education-economics

Critique W. Edwards Deming's work at your peril. After all, he probably set whatever standard you're using. This volume - revised by the author before his death in 1993 and partially based on his 1950s work with the Japanese - may strike the contemporary reader as a curious mixture of seminal process thinking and idiosyncratic ruminations on education. Portions read like an artifact of the early 1990s, but in this regard, however, his volume offers a unique perspective on a turning point in American economic history: the shift to the knowledge-based economy. We [...] recommend Deming's volume to any serious student of management thought, and all human resources professionals should familiarize themselves with his work, which set the foundations for many of the transformations now underway in the corporate world.

I have recommended this book in my previous review of "Out of the Crisis" to managers who are new to Deming's ideas, being a manual that will be easier and more effective to comprehend and follow. At the final stages of his life, Deming (1900-1993) wrote this epilogue of his career with an honest attitude and sincerity that I, along with many of my colleagues, admire. The frankness of his opinions regarding the (lack of) essentially fundamental leadership traits in today's modern global societies, in all vital areas at all organisational strata, are both valid and brave; the information voiced is made possible only through his previous experiences and status in the field.

If all managerial leaders of this world were to listen, be able to understand and follow Deming's ideas and underlying philosophies, societies will be enhanced beyond recognition in many aspects.

However, if you are a lone crusader in your organisation or even country, then you are in for hell... but do hang on tight, as the world generally hates challenges in any forms and situations... Implementing Deming's philosophies (as with any corporate strategy) involves innovation by the introduction of new ideas into an organisation, which includes rearrangements from jobs and roles to structures and systems; which people generally hate. Even within the book, Deming had already highlighted the various problems to that, and had always emphasised on EDUCATION of the organisation, rather than decreed training to extinguish corporate flames, for he had said:

"Knowledge is theory. We should be thankful if action of management is based on theory. Knowledge has temporal spread. Information is not knowledge. The world is drowning in information but is slow in acquisition of knowledge. There is no substitute for knowledge."

- W. Edwards Deming 12th September 1993

This is my humble tribute to a great man.

This is the last book written by Dr. Deming before his death in 1993 at the age of 93. Dr. Deming is perhaps best known for the work he did in Japan at the end of World War II, and his famous 14 points. In this book Dr. Deming introduces his System of Profound Knowledge, which consists of: An understanding of Systems,A Theory of Knowledge, An understanding of Variation and Psychology Dr. Deming defines a system as: "A series of interdependent components that try to work together to achieve the aim of the system." The system must have an aim, without an aim there is not system. Dr. Deming explains variation as follows: All systems have some variation in them. The secret is to know what kind of variation is occuring and to respond accordingly. Common cause variation is the random variation tha occurs in any system. Special cause variation is a result of something outside the system acting on the system. An example would be that it normally takes you 25 minutes to drive to work, give or take a few minutes, but this morning, because of an accident the commute required 50 minutes. The normal drive time, with variation represents common cause variation, while the accident represents special cause variation. A theory of Knowledge is a way of doing experiments, or defining a mind set. According to Dr. Deming without theory no learning takes place. He give an example of a rooster that has a theory that he causes the sun to rise because he gets up early and crows. One morning he forgets to crow. The sun rises anyway. While the rooster's theory is blown out of the water he has learned that he is not responsible for causing the sun to rise and in the future he can sleep in. Dr. Deming's discussion on psychology has to do with the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. His basic theory is that people enter the world motivated to learn and do well and that the excessive use of extrinsic motivation kills the intrinsic motivation. In this book Dr. Deming also discusses in some detail his famous Red Beads Experiment which he uses to demonstrate the power of systems and how they victimize the people working in them.

I spent time off and on looking at job sites on the Internet. While I was always intrigued by the sheer volume of information available, I became discouraged because of the amount of time involved. I also often didn't find job listings in my area of interest or jobs that were not in my geographic location UNTIL I USED THIS BOOK. I'm excited about actually learning a new skill that will be useful throughout my career. My job search is very much in my control with a complete and logical program that is easy to mange. Friends and family who are graduating from high school or college will get this book as graduation gifts; it's worth more to them than a check in an envelope.

This book is easy to read and lays out the exact steps to follow. If you want to want to put an Internet job search campaign together, this is an excellent way to do it. I recommend it to anyone who doesn't want to waste alot of time trying to figure out how to job search on the Internet.

I bought this book based upon the recommendations of 2 associates who, like me, lost their job because of a company reorganization. They were so high on the book that I decided to try it out. After an introduction designed for people with little or no Internet experience, the book immediately starts you on your job search. The author doesn't try to tell jokes or be cute. Instead, he lays out a very logical approach and technique for online job searching. Examples and exercises are put together so that you are actually building your own job search campaign as you work through the book. The book is comprehensive, easy to use, and really is "free of techno-babble" as the author claims. Don't buy this book if you want to curl up with something in bed. Buy it, though, if you want to use the Net to look for a job. I have seen other books that discuss Internet job searching. This one is absolutely the best I have seen.

I just finished reading the book, "Prodigal Sons and Material Girls: How Not to Be Your Child's ATM..." I was very impressed with Nathan Dugan's share-save-spend strategy, similar to what I was raised on--and eventually converted my husband to. Mr. Dugan's strategy combines spiritual and practical values into an easy to follow formula. Another aspect that I was impressed with was that Mr. Dugan also emphasizes understanding who you are and where you come from, in relation to your financial mindset--something that leads to our spending habits. I am trying to teach good financial habits to my three young children. When they come shopping with me we talk about the things that our family "needs" versus our "wants." I firmly believe in investing in oneself by saving money, instead of satisfying immediate wants. I appreciated Mr. Dugan's philosophy of grouping values and financial habits together, something I think people in financial straits don't realize. I've had extended family members approach me from time to time, asking for help in teaching them how to budget, etc. This book is a great reference that I will recommend to those who are struggling and to those who aren't, but need reaffirmation.

The book opened my eyes to the some of the psychological manipulations that advertising and marketing companies use to influence children. The strategies Mr. Dungan suggests for instilling traditional values like donating and saving money as well as reasonable spending can help children learn how to be successful financially in adult life.
As a professional financial adviser and I see many financially successful people. In virtually every person that has accumulated substantial wealth I find several consistent attitudes and habits. These attitudes and habits for success are rarely found in today's youth. If this materialism doesn't change the future will not be as bright as we would want for them. I have been searching for resources that will help me teach young people in my community the value of money and how they can make choices which will provide long term happiness and security and at the same time live a life of joy and fulfillment today. Mr. Dungan's research and suggested strategies do just that.
This book has become the centerpiece of my community education effort.

A brilliant review of what we/society have done to "drug" our children in a spending stupor and what we need to do to stem this cultural tide and raise responsible & healthy children when it comes to managing money/spending.

Let me be the first to say I too am part of the problem; I've indulged my child and mis-taught my son with illusions that spending is happiness. Mr. Dugan describes how I/culture are misleading our children, if not selling them out, for the sake of marketing gain: business profit over our children's happiness. We're allowing business advertising to be the stewards of our children's spending/financial health. Mr. Dungan shows us how to take back that stewardship and how not to abdicate our child-rearing responsibility (about spending) and what to do to raise wise-spending young adults.

I have a few years to try to undo whatever harm I may have wrought. Of course, it's hard to rectify a bad habit once started, so I envy those of you who get to Nathan's book early. For those of us who can't, I advise we buy a copy for each child, tell them upfront what we intend to do & why, and then go about the task of raising spending responsible children, and in doing so, healthier, happier young people.

Thank you Mr. Dungan for writing such a sage, concise prescription for our self-inflicted woes: Share, Save, Spend.

This 238 page book is loaded with the facts we all need to intelligently make final arrangements for our loved ones, or pre-need for ourselves. Everyone should read this book as it guides you and makes it easier for you to make funeral arrangements. It will help you arrange for the most appropriate funeral cost-effectively, and you'll avoid the pitfalls that can occur at your time of need. Major topics include: Caskets, embalming, vaults, visiting the mortuary, memorial gardens, FTC rules, paying for the funeral, how to deal with the funeral director and more. It exposes rip-offs, and exposes some of the tactics used that can result in your spending more than is necessary. Most funeral directors are very helpful and honest at your time of need. This book will help you make the decisions that must be made. It is written by someone well experienced in the field, and is written honestly and with wit. You will gain by reading this book. It WILL help you get through a difficult period.

I quite enjoyed this book. I have been interested in the funeral industry as my father was once a mortician. I believe that anyone who wants to educate themselves about the industry should read this expose.

Profits of Death is tremendously well-written and presents important information that affects each of us at some point in our lives. No one wants to think about death, but Darryl presents his information in an empowering, yet "light" and somewhat entertaining manner. A must read for everyone! Darryl not only provides readers with insights into what goes on when you plan a funeral, but provides specific tips to prevent one from being scammed.

I have read quite a few materials on education related issues in India. Most of the literature is either quite dry or full of anecdotes and no data, or focused on specific area/issues. The PROBE report is different.

It is an easy to read, lively presentation of the current knowledge and understanding of issues relating to children's education in India. The authors examine the problem as a whole: ie. what does it take to educate a whole population? What has been done so far? What is education? What are the key challenges? How well are the teachers trained? Do rural parents actually value education?

The primary source is a survey of the BIMARU states (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan & UP) and Himachal Pradesh. But it also includes insights from a range of sources such as dissertations (Nidhi Mehrotra) to leading social workers (Mrs. Shantha Sinha) to NGOs (Eklavya in MP) to governement officials. To understand why some states (eg. Himachal) are succeeding, while others are not, they compare the story of Himachal Pradesh with those of BIMARU states. Key factors that lead to positive results are identified.

A must read for anyone intersted in basic education.

This is a highly unusual and readable report. It comes from India,researched and written by Indians who evidently care deeply about how their country fares and how their children do. But what it says it applies to the universal issues of basic education that are asked just about anywhere in the world. So anyone who wants to move beyond the "oh isn't it terrible?" mode to the "how to fix it?" mode will find this book worth reading. The report is really well researched for the five states of India which are its focus: Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. But its power is not in its numbers, nor in the rehash of what "we know". Many other documents, such as World Bank documents, might do a more complete job of that. Its power is in the freshness and the passion coming out of the field investigations. Indias poor "shine through". We hear them speak in their own voice. And it is not just a keening about problems. It is a focussed and powerful statement of where the solutions are and how to get at them. It looks intensely at pockets of success and really asks, "why is that so?". This approach works in this report.

The Public Report on Basic Education in India (PROBE Report) must be the best and most genuine overall account of the state of basic education in the BIMARU states (Bihar, MP, Rajasthan, & UP) of India. The Report is based on a field-survey carried out by a team of investigators in the last few months of 1996. Simply put, I believe it is an absolute must for anybody interested in India's educational backwardness, and indeed anybody interested in the problem of development generally. The Report gives substance to a lot of what most people vaguely 'know' about the problems with rural elementary education. It ends up making a strong and very valid plea for, among other things: forming an effective lobby for rural and basic education; raising state investment in basic education; raising the awareness & improving the attitude of urban elites and middle classes and (ironically enough) the media to basic education issues; increasing the accountability of teachers; drastically improving school infrastructure; changing pedagogical styles; recognizing and overturning the elite bias of school curricula; making students less alienated from the educational environment; making basic education a participatory process between the students, their families, the teachers, and the community; and giving more value to the work of teachers and helping them overcome the manifold frustrations they face in their work. One thing the Report stresses is the benefits of making basic education a Fundamental Right rather than merely a constitutional directive.

A mere summary will not do justice to the Report - reading it is important because it not only provides detailed information, but it also hits one hard. However, here I will just point out some facts and myths about elementary education, as mentioned in chapter 2.

Fact 1: Low Achievements: Half the country's population (61% males, 36% females) cannot read or write. Less than 30% of adults have completed 8 years of schooling. Female literacy rates in India are much lower than in sub-Saharan Africa.

Fact 2: High disparities: By region, class, caste, gender (an extreme eg: literacy rates for an urban male from Kerala is 96%, and literacy rates for rural SC females in Rajasthan is 5%). Only 5 countries have higher male-female literacy gap than India - and Rajasthan alone has a larger population than these countries combined.

Fact 3: Slow progress: The increase of literacy rates is so slow that the absolute number of illiterate persons is still rising with each year.

Fact 4: State inertia

Myth 1: Parents are not interested; Myth 2: Child labor is the main obstacle; Myth 3: Elementary education is free; Myth 4: Schools are available.

One final word about the Report: it combines reasonable academic rigor with personal narratives, so that it is pitched at both the academic and the layman.

Beyond a "Must-Read"--this is a "Must-Do" personal coaching workbook. As a counselor in educational placement, I develop interview tip sheets, classroom seminars and conduct mock interviews for student teachers. This book does more. It walks you through sample interviews and shows you how to "work the questions." The authors clarify the interview process for inexperienced candidates, and provide the tools for anyone (even other-than-teacher job seekers) to interview with confidence and professionalism.

"Succeeding at your interview" is a good resource for anyone entering the field of education. This book gives the reader a step by step guide for achieving a teaching position in the school of his or her choice. Expert guidance is provided on preparing an application, presenting yourself as a professional, and evaluating an interviewer's questions. In addition, the scenario sessions are an excellent tool to avoid being caught unprepared for an interview question. I plan on recommending this book to all of the teachers I know. This would be a great gift for a recent college graduate, or a seasoned professional who is changing career paths.

I have taught in a suburban New York school system for 35 years and have served on many interviewing teams. Review of questioning techniques and the interview scenarios can be a great help to teachers and administrators on these teams. But it is especially valuable to the prospective teacher who after reading and studying "Succeeding at Your Interview" will be prepared to face any setting or question posed at an interview. This ability means SUCCESS!

The prospective teacher will gain confidence by becoming familiar with the variety of interview formats. The 5 scenarios are-
1. An Initial School Based One to One Interview
2. An Initial Interview with a School Based Team
3. A District Based Interview with Several Principals
4. A School Based Interview with Role Playing
5. A School Based Interview with a Demonstration Lesson

Becoming familiar with the varied possibilities can prevent being caught off guard and will present a secure, confident candidate.
The reader is exposed to interviewers' questions and techniques in evaluating them. There are 7 issues that are usually discussed in interviews. These issues are reviewed with practice exercises. The questions covered are on the topics of-
1. Yourself
2. Learning Principles
3. Supporting Learning
4. Impressions of Teaching
5. Classroom Lessons
6. Personal Approaches
7. Your Questions

This book also provides guidance with gathering information about potential teaching positions, organizing the application process and suggested readings.

"Succeeding at Your Interview" is a most valuable tool for the prospective and experienced teacher before interviewing for a position as well as for the teacher on the team involved in the interviewing process. Get this book for success!

I recently purchased and read Mr. Millbower's marvelous book on integrating music into adult learning. So many trainers attempt to apply techniques that are aimed at enhancing their programs, only to fall short because there is not solid research behind their strategies. Lenn suceeds in bringing theory to life.
He has effectively incorporated his professional and academic training in music into the learning process. Through many real-world examples, listings of actual songs that trainers can use in their programs, and down-to-earth explanations, he has provided a valuable training reference.
Shortly after reading the book, I had an opportunity to see Lenn do a presentation on the book's topic for a local professional group. His humor, technique, presentation style (using a variety of music) were fantastic and he received many cudos from audience members. He really brought his book content to life and showed how effectively trainers can use music to tap into attendee emotion and past learning. I know that even though I write and present on creative training and brain-based learning topics, I picked up a number of new strategies and ideas to incorporate music into my own future presentations.
This book is a "must have" for any professional trainer or educator who is serious about enhancing his or her learning environment.

Reviewed by John Garrison, PhD, MPH Senior Psychologist, Lahey Clinic, Burlington MA Assistant Clinical Professor (Psychiatry), Tufts University Medical School. Reprinted with permission of NAMC, managed by and located at Stewart Communications, Ltd., Chicago, IL

Earlier this year I was invited to speak on the topic of stress as part of an all-day continuing education program for nurses. Having been assigned the dreaded presentation slot immediately following lunch, I was considering the potentially soporific effect of my 45-minute psychophysiology lecture on the audience's postprandial state! I doubted that even my jazzy PowerPoint presentation with video assists would be up to the challenge.

Then I recalled having read a suggestion for using music to counter audience drowsiness after a meal. I flipped open Lenn Millbower's slim but thought-provoking volume, Training with the Beat. Based on the author's recom-mendation, I played an audiocassette of a Brahms Sonata for about 15 minutes as the audience filed back into the auditorium after their lunch. To my surprise, the listeners appeared quite alert during the presentation, and several spontaneously commented on the pleasing impact of the music. Since then, using Millbower's guidelines, I've begun selectively to add music to many of my presentations with pleasing results.

This book, written by a professor who is also a business trainer and musician, is a theory and research-based (but practical) "how-to" guide for speakers, trainers, and educators who wish to use instrumental and vocal music to enhance the learning potential and entertainment value of their presentations. Much like employing a graphic to make a point in a slide presentation, a presenter might choose a recording of a musical piece to produce any one of a number of effects such as developing a positive learning environment, creating a sound metaphor for an idea, or transporting the audience to a different time and place.

Designed for the scholarly but non musician reader, Training includes criteria for selecting specific music to meet the requirements posed by particular situations and audiences - for example, a baroque instrumental to establish a mood or a vocal to create a metaphor for learning. Those doubtful that music holds amazing persuasive power need go no further than radio and TV advertisements for evidence to the contrary. Citations ranging from The Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience to Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology are included for those readers requiring additional documentation. The book includes comprehensive listings of CDs/audiocassettes organized into a matrix of recommended applications simplifying choice. Legal and copyright considerations are addressed in the final chapter As the author notes at the end of this work, music does not replace effective lecturing but adds a powerful tool to the presenter's repertory. Speakers, trainers, and educators may all find something of value here.

What emotions does your favorite song bring to mind? Beethoven called music "the mediator between the life of the senses and the life of the spirit." Lenn Millbower's "Training With a Beat: The Teaching Power of Music" talks about what music is, how we process it, its effects upon us, and how we can use it to enhance adult learning. Aimed at corporate trainers, presenters, and educators, it will also be helpful for anyone in business who wants to enhance meetings or brainstorming sessions with music, as well as anyone wanting to learn about music and its influence on our ability to learn.

Among the types of music particularly good for learning are Baroque, because its rhythm closely matches that of the human heart in a restful state, and Mozart, which is currently being touted as being beneficial to infant development. It is in this state that the brain is most receptive to learning.

Drawing on his backgrounds in training and professional musicianship, Millbower writes concisely, making brain theory and music theory understandable to all readers, gives examples, and illustrates his points with entertaining stories. The text also practices the principles of good teaching in other ways: summarizing key points as you go and providing helpful graphics, such as a chart of specifically how different types of music can be used in training.

He includes a fun list of popular music organized by business-related topic that trainers can use to introduce or close segments of programs: "That's What Friends Are For" for teamwork, "Call Me" for customer service, and "We Can Work It Out" for stress management. No book about music use would be complete without a section on copyright law, which explains the user's obligations.

Overall I'd recommend this book because, as they used to say on "American Bandstand," it's got a good beat and you can dance to it.

I cannot imagine WRITING an e-learning proposal of any kind without reading this knowledgeable book. The relationship between implementing enterprise and vendor is the fulcrum of a effective program, and this book will increase the odds of success, not just in finding the right partner and structuring the right arrangement, but rolling out the right work.

I also like how honest Kapp is in dealing with the fact that, while meeting the customers' needs is paramount, that does not mean the customer is always right.

This book is for anyone who expects to make it in the business world and be successful at winning customers for e-learning accounts. The steps in the book guide the user how to put together a proposal that will get business for you. I found the book very useful to write a proposal and give a presentation that will make anyone stand out from the competition. Dr. Kapp makes it easy to understand in a step-by-step approach. If anyone wants to be successful in the field of e-learning, this book is a must have.

The book details each of the steps involved in responding to an RFP. From analyzing the RFP, researching and preparing the written proposal, its submission and finally presenting it to your potential client.

The book is very practical in its structure - a chapter dedicated to each section of a proposal. Chapters begin with 'Why this section is needed' which provides a complete rationale for including that section in your proposal. For most of us on the team who were new to proposal writing, this was helpful in developing an appreciation and correct orientation to the proposal writing process. This is followed by a detailing of what content should, and more importantly should not, go into the section. Finally there are examples culled from RFP's. The examples, both good and bad, were a great springboard to begin writing our own proposal.

I would draw special attention to the 'Defining the Problem' chapter. Following the 'Requirements Matrix' the 'Thought Provoking Questions' and included sample 'Problem Definition Worksheet' helped us identify and home in on the 'problem'. This is perhaps by far the most critical aspect of the proposal writing process. I would suggest taking this chapter seriously.

At another level, having the book around cut short many debates and disagreements within the team about how to go about a certain issue. It helped us stay focused.

On the whole this book is a very practical guide to complete the task at hand. I recommend it highly.

Bernstein's series of books are the best tax guides of any sort that I have encountered. They would be useful to any taxpayer but are absolutely essential for academics. Even if you don't want to do your own taxes, the books help you understand how to reduce your tax liability. He only publishes new editions when there are major changes in the tax law, so sometimes a few years pass before a new edition comes out.

Back in 1991-92, my husband and I went to Japan for a sabbatical. At that time, the 1992 edition of the Tax Guide was an invaluable help to us. The amounts which can be used for deductions each day, simply because you eat and work in another country, are very surprising indeed. We saved $9,000 that year, largely because of deductions outlined in this book.

In August we shall be leaving for another sabbatical, this time in India. There is no question that we will leave the Tax Guide with our tax preparer again just as we did previously. The economic benefits are too great to lose. Most tax accountants are unaware of the deductions allowed college professors during sabbatical leaves. This book outlines them succinctly.

J. Smith, McPherson, KS.

These small booklets give a great deal of information. I certainly learned several new rules of ettiquette! The size of the booklets are perfect--light to carry, not overwhelming and easy to reference. My thanks to the author for writing such helpful guides!

Ms. Brody's book is a must-read for anyone who strives to be a consummate professional. My favorite sections were in the chapters on how to navigate the business meal and what are appropriate items of clothing to wear for "business casual" days.