Turning the Tide: Strategic Planning for Labor Unions (Emerging Issues in Employee Relations)

Book Description

Labor unions in the 1990s face tremendous challenges on all fronts. Intensive international and domestic competition, industrial deregulation, and slow economic growth have weakened their collective bargaining position. Organizing new members and retaining existing ones have been made difficult by the changing expectations of workers and the limitations of current labor laws. Together, these forces have led to declining membership and influence.

These difficult circumstances, however, do not signal the end of unionism, or mandate a universal response from all unions. Instead, they herald an era of choices. David Weil presents a pathbreaking framework to guide union leaders in these complex times. Drawing on the ideas of strategic planning developed in the private sector, Weil provides labor leaders with the tools to assess the critical features of their environment, and to design and implement economically sustainable collective bargaining agreements, organizing drives, and other innovative programs.

Weil explains the impact of economic, technologic, governmental, and labor market forces on union strategy. He details the obstacles to new initiatives and offers methods to overcome them, from adapting the union's organizational structure to redirecting its internal financial resources. Based on his work with national, regional, and local unions as well as his academic expertise in labor relations and economics, Weil presents a rich combination of practical experience, academic evidence, and illustrativecase studies from the construction, manufacturing, service and public sectors. He demonstrates how unions have succeeded by creating economically sustainable collective bargaining agreements and organizing initiatives. In Turning the Tide, labor leaders and scholars of industrial relations will find exciting new approaches to strengthen unions and labor-management relations for the next decade.

Book Description

Expert and independent guidance on selecting the best funds for your portfolio.

You have a lot riding on your fund investments. So it's only good sense to get your information from the acknowledged fund expert-Morningstar. Our analysts present a diverse selection of funds ideal for building and maintaining a diversified portfolio. Our comprehensive one-page reports include historical and year-end information. Plus each contains a written Analyst Report detailing a fund's strengths and weaknesses. This year, take control of your investments and your future with Morningstar's help.

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Starting a new fund portfolio
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Animal & Human Biology Exercises (Laboratory Exercises Revised Edition)
Average customer rating:
Animal & Human Biology Exercises (Laboratory Exercises Revised Edition)
Earl G. Zimmerman
Manufacturer: Kendall/ Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: B000M7V7DK

Product Description

This labortory manual was designed for use in a one- semester course for undergraduate science and non- science majors. The basic design of the exercises is to promote an awareness of how science is done.

Book Description

Scientists have made new inroads in the study of the Earth's deep interior. They have forged developments in this fascinating arena using experimental and observational techniques,. including seismology, monitoring of the Earth's rotation, geomagnetism, and accurate measurements of Earth's gravity fields. These techniques along with more theoretical skills such as building numerical models and studying high-pressure physics, were discussed at the 7th annual SEDI symposium. Leading scientists in the field presented papers, which are now collected in this volume. Earth's Core and Lower Mantle brings a broad range of expertise to postgraduates and researchers in this area of geophysics.

Book Description

This book contains the extended lectures of the 8th Adriatic meeting which is traditionally devoted to the presentation of lectures on the most advanced scientific topics to young scientists, who actively participate, on an international level, in the development of their respective fields. The emphasis of the present meeting was on gauge theories, particle phenomenology, string theories and cosmology. The accompanying CD-ROM contains 27 additional contributions, of a length somewhat shorter than 25 presented in the printed book.

The Underminer: The Best Friend Who Casually Destroys Your Life
Average customer rating:

Entertaining

Eh.

Funny, but not as funny as Lifemanship

Too static

Really funny, biting satire.

The Underminer: The Best Friend Who Casually Destroys Your Life
Mike Albo , and Virginia Heffernan
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Comic | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Don't Get Too Comfortable: The Indignities of Coach Class, The Torments of Low Thread Count, The Never- Ending Quest for Artisanal Olive Oil, and Other First World Problems

ASIN: 1582344841
Release Date: 2005-01-27

Book Description

You can't escape him. He swerves in and out of your life as if effortlessly walking through a crowded restaurant. He's a passive-aggressive master. He's as undetectable as a whisper and as effective as a tiny toxic pill. You probably went to school with him, and he knows everything you've done-every foolish secret ambition you've nurtured, everyone you wish you'd never slept with, every lame, fleeting trend you've embraced. The Underminer throws you into a spiral of self-doubt each time you see him. But...the Underminer is your friend. With this book, Mike Albo and Virginia Heffernan channel this hilarious and mysterious evil that we all have encountered. Through 15 years of booming successes and miserable failures, they pursue this powerful "friend" as he slowly and relentlessly dismantles the life of a nameless victim. Here is the subtle slayer of your hopes, the tactful destroyer of your dreams: the Underminer.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining.......2007-07-10

Very funny. I read parts of the book out loud to family and friends who were quite entertained at the way the characters are portrayed and the fact that we could all relate to knowing a few of these people in our lifetime. It was hilarous. I found this book to be smart and enjoyable.

Eh........2007-02-05

I can totally buy into the character of the Underminer, and the format of the book (the one-sided conversation with an unknown "victim"), but the life of the underminer was so completely over-the-top successful that what could have been acceptably amusing (not great by any means) was quickly annoying. No one is that successful, or diverse, or talented, or has as many friends from college turn into celebrities. Come on. I just got tired of it. I don't like name-dropping or celebrity references very much in general (it really dates a book; I know that was part of the point of this) but this was too much. The book would have been equally funny and pointed with a regular person picking on a regular person. I think it probably does work better as sketch comedy. Small doses are plenty! Especially because, as has already been pointed out, no one actually develops or matures.

The best part, I thought, was the Burning Man part. Not because I am a Burning Man aficionado, but because it seemed like two regular people in an extraordinary place, and one still manages to judge the other despite the environment of good will, freedom, creativity, and joy that the festival allegedly stands for (I've never been, so I can't verify).

Funny, but not as funny as Lifemanship.......2007-01-18

This book is very funny, but it's a little too downtown and Gawkerish for me to really laugh out loud.

If you liked it, you'll love Stephen Potter's Gamesmanship books (Lifemanship, Gamesmanship, etc.) The main conceit in the Underminer was taken straight from Potter. He wrote these books in the late 40s and early 50s, and he was British through and through, so it's not exactly topical humor--but if you enjoy British writing of that period, they're hugely enjoyable, much warmer and much funnier than The Underminer. The recent movie School for Scoundrels (itself an unsuccessful remake of a great movie) was also based on these books.

Too static.......2006-02-19

It's half of a brilliant concept, but Albo & co. needed more of a plot than "Underminer is successful. Victim is not." Repeat ad nauseum. I'm not sure why they decided to forgo a plot, because they're clearly talented. Yes, the underminer is evil. Yes, we hate him/her. Now that you've created this character, could you please give us a catharsis already? Or some form of revenge?

After a while, it stopped being funny & just got frightening.

Still, I gave it an additional star just for this:

" I was looking for serious help and didn't realize that this was a novel and not really a self help book."
While I'm sympathetic to your situation, ma'am, these things usually say "fiction" on the back and are IN THE FICTION SECTION of bookstores, not the self-help section.
Dear Christ.

Really funny, biting satire........2006-02-13

(A Note: Please - don't give this book one star and go off on a rant because you thought it was a self-help book, or a novel, or anything that it's not. A quick flip through the book, or even the first few pages, would show you exactly how this book was written. Maybe this would teach people not to "judge a book by its cover." Har har har.)

This book is hilarious. Each barb hits right on the nose, and makes you laugh and feel sorry for the poor victim at the same time. The whole point of the "lack of character development" is that the character could be anyone - i.e. you. The focus is exactly where it should be - on the hysterical left-handed dark humor of the Underminer.

Great, great book. If you want to laugh, and maybe (maybe?) relate, read it.

Book Description

The U.S.-Mexican borderlands form the region where the United States and Latin America have interacted with the greatest intensity. In U.S.-Mexico Borderlands, Oscar Martinez has brought together both scholarly essays and primary documents that address the protracted conflict rooted in the vast difference in power between Mexico and its northern neighbor. Each of the seven parts of this new reader explores a key issue in borderlands studies and contains several essays followed by documents such as treaties, government reports, newspaper articles, and interviews.

Customer Reviews:

A very nice collection........2001-07-24

I consider this compilation of essays and historical documents an essential addition to the library of persons interested in US-Mexico borderlands history. The strength is, in my opinion, in its collection of historical writings, which include the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the Plan of San Diego, and Juan Cortina's Proclamations. The reader is able to consider events and thoughts that occurred during the period between 1848 and 1915, rather than rely on commentary. However, the well-written essays compliment the documents (and I believe the text was designed with this in mind.) All together, a very nice collection.

Book Description

Getting Science Grants is your hands-on guide to writing compelling proposals that will attract funding. Written by Thomas Blackburn— a scientist, experienced grantmaker, and consultant— this book provides a step-by-step process for writing grants to support your research projects. Getting Science Grants offers you an insider's look at the motivations and inner workings of the scientific grantmaking community. No matter what your scientific discipline, Getting Science Grants will help you develop the skills you need to write dynamic proposals and

Learn the qualities that distinguish outstanding proposals
Write each section of the proposal clearly and persuasively
Choose the funding agencies that will give you the best chance of winning support
Avoid common pitfalls and mistakes when writing proposals
Develop productive relationships with funders
Reduce the chances of being turned down by funders
Succeed after securing your grant

Customer Reviews:

a "how-to" manual and more.......2003-12-23

Among the relatively few books available that focus on getting science grants, "Getting Science Grants" is unquestionably the very best of the bunch. Blackburn has the perfect mix of credentials (college professor, research scientist, grants officer) to craft this concise treatment of the whole enchilada, from concept development through proposal writing, revision, submission (and resubmission), and grant administration. Giving frank, qualified advice in friendly prose, the author succeeds in creating more than just a "how-to manual" for scientific proposal writing. In roughly a hundred pages, this book shares insight on the science research funding process that would only be acquired by a decade or more of study in the school of hard knocks. As one whose career success is significantly influenced by external funding success, I couldn't recommend Blackburn's book more strongly.

A must purchase for every researcher!.......2003-10-26

Getting Science Grants provides readers with a complete introduction to the grant writing/submitting process.

It is important to move beyond the perspective of being the salesperson of your research. You need to know the perspective from the other side of the granting process and what will impress your program manager in your proposal.

Thomas Blackburn is an experienced grant writer and as well as having significant experience on the other side as an assitant program administrator. Here he provides researchers with the skinny on finding funding agencies, writing excellent abstracts and proposals, preparing budgets and moving beyond very good to excellent and super proposals.

Buy it, read it and share it with your colleagues!

Essential reading!.......2003-09-12

I found "Getting Science Grants" to be a thoroughly readable, no-nonsense little book that demystifies the grant making process. Blackburn's experience both as a researcher and as one charged with the responsibility of reviewing grant applications shows through. His book provides a step-by-step approach that, if followed, should lead to a higher probability of success and avoid wasted time and frustration occasioned by poorly prepared and submitted applications. Those just entering the sometimes perilous fight for funding will find this book indispensable, and even old hands will find it provides handy reminders of all of the points we think we know by heart, but sometimes forget to apply. This little book is a "must read" for anyone whose professional life depends on getting funding for his or her research. You simply can't afford to ignore it.

Grant writing-the way it *should* be.......2003-09-12

For those of us who indulge ourselves in the pursuit of science, the constant quest for funds to support our habit can occupy more time than any actual "hands on" research. Justifying ones existance to a beaurocratic body, and begging for money is at best embarassing (over here, pick ME, I'm better than all those other tossers who want your cash), and at worst, downright terrifying.
At least, that's how I felt recently as I was faced with the prospect of submitting my first ever grant application. Not only did I struggle to convince myself I had ideas and skills worth selling, I had no idea of how to go about it. Sure the application form gave a vague idea-title, abstract, background-what did they actually want to KNOW? How was I supposed to sound confident and competent without sounding like an egomaniac? How should I present a solid, reasonable proposal without it being deathly boring or promising unachievable breakthroughs?
Finding Thomas Blackburn's "Effective Strategies for Funding Sucess" was a real stroke of luck. It not only answers questions such as these in an entertaining and easily read style, it includes a series of exercises that allow you to give good (and bad) strategies a go BEFORE you face the real thing. It gives a detailed description of what most funding bodies want to find out from each section, a discussion of how these criteria can be met, and descriptions of what differentiates a bad from a good from an exceptional application. It also contains many sensible (but often overlooked) reminders such as "read the abstract again after finishing the detailed proposal section to make sure they agree with one another".
I read the book before starting, and then used it to guide me as I wrote each section, and found that I was much more confident the way I wrote than I would have been otherwise. I also found that I felt better about my own abilities as a scientist, and much less of a fraud, because the final product looked and sounded very professional. I would recommend this book to anybody who is contemplating their first application, or who finds grant writing a harrowing or unsuccessful occupation. I also think that working through the steps outlined in the book could also be used as a self-assessment tool, because having to examine ones own research in terms of funding application is a great way to check the direction and focus of what you are doing right now. I thank Dr Blackburn for providing such a readable, comprehensive and timely guide. I hope it helps many people as much as it helped me.

A Must Read!.......2003-08-31

This book is GREAT!!!! Why do they make us learn all this by trial and error with tenure and support for our graduate students at stake!!! They should be training us in this kind of stuff in graduate school!!!! I now know why my proposals so far have not been very successful, and, better yet, I now know what I can do about it and I actually can hardly wait to get started!

You can tell from what's in the book that it was written by a real funding insider and I learned more about grant writing in the few hours I spent reading it than I have from all my previous proposal-writing efforts and discussions with colleagues and friends to date. I now understand that a successful proposal is not just about the science, as much as all of us would like to think it is. The author makes clear all the elements you really have to take into account, on top of the science, to have the kind of proposal that can compete successfully at places like NSF and NIH. He even demystifies budgets, how to interpret and handle reviews (the good, the bad, AND the ugly), networking with agencies, and what it is that a successful proposal needs to emphasize and where. He even gives you advice on how to find agencies where you have the most success so you can build a strong funding track record quickly. Lots of good insights that I never would have thought of (and I am going to take his advice!).

On top of all the excellent information in this book, like it says above, it is an EXTREMELY easy read. The author has a way of talking about the subject that makes you feel like you are chatting with a friend at the bar who is giving you the inside scoop on everything. I read it in two nights in about an hour or two each night. It doesn't get much better than this! I highly recommend everyone who has to write grants to fund their science to read this book. It will be the best investment in time and money you will ever make!

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Mississippi Business Journal, published by Venture Publications on June 28, 2004. The length of the article is 1050 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Innovation and Commercialization in Hattiesburg: park will pair university research with high-tech jobs.
Author: Lynn Lofton
Publication: Mississippi Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 28, 2004
Publisher: Venture Publications
Volume: 26 Issue: 26 Page: 3(1)

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