Enterprise Books

Have you ever wondered living so far away from your home town, that you miss out on the slurpy foods you get to eat during festivals. I did and I always missed them. While searching on the net I landed on this wonderful book on Festivals. I had to have it. The descriptions of the festivals, the food you make, and the recipes are so authentic. I made the Ven Pongal and Shakkarai Pongal for the Pongal Festival and followed the recipe to the TEE. It was perfect. The book is a keeper, so we distant Indians dont loose our palates to the festival food.

Festivals and food are core ingredients of culture. And this book is worth its weight in <> and is arguably one of a kind.

My wife recently got this book (with the other book by the same author.. do not buy the more expensive and outdated hardcover editions) and finds it to be very helpful. The cooking (and I am one of the prime beneficiaries) had improved perceptibly and has a lot of added variety. The author is very approachable by email, clarifies doubts (e.g., "cup" is equivalent to American teacup, types of onions, tomatoes to use) and offers suggestions for new recipes. It doesnt get better than that.

My wife also *highly* recommends the book on South Indian Veg Cuisine by the same author.

Personally, I have never had the patience to look at a cook book and attempt to follow the recipes step-by-step. I review the first few pages and I'm totally intimated by the sheer lenght of each formula. However Vijji Varadarajan's book makes every recipe not only simple to follow but also very exciting to create. Each recipe is so quick and elegant that one is inspired to study and create more.
Worried about the quality of the food? Don't be. Follow the guidelines laid out by this maestro and you simply cannot go wrong. Bon Appetite!!!

I hope that any of my finance professors find and read this review at least until I finish my MBA. :) Why? Well because this book fills a lot of gaps that most finance books or finance professors never fill. Finance can be a scary subject but with this book is like discovering the myth behind the terrible Wizard of OZ. Remember the movie?

This author really knows how to transform the most complex subject into a pleasurable walk in the park. This book is a perfect complement for your "academic" textbook. When the "academic" textbook fails to clear out the jargon, this book disentangles the mess made up by the "academic tone". If you are studying a BBA or an MBA in Finances this book fits perfectly beside the large and boring class "tome". With this book you will really learn about finances. Sorry Profs...

I approached this book with mixed feelings of suspicion and doubt. One question stood at first, how will anyone cover all subjects in finance in a single book with fewer than 400 pages ? I thought I'd get a book filled with old concepts of finance and no depth in discussions and on top of that accompanied by a minuscule font to fit the 400 pages!

To my surprise the book was amazingly concise, coherent and well structured. Mr. Estrada accomplished a difficult task in managing to write a well-balanced book which unites major theories in finance and its application (with emphasis on the latter). In fact, the author goes the extra mile in explaining how different point of views of a single model leads to different results. (i.e. CAPM and how investors approach it).

The book is divided into 4 parts.

Part 1: Risk and Return - ( 12 chapters ). Subjects covered include: Risk Adjusted, Diversification, Portfolios, Systematic risk, CAPM, Optimal portfolios.

Part 2 Valuation - ( 8 Chapters ). Subjects covered include: WACC, Reverse valuation, Market risk and Default risk, Duration and Convexity.

Part 3 Other Important Topics - ( 6 Chapters ). Subjects covered include: Real Options, Currencies, Options, Futures and Forwards, NPV, IRR.

Part 4 Statistical Background.- (4 Chapters ). Subjects covered include: Normality, Non-Normality, Regression analysis.


Pros:
*Short and independent chapters
*The consistent level of discussion. (leaning towards practicality rather than academic)
*The Problems section
*The Humorous style of Mr. Estrada which cracked the intensity of some chapters (two thumbs up for that)




Cons:

*Some tables and models are referenced in other chapters which requires flipping back and forth between chapters. And sometimes you end up reading the whole chapter, however I think this is a small price to pay for self-contained chapters.

*Part 3 which covers the futures and options could have been expanded a bit.

*The excel sheet (solution for the challenge problems at the end of each chapter) do not contain the formulas, only the numbers. Which misses the whole point of excel (it's all about formulas!) However if you followed the book you shouldn't face any problems it would just be a bit time-consuming.



Overall it's a great book with excellent presentation. nonetheless, it IS a nutshell which plainly means it does not cover topics as same as a book with 800 pages dedicated for a single subject.


I'd recommend this book for anyone interested in the subject from professional to students.

This is a terrific book that I wish had been available when I was taking my finance courses in b-school. The core topics in finance are well known and fairly standardized. However, students just learning can find the subject a bit counterintuitive and bewildering, no matter how normalized it becomes with familiarity. This book would be a great supplement for students struggling through huge textbooks and trying to get a handle on the basics. Of course, they should have the basic math required to execute these formulae or it won't be very helpful.

Another group that will benefit greatly from a handbook like this are people whose job is focused in an area that uses a narrow portion of the subject matter, but occasionally need or want to refresh themselves in matters not part of their everyday work. Picking this book off the shelf and reading a few pages on the relevant topic will put you right back in the swing of things.

The book has thirty clearly focused chapters that are broadly organized into four parts: Risk and Return, Valuation, Other Important Topics (such as NPV, IRR, Real Options, Corporations and Value Creation, Options, Futures and Forwards, and Currencies), and Statistical Background. Another really nice feature of the book is that, where relevant, the author includes material to help you implement the chapter material in Excel. Using spreadsheets is the way to go in finance, and this material is most useful. However, it is basic information and there are other books to help you with advanced topics and Excel. There are also a few problems provided in each chapter for you to work through and develop more intuition on the subject matter.

The author writes clearly, has chosen good intuitive symbols for the equations, and is clear where there are differences of opinion, problems with certain models, and cautions the reader on certain aspects of investment (such as currencies). Yes, this is NOT a substitute for more in depth reading on these topics, but it is a wonderful handbook and great for a quick refresher.

I am quite happy to have this on my finance shelf.

Financial issues always plagued my businesses for years - lost one due to lack of financial understanding now I see where I made my mistakes. This book will help me with my new busines - I plan to buy copies for everyone in my company.

As a classic small business owner who wears every hat, including CFO but not being very good at it, this book is an invaluable resource for me. I am one of those people who picked up Berman and Knight's original Financial Intelligence and said, "Hey, I need this information for myself and my business." The book takes you through the basics of P&Ls and balance sheets and cash flow and all of the financial mumbo jumbo that you aren't taught unless you go to business school, and turns it into tangible, easy to digest concepts that even someone with no financial acumen or education can understand. The most enlightening part of the book is the premise that finances are an art as well as a science. I always believed that numbers are numbers and they don't lie. Berman and Knight set me straight and set me free, teaching me that even as a non-financial expert, I can understand, manage and interpret my own bottom line.

Several years ago, I read and reviewed Finance for Managers, one of the volumes in the Harvard Business Essentials series. The material provided in it is drawn from a variety of sources which include William J. Bruns, Jr., Michael J. Roberts, and Robert S. Kaplan as well as Harvard Business School Publishing and Harvard ManageMentor®, an online service. Samuel L. Hayes served as subject advisor to Richard Luecke, author of this and other books in the Harvard Business School Essentials Series as well as more than 30 other books in the series as well as several dozen articles. What we have in Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs, co-authored by Karen Berman and Joe Knight with John Case (also author of Open-Book Management and The Open-Book Experience), are information and advice that respond directly to the needs of those who are planning to launch a new company or have only recently done so. I think the material will also be of substantial benefit to decision-makers in companies that seek to become more entrepreneurial.

At a GE annual meeting, then CEO Jack Welch explained why he thought so highly of "small, sleek" business operations: "For one, they communicate better. Without the din and prattle of bureaucracy, people listen as well as talk; and since there are fewer of them they generally know and understand each other. Second, small companies move faster. They know the penalties for hesitation in the marketplace. Third, in small companies, with fewer layers and less camouflage, the leaders show up very clearly on the screen. Their performance and its impact are clear to everyone. And, finally, smaller companies waste less. They spend less time in endless reviews and approvals and politics and paper drills. They have fewer people; therefore they can only do the important things. Their people are free to direct their energy and attention toward the marketplace rather than fighting bureaucracy." This seems to have served as a model for "bowing up" of GE after Welch became its CEO in 1981. At that time, its market value was $14 billion; twenty-three years later, it was more than $410 billion.

I share all this by way of creating a frame-of-reference for what is provided in this volume, a new edition of a book first published (entitled Financial Intelligence) in 2006. Although the focus in this second edition is on entrepreneurs, the material provided will help all managers to develop the entrepreneurial mindset to which Welch refers, and, to acquire a highly-developed financial intelligence quotient (FIQ). Moreover, they can then do everything they possibly can to develop a high-level of FIQ among others at all levels and in all areas of their organization. In the Preface, Berman and Knight explain what their reader will learn:

1. How to read the three major financial statements (i.e. income, balance sheet, and cash flow) and how to interpret what they contain

2. How to calculate critical ratios and to understand what they reveal

3. Why net cash in a given time period is not the same as profit and why a company needs both profit and cash

4. How to use various return on investment (ROI) tools to analyze big purchases in order to make certain the investments add sufficient value to the business

5. How to manage working capital that helps to improve a company's cash flow and profitability even when there is no change in sales or expenses

6. How to use the three main methods for establishing the value of a business (i.e. the price-to-earnings ratio method, the discounted cash flow method, and the asset valuation method) "and many other tricks of the financial trade"

"Along the way, we'll let you in on the finance profession's little secret, which is that finance is as much art as it is science." Berman and Knight explain why understanding this "little secret" is so important to acquiring a high-level of financial intelligence.

They carefully organize their material within 30 chapters that are divided among eight sequential Parts: The Art of Finance (and Why It Matters), The (Many) Peculiarities of the Income Statement, The Balance Sheet Reveals the Most, Cash Is King, Ratios: Learning What the Numbers Are Really Telling You, How to Calculate and (Really) Understand Return on Investment, Applied Financial Intelligence: Working Capital Management, and Creating a Financially Intelli9gent Company. They also provide three appendices: Sample Financials, Exercises to Build Your Financial Intelligence - Income Statement; Balance Sheet; Cash Flow Statement; Ratios, and Under Armour and eBay Financial Statements. At the conclusion of each Part, there are contributions to the filling of the reader's "Toolbox."

Other reviewers will have their own reasons for admiring this book. Here are three of mine. First, this is not a "Finance for Dummies" although a financial novice will find nothing in it that is over her or his head. With consummate skill, Berman and Knight present and explain substance without compromising it. And when doing so, they prepare each reader to help others to increase their own FIQ by providing a model for those initiatives. In fact, Berman and Knight consider those efforts to be so important that they devote the final three chapters (Part Eight) to explaining how to create a financially intelligent company. I also appreciate this book because the authors immediately establish and then sustain a personal (rather than professorial) rapport with their reader. They use direct address throughout the narrative. For readers who are financial novices, they anticipate and address the concerns. For other readers with more developed FIQ (especially CFOs, comptrollers, office managers, and accountants) they offer a systematic review of material (e.g. nomenclature and core concepts of finance) that is already familiar to them. However, there is much to be said for reminders of what can sometimes be neglected or ignored. Finally, I appreciate the dozens of examples drawn from real-world situations that illustrate some of Berman and Knight's key points. This is especially appropriate, given the conversational (rather than professorial) tone that they sustain throughout the narrative.

One final point: All organizations have an urgent and constant need to reduce (if not eliminate) waste. Increasing the FIQ of as many workers as possible will enable them to recognize and, better yet, understand the bottom-line impact of waste and will thus be more likely to become not only involved but engaged in efforts to help their organization to reduce (if not eliminate) waste. If I were a CEO of a company, I would purchase a copy of this book for every line manager and make it required reading. And if my company has not already devised and then implemented an FIQ education program, to be implemented throughout the enterprise to varying degree, I would immediately appoint a cross-functional team of my best and brightest to do so.

I congratulate Karen Berman and Joe Knight together with John Case on a brilliant achievement. Bravo!

First Business Start-Up by William L. Russell is a solid, "user friendly", how-to guide specifically and accessibly written for non-specialist general readers of all experience levels in the business world wanting to launch their own commercial enterprise. Solid information and coherent step-by-step worksheets help the reader to evaluate whether or not their business idea is solid, and offers guidance in selecting the best business team in order to increase the odds of success. Regardless of the product to be produced or the service to be offered, First Business Start-Up is a "must-read" for anyone seriously interested in becoming their own boss!

So you think you want to go into business for yourself; well, this is commendable, but have you the basic or rudimentary knowledge so necessary to make a go of it? Yes, you have spoken with your father-in-law and your Uncle Jess once or twice and maybe some other tycoons or captains of industry, but are you really sure that their paternal or avuncular advise will be enough? Could it be that they have left out some important considerations such as formulating a business plan or securing venture capital?

Hopeful entrepreneur, do not go into the dark woods alone! William L. Russell's First Business Start-Up is a down to earth, no-nonsense approach to help you create and develop your own business dream or venture. It is a valuable guidebook designed to help you succeed. Mr. Russell has had his fair share of bumps and burses over his fifty years of owning and managing a variety of businesses, and he is willing to show you his painful scars and provide you with invaluable information so that you will not experience his pain and make the same costly mistakes. In short, William L.Russell's First Business Start-Up is a must read if you are really serious about making your dreams a reality and becoming a successful business owner and operator.

First Business Start-Up is written in a very interesting and easily understandable style. The usual topics, such as evaluating your business ideas, market analysis, business plans, financial reporting, and so forth, are covered in both real life story form and descriptive detail - which both drives home the points and makes for enjoyable reading of normally dry subjects. However, the surprise bonus for the reader is the chapters on business failures and "Failure Hall of Famers." Drawing from his personal experiences, Mr. Russell adds in story fashion a dimension that will enable future entreprenuers to recognize paradighms and pitfalls that may result in severly shatterd income statements and wallets.

While the information is practical and informative, the real and insightful stories that highlight the applications are worth the price of the book.

This book provides fabulous insight into the world of marital intimacy. As I was preparing for my marriage, I found the book to be a wonderful tool for helping to ease the transition into married life and all of the enjoyment that intimacy has to offer. We found within its pages a beautiful guide for husband and wife--it addresses issues such as love, communication, self-image and provides some of those tough answers to questions that are sometimes too difficult to ask. The book was recommended to me by my doctor,and as newlyweds, we couldn't be more grateful for the sensitive advice and information offered by this husband/wife team. "First Night..." also served a wonderful purpose in opening up for comfortable conversation the topic of sexual intimacy with my parents and other trusted loved ones. I would recommend it to parents with soon-to-be-married children! It works wonders! Not only did the book provide us with preparation and insight before marriage, it continues to be a valuable tool even now...even after...the "First Night."

This is a must for all newlyweds and not so newly weds. A book that covers a very sensitive subject in a very tasteful way. A healthy, happy marriage must also include a wonderful sexual relationship and "First Night and Beyond" covers subjects that are rarely talked about but SO very important.

This is a book that discusses past present and future problems that may affect your intimate relationship. It was written for newlyweds but is helpful to anyone seeking to have fullfillment in their relationship. The unique quality of this book lays in the fact that it is written by a husband and wife team. The format of the book dicusses problems and solutions from both sides. They each have their turn and helping you understand what is going on and how to improve it. It really is a book full of solutions. The format actually teaches you how to communicate. There are several extras in the back of the book that you must be sure not to miss. Each appendix addresses in FULL detail ways to enrich your intimate relationship. You will be able to take your relationship to a whole new level and find out what you are missing.

Are you on 'a break' from working out and struggle with motivation to get started again? Or have you never worked out a day in your life but want to get started and get overwhelmed at the 1,000s of options the fitness industry throws at you - so you don't? If your answer is 'yes' to either of these questions then this is the perfect book for you! Glen quickly, cleverly and humorously confirms how complicated and intimidating the fitness industry can make the process of taking care of yourself appear to the person needing to make and keep it simple. He reminds us how easy it is to make a difference in the quality of our health every day by just doing the littlest-simplest things. The refreshing part about his perspective is; it doesn't have to take 30 minutes for an effective work out and it doesn't have to involve a major diet plan to start feeling better about yourself. This is a quick and entertaining read and surely a perspective that will make it harder for you to say, 'aw...I'll wait til tomorrow...' Good luck!

This is the kind of book that can be read over and over again because it is short but it's message is one that can improve your life.This book is the best investment you can make in yourself to get motivated to get in shape.Go out and get it!Worth every penny.

This inexpensive book has changed my life. Unlike most fitness regimes, this one provides a common sense approach to fitness that has escaped other authors. Forget paying for expensive and time-wasting gyms. This program provides fitness that does not detract from my life. I couldn't put it down (and not just because the humorous author made the cover out of fly paper). This book was sort of like his program: easy reading and to the point. No fat. Buy two. It will be good for both you and a friend.

There's something irrepressible about a wedding of royalty. Even the most jaded of us is capable of maybe an 'awww' or two as we get to see a bit of a fairy tale come to life. There is pomp everywhere, from the fabulous gown and jewels that the bride is wearing, the wedding cakes and favours, to public displays of the wedding gifts.

This handsome little souvenir album is to commemorate an upcoming wedding anniversary -- that of England's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, who will have been married for sixty years, in November 2007. It is also a look at how Royal weddings have changed and evolved from fairly private ceremonies that were witnessed by close family members and courtiers, to now what is a spectacle watched by millions on the television and launching a flurry of books, magazines and various souvenirs from the pleasant to the grossly tacky.

The five weddings themselves occur in a period of time that spans just over a century, from 1840 to 1947, with the criteria that either the bride or groom would be a monarch of the United Kingdom.

The first wedding is that between Queen Victoria and her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, in 1840. Victoria had been Queen of Great Britain for two years when her wedding was celebrated, and public curiosity was intense as to who she would choose to be her consort. With the rise of new printing techniques, there were now ways that the public could observe, albeit from a distance -- there were special prints and panoramas that were printed to feed the curiosity about the event.

About twenty years later, the next royal wedding occured, this time between Victoria and Albert's eldest son, Bertie, the Prince of Wales and the future Edward VII, and his fiancee, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 1863. Now there was the art of photography to add to the documents; some of these were hand-tinted to create a nearly painting like quality. The gifts were also more opulent, and this time, were described in a special magazine that supplied all of the details from what the guests were wearing to engravings that showed various aspects of the wedding service itself.

Thirty years later, another wedding occured, this time between Bertie's son, George, Duke of York, and his cousin, Princess Mary of Teck, in 1894. This time, celebrations and public notice were high, with various royalties from around Europe visiting to pay their respects. The gifts were put on public display this time, and admission was charged, with the proceeds going to a charity. The bride's trousseau was described in various ladies magazines in lavish detail and illustrations.

The fourth wedding was that of George VI and Queen Mary's second son, Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923. No one really expected them to become sovereigns of Great Britain, and so the celebrations were not quite as extravagant as might be expected. But one notable addition was that this was the first royal wedding to be filmed, and soon there would be opportunity for anyone to see it, all for the price of a ticket to the cinema, and sitting through a newsreel.

The fifth wedding was in 1947, with that of two of Queen Victoria's great-great-grandchildren -- Princess Elizabeth, and Prince Philip of Greece. After the dreary years of WWII, and the troubles of rebuilding, London was ready for a celebration. The outpouring from the public was immense, and it seems that all of England took the day off for a holiday. The marriage proved to be one of the most successful in the royal family, and appears to be still quite solid after nearly sixty years.

Each wedding goes into some detail about the clothing, providing pictures and closeups of the brides' gowns, showing some of the intricate sewing and decoration that went into the making. As was traditional, all of the clothing worn were made from British materials and designers. What I found especially beautiful were the samples of lace and embroidery, often with monograms and special designs incorporated into the designs. A very brief history of the couple is also included, talking a little about their childhoods, and what happened after the weddings. At the end of the book, there is also a listing of what music was performed at each wedding, with a few surprises tucked in.

What may surprise you is what you will not find in this book. There isn't any mention of Lady Diana, or of the notorious wedding of Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson.

For anyone interested in royalty, and how what started as a private celebration soon became an opportunity for public celebration, this is a lovely, well-made and designed book. The photographs and pictures are unusual, many of which I had not seen before, and gave a sense of intimacy.

The author, Jane Roberts, is the Royal Librarian, and has compiled a beautiful little volume on the lore of royal weddings. For anyone interested in the English monarchy, it would be a nice addition to their collection.

Five stars. Recommended.

A wonderful book that takes you back in time for 5 royal marriages. I had a splendid time reading and looking at the photos. I have been watching the "Royals" all my life. I remember the day Elizabeth and Phillip were married, and this little book just made those memories much more clearer than ever before! A "must" for "royal watchers"!!

A wonderful display of that special wedding. It was like the Queen was showing these momentos to me herself.

Barbara A. Smith's, From Ashes to Glory - The Pathway to Healing From Sexual Abuse, is a powerful account of the effects of rape biblically and in today's society, and it shows how women who have been sexually violated can be cleansed and made whole by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Rape victims, friends of rape victims, or any one who is interested in learning more about this subject should definitely read this book. Prepare to be informed and changed from the inside out. This book is a definite page-turner that will leave you thirsting for more.

Barbara Smith's debut work is crafted with excellence and under the obvious anointing of the Holy Ghost. Although this piece is non-fiction, the beginning chapters flow as though they were pages from a murder-mystery novel. In the first half, Smith painstakingly chronicles a conspiracy concocted between King David's nephew and his son, the heir to the throne, Amnon. The pair's treachery leads to the heinous rape of King David's daughter, Tamar, by her own lust-drunken brother. Smith takes readers on a journey into the mindset of the victim, the perpetrators and other family members. Ashes, illustrates how sin can be passed down from generation to generation.

A registered nurse by day-trade, Smith provides readers not only with historical facts and events, but with clinical explanations of the sufferings felt by rape victims as she has personally witnessed many times over.

The second half of the book offers soothing spiritual balm and the reassurance that anyone who accepts the love of Jesus Christ can be healed and redeemed.

This book is highly recommended as a tool for victims and perpetrators seeking deliverance and reformation.

Chocolate Pages Reviewer

This book is so anointed! Those who have been raped or know someone who has must read this book...and those who want to know more about the love and power of God - this books demonstrates it. Powerful.

Pam Perry
Chocolate Pages Reviewer

Since the first edition of From Darkness to Light was released in 1993, it has always received great reviews. Readers have asked me to produce a study guide to go along with the book.

Once the 2006 edition by Tate Publishing became available and because requests for a study guide continue to be asked for, I have written a study guide for From Darkness to Light. It is 8.5" X 11", 168 pages, comb bound. There are study guides available for use with the original edition and for the 2006 edition.

The study guide is a great asset whether used in an individual or a group setting.

If interested, e-mail the author.

From Darkness to Light disspelled the myths surrounding oppression and the Christian by opening my eyes to see scripture with depth. In reading this book I found myself captivated by the truths I was learning. The knowledge I gained in this study gave me strength and confidence to incorporate spiritual warfare into my daily life. This book is a MUST read and a valuable resource for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of Truth!

This book was an excellant way to get insight into the demonic oppression that Christian's face. It answered all of the questions I had and gave me a way to enter into spiritual warfare

I plan on giving this book to alot of my friends who vacation in Florida. This is not just for Floridians but also for us Northerners who have winter homes in Florida. The book not only helps us figure out what to plant but increases our knowledge of what we see when temporarily living in the lovely state of Florida.

As a landscape contractor who does just upscale homes, I am most pleased with this new book. I bought a dozen of them to give to my best clients. Of course, I kept one copy for myself and use it on a regular basis.

Everyone who I have shown the book to or given a copy has commented that this book is one of the best gardening books that they have ever seen. It is user friendly and very informative.

Keep up the good work and tell me when your next book is published. "

I have lived in Florida for five years now, and all my northern approaches to gardening just weren't working. I knew the climate was different and the growing season was different, but until I got this book, I just didn't realize that things are not only different, they are opposite! I have had much success with this book, as it offers basic strategy and lets you take it from there. I believe native and long-time Floridians could also benefit, as the book offers techniques for getting rid of pests that crop up at specific times of the year on specific plants with specific symptoms. It is very thorough, with its month-by-month plans and answers to common questions that have plagued me for the four years before I got the book. Florida gardening is different, a challenge, but not impossible with this guide. I had nearly given up until I got my hands on this. Very practical. I can't say I've had 100 percent growing success, but I'm betting on it this year.