Strategy

Anyone interested in learning how US foreign policy is created should start with this important and well-written book. Gaddis examines the post war search for ways in which the various administrations attempted to come up with a strategy to deal with the Soviet Union. Of course this was the primary center piece of foreign policy and it was the prism by which all other actions, all around the world, were viewed.
What is interesting to me is that each administration sought to embrace some new measure once it took office. What Gaddis makes plain is that despite the rhetoric, what they ended up doing, without exception is to rely on the basic rules of containment established under Truman. For all the talk about "New Looks" and "Flexible Responses," "Rolling Back Communism" and "Detente" new presidential adminstrations were left to fall back on the methods and processes that were developed under Truman and refined somewhat under Eisenhower.

I do not believe there is a finer overview of post-World War II American foreign policy than this important book. As a work of history as opposed to political science, it is well-suited for any reader who cares about America's relationship with the world. Gaddis explains containment as it was originally envisioned by George Kennan and then goes on to show the fluctuations between symmetrical and asymmetrical policies up through the Carter administration. He first describes each policy stance--its antecedents, influences, and applications--then describes the applicability of that policy in reality. He shows how Kennan's conception of containment was quickly lost in the enactment of NSC 68 by the Truman administration and the U.S. involvement in Korea. He describes Eisenhower's "New Look" as a shift back to a policy wherein America drew distinctions between conflicts it would and would not react to, relying heavily on the nuclear option in an all-or-nothing containment strategy. Then he dissects the "flexible response" policy of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, ascribing much importance to their Keynesian economic outlooks in convincing them that America could response to any and all threats while still growing the domestic economy. After the debacle of Vietnam, Gaddis does a wonderful job of describing the détente policies of Nixon and Kissinger.

The most important conclusion he draws is that economic realities and domestic politics seemingly play an integral part in America's oscillating policies over time. To be more exact, the perception of means largely steers policy. Eisenhower adopted an asymmetrical policy, relying on the nuclear threat while decreasing the nation's conventional forces, because he feared the effects of overspending. Kennedy wanted to distance himself from the previous adminstration, and his liberal economic outlook convinced him that the American economy could be grown and controlled in such a way as to provide the funds for increasing both military and domestic spending, which would allow him to meet any threat any where at any time. This symmetrical policy, continued by Johnson, led America into a war in the wrong place at the wrong time against the wrong enemy. Nixon, naturally, wanted to distance himself from Johnson, and he also faced great constraints in public perception and Congressional distaste for increased military spending--under such constraints, he and Kissinger decided on a policy of détente with the Soviet Union, a policy that was effective to some degree but was ineffective in many ways (especially lesser regional conflicts). Carter's foreign policy was a blundering tightwalk between symmetry and asymmetry and was basically no policy at all. Gaddis is fairly objective in his assessment of the oscillating course of foreign policy, pointing out the successes as well as the failures of each strategy. He does not discuss every single incident because it would be impossible to cover everything in detail, so some issues I was interested in, such as Greek policy in 1948, the Bay of Pigs invasion, Khrushchev's shoe-thumping speeach at the U.N., the Iranian hostage crisis, to name a few, were barely mentioned, but his overall synthesis and communication of ideas is illuminating. I learned a great deal from reading this book. I only wish the book had been written more recently than 1982, so it could have concluded with a study of how Ronald Reagan actually won the Cold War.

I bought this book based on a recommendation from a professor. I wanted to get a good review of US containment strategy and I certainly got that. It is a very detailed accout of how the strategy developed in the US after WWII and how that strategy manifested itself though the following Presidential administrations. I am reading it quite carefully because it is so very educational. I have already recommended it to others who have a similar interest in US containmnet strategy.

Need to know about the fundamental concept and process in Strategy? read this book, you will find a comprehensive description in "easy to understand" language, even that you're a beginner in Strategic Management. This book is a usefull guide for anyone, no matter you're a undergraduate, Graduate or Doctoral student. A state of the art of Strategic Management.

Basically, this book aims at making strategy concepts and techniques very clear to readers. In this book, strategy concepts were translated into well-considered formulations.

While reading book, you will see this property many times and it will help you better understand the abstract concepts. When you finished the book, you will be able to place your strategy theory on a strong base. No longer you will think that "Strategy Is a Staff Work." This book will give you the framework in which strategic plans are developed.

And lastly, you will find a lot of cases related to the theory in this invaluable book. I higly recommend..

Very exciting knowledge from the expert

I highly recommend this book to all the clients of my billing service; in fact, I gave copies for Christmas one year! Therapists are launched into private practice with no clue about how to deal with insurance companies or managed care. Suddenly they have to learn (usually the hard way) how to fill out treatment plans and work with case managers. Susan Frager maps out this new world in a clear fashion, and in language familiar to the clinician.

Don't be fooled by the new title and cover, it's the same book inside. Not one word has been changed - I hope!

If you want to learn to "manage managed care," this is your book. It is certainly one aspect of private practice, but a truly "Successful Private Practice" is so much more than knowing how to navigate managed care. One of these days, maybe I will write the real "Successful Private Practice!"

Any well written handbook is a plus to any mental health office. The information on what should really go on a treatment plan is useful information for a billing service or office manager to pass on to their therapists. This book teaches the therapist a "cooled-down" approach to dealing with the managed care companies instead of an antagonistic approach. Start-up billing services will also find the billing-specific information helpful. This information is spelled out clearly and is easily understood.

The most comprehensive, single source, small business strategy guidebook I have read and applied.
The tactical processes Robert Frey recommends gets you focused early by crystallizing your business strategy, mentoring you step by step, establishing knowledge-based decision points and executing a successful proposal.
The CD is a great plus with schedules, proposal templates, and more to get you started for your next contract award!

In this blue-ribbon edition, Robert Frey provides enough valuable proposal management detail to establish your proposal department, to write your proposal manager's job description, to outline your proposal team's functions, to produce topflight and winning proposals, and to measure the proposal team's success. And if that were not enough, Frey offers his bravura insights into knowledge management and how this wonderful concept can be realistically and incrementally applied to the proposal development process.

Frey mentors you to success with regard to every aspect of proposal management. Frey's style is not staid and wooden. To the contrary, his love for his audience and his desire for their proposal management success shines forth. I would pay twice as much for the book. My company's proposal win rate this year alone proves the worth of the material in these pages. Invest in it, do what it says, and prepare for the reward.

Bob Frey has again created a valuable source of information that should be on every Business Development professional's desk. It presents a clear and concise approach to properly managing the proposal business acquisition process, including creating a winning proposal. The use of Knowledge Management approach to leveraging intellectual property provides an excellent approach to crafting a winning strategy and incorporating it in the proposal. I highly recommend this book.

It is basically the author's interpretation of Sun Tzu's the Art of War and applies it to modern military strategy. The book also puts it in Western context using Western military battles as examples. I liked the author's grouping of the teachings into principles and the examples that he gives. Also his chapter on Sun Tzu and terrorism gives the book a relevant feel. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to get a grasp on the ides of the ideas of The Art of War, especially in a Western context. But I would also highly recommend reading through the translation of the original at the end of the book. I give this an A on the StuPage.

Mark McNeilly takes the principles of Sun Tzu and lays them out in 6 easy to understand categories. These 6 principles are then described and examples of their use in modern warfare are given.

This book is invaluable to anyone studying strategy in any capacity. It plainly demonstrates the value of Sun Tzu's words and the peril one can face if they are ignored.

There is also a translation by Samual Griffith of the original "Art of War" by Sun Tzu. So in affect you are getting 2 books in one. You can't beat that.

On a more serious note this book is a wake up call to those of you who do not understand Eastern Philosophy and Warfare. With the emergence of China as an ever growing influence in the world, it would serve everyone well to understand their history, culture and principles. This book is invaluable in the capacity.

Those who have already read McNeilly's previous and brilliant book, Sun Tzu and the Art of Business, will welcome this study of modern warfare at a time when the term "war" seems to be undergoing constant re-definition. Events on and subsequent to September 11th have required all of us to view warfare from different perspectives. That process continues even as we await further developments. In this volume, McNeilly reminds us that there are certain fundamental principles of warfare which have remained valid throughout the centuries. Perhaps the first management consultant, Sun Tzu asserts in The Art of War that all battles are won or lost before they are fought. Moreover, he insists that it is better, far better to gain victory without having to engage in combat. Once combat is necessary, he suggests all manner of strategies and tactics by which to overcome an opponent. As you read this review, I suspect that certain warriors throughout the world (perhaps having never read nor heard of Sun Tzu) are utilizing many of these same strategies and tactics. Why? Because they are effective.

After a brief but highly informative Introduction ("The Relevance of Sun Tzu to Modern Warfare"), McNeilly examines the aforementioned "fundamental principles" within six chapters, citing numerous examples drawn from the history of modern warfare, and then provides his own "Conclusions" about "ancient principles for future battlefields." He includes in this volume the superb translation of The Art of War by Samuel B. Griffith. Here are the six chapter titles:

Win All Without Fighting [how to achieve the objective without destroying it]

Avoid Strength, Attack Weakness [strike only where the enemy is most vulnerable]

Deception and Foreknowledge [how to win the information war]

Speed and Preparation [moving swiftly to overcome resistance decisively]

Shaping the Enemy [selecting and preparing the battlefield to your advantage]

Character-based Leadership [leading by example]

Obviously, merely listing the chapter titles and suggesting the thrust of each cannot indicate the scope and depth of McNeilly's achievements in this book. But perhaps it would be helpful to share two brief excerpts from his Preface and then from the final chapter, Conclusions:

"My interest in writing this book stems from a deep interest in military history, my attraction to the ideas and concepts put forth by Sun Tzu, my experience as an infantry officer, and my time as a strategist for a major global corporation. These forces, plus the desire to ensure that students of strategy have greater exposure to and understanding of Sun Tzu's holistic strategic philosophy, compelled me to pen this work."

"Thus, two things are clear. First, neither strategic nor tactical excellence is sufficient by itself; the two must accompany one another for decisive victory. If a nation has the right strategy but executes it poorly, it will not be successful. Similarly, a nation that executes a poor strategy with excellence will also fail in war. To achieve victory a nation must have a creative, powerful strategy and carry it out with will and dispatch, and force."

The second quotation is also relevant to non-military organizations, especially multi-national corporations, which must also have both superior strategies and effective tactics to achieve their desired objectives. Leaders in these organizations who ignore Sun Tzu's principles do so at their peril. McNeilly concludes, "By using these principles wisely a leader can achieve the nation's [or the organization's] goals and ensure its continued survival and prosperity. There is no greater burden one can carry." The extent to which the modern leader discharges such responsibilities will be determined, in my opinion (and presumably McNeilly's), by the extent to which that leader understands and then applies, appropriately, the various principles which Sun Tzu formulated more than 2,500 years ago.

This book was a Godsend to me! My sister died suddenly in her sleep of a brain aneurysm, 9 days after giving birth to her second child. The oldest child, not quite 3 years old at the time, was the first to try to wake her that morning. How do you help a little child understand death and loss - what do you say? What should you not say? I needed specific answers and detailed explanations to guide my nephew through this horrible time for all of us. The author not only verified my instinct to be honest with my nephew, but also encouraged me to become a grief-model for him. She also explains how a child will "regrieve" a loss, such as the death of a parent, many times throughout their lives, and shows how crucial it is that a child learn to deal with and work through grief. Other losses that children experience, such as divorce, are also dealt with in a very comprehensive manner. Loss is a fact of life, and Ms. Trozzi and Ms. Massimini offer invaluable lessons to help you teach your child to deal with these inevitable losses. I keep several copies of this book on hand, because I give it to almost everyone I know. Don't wait till you need this book - read it now!!! I honestly think my nephew is dealing with his loss in a good way, and we've both learned to help each other. To the authors, I am forever in your debt.

Thank you both - Maria and Kathy - for the wisdome, insight and well-defined exposures of difficult times during a loss of any kind. Whether it's a fierce injury or the untimely grief from loosing someone, children must hike through unexpected tragic events and your healthy outlook embraces this process. This informative book leads parents, or anyone, toward bonding with children may be silently suffering. These talented authors present certain steps - vividly and realistically - by restoring and achieving a nourishment of harmony after any adversity. During my years of researching head injuries, I have uncovered the fact that the second leading group subjected to a head injury are children. Since there is very little research in this area I am thrilled to locate this enormous wealth of help for them. I thoroughly recommend this book to any family struggling with grief or any painful experience. You two ladies have surfaced significantly - comfort and advice - by vocalizing the needs children feel, but may have been overlooked. Thank you for sharing all your research and knowledge.

Thank you both - Maria and Kathy - for the wisdom, insight and well-defined exposures of difficult times during a loss of any kind. Whether it's a fierce injury or the untimely grief from loosing someone, children must hike through unexpected tragic events and your healthy outlook embraces this process. This informative book leads parents, or anyone, toward bonding with children who may be silently suffering. These talented authors present certain steps - vividly and realistically - by restoring and achieving a nourishment of harmony after any adversity. During my years of researching head injuries, I have uncovered the fact that the second leading group subjected to head injuries are children. There is very little research or reading material concerning this trauma so I am thrilled to locate this enormous wealth of help for them. I thoroughly recommend this book to any family struggling with grief or any painful experience. You two ladies have surfaced significantly - comfort and advice - by vocalizing the needs of children; feelings deep inside them which may have been overlooked. Thank you for sharing your research while you continue to make a difference in this world.

The bar exam is an incredibly overwhelming obstacle - after studying and working for three or more years, it's still necessary to take just one more test! It's enough to drive even the most dedicated future lawyer bonkers.

This book is a great resource for keeping the madness away. It provides hundreds of sample MBE questions, and sample tests on which to grade yourself. It's still necessary to take a review class-this book isn't going to teach you the law, and it won't help you get ready for the essay exams which are sure to be part of your test. But, it's a great way to drill on those tough MBE questions, which is the best way to succeed. There are also good tips on the MBE in the front of the book.

I passed, and you will too if you stick to a study schedule that includes lots of practice - get the book and get to work!

This book (and the practice questions) was the singular reason I was able to increase my success on the MBE and pass the California Bar exam, as a repeater. Without a doubt, I would recommend it to anyone who is struggling with the MBE.

The explanations and overview help you understand the rationale behind the questions, and point you to the correct answers. I was averaging about 60% correct on the PMBR practice questions, and after reading this book and doing the sample questions, I was averaging about 80% correct. In Crim and Torts, my averages were 88% and 90%.

It makes a BIG difference and the money, for me, was well spent.

This book is really worth the cost. The first 30 pages contain some really useful tips for taking the MBE, and the rest of the book is sample tests followed by detailed analysis of the answers. Of all the MBE prep books I've seen, this is teh best.

This is a definitive book for complex system specification methods. The true test of these methods is evidenced in their staying power. I had the opportunity back in the early '90s to learn these methods from the late Imtiaz Pirbhai himself--their beauty is in their relative simplicity. The strength of the methods can be attributed to clear and concise "language" and nomenclature. The key to specifing and designing a "good system" is the ability to unambiguously express and communicate a model of the system. These tools provide just that. Two views of the system, the "Requirements Model" and the "Architecture Model" are the perfect complement to the iterative nature of complex system development. The book stops short of making the transition from software requirements to a software architecture. However, the methods, if applied correctly, can set the stage for either a "structured" or "object-oriented" software architecture approach. One weakness, based on experience, is applying the "User Interface" component of the "Architecture Template" to Graphical User Interface (GUI)-intensive systems, which tend to put the user in the center of the system's universe, rather than on the periphery.

I have been using this book for the past 6 years at the Naval Postgraduate school to teach Systems Engineers about the HIPO formal methodology methods. It is the best available. It is strange that the students all give it a low rating as a textbook; but later after graduating call or E-mail that it is the best reference book they have.

A lot of programs that were in trouble of failure have been saved by Managers and Systems Engineers who had the guts to apply HP when the chips were down.

Cheers

Orin

This book is a magificient one. I have used this book throught my professional career at GM, UTC and DDC.

It is precise and clear. It has good examples like Cruise control. The diagrams are clear. Fellow Michigander Mr. Hatley and Mr. Pirbhai have given an wonderful treatment.

This bok is the basis for infamous Espirit consulting courses on Structured Analysis and Structured Design.

What more can you ask for. Go for it. I wish they could come up with a newer edition. If they cannot then I will. (Mr. Pirbhai is no more).

Michael E. Porter is a Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School. He is a leading authority in the field of competition and strategic management. This article was published in the March 2001 issue of the Harvard Business Review.

"The key question is not whether to deploy Internet technology but how to deploy it." According to Porter companies should build on the proven principles of effective strategy since the Internet per se will rarely be a competitive advantage. "Many of the companies that succeed will be ones that use the Internet as a complement to traditional ways of competing." In order to prove his point Porter discusses a long list of subjects, such as distorted market signals ("New technologies trigger rampant experimentation ... as a result, market behavior is distorted and must be interpreted with caution."), the impact of the Internet on the five competitive forces and industry structure ("Its greatest impact has been to enable reconfiguration of exisiting industries."), and the myth of the first mover. He then switches over to the future of Internet competition ("The next stage of the Internet's revolution will involve a shift in thinking from e-business to business, from e-strategy to strategy."), discussing the impact of the Internet on competitive advantage. Porter also discusses the Internet as a complement to traditional business. He uses sidebar and figures to translate the impact of the Internet into his famous models and frameworks (five forces, strategic positioning, and value chain). "Only by integrating the Internet into overall strategy will this powerful new technology become an equally powerful force for competitive advantage."

Although this article has come too late for many Internet companies, it is essential reading for managers of organizations that are considering or need to improve their online strategy. It provides great insights into how the Internet links into traditional business and strategies. For readers unfamiliar with Porter's previous work I recommend his 1996-article 'What is Strategy?', or his book 'On Competition' which is great value-for-money. The author uses simple US-English.

A lot of IT developpers forget what is the main essence of a WEB site. This short paper describes how to be efficient and successful according to Porter's theory of competitive strategy.

BUT... you might have some difficulty to apply it if you haven't read the theory (competitive strategy & competitive advantage). There are a lot of examples so it's quite easy to understand, even for a beginner.

Michael E. Porter is Harvard Business School professor and a leading authority on competition. He has written several important novels and articles in the field of competition and strategic management.

In this Harvard Business Review article, Michael Porter describes the impact of the Internet on competition and strategy, through discussing distorted market signals, the impact on industry structure (Porter's five forces), the myth of the first mover, the impact on competitive advantage, and the Internet as a complement. The author concludes that the Internet does not render strategy obsolete, but makes it even more important than ever for companies to distinguish themselves through strategy. "... the fundamentals of competition remain unchanged. The next stage of the Internet's evolution will involve a shift in thinking from e-business to business, from e-strategy to strategy."

For various Internet-companies this article has come too late (March 2001), but it is extremely attractive and useful for all people looking to extend their traditional businesses into cyberspace (Internet, World Wide Web, and e-commerce). Michael E. Porter makes extensive use of his previous research into competition and strategy, and combines these with Internet examples and cases. The author uses simple US-English.

Excerpts of the text are used in the Taxes and Business Strategy course at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Scholes and Wolfson have provided an excellent, multi-perspective framework for thinking about tax issues and how taxes can impact the value of a transaction. Unfortunately, S&W have been making too much money in the private sector to update this book so some of the details in the book regarding tax laws are dated.

We used this book as the text for a masters level course in our masters of accouting program. Students responded well and appeared to enjoy the book. They found the treatment of the material to be at an apporpriate level, and they rated the book a five on a five point anonymous rating. The only suggestion they proferred was for some companion piece covering a few of the more currently used planning techniques.

As another reviewer states, the material for this book was used in the Taxes & Business Strategy class at both the University of Chicago and Stanford's business schools. Compared to other texts on this subject, it is actually readable and, more importantly, understandable to a non-tax professional. The are an abundance of examples that you can apply directly to situations which arise in real world situations. The 2nd edition has been updated to reflect most recent changes in the tax law.

The book is a must for anybody in investment banking, law, private equity, and other fields where a tax plays a large role in determining the outcome and structure of deals, compensation, etc.