Power Collecting: Automation for Effective Asset Management

Book Description

As a result of reengineering and downsizing, credit and collection departments are under tremendous pressure to produce more with less. This comprehensive guide shows credit managers and controllers how to automate their credit card and collection systems in order to increase efficiency as well as revenue.

Customer Reviews:

Very good guidance........2005-08-20

I found this book to be very helpful. It tells credit managers or accounting departments how to automate processes so they have more time for other things. So if your credit department is getting very busy, and you want to automate, maybe without outsourcing, this book will help you.

Power Collecting : Automation for Effective Asset Management

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Power Collecting : Automation for Effective Asset Management
Frederick A. Piumelli
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MU8992

Book Description

This study addresses the two most controversial issues in surrogate motherhood: the commercial aspect of the practice and the issue of parental rights. After setting the legal and moral backdrop of procreative liberty in general, Rae argues that commercial surrogacy is the moral equivalent of baby-selling and should be prohibited. Add to this the potential for exploitation of the surrogate in practices that are already in motion and it is not hard to see the potential for harm to the parties involved. The book concludes with a survey of state and international law to date on surrogacy and a sample legislative proposal that could be adopted by states that are currently deliberating the issues. The commercial aspect of surrogacy makes it a potentially profitable business, not only for the surrogates but also for the brokers who facilitate the arrangements. This book promotes careful forethought, a reconsideration of definitions of parenthood, and a thorough examination of cases past and pending.

The Ethics of Commercial Surrogate Motherhood: Brave New Families?

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The Ethics of Commercial Surrogate Motherhood: Brave New Families?
Scott B. Rae
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORCL1U

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Ridiculously useful

worth it's weight in gold

Informative book

Tips and More Tips

All the questions you were afraid to ask.

Astronomy Hacks: Tips and Tools for Observing the Night Sky (Hacks)
Robert Thompson , and Barbara Fritchman Thompson
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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Celestial Sampler: 60 Small-Scope Tours for Starlit Nights (Stargazing)

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Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas

Turn Left at Orion: A Hundred Night Sky Objects to See in a Small Telescope--and How to Find Them

Star Watch: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Finding, Observing, and Learning About over 125 Celestial Objects

ASIN: 0596100604

Customer Reviews:

Ridiculously useful.......2007-09-29

If you are getting started in amateur astronomy, buy this book first. It's not everything you need--eventually you will probably want a good star atlas, a pair of binoculars, a telescope, planetarium software, and so on. But don't worry, this book will help you decide what else you need, how soon you need it, and what sort to purchase.

When I was 12 I got my hands on a telescope catalog and it really captured my imagination, but all of the telescopes were well out of my price range. So my early enthusiasm died on the vine. But I was operating under a common misconception: that if you want to be an amateur astronomer, the first thing you need is a telescope.

In fact, the first thing you need is a love of and interest in the cosmos as it is revealed in the night sky. If you are not willing to go outside and spend some time learning the constellations and observing some of the brighter objects with binoculars, you probably have no business springing for a telescope anyway. Buy this book instead. It's a lot cheapter, and it will teach you how to use sky maps and planispheres, how to predict what will be visible and when, and how best to observe the various objects you might be interested in, from the moon and planets to star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies. You'll make better decisions about what other gear to buy once you have some idea of what you'll point that gear _at_.

With a title like "Astronomy Hacks" I expected this book to be mostly a collection of advanced tips for seasoned stargazers. But in fact the book covers everything from your first serious look at the night sky to fine-tuning the performance of a telescope and how to plan and run a Messier marathon (an attempt to view all 110 Messier objects in one night). I'm glad I picked it up, and I'm glad I picked it up early in the redevelopment of my interest in astronomy. It saved me a lot of time, money, and frustration. I can't recommend it highly enough.

worth it's weight in gold.......2007-08-16

This book is great. It includes a large number of very practical astronomy tips intertwined in a general introduction into each subject.
Tips include both hardware tips and hacks and also practical observation and stargazing tips.
While I am sure many of the tips will be useful even to seasoned amateurs -its priceless and very useful to beginners.
The authors produced a very lucid and well organized text in which everyone can find something new or useful.
As a beginner who is planning to buy a large dob in the future, this book has actually saved me a fortune just by letting me know what not to buy and how I can save tons of money learning from others' mistakes.
highly recommended !

Informative book.......2007-07-15

This book contains a wealth of general observing information. While it is true (as other reviewers have said) this book does have a lean toward Dobsonian mounted telescopes, I did not find the information to be heavily weighted in that direction. Most of this book is on general observing information, and it isn't presented from a Dobsonian perspective. Some of the "hacks" are for dobsonian mounted telescopes and many are for general observing. One obvious point in this book is the Authors affinity for Orion products. I have never seen a book that was so heavily weighted toward one manufacturers products, unless that manufacturer wrote the book. Still, the Authors did mention any apparent negative aspects of a product they were referring to, even if it was an Orion product. It seemed when the Authors were covering a topic on equipment, wherever possible they mentioned that Orion had a product.

Although there are 65 "hacks" in the book, each hack has many tips. Tips that a beginner will appreciate as well as many experienced amateur astronomers. There are no chapters on "the moon", "the planets", "deep space objects", etc. Just A LOT of information on general observing. My advice: If you're looking for a book that has a lot of information that anyone, from beginner to advanced can find valuable, this book is one of them.

Tips and More Tips.......2007-07-12

This is a really good read and reference and worth the price. Wish I had it a long time ago. A whole lot of what you already know, but you'd be surprised at some of the many things you never even thought of. A frank assessment of astro eqpt and accessories too, separated into must haves, nice to haves and ehhh...

All the questions you were afraid to ask........2007-06-22

Entering such a esoteric or eclectic hobby as astronomy is daunting. We are expected to already know common facts. Sadly beginners don't. Perhaps this is why there is such a large drop-out rate of budding astronomers. We are afraid to ask basic questions, let alone complex ones. This book is such a god-send. It captivates the reader and imparts such enthusiasm that it encourages all to be involved with watching what we are made of.

Book Description

Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical that is becoming increasingly fashionable as an oxidant, both in industry and in academia and whose production is expected to increase significantly in the next few years. This growth in interest is largely due to environmental considerations related to the clean nature of hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant, its by-product being only water.
To date this chemical has largely been employed as a non-selective oxidant in operations like the bleaching of paper, cellulose and textiles, or in the formulation of detergents, and only to a minimal extent in the manufacture of organic chemicals.
This book has been organized to cover the different aspects of the chemistry of hydrogen peroxide. The various chapters into which the book is divided have been written critically by the authors with the general aim of stimulating new ideas and emphasizing those aspects that are likely to lead to new developments in organic synthesis in the coming future.

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Mid-Tertiary Isopach and Lithofacies Maps for the Los Angeles Region, California: Templates for Palinspastic Reconstruction to 17.4 Ma
Thane Hubert McCulloh
Manufacturer: Geological Survey (USGS)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Earth Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0607975547

Book Description

The subject of physics encompasses topics including black holes, quasars, nuclear reactors, superconductors and thermodynamics. Teach Yourself 101 Key Ideas: Physics contains short accounts of 101 key ideas in physics arranged in alphabetical order. Each account gives an informative sunmmary of the term.

Book Description

A collection of essays giving a humorous look at the author's experiences with retirement.

Customer Reviews:

Marvelous series of humorous short stories about retirement........1999-07-05

I love this book because it made me laugh out loud! This gem of a book provides a gentle, self-deprecating portrait of the predictaments and perplexities of retired life as experienced by a once-powerful business executive who now must contend among other things with the challenge of ironing his own shirts! A fun read.. and a wonderful gift for the newly retired.

Wonderful and funny insights from an easy-going retiree........1999-07-02

Ever experienced a total change in life that needed to be accompanied with humor? This is a book that looks at retirement as a fun switch from the hurried singlemindedness of a career. From cleaning the porch to piano lessons Mr Hawley lets us feel how nice it is to settle into new yet everyday lessons in life. These short stories add a new appreciation for the simple things in life.

Book Description

The battle of El Alamein marked the turning point in Britain's fortunes in the Second World War. There were three separate battles between July and November 1942, all of which were fought to halt the advance of Rommel's army towards the Suez Canal. This final battle at El Alamein, fought in October and November, saw the continuous bombardment of the German line that Rommel was instructed to hold at all costs by Hitler himself. The Allies shattered the German defences, and Rommel led a westward retreat in order to salvage what was left of the Afrika Korps. This book provides an in-depth analysis of the battle that turned the tide in favour of the Allies in Africa.

Customer Reviews:

Lacks Original Research or Fresh Perspectives.......2005-11-03

Tackling a well-known subject like the Battle of El Alamein in 1942 and reducing it to a 96-page summary would be a daunting task for most military historians. Unfortunately, the task was clearly beyond author Ken Ford in Osprey Campaign #158, El Alamein 1942, which adds virtually nothing new on the subject and displays a clear lack of any attempt to provide original research or fresh perspectives. Throughout this volume, the author appears content to merely synthesize and summarize material provided by familiar accounts written 20-30 years ago, often incorporating some of the same errors from those older sources that newer research has uncovered.

The author's introductory sections are essentially boilerplate material, particularly in regard to his handling of the reputation of General Montgomery. It is interesting that the author's bibliography does not list Correlli Barnett's The Desert Generals, which while dated, gives a much better insight into the strengths and weaknesses of Montgomery and the other British senior commanders. The section on opposing armies is similar in its skimming the subject, particularly in its superficial coverage of the importance of logistics and air power (note, Martin van Creveld's Supply War is also not in the bibliography, despite his excellent material on the role of logistics in this campaign). Furthermore, given the importance of mines in the campaign, it is odd that the author never discusses the British introduction of flail tanks and new minesweepers, or the German introduction of a new type of mine. Nor does the author make any effort to describe Allied breaching tactics down at the brigade-division level. The author provides order of battles for both sides which appears based upon rather dated and misleading information, as well as omitting any data on air units in the campaign (the strength of opposing air power is never specified). An exhaustive Allied OB for El Alamein done by Dr. Graham Watson a few years ago - and freely available on the internet - reveals significant differences in the assignment of Allied units, particularly armored brigades. The volume includes four 2-D maps (8th Army retreat; First Alamein; Alam Halfa - Rommel's final offensive; Operations Lightfoot and Supercharge; 8th Army drive) and three 3-D BEV maps (Alam El Halfa; the Dog Fight; Operation Supercharge). Given the flat, featureless terrain, the BEVs really don't add anything over a conventional 2-D map, unless they had been "zoomed in" to cover only a very small area.

The volume includes three battle scenes: tanks and anti-tank guns of the Italian Ariete Division attacking south of Ruweisat Ridge; 15th Panzer attacking toward Alam Halfa; the action fought by the 3rd King's Hussars near the Rahman track. It is apparent from these battle scenes that the author has little knowledge of tanks or the specifics of Second World War armor tactics. Two of the battle scenes erroneously depict tanks firing on the move, when in fact the lack of stabilization made this a waste of ammunition. Until the advent of third generation main battle tanks in the 1980s, shoot-on-the-move was not an effective tactic. One battle scene depicts German Pz IV tanks firing both main gun and coax machineguns simultaneously, although usually gunners have a selector switch that only allows them to fire one or the other and these weapons use different sight reticules in any case. As for tactics, all three scenes depict tank charges, which by 1942 both sides had learned were virtually suicidal in the desert (although the British still tried it). One scene depicts Pz IV tanks up front, with Pz IIIs behind, in a loose gaggle; the Germans used wedge formations, with the Pz IIIs up front, and the Pz IVs in back. In the 3rd Hussars scene, three different types of tank are depicted and the text implies that the unit had all three types, but the unit was a Sherman-equipped unit, while the Grant/Lee and Crusader belonged to other battalions in the brigade (thus, they were involved in the attack, but not all in the same battalion).

The lack of original research is apparent throughout this volume. After reading Ken Ford's narrative, I went back and re-read several older accounts by Michael Carver and others and found essentially the same information presented. For example, there is no specific information about either sides' overall casualties at either First El Alamein or Alam Halfa, nor is there any effort to break down the standard Second El Alamein casualty figures by unit. A modest research effort would reveal that the Australian, New Zealand and South Africans have pretty detailed lists of their casualties in the battle. Indeed, the author does not even mention Allied tank losses at El Alamein or that about 30,000 Axis prisoners were taken. Amazingly, this author does not even bother to include that General von Thoma, the Afrika Korps commander, was captured on 4 November.

While the British should be justifiably proud of their victory at El Alamein, this author also tends to avoid some of the criticism that appears in other, better books on the subject. British tank tactics at El Alamein were generally awfully - which is not surprising given that many crews and small unit leaders were only partly trained (most of the trained British tankers having been lost at Gazala). British armor officer and author K. Macksey described the costly British tank attacks at First Alamein as "characterized by supreme gallantry and utter stupidity." Most of all, Montgomery's failure to aggressively pursue and exterminate the remnants of Rommel's forces limited the British victory to an operational, rather than strategic success. Given that the Germans were extremely short of fuel and had only one escape route, Montgomery's failure to coordinate air, land and sea (would have been a good time to land a brigade by sea behind Rommel to cut his escape) forces indicates a lack of both imagination and "killer instinct." Lacking analysis, fresh research or insights, it is hard to view El Alamein 1942 as anything but inadequate.

Osprey Classic Battles: El Alamein 1942. The Turning of the Tide

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Osprey Classic Battles: El Alamein 1942. The Turning of the Tide
Ken Ford
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing/Military Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1846030862

Book Description

Western scholars have argued that Indian civilization was the joint product of an invading Indo-European people--the "Indo-Aryans"--and indigenous non-Indo European peoples. Although Indian scholars reject this European reconstruction of their country's history, Western scholarship gives little heed to their argument. In this book, Edwin Bryant explores the nature and origins of this fascinating debate.

Customer Reviews:

A Monumental Effort by Mr. Bryant.......2007-05-24

It is not an easy task to summarize approximately two hundred years of research on the origins of Vedic Culture. It is an even more difficult task to dispassionately review the evidence on the history of the Indo-Aryans - given that participants in the debate have now degenerated to the level of squabbling school children. It is to Mr. Bryant's credit that he admirably succeeds in giving a comprehensive and balanced overview of the vast terrain. Archaeology, Linguistics, Astronomy - all these areas are covered, catering to the level of the general reader albeit without oversimplification. He terms his own position on the 'Origins Question' as 'agnostic'. He does however convince the (non-fanatic) reader that agnosticism is the rational position given the current state of knowledge. His position that only the 'final' decipherment of the Indus script will lead to progress in the debate is also well-supported by his analysis. Altogether, I think this book will remain the best entry point for this topic for at least the next 25-30 years.

Aryan migrants and Bryant.......2006-01-29

The DNA evidence on the likelihood of Aryan migration into ancient India shows that the linguistic and archaeological evidence Bryant painstakingly wasted his time surveying is unreliable. After all this huffing and puffing and resort to academic credentials to buttress arguments one wonders about the methodology of these subjects and credibility. Please read the:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of United States of America

S. Sahoo et al., 'A prehistory of Indian Y chromosomes: Evaluating demic diffusion scenarios', PNAS, January 24, 2006, Vol. 103 no. 4 843848

Edwin Bryant's book on Vedic people. .......2006-01-09

I am an Indian and a practicing Hindu. I respect all religions and believe in the dictum "If you are a Christian, be a good Christian. If you are a Muslim, be a good Muslim. If you are a Hindu, be a good Hindu..Above all be a good human being." Having said that, let me say a few words about the book.

Edwin Bryant makes a superhuman effort to show all sides of an extremely emotional and complex story where several mutually opposing parties are involved without showing any bias towards any group. He goes after truth like no one else did before. He refuses to brand anyone but let one brand oneself by quoting what one said or wrote on the "Indo-Aryans" subject. Also, he completely refrains from the cheap trick - selective quoting. Now, that is scholarlship.

As a whole Bryant comes out as not only a brilliant scholar who can capture the essence of what has been said on this subject in the last 200 years which in by itself is no small accomplishment but more importantly in doing so establishes himself as a mature, sensitive and a decent human being. Now, that is beyond sholarship.

He doesn't hesitate to go after the establishment when he sees fit. As an example, see Bryant's response to Harvard professor, Michael Witzel, who believes in Aryan Immigration/Acculuturation Theory, on the subject of river names. Just to be sure, Bryant agrees with Witzel on several other readings. I am just using this as an example to show Bryant's fearlessness, integrity and personal resolve to stand firm.

See page 100
Witzel's reading (1999) of the evidence of hydronomy is as follows:
"...Indo-Aryans influence...was from early on powerful enough to replace the local...rive names...One would expect, just as in the Near East or in Europe, a survival of older names and adoption of them by the IA newcomers upon entering the territories of the people(s) of the Induscivilization and its successor cultures..."
To this Bryant counters in the same page:
"Such conservatism is, indeed, extremely surprising, especially since the Indo-Aryans did not enter in sufficient numbers to be perceivable in the skeletal record of the subcontinent...One also wonders how such small numbers of immigration could have eradicated the names of rivers and places in the Northwest of the subcontinent in the few hundred years..."

This book will go down in history as a great contribution to the subject. A must read for anyone who is interested in knowing more about the vedic peple. I won't call them Indo-Aryans. I oppose the word 'Aryan' as after all the abuse it sounds racist. I would just call them "RigVedic people."

Finally, light, not heat.......2003-04-02

Edwin Bryant brings clear-eyed vision and thorough scholarship to a topic that has lately seen more heat than light. Theories about the prehistory of the Indian subcontinent have tended toward the speculative and ideological, and even scholars who have approached the subject dispassionately and carefully have been picked up by others who want to use their conclusions for political ends. Bryant looks at a couple of centuries of theorizing about the origins of the Indo-European languages, and particularly of Sanskrit. Both entertaining and educational.

The reviewer here that disses Bryant's book clearly didn't read it. He accuses Bryant of conclusions he never came to and beliefs he explicitly disavowed.

A much-need survey.......2002-03-31

I found this book to be a remarkably even-handed and clearly written overview of a subject that has, bizarrely enough, produced much empassioned debate in the past several hundred years -- the problem of the origins of the Indo-European language family. What is primarly a linguistic problem has been commandeered by missionaries, nationalists of varying stripes, racists, and even Nazis to produce a peculiar body of thought about a so-called "Aryan race" both in Europe and India. Even highly-trained scholars have indulged in circular reasoning, the conflation of disparate bits of evidence, and outright fantasy in their attempts to postulate and prove their answers to the questions posed by the undoubted similarities of the various languages in this far-flung group.
One of the tenets of the conventional, European view is that a group of Indo-European-speaking nomads entered India around 1200 BC and then proceeded to spread their language and culture throughout the northern half of this subcontinent. Beyond the existence of Sanskrit and the Prakrits themselves, the evidence for this movement of people has always been sparse; the reasoning displayed by those determined to prove that this influx existed has generally been flawed -- rough guesses have been turned into proven facts, and these so-called facts then used as the basis for more guesses. This entire controversy might seem of no interest to anyone outside of a handful of academics, but unfortunately, the early and false conflation of language and race has been partly responsible for the deaths of a great many innocent people. Ideas can be fatal in the wrong minds.
Bryant attempts to strip away the muddled thinking that surrounds the "Aryan influx" theory. First, he analyzes the theory itself and discusses its history -- which is primarly a history of colonial exploitation by the British and indigenous exploitation as well, by the upper castes. Bit by bit he examines the evidence that has been brought forward in support of the theory and displays just how inadequate it is. Most of the "sure things" invoked by scholars through the centuries, right up into the last decade, are not sure at all. Many could easily be used to prove the opposite theory, that the language and culture of northern India developed in place, as it were, from some vague Paleolithic or Mesolithic beginning.
I decided to write this review partly because I was startled by the other reviewer here, who seems not have finished Bryant's last chapter. Rather than dismissing the Indigenous Aryan theory or linking it solely with Hindutva, the current Hindi nationalist movement, Bryant takes pains to show that many serious scholars and prehistorians also uphold the theory or at least, have found huge holes in the fabric of the opposing, Aryan Migration, theory. Over and over he repeats that he does not mean to dismiss the solid thinkers and their theories. In fact, when I first read the book the constant repetitions of his support for serious holders of the Indigenous Aryan theory annoyed me; they seemed like overkill. I understand why he repeated himself now. While he himself thinks that the evidence for a migration is stronger than that for indigenous development, he makes it amply clear just how weak the evidence for both theories is. He does, however, have a little fun with the most far-fetched fringe writers on the subject, some of whsom have floated ideas that deserve mockery.
I did have a few minor problems with the book, but those must be laid at the door of Oxford University Press. The book contains so many typos that I can only suppose it wasn't proofread by a professional. The paper is so thin that the printer was forced to use dark gray ink instead of black to avoid show-through, a real nuisance for those of us whose eyes aren't what they used to be. For a book of this price, this kind of penny-pinching is inexcusable.

Customer Reviews:

Most Authoritative Book about Loons.......1999-03-11

Judy McIntyre is one of the world's authorities on loons. This book reflects not only the wealth of her technical knowledge about loons (written in a very readable style!) but also personal glimpses into the lives of loons from someone who has spent years studying them in their natural environment AND in captivity. It's a fascinating read!

The Common Loon Spirit of Northern Lakes

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The Common Loon Spirit of Northern Lakes
Judith W. McIntyre
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQ9OVI

Average customer rating:

Common Loon: Spirit of Northern Lakes.
JUDITH W.- McINTYRE
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQCZ5U

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