economics-times

Now Is Your Time To Win is a truly inspirational book. It teaches you to accept your situation exactly the way it is no matter what is going on. I have been in many of the situations Dave Dean has been through. But in reading this book learned to accept them and handle them as best as I can. I would also like to thank The Southwestern Company for my success

This is a book that will help you accept your situation exactly the way it is, and give you 7 practical steps that help you control those things in your life that you have control over, and not worry about areas that you can't control. It gives you great advice from achievers that inspire and give you hope at the same time. The forward by the late Og Mandino challenges you to read Now Is Your Time To Win through once, and then to go back and study the steps until they become a part of you.... and it will make a difference in your performance and your overall attitude toward challenges and life in general.

Covers software development, implementation of software packages, and knowledge management. A basic theme of the book is to relate the system to the business processes. There are many useful detailed lessons learned. We have found a number of these to be valuable in my department. The same applies to the checklists. There are two sections of each chapter that are also good. These are what can go wrong and how to speed up the implementation. The book is more in tune with the real situation that you find in IT with limited resources and time. The book also gives recognition to the fact that legacy systems will be around for a long time. Many other books assume that these can be replaced or ignored. We spend over half of our programmer time on legacy systems maintenance so that allocating the rest of their time is a major concern-which this book addresses. Another good idea is that in software package evaluation, you do not focus on software features, but instead on what capabilities the packages are lacking. We used this idea to select different accounting software than if we had used features. The book is easy to read and can be used by non technical people. Several of our business managers have found it informative. In the next version of this book, the authors should expand their guidelines.

This book focuses on guidelines to implement software with the emphasis on time. It deals with software development, packages, and knowledge management as well as maintenance and enhancement. The book does not preach a specific method, but instead provides common sense guidelines for both users and system professionals. A useful chapter is the last one which discusses how to deal with a number of problems that you are likely to encounter. This was very valuable to my group. Some of these issues are top management commitment, managing multiple vendors, dealing with user expectations, handling changing requirements and creeping scope just to mention a few. The focus of the book is on systems rather than technology in general. There is a good chapter on outsourcing. The life cycle that is presented begins with assessing the current business process, defining the new process, and then deriving requirements and benefits from a comparison of the two. This is an improvement over the standard approach of interviewing and gathering requirements from a system rather than a process perspective. The book should be expanded with more guidelines, but is good as is.

I would recommend this book to anyone who ever felt lost in a sea of their own stuff. I latched onto the 'box storage system' right away, read it again and picked up some paperwork tips, after the third time I tried the meal planning calendar and my life has been changed forever. Husband loves it. I love it. Go Pam!

I've read MANY books on home organization. I just came across this one and read it all in one day!! It is very clear and covers one end of the house to the other. Plus, you don't have to set up elaborate systems to get your house organized. Get a copy of this one--you'll be glad you did!!

Michael Kennedy's book, Product Development for the Lean Enterprise, gives an experienced insight into the dilemma faced by some of North America's largest organizations, those who have embraced management science in all of its complexity to win national awards, only to find they are unable to compete successfully at the customer level. Using an engaging fictional narrative, Kennedy provides a fresh insight into product development; this book will challenge your beliefs and understanding and likely intrigue you sufficiently to investigate how aspects of the process can be made applicable in your enterprise. It is a treasure trove of information on, not just its principal topic, Toyota's unique product development process, but details on establishing and operating "a process renewal team" and "large group interventions for organizational change".

In Michael Kennedy's very readable book, one is introduced to Toyota's design concepts, unconventional to the majority of us in corporate North America. Imagine your product development process stipulating:
•explore not one, but multiple design solutions at the same time;
•delay the design's narrowing process to as late as possible in the process;
•demand the building and testing of multiple design models and prototypes for performance conformity;
•have the development, retention and reuse of engineering knowledge and skills a top priority for the company;
•eliminate the use of complex integrated task based program and plans by delegating each program designer to prepare his/her own time-lines to meet fixed review dates and performance levels; and
•have functional engineering managers focus on teaching and mentoring engineering talent, not administration.

In addition to product development, Kennedy's book gives the reader an overview of change management issues from strategy, to personal and political conflict, to presentation and implementation tactics. The book stimulates thought; it proposes possibilities; it gives a glimpse into the future of an enlightened company's product development process. It is beyond a wake-up-call; it is mental nourishment to everyone whose enterprise relies on engineered products.

Michael Kennedy has created a most entertaining and informative book which explores an, heretofore, unexplored aspect of why Toyota, and companies like Toyota, excel at bringing new products to market with 4 times the efficiency of their North American competitors. The book is written in a fictionalized style, ala "The Goal", and conveys the philosophies and paradigms that Toyota embraces which set them apart, in time-to-market and profits, even in this post-bubble economy. Kennedy draws from his life experiences, both as an organizational developer of concurrent engineering processes at a Fortune 100 company, and from his involvement with a National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) collaboration which studied and documented this subject. His volume chronicles how IRT Industries, struggles with their product development processes, their discovery of how Toyota uses knowledge-based paradigms, and how IRT grudgingly realizes that major paradigms shifts, not process changes nor process compliance is required to be a world class product development company. And, maybe best of all, he provides a detailed plan and methodology by which enlightened companies can implement what they learn from this volume.

Americans are saving no more for retirement than they did twenty years ago. Bad advice from the brokerage community, the financial media, and mutual fund companies compound the difficulty of developing a sound strategy for accumulating sufficient wealth to achieve financial independence. All this is at a time when workers have more retirement options available to them. This book is written for people who want to do their own financial planning. Each of the chapters summarizes and list key points for easy back reference. Given the obstacles investors face from outside advisors and the author's conviction that the projected benefits from Social Security are "destined" to be reduced, the importance of financial planning is compelling.

Ferri's investment advice is straightforward: Save consistently. Diversify. Keep investment costs low. Use market tracking index funds. Many of Ferri's ideas can be found in other recently written books on the subject, but as a stand alone introduction, this is a good place to start. Some readers will take the author's suggestion and begin with the third and final part of the book where advice is given for readers at different stages of their investment lives. But it is in the earlier sections of the book the author builds his case for developing realistic return expectations, reducing risk by using different kinds of assets like foreign stocks and real estate, and keeping costs down. It is also in these sections that Ferri is especially hard, I think unfairly, on stockbrokers who are dismissed as undereducated and mercenary, but these traits are more representative of individuals than a profession. His criticism of the mutual fund industry is more objective with respect to hidden costs and strategies for inflating performance for public consumption. These criticisms echo the periodic comments of industry gadfly John Bogle whose book on mutual funds is recommended in an Appendix.

Not every investor - my guess is only a small minority - will have the discipline to learn to manage their own financial affairs without some outside guidance. However, sound information covering a broad range of topics of the kind Ferri has compiled in this book will greatly improve an investor's chances for success with or without outside help.

As a fee-only financial planner, I really enjoyed this latest book by Rick Ferri. It provides a straightforward approach whereby anyone can construct a low-cost portfolio to build and preserve wealth. The book would be valuable to anyone who wants to understand why markets behave as they do, and to fashion a plan to invest in uncertain times. The author includes useful advice about how much money one needs to accumulate for retirement, and how much income can be withdrawn safely. Mr. Ferri offers plenty of technical information to support his ideas, but it is presented in an easy to read style. I particularly liked the guidelines for setting realistic expectations for investment returns in the future, and the practical advice for successful investing at different phases of life. Many of my clients are do-it-yourself investors who are looking for some guidance. This book provides it - and I plan to recommend it to clients as an educational resource.

From locating and keeping key employees to managing time and understanding how a manager or owner's role should work, this is packed with tips ranging from financial concerns to hiring and firing effectively, providing specific keys to understanding how businesses succeed and fail.

As a professional organizer, I'm always interested in learning new efficiencies. This book offers more, page for page, than any of the current "best books on business" found on the best seller's lists. Francis makes her points briefly and succinctly in a conversational style that keeps you interested. Not only does she describe easy-to-understand techniques, she offers forms and worksheets to put her methods to work. I recommend this book to anyone who's serious about making career, business and and life as efficient and stress-free as possible.

Last Saturday, I sat with a coffee on a bench outside Quatermaine's and enjoyed about an hour and a half of reading Running on Plenty. That morning break was followed by regular respites of reading time during the following week. I confess to have skipped around and not even attempted to read front to back. Not my way. Yet, it didn't take long for me to run out of pages that had none of my highlighted markings on it.

This book is a solid contribution to my professional and personal life. The visuals are friendly and effective -- the key points, inspirational quotes, road to renewal signs, spaciousness, tailor-made graphics, soulful writing, practicality, and page after loving page of simple wisdom -- all satisfying and nourishing.

I appreciated how this book began, with both authors telling personal stories of learning first-hand about the importance of balance and renewal. Each story was poignant and something that anyone can identify with, I would imagine. It's a friendly, friendly book -- from colors to typeface to spacing to mixing of many inspirational and helpful lines from endless sources & resources. There is so much good work & research supporting what has been assembled and written, which is immediately apparent to the reader, that it had the effect of relaxing me --I knew I was in good hands, and that I was being enriched in ways that I needed.

One final observation that has stayed with me...when I closed the book and went to my car to drive home, and on the way home I noticed a very good, rich, dynamic energy in my solar plexus. It wasn't the caffeine because I'm strictly on decaf now. So, I know it was the stirring from the tone and gentle massaging of the stories, insights, resonance, and spirit of your book. That was a wonderful gift. It surprised me to have had an effect on my energy simply from the reading. I think that happens in the presence of beauty, goodness, and truth, which has been masterfully conveyed and honored.

This book has become an important companion, helping me to care for myself so that I can care more effectively for others.

Balance, balance, balance! We all talk about it but what have you done to balance your life this week? Here's the best answer between two covers.

Suzanne and Krista have done a fabulous job of providing all of us a practical guide for renewing and rejuvenating our bodies, minds, and spirits, not to mention also revitalizing relationships, creativity, and commitments.

Experienceing a lack of energy? Lost your motivation at work? Wondering what life is all about? Suzanne and Krista have given us a gift with Running on Plenty at Work. They provide us with not only a roadmap, but a calendar for what to do every week, and resources for every month of the year. They've thought of everything! And that makes it easy for you to find the balance you are looking for.

The book is jam-packed with tips, exercises, and practical advice. It offers new ideas and ways to look at your world, and it will remind you of all those things you already know but haven't found the time to do. Each of the 100+ ideas is worth the price of the book alone.

Don't hesitate putting this book in your shopping cart. You'll be the winner.

As Heather Martin-Zboray states in her review, this is a book well worth reading. Its suggestions are simple but radical for most Americans: let community groups sponsor sports and drama, and let the schools teach a core curriculum!

Shifting to longer class periods (the 90-minute block); starting high school at 9am rather than 7:30am (when most scientific studies reveal that adolescents should be asleep); removing disruptive loud speakers; extending the school day so that teachers can tutor students one-on-one on a daily basis; etc. are the core of Kralovec's suggestions.

Other than overcoming community aversion to these suggestions because "things always were done OUR way," there are no real roadblocks to the suggestions here. The question is this: Does America have the willpower to try to effect effective change which truly promotes learning?

In her new book, Schools That Do Too Much, Dr. Etta Kralovec advocates rethinking the amount of time and financial backing given to "school sports, DARE and extra-curricular activities", but not without rationale. She documents the toll taken upon academics from the seemingly endless stream of fundraising for one project or another. She notes that with each new societal challenge; AIDS, drugs, poverty, disrupted family units, we have expected our schools to assume responsibility for instruction on the issue, and to act as surrogate parents. Although there is undoubtedly a need for a larger community support network to support our youth, is that the role of the school? With each new program or curricula added to an already hectic week, some other piece of the day must give way. Inevitably, it is a core academic piece that is lost. With the recent increase in federally mandated standards, and a drive towards "learning results", it is especially difficult to accomplish. Kralovec acknowledges the value in special programs and extra-curricular activities, many of which grew out of progressive reform movements of the past aimed at making our communities more cohesive and nurturing places. However, in the face of nsufficient time and funding devoted to academic pursuits, she argues thatit is time to fundamentally revisit the purpose of school. We must alter the curriculum, the budget, and our own expectations to achieve success.

That the average student's day is chaotic and fragmented is more than just the "view" of Dr. Kralovec. As reported in her book, studies show that during the average high school day, a comparatively small percentage of the day is devoted to actual learning. Large chunks of precious time are squandered on moving between classes, settling into the new class, taking roll call, and the numerous and frequent interruptions from announcements,
bells, and other distractions. Furthermore, the time spent 'in class' is not always spent 'on learning'. Even the very nature of that time is examined. Research shows that the current model asks students to engage at hours when they are least able to do so, and then divides their day into ways which make it particularly difficult to focus. Perhaps from a sense of familiarity, perhaps from lack of a clear alternative, we continue to cling to this unproductive model. Kralovec offers an alternative.

Following an illustration of how to read and understand a school budget (so that parents and interested community members can see where the money is spent), Kralovec goes on to present concrete and well developed, if radical, solutions. These include doing away with homework as it is now (see her prior book The End of Homework), altering the length and structure of the school day, eliminating the bells and loudspeakers which fragment thought, respecting the time allotted to learning, and making the classroom 'sacred space'. She challenges schools and parents to revisit their long-held assumptions about what a school is, in an attempt to see what a school might be. I challenge you to read
her book, loan it to a teacher, pass it around your local school board, and start the dialogue.

Heather Martin-Zboray

The Tablet PC is a paradigm shift in computing. It truly does change the way people work. The trick is learning to get the most out of it.

This book truly helps unlock the value of the Tablet PC for use at the workplace. It teaches you how to use the tablet pc and software to help get the most out of your workday. From using Office 2003, TabletPlanner, MindManager, PlanPlus, Journal, and OneNote, I consider it the most exhaustive book on the market today. I help users everyday with their Tablet PC issues. I'll be referring them to Michael's book on a consistent basis.

It is very practical, the instructions are clear and understandable. Very readable.

This is exactly the resource I wish that my company had available when we were adapting Tablet PC's...

Michael Linenberger has done an excellent job of summarizing the most important software available for your work day productivity and provides "real-life" examples to integrate different solutions into your office or home.

This is also one of the few volumes I have seen that does an exhaustive exploration of Franklin Covey's Tablet Planner software, as well as Microsoft OneNote.

Highly recommended.

It's a pleasure reading a book that uses everyday language and minimizes the use of trendy buzz-words. The seven chapters are divided logically and go from the general to the specific. This allows the reader to capture the essence of the message without reading long passages before getting to a point. The reader can visualize his own job shop and pick and choose which solutions are pertinent.

Mr. Bozzone's experience and knowledge are evident throughout the book. His viewpoint brings a dimension and a dynamic quality which allows the reader to benefit from the many "real-life" examples peppered throughout the pages. The many models and illustrations help the reader understand the concepts and operational strategies that improve job shop performance.

From a training perspective, Speed to Market provides a sound basis for developing programs that would help people at all levels to understand the intricacies of managing a job shop. The book is an excellent tool for constructing a curriculum that would benefit experienced managers who need to re-think their current situation, as well as people who are new to the job shop environment.

It is clear that owner-operators and managers of job shops would be well served by having their people understand and use the concepts and information presented in this book.

Speed to Market is a "must-read". Speed to Market is an "easy read". Speed to Market should be on your bookshelf! Speed to Market should be on your bookshelf!

Review by Richard B. Mroczek Infoactive Training Group, Montreal, Canada

Speed to Market by Vincent Bozzone is one of those books that is dumbfounding in its practicality. It makes you wonder why more how-to books aren't written this way.

Speed to Market is a refreshing and unique book on "how to cut lead time and increase profits in job shops and custom manufacturing environments." Not only is this one of the few books available on this heretofore ignored topic, it is written as a step-by-step manual for designing and running a profitable job shop, incorporating detailed structure and process elements as they relate to the bottom-line. Actual client studies help make this book even more pragmatic.

Once you read this book, you realize that Vince Bozzone really is a rare expert in job shops and process improvement design.

Review by Kathy Molloy for the Designer's Forum, AMOD Newsletter