Strategy

"Innovation Strategy for the Knowledge Economy: The Ken Awakening", by Debra Amidon, at just over 200 pages, is small compared to many conventional books on management. However, I believe its impact will be stronger, and its future brighter, than many much longer books on the subject.

As the title indicates, this book is about innovation strategy, a topic of great intellectual interest, and a type of strategy which business today needs to embrace, develop, articulate and implement.

If you are searching for a book to bring innovation to the forefront, and to discuss how innovation strategy can be put into practice, this book provides the best starting point, I could recommend. It is useful for everyone in business (including, but not limited to, executives and consultants) who regards innovation as a practical method to enhance the impacts and outcomes of business activities. Numerous other publications exist for those who regard innovation as merely a prestigious activity, not to be mixed with the "real" work of running an organization. The author has effectively linked knowledge and innovation strategy. I hope she will write more on the fascinating topic of innovation strategy.

We are used to considering innovation as R&D specialty. We are also used to consider each domain separately - management, economy, education, business, marketing, research, sales, engineering, etc.

"Innovation Strategy for The Knowledge Economy" teaches us to see the enterprise (or organization) in its multiple dimensions, and to practice global innovation, based on intellectual capital. It shows the way to organize the flow of knowledge building on humans and computers, including enterprise strategy and stakeholders knowledge for everybody's success. But, this way of thinking implies kaleidoscopic changes and a capability to catch, capitalize and share knowledge.

Debra M. Amidon gives a practical method to apply for analyzing « today and tomorrow » of enterprise (or organization). She defines a systematic way to organize an optimal flow of knowledge inside and integrate all strategic knowledge coming from outside in the form of an extended business network.

An extraordinary book, with a comprehensive knowledge management review and fresh topics. Ideal for advanced readers in KM topics and the Innovation Process. Don't lose this reading.

There is a tremendous amount of hype written about the Internet today. Many of the books are written to describe why the online world is cool or simply to say that online business is inevitable. "The Digital Estate" is one of very few books that goes beyond that. In this book you will find a serious discussion of what to do and how to do it. If you are running an Internet based firm you will be inspired. If you are responsible for your comapny's online presence, you will be educated. If you are a top level executive in a large coporation, you may be awakened. I can think of noone who is in business on the Net who will not benefit from reading this book. Many who will realize that it is time they got their act together. Chuck Martin truly "Get's it". He will help you "Get it" too. Roman Godzich TotalNEWS Inc. http://totalnews.com

This book is a "must read" for all company owners and managers involved in the corporate planning process. The Digital Estate digs into the successes and failures of pure on-line businesses and electronic efforts of other companies to define the principals of doing business today. This is not a "technology book" and is not targeted for "net heads" or persons already in the Internet business. It is a business book for executives that contrasts the "old way" and new methods that are transforming business thinking. It is a book for business heads that need a grounding in business on the Internet. Written in a clear and concise manner, sans hype and jargon, it is engrossing, clever and insightful. I can not over emphasize the importance of this book to all business executives.

If you've been awake and actively using the net over the past few years, you probably already know just about everything in this book. Martin has very good insight into what the web can really be...beyond all the technology hoopla, building virtual communities, supplying appropriate content, making a corporate web site that is actually useful to consumers, etc.. A GREAT read for those trying to make sense of the web, understand how people use the web, and see how other companies have created successful enterprises or applications integrating the internet. The copy I got had some duplicate/missing pages in the introduction of the book.

I was drawn to this book after searching for ways to help my business survive the ever-changing Internet economy. Ms. Windham's book offers incredibly helpful advice and is full of examples on how to stay ahead of the competition. This was one of those books that was difficult to put down. A must read for anyone who wants to transform their company into a profitable e-business.

This was used as a text book in my e-business MBA class and would recommend it to others outside of class. It covered a lot of issues relevant to the topic. I enjoy reading books like this that are up-to-date in a dynamic industry.

I must congratulate Ms. Windham on her excellent book "Dead Ahead". I think I must have read it more than three times by now. I am a consultant and my company is involved in web design and development. On many of my assignments, I relied on this book as a guide and many of her ideas have worked very well with my clients.

At last! A book on leadership and strategy that translates the techniques of one of the world's greatest heroes into a practical and learnable agenda for the aspiring yet mortal manage The modern day examples tie up very neatly the insights from Alexander with the way modern managers have successfully applied his strategies and leadership techniques.
In fact, Bose goes further than this by combining the suspense of the storyteller, the psychological insight of the biographer, and the wise advice of a mentor.
My favourite book on Alexander, and my favourite book of the year so far. A classic.

This is a beautifully written book, with a great story and numerous lessons in strategy. There is a certain mystery to the book because Bose keeps you guessing as to how he is going to tie the story of Alexander that he is telling with the lessons in business and politics. I had great fun reading the book. I especially enjoyed the chapter where he talks about the seige of Tyre,-considered the greatest in world history and ties it with globalization. A terrific book.

I am planning to read this book again. Alexander is an inspirational leader. Success comes not by chance, but by hard work & strategy. The book also stresses the importance of the upbringing of Alexander. Aristotle was his teacher and his father Phillip did everything in his power to give proper education and training to Alexander.

After reading this book, I have begun to respect Alexander. His achievements are such that people even today would struggle to accomplish them.

I strongly recommend this book.

This book is entertaining and well written. The stories used to illustrate the points made are usually an adventure in themselves. Richard Marcinko practices what he preaches and this book will tell you how to do the same. This is an easy to read guide to being successful and the best book of its' kind I have ever read. This gives the reader the no excuses, no BS way to succeed. Buy this book!

I've read them all...leadership and business books that is. They all seem to rehash the same ideas and concepts in the same way. Not Marcinko. This is the no B.S. approach to success. If you want to be inspired, and get practical ideas from someone who has acheived success against tremendous odds, this book is for you. If you are faint of heart, and can't take some straight talk, then you might want to read some scholarly piece by a Harvard MBA instead.

When I first put this tape in I thought to myself what the heck is this guy going on about. But I kept on going. It will grow on you. Richard's navy seal strategy to success is definitely one of the original motivational tapes out there. With a warriors attitude and what the author describes as "Testical Fortitude" you know your in for a ride. The author takes real navy missions and turns them into business strategies. With a philosophy of breaking rules only hurts the person who made the rules Richard just puts a foot in the face of whoever stands in the way. Dont be a follower. Set the standard not live up to it. Its a very inspiring look at a different approach to success. Exciting and motivating.

It may be impossible to write a survival book that is accurate and authoritative on all environments and all areas of the world, and this is something to keep in mind when purchasing a general survival book, especially a condensed one like the Gem Survival Guide. For the most part, it's quite good and gives excellent information on outdoors survival in most temperate climates. HOWEVER, one place the book does fall down is in areas like jungle and desert survival. There is little specialized information for those environments, ESPECIALLY important topics like navigation, first aid, water collection, and animal/plant information, and what there is can be dangerously vague. For those interested in jungle or desert survival I would definitely recommend other specialized books like Adventure Travel in the Third World by Jeff Randall or The Ultimate Desert Handbook by Mark Johnson, which do a much, much better job at covering those areas.

With store shelves overloaded by "SAS" books it's unfortunate that this little, uh, Gem can be lost in that crowd. The original format was more like a coffee table book, but for practical purposes this chunky, compact edition is not only the most convenient of those available, it is also arguably the best on the market.
The manual itself is comprehensive, clearly written and with clear (if sometimes limited) illustrations, including a useful colour section; and here the colour is used for more than mere decoration as it provides essential additional information in identifying plants and animals. There is no philosophical description here, little room for the romance of the wild or the ethics of surviving. Instead, "Lofty" Wiseman's guide is a direct parcel of solid information aimed solely at keeping you alive in the worst of situations. Campers and outdoorsmen will find some interesting and useful sections here, but it requires a degree of knowledge and experience to sift them from those which simply must not be used outside of an emergency. This is a fascinating book to dip into, and doubtless most purchasers treat it as such, but it is also an exceptionally effective, reliable and well-crafted source of possibly vital information.

The SAS survival guide, is, one of the best survival guides I have ever read in my life. As a Boy Scout, I should know. It packs loads of information into a small, compact book. I would recommend it for anyone who likes the outdoors and wants to learn more about nature.

Dr. Silverman's book is an excellent description of the organizational change process orchestrated by the NYPD. Unfortunately, he failed to grasp the old saying that if something is too good to be true, it probably isn't true. The amount of crime and number of murders did drop substantially in New York as Silverman attests. What he fails to mention is that crime in Los Angeles, Boston, and San Francisco (to name a few cities) experienced nearly identical drops in crime during the same time frame and they did not implement NYPD's innovations. The NYPD was merely the beneficiaries of a trend (which actually started in 1991--before the innovations were implemented), rather than the trend's architect. Sometimes it is better to be lucky than to be good.

As a member of the NYPD, I found this book extremely informative and insightful. Eli Silverman was able to get an "insiders" look at the NYPD and describe accurately the organizational changes that brought about sweeping reductions in crime in New York City. It is a must read for any person in the criminal justice system.

NYPD Battles Crime is a scholarly review of a process that not only affected New York City but is being adopted by many other police departments. Prof. Silverman has "insider" access, and gives the reader a detailed view of the politics behind the procedures. This book is also a fascinating look at the way change is implimented in a large organization. I have put NYPD Battles Crime on the reading list for my classes--it is a "must-read" for anyone who is interested in current trends in the criminal justice profession.

With great curiosity, I bought this second edition once again the J2EE pattern gurus made a great attempt to bring this book well updated.

This book anchors solid patterns foundation for J2EE components revising some of the existing patterns and also fixed some of the gaps found in the previous edition. The J2EE component design strategies, refactorings and bad practices makes a big impact for any developer and makes this book again a worth buy.

One disappointing factor, Except for couple of new Web services patterns the book is not mature enough on defining patterns for J2EE Web services scenarios, which is the focus of upcoming J2EE 1.4 specifications.

Core Patterns begins by introducing patterns in general, then presents common J2EE AntiPatterns and proceeds to discuss the refactored solutions to these bad practices along with pointers to the relevant area of the J2EE Pattern Catalog. This allows a straight-through reading for those unfamiliar with patterns or use as a reference guide for experienced pattern users. Two years ago when the first edition of this book came out, I purchased it and read it. Immediately I recognized areas where I could improve my J2EE designs as well as a new vocabulary for describing common solutions to recurring problems.

In all J2EE applications I have developed since then I have used the patterns and refactorings presented here to great benefit. In addition, the common vocabulary allows my project teams to discuss potential designs much more quickly and unambiguously, since we understand exactly what someone has in mind when they say something like "We should use Business Delegates in our Struts Actions to access our business services, and we should use Transfer Objects to pass data between the tiers, and use Data Access Objects to access our data stores."

The Second Edition brings updates to the original patterns plus several new patterns and the concept of micro-architectures. In addition to the updated and new patterns, this edition also discusses many patterns in the context of widely-used frameworks such as Struts and JSTL. For example, the book notes that the Struts ActionServlet is a Front Controller which hands the request to the Struts RequestProcessor, which implements the new ApplicationController pattern.

Understanding and applying the patterns and refactorings is certain to make your application designs more robust, clean, and maintainable. In addition you will be able to talk about J2EE refactoring and design at a much more abstract and concise level while simultaneously being able to cover a lot more ground much more quickly since everyone will know exactly what is meant by the patterns you are discussing. Along with the GoF's Design Patterns and Fowler's Refactoring books, Core J2EE Patterns is a must-have guide that every J2EE developer and architect should own.

This book is very complete and straight forward!!
Greetings!

This book covers such issues of web site globalization as translation, design, development and management. Besides that, it shows in various examples and case studies that globalization aspects should be taken with care to avoid cultural, legal, technical and linguistic traps and pitfalls.

However, not all of the advices should be taken literally, because they can be the author's guessing, not experience. An example is the advice to use Unicode characters to display textual language selection menu in a global gateway web site. Rather than merely not displaying the characters of fonts not installed on a user's computers, a web browser may offer the user to download and install all the fonts needed to properly display all of the characters used on the page. Thus, the North American user will need to download fonts for Traditional Chinese, Kanji and so forth. The user may however choose to skip downloading fonts, but the question dialog box may nag the users, but the author writes nothing about this.

The book tends to expose problems, rather than to focus on solutions, because the solutions in this particular topic (web globalization) may quickly become outdated. Thus, the book encourages the reader to do further research, and offers references to companies that provide translation services and software for web content-management frameworks with globalization support.

Overall, this book to be very thoughtful, insightful, and well-organized.

The book is a helpful introduction-- and probably invaluable to someone who wants to get into the business-- but some of the hands- on was a little lacking.

However, it's really not geared towards those of who are decision makers at larger companies-- for example, Yunker praises the infrastructure underlying Fedex.com, but fails to mention the company that designed the infrastructure--OnlineFocus. Additionally, the ESPN comments lack any reference to Starwave's global reach and how that may have helped them design ESPN for diverse audiences.

This is a solid reference book which can assist people who are planning multilingual website design and development projects. The case studies will definitely provide readers with good information from firms who have already created global websites, and the Hands-On chapters will benefit those who want to experience first hand some of the language issues you encounter when creating a multilingual web presence. I am with a firm who provides website globalization services and found Yunker's book to do a great job summarizing the issues.

This unusual, very helpful book is by a no-nonsense guy who presents straightforward talk about the real issues of dating and relationship. I find that his combination of practicality and personal experience is savvy, down-to-earth, and useful. "Useful" is the operative word here. I think of the chapters on reinventing yourself after the loss of a mate, strategies for finding and nurturing a new relationship, identifying women who may be emotional time-bombs, and being realistic about STDs. These -- along with subjects like meeting on the Internet, knowing when you're really serious, confronting money issues, fighting, and even breaking up (if things come to that) -- make this a great overall book on relationships. But I think its most notable accomplishment may be this apparent impossibility: it offers, in effect, a basic, practical course for men on romance. How rare is that?

"Build a Better Spouse Trap" says it's for men who have lost a wife to death or divorce, but it also turns out to be one terrific guide to creating a successful relationship, full of practical understanding for both men and women, whatever their circumstances may be.

Although the title of this book is catchy the implication of "trapping" a spouse comes across as a negative. The book really isn't about trapping a spouse and it is indeed a good book. The subtitle is more appropriate "A Street-Smart Dating Strategy for Men Who Have Lost a Love."

This book is written by a Board Certified Trial Lawyer from Newport Beach along "with" a Beverly Hills based psychologist who specializes in couples counseling.

Being myself recently divorced and having lost a love I found this book to be very realistic in terms of describing what losing a love is like and what the recovery process is like.

The chapters are:

1.) Coping with Loss
2.) How Life Goes On
3.) Getting Serious about a Relationship
4.) Into the Future

I found each of the chapters to be intelligent, realistic and honest. I felt that the author really has felt what I am feeling and has a pretty cutting edge approach to his understanding and to his perspective on solutions. He is frank about depression, about not being able to get out of bed etc.

The guts of the book are about forming a dating strategy to find your next spouse. The apporach is very structured, precise and well defined. Although that type of approach may have appeal to a limited number of personality types I found the chapters on Coping and How Life Goes On to be worth the price of the book.

In a nutshell this is the only book I've found that is sort of like having a 40 or 50 year old uncle or father give you very accurate, useful, practical advice on the most intelligent way to find a spouse and not screw up your life and end up in divorce.

As a man and as a Marriage and Family therapist I feel "Build a Better Spouse Trap" is an important book. To me there are two underlying themes that Mr. Wentworth is conveying to the men he talks to so clearly. First, Think! My office is full of men who didn't think. They reacted. They are now in trouble, and they are sorry.

The second important point the author makes is to encourage the reader to Feel! Or better yet, identify feelings that are already there. Too many men make serious relationship mistakes because they don't know how to feel the feelings they already have. The author makes this point well when he encourages men to "stop living on automatic."

The result of following the advice in the book is to make the relationship process conscious. He says we should actually become conscious in the process of finding our life partner.
Finally, encouraging men to find a good therapist is great advice. I find that with a straightforward approach that is cognitive and logical, men make great progress in therapy and they really enjoy the process.

Beyond that, they learn about themselves, what makes women tick, and in doing so gain enormous confidence.

The book is honest, fun to read, and practical. But the phrase from the subtitle "Street Smart" says it all. The book hands you exactly what you need to have on those dark nights as you are forcing yourself to get out of the car and nervously walk up to her door. One is tempted to take the book along and feverishly flip through the pages for the right advice when she is in the lady's room. It doesn't get any more real than "Build a Better Spouse Trap."

I think "Build a Better Spouse Trap" in a shot in the arm to those of us who otherwise would be lost and depressed hoping the random forces of the universe will finally make us happy.