Vest Pocket Business, The New International Webster's

Book Description

This straight forward Business guide offers an alphabetical listing of common business terms and frequently used abbreviations with clear explanations as to their meaning. It also includes a reference guide to International time zones and currencies.

Book Description

Dramatically reframing the debate on education in America, Making the Grade, shows why today's test-driven reforms will fail and points the way toward a system that benefits all students.
One of America's most compelling voices for education reform and a long-time teacher, Tony Wagner argues that Bush's efforts to increase schools' "accountability" - narrowly defined as more high-stakes, multiple-choice tests - are sabotaging both teachers' and students' drive to achieve. Worse still, the tests are diverting our schools from teaching what matters most for success and happiness in adult life: good work habits, motivation, curiosity, and respect.
Should schools teach values? What role should tests play in the system? How do we motivate students?
These are the fundamental questions around which Wagner shapes a strategy for reform. These schools he calls New Village Schools, are centered on "the 4 C's": competency-based curriculum, core values, collaboration, and community.
To truly reinvent American education, he argues, we must stop the senseless pursuit of facile answers to standardized test questions. Instead we must ensure that all students have the skills and values they need for work and citizenship in a rapidly changing world.

Customer Reviews:

Glad I waded through the pedagogic pap.......2002-08-12

After the de rigeur citations of every great thinker from Einstein to Jean Piaget, Wagner finally gets on with letting us know what he thinks. His own thoughts are good enough that he didn't need to lean on current heavies from Harvard or big names from bygone eras.

His point is that standardized tests aren't the answer, but before we deal with them we need to focus on the problem they address. Are kids getting what they need out of school? What can and should be expected from them? Are schools organized optimally to deliver education?

His assessment of the need: Kids need the basics -- reading, writing and arithmetic. Today's kids need a richer dose of the following: 1) exposure to adults, along with understanding and approval; 2) ability to work in teams; 3) training in citizenship. He relates the need to the labor marketplace in which workers increasingly need to work with and exchange ideas. He says that what they need is "Emotional Intelligence," one of those trendy concepts that has so swept the pedagogues that the latest evidence of my fossil status my 13-year-old has dug up is a lack of "EQ." However trendy, it remains true that kids need to be socialized, though I can't imagine it ever being unimporant.

Wagner recognizes that standard tests do not measure kids' individuality. They learn differently. They have different abilities to learn. Furthermore, teachers aren't robots. Different teachers have differing approaches. He recommends that parents have the freedom to choose schools that are appropriate to the needs of their children. He provides strong evidence that it can be done within the context of a public school system.

One of the strongest points Wagner makes is that a teacher's effectiveness is related to the amount of respect they get from their employer and the extent to which they can choose their own teaching style and materials. I know this first hand as a private school trustee, parent and substitute teacher. Teachers want to teach. They are passionate about it when the materials are their own, when they can talk with collegues about the best ways to teach, to integrate curriculum, to reach a certain kid, and so on. The passion dies when they are told that all 10th graders in California will cover pages 38-50 of Silas Marner on October 15.

Wagner's best point goes to organization. State school superintendents and elected boards of education know more about politics than they do education. Schools need to be small (400 kids or less), largely autonomous (set their own curriculum, choose their own materials), and supported by parents (free to choose which among several public schools best suits their children's needs). Parents who have a say in the school will become involved. Teachers who see the same kids over a period of years, and see maybe 40 instead of 150 different faces over the course of a day, will know more about those kids and be better able to help them.

Wagner cites a lot of evidence that smaller schools do not cost more than big ones. Classes may be smaller, but the need for security, counseling and other types of specialists decreases when teachers and administrators know the kids personally. As private school parents already know.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from ETC.: A Review of General Semantics, published by International Society for General Semantics on March 22, 2003. The length of the article is 420 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Making the Grade: Reinventing America's Schools.(Book Review) (book review)
Author: Martin H. Levinson
Publication: ETC.: A Review of General Semantics (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2003
Publisher: International Society for General Semantics
Volume: 60 Issue: 1 Page: 98(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Operations management is a subject whose content, boundaries and importance have changed considerably over the last few years. The development of new areas such as total quality management (TQM), just in time (JIT), benchmarking and manufacturing strategy has created a new approach and definition of the subject. Scholars, practitioners and those new to the field need to have a clear definition and understanding of the terms, topics and techniques it now embodies.

The Blackwell Encyclopedic Dictionary of Operations Management provides clear, concise and informative definitions and explanations of the key concepts and issues. The dictionary includes entries which are carefully selected to: Treat all types of business whether they are service or manufacturing based.Represent the best in applied yet academically rigorous explanations of the ways in which the field contributes to the competitiveness of businesses.Include the latest research to represent current thought in the field.Take a conceptual approach to draw out the fundamental ideas that support the subject. The contributions have been commissioned from an international team of authors, all of whom are authorities in their field.

Every entry in the dictionary is accessible without compromising scholarly accuracy. The Blackwell Encyclopedia Dictionary of Operations Management is destined to become the standard comprehensive reference work for teachers, practitioners, researchers and students in this field.

Customer Reviews:

Concise and useful.......2000-09-16

This book was written in the UK but it stands the test of universal applicability. I'm impressed with the remarkable thoroughness for what is otherwise a modest sized book. The multiple authors know their stuff and have done a good job of distilling the key points. Also, I'm impressed with thier presentation of multiple viewpoints on term meanings, and every topic has a brief bibliography for more info.

Some readers may be disappointed that "hot" topics are missing, such as ERP and "Lean" but the underlying concepts, as they apply to operations, are covered nicely.

And, I'm a bit bemused by their windy and vague definition of "operations management" but on the other hand, I haven't seen or heard anything better anywhere else. Example: "operations management....is concerned with the task of managing the arrangement of resources in an organization which are devoted to the production of goods and services." OK, accurate but not very useful. But there's more, and this little excerpt is just an odd exception. Good reference. I'm happy with the purchase.

Average customer rating:

Winning Stitches: Hand Quilting Secrets, 50 Fabulous Designs, Quilts to Make

inspiring

Winning Stitches: Hand Quilting Secrets, 50 Fabulous Designs, Quilts to Make
Elsie M. Campbell
Manufacturer: C&T Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Sewing | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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Quiltmaking by Hand: Simple Stitches, Exquisite Quilts

Learn to do Hand Quilting in Just One Day (4173)

That Perfect Stitch

Flawless Hand Quilting

Applique Masterpiece Little Brown Bird Patterns: Little Brown Bird Patterns

ASIN: 1571202250

Book Description

Winning Stitches provides the secrets necessary to master beautiful hand quilting, including foolproof techniques for marking quilting designs and stitching heirloom-quality quilts. Two start-to-finish quilting projects, with step-by-step, full-color photographs, show quilters how to perfect their quilting stitch. Fifty fabulous designs showcase this award-winning quilter's tiny, even stitches.

Customer Reviews:

Winning Stitches: Hand Quilting Secrets, 50 Fabulous Designs, Quilts to Make .......2007-09-26

One of the best finishing books I've ever seen. The work by hand is absolutley gorgeous. A true professional we can all learn something from. Really wonderful just to look at photo's. A uniquely wonderful book.

inspiring.......2004-11-20

i had seen this book reviewed in a quilting magazine, and made a vague mental note to look into it. then, i found it at a local quilt shop, looked into it, and bought it.

the author is an award-winning quilter, and it is her work that is featured in the book. her quilts are breathtaking, varied, and beautiful. the photos and illustrations are first rate. the instructions are detailed and straight-forward. the author assumes her readers have functioning brains and the desire to learn and excel. there are instructions for specific quilts in the text and also many additional quilting designs. the author also includes suggestions for adapting designs to quilting which are very helpful.

highly recommnded.

Average customer rating:

Winning Hand Quilt
Jeanne Gretton-MacKie
Manufacturer: Quilt in a Day.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Quilts & Quilting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Textile Arts | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 092270547X

Book Description

A fascinating and well-researched look at the British motor industry which will appeal to both academic readers and practitioners alike. Why are there now no major car manufacturers in Britain? Whisler considers this and the surrounding issues, making valuable comparisons with overseas manufacturers operating both in the UK and abroad, which provide us with additional interest and insight. Based upon careful use of company archives, this book covers in particular the issues of product development, quality, design, and range, ensuring that The British Motor Industry is destined to make a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the performance of UK manufacturers.

Amazon.com

Why are people shopping, and buying, the way they do? The Soul of the New Consumer intriguingly explores today's marketplace reality, along with ways that businesses can adapt to keep pace. Authors David Lewis and Darren Bridger--chairman and head of retail research, respectively, at an international consulting firm--suggest that consumers in years past were "conformist in their purchasing patterns and motivated largely by a desire for convenience." But these days, they write, an increasing number are independent, informed, and distrustful of anything that does not ring true. Manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers hoping to stay on top of the market should therefore find their subsequent analysis and accompanying suggestions both thought-provoking and practical. They include: utilizing unique design to make products original (such as the low-priced wristwatches that grab buyers through novel appearance); spotlighting charismatic leaders to boost a company's credibility (such as Richard Branson at Virgin and Anita Roddick at The Body Shop); building trust in specific market areas and among individual consumers (through specialization and personalized messages); and striving for sincere buzz rather than phony hype (as exemplified by successful low-budget promotions for The Blair Witch Project versus failed big-dollar campaigns for Godzilla). --Howard Rothman

Book Description

The Soul of the New Consumer will revolutionize the way we think about traditional market segmentation, retailing, selling and branding.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read for Anyone in Consumer Marketing.......2002-11-18

Too many "business" books are heavy on war stories, light on principles or organizing theory. They are fun to read, but light on "so what?" Lewis and Bridger meld theory and observations from their consulting practice to offer an actionable framework for understanding the forces driving consumer preferences.

Anyone in consumer marketing will cull valuable insights from this enjoyable to read book. This book would also make an excellent supplement for an undergraduate or MBA Consumer Behavior course.

Soul.. Is A Strong Word.........2002-02-06

Enjoyed this, also enjoyed "E-Customer" and "Why They Don't Buy" by Max Mckeown. ...

Shame that more from the USA have not yet discovered this pair. The first is passionate and multi-colored, the second is comprehensive and practical. Read together they give you a superb framework for delivering the kind of CRM and Experience that customers really buy.

Fascinating & full of interesting facts.......2001-11-08

This book was a really fascinating insight into why we buy things in the age of the Internet. It answers questions like: what do people really look for when making a buying decsion? What methods of selling work best with today's sophisticated consumers? and: Does market segmentation REALLY work? The photos weren't all that great, but otherwise its a pretty excellent book.

Is there really a "new" consumer?.......2001-10-15

Fundamentally, people don't change rapidly. Wants and needs, both material and emotional remain much the same over time. A rapidly changing workplace and technological innovation that result in tried and true human wants and desires manifesting themselves in different ways. Much as air pumped into a tire simply forms the shape of the tire, needs and wants of people are conforming to technological and social change.

"The Soul Of The New Consumer" discusses this phenomena based on extensive and impressive research by the authors. In the evolving marketplace, people seek timesavings, trust, and authenticity - things people have always sought but were previously more easily obtainable. Could it be that as people strive to fill the relentless demands of these "new" consumers, they themselves become short-changed on time, trust and a feeling authenticity in what they do and who they are; then add to the cycle of depravation as they themselves begin evolve into the "new" consumer model?

As the marketplace evolves; businesses that speak honestly, listen intently, and save people time will flourish. That, in essence is the focus of this book. There is nothing new about this; it's going to take a while to figure out how to apply technology to reclaim what we had.

Consumers are Improving.......2000-12-11

According to Lewis and Bridger the educated post-modern consumer is evolving. We are moving away from the compulsion to buy what our neigbors are buying ("keeping up with the Joneses" as they used to say) and no longer like to waste money. The "New Consumer" is concerned with "authenticity." We want our consumer choices to express a unique personal style and an ethic of critical thought, social and ecological responsibility and a connection with the past.

Book Description

Information security has existed as a formal discipline since the mainframe era. Infosec, as it is sometimes called, has evolved over time and has spawned a number of formal methodologies. Universities and corporate research and development have developed several security models that have been used as a design basis for access control and trust mechanisms.

Written in user-friendly terms, but using a vocabulary that security practitioners also understand, this briefing will enable the reader to get to grips with security issues so they can make informed decisions on threats and risks facing their business.

Contents include: Security is on center stage, Threats and Vulnerabilities, Security Fundamentals - The Principles and the Mechanisms Behind Them, Security Policies and Requirements - Defining the Standard of Architecture and Behavior, Security is About People's Behavior, Protecting Corporate Information Beyond the Corporate Boundaries, Privacy, Action Items.

Average customer rating:
Enterprise Information Security: Information Security For Non-technical Decision Makers (Executive Briefings)
Peter Gregory
Manufacturer: Financial Times Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQP712

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