education-economics

I purchased "Grantwriting: Strategies for Developing Winning Proposals" last November. Obviously, I have waited a while and used the material in the book before coming back to write this review. I would hope that this review will be helpful to others considering to purchase it; as well as to Mr Miller who has done us all a service, and may be interested in learning how his creation is "put to work"; and to "the sales powers" Amazon who have a potential for strong sales here!

I have 33 years of experience in public/private non-profit alternative and postsecondary education, which includes instruction and administration (including state-level grant program administration which often dealt with federal grant funds); significant experience with grant writing, reading/rating/awarding; actual RFP/RFA development; and significant experience with a number of board members, educators, administrators, and "grant-hopefuls" who have "little-to-none" such knowledge or experience! I currently work at a large, dynamic community college at which tying grant acquisition methodically and constructively to the mission, goals and fiscal/programmatic "culture" is a definite priority. When I saw this author target this priority in his preface, I knew I had found a special resource. When I looked at the other freely-shared resources (books, publications, websites, and federal agencies), I was even more convinced that I had a strong resource developed by an author who "has been there" and is providing a professional service, not worrying about competition. I have not been disappointed. In fact, I am a department of "one," and this book makes me feel as though I have a resourceful colleague right here when I need one!

Mr Miller's book is certainly not the only book on grantwriting I have read and owned, but it has fast become a favorite "tool." Here is why: There is something of value for institutional development professionals who range from novice to "pro." It does not intimidate the novice or insult the intelligence of a "pro," rather, it gives the total federal grant picture in a practical, "user-friendly" format (a primer for the novice, a resource for the "pro"). It can be used developmentally, taking chapters and exhibits in sequence, and it can be used topically and "out of order" to serve specific purposes. When I have a request, it is great to be able to share information that is already organized and formatted in a way I would do (and trust) myself. With all respect to this author, I have broken my book into looseleaf form for my added convenience when working with teams and individuals (including my president and board) - who either need to understand federal grants for institutional/departmental planning or who will actually write proposals for new money, to build on an existing funded program, or to replace a grant that has either been rejected or has "sunset."

I plan to use "Grant Writing: Strategies for Developing Winning Proposals" as a resource text (as a whole, or in part) for formal grant classes and workshops I plan in the coming year(s)...adding my own continuously improving expertise and examples of successful and unsuccessful grant proposals to illustrate certain points. Thank you, Mr Miller, and thank you, Amazon!

Now in a substantially revised and thoroughly updated second edition, Grant Writing: Strategies For Developing Winning Proposals by Patrick W. Miller (a national grant reviewer and panel leader for the United States Department of Education) is an superbly presented, comprehensive, highly accessible resource for crafting eye-catching, professional-quality grant applications. Individual chapters address how to quickly and efficiently gather the necessary information, writing and editing concise and persuasive text, properly preparing a budget, what should be done after the submission is made, and much more. Especially recommended for the non-specialist general reader, Grant Writing's eight chapters of clear methods for developing grant applications is enhanced with 75 illustrations and examples, 130 review questions designed to stimulate mastering the information, 13 exercises on proposal writing and budget development, 95 quick reference glossary terms, and contemporary resources (including web sites). This is a "must-have" resource for the novice grant writer as well as being an invaluable continuing reference work for even the more experienced grant writing applicant.

Grant Writing: Strategies for Developing Winning Proposals, is a comprehensive guide to writing winning grant proposals. It takes the reader through the entire grant process, including researching funding sources, steps to develop a proposal before and after the RFP is released, writing and editing, preparing budgets, reproducing and delivering proposals, and postsubmission activities. It prepares the grant writer not only to write good proposals, it instructs how to write winning proposals. It is easy to read and includes charts, graphs, samples, and review questions and exercises.I highly recommend this book to anyone aspriring to win large federal grants, but it can be useful to those seeking smaller State or private grants as well.

I found this book pretty superficial. It includes a lot of common sense ancedotes that, if you've done much research at all, will sound very repetitive.

It was a fast and boring read for me. If you want to read about being a physician Becoming a Doctor or Intern Blues are lot more meaty. And there's several better books about getting into medical school too.

This is an excellent resource- honest and actually interesting to read. I only wish there were a little more advice for non-traditional students. Other than that, this book has been extremely helpful and really correlates with what medical students, doctors, and admissions people have told me. I highly recommend this book to anyone considering a career in medicine (especially if you're undecided).

This book is great and very helpful. It gives loads of wonderful advice that most people need (i.e. you don't have to
major in Chemistry of Biology to get into medical school). It is also a good investment- it'll take you from you college years all the way to medical school. It's a joy to read because of the humor thrown in here and there. It's clear and precise. Another thing is that they also talk to actual students and get their opinions. This is a good thing because every student is different and have all sorts of reasons for going to medical school. Everyone doesn't decide to follow in their parents footsteps at the age of three- you may decide to go when you are thirty-three! All-in-all, this is a must have for every pre-med student!

This book contains a collection of web design tips which are in the main useful but not earth shattering. Where the book fell down, for me at least, was in the area of theory. It is weak here, and that can be a major problem if you want to conduct a scientific evaluation of the work using the umpteen heuristics suggested by the author. I doubt that there is enough information in the text to adequately help one frame an evaluation of a course, let alone put one together.

The book really has very little to say on instructional design methodologies. The reader is told to bear X, Y and Z in mind and then thrown a few sample scenarios (with screen shots). In many ways this is the tenor of the whole book: a vast and never ending list of do's and don'ts and qualifications to those do's and don'ts. I have to demure from the consensus among the other reviewers and adopt a minority position because quite frankly compared to other eleraning books, I found this one almost unreadable. The book is fullof particularities that are never adequately situated within a theoretical framework. It just seems like bad science to base so many recommendations on induction.

To be fair, it's good stuff in places, and frequently relevant, but can you retain it? Who wants to read a several hundred page long list of tips?

In terms of theory, balance and scientific worth a far better book, for my money, is by Alessi and Trollip.

I am a corporate trainer who seeks to convert much of his highly successful classroom-based training to the Web. This book was EXACTLY what I was looking for and met my very demanding criteria for a 'how-to' book.

It succeeds in that it:

1. Takes the reader step by step by step through all of the big-picture considerations (and several subtle but important nuances) one must undertake to create an e-learning program from scratch, or convert an existing training program to one that can work on the Web

2. Is written clearly, concisely and simply - - an absolute rarity in a world of technology handbooks that are muddled and/or require the reader to already have a Ph.D. in computer science to understand.

3. Introduced me to small and large ideas that I had not considered but that made perfectly common sense when I thought about them.

This book made me a disciple of William Horton, and gave me the confidence that if I wanted to, I could transform my classroom training to the Web yet avoid a lot of errors I would have committed had I not read this book.

Horton does a great job of explaining the pros and cons of web based training and when it should be used. He presents some basic guidelines for developing a business case for using WBT and moves into a detailed definition of well designed courseware. Topics include designing course navigation, course material and exams. Tech tips are scattered throughout for the technical people reading this book, but not in a way that would scare off non-techies. Well written and easy to read. Highly recommended.

Overall, this book covers all the basics to getting into a top program. Many of these books cover the same content, but the format and the writing is very straight-foward. I recommend it for people who have time constraints. A few tips:

1) Submit applications to lesser schools first - It gives you practice writing your essays. (pg 11)

2) Build your application around a theme - Create a vivid and distinct picture of yourself. You want the application to be personal enough that the AdCom could even make a nickname for you. (pg 12)

3) When writing a "Why MBA" essay, think more in terms of what you can do with an MBA, rather than what an MBA can do for you. (pg 49)

4) For resume, quantify work-related accomplishments (pg 132)

** If you have the time, I would recommend "How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs" by Richard Montauk. It only costs $ and has over 50 sample essays (170 pages worth) from thiry different people. It shows how you can meld the different essays into a three-dimensional picture of who you are professionally, academically and personally.

Good luck, and hope you get into the B school you want!

Before I got this book, I perused several other books on the MBA application process such as the Princeton Review's Book of Business Schools, the ABC's of Getting the MBA Admission Edge, and How to Get Into the Top MBA Programs. The best book, comparatively, was this book, "88 Great Tips". It helped me the most in my application process, and the tips I gleaned helped me to get into my top choice business school.

I think it would be impossible to find a book about the MBA admission process that satisfies every single MBA candidate. Each candidate has his or her own strengths. Maybe, you are good in math, or have a superb writing. Furthermore, maybe you know someone, an MBA student or graduate, who has already provided you with important insights. But stop for a moment, think about the hundreds of candidates, especially international, who are not as lucky as you are, and who don't have access to valuable MBA admission insights. Do you think they are less capable ? Do you think it would be fair to compete with them for a seat at Wharton or any other top school ?

This book is the best single MBA admission resource available for ALL MBA candidates in the world. Mr Royal will make the MBA admission process a fair game.

I would sum up the contents of this book as "fairly useless." It was also disappointing, amidst these glowing recommendations from other people that prompted me to try it out. The book itself was probably less than 150 pages and more than half of those pages were filled with either graphics or simple cartoons. The narrative was trite and filled with cliches. O'Brien did not suggest specific internship programs or activities but was rather vague in providing examples for his guide to a successful college experience. My college handbook (provided FREE of charge from my university) was by far more enlightening!

For college students thinking of buying this book, you guys are wasting your money. You're better off spending your money on food or a good novel rather than wait for this book to be sent out and discover to your dismay that you had wasted it on some silly, misleading, and overly simplified book on how to succeed in college.

I read the book during my senior year in high school and then referred to the book often during my first quarter in college. I followed the suggestions in the book, I organized my day and I found that I had enough time to study and also enough time to enjoy college life. Well, the results are in I earned a 4.0!

I have read this book twice now, and will probably read it again. It motivates me so well. It gives you a sense of direction and provides you with the necessary steps to follow. If you are looking for the perfect graduation gift this is the one. This should be on every freshmen's must read list before going to college

I don't think that these methods really work for people who are already competent readers. Rather, they are intended to assist people who have problems concentrating on a printed page because they watch too much television.

This book makes reading much more difficult. I read very quickly before the exercises and didn't see much improvement in my speed. The effort to use my finger as a pacer was not worth the slight improvement in speed.

If you read slowly, I can see how this book can help you. It will train you to concentrate on a printed page and give you a method of retention that will become second nature. However, if you are fairly intelligent and have no problems reading or retaining, the book is more or less a waste of time.

This is the third speed reading book I read. It is in my opinion the best of the three. You can read through these speed reading books pretty quickly because they don't have much content. They all cover essentially the same materials.

The following is a summary of the main ideas in these books.

People read slowly because of the following reasons:

1. Subvocalization: This is to produce the sounds of the words mentally while they read. This habit essentially limits the reading speed to the speed of subvocalization. Subvocalization also has a side effect of making people read sequentially.

2. Regression: This is to backtrack while you read. This may be caused by a lack of confidence.

3. Lack of Purpose: Without clearly defining the purpose of their reading, people tend to read useless material with the same intensity as useful material. The book suggests using the appropriate amount of care to the materials at hand.

The book suggests various ways of overcoming the above problems. The book also gave some suggestions on notes taking to faciliate recall.

I read this book in less than 5 hours using speed reading techniques from other books. The reason why I can do it is quickly is because speed reading books generally do not have that much content. Hence they are amendable to the techniques speed reading.

I ran across an older version of this book years ago at a public library. At the time I had seen a few infomercials on speed reading so I decided to see if I could find a book on it. I did the initial drill and I was reading at exactly 240 words a minute, which is the average rate for a college student according to the book's graph. I went through the book and within 3 weeks I was reading at a rate of over 800 words a minute. The drills are tremendous. However, I got lazy and started putting it off. Like an athlete if you don't work out (drill) you will lose the speed. Speed reading is something I really regreted not sticking with years ago and I'm glad they through out this new edition (hardly changed, just some internet references). Within 3 weeks I've broken 1000 words a minute and I feel like I could have gotten so much more if I drilled myself harder. I've tried out Evelyn Wood's book and a photo reading book, but by far I consider this one the best. When you first learn to read with your finger it might seem strange, however with time you'll notice the speed skyrocketing and it will feel uncomfortable when you don't use it.

I found this book to be very informative and very specific regarding many details of my first time home buying experience. The format allows for a very quick read and for jumping around between subjects. This book should probably be purchased as soon as one finds they are thinking about buying a home. If not it might just add to the large amount of information they will have to read. One con was that the book is slightly dated because of the current market both financial and housing.

My husband and I will be looking for our first home soon, so I picked up this book at the library. I think it is very helpful in explaining all the terms and steps you will have to go through when looking for and purchasing a home, but it has so much information it can be overwhelming. I would skim through it first and look at the questions that pertain to you instead of trying to read it word for word. Overall it is helpful if you're new to home buying and have no idea what to expect or do!

I happily endorse this book. The new second edition contains many new questions from the first edition, revised many other questions, and completely rewrites every answer. Things are changing fast in residential real estate, and this book will bring you up-to-date. Whether you are a first-time buyer, first-time seller, or haven't bought a home in at least five years, this book will serve your needs very well. The questions are drawn from those that brokers report that first-time buyers most often ask. The answers draw upon the experiences of many brokers.

How much training does it take to become a librarian, teacher, lawyer, physician, or rocket scientist? How well would the world work for us if such training were skimped on?

When it comes to buying a first home (whether condo, co-op, or fixer-upper), most people act as though you can do brain surgery without the training. Not!

Even if you view this emotionally and financially important investment as one to be approached carefully, most first-time buyers will make important errors. Here are a few of my favorites:

(1) Not thinking about how hard it may be to resell the home.

(2) Vastly underestimating how much money will be needed to fix it up.

(3) Overpaying for the home because of not realizing how to negotiate.

(4) Waiting until finding one's soul mate before purchasing.

(5) Spending more than you can afford, and using boxes for furniture.

(6) Purchasing a home that doesn't fit your needs (where will you put 4 children and you in 2 bedrooms?).

(7) Taking on a horrible commute.

Interest rates are down in light of the terrible terrorist tragedy and weak economy. Unemployment is rising. Based on historical patterns, this is a good time to buy. Are you ready? Probably not, even if you think you are.

But I have good news for you. If you read and apply the lessons of this book, you will be more ready than many people who have already bought homes.

The subjects covered include deciding what you needs are, versus your likes; how to look; determining what you can afford; deciding what broker to use; how to work with the broker (especially what not to tell the broker, since most work for the seller); how to decide what to offer; how to negotiate; getting the best financing; checking out the house; handling the closing; and even dealing with problems after the closing. You also get help with which professionals (such as buying agents, lawyers, and home inspectors) to use, how to select them, what they will cost, and how to work with them.

I have bought or helped buy three houses, am an attorney, and am a licensed real estate agent. I found several areas where this excellent book extended my knowledge. I know it will save you thousands of dollars . . . and probably even more in avoided emotional trauma!

The book does this by posing questions, providing worksheets, steering you to Internet resources, and describing case histories.

No book from the buyer's perspective can however hope to dispel the incredible naiveté that we all have when we first purchase a home (all 2 million a year who are like lambs being led to the slaughter). For that purpose, I suggest that you also read another book, How to Sell Your Home Fast, which is an excellent description of what intelligent, prepared sellers will be doing to get you to buy their home and pay too much. Beneath all the friendly chit-chat with the sellers, realize that your are usually being carefully maneuvered to act against your own interest.

By the way, this book does not do enough to warn you about hidden house faults. Home inspectors are not the entire answer. They usually get their referrals from brokers, and will usually not tell you the worst of what can happen lest brokers stop recommending them. Spend some extra money and have people you know well and trust who are expert in electrical, heating, air conditioning, structural, roofing, plumbing, soil, and environmental hazards take a look also. They will find things that you can use to get the price lowered to cover the cost of repairs. My experience is that you will save about [amt.] for every [amt.] you spend in this way.

I also recommend that you find 10 people who are a lot like you who purchased a home similar to what interests you about five years ago. Ask them what they did right and what didn't work out so well.

After you explore all of these choices, you may want to consider what I did once . . . rent with an option to purchase. All of my rent went towards the down payment. I found I loved the house, saved money, and had few problems with repairs. I later sold it for a nice profit.

Also, spend time in the yard of your potential new home at all hours of the day and night. You may be surprised by some of the positive and negative features. In one home, I discovered that a dozen deer came by across a creek at 7:30 a.m. Seeing them every morning became my favorite part of every day.

After preparing by knowing what the right questions are, look for all of the potential problems and opportunities in making large decisions. Then sleep on your decision for three nights. You'll know what to do then!

When I first read this book, almost 8 years ago, I was overwhelmed. The amount of information was not only volumounous but meaty. Reading it made you feel like you were being let into some kind of secret that only the best trader's understood. This book is a classic, but not for the fainthearted.

Also as with all books on swing trading and cycles as the market progresses the cycles change. I would love to see a complete revist of Hurst's strategies for today's market. I believe many of the skeptical would be pleasantly surprised.

Great book about the stock market and especially technical analysis. The book was written in 1968. With the advent of computers I'd be interested to see how his theories hold up now. The book explains his theories of what makes stocks move. He says stocks seem to move in an irratic and random fashion to the untrained. Yet, he believes 70%+ of stock movement can be predicted using time-cycle analysis. The book writes of trend lines, channels, head&shoulders, triangles, double tops/bottoms, and he explains what causes each. This book is a must read for anyone interested in technical analyis! If anyone knows anything about the author please let me know. I'm interested in finding out what happened to him and his career in market research.

Many people still don't understand what J.M. did. They compare it to already beaten channel analysis or Moving average analysis. It isn't what Hurst used, it is how and why he used it is important. Hurst was the first to point the relation of proportionality of time/price swings with the periodicity of indicators as well as synchronicity of time cycles and he laid out mathematical foundation for computerized measurements. This requires some technical/programming skill and what's more important good sense of proportion.
But even you are a good programmer, but without good sense of proportion you'll go in circles and don't get it (I met many rocket scientists like that). So first of all you should be good observer of life with some mathematical skill to fully comprehend what J.M. Hurst introduced. His statement of 90% success isn't an exaggeration; it is rather conservative estimation assuming human error. His methods have potential to be 100%.
(And even you aren't a programmer, but understand Hurst ideas, you can tweak existing charting package to do the job for you, that would take some time, but possible)
What he discovered in stock analysis is comparable to a perpetual motion in physics.
After completing his work J.M. mysteriously disappeared. No he isn't dead, rather silenced. This book is already out of print and I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears again. Remember Wall Street doesn't want you to win; they reserve this right for themselves...

Sunny Baker has filled 328 pages with common sense and other information that should be obvious to anyone in the position to manage projects. Had I not removed the reference card out of the book upon receiving it, I would have returned the book for a refund. Thumbs down on the Complete Idiots Guide to Project Management. Two stars for the effort.

Actually, it isn't bad for experienced project managers to review the different sections of this book for a quick refresher on an annual basis. This is a very good book to have on your desk while you are working on your first couple of projects as a project manager. It explains in very simple terms the various aspects of this extensive field of project management. Like everyone else, you too may feel like project management is too overwhelming a subject when you first start out. It really helps to have a book like this nearby. You may want to keep it out of sight to prevent silly remarks from your colleagues.

The sidebars that you will see throughout the book 'Words from the Wise' and 'Project Lingo' are extremely useful to read and get upto speed on the definitions and the tricks of the trade. The only limitation that I found is that the treatment on some of the topics isn't very complete. That is completely understandable as this isn't aimed at teaching advanced tricks of the trade to the seasoned project manager. For that, you need to refer to an advanced book like Harold Kerzner's 'Project Management - A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling'. Or keep up with the latest by attending seminars and workshops at your local chapter of the PMI (Project Management Institute...).

Finally, keep in mind that there are situations in project management that are specific to the industry you are in and sometimes there is no right answer. But most other times, the knowledge in this book is extremely helpful. Overcome the fear of being caught with a book that has the word 'Idiot' in the title and exploit the knowledge that the book provides!

This is a great book to learn the basics--regardless of the type of project you're working on. Get it first--before you try the Dummies' guide. It's much better--and provides good background for the PMI certification as well. I was able to apply this information from day one. Thank you Bakers!

This is a very timely book in my opinion. Prensky gives a reasonable overview of trends in games and several likely future developments. Copious lists of heuristics and tips are offered to the reader. Almost all the case studies have at least one useful insight - however many case studies drag on too long and are in need of substantial editing. Moreover, at least 50% of the case studies relate to corporate programmes which are not accessible to the general public - or the research community.

Prensky's writing style is intensely personal and his judgements are often based on subjective assesments. Worst of all, he turns over large sections of the book to game designers that uncritically trumpet their products. There is still something of value here, once you read between the lines.

In summation I found the reviews of trends and products useful. His explanation for what keeps a game's audience and market together (content) resonates with my own experiences. The book fell down by being mistitled. It is not about game based learning but about games and the opportunities for game based learning. Do no expect to build a 'learning' game from what is here - just not academic enough. The book has little if any information on existing game engines and how they might accommodate learning initiatives which is a major shortcoming. Secondly, many of the major points in the book flow from anecdotes and opinions. It is hard to assess their worth, but experience can be a better teacher on occasions than a library. Thirdly, the book plugs Prensky's own work fairly relentlessly. Good for him but it creates an imbalance in the presentation.

Overall, I found much in the book that was interesting and useful to know. If the opinion pieces were supported by more complete referencing it would be an excellent text.

When you set out to tell all about e-learning games, it helps to have a broad background. Harvard MBA Marc Prensky has been a professional musician, high school teacher, business consultant, corporate trainer, and creator of dozens of software e-learning games. He is now CEO of a game company. He brings to the subject an intense love that enables him to find value even in flawed efforts in this fledgeling field, yet he retains the critical capacity and balanced judgment that are the hallmarks of credibility. The book provides a provocative analysis of how widespread playing of video and computer games has created a new under-35 Games Generation that sees the world through radically different eyes than their parents, who can be at best "digital immigrants." Simply transferring tell-test and "sage on the stage" teaching methods to digital media, as many e-learning companies have done, misses the point, he explains. We need to exploit the opportunities to develop new, more engaging approaches--and that primarily means games. People will learn the most technical or boring subjects if presented as part of compelling, fun games. Prensky offers scores of case studies and war stories from practitioners in the corporate trenches. He ranges from simple quiz games to intensive virtual reality simulations, showing that often simple is better, that not only the type of learner but also the kind of subject/skill to be mastered should determine the approach, and that games possess inherent advantages over simulations. He laughs at the outrageous scenarios players deliberately generate in customer relationship games. He notes with respect the capacity of deep simulations and games to draw upon the insights of communities of experts worldwide to generate cutting-edge research results that can then be parlayed into real-world management systems. And he states six objections to e-learning games, then proceeds to blow them to bits like so many villains in a shooter game. In the book are many practical suggestions for getting an e-learning game project approved and funded as well as for how to bring it into reality. Of special value are its list of state-of-the-art games in various categories and its articulation of the advantages of each type. Two suggestions for the second edition: 1) Games and e-learning are at the cutting edge of a controversial transformation of cultures around the world, so it would be nice to have a chapter on e-learning games outside the United States; and 2) someone needs to explain to McGraw-Hill that publishing a book without first proofreading it is an insult to readers and a blot on the corporate escutcheon. In conclusion, e-learning games are a dynamic field that is wide open to creative initiative and promises major long-term benefits. Prensky's book is a rich, insightful guide and makes absorbing reading.

The book states a clear and persuasive case for digital game-based learning and its ability to adapt to the varying needs of today's workforce. I highly recommend this book for anyone seeking an effective approach to learner-centered training.
This book goes beyond providing a great survey of some of the most exciting learning games created. The author does a great job comparing the cultural differences between the "Games Generation" and its predecessors.
I believe this would be a great book for managers working with employees from the Games Generation, especially those that question the generation's work ethic. Members of the Games Generation don't need work that is fun all the time, but it does need to be captivating. Getting stuck in a game isn't fun, but it is incredibly engaging. This information may improve working relationships and bridge some generational gaps.