Encyclopedia of Associations: Geographic And Executive Indexes (Encyclopedia of Associations, Vol 2: Geographic and Executive Index)

Book Description

"The Business of Practicing Law" is a frank discussion of the inner workings and cultural milieu of the modern American law firm. The author's keen insights into the business aspects of the practice of law will fill a void in the typical attorney's legal education. The material is presented in a crisp and readable style, blended with the pertinent personal experiences of two imaginary third-year law students, culminating in their interviews with a model fictional law firm and their ultimate career choices. Every attorney who is considering practice in a law firm--and even those who have already made that choice - will benefit from Mr. Koster's cogent observations, which are based on his 35 years of practice in a variety of legal settings. He manages to convey information in a unique manner that engages the reader, illuminates aspects of the private practice of law that may come as a surprise, and forces an introspective examination of an attorney's goals and compatibility with law firm life. This book is a "must read" for law students and law firm associates.

The Business of the Practice of Law: What Every Associate Should Know about Law Firm Life

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The Business of the Practice of Law: What Every Associate Should Know about Law Firm Life

Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1418472395

Book Description

New metrics for assessing the performance and profitability of individual or multiple projects-written by the creator of the Total Project Control method.

"Critical path method needed a shot in the arm and Devaux delivers it in Total Project Control. His new book is an invaluable and much-needed advance in the art and practice of project management. Every project manager (and software developer) should read this book to understand what project management is all about."-Joel Koppelman, President, Primavera Systems, Inc.

"Devaux's Total Project Control introduces a welcome approach for managing dynamic projects from start to finish."-Janet M. Baker, PhD, Chairman and CEO, Dragon Systems, Inc.

"Finally, a major shift from traditional project management theory. Devaux slams through decades of cost/schedule fixation and completes the picture. The value concepts in Total Project Control will launch both the art and the science of project planning into mainstream business thinking."-Chip Drapeau, President and CEO, Project Software & Development, Inc.

"Total Project Control represents a comprehensive approach for orchestrating and evaluating complex projects."-Alan Trefler, CEO, Pegasystems, Inc.

"Total Project Control describes essential new tools for the project management 'power user' that are not found in your favorite project planning software. These tools will prove to be indispensable for the manager who must objectively balance complex multiproject resources."-Robert Virag, Senior Director, Research and Development, Mallinckrodt Inc.

"In Total Project Control Stephen Devaux delivers a major breakthrough-all of the tools and understanding necessary to manage enterprise-wide resources in any project-driven company."-Dr. Priscilla A. Glidden V.P. of Human Resources and Organizational Effectiveness, Abt Associates, Inc.

Customer Reviews:

Good Project Control Book.......2006-07-07

Had to buy it for a class but found it very interesting. The author is well versed in project management and he gives good advice on how to better project control and scheduling.

Some good ideas but missing critical concepts.......2003-11-22

Devaux states in the preface ... "that TPC views the entire project process, from initial conception through delivery to the customer, as a coherent whole. It offers a major improvement over traditional project management..." This appears to be restating the obvious. What professional project management process and manager would not consider all the external and internal impacts on the project success?

The book suggests that professional project managers "don't" address projects as a whole. No doubt there are examples of failure, but are these the outcome of not addressing the project as a whole? Terry Williams' text provides many references for the analysis of project failures.

It is also suggested that "traditional project management" neglects this "whole." Is this neglect a result of the failure to use the tools or training that project managers already have? Is it a failure to use the standard processes - PMBOK for example? Do project managers really need a new method, or do they simply need to use the methods, processes, and frameworks already in place as a profession. Since there obvious needs for improvement in managing project, hopefully this book will answer that question.

At a detailed level, DIPP (Devaux Index of Project Performance) and other "home brew" indices, offer little in terms of newness or business value, beyond estimates already in place. Expected Monetary Value (EMV) and "real options" theory are mature performance assessment processes. Devaux takes these concepts and uses the Estimate to Complete (ETC) in the denominator to construct his index - DIPP. DIPP is not a well behaved indicator though, generating a "divide by zero" error when the project nears its completion. This is not desirable behavior near the end of a project where careful "leading indicators" are needed to produce a "soft landing."

Another major disappointment, as mentioned above, is the complete lack of a bibliography or reference materials. It is unfathomable in today's mature project management profession that Devaux would have no documented basis for his ideas. To this point there is no reference to the Expected Monetary Value (EMV) concept or risk management using EMV. Both are mature processes in project portfolio management and the risk management associated with making decision choices in the presence of statistical uncertainty.

The core flaw in the DIPP concept is that it does not consider the sunk costs of a project in the estimate of the "project profit." By ignoring the sunk cost, or at least by not insisting it be considered, Devaux creates a unstable index of the benefits of the project. By using only the Estimate To Complete (ETC) and the Expected Monetary Value (EMV) produced by the project, the past is ignored. "Real Options" theory is a much better starting point for the goal suggested by Devaux.

For any predictor of the future, it's critical to understand the concept of a posterior statistic - one in which a revised probability is obtained after receiving new information. Instead of ignoring the past sunk costs, it should be a source of information used to forecast future outcomes.

For $89.00 I can't recommend the book. At this price point there are more mainstream works with a solid academic and field experience background.

Total Project Control - Believe It!.......2002-07-19

Total Project Control is a book that delves into the nuts and bolts of project management and delivers the goods. There are plenty of titles out there that profess to guide the reader through the maze that is project management. Even the gurus at the Project Management Institute, with the PMBOK (Project Management Body Of Knowledge) describe what the process should be but they don't give you the information to get it done. Total Project Control does.

Mr. Devaux lays his foundation firmly atop the standard principles of project management but he deftly takes you to new levels with a set of tools such as DIPP (Devaux's Index of Project Performance) that calculates the profitability of your project, as well as DRAG (Devaux's Reduced Activity Gauge) to guide you through the process of optimizing your project. Critical Path makes a lot more sense when used with DRAG. There are also tools for resourcing such as the CLUB (Cost of Leveling with Unresolved Bottlenecks) and DRED (Doubled Resource Estimated Duration) and RAD (Resource Availability Drag).

If you're serious about project manager this book is for you. I've been a professional project manager for 14 years and I was very impressed.

Unique, practical and excellent for PMOs.......2002-05-12

This book extends beyond control to encompass three important areas that begins with project selection, and adds to how projects are planned and scheduled. These areas are:
1. Set of tools and approach for governance and program management.
2. Adds profitability as a dimension to project management.
3. Proves that critical path method (CPM) is not an anachronistic technique - merely one that's misunderstood.

Governance and program management tools that the author introduces are powerful and ensure that project selection is based on profitability and business goals. While there is an entire body of knowledge on project selection techniques, what sets Mr. Devaux's approach apart is his tools are incorporated into the project management process as opposed to merely initiating it. The tools are:
* [Devaux's] Index of Project Performance (DIPP), which is one of the most powerful project selection and prioritization techniques I've encountered. DIPP is especially applicable to product-based projects because it computes the cost of lost opportunity and the impact of being late to market. For internal projects it provides a clear link to business imperatives, which can bridge the gap between IT and the business.

* [Devaux's] Removed Activity Gage (DRAG). Overlook the fact that the author loves to name techniques after himself because this is an advanced technique that accurately computes the amount of time an activity adds to a project (or can save if the activity is removed). This technique is a powerful addition to the project manager's array of tools for schedule compression and resource management.

* Doubled Resource Estimated Duration (DRED) is a measure of resource elasticity; in other words, some activity cannot be shortened by adding resources and others can. DRED allows you to determine the best use of your resources.

* Cost of Leveling with Unresolved Bottlenecks (CLUB), which is another advanced technique for schedule management, and, used in conjunction with Resource Availability Drag (RAD) and DRAG, give credence to Devaux's argument that the critical path method is a powerful element of project management.

This book also has much to offer to anyone who has just been placed in charge of a program management office (PMO). One note: Devaux is given to hyperbole at times. He makes claims that traditional project management techniques, such as earned value project management are flawed, yet he bases his approach on them. Look beyond this because his approach is powerful and works in practice.

Best book on business aspects of Project Management.......2000-12-19

I provide my cleints a copy of the book as part of each training and consulting engagement. It is the best reference for taking a systems view of their project environment. Expecially useful is the section on managing a project portfolio - no other book discusses it so well. My clients are now considering DIPP and "expected monitary value" of their projects in a portfolio for the first time. And, they are amazed they made decisions without them. Nice work Devaux!

Book Description

The volume contains the proceedings of the 6th Workshop on Model-Oriented Design and Analysis, within a series of workshops that initially had the purpose of bringing together leading scientists from Eastern and Western Europe for the exchange of ideas in theoretical and applied statistics, with special emphasis on experimental design. The participants of these workshops have developed into a community with a range of common interests that are centred around the theory and applications of optimum design of experiments. In addition to this, the volume contains a series of special papers on topics from medical and pharmaceutical statistics.

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Everyone CAN quilt with Kaye Wood!

Everyone Can Quilt With Kaye Wood
Kaye Wood
Manufacturer: Krause Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Kaye Wood's Strip-Cut Quilts: Using the 4-Angle of the Starmaker 8 Master Template

Quilts Through the Seasons: A Quilt for Each Month of the Year (Quilt in a Day)

Fast and Fun Machine Quilting

Grandma's Best Full-Size Quilt Blocks

Applique Made Easy

ASIN: 0873498127

Book Description

It?s true ? everyone can quilt! Author and avid quilter Kaye

Wood teaches her expert techniques in this fantastic new

book, guiding aspiring quilters step by step through the basics.

More experienced quilters will benefit from learning Wood?s

original ideas on making the art of quilting faster and easier,

and will enjoy the fun and unique projects featured inside.

Wood includes humorous anecdotes from her years of

experience in quilting along with a compilation of tips,

templates and techniques that she?s found to work best for

spectacular results without all the fuss. Projects range from

simple starter projects such as placemats and potholders to

more advanced finished works such as quilts and wall hangings.

Readers will learn the basics of creating rail fence, pinwheel,

9-patch and star patterns, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

Everyone CAN quilt with Kaye Wood!.......2005-05-05

"Everyone Can Quilt With Kaye Wood" offers projects and techniques that will make anyone, regardless of quilting experience, successful. With over 30 years of teaching experience and as host of her own quilt show, Ms. Wood has led thousands of quilters through the beginning steps of quiltmaking. She knows how to "make it happen" and "make it happen" she does in this delightful book.

Chapter 1 serves as an introduction and begins by helping you decide if you are a pointless quilter or a pointed quilter. Next, you'll find a list of the supplies that you will need to get started, some really good advice on how much fabric to buy and how to feed your fabric stash. All of this information is delivered with a nice blend of wit and wisdom.

There are over 20 projects included in the book ranging from "No Problem" quilts to more complicated star patterns. There are small quilts, large quilts, pillows, potholders, and table toppers. All patterns have accuracy built in to the construction process, making them virtually fool-proof. If you've ever watched "Kaye's Quilting Friends" on television, you've seen her use her Starmaker rulers to simplify the construction of her star blocks. For the star patterns in the book, Ms. Wood has included templates that will allow you to make your own Starmakers. You can also purchase the Starmakers from her website.

As a bonus, there are lots of great tips, humorous stories, and photographs from the author's long career as a quilt teacher and television personality that will have you chuckling while you are learning.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is just learning to quilt, or who wants to learn an easier way to make star quilts. I have no doubt that everyone CAN quilt with this wonderful book from Kaye Wood.

Amazon.com

In the opening pages of Flawed Giant, readers meet a downtrodden politician whose greatest ambition--the presidency--is tantalizingly close but seemingly out of reach. JFK's elder by almost 20 years, Johnson was a reluctant and unenthusiastic vice president. When he finally realized the office, his satisfaction there was marred by his difficulty in reconciling his deeply held beliefs and political expediency. In this sequel to the critically acclaimed Lone Star Rising, biographer Robert Dallek concentrates on Johnson's White House years. In addition to expertly covering the major events of Johnson's presidency, Dallek probes lower-profile episodes that help expose Johnson's character. His agonizing search for a vice president in 1964 is one such example--in order to salve his ego, Johnson was adamant that he should win reelection without a Kennedy on the ticket and resisted both the Democratic party and Robert Kennedy right up until the convention.

Dallek is skilled at laying bare the man's complicated and even contradictory nature. At diplomacy, Johnson often seemed like a loud, brash American, yet successful trips to Southeast Asia and Africa as vice president prove his occasional adroitness in this area. One of Johnson's Achilles' heels, it seems, was paranoia; a firm believer in the fact that knowledge is power, Johnson rarely communicated his true intentions or feelings, even to his closest confidants or cabinet members, until the last. And he secretly tape-recorded thousands of conversations with people at all levels of government. Dallek avers that Johnson's impenetrability is the reason why much of his action on Vietnam defies explanation. And the dark cloud of the war now largely obfuscates Johnson's impressive congressional record. Careful to neither vilify nor deify his subject, Dallek devotes large sections of the book to both Vietnam and Johnson's major accomplishments in the area of reform and funding for programs such as civil rights, Medicare, clean air and water, the NEA, public broadcasting, and food stamps.

This engrossing biography is peppered throughout with snippets of its subject's trademark: colorfully idiomatic speech that brings him vibrantly to life. Based upon exclusive interviews with Lady Bird Johnson and Bill Moyers, as well as recently released papers and transcripts, Dallek's biography is a major contribution to the collective understanding of this man whose passions had a major impact on American society.

Book Description

Lone Star Rising, the first volume in Robert Dallek's biography of LBJ, was hailed as "a triumphant portrait of Lyndon Johnson as rich and oversized and complex as the nation that shaped him." Now, in the final volume, Dallek takes us through Johnson's tumultuous years in the White House, his unprecedented accomplishments there, and the tragic war that would be his downfall. In these pages Johnson emerges as a character of almost Shakespearean dimensions, a man riddled with contradictions, a man of towering intensity and anguished insecurity, of grandiose ambition and grave self-doubt, a man who was brilliant, crude, intimidating, compassionate, overbearing, driven: "A tornado in pants." Drawing on hundreds of newly released tapes and extensive interviews with those closest to LBJ--including fresh insights from Ladybird and his press secretary Bill Moyers--Dallek takes us behind the scenes to give us a portrait of Johnson that is at once even-handed and completely engrossing. We see Johnson as the visionary leader who worked his will on Congress like no president before or since, enacting a range of crucial legislation, from Medicare, environmental protection, and the establishment of the National Endowment of the Arts and Humanities to the most significant advances in civil rights for black Americans ever achieved. And we see for the first time the depth of Johnson's private anguish as he became increasingly ensnared in Vietnam, a war he did not want to expand and which destroyed his hopes for The Great Society and a second term. Exhaustively researched and gracefully written, Flawed Giant reveals both the greatness and the tangled complexities of one of the most extravagant characters ever to step onto the presidential stage.

Customer Reviews:

A dry take on a fascinating time.......2005-12-04

I sped through last year reading all three mammoth books in Robert A. Caro's Pulitzer Prize-winning LBJ biography series, and found them an incredibly readable, detailed portrayal of a man who was half megalomaniac, half incredibly gifted politician, a complex American Shakespearean character whose presidency crumbled into self-induced tragedy. Caro hasn't written the final book in his series yet concentrating on LBJ's presidency, so I decided to check out a competing LBJ biography by Dallek focusing on those years. And it's solid history, with great insight into LBJ's character and the disastrous decisions he made in Vietnam that undermined all the powerful social changes he achieved in civil rights and Medicare. Yet "Flawed Giant" is also kind of a slog, which Caro's books weren't. I can't quite put my finger on it, but Dallek lacks the fluid prose, deft research into place and era, and storytelling talent that Caro brought to LBJ - I was able to read hundreds of pages about dry as toast subjects like congressional redistricting and vote tallies and found them compelling reading under Caro. Yet here, I ended up getting bored silly by Dallek's bland recitation of the ups and downs of Vietnam, which you think would be interesting stuff. Dallek is a bit more even-handed in his appreciation of LBJ than Caro, but it just all felt a little too much like work. Guess it goes to show that it's as much in the storyteller as it is in the story. I'll be eagerly awaiting Caro's take on this same era, whenever it comes out.

Greatness and Disenchantment.......2005-11-16

Robert Dallek completes his two volume biography of Lyndon B. Johnson with "Flawed Giant". Its a well written book that tells the story of a brilliant politician who is overwhelmed and outmatched by events he failed to anticipate.

The book begins with Johnson in the unhappy position of serving as Vice President under John F. Kennedy. A most difficult place for a man of Johnson's ego and stature to find himself. Nevertheless, Johnson struggles and does the best he can with this job obtaining recognition in his efforts to further U.S. diplomacy abroad and advance the space program.

On November 22, 1963, President Kennedy is assassinated and Johnson becomes President. No one could ever accuse Johnson of not seizing the moment and this he does masterfully. Within a year, he obtains passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and a number of domestic initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and improving quality of life for Americans that become known as the "Great Society". Johnson's accomplishments as President all took place during the first two years of his presidency. Some of those accomplishments include the Head Start Program for disadvantaged children, a federal student loan program for college students, the Job Corps program for kids who dropped out of school, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which enfranchised millions of blacks, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Medicare.

Johnson proves his skill as a politician by defeating opponent Barry Goldwater with almost 62% of the vote in the 1964 election. Unfortunately, these same skills waned as time went on. By the end of 1965, the positive accomplishments of the Johnson Presidency had come to an end. Johnson inherited the Vietnam War from his predecessor, John F. Kennedy. However, he made a series of mistakes after doing so. First, he concluded that America had to hold onto South Vietnam and prevent a "take over" by the North. He never grasped that the conflict was not an attack by the communist world upon the free world, but simply a regional civil war that had gone for decades. Second, he failed to grasp early on that the conflict was not winnable by conventional means, so he committed 500,000 American soldiers. Third, he failed to understand that the American people wouldn't stand idly by for years supporting such a war with no measurable progress being made. Fourth, he failed to consider steps such as simply withdrawing when it did become apparent that the war was unwinnable.

As the Johnson Presidency unfolds, the accomplishments of the Great Society are overwhelmed by the Vietnam War. Johnson finally realizes his mistake at the end of his presidency. He announces he won't run again and initiates peace talks with North Vietnam.

One must look at Johnson carefully and not jump to conclusions. He was a complicated man who did much good during his presidency. Sadly, though, he will most likely be remembered for the Vietnam War which cost America 58,000 lives.

Well written, comprehensive, and timely but depressing.......2005-09-08

Over the last several years I've read more than 30 presidential biographies, usually letting Amazon reader's guide me to the best choice. While I would place Dallek's LBJ Volume 1 in the top five presidential biographies, Volume two is not quite in the same class. Dallek continues to write well, and I think he presents a complex man and a very difficult time in a balanced way. But over half of this biography details the morass of Viet Nam, and it is truly depressing to read as Johnson and his advisers relentlessly lead the country over the cliff.

During the first two years of LBJ's presidency he led the US Congress to pass some of the most significant legislation in our history - Medicare, greatly increased low income housing, legal aid, increased funding for education and student loans, the most important civil rights legislation of the 20th Century, and the Great Society legislation, a muddled effort to end poverty.

Then, slowly and inexorably LBJ took the US deeper and deeper into Viet Nam. Dallek argues that whatever other geo-political factors were involved, LBJ's drive to be a great president and his fear of failing made the Viet Nam catastrophe inevitable. Johnson simply could not admit to being the first president to lose a war, he couldn't cope with the reality of the corruption of Viet Nam's leadership, and he couldn't stand to be honest in telling the American people just how poorly the war was going. Dallek presents a president who was increasingly paranoid of a nonexistent communist menace influencing the anti-war movement and of Bobby Kennedy leading JFK's ghost to steal LBJ's legacy.

Today, there are numerous editorials comparing the war in Iraq to Vietnam (or denying any comparison). I've yet to see an article comparing President Bush to LBJ, and in most ways they are polar opposites. Still, this biography is very timely. There are unmistakable similarities between America's descent into the two wars, Iraq and South Viet Nam's lack of resources to provide leadership to their own people, our leaders' reluctance to level with the US, the isolation each president sought to avoid criticism, and a society that was so polarized by other issues that it is somehow ok to not take an objective look at the facts of the war.

Johnson Placed the USA Squarely in the Vietnam Morass.......2005-05-15

Capt. Lance Sijan, USAF Medal of Honor winner, was tortured to death while a captive in a North Vietnam prison. Gerry Coyle, Army PFC, died in Tay Ninh . Bill Fahey, Marine PFC, died in Quang Tri . Leo Matylewicz, an Army Spec 4, had his body literally blown to pieces in Kontum. Dave Rozelle was killed in Quang Tri while a Marine Lance Corporal. Tom Malloy, Army Spec 4, died in Bien Hoa. Mike Turose's body was never recovered for a return home or even a burial when his F-4 was shot down over North Vietnam. Dick Christy was killed over Cambodia when his forward air control aircraft was shot down. Mike Bosiljevac's remains were not recovered until Vietnam opened up to allow forensic search teams years after the war was over - 20 years after he was shot down over North Vietnam. Mike Blassie's remains were placed in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. in 1998 DNA testing identified the remains as Mike. He had been shot down over An Loc.
Why do I list these men killed in Vietnam as the introduction to this review of Robert Dallek's biography of Lyndon Johnson - "Flawed Giant"? Because Lyndon Johnson as President of the United States from Jack Kennedy's assassination until 1968 might as well have pulled the trigger or pressed the button that sent them to their deaths. Jane Fonda may have posed on the North Vietnamese anti-aircraft weapons but Lyndon Johnson placed those men in harm's way - for no reason other than his fantastic ego. Let me quote Dallek's afterword:
"Vietnam was a larger mistake. It was the worst foreign policy disaster in the country's history. Aside from the sacrifice of the many brave men and women who lost their lives or suffered because of the conflict, there seems nothing heroic about the struggle. ... Vietnam was a morass. The battlefield clashes and constant discussions in Washington and Saigon about the war were a confusion leading nowhere. ... the planning for Vietnam led to unproductive commitments in what came to seem like an open-ended conflict.
...
"The principal products of administration discussions about the fighting were false hopes, self-generated illusions, and paranoid fears of domestic opponents, who were not the Communist dupes Johnson believed them to be but men and women devoted to the national security and well-being as anyone in the government and military."
"Johnson knew from the first that he might be pursuing a losing case in Vietnam."
"Even less flattering to LBJ is the reality that he also pursued the war for selfish motives. To admit failure on so big an issue as Vietnam would have been too jarring to Johnson's self-image as a can-do leader."
During the 1964 presidential campaign when Johnson ran against Goldwater, one of the Democrat slogans was "If you vote for Goldwater your sons will be in Vietnam." Well, my parents voted for Goldwater and I ended up in Vietnam.
This book covers the years from 1961 to Johnson's death in 1973. Of course there is more than Vietnam. Johnspn's outstanding record on civil rights is well covered. But, for me, I cannot help but think about being in the Boy Scouts with Mike Turose and wondering what our futures would be after we got out of engineering school. Fortunately for me. I ended up with a future. Thanks to Lyndon Johnson, Mike didn't.

Lack of true leadership.......2005-03-22

Dallek presents a sympathetic yet accurate portrait of Johnson's time in the White House. I was amazed at the weight given to political considerations by Johnson and his administration. Johnson's focus on his Great Society programs and re-election trumped his concerns over American men sacrificing their lives in Vietnam. The lasting impression I got from Johnson's handing of Vietnam was that he was completely befuddled and hoped the problem would resolve itself with the insertion of more men and more money. Grave foreign crisis require leaders. Unfortunately for the people of America, Johnson was not up to the task. Dallek's portrait of Johnson shows a President unwilling (or unable?) to make the hardest decisions in the realm of foreign affairs.

Flawed Giant Lyndon Johnson and His Times 1961-1973

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Flawed Giant Lyndon Johnson and His Times 1961-1973
Robert Dallek
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MMP2B8

Lyndon Johnson And His Times 1908-1960 Lone Star Rising & 1961-1973 Flawed Giant

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Lyndon Johnson And His Times 1908-1960 Lone Star Rising & 1961-1973 Flawed Giant
Dallek Robert
Manufacturer: The Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000UIMJP6

LYNDON JOHNSON AND HIS TIMES 1961 - 1973 : Flawed Giant (LIBRARY OF THE PRESIDENTS)

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LYNDON JOHNSON AND HIS TIMES 1961 - 1973 : Flawed Giant (LIBRARY OF THE PRESIDENTS)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000E28ZVK

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Flawed Giant : Lyndon Johnson and His Times, 1961-1973
Robert Dallek
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O3W3XA

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Flawed Giant Lyndon Johnson and His Times 1961-1973
Robert Dallek
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKGHKS

Book Description

Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) has been one of the fastest growing problem areas in many disciplines. The central problem is how to evaluate a set of alternatives in terms of a number of criteria. Although this problem is very relevant in practice, there are few methods available and their quality is hard to determine. Thus, the question `Which is the best method for a given problem?' has become one of the most important and challenging ones.
This is exactly what this book has as its focus and why it is important. The author extensively compares, both theoretically and empirically, real-life MCDM issues and makes the reader aware of quite a number of surprising `abnormalities' with some of these methods. What makes this book so valuable and different is that even though the analyses are rigorous, the results can be understood even by the non-specialist.
Audience: Researchers, practitioners, and students; it can be used as a textbook for senior undergraduate or graduate courses in business and engineering.

Customer Reviews:

Worst MCDM book.......2004-10-07

I was really surprised how such a book can be published. It deals only with AHP! AHP! AHP! [If you would like to know more about Analytic Hierarchy Process[AHP] - Just buy books written by Saaty ] and very little about other decision making techniques . Triantaphyllou's book has no organization and clear structure. Believe me you will end up learning nothing from this book. There are several other good books which are available better look for it folks

A comprehensive study on AHP and other popular MCDM methods.......2001-08-10

This is a very good book for people who are involved in evaluating different alternatives and each alternative has its own strengths and weaknesses. It is also a very good reference for students and researchers who are studying/working in the area of decision analysis. It is especially useful for people who are interested in trying to find out which MCDM method is the best and who have used or intend to use the AHP method in their work or research. It has extensive and intensive coverage on the AHP method for ranking alternatives, other pairwise comparison methods for extracting weights, their shortcomings and improvement, and their comparisons with other popular MCDM methods. The discussions on the ranking abnormalities of the AHP method and its revised versions are very informative. The comparisons are supported using numerous numerical examples, the conclusions are convincing, and the contents easy to understand.

A must-read for practioners and researchers. Excellent!.......2001-07-12

I read this book with great interest. I am a Faculty Member at the New York University. This book is very clear to the point. I liked very much the in-depth analyses of many real-life MCDM issues and also the many numerical examples. The computational results are very thorough and revealing. The first book of its kind. An Excellent piece of work!!!

Comments from Dr. E. Triantaphyllou, email: trianta@lsu.edu.......2001-06-01

Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) has been one of the fastest growing problem areas during at least the last two decades. Thus, due to the importance of this field, many MCDM methods have been proposed. Ironically, often these methods contradict each other when they are posed to solve the same decision problem. This, in turn, has increased the confusion in MCDM theory and practice.

As Professor H.-J. Zimmermann from Aachen, Germany, remarked in the foreword for this book, this is exactly where this book has its focus and why it is that important: Rather than suggesting another MCDM method without any convincing justification, this book concentrates on the best known and most frequently used methods, compares them extensively and makes the reader aware of quite a number of "abnormalities" of some of the methods of which users are often not conscious. The book also considers very critically the most touchy points in solving real MCDM problems, namely, the quantification of qualitative data, how to derive relative weights of importance from ratio and difference comparisons, and also how to perform a sensitivity analysis with many MCDM methods.

This book provides a unique perspective into the core of MCDM methods and practice. Many theoretical and empirical analyses are presented and are complementary to each other. This allows the reader to gain a deep theoretical and practical insight into the topics covered in this book. In addition, the author offers at the end of each chapter and at the end of the book suggestions for further research. More information on this book can be found in the personal web site of the author which is located at the Louisiana State University in the U.S.A.

A nice book!.......2001-05-12

I enjoyed reading it! Nice exposition of the various subjects.

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