Book Description
"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
âSidney Poitier
In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measureâas a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.
Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.
Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.
Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limitsâhis own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.
Customer Reviews:
****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24
Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!
MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21
Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.
You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.
SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30
I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.
As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.
Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.
Books.......2007-08-21
I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.
Never cared for the man, but his book is great........2007-08-12
I have my preferences as to actors. Poitier was never in a prominent standing. But, then neither were a few others; like John Wayne. Not saying they both weren't good actors, just two of the many I didn't watch much.
Having said that, I find Mr. Poitier's book an interesting read. I feel it was well worth the money.
[...]
Book Description
CMMI® (Capability Maturity Model® Integration) describes best practices for the development and maintenance of products and services across their entire lifecycle. By integrating essential bodies of knowledge, CMMI provides a single, comprehensive framework for organizations to assess their development and maintenance processes, implement improvements, and measure progress.
This book is a definitive reference for the most current release of CMMI (version 1.2). In the new edition, the authors have added tips, hints, and cross-references in the margins (in color) throughout the process areas to help you better understand, apply, and find more information about the content of the process areas. The book also now includes brief, insightful perspectives on CMMI written by people influential in the model’s creation, development, and transition. A new case study from Raytheon illustrates a real-world application of the model to a services organization. Whether you are new to CMMI or familiar with an earlier version, if you need to know about, evaluate, or put the latest version of CMMI into practice, this book is an essential resource.
The book is divided into three parts.
Part I offers the broad view of CMMI, beginning with basic concepts of process improvement. It describes the process areas, their components, and their relationships to each other. It explains the model’s two representations as well as paths to the adoption and use of CMMI for process improvement and benchmarking.
Part II, the bulk of the book, details the generic goals and practices and the twenty-two process areas now comprising CMMI. The process areas are organized alphabetically by acronym for easy look-up. Each chapter includes goals, best practices, and examples for a particular process area. The two CMMI representations are described so that you will easily see their similarities and differences and thereby be better able to choose the right approach for your organization.
Part III contains several useful resources, including CMMI-related references, acronym definitions, a glossary of terms, and an index.
Customer Reviews:
exactly as mentioned in the product description.......2007-08-09
i bought this product and it was exactly as mentioned in the product description before buying this product. the shipping was fast too and care was taken to ship the product carefully.
all in all a good and a trustworthy deal.
A wonderful yet dangerous Model.......2007-07-20
Much like the King James Bible and the Anarchist's Cookbook this book is dangerous in the wrong hands. When used properly the Model is a highly effective tool for measuring organizational maturity and for developing an organizational maturity roadmap. In the wrong hands it can actually hurt an organization. Typically this harm is manifested either by process wonks who zealously accept the Model at face value rather than interpreting it for their organization or by senior management and sales reps who don't understand the model and see maturity levels only as a means for business winning. I think this is a great Model, just remember, if you are going to use it, make sure your organizational needs drive your interpretation of model and not the other way around. And for all that is good and Holy, please read the entire book (specifically the section on Process Components)!
excellent reading.......2007-05-12
Gives an overview of the CMMI in the beginning and followed by detailed discussions. Ideal read for people to new to CMMI
An invaluable reference........2007-02-03
CMMI translates to Capability Maturity Model Integration and describes a set of recommended practices for developing and maintaining products throughout their life cycle, not just at the beginning. Its components include a basic overview of structure and idea, then a survey of the goals and practices of the 22 process areas comprising CMMI. The authors are part of a team central to CMMI development, so their technical combined knowledge offers advanced college-level computer holdings an invaluable reference.
CMMI Second Edition.......2007-01-15
Much easier to use than the first edition. Should be more helpful to a beginner to the CMMI process.
Average customer rating:
- Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!
- Sisters
- Too Fluffy too perfect !!!
- Should have been a short story - not a novel
- Disappointing
|
Sisters
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Sisters
| Women's Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
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I Heard That Song Before: A Novel
ASIN: 0385340222
Release Date: 2007-02-13 |
Book Description
Four sisters, a Manhattan brownstone, and a tumultuous year of loss and courage are at the heart of Danielle Steel’s new novel about a remarkable family, a stunning tragedy—and what happens when four very different young women come together under one very lively roof.
Candy–it’s the only name she needs—is blazing her way through Paris, New York, and Tokyo as fashion’s latest international supermodel. . . .
Her sister Tammy has a job producing the most successful hit show on TV, and a home she loves in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills. . . . In New York, oldest sister Sabrina is an ambitious young lawyer, while Annie is an American artist in Florence, living for her art. . . . On one Fourth of July weekend, as they do every year, the four sisters come home to Connecticut for their family’s annual gathering. But before the holiday is over, tragedy strikes and their world is utterly changed.
Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives—on opposite sides of the world—reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. Thus begins an unscripted chapter of their lives, as a bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men . . . and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the direction of their respective lives. As the year passes and another July Fourth approaches, a season of grief and change gives way to new beginnings—as a family comes together to share its blessings and a future filled with surprises and, ultimately, hope.
With unerring insight and compassion, Danielle Steel tells a compelling story of four sisters who love and laugh, struggle and triumph . . . and are irrevocably woven into the fabric of each other’s lives. Brilliantly blending humor and heartbreak, she delivers a powerful message about the fragility–and the wonder—of life.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!.......2007-09-14
In Danielle Steel's latest novel "Sisters", the story starts out with the usual trademark fairytale quality.
Four sisters with highly successful and interesting careers, are scattered around the world; New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Florence. Hardly your average bunch of ordinary lives.
But that's the beginning. The surface. The setting. Until tragedy strikes and man's vulnerability cuts through whatever glamourous lifestyles the sisters may seemingly enjoy.
Life is turned upside down. Reality is as unexpected, harsh and as far from a fairytale as can be. The best part of the book describes the developments straight forward, honest and with much warmth and insight.
That a happy ending awaits, is Danielle Steel's trademark. However, the way tragedy all too quickly literary turns into happiness is a bit too easy to give the story balance. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place so fast and conveniently for all the family members that the situation is hard to fathom even for the most soft-hearted.
Tragedies ARE overcome but usually it takes time and hardship to build up a new future.
This book could actually have been longer. A more natural development of the situation and not the lightening quick wrapping up of loose ends during the last fifty pages or so, would have given the story more credibility.
Happy solutions are nice, but the turning of events in "Sisters" is simply too sweet and sudden even for a fairytale.
Sisters.......2007-09-06
I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Being one of three sisters I could definatly understand the sisters.
Too Fluffy too perfect !!!.......2007-08-28
Although I did enjoy this book, I found the characters too perfect. The relationships between the sisters seemed too false. All the sisters were beautiful, with great jobs, and would do anything for each other, and they hardly ever had a fight, blah, blah,blah. Most sisters do not get to live like the girls in this fluffy type fairytale.
Should have been a short story - not a novel.......2007-08-20
I have not read DS in many years and now I remember why. This book repeated the same ideas and even the same phrases so often it was annoying. She could have written this book in just a few pages and not missed anything important. I anticipated the predictable story ie. tragedy, depression, find a man fall in love, live happily every after. The rape story seemed thrown in and was all wrapped up too quickly to add anything interesting to the story.
Disappointing.......2007-08-18
The plot was good and could have been written in a much better style. The details were repeated over and over so many times. It looked like it was written in a great hurry.
Book Description
This full-color book is designed to tap the exploding market in serious digital photography with over 250 pages of new and beautiful photos, essential photography how-to information and no-fail formulas for getting great digital pictures with the newly announced Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D. It goes above and beyond competitive digital SLR books with step-by-step techniques that cover exposure, composition, and professional shooting tips on perspective, impact, and more. Charlotte K. Lowrie, author of two previous Digital Field Guides (see below), is an acclaimed photographer who was managing editor of editorial content for MSN Photos and now writes online instructional content for Canon.
Charlotte K. Lowrie (Woodinville, WA) is a freelance editorial and stock photographer and an award-winning writer. Her work has appeared in Popular Photography & Imaging and PHOTOgraphic magazines, and she is the author of the bestselling Canon EOS Digital Rebel Digital Field Guide as well as Adobe Camera Raw Studio Skills, the Canon EOS 30D Digital Field Guide, and Teach Yourself Visually Digital Photography, Second Edition, all from Wiley. Charlotte also teaches photography classes through BetterPhoto.com.
Customer Reviews:
Not quite what I was looking for.......2007-09-29
I bought this book with the intention of learning more about my Rebel DSLR. I am pretty disappointed with this title.
The first issue I have with this book is the photos are entirely uninspiring. Next, everything you need to know to get started is available in the Rebel manual, which I have read and just paid for again apparently.
If you've never taken a decent photo before in your life, if you've never used an SLR of any type, if you've need a very rudimentary understanding of the histogram, apertures and shutter speeds, or if you've managed to lose your Rebel XTi Manual from Canon, you might want to pick up this title.
Otherwise I don't think there is anything offered here you can't obtain with experimentation and experience.
Great field guide.......2007-09-24
Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi/400D Digital Field Guide
This is an easy-to-read "how to" for Digital Rebel XTi users. Ms. Lowry is easy to understand and concise throughout this book, and I find that I turn to it quite often when shooting in different settings than I am used to.
If you're unfamiliar with your Canon XTi/400D, this really is the book to have!
A great book for a beginning digital photographer.......2007-09-21
This book is well written, especially for a beginning photographer such as myself. Well stated review of the photographic essentials, lots of good recommendations concerning lenses, styles, settings, and a fairly complete list of all of the "knobs" that are available in the Digital Rebel. The last chapter has a lot of great examples and experiments that are fun to attempt. After reading this book, I keep it in my camera bag for reference, and have been having a lot of fun shooting volleyball and football games for my kids, as well as trying my hand at some more "artistic" styles of photography and having some mild successes after only having the camera for 3 weeks. Spent one evening with a half full glass of wine, and a lamp, shooting low light shots, and trying all of the applicable "knobs". Very informative, and gave me lots of good ideas for utilizing the camera's capabilities.
Very good Easy to understand Book.......2007-09-21
This book is very easy to read and the writer speaks in plan english language. I have only read a couple of chapters but I found all of the instructions easy to follow. There are some photography projects in the later chapters that help you to understand more about how the camera functions and how you can get some great pictures from the Rebel XTI.
Little more than a rehashed manual.......2007-09-02
I found this guide to be far too basic to be useful. Important topics are glossed over and they are covered in a sequence that will help a new user adapt to taking pictures. A more robust treatment of the cameras features or differences from point and shoot models would have been much more helpful. This is a book to buy used or get from the library.
Book Description
In his landmark book Open Innovation, Henry Chesbrough demonstrated that because useful knowledge is no longer concentrated in a few large organizations, business leaders must adopt a new, “open” model of innovation. Using this model, companies look outside their boundaries for ideas and intellectual property (IP) they can bring in, as well as license their unutilized home-grown IP to other organizations.
In Open Business Models, Chesbrough takes readers to the next step—explaining how to make money in an open innovation landscape. He provides a diagnostic instrument enabling you to assess your company’s current business model, and explains how to overcome common barriers to creating a more open model. He also offers compelling examples of companies that have developed such models—including Procter & Gamble, IBM, and Air Products.
In addition, Chesbrough introduces a new set of players—“innovation intermediaries”—who facilitate companies’ access to external technologies. He explores the impact of stronger IP protection on intermediate markets for innovation, and profiles firms (such as Intellectual Ventures and Qualcomm) that center their business model on innovation and IP.
This vital resource provides a much-needed road map to connect innovation with IP management, so companies can create and capture value from ideas and technologies—wherever in the world they are found.
Customer Reviews:
Fair.......2007-06-21
This is another pretty good book from the author. As in his earlier book, he starts with the motivation for open innovation, which is an old idea but that is not well practiced. In this new book he addresses many of the shorcomings of the first book, such as getting real value out of the partnerships that can be formed while overcoming internal issues, such as NIH. He then talks about different ways companies go about this. What drives you crazy is that he seems unaware that companies have been doing this forever. In the consumer electronics industry, for example, open innovation is mostly the model. Companies like GE, TI, and RCA were examples. In the case of GE and RCA they go back almost 100 years.
Well-written, concise, with specific examples.......2007-06-02
As with his previous book Open Innovation, Chesbrough provides a concise and easily read review of important new trends in high-tech management. In this book the focus is on the path an innovation takes to profitability in the marketplace. Among the topics reviewed are novel "intermediate markets" for ideas and technology.
I particularly appreciated the chapters of the book that provide nine examples of companies that are more-or-less "pure play" innovation intermediaries. Companies like Innocentive, Ocean Tomo, and UTEK are profiled in depth. I appreciate the specificity, which will allow the reader to evaluate Chesbrough's insights into the future: By following up on the progress of these companies, we'll see how well Chesbrough hit the mark. This specificity is rare in business books.
It will be interesting to see where Chesbrough's interests flow in future. I would welcome a focus on public sector research institutions. A comparison of the innovation and commercialization models among universities, NIH, NASA, ESA, etc. could be helpful to policy makers as Open Innovation ideas gain wider acceptance.
Open Business Models for Those Who Rely on Technology Innovation and Need Intellectual Property Protection.......2007-05-14
This book is misnamed. Rather than being about open business models, the book's topic is about how to open business models to benefit from access to more technological innovation and strengthen your competitive posture through intellectual property.
As a result, Professor Chesbrough creates a misapprehension that successful open business models are almost always linked to technological innovation as their main purpose and benefit. My own research (with Carol Coles in The Ultimate Competitive Advantage: Secrets of Continuously Developing a More Profitable Business Model) indicates just the opposite point: Technological innovation is rarely the most effective way to open up your business model to create improvements.
So, this book's value is mostly to those who work in achieving or creating more benefits from technology innovation. If that is your interest, you've come to the right book. If that's not your interest, skip this book.
Why do those involved in achieving or creating more benefits from technology innovation need to open their business models? Professor Chesbrough points to several influences:
1. Technological innovation is coming from more sources than ever before. As a result, you will be developing inferior technology without accessing the best of what the world has to offer.
2. Most intellectual property isn't used for any practical purpose. That's a waste of social and company resources.
3. The protections for intellectual property are stronger now, and your pathway to progress will be blocked without collaborating with those who have complementary IP.
4. Product cycles are shorter and costs of developing new technologies are higher; open business models offer the promise of getting to market sooner at lower cost so that your business has a better chance of earning a decent return on new technology.
5. Large companies need to make new product development more productive if they are to meet their growth goals.
Professor Chesbrough does a nice job of developing those themes. He balances theoretical arguments with case histories of recent practices.
Of even more value, he explains how companies will have a hard time finding all of the technology they need without help. As a result, he feels that intermediaries will turn out to be important to helping connect organizations. His case histories of such intermediaries are very interesting in showing how difficult it is to play such intermediary roles without deep pockets.
For those who are new to the subject of technological innovation in the context of business models, you will find his descriptions of what a business model is (see page 182) and types for assessing your business model (see pages 132-133) to be helpful. The only quibble I would make with his types is that in his examples he assumes relative undifferentiation in industries and business types where there are often large nontechnological differentiations.
I found the last chapter to be by far the most helpful, in describing three case histories (IBM, Procter & Gamble, and Air Products) for showing how large organizations went from closed to open business models for the purpose of technological innovation. In fact, the discussion of Procter & Gamble's practices is the best one that I have read. That point, by itself, is sufficient to commend this book to you. I suspect that almost everyone will be doing what Procter & Gamble is doing now ten years hence.
Excellent work, Professor Chesbrough!
Innovation requires an open mind...and the courage to challenge "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." .......2007-03-14
What is an open business model? In Chapter 1, here's Henry Chesbrough's response to that question: "A business model performs two important functions: it creates value and it captures a portion of that value. It creates value by defining a series of activities from raw materials through to the final consumer that will yield a new product or service with value being added throughout the various activities. The business model captures value by by establishing a unique resource, asset, or position within that series of activities, where the firm enjoys a competitive advantage."
Having thus established a frame-of-reference, Chesbrough continues: "An open business model uses this new division of innovation labor - both in the creation of value and in the capture of a portion of that value. Open models create value by leveraging many more ideas, due to their inclusion of a variety of external concepts. Open models can also enable greater value capture, by using a key asset, resource, or position not only in the company's own business model but also in other companies businesses."
These two brief excerpts are provided because Chesbrough`s definitions of various terms are far clearer and more authoritative than mine could possibly be. Also, these excepts address the "what" so that in the balance of this brilliant book, Chesbrough can then focus almost entirely on the "why" and "how" concerning the design, implementation, modification, and performance measurement of open business models.
I was especially interested in what Chesbrough has to say about what several quite different exemplary companies -- including IBM, Qualcomm, Genzyme, Procter & Gamble, and Chicago (the musical stage show and film) -- share in common: "each started with an idea that traveled from invention to market through at least two different companies" which shared the work of innovation, and, all were assisted by effective management of an open business model. Chesbrough also devotes a substantial attention to IBM whose type 3 business model (i.e. multiple segmentations, "inside-out" mindset) reached a financial crisis in 1992. Had the IBM board not replaced its then CEO with Lou Gerstner and fully supported his leadership throughout an immensely complicated and equally difficult transformation , it is probable that IBM would not have survived. Gerstner deserves much of the credit for the success of that "cultural revolution" (as he once described it) but much credit should also be assigned to IBM's open source business model. Procter & Gamble is another company which completed an especially difficult transition from having internal staff members who protected (hoarded?) various technologies so that other companies, including potential competitors, could not use them to becoming a company with a much more open approach to innovation. Chesbrough notes that P&G began to pay much greater attention of external licensing of its technologies, (e.g. to BearingPoint), now strongly supports openly partnering for driving growth equity joint ventures (e.g. with Clorox), and an entirely new perspective on competitive advantage.
According to Jeff Weedman, vice president of P&G's external business development: "There are many kinds of competitive advantage. The original view here was: I have got it, and you don't. Then there is the view, that I have got it, you have got it, but I have it cheaper. Then there is I have got it, you have got it, but I got it first. Then there is I have got it, you have gotten it from me, so I make money when I sell it, and I make money when you sell it." To me, that in essence describes the primary competitive advantage of the open business model.
I also appreciate what is rarely provided in other business books: detailed notes (Pages 217-242) which are clustered per chapter. As I read them, it seemed as if Chesbrough were standing next to me, supplementing his narrative with additional comments that are always informative and frequently entertaining. What also struck me about Chesbrough's notes is that they enable him to acknowledge various sources with appreciation and admiration. His was obviously an open source approach to the research for this book and then to the writing of it.
To thrive in the new innovation landscape, change agents must have both an open mind and the courage to challenge what James O'Toole characterizes, in Leading Change, as "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom." They would also be well-advised to absorb and digest the material in this book. Congratulations to Henry Chesbrough on a brilliant achievement.
The World It Is a'Changin.......2007-03-04
We have become accustomed to the fact that innovation has become a standard of the industrial world. Indeed companies like Microsoft market (very successfully) what is essentially nothing but an arrangement of bits. One of the things that this book brings to mind is that a lot of other companies (Procter & Gamble, Air Products) are innovative in a business that you wouldn't think of as being particularly innovative.
This book is exploring fairly new ground in its concept of 'Open Innovation,' that is creating a marketplace for innovation itself. You might not be able to capitalize on your new innovative idea, perhaps Air Products can, or perhaps you can use something that Procter & Gamble has done. And where that's a market like that, there are new specialty companies in the business of marketing innovation between companies.
We live in a time where the future is going to require major changes, peak oil and global warming to name two harbingers of change. Companies that continue to live in the old world are going to have a very hard time -- go look at Ford and GM
Book Description
This revised, updated, expanded fifth edition is indispensable-with all the latest models, parts, and repair techniques, and terrific money-saving tips to keep any ride in tip-top shapeSince its first publication, Bicycling Magazine's Complete Guide to Bicycle Maintenance and Repair has sold over 400,000 copies. The fifth edition is guaranteed to remain the category killer. This long-overdue update is a must-have for weekend riders and serious cyclists alike. Whether they own the latest model or a classic with thousands of miles on it, beginners and experienced cyclists alike can depend on this book to get their bikes out of the shop faster and keep them on the road longer. They'll discover information on:o Building a dream bike workshopo Disc brakes, both cable-actuated and hydraulico Dialing in front and rear suspension shocks for comfortable rideso The latest crankset and bottom bracket designso Overhauling freewheels and cassettes for peak performanceo Specs on all the latest handlebar and headset sizeso Servicing clipless pedals for maximum safetyWith troubleshooting sections to quickly identify and correct common problems, 450 photographs and 40 drawings to clarify all the step-by-step directions so even the complete neophyte can get repairs right the first time, and Web sites and phone numbers of bicycle and parts manufacturers, this is truly the ultimate bicycle repair and maintenance manual-now better than ever in its fifth edition!
Customer Reviews:
Just getting started.......2007-09-30
Since I've just been getting started riding my bike again, I needed a quick review on keeping my bike in working order. The stuff in this book was laid out nicely and easily accessible even for an old fart like me... It came in really handy this summer as I kept getting flats.
Not that great.......2007-09-18
Pretty lame if you are planning to actually work on your bike opposed to reading about or thinking about doing it. Covers a lot of things in poor detail, so little detail that you could not do it with this book alone. Example: want to install some disk brakes? No way with this book. It also includes info on how to work on really old bikes and outdated equipment. I bet you are dying to know how to work on centerpull road bike brakes which were last made in like 1981! Your're in luck b/c that is covered pretty well. Save your $$ and buy another book.
Excellent book.......2007-09-12
Very useful, complete, lots of pics and understandable for anyone. If you need some help for your bike maintenance that's the book you need.
Excellent book!.......2007-08-14
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to service their own bike. There are many great pictures and it covers a wide variety of bikes.
Too early to tell, but it looks good........2007-08-09
I just received this book recently in the mail from the US, and have not had any need to use it. Without actually testing it out, I can only say that it looks good and has a lot of useful pictures. The price was reasonable, so I can't see why anyone would not want to add it to their repairbook collection.
Book Description
The 2nd edition of this successful book has several new features. The calibration discussion of the basic LIBOR market model has been enriched considerably, with an analysis of the impact of the swaptions interpolation technique and of the exogenous instantaneous correlation on the calibration outputs. A discussion of historical estimation of the instantaneous correlation matrix and of rank reduction has been added, and a LIBOR-model consistent swaption-volatility interpolation technique has been introduced.
The old sections devoted to the smile issue in the LIBOR market model have been enlarged into several new chapters. New sections on local-volatility dynamics, and on stochastic volatility models have been added, with a thorough treatment of the recently developed uncertain-volatility approach. Examples of calibrations to real market data are now considered.
The fast-growing interest for hybrid products has led to new chapters. A special focus here is devoted to the pricing of inflation-linked derivatives.
The three final new chapters of this second edition are devoted to credit. Since Credit Derivatives are increasingly fundamental, and since in the reduced-form modeling framework much of the technique involved is analogous to interest-rate modeling, Credit Derivatives -- mostly Credit Default Swaps (CDS), CDS Options and Constant Maturity CDS - are discussed, building on the basic short rate-models and market models introduced earlier for the default-free market. Counterparty risk in interest rate payoff valuation is also considered, motivated by the recent Basel II framework developments.
Customer Reviews:
Best book on interest rate models.......2002-12-14
This is the best book available on interest rate models. Very detailed. Much more focused and readable than Rebonato's book. More pragmatic and explicit than Musiela and Rutkowski. Not as theoretical as Hunt and Kennedy. James and Webber also looks very good, but I'm not that familiar with it. All other books have only bits and pieces on interest rates.
The best book I have read on the subject.......2002-05-06
With all the due respect to the other authors I would say that if one is interested in a good theoretical book whihc is also good on the implementation side then the book of Brigo and Mercurion is definetly the best book I have ever read on the subject.
Anyone interested in implementing the LMM/BGM/MSS model in practice is well advised to read it.
I would just say that this is certainly a must have in the field.
New stuff and nice overview: hard to beat!.......2002-01-17
In the late nineties I went through Brigo's innovative work on stochastic nonlinear filtering with differential geometry techniques. I was favorably impressed by results and style, particularly in his dissertation and in his 'geometry in present day science' very readable overview. Interesting results are found and nicely told with accurate - but not pointlessly complicated - advanced mathematics for the problems at hand, I reasoned.
I've followed a similar path from control to finance, and having worked with interest rate models, I couldn't help but order this Brigo-Mercurio book. I had high expectations 'cause these two guys are working in a bank on the real thing.
Sure enough I'm not disappointed.
1-factor models are handled with great care, a ton of formulas and recipes are given. I've never seen this kind of analysis of pricing with Gaussian 1-f models. The new upgrade of the CIR model is interesting and accurate. "CIR++" is now my favorite 1-f model. I like the treatment of lognormal 1-f models and the explanation of Monte Carlo and trees -- the flow-chart for Bermudan swaptions is crystal clear! Plots of market implied structures and volatility calibration are useful additions.
The chapter on 2-f extensions has one of the best discussions on volatility, and two tons of useful formulas/recipes. Two dimensional trees!
The HJM chapter size is OK. I agree - the useful models embedded in HJM are short rate models and market models.
Market models - these three chapters alone are worth the book. You'll find yourself nodding as you read the guided tour. They make it look easy all the time. The exposition is focused, clear, intuitive, detailed. There's also new stuff, just check the calibration discussion! Smile modeling begins with a brilliant tour and ends with Brigo-Mercurio's new approach - the mixing dynamics - deserving a whole chapter if expanded.
The detailed explanation on products is a much welcome original addition. Cross currency derivatives!
Quotes - as in Brigo's old work - are a pleasant diversion while reading. The 500 and more pages are a treat given the competitive price.
Still there's room for improvements - more "CIR2++"! Something on 3-f models. Historical estimation of the correlation matrix and low-rank optimized approximations. Expand smile modeling! More hedging. Something on structured products. Cross currency libor model. chapter 9 - other interest rate models - sounds out of place and can be suppressed for other things.
This book rings true and has useful teachings for students, academics and practitioners. Although it requires some background in stochastic calculus, it's hard to beat on the pricing front. Kudos to Brigo and Mercurio! It only harms there aren't enough books like this.
Nicely written overview of interest rate models.......2001-12-15
This recent book, written by two Italian "quants" Mercurio & Brigo, gives a nice and accessible overview of interest rate models which is a compromise between the practitioner viewpoint, expressed for ex. in Rebonato's book "Interet Rate option models"
and the theoretical viewpoint such as the one in Musiela & Rutkowski.
The authors, themselves PhDs in quantitative finance/ applied maths, wrote this book while working as quants in an Italian bank and this first hand contact with the market gave them a
practical view on the subject which markes this book very interesting.
The book contains a "rational" catalogue of models used in practice ( as opposed to models which are impossible to implement!).
In contrast with academic books on interest rate modeling which deal with HJM formulation, there is a lot of emphasis here on LIBOR and Swap market models
(BGM -Jamshidian models) which reflects the current market practice. This is a positive point since there are not many books with details on implementing and using these "market models".
Part II: Interest rate models in practice is particularly useful because it deals with implementation and calibration which, as any practitioner knows, are important and usually delicate issues.
However calibration issues are dealt with somewhat lightly, especially recent developments on modeling cap/swaption smiles
are not included here.
This book can also be used for a graduate level/PhD course on interest rate models.
There are a lot of numerical examples in the book and mathematics is kept to the necessary level while keeping the
approach both rigorous and understandable.
Overall, it is one of the best books written on the subject.
I highly recommend it to PhD students, quants and researchers interested in this field.
Well written and useful book.......2001-11-04
In my humble opinion, this is the best book on Interest Rate modeling out there. The writing style is clear and focused and the appendices are fantastic. The book is rigorous but someone with some background in Stochastic Calculus will find it easy to follow. If you need refresher, dont worry the authors have you covered, see the appendix on Stochastic Calculus. Not an introductory book. Very exciting book.
Book Description
The fifth edition of this landmark reference continues the tradition of offering the highest quality research and representing the best scholarship in the field. The selected pieces, 70% of which are new to this edition, will help educators develop an understanding of reading and literacy research and the ability to apply that understanding in generating new research and informing instructional decision making.
The volume is organized into the following sections:
Perspectives on Literacy Research and Its Application: Viewing the Past, Envisioning the Future
Processes of Reading and Literacy
Models of Reading and Writing Processes
Literacy's New Horizons: An Emerging Agenda for Tomorrow's Research and Practice
Although pieces from past editions of Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading have been retained, the editors highlight more recent works that reflect new findings and promising directions in the field. Section One contextualizes the fifth edition in today's rapidly changing literacy scene. Section Two emphasizes the role that sociocognition and literacy development play in reading processes, provides a catalog of key factors influencing the acquisition and mastery of reading processes, and explores the role of teaching and tutoring in literacy development. Section Three presents models that represent markedly different reading and writing theories. Section Four focuses on literacy's future potential to develop insights into reading processes, instruction, technology, and educational policy.
Questions for Reflection accompany each section to assist readers in transforming their current knowledge base through discussion and deeper thinking about theory, research, and instruction. Plus, a supplementary CD includes a number of other classic and recent research pieces to enrich readers' understanding of the selections in this updated volume.
Theoretical Models and Processes of Reading, Fifth Edition, is an invaluable resource for teacher educators, curriculum and administrative leaders, graduate students, and researchers in their efforts to help individuals learn to read and understand language.
Book Description
- In his debut as an author, Denzel Washington shares his personal story of the mentors who helped guide his life.
- Washington pens the introduction for the stories of more than 70 of America's leading personalities in theatre, sports, business, and politics as they tell their life-changing stories of mentorship.
- Contributors include Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Antwone Fisher, Bonnie Raitt, Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Dick Vitale, Whoopie Goldberg and more.
- A portion of the book's proceeds benefit 4.5 million children currently involved in the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Customer Reviews:
A Push to a Certain Path at a Certain Time...to Reach Our Certain Purpose.......2007-07-22
In "A Hand to Guide Me," American film star and legend, Denzel Washington, sets out shine a light on the 100 year old Boy's & Girl's Clubs of America, an organization of 3,700 serving more than 4.4 million children in all 50 states. Washington's eventual success can be traced directly to the Boys Club in his home town, Mt. Vernon, New York. It was there, by necessity, that he learned purpose, consequences, and how to be a man.
"A Hand to Guide Me" is a collection of short stories by ordinary people from ordinary beginnings, accomplishing extraordinary things. Six dozen people from diverse backgrounds share their memories about role models, mentors and positive influences in their lives. Some are household names like coach John Wooden, director John Singleton, author Toni Morrison, General Wesley Clark and former President Jimmy Carter. Many are alumni of Girls and Boys Clubs of America, while others have taken on leadership roles in these clubs. And some were asked to contribute because there was something to learn from their voice. These are very readable stories ranging in length from two to four pages.
All of the contributors have outgrown a hardship or two to reach a significant level of success and can draw a line from their success to some rock solid foundational experience - sometimes it is a parent, a coach, a neighbor or the inspiration derived from a tragic event.
Washington's resonant message is that we are all extraordinary in our own way but we don't go it alone. There are people on whose shoulders we stand and we, in turn, can provide a shoulder for others.
The Boys and Girls Clubs of America are the center of everything for many kids today, providing a shoulder for millions of kids and making a vital contribution to the future of our society. They are a breeding ground for hope, purpose, and direction - where many have learned strength, confidence, and the freedom to dream...to think big.
Diverse Reflections of Role Models.......2007-06-15
Denzel Washington uses his star power to assemble personal recollections from assorted successful folks (primarily alumnae of the Boys and Girls Clubs Organizations) about the people who shaped THEIR lives as youngsters.
Some of the stories are more interesting and inspiring than others, and I couldn't help but wonder if this volume couldn't have benefitted from more cohesive editing. But the bottom line is that these are positive and uplifting pages that remind us "if you want to change history, start by changing the life of a child."
A wonderful and inspiring read.......2007-04-10
Denzel Washington has captured the most interesting and inspiring series of short stories and memories I have read in a long time. The people on these pages have very compelling stories and are well written.
Useful in and out of the classroom.......2007-04-06
I bought this book to use in the classroom. I teach high school students and I think its really important that students these days read about people who made it in life and have a good message to give to the students. In this book there are so many positive stories and very short stories that students will not get bored.
Washington really pulled it off by making the book and the stories in it the star. One can look at the cover of the book and think that maybe its all about Washington but its not. There are stories from Bill Clinton to Jimmy Carter. It's really a fantastic read and I think it has helped many of my young male students who have been searching for a role model.
My Son.......2007-03-10
I sent this book to my son who is an Army Officer in Iraq...
He recently lost a good man from his group due to an IED
He said ....
"He changed my life and will be with me always"
this book made me think of them ....
my son loves to read so it seemed as though this book would be a good match .....
Book Description
Designed to form the basis of an undergraduate course in mathematical finance, this book builds on mathematical models of bond and stock prices and covers three major areas of mathematical finance that all have an enormous impact on the way modern financial markets operate, namely: Black-Scholes’ arbitrage pricing of options and other derivative securities; Markowitz portfolio optimization theory and the Capital Asset Pricing Model; and interest rates and their term structure. Assuming only a basic knowledge of probability and calculus, it covers the material in a mathematically rigorous and complete way at a level accessible to second or third year undergraduate students. The text is interspersed with a multitude of worked examples and exercises, so it is ideal for self-study and suitable not only for students of mathematics, but also students of business management, finance and economics, and anyone with an interest in finance who needs to understand the underlying theory.
Customer Reviews:
Mathematics for Finance: A useful tool for the unskillled investor.......2007-03-19
I enjoyed reading the book and solving exercises in it. I have a Ph.D.in chemistry and my wife and I did our his and her's MBA in the 1990s. I wanted to learn more concepts in finance and needed an easy entry, something I could enjoy, and without spending much money. The book by Capinski came recommended from a friend who teaches Economics at Cal State. I can speak for myself: I feel reasonably informed and I feel the book gave me concepts I can use to handle my own portfolio.
In the future, this text should be offered with an interactive CD that contains Xls, matrix, calculus, and graphing capabilities so one (I) can visualize the outcomes of proposed solutions.
Incoherent.......2007-01-18
Anyone can scribble a bunch of equations on paper and call it a book. Without sufficient context, they are useless.
Insufficient and disappointing. Not even a good introductury text........2006-05-15
As a graduate student in Financial Engineering I have found this book useless.
The title of the book is "Mathematics for Finance", but can you find in it even an elementary introduction to the stochastic processes? No. Ditto for the Ito's lemma and many other topics. The derivation of the Black Scholes formula is just sketched, and the insight that you can get from it is very limited.
Nevertheless, I wouldn't mind these limitations if this book provided a clear introduction to more advanced topics: unfortunately this book is not good even in that. In comparison to other textbooks the theorems and definitions are convoluted and do not go straight to the point. For example, in Shreve's "Stochastic Calculus for Finance" or Baxter & Rennie "Financial Calculus" the Fundamental Theorem of Asset Pricing is stated in this way: "In a market with risk neutral probability there is no arbitrage". Can you find such a simple and explanatory definition in Capinski's book? Not at all. The theorem at page 83 (you can see it yourself by searching inside the book) basically says the same thing using 8 lines of text and little financial intuition.
The only good thing that I can say about this book is that all exercises are resolved.
Overall, "Mathematics for Finance" has been a big disappointment: it doesn't have either the mathematical depth of Shreve's books or the conciseness in explaining financial concepts of Baxter & Rennie.
Whatever is the level of education that you are pursuing, graduate or undergraduate, I don't see any point in using it.
Great Book for Undergrad Quants.......2005-08-29
Mathematics for Finance (An Introduction to Financial Engineering) is a book intended for undergrad students "IN MATHEMATICS" or other discipline with a relative high mathematical content.
The book assumes some basic notion of Calculus and Probability Theory and it is focused more on the mathematics than in its theory and application of Finance. If you are looking to dwell into the mathematics (Proof of Equations) this is a great book, but if you are looking for a book that is rich in theory and in application then you should consider "Option, Future and Other Derivatives" or "Quantitative Methods for Finance" as an alternative. Both books are "a most" for any finance student and are of great help. Now if you want an introduction into the mathematics behind Finance then this book is a perfect purchase.
Important to state that all the problems presented in this book are solved meaning that it is great for self teaching. Marek Capinsi and Thomas Zastawniak have done a great job on this book.
I gave it four stars, because it has room for impovement.
Joining the chorus.......2005-08-03
I can only echo the other reviewers. As far as I can tell this book has no serious competition. This is an excellent introduction to mathematical finance for those with a solid undergraduate level understanding of higher math but without graduate level exposure. I agree that it is ideal for self study as that is exactly what I am using it for. The price is right especially in contrast with its overpriced brethren. Five stars!
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