Strategy

I just purchased a copy of this book, and read it cover to cover in one sitting (although it is about 300 pages). This appears to be the "follow up" book to author Lawrence Friedman's last book The Channel Advantage (a copy of which is dog-eared and worn to the binding in my personal library). This book has some similarities to The Channel Advantages, but some big differences too. Like The Channel Advantage, it is witty and interesting with a sense of humor lacking in most business books, I really enjoy this author's books. Also, it shows a street wise, very practical understanding of the sales and marketing issues faced by both large and small companies. It has dozens of case studies and interesting (and clever) examples of companies in many different markets. Where Go To Market Strategy differs from the author's last book is the content. Go To Market Strategy is a much more strategic and all-inclusive book -something like, every sales and marketing issue you face in taking your products to customers. At first you think, the author bites off so much content, can he (and you) chew it, but it is all digestible and a few hundred pages later, you "get it". The book's theme or argument is twofold. First, to "go to market" with a product or service successfully, you must execute five very interrelated activities: selection of the right market(s), identification of customers' core needs, the right channels mix, the best product design, and development of a strong (compelling) sales message. Second, everything you do in going to market must be organized around the needs and desires of customers. While not exactly a new idea, the author does a very nice job of providing helpful tools and practical ideas to get aligned with customers and meet them on their own terms. In fact, this book is one of the few to say something useful and new, and non-cliche'd, about focusing on the customer and the role that customers must play in your go to market efforts.

For ...Minimally, it will give you a plethora of tools, concepts and ways to think about increasing sales at a lower cost. But you may get a lot more than that out of the book - a total systematic approach to use when launching new products and sales campaigns.

My boss (the vice president of marketing, for a Fortune 200 media company) handed me this book and said: Read this; it is the bible of channel strategy. I noticed one of the other reviewers here also called it the Bible. Well, there is only one Bible, so let's not overdo it, people! Please! The book is impressive so far, though. I have read five chapters of nine as of this review. Go To Market Strategy's best characteristic is that it is very well written and articulate, and also, that it has a huge amount of information and new ideas for product marketing and management. There are many strategies and practical tools that my team can use immediately to improve the launch of new media services into key market segments. I do have a criticism, and that is that I do not think the author sufficiently considers the role of pricing strategy as part of a go to market strategy. For a marketing book said to be of biblical proportions, I would have expected to see more on pricing; while not completely absent, I would have to say that pricing is not the author's favorite topic. Also, some more treatment of international partnering and the global aspects of product launches would have been helpful, since most new product initiatives involve a heavy dose of int'l partnering issues. Aside from those concerns, Go To Market Strategy does live up to its reputation for being the best book in its field and the one that everybody seems to be reading. Friedman is influential as a marketing and channels theorist and practitioner, and it is clear why when reading this book. If you buy it, read the footnotes, because half of them are like little "time-outs" with amusing observations. Recommended.

Attended the author's strategy workshop in NYC in December, got a freebie copy of the book...can't argue with that! Best biz book of last 3-4 years, hands down...the "Bible" of go to market. 360 degree view of market / channel / sales / partnering strategy. Shows how all pieces of puzzle fit together. Really, really, really, really like the chapters on partnering, channel integration. A+++

Our son is very active and extremely bright. When he plays with others he stands out and unfortunately doesn't seem to understand that people have a space limit and prefer not to have someone in their's. He wants to touch almost everything and is very intuitive. The scariest thing is, he is a lot like me. come to find out, I am an active alert adult. The book covers adults briefly too. This type of child needs more positive reinforcement b/c they are hit with a lot of negativity b/c they are different - not in a better or worse way - just different. He gets up revved and ready to go and will never admit that he's tired - even as his eyelids are slowly closing while he says, "I'm not ..............." zzzzzzzzzzzzz. ha!! ha! I had to find something to better understand his and my behavior and this book helps you to see his skills/talents as gifts instead of as something negative. Our son is also very strong-willed and is a natural leader. This will serve him well in later life - however, as his parents it's hell sometimes. Appreciate your "little pistols" and see them for the wonderful people they are and will grow to be.

This book is a Godsend! I was at my wit's end in dealing with one of our twins. He was obviously intelligent, but just didn't get it together. A friend suggested this book, which we read voraciously. One of the things that became clear: I was active-alert, too! No wonder we clashed. I'm not sure that I am any better at things now, but I think I understand him a lot better, which is half the battle. We used the book to help us work with his kindergarten teacher, and that worked well; and we are blessed with a brilliantly understanding first-grade teacher, who can provide boundaries for his behavior without limits to his development.

This book will tell you if your child (or yourself or your partner) fits this category. If there isn't a fit, move on; this book isn't for you and you need to consult other literature. If you find a fit, this book is what you need. It explains why the behavior occurs, what is probably missing from the child's environment, and how you can work with the child's behavior. It lets you understand, as well as develop strategies so that you can work together for harmony in the family. You may never achieve 'peace', but harmony is a pretty good outcome.

For us, there are still bad days and weeks. But Jonathon no longer has to ask the terrible question he once did: "Does Daddy really love us?" And I know that my son does love me, despite all we have been through, perhaps because of what we have all been through.

As an adult 'active alert', life is not always easy. Being by nature a 'non-conformist' is a recipe for disaster in many areas. But this book has helped me see how to manage my life a little better and to use the gifts I have, while keeping an eye out for the effect of the weaknesses that this type has.

When I first picked up this book and looked through it, I thought "when was this woman in my house?" We've clung to it like a lifeline. It was such a relief to know it wasn't us, there wasn't 'something wrong with him', and that there were ways to cope. I've recommended this book to several people who have been equally thrilled. I've been able to use things learned to help him in school, help him with transition times, and head off some of the explosions. Life will never be calm and peaceful with an active alert in the house, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing!

We've been especially blessed to become part of Linda's client base and meet with her several times/year. Let me just say, she's amazing!!!!!! Buy this book!!!!

I've waited a long time for book like this. Over the years I've bought quite a few books on special operations during the VN war, but none have provided all the information I sought in one comprehensive volume abounding with pictures. The chapters are logically divided by subject matter, such as history, missions, weapons and equipment, air support, etc.... Get this book!! It will change the way you see the Vietnam War. These SOG guys were the ultimate soldiers.

This book tells the story of secret ("black") military operations run by the United States during the Vietnam War. Under the name Studies and Observations Group (SOG), the secret was kept so well that few veterans ever heard of it until long after the war.

It was composed purely of volunteers from the best of the American military, including Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs. Their missions involved going behind enemy lines in Laos, Cambodia and North Vietnam, areas officially off limits to US ground troops. That's why all of their missions were classified.

The North Vietnamese went to great lengths to keep the Ho Chi Minh Trail open at all times. Special military units, stationed from one end to the other, had the task of maintaining and defending a 20-30 mile stretch. If the US bombed a particular area one day, it would be fixed and open the very next day as if nothing happened.

The task of a SOG team could be practically anything, from prisoner snatching, to confirming something seen in aerial reconaissance to placing sensors on a road to give Intelligence an idea as to the traffic level. Every mission was meticulously planned and rehearsed. From the moment they were on the ground behind enemy lines, the team members could assume that the enemy was seconds, or minutes, away. A number of teams made it out safely (the only escape route was by air), but they had to shoot their way out. Some teams were never heard from again.

Since their missions were secret, nothing the soldiers wore or carried could be traced to America. There were no dogtags, no obviously American uniforms, and, in many cases, their weapons were foreign modified weapons.

This book also profiles the people who risked their lives day after day. To most people, they wer just American soldiers who served in Vietnam, but, to those who were there, the following names are practically legend: Larry Thorne, Billy Waugh, Walter Shumate, Jerry "Mad Dog" Shriver and Dick Meadows.

When SOG was disbanded in 1972, all the photo files were ordered destroyed. The interesting thing about this book is that the several hundred photos here are not the "official" photos. The photos were taken by the men who were there and kept in trunks and shoeboxes for many years. The author also knows something about SOG, having been a three-tour veteran.

For military historians and those interested in special operations, this book is a requirement. For the rest of us, this is a fascinating look at an unknown part of the Vietnam War. It is highly recommended.

Some years ago one of my friends from 3rd Battalion, 12th Special Forces Group, and I were talking about the men we knew who served in SF during the war in Southeast Asia. My friend, an old sergeant with a lot of time "downrange," commented that it was a time when giants roamed the earth. The giants he was referring to were the old-timers in 3/12, some of whom were SOG veterans, a few of which are mentioned in John Plaster's second inspiring book.

These giants don't talk much (even in a "safe bar") about their excursions across the battlefield, but Plaster has told their story again, even better than before. The photographs add a depth and detail that is nothing short of stunning. What he has given us is a big family album of the hardest of the hardcore SF community. This book gives you an idea of what kind of stress the experience of long-term direct combat with a skillful enemy is actually like, something no American units have encountered for nearly two decades.

US Army Special Forces is a different kind of place today, and still a home for giants. But there was something about the pressure-cooker of Southeast Asia that filtered and distilled the very best qualities of the American soldier and turned him loose with lethal effect on the NVA and VC. They were ultimately betrayed by their chain of command, but before they were pulled out, they became the stuff of legend. John Plaster has preserved that legend twice, and this photo history is a wonderful contribution to the history of these amazing men and their accomplishments.

Mr. Ulrich understands how businesses have a tremendous reliance on legacy systems. Pressure is always on the IT staff to meet the demands of the business cusomter. The IT community is asked to bring products and services to the consumer through the internet while managing the internal demands to keep expenses under control. Bill's book lays out a framework in which the business community can build company-specific plans to leverage their prior investments while striving to meet today's business drivers in a manner that is cost effective.

IT trends come and go, but each new technology adds more legacy systems to application portfolios. Legacy systems account for a disproportionate share of IT spending, yet few authors tackle the subject, and even fewer offer actionable advice for capturing and extending the value of those systems. William Ulrich's Legacy Systems Transformation Strategies is a long overdue reference guide for IT professionals seeking to modernize the legacy war horses in their corporate portfolios. Relying on many years of experience in the trenches, Ulrich offers many approaches and options for supporting today's business requirements from data mining to application modularization and EAI (enterprise application integration). He provides concise and practical techniques for all aspects of legacy transformations including planning, data rationalization and business rule capture and reuse. If you own, manage, or support legacy systems, invest in this book! You won't regret it.

Corporations have been trying to retire legacy systems for the past couple of decades. Each new technology (be it client/server, ERP packaged apps, etc) were supposed to put the nail in the coffin for legacy systems. Yet, legacy systems continue to thrive despite attempts to retire them. One reason why they continue to exist is that in many instances, they support business processes in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. Bill's book views this area more as a transformation effort (evolution) rather than wholesale legacy replacement (revolution). This book is a must read for IT departments as they struggle to remain relavent in an era of outsourcing.

The strategies outlined in this book will help the IT department become a partner with functional business units in delivering solutions that address burning business problems. The focus shifts to providinig measurable value to the business as opposed to implementing unified and elegant technologies.

This 'manual' presents a technical and philosophical overview of the complex array of variables that factor into effective teaching of the ADHD child. The author has compassion as well as insight into the children, who often face rejection and failure. The co-occuring low self esteem can carry over a lifetime. A variety of methodologies specific to learning domains are very helpful for diagnostic purposes and lesson planning. As a principal and mental health administrator, I have this book well-placed on my shelf. I refer to it often and occasionally lend it to my staff who are searching for help with a specific child.

Glancing back at the chapters as I prepared this review, I was actually astounded at the sophisticated details embedded there. In particular I think the information that supports the "multi-sensory" approach is greatly needed. The amount of times we write "multi-sensory" activities just because it fits in an IEP is amazing. My own experience with teachers is that they basically have a very limited understanding of the neurological underpinings of sensory and perceptual limitations.

My only reservation about the book is that despite its layout, it actually is fairly theoretical. I think that when a teacher reaches for it, he or she may be looking for some more 'lesson planning' ideas and tend to gloss over the more comprehensive information. I definitely recommend the book for special education teachers who are genuinely interested in a more in-depth review, as well as for purposes of diagnostic and prescriptive planning. I also recommend it for administrators who are involved in staff development or individual supervision.
The only other concern I have is that despite the amount of information about the medication questions, it does not include enough about the tomes of research that is available to support augmenting behavioral programs with psychopharmacology. A teacher should check with his or her supervisor to gain access to this data so that they can respond to questions on this highly charged subject with sophisticated and thus helpful answers.

I have used this book extensively in my roles as a parent of an ADHD child, educator and now as a clinical psychology doctoral student. It is an absolutely phenomenal resource! It offers not only diagnostic assistance and strategies but much needed hope for parents in distress. I give this book to families with children who have been newly diagnosed with ADHD, teachers I consult with and my professional peers.

As the wife of a husband with ADHD and mother of a son with ADHD, I have struggled for years like many other reviewers to do what is right for "my boys". Sandra Reif offers some very encouraging and helpful strategies in this books. I think the key point that all books on ADHD need to make is that each person with ADHD is an individual with unique talents and gifts, and we need to view these in a positive light. Anyone who has struggled with this needs to read a book called GIFTED by Kirk Martin. It's actually a novel about a young man with ADD who comes to understand that the "disorder" parents and teachers had considered negative all his life actually turns out to be a gift. I think you can read a summary at kirkmartinbooks.com, it presents an entirely new way to view the ones you love.

Chris Tovanni has created a valuable resource for all teachers by providing them with ideas for how to improve reading comprehension in high school students.

The one component that kept me from giving this five stars is that it is geared to English/Reading teachers. What would be a great addition in a second edition would be the inclusion of short example strategies for focusing on a textbook as opposed to literature. Granted any teacher who plans adequately at the minimum would have no problem adapting the strategies to textbooks, but some textbook direct strategies would be nice.

All in all however, this is a resource that as a social studies teacher I reference on a frequent basis. It helps me to develop realistic strategies to implement in the classroom to improve student comprehension.

Cris Tovani's book is fabulous! As a reading teacher, it helped me to find ways to help my students understand what they were reading AND to help them understand when they were understanding. It is obvious that the author knows her readers well and is able to help them to read for real purposes and to give them strategies for monitoring their own comprehension. I have read Strategies that Work by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goodvis as well as Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Keene and Susan Zimmerman. I Read It But I Don't Get It adds to the things I learned about comprehension from these books. Although this book is written about middle school and high school students, I have used many of the ideas in the book with my upper elementary grade students. So many of the issues are the same. Many of my elementary colleagues are also finding this book helpful and have added it to their professional libraries. It also has great insights for content teachers--thoughts for helping students comprehend content reading. I highly recommend it for all teachers.

As a high school English teacher I am always looking for ways to make the invisible process of reading more accessible to my students. Tovani's book is wonderful! She not only provides sound advice for all teachers, but also models good teaching throughout her book. Usually, I am disappointed with educational authors as they offer impractical strategies that would never work with real students in a typical classroom. Tovani's book made me happy that I signed up to teach summer school and I am jazzed to try out her practical suggestions with students. Bravo!

Commonsense, practical advice about what employers can do to enhance the longevity of their workforce and halt the drain and the expense of 'revolving door' recruiting and hiring.

Find out the top 5 real reasons why people leave their jobs (and it isn't for more money!).

This book is invaluable and a 'must have' for everyone responsible for recruiting, hiring, and hanging on to, good people!

In today's job market, it is challenging to attract the best-qualified and well-suited job applicants. It is even more difficult to retain excellent employees. The cost of employee turnover is high in terms of lost productivity, lost knowledge, and financial expense associated with filling the vacancy.

Roger Herman, futurist and certified management consultant and speaker, provides an exceptional resource for any organization seeking to retain its best employees. Keep Good People is divided into three sections. The first effectively sets the stage by providing valuable insights into the competitive nature of the job market, the value of good employees, and what prompts employees to stay and leave an employer. The first section provides essential background that led to an essential, yet basic understanding of employer/employee relations regarding retention. Section two provides nearly 200 very specific and useful strategies. Each strategy is clearly defined and concisely explained. Herman does not stop with a somewhat overwhelming list of strategies, yet provides suggestions for implementation and an "eye to the future" in section three.

Keep Good People is an excellent resource for human resource professionals and managers seeking to prevent undesirable employee turnover as well for the organizations seeking to reduce turnover. Use this book as a guide to simply review current practices and development of strategic, and it will be well worth the investment of both time and money.

I've looked through several books on employee retention and this one takes the prize! I was amazed at how much information was packed into a little over 400 pages. From reading this book, I now have a much better understanding of the trends...the big picture of why people jump from job to job. The five reasons why people leave was really thought-provoking. The strategy section is well organized and full of great ideas. I found the book easy to read from cover to cover and I'm now using the index and detailed table of contents to find specific information I need. Very well put together...worth far more than the price.

This book is an easy, empowering, motivational read. I found myself folding over a lot of pages for reference and ideas - ultimately the sign of a good book. It isn't over-complicated or laden with a lot of marketing/branding spin words that don't mean much. Ms. Roffer's background and experience are in the entertainment industry - so a lot of her examples may be a bit out of mainstream America's world making some insider references and terminology hard to relate to - but ultimately, this is a book that should speak to women. In essence, it's a good tool kit to help you realize what's important to you, how to figure out your core attributes/interests - and make it all work together!

Any politician will tell you that success rests with public image and getting people talking about you, your business, or your product. But not everyone is comfortable with self-branding. So before you take a giant leap towards the front covers of "Time" and "Newsweek," your community newspaper - or even the company newsletter - keep in mind that you never, ever get a second chance to make a first impression. The image you present is the one you will have to live with, or live up to! Step ONE in the art of self-promotion is to do an honest self-assessment of who you are, what you have to say - and why anyone would want to listen to your story! Following a careful step-by-step process will help even the most timid become comfortable with the concept of self-promotion. Women, especially, show far too much humility about their talents and skills. If we want people to value our skills, we must first show that we value ourselves -- by making sure our accomplishments are visible to targeted audiences. If we want people to hire us, promote us, buy from us or invest in our companies, they have to know who we are, what we have accomplished and why they should do business with us! Self-promotion isn't bragging. It is a valuable business tool that career women must add to their strategies for success. (from Marion E. Gold, award-winning author of "The Personal Publicity Planner: A Guide to Marketing YOU")

This is one of two books (the other being 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)that have entered my life at critical times and contributed significantly to my success. Different from 7 Habits, this book focuses specifically on marketing your strengths and how to do it. Just like 7 Habits, it calls you to a new level of understanding about yourself and what to do about it. It is fun and easy to read and delivers valuable info and steps to celebrating what makes you different. I always knew that what drove people crazy about me as an employee would be the very thing they would want in me as a entrepreneur/consultant(which I have been now for 11 years). Making A Name For Yourself reinforces that your uniqueness (your brand) packaged correctly, will bring you happiness and success whatever your career. This book does it with humor, how-to-steps, and a universal understanding of women that refreshes hope and inspires you to succeed. Many steps above most self-help books.

Earl J. Hess has written one of the best researched accounts of Pickett's charge ever written. Working from primary sources with some secondary sources thrown in, Hess takes the reader through a step by step account of what happened on July 3, 1863. The author provides the reader with everything they need to understand the place this event holds in the battle of Gettysburg specifically, but also in the course of the war generally. The major actors; Lee, Longstreet, Pickett, Pettigrew and others are revealed in detail. Hess also introduces voices often overlooked. In this case the foot soldier who made history. Enlisted and commissioned remembrances are used and both confederate and union participants are included. Due homeage is paid to the bravery of the confederates. However the author also reveals the courage of the union forces that repulsed the attack.
For civil war buffs this is a must read.

For many people, Pickett's July 3, 1863 charge up Cemetery Ridge is the climactic event of the Battle of Gettysburg and the defining moment of the Civil War. Earl J. Hess has written a detailed, scholarly account of Pickett's charge which draws copiously upon contemporary sources. His book is clear and easy to follow, given the subject matter, and is poignant to read. I found myself riveted to his account.

I found a major virtue of the book was the manner in which Hess shifted his focus back and forth from the Confederate to the Union side of the line. The book begins with a discussion of the planning of the charge, focusing on the interactions between Lee and Longstreet. This is followed by two chapters dealing with, respectively, the disposition of the Confederate troops before the attack and the Union lines before the attack. I found this invaluable in helping me understand the events of the day and their sequence.

Hess follows this discussion with a discussion of the Confederate cannonading barrage, and the Union response, that proceeded the infantry advance. Again, he shifts his focus from the Confederate side of the line, and the effect of the cannonading on the Union, to the Union response and its effect on the Confederacy. He spends a great deal of time explaining the decision of the Union artillerists to hold their fire and the disagreement this decision provoked with General Hancock. This theme pervades the book and is well-treated. Hess concludes that the cannonading was about one hour in duration before the infantry charge,(i.e. from about 1:00p.m. to 2:00p.m.) contrary to some other accounts which make it substantially longer.

There are detailed discussions of the Confederate infantry advance to the Emmitsburg Road, to the Stone Fence, and, for a small number of intrepid southern soldiers, over the wall and into the Union lines. We learn about the Union artillery and infantry responses and about their effect on the charge at each stage.

There is an excellent but somewhat brief chapter on the repulse of the charge and on the subsequent Confederate retreat back to Virginia. There is an excellent chapter discussing the careers of the principle protagonists of the battle following the events of July 3 through the end of the War and beyond.

The book lays a great deal of emphasis on the topography of the battlefield, the hills, ridges, swales, and fences which played a major role in the fighting of July 3. But the key emphasis on the book is on the fighting men on both sides -- on their determination and their heroism. Hess argues that the activities of the troops and their immediate commanders were more important to the results of the day than the decisions of the generals.

Hess has many thoughtful things to say about the attack, its planning, and about its possibilities for success. He finds the attack a long chance indeed but is able to present a convincing case about why Lee believed he needed to try. Hess is highly critical of James Longstreet for the manner in which he deployed the attacking divisions and for his failure to provide support to the attack. But he does not believe the attack would have succeeded even if Longstreet had carried out his responsibilities more aggressively. I learned a great deal from Hess's study.

This book will help the reader understand the events of July 3. It shows why Pickett's charge, with its suffering, its folly, and its glory retains its hold on the imagination of many Americans.

As a Civil War historian myself, I'm only to pleases to recommend this and all of Earl Hess' other fine works. One of the best tactical studies to appear in a long while

Excellent book that covers all the bases (technique, tactics, philosphy etc). If your ready for more detailed information on the same topics then Coaching Soccer the Progressive Way and Coaching Soccer Sucessfully should be right for you.

I have coached youth rec. soccer for 4 years and own several books on this subject . Alan Hargreaves Skills and Stategies for Coaching Soccer is by far the best book I have , and use the most .It is very clear and concise and unlike several books I've purchased , most all the info and drills are useable .I would not recommend this book for a first time coach . But for a coach that wants to bring their soccer knowlege to the next level . Great book !

Absolutely terrific book -- spanning all aspects of team and individual play. I own a number of books -- usually too basic or far too advanced. Hargreaves' book is exceptional in that it takes soccer coaching to a high quality level in terms of both theory and tactics. Probably not the best "first" book for a beginning coach, but great for Under-10 and over (and perhaps U8 advanced play). I'm back to buy additional copies for my assistant coaches. My highest, 5-star recommendation.