economics-times

After reading Don Aslett's anti-clutter book, "Not for Packrats Only," I thought this book might help in organizing the items I didn't throw away. However, this book advocates overorganization that creates even more clutter!

Many of the ideas presented in this book are just ridiculous: (1) developing a system to organize artwork that you no longer use (rather than donating or selling it), (2) making double or triple copies of unnecessary items, like 3 copies of your photo negatives in addition to the photos (3) own 2 irons (in case one goes on the blink), (4) make a chart of the grocery's layout along with a list of which items are on which aisles--as if the store does not have labeled aisles!--and (5) make a list of all your bank account numbers and your family's social security numbers to keep with you--a safety nightmare!!!

I read this book completely, hoping for just one redeeming tidbit, but I was left completely frustrated. Buying this book was a complete waste of money, and I did not even feel comfortable donating this book to Goodwill. I quickly threw it in the garbage....

Highly recommend this book! As someone who never has time between work and family to keep track of where things are in my house or get the necessary things done around the house, this book helped me to start tackling the chaos. The routines really are simple, the approach is clear. As our home came together in a less frenetic way, our family life has improved too. This book is a really great help!

I love a rich, meandering, thoughtful book on imbuing your house with a sense of its denizens and making it a refuge and spiritual haven as much as the next person.

HOWEVER!

A book like that (and there are so many...) is next to useless when you're trying to recreate the Swiss-timing precision of your childhood home where you were raised with 5 other children by a divorced mom and nothing ever got lost and no one was ever late for anything.

The key words: direct, concrete, clear, simple, specific, uncompromising. The authors get down to the minutiae so that you can finally get a chance to think about the big stuff.

I'm also surprised by 4 stars & other praises of this book (e.g., Fortune).

the book should be renamed "Case Studies of Taguchi Method" and the "authors" should be renamed as "editors"

it also does not telll you the method & its statistical basis, its strength & weakness compared with other methods, its assumptions and so forth. In addition, it lacks a biblography. Overall, we are just supposed to take a leap of faith. Overall, the book feel like "informercial"

I am a little bemused by the previous reviews. Being a practicing engineer, I had hoped for an more rigorous introduction to applying robust engineering principles, coupled to real life engineering examples. What I got was essentially a book length advertisement aimed at people who don't need or want to know how to do it, merely order someone else to apply the techniques. If you are a manager considering implementing robust engineering practices and design of experiments, by all means, read the book and convince yourself and your boss it is the way to go. If you actually want to use the techniques, buy a different book.

Robust Engineering book is the world wide collections of best case studies of Robust Engineering. In Chapter 1 and 2 authors gave a basic explanation of Robust Engineering and implementation strategy which is very easy to understand for any reader. This is book is the absolute necessary for any leaders, managers or engineers who want to re-shape their organization and by reading this book they will understand the powerfulness of Robust Engineering.

I realize that Elliott Wave is considered subjective .. but on half of these wave counts, I couldn't see where he was coming up with his numbers. In addition, he had numerous 7 wave (?) counts and some of his logic is just plain odd. I consider myself fairly experienced in Elliott Wave, but couldn't figure this guy out for most of the book. Walker tries to time failures of the C wave and tries to find ends to corrections , but is an aggressive entry method if correct. The problem is, it is extremely difficult to see .. as corrections can materialize into many forms and stop you out over and over until it presents a discernable pattern. One thing I did find unique in this book was his use of finding wave counts within simple patterns of OHLC bars. Seems a bit like overkill, but it is unique nevertheless.

I have read well over 100 books on trading and I have yet to read one that will teach one how to trade turnkey with a high success rate. Because it does not exist. IMO. I gleaned some useful information out of this book. What this book did for me was not to teach me how to trade profitably, but to make me think in a different direction which was very useful. But isn't that the best one could expect from any trading book?

Myles Walker has written the best book on trading with Elliott
Wave that I have ever read. it was simple elegant and put the icing on the cake for me in terms of correct entry method for Elliott. It really helped me in a practical dollars sense. Apparently He has also done a lot of Gann work and a book on it but I must admit to not owning the Gann book yet.

Ken Blanchard, one of the most successful business authors of all time, teams up with Terry Waghorn in this clear, concise guide to surviving and prospering in a time of great change. The authors show you how to guide your business through the present while simultaneously preparing for and implementing changes for the future. This well-balanced book, which focuses as much on vision, intuitive processes and thinking as it does on nuts-and-bolts strategy, is a valuable guide for working and leading in the twenty-first century. We [...] recommend this book for everyone in business, and find it particularly essential for leaders, managers, and business owners.

Mission Possible... is a book about surviving today and recreating your organization for tomorrow. The authors use the analogy of a sand castle which faces the incoming tide. Does one leave it alone to face certain destruction and hope that it doesn't happen for a while; or does one take immediate action to build barriers along the beach for protection, which may or may not help; or does one plan for the future by redesigning the structure as well as relocate the castle? People are the key to an organization's success and the way a leader can best encourage them towards this goal is to allow them to become involved in improving the present or inventing the organization's tomorrow. It's all about the journey and the understanding of what is possible.

I used this for a reading assignment for a class and found it to be interesting. It certainly is easy to read and while others may find it's message too simple, I feel that it is the simple message that gets across easily and stays with you the longest.

Buy the book because there is far too much useful information to take in at even two listenings. Although it starts as typical 'heard it all before' the last two sides are remarkable in their depth and panorama. There is advice and guidance for everyone here. We need to ask questions of our customers and competitors. How would our customers redesign our company? Three steps: vision - picture of what we need to become to better serve existing customers, prepare - what is the shortest path from where we are to where we need to be, deliver - change organisation to match vision. Customer facing people need to be empowered to solve problems on the spot, not refer to their managers. Your organisation is evaluated by how quickly it can respond to customer needs and problems. The person they care about is are the ones they talk to and they want top service from these people. Making all your people your business partners is a way of raising financial awareness and therefor cutting costs (story of 5c margin in restaurant). Divide into cost centres and profit centres. What is the strategic reason for performing the function of the cost centres? Should the work be outcourced? Should be spending more time managing profits not costs. Profit results from keeping needs of customers and employees paramount. 4 key managerial roles: producing - technical skills in field, make things happen, implementing - planners and administrators, maintain order and control, innovating - entrepreneurs, future looking and integrating - motivators, good at teamwork. Also 4 mismanagement styles: lone rangers - producers who cannot delegate, bureaucrats - implementers who focus on administration, process and rules, arsonists - innovators who never follow through or implement the ideas of others, super followers who cannot provide direction. In times of change are leaders willing to: relinquish 'parental control; look at both long and short term; supply resources and support; communicate and remove obstacles; help others overcome uncertainty and fear; admit that they do not have all the answers. Control kills learning, invention and commitment. Bossidy - burning platform principle, people 'jump' only when they see flames themselves. Leaders need to help people see the flames. Long term provides focus not on survival but the future. When in doubt communicate more, not less. Nelson Mandela - "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us." In order to help people manage change we need to keep everyone informed so they know what is in it for them. Change means that people feel awkward about needing to act differently, they focus on what they will lose, (what you resist, persists), they feel alone, they feel overwhelmed if there is too much change so they need to experience some successes before taking on more change. Readiness for change varies. Although people feel that they need more resources to do more - we have to do more with less. Need to keep everyone encouraged by catching people doing something right, but leaders need sufficient self-esteem to help others feel good about themselves. Discipline required managing perpetual churn (whitewater). Catch yourself doing something right - managing your self-talk. What do you want to be doing? Our problem is not what we see, but what we see with. At the brink of the 21st Century we cannot see the future with 20th Century spectacles.

This book was worthless. It was basic and definitely outdated..

This is by far the most informative and effective book on credit repair I have ever read.As with all "how to" books,it's efficacy is contingent upon how much effort you actually put into implementing the advice it contains and believe me,there is Plenty of usefull,little known facts on the sleaziness of the credit card industry and the credit bureaus.Mr.Goldstien even includes the entire Fair Credit Reporting Act law at the end!After my divource,my credit was a mess.Armed with this information I have managed to clear up my report beyond my expectations.I have read other books on credit repair that basicly said there was nothing I could do for seven years to clear my name and credit.Not So!This Book is guarateed to work but again,as with everything,you have to do the leg work.

Guaranteed Credit by Arnold "The Money Doctor" Goldstein, is a remarkable, practical, and thoroughly "user friendly" guide to swiftly improving a personal credit rating in only 90 days! From secrets the credit card industry won't tell you, to solid strategies to stay out of debt and repair bad credit, Guaranteed Credit is a superbly presented and effective "how to" guide expressly written for non-specialist general readers with credit troubles. Even people with as-yet flawless credit can benefit from the sample form letters, layman's interpretation of latest credit laws, and just plain sound advice in a book so useful, it comes with a money-back guarantee by the publisher! If using the techniques within does not improve the buyer's credit, the buyer can return the book (in resalable condition) to the publisher for a refund of "the lesser of publisher's list of actual purchase price, excluding shipping and handling, if any." There are many credit and finance advice books out there, but this is one author puts his money where his mouth is!

I'll admit it, the title got me. I probably read two business books a year, and this one didn't offer anything new. Most of it was new twists on the same old rules. It was not inspiring, motivating, or compelling.

It has ever been a race to meet the deadlines, blindly following up the routine work pressures and sacrificing the wee hours of life in order to gain achievement to label n brand it as 'success' - This is the major folly of most efficient people at workplace who pay a price missing wider opportunities to enhance better future. The game is all about Working wisely and not Damn Hard as the Author advice cool tips on how to succeed in Business with a shapened job performance pulling in the effective measures to take charge of total control of time schedules. Robert Kriegel's own experience has inspirational theme to add to productivity with less efforts. He focus on more efficiency reducing stress levels at workplace. With latest technology creeping in day in and out, cell phones, computers, internet demands more Time, money and energy levels to cope up with mounting work pressures. I personally feel, work never has a dead end but life's frustration do! And this is where Robert's insights are really helpful to be a success and re-think over working Damn hard as its endless. There is a time for let-go and just do nothing sometimes to rejuvenate oneself again and Robert's book is a tip on ice-berg 'Work wonders, work wise ways' and there you scale higher to achieve in this economy crunch - all gains and no pains. I personally recommend this book for workoholic Businessmen and management leaders. A must read

If you still think you have to hammer yourself to get ahead, stop doing two things at once and listen to Robert J. Kriegel, author of How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard. Kriegel, an expert in human performance and the psychology of change, says most people work too strenuously at a frantic pace that generates stress and reduces performance. You can perform better if you work smarter, even at 80 or 90 percent of your current buzz. If you've read human potential success books, some of this will sound familiar, but Kriegel focuses on becoming successful while having an actual personal life. He quotes managers and employees, and outlines exactly what you should do. You're on your own figuring out what a 90 percent effort amounts to, but if you're a mid-level manager or executive who likes Kriegel's idea of winning-by-easing-up, we from getAbstract recommend that you somehow find the time to read his book.

This is a crap book. Don't buy it. I have 3 books by this author, all published by CUP, and I swear I will never and ever buy his fourth book. This is the worst book I've every read. There are several common weak points of his books -- confusing symbols, lack of explanations on those necessary issues and lengthy B.S. on those simple issues. Numerous typing errors make the matter worse. This book spend a chapter talking about old fashion of moving averages, such as Spencer 7-point and 15-point. It almost goes into the field of graduation. What's the point? The chapters on ARIMA are also rubbish. My feeling is that the author lacks sense in statistics, all he saw are just mathematics. On the whole, this book is just on the wrong field, at the wrong time and with the wrong title.

When you study an econometrics PhD. In France, you can't avoid reading books of Gourieroux: it's the national hero of econometrics. In fact, when you discover all the research he has done, you have to admit it's a brilliant person. But his books aren't particularly clear. They are made for mathematicians (the only students in my classroom that appreciate this book aren't economists; the rest of us, simple mortals, use more friendly books, such as Davidson and Mackinnon, Greene, Enders and Hamilton). What can I say? It's a very complete book: seasonality is deeply treated, ARIMA models are studied profoundly and, you can even find a spectral analysis chapter and another of the Kalman filter. But they are pretty hard to understand. The notation is complex, more than necessary. There are lots of equations and little explanations. If you are a mathematician, this book will satisfy your needs; it's rigorous and fairly complete (even if the selection of topics it's not the ideal one, I think); if you are not, you should better go to Hamilton's manual. If what you want is a cookbook of time series, then buy Enders.

the book's goal are nested test, ARIMA models, and the book developos the clasical basic theory of seasonality and Kalman Filter but the book needs Intermediate mathematics and advanced statistics, the book is good as reference in topics of econometrics but if you needs learn time series the Hamilton's book is a good idea.

This book is not appropriate for a first time investor. It never really describes what a stock is, how a bond works, or why interest rates matter. If you have no knowledge of investment, I suggest you find a gentler introduction.

Make no mistake: I can see that Chambers is fairly intelligent, and his prose is actually not that bad. But he needs a harsher editor. The book drifts from topic to topic, and the sequence of chapters makes little sense. Especially poor are the discussions of academic theory. Chambers fails to make it clear whom he agrees with, or why. The strategy of "get in, stay in, and ignore the investment noise"--which Chambers is correct to recommend--does not need elaborate citation of investment theory to justify itself. It is becoming common sense, even for "ordinary" investors. (Or maybe I'm too optimistic?) The discussions of diversification contain some insights, but I've read other books that present the same points much more clearly (e.g. anything by Rick Edelman). No, I'm not an experienced investor, but I am a writer, and as a writer and reader I cannot recommend this book.

I'm no writer, but I've been an investor for 25 years. I have two kids in college. I bought books for both of them. The author makes it clear how to invest without taking needless risks understandable. I know the "On-line Day Traders" are today's hot books, but I've seen traders come and go. I like how the author refers to investment news as investment pornography. It get you all excited but that's about all. I think this is an important book because once this part of your life is handled, you can make different life decisions. Not decisions based on investment catch-up. Today's college kids are watching CNBC and CNN on their breaks. They think that kind of info gives them up to the minute answers. But so much of the news is mis-information. This book will help anyone who is serious about saving and investing. I recommend it.

This work sheds very little light on the real work of managing project portfolios. Way too much of the text describes basic PM tools such as gantt charts, network diagrams, and work breakdown structures that any decent project manager already knows. Further, use of such tools by themselves does not make a portfolio manager...managing of with organizational strategies/goals and proper management of sponsor and major stakeholder expectations are equally, if not more, important at this level - and this book completely misses this.

We have all at one point or another in our Project Management careers, dealt with the issue of managing multiple projects. There is limited knowledge out there on how to manage multiple projects. Dobson starts out by identifying three different types of situations in which you may be managing multiple projects.

The first situation which he labels as 'Task Oriented Project Portfolio' deals with multiple projects that are very short in duration (a few hours of 1-2 days at most). The basic problem in this situation could be that there are a lot of these small projects and the PM has a full-time responsibilities on top of these projects.

The second situation is labeled 'Independent Project Portfolio' where there are a lot of similar type projects that are not related (no dependencies between the projects). The problem here is resource availability that is fixed but there ends the dependencies between the projects.

The third situation is called 'Interdependent Project Portfolio' where there are large projects with many small projects identified as tasks in the large projects. Here, the main problem is the different kinds of expertise that is demanded of the resources under the overall time constraints. An example of a move is utilized where it is a large project with many sub-projects that have time dependencies but are not related in content (computer setup, ordering utilities etc.).

Entrepreneurs in start up companies especially run into the first situation where there are so many of these small projects that the business owner is just plain overwhelmed. I have recently found myself in this situation and I was very thankful to read Dobson's book and apply the simple techniques and worksheets provided in the book.

Dobson briefly develops the circumstances surrounding each type of multiple project scenario and provides techniques and worksheets that a PM can use to manage in each situation. He also creates new definitions that apply in these individual scenarios.

This is not an in-depth treatment of the complexities involved in handling multiple projects. The book is only about 134 pages long. It is an expensive book but I would highly recommend any serious project manager to at least borrow the book from some PM library that you may have access to. Dobson also spends almost half the short book on explaining simple project management concepts like WBS, Gantt Charts, etc. that most project managers are already familiar with. Hence it makes for a very quick but valuable read. Don't miss out on these neat techniques. The ROI is very high.

Michael Dobson has placed one of the first stakes in the ground by defining this grey area between Project and Programmes. We (ProgM - the Professional Body for Programme Management) are looking to form a BoK (Body of Knowledge) to define the delineation between these areas and we will draw on this book as a point of reference.

Michael uses clear reasoning and definitions backed up by proven methods eg. PERT and CPM. He defines projects into portfolios and gives sound analysis for scoping and reasoning. The book distinguishes the juggling between Task-Orientated Project Portfolios, Independent Project Portfolios and Inter-Dependent Project Portfolios.

This book even covers the distinction between urgency and priority which is a issue for all Project Managers.

Excellent reading and comparatively light reading for a book rich in information.

I bought this book because I saw it mentioned in Barron's as containing a chapter on Hetty Green, "the Witch of Wall Street". I knew a little of her story, how she bought cheap and sold dear, and was a famous miser.

So I bought the book. It turns out to be more a collection of magazine article length peices about what these people were like, not how they got rich.

For example, after describing how Hetty inherited some money, married and moved to England, says:"Hetty eagerly bought up US government bonds, which, in the years after the civil war were being sold for as little as forty cents on the dollar. Most investors thought they would never be redeemed at full value. Hetty also began buying American railroad stocks and bonds. In one year in London, she made more than $1.25 million on her investments."

That's it. Nothing about how she chose to buy that particular investment, nothing about the other choices she rejected. Also nothing about how, when, or for how much she sold the bonds. Nothing at all useful to today's investor trying to choose what to buy cheap and when to sell dear.

My advice to you: don't invest in this book.

This book is basically a history book with mini-biographies of 10 different people. It was not an insightful guide into how you can use proven techniques to reach the same heights. It was, however, interesting to read profiles on some famous people through history. Many of those documented I previously knew nothing about.

In reading the individual stories, I was able to grasp the progression of the global economy although this was not explicitly explained. This was a good pre-bedtime or a bathroom read. I say this because you can read a chapter and pick it up a month later and read another chapter. SInce the chapters are basically separate biographies, you do not have to finish this one at once.

I would recommend this boojk for anyone who enjoys historical stories about business people and events. However, this is not a guide in any way that can be used to help you improve your business skills.

Cynthia Crossen presents a one-thousand-year pageant of fortune, focusing on how nine wealthy men - and one woman - gained and kept their wealth. Each person symbolizes an era, and a means of amassing money. Crossen combines their biographies with a discussion of the historical trends that contributed to the changing sources of wealth - from the ancient days when thievery and conquest were the way to riches to the times when trade, manufacturing and new technologies provided the roads to wealth. The book provides a fascinating and leisurely overview of history, as well as a glimpse of the lives of these wealthy people. The discussion sometimes wanders in time and place, with asides comparing different time periods. We [...] recommend this engaging, briskly written book to executives, managers and anyone fascinated by wealth, history or both.