economics-software

I used this book during my first 2 courses of econometrics during the college. Yoo'll know, after reading the first chapters, everything about the basic tool in the field, ols (this could be seen as a problem, because you spend too much time studying too many details; an economist doesn't necessarily need such knowledge and an amateur econometrist should rather begin with a more concise manual). It's an "easy-to-read" book. Every standard student (like myself) should be able to understand everything even if he is going on his own. The problem with this book is that Gujarati wrote it 15 years ago (aprox.); the way of teaching econometrics has evolved, Gujarati's not. It's true; the recent re-editions of the book include several modern topics, such as time series and an introduction to unit roots. But the way regression problems (autocorrelation, heterocedasticity, etcetera) are treated isn't perfectly actualized. A much more modern approach and, as far as I know equally simple, can be found in Johnston and Dinardo's Econometric Methods. Gujarati's is a good idea for those wishing to learn econometrics, but there are better options, such as the one I already mentioned, the Greene and the Hill/Griffiths/Judge's. This book is much better than Maddala's. In conclusion I can say this book is a good option for undergraduate students, but not the best one.

Hi everyone:
If you've never done econometrics, and you're about to take your first course in econometrics, make sure you have this book. With this book you will have a competitive advantage over your classmates because you will not only know the what and the how, but also the why. In short you'll become a shrewd econometrician.
NB: This book is excellent but only as an introduction. If you've already taken econometrics, then you might wanna get the more advanced Greene.

Thank you,

Gujarati`s Basic Econometrics is old (1995, 3th edition), but still the best introductory/intermediate text you can get for your money. Comprehensive, easy to understand, ideal for undergraduate students who needs not only a textbook, but a referencebook too.
Perhaps not the newest, but I am planning to use it as basic textbook for an undergraduate econometrics course. I could find another book, but this is the only one that, I am sure, my students will be able to understand without any problem.

Once upon a time, I could not recommend this book highly enough. That's the problem--"once upon a time". In 2004, this book violates what I consider an overriding consideration for instruction books: Never distract the new user with picky details that s/he'll will rarely need in practice.

The first few chapters are written using INPUT and DATALINES; commands to enter data. For those unfamiliar with SAS, that means the authors enter all of their data as lines of text typed inside their command language. No one works that way any more! It's a hold over from the days of punchcards. Does the new user really need to know that
INPUT ID 1-3 AGE 4-5 GENDER $6;
means "look in columns 1-3 for a numerical id, columns 4-5 for numerical age, and column 6 for a character designating gender"? When the 4-th edition was written, the answer might have been yes, but even then it would have been given grudgingly. For more than a few years, data almost always arrive as data sets that have already been made into SAS files or as spreadsheets that can be imported directly into SAS. This method of data input would not be a fatal flaw if the material were in a later chapter or an appendix, but it's woven throughout the text starting with the first example on page 3.

I would love to see this book updated with a more modern view to how data are processed and analyzed, but I can no longer recommend it in its current form.

I have a PhD in Marketing and MSEE, and because of this, a good, basic knowledge of statistics. Nevertheless, when i started working in quantitative marketing research, i was often posed with practical problems where i didn't have an immediate answer. THis book was often a lifesaver for me. When i ran into a practical problem analyzing data, i could look something up at the right page, and it would give me the basic intuition and workable prescriptions for a wide range of non-trivial, intermediate problems. My impression is that the people giving this book low ratings are looking for statistical theory, which of course this book isn't about. That's like blaming a pick-up truck for not being as sexy as a roadster. If you live in the real world however and don't have days to figure out the theoretical fine points and accompanying SAS codes, but still want to do solid work and get the basic intuition of what you're doing, this book is worth its weight in gold. I used this in market research, but I'm sure this would be valuable in all social sciences, and probably also in other applied fields such as medical statistics, biology, etc.

I've been doing data analysis for almost 20 years and recommend this highly. It is not too advanced for the beginning college student or professional, but more weighty than the small Introduction to SAS books (which seem more suitable for those with no experience). Because it interweaves SAS programming with often used statistics (and offers excellent examples and interpretations of output throughout), it is ideal for a stats and/or SAS course.

I find it useful for reviewing SAS steps, and as a quick stats overview. The big SAS books are fine as a reference or for researching more complex and/or narrower questions, but this is far more user-friendly. Highly recommended for the beginning to moderate statistician or programmer.

What version of SAP are all theses people using? Most production systems are using 4.6c or higher. This book is for 3.0. Almost all the screens and menu paths have changed. This was a good book in it's day. But that day has long past. This book must be updated to version 6.20. Can someone suggest a current FI/CO book?

I found it very explicit, and I am a french guy discovering SAP english lingo. It shows you all the important areas to be mastered by a SAP consultant / key user, all the main features of the software. They created a learning process through the book which I found very helpful for some matters which were a little bit old for me (e.g. CO).

Drawbacks : 3.1h screens (hey! it was published in 2000!), asset accouting is missing, the price... but the book looks good in your bookshelves :)

In conclusion: with this book + the SAP online help + F1 anyone could understand the FICO customizing.

Most of the books available are just describing the functionalities of FICO instead of giving you the REAL nitty-gritty involved in configuring a particular option. Some say that the book is out-dated with screen shots from 3.x. Fine, but do you have any other book in the market which gives you the essential basics from configuration point? And, I am sure the basics have not changed, much, inspite of latest releases.

This book proves to be a winner for every one - the FICO beginner-consultant, experienced consultants, cross-functional consultants, users etc

Till such time some one comes up with another book, with latest versions' screen-shots and with asset accounting/product costing put together in the same volume, this is the ONLY book any one can refer to in FICO configuration.

Hysteria and a dose of air time on CSPAN has made Mr. Hyatt the prophet of doom for the great un-happening of the millenium! Imagine all those people hunkered down on New Year's Eve expecting planes to drop out of the sky and ATMs to die, and you have the makings of a great parody. Hyatt's next big project is going to have intergalatic consequences to match the sales rate of this book. The scenarios greatly underestimated the strength of the global infrastructure and painted an alarmist view. I only hope Mike Hyatt stays true to his chapters on Christianity and tithes the loyalties from this alarmist book so the truly deplorable aspects of U.S. society such as undernourished children and the low education level in the "have not" states is at least impacted by this book. In the end if Mr. Hyatt really wants to make a difference in the U.S. write on the digital divide and use CSPAN time to change the priorities for the 3rd world poverty pockets we have here in the U.S.

After the big Y2K threat became a "non-event" I almost threw this book on the trash heap. Then I realized that it could well be a collector's item one day. There is some sound advice for dealing with natural disasters, planning for record storage,and general common sense practices that are still worth taking a look at now that we are not in a panic mode. Can you imagine if you found a book in your attic entitled "How to Survive the Coming Great Depression" that had belonged to your great grandparents? It would be priceless. This is going into my attic for my grandchildren to dig out someday.

Michael Hyatt has given us a rich resource tool to arm our families for the coming Y2K computer crisis. He not only has researched every aspect which might affect a drastic change in family life-style through loss of utilities and infrastructure, but he's managed to serve it up in such an interesting fashion that it's like taking a candy-coated, pleasant tasting pill. It's a great read, surprising in any "how to" book.

Most books which cover this subject approach it in a bland, dry textbook manner. I've read several and have found myself reading the same paragraph over and over--not so with THE Y2K PERSONAL PREPAREDNESS GUIDE! Each chapter begins with insights and intriguing examples. There are splashes of Hyatt's humor which manage to relieve the tension of so somber a subject.

This is an extremely well thought out book, meticulously researched, exploring every aspect we might possibly encounter--for example, even a chapter on what to do with human waste.

I will see to it that each of my grown children have a copy, and then breathe a sigh of relief, secure in the knowledge that they'll be well-equipped for any eventuality Y2K might bring.

I have reviewed many of the formulas in several sections of this book and have found a number of mistakes. As a result, I can trust no formula from the book without reviewing the literature or some other source.

The author does not use consistent terminology throughout the book. Rather, the terminology of the original journal article is used for each pricing model. This makes referring to the articles convenient, but then you don't need the book if you're going to the source...

I have used few of the computer programs offered, but the ones that I have used have had terrible inefficiencies. For example, a bisectional iterative search was used, which is very simple to write but is also very inefficient. There are many other simple and more efficient alternatives.

This book is a genious in the making. I myself have lots of notes on option formulas, however, this book represents what I've wanted to put together for a long time now. These formulas are also the closest I've seen to how the street actually prices options.

============================== Please don't post this section: ============================== Amazon - how can I get in touch with the author? I have written all these pricing formulas in Javascript, I need to know if this is ok.. Pls help

Have you ever wished someone took all the significant option formulas of the last 25 years and packed them into one volume? Is your calculus rusty? How about putting the formulas into Visual Basic so they can be employed directly in Microsoft Excel spreadsheets or Access databases. This is the main appeal of Option Pricing Formulas, which fills a void in current option literature. As option players became more computer literate an anthology of coded option theory was clearly needed.

The book covers everything from the tried and true Black Scholes and Cox/ Rubenstein formulas to the more exotic worlds of barrier and currency translated options. Software is included with the Visual Basic code as well as preprogrammed Excel files. Think of it as a cookbook for the technically oriented option trader.

After reading this book it's completely unclear to me why the author gave this book the subtitle "Beyond Business Process Reengineering" ... This book has nothing to do with BPR, it's simply a book that explains with many screenprints some very basic FI AP/AR/GL business processes. Don't expect any discussion of CO business processes.

The book has a generic, non-US, flavor. US readers will miss discussion of topics like "US sales and use taxes", "check management in AP", "1099 vendors", "lockbox processing", "cost of sales accounting / functional areas", etc.

All in all, the book is okay for people new to SAP who want to get a feel for how you enter transactions in SAP's FI module and don't mind US-specific processes are not discussed.

Finally, the book is very expensive. I believe David Novak's book (Configuring SAP R/3 FI/CO: The Essential Resource for Configuring the Financial and Controlling Modules) is a much better book and much more reasonable priced.

I wasted money on this book. Currently, I am working on 4.6C and this book is outdated. This book covers very basic GL,AP,AR, functions and I do not refer this book at all. For beginner, this book might be helpful, however, I do not think any SAP consultants do not need this book.

This book provides in depth information about using SAP FI. CO is not explored. It gives you some FI configuration; anything that can be done from the user menus. IMG (COnfiguration) is not explored. I wish I had this book before I started my 1st implimentation. It still fills some gaps of knowledege I haven't learned yet. Very good book for the user, for example: it explains step by step instruction on how to do a payment run.

As I read through the book, I kept waiting for the authors to unveil a secret to software success. As I reached the halfway point it occurred to me that there would be none. At least not for anyone that is already in the business. To set expectations, this book would be better suited to a reader from outside the industry.

For these readers, this well-written report adeptly summarizes knowledge gained from previously printed materials and personal interviews with the people that matter. Unfortunately, this access may have come at a price. The authors gloss over failures and accent the positive moves by these companies to such an extent that the reader may come away with a success-biased view of the software development business.

Secrets of Software Success goes beyond the dry research papers that appear in the McKinsey Quarterly. Several consultants took upshots from 450 executives and laid them out in a concise and applicable manner. The authors reveal traits that could be implemented at any industry. Software consulting firms lead the industry in customer service and spend 78% of their advertising budget marketing their company name. We see so many software start ups as 95% is intangible capital. Partnerships are used to make up for gaps. Most companies make decisions quickly as they are based on a flat team-based organizational structure. Besides stock options, their culture has successfully overcome factors such as a variety of work styles and high turnover. Almost all companies do daily builds as stress causes 40% of all software errors and late fixes in design could cost 200 times an immediate fix. To conclude, a must read for anyone who wants to be a part of the digitized future.

What does it take to thrive in an industry where "more than 60% of companies that make it to IPO eventually go bankrupt or create very little value"? Five young German business consultants decided they needed to know urgently, and have come up with some original conclusions. Not only are the winners significantly different from the also-rans, they are significantly different from successful companies in other industries. The book reads as though the the five authors split up the task of the book between them, and some sections are stronger than others. Whoever did the hard research and formed the major conclusions did a thorough and superb job - the reason for the five stars. The chapter on the technical aspects of producing good products were mostly derivative of Steve McConnell (" Software Project Survival Guide") and Fred Brooks ("Mythical Man Month"). The section on what it takes to attract good employees bordered on the silly, and the thumbnail sketches of such corporations as SAP, Baan and Platinum were uncritical to the point of reading like recruiting brochures. Who would I recommend the book to? Certainly, anybody who's thinking of starting a software company. I'd also recommend it to anyone wanting to invest in hi-tech, and any software professional who's job-hunting. Personally, I'm going to mail my copy to Judge Penfield Jackson.

This is an entertaining book that is very well titled. It is in fact a story, a story of how Netscape was created, followed by a collection of stories that are loosely related. The book avoids telling us much about the Microsoft team and their tactics. It also seems to avoid ever interviewing individuals from the IE team. When IE 4 was being developed there were numerous stories of how they were rewarded and how they would be judged (nearly always relative to Navigator) but the authors never addressed them. Instead they told a tale of how drunken IE programmers vandalized the Netscape headquarters.

The "early" history of Netscape (if there is such a thing) is very well presented, however the book drags at the end as it doesn't know where to go. Maybe it is simply too early to publish the history of the battle between Netscape and Redmond's evil empire...or maybe the fact that I bought it shows that it isn't. ($$$) Despite missing some key elements, Speeding the Net is an easy, entertaining read which filled in gaps in my knowledge of the relations between these two companies. It also makes following the current events with the Department of Justice that much more interesting.

Given the first two thirds of this book, it could be called "The Inside Story of Netscape." The last part of the book gives a good overview of the war between Netscape and Microsoft. There is a lot of good information about how the whole Internet craze began. It's an exciting ride.

The book gives great insight to Netscape's side of the story. It takes a bit to get into it because each new player has to be introduced, where he or she began, and brought up to the present. There are quite a few players. So you might lose your place in the story if you put the book down too long. But hang in there. The story is exciting and moves along. You will find yourself rooting for those young programmers and hoping they make it.

I can't wait to read the sequel.

My only complaint with this book is it wasn't long enough. I read it in two sittings, taking one break to eat. It was very readable and incredibly interesting.

The most important point of the book, in my opinion, is what I scream at the TV set every time our know-nothing government officials fight about whether MicroSloth can put an IE icon on the Win 95 desktop -- that point being that it is entirely impossible to compete with a company who writes both the operating system and the products that run on it, and the anti-trust lawsuits are completely missing the point.

This point seems to be lost on the general public and our government. The book offers numerous concrete examples of how Gates & Co. use their inside knowledge of the Windows OS to write programs that outperformed Netscape, while at the same time withholding that information from Netscape for months on end.

This book should be required reading by all the Department of Justice folks.

Much of what is written about project management misses the whole point. When managing a "project", you are simply managing people. All the metrics and project management software in the world will not make a successful project. It's the efforts, motivation and skill of the people involved that yield success. Mr. Murch's project management approach begins with people - understanding the necessary skills for the PM, clearly defining project team roles, devoting an entire chapter to team motivation and retention, exploring ways to involve and empower end users. The metrics and methodologies are presented as well, with case studies that clarify and emphasize important points. The book also covers the tricky topics of problem management, risk management and crisis management. I also found the sections on configuration management and release management beneficial. This is project management presented by someone who's lived it in the trenches and truly has "best practices" to share with other professionals and students of the field.

I've been an IT project manager for about 30 years, working on every type of project, style and size. I have managed projects from a team of 1- to over 400 FTE's. I have just gone back to get my Master's in PM and this book helped me to attain that goal. This book was used as a textbook in one of my classes. It provides the clearest, most concise directions for project management skills I have ever seen ( and I have seen many. The writing style is precise, clear and imparts knowledge though out. The book is well structured and logical in its various sections, and anyone trying to get their IT management to buy into the concept of project management training would do well to champion this book.

Clearly, Mr. Murch has done the project management profession a great service by providing it with a text that can be used for many years to come. I highly recommend it for all PMs - either experienced, novice or intermediate. There is something here for everyone.

The best reason for reading this book is it will give you the tools and techniques with which to properly manage projects and be successful.

Get it - Read it- Learn from it.

Whether you are an experienced project manager, a novice or someone who manages project managers,this book is for you. It is also a book for senior management and CIO/CTO's particularly. Almost all in IT department can gain from this book. BUY IT and READ IT.

Breaking down the practice of project management into easy to learn steps, Mr. Murch take you through the basics of project management. Each section is methodically thought out and presented well. The writing style is excellent, clear, easy to read and understand, more importantly it stays with you.

There is an excellent section of the software development lifecycle (SDLC) which is full of best practices and excellent advice for any reader. This is unusual, as my many other books on project management do not address thus important issue, KUDOS Mr. Murch and thank you~!

Once you understand the basic principles of managing a project (any project!) and lay out the steps defined, it is easy to bring your projects under control. This book belongs in your library. As with any good reference book, you'll find yourself referring back to it over time.

How are we going to cope with the Internet era and the new cultural capitalism? At the beginning of the third millennium, the impact of new technologies is radically changing the structure of society and our very way of life. This highly debatable new book by Rifkin delineates the scenarios of the near future, where ideas and knowledge are the main generators of wealth, where for the first time in modern history owning chattels is considered a limitation to the capacity of adapting to change and any goods, services or actual knowledge must be purchased or hired. Here Rifkin explains why property will be replaced by "access on payment", why we will pay more and own less, why the gap between those connected to the "network" and those who aren't will always be wider, and why the economic giants possessing the keys to the "access" (it's just like the Force!) are destined to control the life of everyone. This work surely will become one of the most polemical issues of this year, with all its exploration of hyper-capitalism, the bottom question being: will it be possible to have a positive approach and achieve a positive dissemination of knowledge, comfort, and democracy via the "access to life"? And will there be any Jedis?

Make no mistake, I think that the Age of Access is an outstanding analysis of modern economy.

If you are a young professional and trying to develop a plan for professional development, or if you are a seasoned professional trying to come to terms with the mindset of the young, you should definitely read this book.

The biggest intellectual challenge that exists today for professionals is to understand the "new economy." I am always afraid that tidal waves of disruptive changes are right around the corner (or are already here) that could literally destroy my company or my career. Rifkin elaborates on several modern economic paradigms, and his analysis will help you anticipate and prepare for these fantastic changes.

I agree with some of the gloomy predictions like the destruction of our "Cultural Landscape." In a very vivid example, Rifkin mentions that there is a Dunkin' Donuts just a few yards away from the Trevi fountain in Rome. Even as a self described libertarian, I believe this kind of pollution of the "Cultural Landscape" should be stopped.

Rifkin's elaboration on the economic value of social trust is right on. Nevertheless his implication that trust is withering away in the US is not convincing.

My criticism is that although Rifkin has clearly diagnosed many of societies ills, he falls short of offering an action-based specific resolution. He seems to imply that "a handful of giant transnational life-science companies" represent the evil empire of today, nevertheless he does not say how to undo their influence.

Reading between the lines, it seems that Rifkin is implying that government ought to take control of certain things that are now considered private property. As an example, government would force Dunkin Donuts to move their restaurant to a less sacred location. History shows us that expanding the power of government can have disastrous results. I would have respected the author much more if he would provide a naked description of his action plan.

I liked the book very interesting description of the times we are living in. Helps understand the economic tendencies that are actually occurring around us. I enjoy reading it!