Managing Core Public Services

Book Description

This major text for students of public sector management combines well-developed management theory with research from a range of countries including Germany, Holland, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden and the UK. The comparative focus highlights common problems and common factors in successful management across these countries.The author integrates three traditionally separate concepts in public sector management, arguing for the development of a different kind of management than that appropriate for private enterprise:- The notion of differential information between providers and clients in service delivery- The notion of a core public service- The notion of professionalism in service deliveryThroughout, the text focuses on how theory can be applied to management issues and practice, drawing on the direct reports and experiences of managers wherever possible and employing case studies with self-assessment questions to further understanding.Public services managers who are concerned to improve their management practice or students who are seeking to understand how the particular characteristics of core public services management shape management practice, will particularly welcome this text.

Public Health Nursing Leadership: A Guide to Managing the Core Functions

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Public Health Nursing Leadership: A Guide to Managing the Core Functions
Bobbie, Ed. Berkowitz
Manufacturer: AMERICAN NURSES ASSOCIATION
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Home & Community Care | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Management, Leadership & Administration | Nursing | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice

ASIN: 1558101551

Book Description

You will score higher. We guarantee it.

Kaplan's LSAT 2004 with CD-ROM comes complete with a comprehensive review of all the material on the exam, plus Kaplan's test-taking strategies to maximize your score. This powerful combination is a highly effective way for you to score higher on the LSAT and make you and your application competitive for law school admissions.

Succeed on the Writing Sample with Kaplan's expert strategies for constructing clear, concise, and high-scoring essays.

Prepare with hundreds of practice questions for Logic Games, Logical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension.

Practice with 5 full-length LSATs -- 3 in the book and 2 on the CD-ROM -- complete with explanations for every answer and detailed score analysis.

Score Higher with effective strategies and advice from Kaplan's top instructors.

Plus Special CD-ROM Features, Including:

Test analysis

Two full-length practice tests

Personalized study plan

Hundreds of practice questions

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Test Prep, Admissions and Guidance. For life.

Kaplan has helped more than 3 million students achieve their educational and career goals. With 185 centers and more than 1,200 classroom locations throughout the U.S. and abroad, Kaplan provides a full range of services, including test prep courses, admissions consulting, programs for international students, professional licensing preparation, and more.

For more information, contact us at 1-800-KAP-TEST or visit kaptest.com.

Customer Reviews:

Waste of Time & Money.......2004-08-28

The Kaplan LSAT 2004 focuses primarily on general LSAT strategies which will raise most student's scores by 1-2 points only, and thats assuming you are completely unfamiliar with the test. For those serious students who are generally familiar with the LSAT and willing to work hard to improve their score Kaplan and the Princeton Review are a complete waste of time and money. In some cases, such as Kaplan's method of solving Reading Comprehension questions, they are even counterproductive and can slow you down. Most students will emerge after studying the Kaplan book feeling confused and still unprepared, as I did. I strongly recommend the PowerScore books. I purchased the PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible and I am now able to work almost any logic game the LSAT can throw at me with confidence. I have also just ordered the newly released PowerScore LSAT Logical Reasoning Bible. Both of these books are expensive, they will run you about $90-$100 total but from my experience they are definitly worth it.

Not worth it..........2004-07-13

This book is only good for those who really have no idea what the LSAT is. There are only a few pages on each section... and they are not all that helpful, they just tell you what kind of questions to expect... not HOW to do well on them. There are some "steps" to approaching each type of question, but I think those will end up slowing you down rather than helping you. I took an (actual) practice test totally blind before I read the book... and took another practice test out of the book... and scored only one point higher. I am relieved to hear that others believe the questions from the Kaplan book are bizarre, because I did okay on the logic game section on the actual practice LSAT (which I took without any preparation) and then, after reading the Kaplan book, totally BOMBED the logic games section in the Kaplan's practice test. Those questions WERE bizarre!
Most of the book is practice tests, which, I have just learned from these other reviews, are not actually from past actual tests. Bad investment!

Waste of Money.......2004-07-09

This book is a waste of money. Nothing in it is useful except maybe the introduction to the question types. I suggest that you get the Powerscore Logic Games Bible, Logic Reasoning Bible (Mid August 2004 I believe), and the next 10 actual LSATs, or 10 more actual official Lsats. Read the bibles and take practice tests over and over again. Good Luck.

A Wasted Effort.......2004-01-05

I will say this, just in case everyone does not know: the LSAT is the MOST IMPORTANT factor in your admissions application. Schools may try to deny it, but a high LSAT score can improve your odds of admission into the school of your dreams. A high LSAT score can shadow a low UGPA, but a high UGPA CANNOT hide a low score on the LSAT.

Now that I have said that I will explain how I prepared for the LSAT, and how I earned a score of 178.

First and foremost, form a group with other students preparing for the LSAT. I gathered a group of three with some friends and we advertised our group on the school paper and spread the word around campus. Many universities will let you do this, and some even have student-run websites that you can spread the word on. This not only lets you help one another with your weaknesses, but it also allows you to lower the cost of the study aides that you need to purchase. We eventually had a group of twenty that we broke into smaller groups of five. In each group, we picked out four books and split the cost among us.

In training for the LSAT, use only official preptests sold by LSAC. Many past reviewers recommended studying multiple books, like those available by Kaplan or Princeton Review. I have found that Kaplan and other study aides add to the confusion many test takers experience, and Kaplan even admits that its study guides do not help 40% of those who buy the books.

If you want to do well on the LSAT, this is the way to study:

Your first purchase should the 10 More Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests. The PrepTest book will give several of real LSATs to take, though without question analysis. All of the answers are given, but they are not explained. I find this to be a bonus, because I believe that a test taker can learn more from figuring out why the answer is what is, instead of just going by the problematical answers Kaplan gives. Kaplan's answers have a tendency to be too long and lack an accurate answer. It is similar to when a person is talking but they are not really saying anything.

Just getting used to taking the test is the most important part of the preparation process. If you finish all ten tests, get the older 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests.

DO NOT buy Kaplan's LSAT 180. It is full of the toughest questions that KAPLAN could MAKE UP. These questions are so bogus that they lowered everyone in my study group's score: we all had scores over 170 before this book. On one page, Kaplan gave two complete different explanations for two questions that were the exact same type of question. Kaplan's answers to MADE UP questions are lacking judgment. Kaplan is simply too lazy to buy official questions.

Also, both www.LSAC.org and Amazon have individual PrepTests available for $8 each. Get the latest tests: these aren't a good buy like the books of ten, but seeing the most up to date material - even if it's just 1 or 2 tests - is worth it. If you are not in a hurry, you can get the tests free of shipping from LSAC, and they have the MOST RECENT tests, while Amazon tends to lack the two most recent tests.

Specifically, get the June 2000 (PrepTest 31) exam. This contains the notorious "CD Game," the second game, which is commonly considered the most complicated LSAT logic game ever.

BUT...

If you REALLY want to, go ahead and pay in the thousands for a LSAT class prep course, like those offered by Kaplan and Princeton Review. I do not suggest doing that, but confidence is essential for acing the LSAT. If you feel that taking an over-priced prep course will boast your self-assurance, feel free to do so.

Best intro to the LSAT.......2003-12-08

In preparing for the LSAT, I have used a wide variety of study guides--10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests, 10 More Actual Official PrepTests, Kaplan's LSAT 2004, Kaplan's LSAT 180, Princeton Review's Cracking the LSAT 2004, and REA's Best Test Prep. Of all of them, Kaplan gave the best intro to the test. They offer good strategies for all the different types of questions, as well as plenty of practice problems with explanations, so you can start working with actual questions before you leap head-first into a full practice test. The book's one shortcoming is that the tests are not "real" LSATs--while they follow the format of the actual test, all the questions are written by Kaplan, not by LSAC (the people in charge of the LSAT). These tests do have full explations, though, so they are a good place to start. While it can't stand alone as complete LSAT prep, it is the best resource out there for introducing yourself to the test. If you want to do well on the LSAT, this is the way to study:

Your first two purchases should be Kaplan's (or Princeton's, if you prefer) most current LSAT guide and 10 More Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests. Kaplan's book will give you a good intro to the test, along with 3 full tests with a detailed analysis for each question. The PrepTest book will give you plenty of real, recently-administered LSATs to take, though without question analysis. Just getting used to taking the test is the most important part of the preparation process, and between the two books, 13 full tests should be plenty.

If, after 4 or 5 tests, you're noticing your scores plateau around 165, and you want to bump them up, get Kaplan's LSAT 180. It is full of the toughest questions that Kaplan's crew could come up with (along with a few nasty ones you might see adapted from real questions on LSAC's PrepTests), and strategies on how to approach them. The regular, yearly guides are a great way to start studying, but they will only take you so far. LSAT 180 can take you the rest of the way, as its name implies. You should be warned beforehand though--these are THE TOUGHEST questions you will find anywhere. If you can handle these, most of the actual test will seem like cake.

If you burn through all of Kaplan's Tests--including the free online one--and all 10 Actual tests (Like I did), you can always get the older 10 Actual, Official LSAT PrepTests. It's still good prep; the only difference is that the tests are older--December '92 is the oldest; September '95 is the most recent. Some minor things have changed: the older tests are a little harder, which means a lower raw score here translates into a higher scaled score; the wording of questions is different; and some of the types of logic games that are on the newer tests aren't on these. However, if you've taken all the tests in the more recent book, and you know what to expect to see on the actual test, taking the PrepTests in this book is a good way to keep your practice going.

Also, both LSAC.org and Amazon have individual PrepTests available for $8 apiece. You can get all the most recent tests--sometimes right up to the one most recently administered. These aren't as good a deal as the books of 10, but seeing the most recent material--even if it's just 1 or 2 tests--is worth it. Though I haven't taken it, I've heard that PrepTest 31 (June 2000) has the most difficult Logic Game ever on it... that might be worth checking out.

Anyway, that's about it. If you want to prepare for the LSAT as thoroughly and effectively as possible, this is the way to do it.

Average customer rating:

Don't Waste Time or Money on This One

Advancing Design -

The "Thinking" in Systems Thinking: Seven Essential Skills (Toolbox Reprint Series)
Barry Richmond
Manufacturer: Pegasus Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops

Introduction to Systems Thinking

The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning

The Systems Thinking Playbook

Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World with CD-ROM

ASIN: 188382348X

Book Description

In this newest volume in Pegasus' bestselling Toolbox Reprint Series, Barry Richmond demystifies the "thinking" in systems thinking. The volume opens with an overview of the seven skills necessary to become a true systems thinker. Then, each two-page spread takes an in-depth look at an individual skill. The seven thinking skills--dynamic, system-as-cause, forest, operational, closed-loop, quantitative, and scientific--are also mapped onto the four-step process that underpins the systems thinking method, so you know when to best employ each skill. Includes plenty of examples of the skills in action, tips for honing the skills, and diagrams to capture key concepts.

Customer Reviews:

Don't Waste Time or Money on This One.......2004-01-28

First it should be understood that this is really a pamphlet not a real paperback. At $16.95+s&H this 23 page paper is hardly a "gem" although it is as pricey as one. This aside, if you are trying to find out about systems thinking, you won't find it here. What you get is a rehash of the scientific method with managerial buzz words added for marketability. The whole paper seems to be written for those permanently damaged by the MBA experience. There is no definition of systems science, which deals with the constructs of knowledge not the content. If we are to accept the author's de facto definition of systems thinking=scientific method then the whole field has gotten smaller. There is no discussion of attractors,complexity, the role of chaos, or business as a complex adaptive system. Instead we are treated to "forest thinking" (wholistic thinking) and "operational thinking" (causality)reduced to 2-3 pages for the executive that is too busy to read but more than willing to obscure the thinking process with more management speak du jour.
If you really want to understand the systems approach do the homework. Read "Facets of Systems Science" by George J. Klir which will give you a background of the field. "Harnessing Complexity" by Robert Axlerod and Michael D. Cohen is a must if you want to develop a systems approach within an organization. If you really feel intimidated by the field a good introductory book is "The Art of Systems Thinking" by Joseph O'Connor and Ian McDermott. The latter is too light weight to help you do more than orient yourself and find more meatier content.

Advancing Design -.......2001-01-04

Richmond's highly descriptive and lucid presentation is recommended for an advanced design pedagogy right along with Bloom's Taxonomy and Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory. Most relevant to thinking about preferred futures as it offers the "how" of approaching fitness maximizing for survival in complex adaptive systems/organizations. Richmond covers the domains of this broad field from the Operations Research of Churchman and Ackoff through the Dynamics of Forrester and also embracing Cybernetics II of notables such as Gregory Bateson, Maturana & Varela and others. A single evening of intense reading with long-term rewards for enlightened leadership (designing the designer) into the future. Richmond is to be lauded in that he keeps in mind that Systems Thinking is not a "quick fix" technique to be applied to complex problems. A gem! Of course, you can always read "Facets of Systems Science" by George J. Klir at $137.50 for the full scoop.

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Cutting Corners: Quilts With Stitch-And-Trim Triangles (That Patchwork Place)
Joan Hanson
Manufacturer: Martingale and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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

Patchwork Showcase: Simple Quilts With Big Impact

The Joy of Quilting (That Patchwork Place)

Sensational Settings: Over 80 Ways to Arrange Your Quilt Blocks

The Simple Joys of Quilting: 30 Timeless Quilt Projects (That Patchwork Place)

Egg Money Quilts: 1930's Vintage Samplers

ASIN: 1564774740

Book Description

Sew triangles the easy way! Discover how to create complex-looking quilts with a clever stitch-and-trim technique. Best of all, every pattern starts with simple squares.

• Choose from 12 quilt projects, plus 35 best-loved block designs

• Stitch blocks with triangle shapes but never cut or sew an individual triangle

• Don't toss those cut-off corners--they're perfect for smaller quilt projects

Book Description

The editors of Pacific Centuries provide an overview of five centuries of Pacific and Pacific Rim history, making a valuable contribution to the understanding of this region and its increasing global significance.

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This book provides an overview of five centuries of Pacific and Pacific Rim economic and trade history, making it a valuable contribution to understanding of the increasing global importance of this region.

Book Description

On average you must make 25 contacts to find five prospects and eventually close one sale. Obviously, successful prospecting is vital to your sales success. This book supplies turn-key ideas on streamlining your prospecting to successfully reach decision makers.

Customer Reviews:

Good Information on How to Get More Business Prospects.......2005-10-16

Prospecting is a good book containing basic information on the various ways to prospect to get more business.

Among the points covered include:

1. Ways to utilize your network to get business referrals.
2. Using your involvement in organizations to find business prospects.
3. How to use trade shows to get more business.
4. Using seminars can be another effective means of new business.
5. Tips for contacting decision makers.
6. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
7. How to maximize time in your territory.
8. Since most people's attention spans are around 15-20 minutes, make your presentations no longer than 20 minutes.

Recommended.

Book Description

Microsoft is dedicated to developing technology that is useable and accessible to all. In ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY IN TODAY'S BUSINESS, business managers discover how to utilize the built-in accessibility features in Microsoft products to meet the needs and preferences of people with disabilities. The book identifies the assistive technology features in Microsoft software that can be used to accommodate specific impairments, including vision, hearing, and mobility. Case studies illuminate Microsoft accessibility solutions in action, in real-world work settings.

Customer Reviews:

Ideal starting point for IT managers.......2002-06-11

It was an interesting book. Something I could see being a critical read for any IT management integrating accessability in to their workplace.
Provides some great real world examples of how companies have successfully integrated accessability technology into their environment, and provides insight in to the application of a variety of products to address a range of user needs.

Ideal starting point for IT managers.......2002-06-11

Book Description

Informing American Health Care Policy provides a critical perspective on the National Medical ExpAnditure Surveys (NMES) and how these surveys have responded to the sometimes conflicting challenges of policy and research. Sponsored by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research and written by a stellar panel of interdisciplinary experts including contributions from nationally known economists, sociologists, and survey researchers, this essential resource is filled with lessons learned and emerging strategies for the future.

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