy started falling apart almost as soon as I started using.

I've been using WordPerfect for about 20 years or more. It's a fine WP for anyone writing books. I bought this resource book after getting the X3 office suite and I find that even though I thought the upgrade of the word processing feature was not much advanced over version 6 or 9, the "Using" book shows me otherwise. I need it to make sure my investment in X3 is fully realized. It seems clear, complete, and with enough detail to keep me busy when I need to know something.

Having used WordPerfect since version 4.1, it remains my word processor of choice. When forced to (usually when dealing with other people's files with multiple inserted images) I can grit my teeth and use the "other" program, but I always bail out of it and get back into WP as soon as I can.

This guide is big and user-friendly, and fills the gap caused by software makers providing less and less in the user guide department. On-screen help and PDF on-disk manuals have their place, but there are times when nothing works like a hardcopy manual that you can tag and make notes in and that doesn't clutter up the screens you are trying to work on. This guide is well worth the price if you only need it once in a while.

I've been a WordPerfect user (and never much of an MS Word user) ever since adolescence. A major attraction for myself and many others being the Reveal Codes function. However, this review is not about WordPerfect vs. MS Word, but about the book Special Edition Using WordPerfect X3.

One of the most important features of a book such as this (which is about 2 inches thick) is its index. I find the index to be well laid out, easy to read and a good combination of bold and plain text. There is also a Contents at a Glance on the very first page, as well as the Contents proper.

New features of WordPerfect X3 are listed on pages 2 to 7. Note that I don't consider the addition of the Yahoo! toolbar, and the Y! icon (which I couldn't get rid of - it kept reappearing) as enhancements. This is clearly a commercial move rather than purely an enhancement, which brings me to my only complaint with this book, it seems to lack a critical edge. Not once in the whole manual is there a "bug", nor "plugin". Come on, let's get into the workarounds and tweaks! Anyway, this isn't enough for the manual to lose any stars in my opinion.

The ease of pasting unformatted text from other programs/documents (an essential feature - done in a more round-about way in MS Word) is described on page p339. I use this feature all the time, I'm very pleased to learn (p339 - again) of the shortcut key Ctrl+Shift+V to do this very quickly.

Just to go back to the WordPerfect vs MS Word debate for a minute. The #1 downfall of WordPerfect is becoming more and more clear in our globalised world: The lack of unicode support (especially obvious when it comes to Asian languages).

Overall: Highly recommended. Special Edition Using WordPerfect X3 complements the simplicity and comprehensiveness of WordPerfect itself.

I got it with an excellent price (down from the level I had seen it a couple of weeks ago) and it arrived very fast.

I received the book in a few days eventhough I had selected the standard shipping option. The book was packaged well and etc.

Tirole's book remains a classic IO reference for graduate-level IO courses even though it was published in 1988. The strength of the book is in its style of exposition - crisp mathematical models written in a style that is commonly found in journal articles. Therefore, reading the book prepares oneself for reading theoretical IO journal or working papers. This also implies that appreciation of the book requires that the reader is comfortable with mathematics and has some patience in working out the models (intermediate steps are sometimes omitted). However, those who persevere will reap the benefits.

This book is absolutely the "classic" in IO. The author amazingly provided very clear and coherent exposition to this huge, but diverse field. But, this book is not for everyone as some reviews below implied. First, consultants or managers may not find this book useful for the real-life application, because this is a (rather serious) "theory" book. It has no detailed cases, no practical managerial implications, and so on. For that purpose, there are many other good books like Schere, or Carlton & Perloff, etc. The virtue of this book lies in the author's capability to make accessible otherwise very complicated and abstruse models, which would be mainly the concern of grad students in econ, not consultants. Therefore, econ students who are interested in theory development in IO would quickly grasp the essence of important IO models with a simple algebra. I don't understand what part of the book some people think is useful as a reference for the consultants or even everyone.

Second, simple algebra in the book does not mean it is accessible to "everyone." At the introductory grad level, game thoery and information economics use only basic algebra, but it is still not easy at all. Of course, this book introduces almost all important topics usually taught in the first-year micro sequence at graduate school, like repeated game (Ch 6), basic mechanism design technique (non-linear pricing in Ch 3), principal-agent problem (Ch 1), and so on. It would be misleading if one says these topics are accessible to everyone because of "minimal use of math." Even chapter 1, the theory of firm, is a very deep discussion, introducing the concept of "incomplete contract."

In my opinion, this book will be ideal for econ grad students, who would want to quickly review relevant chapters before moving into more recent IO literature (of course, now with full rigor).

This book covers the main subjects in this field, with very clear and readable expositions and solid formalizations. Mathematics is not difficult (basic notions of calculus and optimization are required) and some exercises have been included at the end of the chapters "...to help the reader become familiar with the subjects and to broaden his or her knowledge..."

A bonus track: the book is also an excellent bibliographical guide to those who want to expand their reading.

This book is an excellent guide to help all owners get their businesses on track! It is an easy read and has multiple tools/exercises that will pull your executive team together as well as your whole organization. It is a must read for those who are serious about growing their companies.

This is a great nuts and bolts process for operating a business. "Traction" is a simple read and walks you through a straight forward implementation plan. One of the best business books I have read.

I have put the principles of "Traction" into place in my business and now focus on the activity that earns us the most income. I use to be everything to everybody and spent too much time earning too little for too much activity. This book is a must read for all business owners!
Ed Primeau

This is my 3rd start-up company and it is off to the best start. We are exceeding our projections and we know it is because of we are executing the EOS Process. From vision to project accountability, the system is both simple and comprehensive.

Much of my career has been spent in consulting so I have had the privilege to see how a number of companies are run. I have not seen a more effective operating system than EOS. Traction provides the details you need to implement the process. It's not just concept and theory - it provides instruction that allows you to use the process. I recommend Traction & the EOS Process wholeheartedly.

By applying Gino's system, we have enjoyed over 30% growth year after year with high levels of accountability, leadership, and a system that continues to amaze us in its simplicity and effectiveness. Highly recommended.

Even though I disagree totally with the title, "Ultimate Guide," I do have to admit that the contents of this book are right on the money and very specific to the sport of boxing. Although all of the exercises and stretches demonstrated in this book can be found in pretty much any good book on weight training and/or stretching, it is the specific focus of this book that makes it so unique. In other words, it is not the individual exercises in this book that make it such a great resource, but the way the material is presented to the reader whose primary focus is on improving their own boxing skills.

Although I didn't necessarily agree with absolutely everything the author presented in this book, I would have to say that I found at minimum at least 90% of the material in this book to be valid.

The majority of workout routines suggested in this book should be considered as just that, suggestions. Use them as guide to go by and create your own training routine based upon your physical abilities and personal goals.

I have already started incorporating several things that I picked up from this book into my own training regiment and have found that I have already made some improvements in just the first couple of weeks. This book was definitely worth the price I paid for it.

Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

This is the best book I have seen for boxing training! No matter what level you compete at, this book is for you. I have really improved my agility in the ring after reading this book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in being a better, more athletic boxer!

If Rocky could do it so can you -- and this book is the secret how. The book (aka "the boxing bible") won't only put you on a plan to increase strength and stamina, but it will also boost your quickness and agility. After reading this book you'll be able to knockout Mike Tyson.

This book is perfect! A workout plan geared specifically toward boxing that really works! Appropriate for any level of boxing! I highly recommend this book!

This book made great suggestions for improving some of the most critical parts of being a successful boxer--endurance, power, agility, and speed. This book takes a healthy approach to boxing--it succinctly and clearly outlines how, depending on your experience and level of competitiveness, you should proceed on improving your ability as a fighter. I recommend this book without any hesitation.

As a USAF chaplain, I was especially intrigued by Marlo's story. Her transparent rendering of the tragic events she survived will encourage many who are journeying through grief. This book is a quick read and is an ideal resource for those who have suffered a traumatic loss. Additionally, the book is a reminder to those of us in "helping professions" of the need for extreme sensitivity during our early responses. Grief is complicated...there aren't any easy answers. Marlo's book has the potential to encourage and educate readers during the darkest hours of their lives. The book receives my highest recommendation!

This book ministered to my soul and spirit. I highly recommend it to anyone who has experienced loss in any area of life or knows someone who has. As a close family member of someone who recently lost her husband in the war, this book gave me such deeper insight to the emotions she must be experiencing yet at the same time - it helped me delve into those areas of my own life I still need to allow God to heal from different kinds of loss. I am looking forward with great expectation to the next books in the Widow's Might Trilogy.

The timing of a writing like this is divine, especially with our country at war. This book would benifit anyone who has lost a dear loved one. Reading this book touched my life and pulled at my emotions in a way that was...comforting. Being a military family we want to thank Marlo for her sincerity and for giving us a tool to pass on.

This is such an authentic and personal book. It will help anyone who is struggling with loss, even if it is not the loss of a spouse. I highly recommend this book to those with fresh wounds who need to begin the healing process.

Marlo's compelling story of her own journey through the valley of grief and mourning offers hope and encouragment to those who are traveling a similar road. This books reads as if you are sitting with Marlo in her kitchen over a cup of coffee as she tells her story. You will laugh with her and cry with her as she shares her life and her heart. I highly recommend this book not only to those who have experienced loss, but to anyone who appreciates stories of love, faith, and redemption.

Rawlings does a first-rate job of conveying elegant solutions to very arduous problems. If you find yourself in the trenches trying to bridge the technology gap between modern tools and older EDI or flat file based systems - this is your book. Those without the budget for a commercial product will especially appreciate do-it-yourself practical code and easy to follow examples.

This book provides practical advice and examples on integrating XML into existing business systems. The book is easy to read and follow. The approach of the book is to break the problem down into a chain of simple problems, addressing each as a data 'filter'. The end result is to connect the input/output of a legacy system with the input/output of an XML parser.

I recommend this book to anyone faced with the problem of using XML to extend the reach of existing applications.

Mike Rawlin's book deals with the reality that legacy business applications are not readily converted to processing XML-formatted information. While XML works fine as the interchange format, you need to convert between that interchange format and the format your applications understand. Mike covers all of the minor nuances that you need to consider, presents a wealth of knowledge in an easily-understood format, and provides examples to boot.

A lot of IT people are busy making different applications running on different platforms "talk" to each other. XML was invented as the "Esperanto" of the IT world to get these systems to understand each other. In practice however it just isn't that simple, as most of these applications don't talk XML yet, until this book.

This book is a real do itbook. It does not teach you XML or XSLT but shows you how to use it. What I especially liked is that he discusses his design considerations, he wants you to understand the whys. Once he thinks you know the basics he goes back to his basic design and improves it to make it make it fully reusable and modular, making it even beter.

Mr. Rawlins gives you toolbox of utilities, with the source code, that can become the building blocks for your own application integration system.

I have not come across a book with as much usable code in my IT career. We have already redesigned quite a few of our systems because of it. If you are into connectivityyou cant be without this book.

Ps. The word Legacy in the title does not imply big mainframes.

Easy to read, in a refreshing unpretentious style, Rawlins explains numerous complicated concepts associated with using XML. Especially useful are the chapters covering the conversion of EDI formatted data into and out of XML and the converting of one XML format to another XML format. The inclusion of Java and C++ considerations in appropriate chapters provides excellent practical advice.