electronics-industry

The late writer-director Edward Bernds has become a familiar name to movie comedy fans, through his association with The Three Stooges, The Bowery Boys, the Blondie series, and a host of other comedy stars. But Mr. Bernds made his reputation as a recording engineer during the early-talkie years, and was the number-one sound man at Columbia Pictures until he took on more creative duties.

This book chronicles Bernds's early years, from his first radio jobs through his successful association with director Frank Capra. Bernds was a stickler for accuracy, and drew upon his old diaries to confirm his excellent memory for facts and faces. He was just as careful to spell things out for the reader, explaining a technical process or a business practice to amplify the point he was making. Bernds's attention to detail makes for good, solid reading.

This writer was disappointed that the book stops when the author stopped working as a soundman. But it's understandable because Bernds, in his thoroughness, would have written a mammoth volume if his entire career were to be discussed. Joseph McBride recognizes the "missing" material by appending a more general interview with Bernds, conducted by McBride and Leonard Maltin.

Film buffs and historians will enjoy "Mr. Bernds." For those who want Bernds's observations and recollections of his Three Stooges years, read "The Columbia Comedy Shorts" by Ted Okuda and Edward Watz.

When Hollywood first started to shine golden, Ed Bernds was there. He knew and worked with the stars, the directors and the writers, and contributed no little himself to Hollywood's Golden Age. In "Mr. Bernds Goes To Hollywood," Ed tells -- with near total recall -- of his journey to the movie capital in the earliest days of sound (which was his speciality) and of his career at Columbia Studios, the King of "Poverty Row," with the likes of Frank Capra, Clark Gable and the feared studio head Harry Cohn. In telling his story, Bernds invokes a bygone era of Hollywood glamor with an inside knowledge that few today possess. Necessary books on Hollywood are few and far between, but "Mr. Bernds Goes To Hollywood" fills the bill.

Edward Bernd's autobiography is a wonderful insight into the life and career of a Hollywood talent whose career lay behind the camera.

The book only covers the first half of his life, from his childhood in Chicago to his career as a top sound engineer at Columbia Studios. Bernds' engineering career encompassed the films of Frank Capra (Capra always requested Ed for his team), the many classics of Moe, Larry and Curly, and many major Columbia feature productions through 1945.

The reader is left wanting more, particularly the details of Bernds' new post-1945 career of writer and director for the Three Stooges, the Blondie series, the Bowery Boys and Elvis Presley. But, that's another book. Right, Ed?

The Wild West days of the dot-com craze are behind us, but e-business strategy remains a largely uncharted frontier. In fact, e-commerce seems more bewildering than ever, now that many of the strategic maxims that the Internet bubble was built on have been proved false. To help you get a handle on the revolutionary technology that has survived the collapse, Nirmal Pal and Judith M. Ray have collected articles by researchers and executives, including many from their home base, the e-Business Research Center at Pennsylvania State University. This anthology constitutes a solid and well-researched book, which has sufficient gravitas (and jargon) for an academic and enough practical information for an entrepreneur. The multiple authors sometimes overlap as they dissect various e-business approaches, but all offer worthwhile ideas. We [...] recommend this book to executives at any company, since Internet technology is now ubiquitous, and distinctions between old economy and New Economy are fast falling by the wayside.

The various authors examine "key themes" that intersect all manner of changes now occurring during what they characterize as an "information revolution": free agency, compressed supply chains, co-opetition, obliteration of boundaries, e-leadership, the elimination of hierarchies, emergence of electronic marketplaces ("bazaars"), club membership, and finally, "trust brokers" who serve as "an incentive and penalty mechanism to uphold the 'digital order' in global, real-time electronic markets." The material is presented and then developed by within 14 chapters. In Chapter 1, for example, Ghadar and Leonard "deliberate on how the digital economy is forcing a fundamental and permanent shift in the way enterprise strategies are developed, and in the process raise significant new challenges for managers. In Chapter 7, Bhargava and Lee "provide valuable insights about emerging technologies and practices that will help organizations remain open and flexible in response to the changing technological environment so that past information technology investments remain useful and valuable in the future." And in the final chapter, Loomis and Gerhard "identify several strategic issues facing executives who must lead or interact within the e-government environment." All manner of forces are driving the expansion and consequent complexity of the "digital frontier" and at an ever-increasing velocity. Here in a single source are a range and diversity of perspectives on this process. The editors are to be commended on the selection and presentation of the 14 separate but inter-related essays. I also appreciate the "About the Contributors" section which identifies dozens of supplementary sources to consult for those to wish to explore specific issues in much greater depth. Those who share my regard for this book are urged to check out Profit from the Core, written by Chris Zook with James Allen, which suggests a number of growth strategies which are also worthy of careful consideration.

This is a wonderful collection of leading edge research and practical advice from experts in the field of e-business, e-commerce, and e-"anything". The authors and editors have created a very timely set of e-business thinking, imperatives, and recommendations, as well as practical and real life examples to cement the concepts. I highly recommend this book!

This is a well written book that expertly envisions the story of Apple's early years. Rose provides an in-depth look at the people involved and draws out the fascinating stories that surround Apple's early existence. This is by far the most accessible and enjoyable account of Apple's founding. The only problem is that it was written in the early '90's and doesn't reach the amazingly entertaining last few years the company has gone through. If only Rose would write a sequel...

Incredibly fascinating book that takes you on an intense and vivid tour of how Apple was started and what went on behind the scenes. Highly readable and very tough to put down.

West of Eden reads like a novel which makes me wonder if it's all true. After having it gather dust on my shelves for years I finally decided to read it and it's fascinating. I had a hard time tearing myself away in order to get my final progamming assignment done. Whether it's all fact or not one thing's for sure: now that Steve Jobs has been back at Apple for a while I hope Mr. Rose writes a followup!

Winning the net game is an excellent book for small businesses trying to develop strategies on the web. What I found interesting is how she used a story of a family business in an effort to apply it to the real world. The information relates well to anyone that may not have a clear understanding of how the web can enhance a business' operations. Winning the net game in my opinion is a must read. I'm going to contact Caroline Howard is see if she can help my business.

This book is a "must read" for anyone thinking about starting a Web-based business. It is also good for those who currently have a Web-based business and want it to be more successful. Caroline Howard writes in a clear and concise style - and deftly covers such topics as choosing your domain name, competitive market analyses, developing an e-commerce business plan, e-tailing, peer-to-peer computing, the value chain, marketing and customer convenience. I highly recommend it!
Suzanne H. Montgomery, Ph.D.
President, Montgomery-Copley & Associates

Caroline Howard has managed to capture the absolute essence of on-line business in "Winning the Net Game". Her delightful, easy to read format packs tons of useful examples and tools into a comprehensive guide. As an entrepreneur and venture investor, this is highly recommended reading for everyone from neophytes to those seasoned at E-commerce.

Manufacturing is a combination of soft and hard skill. The soft-skill is about people and how to manage them. This skill is obvious in several text and business management book. The hard-skill, however, is quite rare. Fortunately, Wright combines it in nice -easy to read format.
The strong point of this book is "comprehensive". Wright composes his thought of manufacturing system today and projected to the future. All manufacturing processes are seamlessly combined from one chapter to another. The integration of CAD/CAM is also mentioned. In addition, his viewpoint of manufacturing system for biotechnology, nanotechnology and information technology are quite interesting -and practical.
If I have to use one book for manufacturing class, I would use this book for teaching. For anyone new to manufacturing process, this book is a must for your jorney to the manufacturing world.

This book is like a breath of fresh air - A totally new and innovative view of manufacturing. It was very different from the traditional boring and dry manufacturing texts I have been used to reading. The book takes a look not only at manufacturing processes but also other aspects like product development and business plans - parts I have not seen in any other textbook. To sum up, I would definitely recommend the book !

This book provides an excellent overview of manufacturing in the new economy. From the perspective of an entrepreneur in today's internet driven world, all aspects from product design to rapid prototyping and computer manufacturing are discussed in detail and with strong reference to the real world. In addition, conventional manufacturing processes like basic machining and metal forming, as well as fairly new industrial directions like biotechnology are outlined with an emphasis on the strong relationship between engineering and business. The book concludes with a realistic vision for the future of manufacturing, and therefore proves to be a 'must have' in the world of engineering and entrepreneurship.

I run one of those few start ups that has survivied. I've had several offers from competitors in the brick and motar world to buy my business. Some offers were very interesting and others I've since learned were less than honest. Keogh's book helps me identify good candidates for purchasing my company and shows me serious pitfalls to avoid. This is a good little book that explains all the ins and outs about e-mergers and buying and selling a company. I highly recommend this book.

I owned one of those start up dot coms that found a niche in the market and actually made a profiting when funding dried up. I had offers from a number of established traditional companies to take over my business. Fortunately, I stumbled over this book in time to avoid making potentially costly mistakes. I strongly recommend anyone thinking of selling their e-business to read this book before looking for buyers. You'll avoid a lot of pitfalls.

Ken Allard of Jupiter Media Metrix is correct when he says this book is a comprehensive guide to M&A for anyone who wants to acquire cheap assets and build a winner from the rubble. Keogh walks you through all the fine details of buying and selling a dot com. I found particularly interesting the coverage of real world experiences of those who have worked through their own deals. It's as if you're getting the how to's and what worked what to avoid all in one very readable book. Good job.

This book gave me tons of new ideas about how to shop on ebay. I didn't know that I could buy such interesting items - Pizza? It's written in an easy to read style, and I actually laughed out loud while I was reading it. Some of the stuff I knew, but I really learned a lot about the different areas of ebay that I hadn't visited before. I also found some new ideas on how to get deals. It's a fun book at a great price, I'm giving it as a holiday gift to all my friends who are always asking me about ebay.

This book is different that a lot of the other eBay stuff available. It's more like a value guide. There's a lot of insight into finding cheap prices and bidding to keep prices low in here. I especially like the insight on finding travel bargains and cheap business wear, two of my favorite things to buy on eBay.

I've been shopping on eBay (as well as Amazon :-) for years. But my mother and mother-in-law are both novices. They're always bugging me with, "What's this eBay thing? What can I get on there? My friend completed her discontinued china set on eBay.." All with the gist of "How can I do this too." As soon as I saw this book was coming out, I picked up two copies of it (mother in laws are rarely great sharers) and gave it to them. Finally! They get what eBay is all about. They know how to set up their user accounts, how the "store" is laid out, how to uncover the best deals and, most importantly for them, how to stay safe when buying on eBay. Now, they're ready to get off and running. In fact, they picked up so much great information, they even taught me a few things (no more staying up late waiting for an auction to end in order to swoop in with the best bid!) This book is great! It's an easy read, and you can jump around to find the points that are most relevant to you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to become an eBay power shopper.

A very entertaining read. Wonderful writing style. Chapters tend to be short and begin with a short quiz. The author interjects humor into what is often a boring subject. The final portion of the chapters consist of templates for use in your own work.

Very useful from a practical point of view as well. The focus of this book is on the big picture ideas. The author lays out the important conceptual steps which are vital for success. The more technical details (such as using software) are well covered in other books and this one does not go into those in detail.

Some of the great take aways from this book include; estimating the probability of success of a project, practical strategies for saving projects gone awry, how to review proposed projects before the expensive work begins.

I am glad I bought this book.

After working for various consulting companies I have discovered that the best have established processes that are based on project management and customer satisfaction, and the worst have no processes at all. This book provides a recipe from going from worst to best.

This is the second of Mr. O'Connell's books that I have read. The first was Running Successful Projects, in which he provides excellent advice on how to effectively and skillfully manage projects. In How to Run Successful High-Tech Project-Based Organizations he extends these practices to organizations, and does so by providing a step-by-step approach and a performance model that is the basis for company-wide processes.

He gives ten steps that every consulting or service company needs to incorporate, and does so in a clear and methodical manner. The steps themselves are easy, the barrier is leadership and management from the top. Unfortunately, Mr. O'Connell doesn't address how to get management on board, but that is outside of the scope of this book. My personal view is Mr. O'Connell advises and the wise will abide.

I thought that the two strongest chapters in this book were the organization-wide status report, which is sorely missing in too many companies, and the program for project-based organization. The organization-wide status report is the key to achieving teamwork because it communicates to the entire company and makes everyone a stakeholder in the company's success instead of relegating them to a cog in an impersonal machine. This, by the way, is one of the most basic tenets of good leadership, and the lack of leadership is why too many consulting companies are in chaos, have abysmal records for execution, and poor client satisfaction.

Part three of this book offers the real roadmap to success: treating your organization as a project. This is a unique approach and is really an excellent foundation for strategic and tactical planning. I saw how this aspect of Mr. O'Connell's approach provides the essence of a vision, mission statement and values.

This book, if read and taken to heart at the right level in a consulting company (or any other kind of company that delivers services), can make the difference between achieving world-class status and extinction. There would be less material for Dilbert cartoons if everyone read this book and applied the information.

Really it is a great book to read. All High-tech Project managers should read it. Easy to read, well organized, direct to the point approach, makes it an useful book.

I am reading this book as part of self-studies to understand more about business issues, especially e-commerce.

The book is good. Though I paid dearly for it ($97.00), I now think it is worth it all. Do not hesitate if you need a good book on e-commerce.

All the best!

This book is the best one on e-Commerce written so far. The logical sequence followed in the book draws the reader into each chapter, and at the end one learns even the complicated topics effectively and efficiently.

If you know nothing about e-Commerce, or consider yourself a guru in the field, you need to buy this book as a valuable future reference. Nothing to say about the online supplement of the book, which includes lots of links for those who need further research.

I teach several E-commerce Courses at a University. I am using this book in an introductory E-commerce course in a graduate MBA Program. It is great! It covers e-commerce from A to Z. It contains case studies for all of the chapters to give practical experience to each of the topics as well as well described and graphical presentations of the material. I highly recommend this book either for personal study or for course study of e-commerce.

Before taking the two A+ exams, I read this book twice, was able to answer all the practice questions in the book as well as all of the 70+ questions on the CD, not to mention the 70+ flash card questions. I had everything memorized.

But, I failed the A+ Hardware exam.

This book does NOT prepare you to take the A+ exam with all of its "helpdesk scenario" questions, such as "A client calls you and says they can boot up, but no image is appearing on the screen. Some of the possible causes are..."

This book is excellent for all around knowledge of hardware and operating systems, but it's not a good choice as an exam prep. Stick with Exam Cram.

I received this book last week, looked over it over a weekend, and signed up for the 2 new A+ exams which were available the next week. I took the A+ Core yesterday and the A+ OS today. I passed both, thanks in part to this book.

This book gets right down to the meat of it and doesn't skip a beat. As soon as you open up the book, you won't be able to put it down. It reads very nicely. But dont get me wrong, this is only intended as a review of key concepts, so you may have to go elsewhere to get certain facts.

I would highly recommend this book for those of you that don't want to spend a week reading a tome (I won't name names here... but a certain corporate giant publishes books over 1000 pages to help pass their exams... which is great, but not if you want to get your certification fast). Best of all, it has a CD with flash cards and 2 practice exams. What more can you ask for?

Here is my advice. If you are thinking about taking the exam, start with this book. It is rougly 280 pages, and it will give you an idea of what you need to study up on. Good luck!

This is a great book. It gets right to the heart of the material and tells you exactly what you need to know to pass the A+ tests. I definitely recommend this book if you're planning on taking these tests or if you're just interested in setting up and configuring computers.