Amazon.com
How is the human brain like the AIDS epidemic? Ask physicist Albert-László Barabási and he'll explain them both in terms of networks of individual nodes connected via complex but understandable relationships. Linked: The New Science of Networks is his bright, accessible guide to the fundamentals underlying neurology, epidemiology, Internet traffic, and many other fields united by complexity.
Barabási's gift for concrete, nonmathematical explanations and penchant for eccentric humor would make the book thoroughly enjoyable even if the content weren't engaging. But the results of Barabási's research into the behavior of networks are deeply compelling. Not all networks are created equal, he says, and he shows how even fairly robust systems like the Internet could be crippled by taking out a few super-connected nodes, or hubs. His mathematical descriptions of this behavior are helping doctors, programmers, and security professionals design systems better suited to their needs. Linked presents the next step in complexity theory--from understanding chaos to practical applications. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
A cocktail party. A terrorist cell. Ancient bacteria. An international conglomerate.
All are networks, and all are a part of a surprising scientific revolution. Albert-László Barabási, the nation's foremost expert in the new science of networks, takes us on an intellectual adventure to prove that social networks, corporations, and living organisms are more similar than previously thought. Grasping a full understanding of network science will someday allow us to design blue-chip businesses, stop the outbreak of deadly diseases, and influence the exchange of ideas and information. Just as James Gleick brought the discovery of chaos theory to the general public, Linked tells the story of the true science of the future.
Customer Reviews:
Not deep enough (?).......2007-06-23
For some reasons both this one and 'The Tipping point' didn't really appeal to me. As an example in this book there is this attempt to superimpose the 'Bose Einstein condensation' to network properties. I personally didn't see any beef there
Network theory and its applications.......2007-06-07
After reading Mitchel Resnick's Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds (Complex Adaptive Systems), my exploration of decentralized networks went down a very viral path. This book, in particular, discusses the application of network theory in the context of its historical significance. The author explores how it can be used as a tool and device to understand cities, computer networks social networks, human-human interactions (speech), human-computer interactions (HCI), computer-computer interactions (protocol), diseases, computer viruses, nature. Based on this book and its related siblings, it inspires tremendous amounts of ideas for the next big thing in marketing strategy.
Superb popular science: the laws of networks........2007-04-14
Networks all have a meaningful similarity. Whether the network at hand is a party, a cell's molecular reaction, or the puzzling old bridges of Königsberg, Prussia, you could describe each one by using a branch of mathematics called "graph theory," invented by Leonhard Euler in 1736. His long-dormant concept bloomed in the 1990s with the advent of the Internet and continues to yield insights into many important problems. Sounds a bit dry? Don't worry. Albert-László Barabási writes in a lively style (there's nary an equation in sight) with fun, informative anecdotes. The tale of how he and other scientists discovered "the laws of networks" unfolds like a detective story. After reading this book, you'll see networks everywhere and gain deeper insight into disparate phenomena, from biological systems to business organizations to the economics of "increasing returns." We recommend this clear, accessible book to anyone who has ever wondered about the ubiquitous webs that encompass all things. This is popular science at its best.
Great for the layman.......2007-04-11
One of the best books I've read about the subject, especially good for those being introduced to the subject of graph theory and network thinking. One of the few technical page-turners I've had the pleasure to enjoy! Really, could not put it down!
If you liked Freakonomics..........2007-01-12
...then you'll love the connections drawn in this text. It more than touches on the realities of "Six Degrees of Separation" (as well as Kevin Bacon!)in an interesting, readable format. You don't need to be a scientist or a mathematition to understand the links, networks, and nodes assessed in this book.
I must admit that it started out a bit slow, but I recommend you stick it out for an enlightening outlook on the interconnectivity of everything.
Average customer rating:
- Catherine Harris - Great Book
- A great book of enterprise telecommunication system design
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The Irwin Handbook of Telecommunications Management
James Harry Green
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ASIN: 0071370587 |
Book Description
Information and Solutions for Today's Telecommunications Systems
Regardless of your industry, you’ll find James Harry Green’s The Irwin Handbook of Telecommunications Management, Third Edition an authoritative how-to solutions manual for every telecommunications management question. Now comprehensively revised and updated, this classic resource provides hands-on techniques for understanding today's major technological changes -- and incorporating them into your organization's telecom strategy. Covering the entire spectrum of 21st century telecommunications, the Handbook makes it easy to locate, understand, and implement:
* Long-range planning, feasibility analysis, and forecasting
* The selection and management of telecom equipment and services, writing and evaluating responses to RFPs, managing long distance services, and more
* Management of a telecom facility -- including PBX and key telephone equipment, automatic call distributors, voice processing equipment, local area networks and Internets, wide area networks, convergence, and video and audio conferencing equipment
* Specific techniques for effective cost containment
* Telecommunications operations -- from fraud and disaster prevention to project management, quality control, security and more
Customer Reviews:
Catherine Harris - Great Book.......2004-09-13
The author does a great job at providing the information necessary for Teleocommunications Management. I'm a manager with SBC a large telco in St. Louis. The only item I see missing from this book as with other books is the importanace of the ability to manage management. As a telecom manager, I'm not very good at managing people or admitedly have much knowledge of telecom, but I'm great at managing my management which has allowed me to progress. This book needs to not only reflect the managerial concepts of technology, but of salesmanship and the real world scenerios I run into every day. I do however feel this is a great reference for general telecommunications information and would recommend people read it.
A great book of enterprise telecommunication system design.......2001-08-30
I think the book covers a complete discussion of every telecommunication facility development topic. The book starts from basic issues, such as selecting equipments and using them, to the cost analysis of develop the system. This makes the book comfortable for telco manager who never did business telecommunication system development before. I think this book is perfect for every telco manager. This book is, I think, also suitable for engineers and technicians to open and broaden the cost analysis of systems developed. I think the author is an expert in enterprise telecommunication system design and knows what he is doing.
As a courtesy, I attach the correct table of content...
Part 1: Principles of Telecommunications Management and Planning
Introduction to Telecommunications Management, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, Telecommunications Strategic Planning, Current and Long-Range Planning, Feasibility Analysis, Forecasting Telecommunications Services
Part 2: Selecting Telecommunications Services and Equipment
Developing Requirements and Specifications, Writing Requests for Proposals, Evaluating Responses to Requests for Proposals, Managing Long-Distance Services, Selecting Local Exchange Services, Managing Internet Services, Wiring Plans and Equipment Rooms
Part 3: Managing Telecommunications Facilities
Managing PBX and Key Telephone Equipment, Managing Automatic Call Distributors, Managing Voice Processing Equipment, Managing Local Area Networks and Internets, Managing Wide Area Networks, Managing Video and Audio Conferencing Equipment, Managing Convergence
Part 4: Telecommunications Cost Control
Controlling Telecommunications Costs, Benchmarking Telecommunications Results, Contracting and Outsourcing, Sizing and Optimizing Voice Circuits, Optimizing Data Network Bandwidth
Part 5: Operations Planning and Execution
Developing a Telecommunications Operations Plan, Disaster Prevention and Recovery, Cutover Planning and Management, Telecommunications Project Management, Resale of Telecommunications Services, Controlling Telecommunications Quality, Managing Telecommunications Security, Preventing Toll Fraud, Network Maintenance and Testing, Network Management Systems
Appendixes
Book Description
With the radical changes in information production that the Internet has introduced, we stand at an important moment of transition, says Yochai Benkler in this thought-provoking book. The phenomenon he describes as social production is reshaping markets, while at the same time offering new opportunities to enhance individual freedom, cultural diversity, political discourse, and justice. But these results are by no means inevitable: a systematic campaign to protect the entrenched industrial information economy of the last century threatens the promise of today’s emerging networked information environment.
In this comprehensive social theory of the Internet and the networked information economy, Benkler describes how patterns of information, knowledge, and cultural production are changing—and shows that the way information and knowledge are made available can either limit or enlarge the ways people can create and express themselves. He describes the range of legal and policy choices that confront us and maintains that there is much to be gained—or lost—by the decisions we make today.
Customer Reviews:
This Book Proves the Adage that You See What You Look For.......2007-07-08
I have been hearing about Yochai Benkler's book, "The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedoms," for some time and his exposition around what he (and many others) have called the "networked information economy." Benkler, a Yale law professor, also offers his 527 page (473 in text) book as a free PDF from his web site under a Creative Commons share alike license.
First, let me say, there are a couple of worthwhile insights in the book, which I'll get to in a moment. But mostly, I found the book overly long, often off-subject, and too political for my tastes. In fairness, some of this might be due to the fact it was written in 2005 (published in 2006) and the social and participatory aspects of the Web are now widely appreciated. Yet I fear the broader problem with this polemic is that it proves the adage that you see what you look for.
Benkler's argument is that cheap processors and the Internet have removed the physical constraints on effective information production. This is in keeping with the non-proprietary nature of information as a "nonrival" good, and is also leading to the democratization of information production and the emergence of large-scale peer-produced content. Benkler generally allies himself with the camp of technology optimists. His observations about trends and new developments from Ebay to Wikipedia to SETI@home and open source software are now commonly appreciated.
With the costs of information duplication and dissemination trending to zero, the limiting factor of production becomes human creativity and effort itself. But here, too, with hundreds of millions of Internet users, just a few hours of contributed content from each can easily swamp the ability of even the largest firms to compete. These trends to Benkler presage a "radical decentralization" of information production, and many other changes to the political economy and culture.
That radical changes in the nature of information production and authorship and even the role of traditional publishers or the media are underway is without question. Purposeful collaborations like Wikipedia are now clearly successful and were not forecasted by many.
The lens, however, in which Benkler looks at all of these trends is through the "modern" history of the mass media. Citing Paul Starr's "Creation of the Media," he notes how in 15 years from 1835 to 1850 the cost of setting up a mass-circulation paper increased from $10,000 to over $2 million (in 2005 dollars). In Benkler's view, these cost increases shifted the ability to publish away from the common citizen into the "problem" hands of the mass media. Fortunately, now with the Internet and cheap processors, this evil can be reversed. Though Benkler specifically disclaims that he is not describing "an exercise in pastoral utopianism," the fact is that is exactly what he is describing.
There can be no doubt that the role of mass media and traditional publishers is under severe challenge from the emergence of the Internet. It is also the case that we are witnessing citizen publishers and authors emerge by the millions. These changes are momentous, but they do not involve everyone -- only comparatively small percentages of Internet users blog and still smaller percentages contribute to Wikipedia (about 80,000 at present based on a user base of hundreds of millions). And, as the traditional gatekeepers of printers, publishers and editors lose prominence, new institutions and mechanisms for establishing the authoritativeness and trustworthiness of content will surely need to evolve.
These real trends deserve thoughtful exploration.
However, there is a reason that publishing costs increased so rapidly in that era of the 1800s. Mass publishing and pulp paper were emerging that acted to bring an increasing storehouse of content and information to the public at levels never before seen.
The explosion of information content that occurred at this very same time correlates well with the fundamental historical changes in human wealth and economic growth. Though mass media may prove to be an historical artifact, I would argue that its role in bringing literacy and information to the "masses" was generally an unalloyed good and the basis for an improvement in economic well being the likes of which had never been seen.
By taking a narrow historical horizon and then viewing it through the lens of the vilified "mass media," Benkler is both looking in the wrong direction and missing the point.
The information by which the means to produce and disseminate information itself is changing and growing. These changes in information infrastructure support an inexorable trend to more adaptability, more wealth and more participation. What we are seeing now with the Internet is but a natural continuation of that trend. The "mass media" and the costs of information production of the 1800s was a natural phase within this longer, historical trend. The multiplier effect of information itself will continue to empower and strengthen the individual, not in spite of mass media or any other ideologically based viewpoint but due to the freeing and adaptive benefits of information itself. Information is the natural antidote to entropy and, longer term, to the concentrations of wealth and power.
By trying to push the trends of the Internet through the false needle's eye of political economics, an effort that Benkler also erroneously makes with his earlier analysis of the growth of radio, what are in essence historical forces of almost informational or technological determinism are falsely presented as matters of political choice. Hogwash.
Benkler, however, does observe two useful dimensions for measuring social collaboration efforts: modularity and granularity. By modularity, Benkler means "a property of a project that describes the extent to which it can be broken down into smaller components, or modules, that can be independently produced before they are assembled into a whole." By granularity, Benkler means "the size of the modules, in terms of the time and effort that an individual must invest in producing them."
Benkler's insight is that "the number of people who can, in principle, participate in a project is therefore inversely related to the size of the smallest scale contribution necessary to produce a usable module. The granularity of the modules therefore sets the smallest possible individual investment necessary to participate in a project. If this investment is sufficiently low, then incentives" for producing that component of a modular project can be of trivial magnitude. Most importantly for our purposes of understanding the rising role of nonmarket production, the time can be drawn from the excess time we normally dedicate to having fun and participating in social interactions."
To illustrate this effect of granularity, he contrasts Wikipedia with its simple entries and editing and bounded topics with the far-less successful Wikibooks, which has much larger granularity.
Creators of social collaboration sites are advised to keep granularity small to encourage broader contributions, and if the nature of the site is complex, to increase the number of its modules. Of course, none of this guarantees the magic or timing that also lie behind the most successful sites!
I think that Benkler's arguments could have been more effectively distilled into a 30-page article, with much of the political economy claptrap thrown out. The book is definitely worth a skim.
Phenomenal Book on Information Science and Peer Production.......2007-05-12
I first became familiar with Benkler after reading his paper, "Coase's Penguin" in undergraduate study. I was delighted to hear of the publication of this book. Benkler continues beautifully where he left off in his previous papers and synthesizes an excellent theory of social production in his book.
Benkler begins by describing the economic shape of information - it's non-rival and builds upon itself. He explains the challenges that face information, particularly the Babel Objection. Benkler also covers some legal background on aspects of a "liberal society", such as the role of commons versus private property.
From there, he makes his way into peer production. He touches different aspects of this type of production, from open source to distributed content production & filtering (click workers) to the results of the FCC's shift towards commons-based wireless policy. I found chapter 4, where he connects social production to the economic concepts discussed earlier, to be the most interesting chapter of the book.
He moves on to a lengthy discussion of the political effects of network distribution and social production, including a summary of the history of mass media and predictions about the future. From there, he lays down his argument that we ought to continue to encourage open networks and information sharing. He presents a discussion on current legislation and legal challenges to information and provides some examples of solutions.
I read this book coming out of an undergraduate program in Information Science and wished I had read this book perhaps my sophomore or junior year. Benkler essentially lays out, in linear form, the precise message that my professors were teaching. Because of networks, information science in the 21st century will not follow the traditional industrial-style of distribution but rather a distributed and non-proprietary model. Its impact is phenomenal, not only in the realm of economics and science but politics, culture, and interpersonal communication.
This book ought to be required reading for every undergraduate student studying Telecommunications, Media, or Information Science.
Good argumentation.......2007-04-28
I agree when some people say the book is not well edited (even not being english my first language I found some errors within it) but I think the greatest think about it is the attempt to explain something that it is easy to see that is happening today but nobody know why is happening. You know people write in Wikipedia and that most of them do that at their free time, you know that some people participate in great collaborative efforts to develop free software in the Internet, you know people keep blogs to express their point of view. But can you explain why that happens, why do they do that expecting no financial return or acknowledgment? What do they want? Perhaps you may know what you want when you do or don't some of that things but what about the rest of the world, if you care about it? What has changed or is changing or still must be changed in the societies so that happens?
The author doesn't explain it too but he tries to do it, it is an initial attempt to get some answers. His argumentation through the book covers many aspects of our lives, economic, political, social, antropological, legal and I think that at least at the end you will have some new insights on what is all that about.
Connectivization.......2007-04-20
Be forewarned that this brilliantly conceived book is not so brilliantly written, and the reading can be a real slog at times. Yochai Benkler is a perceptive social theorist but his thoughts are bogged down in academic writing that could really use some editing. Expect excessive introducing, foreshadowing, recapping, and summarizing, giving you the often tiresome impression that you will read Benkler's prose again or have read it before. This book also suffers from what business strategists and military tacticians would call "scope creep," as Benkler's broad theories on society and knowledge become so all-inclusive as to border on diffuseness and ineffectiveness - a problem that really slows down the middle section of the book. This is a common difficulty for vast unified theories about information and humanity, so prepare for some difficulty in following the main points that Benkler is trying to make.
But now that those warnings are out of the way, beneath Benkler's ponderous prose are insightful theories about the rise of networked culture, inspired by the digital revolution, in the face of lockdowns from entrenched power players. The initial uses of open networks inspired a megalomaniacal reaction from the industrial and political sectors, which have partially succeeded in forcing technological design changes, and persecution of new cultural behaviors, that threatened their economic and political dominance. For instance, intellectual property laws (patents, trademarks, and copyrights), which were originally meant to encourage cultural production, have been transformed by power players into tools to enforce corporate profitability. And if you think concerns over those trends are merely alarmism, Benkler provides profound evidence that damage really is being done to culture, freedom, and democracy - in ways that are far deeper and more troubling than the (corporate-inspired) popular rhetoric around piracy, rolyalties, and hackers.
Benkler informatively differentiates the types of freedom that are at stake - personal, cultural, social, and political - and ably demonstrates how each are affected by trends in infrastructure development, media behavior, corporate profiteering, and political gamesmanship. One especially winning chapter deals with how the rising network society can promote justice and development in third world areas that are not currently connected and may never be. The corporate and political insistence on regulating the information infrastructure and criminalizing user behaviors may represent a losing battle against the basic human drive to network and create, as can be seen in trends like open source software and community wi-fi. Benkler's main point here (when you're finally able to uncover it) is that humanity may be on the brink of a major change in the way we process culture and information, thanks to the growth in open worldwide networks. The old school power players won't go without a fight, adding unnecessary strife to the process, but Benkler has faith in humanity's ability to transform and rise above [~doomsdayer520~]
Excellent and Insightful Articulation.......2007-01-11
I highly recommend reading Yochai Benkler's book.
It is a balanced articulation of what the Internet and Web 2.0 are enabling in the development of new forms of social collaboration that are not adequately recognized as such by both private/regulated market advocates and welfare advocates. One of the things that struck me most is Benkler's capacity to create a perspective in which he can show that these new forms of collectives are rooted in old practices that have existed forever.
He also shows that these practices can gain major significance if:
1. The neutrality of the web, access to the web, Open Source initiatives, and the General Public Licensing type of legislation are improved,
2. The aggressive move toward Intellectual Property laws and regulations, and control by corporations, is counter-balanced.
Excellent read!
Average customer rating:
- Great book for better understanding the new media world
- Television Disrupted
- TV disrupted is the most intelligent book on current and future TV biz
- Must Read for Media Execs
- Finally!
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Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked TV
Shelly Palmer
Manufacturer: Focal Press
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Book Description
What's happening to the business of television? Television Disrupted: The Transition from Network to Networked Television will empower you to make informed business, career and investment choices by giving insights into the technologies, business rules and legal issues that are shaping the future. Youll learn about: Time-shifted and on-demand viewing, mobile video, file sharing, interactive and advanced media, advertising, copyright laws, paradigm shifts, parlor tricks and much, much more.
This book will serve as a baseline to help executives, investors or professionals get a handle on the future of television and the role it plays in evolving media.
Table of Contents
1: The Businesses of Television
2: Disrupting Television Using Existing Network Technologies
3: Internet
4: Existing Wireless Networks
5: Emerging Networks
6: Content, Storytellers, Gatekeepers and Related Skills
7: Networked Value Propositions
8: Media Consumption
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11: Emerging Advertising Technologies
12: Television Disrupted
About the Author
Shelly Palmer, Managing Partner, Advanced Media Ventures Group LLC, is an award-winning inventor, technologist, composer and television producer. He is the host of Media 3.0 with Shelly Palmer, a weekly business news show that can be seen on public television and online at www.media30.com. He invented Enhanced Television (Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Monday Night Football), the most popular form of interactive television in the United States. Mr. Palmer is 1st Vice President of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY. He created and chairs the Advanced Media Technology Emmy Awards which honors excellence in the science and technology of the media business. He is the author of one of the most popular television business news blogs, www.EmmyAdvancedMedia.com and he is a weekly columnist for www.Mediapost.com.
Customer Reviews:
Great book for better understanding the new media world.......2007-03-20
I was very pleased with the vast wealth of information provided in this book. It was easy to understand and covered all aspects of the state of the media world!
Television Disrupted.......2007-02-19
This is an excellent overview of all aspects of the television industry and what it is morphing into. I can see this being invaluable to anyone already directly involved in, or on the periphery of this industry.
It is educational as well for those not working in the business, or those looking to invest in the emerging technologies.
TV disrupted is the most intelligent book on current and future TV biz.......2007-02-11
Television Disrupted is an excellent book, well written and intelligently describing a wide range of complex topics surrounding traditional TV and internet delivered video. It does a particularly good job in describing the recent changes and potential future directions of the television industry.
Working within the software industry serving traditional television, people have frequently asked me what they can read to build their knowledge of the TV business. Historically, this has been a tough question to answer as there have been a few discrete magazine articles that were interesting, but I was unware of any books that were current, accurate, or made sense about the future of TV. Television Disrupted has solved this dilema by providing a great overview of the historical television industry as well as the massive changes that are pending as the television business takes advantage of the opportunities provided by internet delivered video.
Must Read for Media Execs.......2006-12-06
This book is a must read for those navigating the changing waters of the media industry. It contains a comprehensive industry overview, insightful analysis of current trends, thought-provoking predictions....and, it's an interesting and entertaining read as well.
Finally!.......2006-09-15
Finally a book about the future of media from someone intimately familiar with its past and present. Palmer has a unique perspective as both an extraordinary successful creative, and an extremely savvy businessman. The insights of his book were earned by doing, not learned by reading, and it distinguishes his perspective from nearly every other.
Amazon.com
Based on extensive research he conducted at M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management, professor Charles H. Fine determined that fruit flies hold the key to the future of business. Not the insects themselves, actually, but the way geneticists study their extraordinarily condensed life spans to gain insight into the much more drawn-out human existence. In like manner, Fine suggests that industries with a very rapid evolutionary rate, or clockspeed, be examined for information that will benefit businesses of all kinds--as well as national economic systems, universities, and even religious institutions--although any edge that emerges may, without additional work, prove to be fleeting. In Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage, Fine lays out his resultant theories of business genetics. He focuses on "fruit fly industries" such as personal computers and information-entertainment providers and the lessons he says can be learned by dissecting their internal processes, product development procedures, and organizational arrangements. He then proposes ways that other companies can utilize the positive patterns of industry structure that appear. Those whose eyes do not glaze over at the mere thought of calculating "capital equipment obsolesce rates" should find this absorbing and thought-provoking. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Based on groundbreaking research at MIT, Clockspeed introduces a revolutionary approach to business strategy, applying the principles of genetics to show how choices in supply-chain design can drive company and industry evolution.
"Faster is not necessarily smarter. In this world of constant acceleration, while most firms become increasingly reactive, the race will go to the few who can think more deeply rather than react more quickly. Charlie Fine's is likely to be one of the voices they are listening to."-Peter Senge, founding Director of the MIT Organizational Learning Center and author of The Fifth Discipline
Drawing from a decade of research at MIT, and using examples from the fastest-changing industries, Fine introduces a whole new vocabulary for analyzing and implementing business strategy, turning managers into "corporate geneticists" who do not react to the forces of change but master them to engineer their company's destiny.
Customer Reviews:
Two books in one - one that i loved!.......2007-01-23
I find the book is divided in two books:
1. analysis of supply chains, understanding an industry, and how you can draw conclusions and foresee the future,
2. how to work with supply chains; what to build or buy and how to treat your suppliers, etc.
I am interested in the analysis and not supply chain so the first part of the book was pleasing.
I will tell you why I liked the first part of the book:
a) Fine describes how fast an industry is "updated". From the slowest (ex: military and civic flight) to the fastest (ex: mobile telephony, internet, etc). This made me understand why mobile operators have lost the war against the Nokias of the world, and why all are afraid when Google and Yahoo! enters the mobile space.
b) He then tells you why an industry is VERTICAL with
integral/integrated parts or HORIZONTAL with modular parts and what drives an industry to change, and why the change goes back and forth over time. This was absolutely fantastic for me because it really explained the rationale behind internal development, niches and outsourcing.
The rest of the book describes ethics and philosophy within supply chain dynamics, how to control sourcing, and simple rules of why to build or buy.
Fine writes in a simple language, but the toolbox he gives you is complex and made me understand the industry I work in with new eyes!
A great way to fall asleep.......2007-01-06
I read this book as part of an MBA curriculum and was so bored by it I almost dropped the class. If you are a supply chain freak and love this kind of stuff you might like reading over and over again about stretched biological analogies but if you are focusing on any other discipline and just want a taste of competitive advantage in supply chain I recommend you look elsewhere.
Supply Chain: design should come first.......2004-02-22
Fine's book creates clear connection among Supply Chain, Product Development and Manufacturing activities. MIT's Professor Fine establishes an operational and strategic link among those company's environment. The book put in a plain text how to analyze you supply chain and how to design it accordly a strategy view. Finally, Supply Chain Design is proclaimed as being essential to assure competitive advantage and to sustain the company's progress. If you want to really understand supply chain, it is a book that you must read!
Seminal Work in Supply Chain Design.......2003-08-10
Professor Fine makes a tremendously strong and lucid case for utilizing supply chain design as a functional catalyst in optimizing business strategy and evolution.
In a world of chronic oversupply and fear, Professor Fine sheds light on how managers and corporations can take control of their destiny instead of destiny and fate taking control of the managers and corporations.
Crucial for anyone in supply chain field.......2001-07-17
It would be a mistake to be employed in some supply chain capacity and *not* read this book. I believe that it offers an intriguing set of solid examples of how incorporating supply chain management into strategy discussions has helped some companies profit at the expense of others.
Some commenters have noted that examples seem anecdotal. I tend to think that Fine's approach here, in going into depth with just a few examples, is a richer basis upon which to draw conclusions. You don't necessarily need a statistically significant sample set in order to gain insights into how to conduct strategy.
I would also take issue with one reviewer's note that it is overly geared towards manufacturing, rather than services. Managing supply chains and conducting make-buy decisions are clearly the province of operations. But shouldn't consulting services develop precisely those areas of expertise in order to assist their biggest clients?
A note of disclosure: I took Fine's course on this subject while at MIT. While I wouldn't trade having been in that graduate seminar for 100 books, if you can't take the course, at least read the book! Doing so brought back the pleasure for me of being in his class.
Book Description
Affiliate Millions
For more than a decade, the Internet has allowed people to make substantial amounts of money on both a full-time and part-time basis. Today, with even more online opportunities available than ever before, you can achieve a level of financial success that most people only dream about-and in Affiliate Millions, author Anthony Borelli will show you how.
With the help of coauthor Greg Holden, Borelli will show you how to make thousands, and eventually tens of thousands, of dollars each month through the process of paid search marketing and affiliate advertising. Along the way, they'll also share the secrets to mastering this often-overlooked strategy and provide you with the tools and techniques needed to maximize your potential returns.
Since making one million dollars through paid search marketing and affiliate advertising in his first full year of operations, Anthony Borelli has never looked back. Now, he wants to help you do the same. Filled with in-depth insights and practical advice, Affiliate Millions will introduce you to this profitable endeavor and show you how to make it work for you.
Customer Reviews:
Basic tools for the online gold rush.......2007-09-06
My experience was similar to that of "gordo the lordo." Plenty of clicks but just a few orders. Getting clicks isn't hard. What kind of clicks? That's the $1,000,000 question.
As a search engine advertiser, your task is to capture the clicks of consumers who have made a buying decision or are very close. These clicks will make money for you. The clicks of people who are "just browsing" will cost you money. You have to be a student of online search behavior.
You capture money-making clicks by finding highly relevant keywords and writing focused ads. How hard can it be? Get your ads up and running, tweak them, and watch the money roll in. You only need basic English skills and common sense. A degree in advertising or English is not going to help.
I would encourage anyone to try it because you may discover that you have the knack. By spending $500 or so, you should be able to get an idea how well you might do. Don't make the mistake I made, which was to let my ads capture several hundred clicks without getting any orders. I kept thinking "the orders will kick in." They didn't. Stop your ads after 200-300 clicks and wait for results. You can either tweak the ad (if it's close to break-even) or abandon it and try something else.
You are playing the keyword market on Google. Some keywords sell for $20 per click and more. Search engine advertisers don't get caught up in keyword "bubbles." They are only after potent "value" keywords that sell for 25 cents or less.
The keyword market is like a gold rush. Everywhere you look the ground is torn up by hordes of stampeding prospectors. You wander far and wide hoping to find a stone that hasn't been turned. How many thousands of other guys are out there trying the same thing? Good luck.
You never know. You might have the knack. Affiliate Millions gives you everything you need to know to get started. When I joined my first affiliate program and set up my first ads, I had the book open and followed it not step-by-step but word-for-word. It's just the kind of "excruciating" detail a beginner needs.
Mr. Borelli explains how to evaluate the earnings potential of an affiliate program. The profit, or course, depends on your revenue per click. An adgroup for $20 books may not be the way to go.
Should you actually make money, there is a chapter on campaign finance. You have to manage your cash flow to optimize performance. If another book on online advertising has this kind of chapter, I haven't seen it.
Mr. Borelli has set up the Affiliate Millions website for "prospectors." The only item listed for sale is the book. There is a free monthly newsletter. There are no ads. Mr. Borelli answers questions on the site's discussion board. If you are at all familiar with the "get rich online" racket you know how exceptional this is. Such sites are usually crammed with ads and have little useful information.
Mr. Borelli's advice is a bit sketchy and vague. That's because it has to be. If Mr. Borelli were to disclose his winning formula, everyone would copy him and he would be out of business within hours. All he can do is point people in right direction. Within that proviso, he provides clear and valuable information.
Mr. Borelli makes no promises that prospectors will get rich. He merely suggests that it is possible. He ends the opening chapter with "Take it step-by-step and read the chapters that follow, and you'll stand a good chance of becoming an Affiliate Millionaire yourself." If he starts the book by saying your chances are practically nil, no one will continue reading.
Like "gordo," I'm amazed that anyone could make millions at this. It would take several phenomenally successful campaigns. You would have to come up with new ones all the time. Think of the millions in revenue Mr. Borelli is generating for the companies he advertises for. They should throw a party for him.
Didn't work for me.......2007-08-21
I tried the principles in this book. I set up some ads for a variety of products and different companies through Commission Junction and was, at first, delighted that I was getting a good amount of clicks. I was confident the ads were good enough because of some experience I've had in the past writing copy.
However, after over 250 clicks to major websites that boasted a large earnings per click, I got one sale and a large $ loss. The ads were good enough to catch the people's attention, but no one was buying.
I think this is a tough way to go at it. A website might be the better way to go. I am amazed that anyone could make any money doing this, never mind millions.
Direct and Immediately Useful.......2007-07-24
I was seeking a detailed, practical and thorough "how-to" approach to build internet-based revenue. This book filled the bill. It covered all key facets of the approach - particularly helpful for a layperson - as well as for someone with web-based experience (as am I). I have yet to test the specific recommendations. The book was solid.
Basic start but could leave you broke.........2007-07-12
Its true that money can be made by signing up for affiliate programs and marketing them on pay per click search engines. However, its possible to lose a great deal of money and this book doesn't do a good enough job helping people calculate the risks. For example, the author indicates he markets Amazon products. Amazon on its basic associate program pays 4%. A $20.00 book pays a comission of .80 cents. But in pay per click advertising a marketer can pay 30, 40 cents and even a dollar depending on the keywords. In a test marketing the new Harry Potter book (book 5) I spent over 9.00 in ppc ads that resulted in 4 sales. The click thru to sale was 13%... which isn't bad. The point is, I earned only about $2, but spent over $9.00 to earn it (a loss of $7.00). The author doesn't explain how to choose affiliate programs in terms of cost vs. payoff. Anyone who reads this book will get some basic information, but before spending money on ppc advertising they'd be better off buying The Ultimate Guide to Google Adwords which does a better job explaining keywords, writing effective ads and managing campaigns.
This is a great book.......2007-07-10
A great book about search marketing and how to become a search marketer, also very helpful for people who have their own websites. I was motivated enough to start my own website, [...].
Book Description
Security Policies and Procedures: Principles and Practices was created to teach information security policies and procedures and provide students with hands-on practice developing a security policy.This book provides an introduction to security policy, coverage of information security regulation and framework, and policies specific to industry sectors, including financial, healthcare and small business.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent condition .......2007-10-05
This book was a requirement for my University. By purchasing it used at Amazon, I saved alot of money. The book was in excellent condition. I would not be able to tell if it was new or used.
Book Description
Turn the Net's info revolution into a do-it-yourself business. Having a passion for uncovering obscure Net data? Turn your passion into a rewarding career with the Third Edition of The Information Broker's Handbook, by Sue Rugge and Alfred Glossbrenner. The world's leading information broker, Rugge shares her research and business secrets alike-showing you how to get started brokering information, stay successful and grow as you do. It's all here-guidelines for setting prices, tips for drawing up contracts, billing do's and don'ts-plus the hands-on help you need to: market yourself as an expert information broker and build a roster of high-paying clients; get your hands on FREE or low-cost information you can re-package and sell; turn data from the Net, Web, libraries, public records, BBSs, SIGs, online databases and other sources into sought-after intelligence; exploit the latest connectivity hardware and software-from browsers and ISDN lines to high-speed modems and CD-ROMs.
Customer Reviews:
still valuable, if a bit dated.......2003-04-01
Reading a book like this makes you appreciate the rapid advancement of internet technology and the availability of online resources. In some ways this book reads like ancient history. (Remember Archie and Gopher? ftp?) That said, you can still learn how to use many older and traditional information resources, and the book's main focus -- becoming a professional information broker -- remains relevant and intact.
Part One, The Information Business, defines the market for information and the role and requirements of a professional information broker. Part Two, Fundamental Tools and Techniques, is a user-friendly guide to library, government and public records resources. These two sections are still quite useful, though obviouisly incomplete. Part Three, Electronic Options and Alternatives, is outdated, addressing no World Wide Web resources at all, though it does cover online special interest groups (SIGs) and bulletin boards (BBSs) well. Part Four, The Business Side of Information Brokering, is quite valuable and deals with completing a project, marketing, sales, pricing, contracts and billing.
Appendices cover essential resources (books, software and magazines), vendors, conferences, associations and seminars. An accompanying 3-1/2-inch floppy disk contains the appendices as well as electronic forms and letters, and a sample report. Stylistically, this disc is like a fine black & white movie. ASCII text files ensure accessibility by multiple platforms, and elegant but casual writing combined with beautifully-formatted text is information rich. If you buy this book used, make sure you get the disk too.
In short, while some of the content is quite outdated, this book and disk would still prove invaluable for someone who is interested in becoming an information professional. Rich in content, accessible in style.
My information "Bible!".......2000-04-28
A friend recently said I have "an almost pathological passion" for research. Yip, he's right! And this book, along with Reva Basch's "Researching Online For Dummies" has been of invaluable help. I read some parts of both nearly everyday. I've read in other reviews that The Information Broker's Handbook was skimpy on where to find info online. Maybe, but that wasn't the whole point of the book. And, at nearly 580 pages, it is more than sufficient in detail and is a clear, informative guide. Most people probably wouldn't pick a technical manual to read for recreational reading, but it is so interestingly written that it really is hard to put down, and you learn so much even from casual reading a bit at a time. I love this book, and couldn't do without it. It is perfect for information nuts, especially since the Internet is a knowledge junkie's paradise!
Solid Basic of Starting an Information Brokering Business.......2000-04-08
In contrast to Mary Ellen's book, this book is actually for self-starters who are thinking about creating their own small business and covers such excellent basics as the market for information, what an information broker does, the pros and cons of the information business, and then the tools, followed by chapters on marketing, pricing, and project management. Although seven years old now, I still regard this as a good starting point for those who would understand the information brokering business (a small niche within the larger open source intelligence business).
Readable guide to the business aspect.......1999-10-11
This is written in a breezy, but not simplistic style. Ninety percent of it is on the social and business aspects of being an information broker, so the book is good for that. Treatment of info-searching skills is rather skimpy and probably won't tell you anything that you didn't learn in college.
Thorough, engaging and more importantly, very useful........1998-10-17
If you are considering information brokering, this should be the first book you read. It is quite complete, yet you can skim it easily because of how well the material is organized. This is an easy read, as well, thanks to the writing style. Most important of all, you will get current, practical and valuable information. Enjoy!
Amazon.com
Running a successful Internet Service Provider (ISP) requires excellence in many areas. Good ISPs must keep on top of all the technical issues involved in high-traffic Internet connectivity. They must deal with the public, including its most technically incompetent segments. On top of all that, they have to make a profit in a competitive business environment. ISP Survival Guide does a good job of explaining all sides of the industry.
Rather than tie his book to the specifics of particular hardware and software products, Geoff Huston explains ISP technologies without implementation details. He writes at great length about the various interior and exterior routing protocols without mentioning specific products. He also covers the pros and cons of various data-transmission technologies, including ATM, ISDN, Frame Relay, and other systems, in addition to analog modems. Huston pays attention to quality of service issues--a subject that is not well covered elsewhere.
ISP Survival Guide also provides insight into the business aspects of running an ISP. Huston provides specific dollar figures that you can use to estimate capital equipment purchase costs and per-account annual maintenance costs. The book also contains advice on doing business with other providers that you're connecting to. --David Wall
Book Description
Introducing the ISP bible for the networking and telecomm industry.
To put it mildly, cyberspace business is booming. There are presently more than 6,000 Internet Service Providers worldwide, and about 600 new providers are springing up each quarter. However, the ISP business is still very young and without precedent-no how-to manual or foolproof start-up recipe exists for those who want a piece of the action. As ISPs mount an ambitious challenge against phone companies for control of the $300 billion telecommunications market, they need a step-by-step planning guide to creating, developing, and profiting from a solid service provider business. Networking pioneer Geoff Huston describes the technologies, business practices, and policies required to be a formidable player in the ISP business, covering architecture principles, network management, infrastructure, business models, public policy, future growth, and much more.
ISP (Internet Service Provider) companies provide access for end-users to the Internet. ISPs range from small, regional providers to larger, well-known companies like America Online and Sprint.
The Wiley Networking Council's mission is to fill an important gap in networking literature by publishing books that put technology into perspective for decision makers who need an implementation strategy, a vendor and outsourcing strategy, and a product and design strategy. It is comprised of four of the most influential leaders of the networking community:
Lyman Chapin: Founding trustee of the Internet Society; chief scientist of BBN, a division of GTE Internetworking.
Scott Bradner: Trustee of the Internet Society; Director of the Harvard University Network Switching Test Lab; Network World columnist.
Vinton Cerf: Founding trustee of the Internet Society, often called the "Father of the Internet;" Senior Vice President, MCI/WorldCom.
Ed Kozel: CTO and Senior VP for Product Development, Cisco Corporation,
Customer Reviews:
General book for non specialist.......2002-09-30
I am non american, so that I can't evaluate the style of the author or his business capacity... Nevertheless, I think that this is one of the few books on this topic who presents a general view on ISP architecture and business. If someone knows an other book on this topic, I am interested in!!
It's not a book for specialist, you must not expect to configure cisco routers with it. But if you already know the basic of networks, it's a good introduction to ISP
Gran recurso de investigación para redes ISP.......2001-11-14
El libro muestra paso a paso las diferentes necesidades y actividades necesarias para diseñar una infraestructura ISP. Comenzando desde los aspectos teóricos de arquitectura, infraestrucutra, ruteo, administración de red, seguridad, etc; hasta los aspectos legales u organizacionales del ambiente Internet-ISP.
A mi criterio, temas que faltaron fueron: Primero modelos matemáticos y/o prácticos para el dimensionamiento de las troncales telefónicas (acceso dial up) y ancho de banda WAN . Segundo diferentes posibilidades y escenarios de interconexión internacional. Este último aspecto basado en ISPs fuera de los Estados Unidos.
Como conclusión es un libro ideal para estudiantes de ingeniería con bases intermedias de internetworking.
A call to reason.......2000-07-12
Readers who found this book lucid and helpful must be part of the editorial staff or the publisher's company.
After reading other's negative comments and passing them off as cursory and badly evaluated, I bought the book anyway. To my surprise, the negative comments were understated. The book was poorly written, has enormous gaps in the telecommunications area as related to the practical buildout of an ISP at both the hardware and business level. I returned the book after 10 days of thorough and painful reading. I cannot recommend someone spend money on this book. My apologies to the author but this is an honest response. The author could also use a few more years of grammar and composition before he publishes another book. I'm sure he knows his field but he simply cannot communicate it.
misleading title.......2000-04-30
This book misses the point, written by techie who worked for a University network that was sold to telco which vowed to crush every ISP in the country, the title is somewhat ironical.
This dude has never managed a real commercial ISP in the business sense. Other then a few technical tid bits you should already know it offers little in the way of "survival strategies".
Maybe that's the point if you expect to survive in the business world focusing on router protocols and authentication servers your days are numbered.
If you are thinking of setting up an ISP this book covers some of the basics your technical people should already know inside out. If you are looking for advise on survival in the current market place forget it.
I would recommend browsing through the cisco online documentation its free and more up to date for technical details and freshmeat its related sites and debian.org for linux info.
This book is dating quickly as you would expect an internet book to do, emerging trends in adsl, 3rd gen gsm etc didn't really exist when written.
Good outline, but a mediocre execution........2000-03-09
This book succeeds as a handbook--it is truly comprehensive. Unfortunately, it lacks depth in virtually every topic, and the writing is unacceptable--where was the editor?
Anyone in a management position within an ISP--or consulting for one--will be most effective in their job if they are familiar with the material in this book. Starting with the history of the Internet, it zips through a quick introduction of TCP/IP and immediately becomes bogged down in an interminably long and obtuse discussion of routing (Perlman is both easier to read and more detailed). A tortuous 45 page discussion of VPNs concludes with a terse and useful 8-word definition.
In spite of its flaws, it manages to at least touch on telecom technology, QoS, security, the role of the Internet authorities, and relationships between ISPs. The majority of ISP product offerings are discussed, and it includes a lengthy discussion of ISP business models. Everything is here but marketing, which is covered in a different Wiley text.
The book tries to be all things to all people, but specialists in any of the areas discussed, from technology to business, could find a better, more specific source, and it could easily be half this length without losing any information. A usable handbook would be twice this size, and half as prolix. Until such a text exists, I reluctantly recommend this one. Skim it if you have to, but if you work in the business you should be familiar with everything in this book.
Amazon.com
Lots of circumstances conspired to make information technology what it is today. Business decisions (both wise and foolish), scientific discoveries (both old and recent), marketing campaigns (founded both in truth and otherwise), and plenty of random chance have played parts in defining the industrial, social, and cultural phenomena that personal and business computing have become. The Essential Guide to Computing: The Story of Information Technology tells the technical, commercial, and social stories behind the electronic computer and related technologies, such as telecommunications and software development. Along the way, author E. Garrison Walters reveals a lot of general knowledge about computers. This book is highly readable. It's essentially a general-interest nonfiction book, and a good one, at that.
As you read this book, you can't avoid picking up the little technical facts that have become part of our culture, particularly its younger parts. What's an embedded operating system? What's object-oriented programming? What is the open-source movement? Walters teaches you enough about these subjects--and the ways in which they fit together--to enable you to speak intelligently about them and perform further research, as your needs require. You'll enjoy this book, regardless of your level of computer expertise or your area of specialization, because you're sure to learn something and enjoy the process. --David Wall
Topics covered: The state of the art in electronic computing, data storage, and data communications, in a historical context. The operations of processors, memory chips, persistent storage devices (e.g., disks), and other hardware subsystems. Software development--including compression, encryption, and the challenges and promise of parallel computing--receives attention. Ditto for network communications infrastructures, protocols, and applications. It's all explained in detail and with style.
Customer Reviews:
Unbelievably Good.......2007-09-20
Walters' comprehensive knowledge of the world of IT and incredible ability to explain complex concepts make this book a fascinating read for any gadget geek interested in how stuff actually works. And he doesn't settle for simple, surface level explanations. Instead of shying away from the details and tech-speak, Walters takes you one step further than you thought you could ever go through insightful examples and meaningful analogies.
In addition, his ability to put technological developments in context allow the reader to see the larger factors and trends that have and continue to drive change. A seemingly chaotic and overwhelmingly fast-changing industry suddenly seems logical and "trackable" after reading Walters' book. In this way, it's easy to forgive the fact that the text is a bit out of date. Everything I've read about today's technology I've easily been able to connect back to the ideas I learned here.
Truly one of a kind.
Pretty cool book!.......2005-07-22
It is very cool book, I would say valuable book to build up your understanding of IT in general. It converges many technologies into one coherent pattern so you start to understand many things. I combined reading of this book with "UNIX Essentials" DVD and it nice to explore many of the conceptions in action. If you are lacking some evenness with your IT knowledge pick this one it is nicely shape your vision of it.
Great coverage of the IT field.......2002-12-07
There is a great breadth of information presented in a very lucid fashion. The material is easy to understand, and the author adds a great sense of humor.
However, with the rapid advancements in technology, the book is a bit dated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a gain a great breadth of knowledge in the field of Information technology, in a short period of time.
Review from an Experienced Marketing Manager's Perspective.......2002-03-14
With 6+ years marketing management experience and an MBA, I feel this book was very helpful in understanding the many facets of technology and its evolution through time. The book is a must read for anyone who needs to build or brush up on a solid but basic understanding of technology. However, many of the newest trends in technology are only briefly covered. This is due, I believe, to the fact that many of the pervasive technologies and collaborative applications now being pushed in the marketplace didn't make the editor's draft of the book even though the published date is 2001.
A REMARKABLE FIND !.......2002-03-14
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO COMPUTING is simply an extraordinary achievement. It reflects a breadth of knowledge and clarity of presentation that is remarkable. It makes every effort to distill knowledge about computers and computing in an easy, reader-friendly, memorable way. For computer users everywhere -- in organizations, schools, colleges and universities, and individuals -- this volume gives multiple ways of getting to know more about computing in its fast changing environment. First, you get to know the foundations of how computers and computing works in practical, everyday language. Second, you get a reference book that explains key terms, key workings, and key interconnections among the parts.
The most noteworthy aspect of the book is its superb coherence in presenting vast amounts of computing knowledge arranged in for easy understanding. Information and explanations in one chapter are referenced in subsequent ones, never failing to explain connections among them, with a view to present an overall picture of how computers and computing works.
Each chapter highlights technical terms related to computing and information technology, provides an overview of specific aspects as for example "An Overview of How Storage Works" (Chapter 2, p.40), and highlights in grey explanations of widely used terms such as "Disks From a User's Perspective" (p. 56). Each chapter also ends with a summary list of questions that focus on self-evaluating one's grasp of the chapter's contents.
E. Garrison Walters' book will continue to enrich the understanding of all who enjoy working with computers at work or for pleasure. I wish this book had been available to guide me in computing long before I found it, and, that I had written it ! It is a remarkable achievement!
Books:
- Listening: The Forgotten Skill: A Self-Teaching Guide (Wiley Self-Teaching Guides)
- Logistics
- Macroeconomics: Principles and Policy (with InfoTrac®)
- Macroeconomics: Principles and Tools (4th Edition) (O'Sullivan/Sheffrin Economics: Principles and Tools 4e Series)
- Market Models: A Guide to Financial Data Analysis</
Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (Open Market Edition)
Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order
Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution
