Benchmarking- Concept and Practice with Particular Reference to the Finance Function (CIMA Research)

Book Description

Benchmarking is simply an attempt to learn from the experiences of other organisations with superior performance and initiate improvement programmes.

Although a simple concept, benchmarking is not simple to implement. It requires careful planning, allocation of resources and creation of conditions conducive to the implementation of the lessons learnt to make it an effective management tool.

The report will help practitioners with no experience of benchmarking to develop a clear understanding of the concept. It will also provide them with an overview of practical aspects of benchmarking and examples of its successful application.

The data included in the study is a result of extensive analysis,surveys and case studies
Provides empirical evidence and multiple case studies to confirm, augment and extend the existing knowledge and arguments
Will be of equal interest to students of benchmarking and researchers

Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Leadership is a comprehensive reference guide to over 200 of the most important business leadership principles, theories, tools, and techniques. Each entry features a brief, one-page summary of an influential theory or tool—often illustrated graphically—followed by a worksheet or exercise. Thoroughly cross-referenced, it allows busy leaders to find what they need, review it, and even implement it—often in as little as 15 minutes.

The Encyclopedia of Leadership: A Practical Guide to Popular Leadership Theories and Techniques

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The Encyclopedia of Leadership: A Practical Guide to Popular Leadership Theories and Techniques
Bruce Klatt Murray Hiebert
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OFMGX0

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The Encyclopedia of Leadership: a Practical Guide To Popular Leadership Theories and Techniques
Bruce Klatt
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N6B11S

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The Encyclopedia of Leadership: a Practical Guide To Popular Leadership Theories and Techniques
Bruce Klatt
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Companies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000N65GN2

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THE FRIENDLY STARS: How to Locate and Identify Them.
Martha Evans Martin & Donald Howard Menzel.
Manufacturer: NY: Dover Publications reprint.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MC7G62

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A star among stars

The friendly stars;: How to locate and identify them
Martha Evans Martin
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Solar System | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
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The Stars: A New Way to See Them

ASIN: B0007DTCEK

Book Description

Delightful book full of the lore and science of astronomy. Covers the names, light and distance of the stars, double stars, constellations and more in an informative and engaging style, entertaining and instructive. "The rich history and lore of the stars presented in an intriguing manner."—Columbus (OH) Dispatch.

Customer Reviews:

A star among stars.......2000-03-30

I came across this little paperback in a sailing store in Sausalito and had to buy it. The original edition was published in 1907. How often do you see books from that era reprinted in 1964 and still available nearly a century later? This book is obviously a classic.

It's charm is in the descriptions of the twenty or so brightest stars in the sky that can be seen from the northern hemisphere. Also described are the major constellations that these bright stars are in or near.

All the scientific details about each star or constellation are there along with some little comment about what makes each special. We see "golden Capella, rose-tinted Aldebaran, red-faced Betelguese, fair Rigel, the gentle Pollux, and Procyon, the smaller Dog star, all fresh and joyous and eager" in our mind's eye before going out of doors and seeking them in person.

The book aids observation of these stars in the sky by detailing the seasons of the year and time and place in the sky when each of the stars rise and set. The book's mention of the relative positions of stars and of constellations with each other and its maps make the process of finding things in the night sky even easier.

I know there are planetarium programs out there with all kinds of astronomical information, but none can match the writing style of this little tome. It reminds me very much of Henry David Thoreau's writings about the wild apple trees, the rivers, and other natural things in his neck of the woods.

Buy the book, get your binoculars or telescope and head outside for a night of wild magical viewing.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to paleoanthropology.......2003-04-22

Although this book is the "companion" to the Nova TV series it stands well on its own, in a conversational style. The book does a good job of introducing human ancestors, starting with Lucy - the female Australophitcus afarensis, that launched Dr. Johanson's career and fame. Perhaps what the book does best, is introduce the study of paleoanthropology and archeology by presenting both sides of topics. For example: did modern humans all came out of Africa or evolve in separate places throughout Europe and China?; when and why did hominids first walk on two legs (scavenger or hunter)?; are Neanderthal's our ancestors? He presents how studying anatomy helps understand the physical changes needed to walk on two feet and to give birth to a large brained baby. He also introduces the recent idea of "experimental archeology" that conducts trials on current landscapes or prey to see how early hominids may have lived. At the time of the book were the beginnings of studies with mitochondrial DNA. His conclusion about the birth of art, may be tentative, but should provoke interesting thoughts. If you can see the TV special, it also includes conveys a better feel of the conditions the archeologists are working under, and also vintage film of some of the finds.

Man in search of his ancestors: The romance of paleontology

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Man in search of his ancestors: The romance of paleontology
André Senet
Manufacturer: G. Allen & Unwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ANCESTORS: In Search of Human Origins
Donald and Leonora JOHANSON
Manufacturer: Villard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IZVG2I

The search for man's ancestors, (The forum series)

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The search for man's ancestors, (The forum series)
Grafton Elliot Smith
Manufacturer: Watts & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Genetics | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

The search for our ancestors: Stones, bones, and early man

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The search for our ancestors: Stones, bones, and early man
Kenneth F Weaver
Manufacturer: National Geographic Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Prehistory | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Inspirations from Ireland: Hounds and Leprechauns, Faeries and Banshees was born out of a desire within me to leave a positive legacy. Hence, this set of daily readings came to fruition after long years of feeling a sense of motivation every time I visited Ireland. It is a series of vignettes, some serious and spiritual, others light-hearted and whimsical. There are enough and more for one per day each month. The entries were generated from weeks spent soaking up the culture and the warmth of the people of Ireland over a period of thirty-five years. They cover all areas in Eire and Northern Ireland, from wild northern Donegal to the ethereal southern coast, from the tiniest villages to throbbing Dublin and Belfast. The four images in the subtitle lend a hint that the spiritual takes precedence in the readings. The content of the entries can be enjoyed by anyone of any background, despite the fact that my Christian faith shines out throughout.

Book Description

Baltimore's "Do It Now" mayor, two-term Maryland governor, and recently elected comptroller of the treasury, William Donald Schaefer may be the most colorful character ever to play on the Free State's political stage--though competition for the honor is intense. In this wonderfully readable account, Fraser Smith explores the formative influences, backroom deals, personal relationships, quirky Baltimorisms, vicious fights, civic pride, splashes in the National Aquarium seal pool, victories, defeats, draws--everything that makes Schaefer's career colorful and that helps us to understand the man himself.

A seasoned reporter who covered Schaefer's terms as mayor and governor for the Baltimore Sun, Smith takes a serious-minded but also throughly human-interest approach to his subject--a study in character and the capacity of certain people to make a difference in the story of their time and locale. In Schaefer's case, the story concerns the struggle of Baltimore to survive and, if possible, renew itself. Smith draws on a sizable body of documentary source material; his scores of interviews provide him with juicy quotation and vibrant commentary. The book includes a gallery of photos, most never before published, which recall memorable moments in Schaefer's eventful career.

William Donald Schaefer: A Political Biography will fascinate Maryland voters, appeal to students of twentieth-century America, and engage anyone who loves a good story well told.

"His life in politics had been vouchsafed by do gooders, club house operators, slick businessmen, and others. He managed to find the best in each of these without being a servant to any. He was a classic 1950s-style Can-Do man, a veteran of the Second World War, a holdover from the time in American life when learning from experience and respected elders was a way of life. He was a career politician who ran for office to serve--to work for people, to care about their welfare. He wanted to think of himself--and to have others think of him--as a distinguished city father, a public servant. He seemed to be the last Baltimorean to see how well he had succeeded."--from the Preface

Customer Reviews:

Excellent details and good humor.......2000-03-10

Having lived nearly my entire life under Schaefer's management, first as Mayor, then as Governor, I wanted to read about his personal qualities that made him such a success. This books explains that, as well as the many undercover forces as well. The only element missing is a discussion of why many of his successes were not enough to save the city from its current decline.

A Splendid View of Big City Politics.......2000-02-08

If you are interested in the politics of American cities this marvelous biography of the four-term mayor of Baltimore should be on the top of your reading list. C. Fraser Smith, a veteran reporter for the Baltimore Sun, has used the life of William Donald Schaefer -- a lackluster ward politician who surprised almost everyone by becoming one of America's most successful big city mayors -- as a vehicle for examining the inner workings of Baltimore during the last half century. In doing so he opens up a window through which to view and better understand every American city. With a sharp eye for detail and a knack for compelling narrative, Smith guides us through the morass of city politics, introducing us up-close-and-personal to an array of interesting characters who, at one time or another, performed on center stage with Schaefer. They include members of the mayor's staff, party godfathers, business leaders, neighborhood activists, obscure but powerful civil servants, black political leaders, and owners of sports teams, to cite a few. In his ability to employ ordinary citizens to tell a city's story, one is reminded immediately of J. Anthony Lukas' Common Ground, the Pulitzer-prize winning dissection of Boston. The reader senses that Smith, as a reporter on city and state beats, knew personally and had earned the trust of most of the key players he interviewed. They felt comfortable revealing to him the most intimate stories and opinions.

Yet despite all its attention to the political context, the book stays true throughout to its basic purpose of creating a rich, reliable biography of a remarkable public servant. It will be as valuable to scholars of urban America as it will be enjoyable to persons wanting simply to immerse themselves in big city lore.

fantastic.......1999-11-20

Just a terrific political history of Baltimore over the past 40 years. Wonderfully told.

A MUST read for an insight into the Schaefer regime!.......1999-10-30

If you weren't around to witness first hand the fabulous Mayor Schaefer years in Baltimore (or Governor later), or just want to reminisce this -is a must read. I was entertained and inspired, this man gives a new meaning to the word dedication. Highly recommend it, even if you're not from Baltimore!

William Donald Schaefer : A Political Biography

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William Donald Schaefer : A Political Biography
C. Fraser Smith
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUBUPW

Book Description

This poignant account recalls firsthand the upheaval surrounding court-ordered busing in the early 1970s to achieve school integration. Like many students at the vanguard of this great social experiment, sixth-grader Clara Silverstein was spit on, tripped, and shoved by her new schoolmates. At other times she was shunned altogether. In the conventional imagery of the civil rights era, someone in Silverstein's situation would be black. She was white, however—one of the few white students in her entire school.

"My story is usually lost in the historical accounts of busing," Silverstein writes. At the predominantly black public schools she attended in Richmond, Virginia, Silverstein dealt daily with the unintended, unforeseen consequences of busing as she also negotiated the typical passions and concerns of young adulthood--all with little direction from her elders, who seemed just as bewildered by the changes around them. When Silverstein developed a crush on a black boy, when yet another of her white schoolmates switched to a private school, when she naively came to class wearing a jacket with a Confederate flag on it, she was mostly on her own to contend with the fallout. Silverstein's father had died when she was seven. Another complication: she was Jewish. As her black schoolmates viewed her through the veil of race, Silverstein gazed back through her private grief and awareness of religious difference.

Inspired by her parents' ideals, Silverstein remained in the public schools despite the emotional stakes. "I was lost," she admits. "If I learned nothing else, I did come to understand the scourge of racism." Her achingly honest story, woven with historical details, confronts us with powerful questions about race and the use of our schools to engineer social change.

Customer Reviews:

Different but equal.......2004-09-18

WHITE GIRL: A Story of School Desegregation is a stirring and poignant
account of the upheaval surrounding court-ordered busing in the early
1970s. Like many students at the vanguard of this inevitable movement
to achieve school integration, sixth-grader Clara Silverstein faced
humiliation on a daily basis. She was spit on, tripped, and shoved by
her new schoolmates. This was a typical reaction to the majority of
the Black (the term of that era), children who were subject to this
law. But this fast-paced memoir inverts our understanding of
desegregation. Clara was white, one of the few white students in her
entire school. This is her story, a vivid description of a
controversial social experiment and an intimate chronicle of a young
girl's turbulent journey through adolescence.

Clara lived in Chicago and was very familiar with racial mixing. But
when the family relocated to Richmond, Virginia, after the death of
her father, her racial education escalated. She wonders how she
lived through several agitated situations: her first crush on a Black
classmate, naively wearing a jacket with a Confederate flag sewn on
to class, and surviving alone, when the other white classmates switched
to private schools.

Clara remained in the public schools and contends that if she learned
nothing else, she did come to understand the scourge of racism. Her
story is one that is usually lost in the historical accounts of busing,
and this fact motivated her to share her experience. Her story is woven
with in-depth historical details and several personal photographs. Some
thirty years later there are those who question the use of the school
system to create social change. This is a different view of this
racially motivated issue.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

White Girl: A Story of School Desegregation.(Book Review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History

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White Girl: A Story of School Desegregation.(Book Review) : An article from: Journal of Southern History
Claudine L. Ferrell
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000EWBGFM
Release Date: 2006-03-07

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2006. The length of the article is 539 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: White Girl: A Story of School Desegregation.(Book Review)
Author: Claudine L. Ferrell
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 72 Issue: 1 Page: 232(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray; With an Account of the Origin and Progress of the House, 1768-1843.

Download Description

Memoir and Correspondence of John Murray; With an Account of the Origin and Progress of the House, 1768-1843.

A Publisher And His Friends V1: Memoir And Correspondence Of The Late John Murray

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A Publisher And His Friends V1: Memoir And Correspondence Of The Late John Murray
Samuel Smiles
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0548144532

A Publisher And His Friends V2: Memoir And Correspondence Of The Late John Murray

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A Publisher And His Friends V2: Memoir And Correspondence Of The Late John Murray
Samuel Smiles
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0548144524

A Publisher And His Friends: Memoir And Correspondence of the Late John Murray

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A Publisher And His Friends: Memoir And Correspondence of the Late John Murray
Samuel Smiles
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Journalists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1410223566

A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray (Volume I

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A Publisher and His Friends: Memoir and Correspondence of the Late John Murray (Volume I
Samuel Smiles
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Journalists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Letters & Correspondence | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1410206599

Book Description

John Murray was the intimate friend and correspondent of Sir Walter Scott, Lord Byron, Canning, Southey, the Disraelis, Campbell, Crabbe, Hallam, Croker, Milman, Washington Irving, Madame de Stael; as well as of the early editors of the Quarterly, Gifford, Coleridge, and Lockhart; and many original letters from these authors are in this book. The memoirs, and especially the correspondence of John Murray and his friends, are of value as giving a full picture of the literature and principal men of letters of the first half of the 19th century. Indeed, going still farther back - to the life and correspondence of John Murray's father - they include, to a certain extent, the literature of the times of Dr. Johnson, Dr. Langhorne, Dr. Cartwright, and others.

A publisher and his friends: Memoir and correspondence of the late John Murray, with an account of the origin and progress of the house, 1768-1843

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A publisher and his friends: Memoir and correspondence of the late John Murray, with an account of the origin and progress of the house, 1768-1843
Samuel Smiles
Manufacturer: John Murray
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008CGWT8

Book Description

A soft-spoken transvestite wanting nothing more than to live as a hausfrau, Charlotte von Mahlsdorf instead was caught up in the most harrowing dramas of 20th-century Europe, surviving both the Nazis and the Communists. Originally published as I Am My Own Woman, this exquisitely written autobiography reveals her lifelong pursuit of sexual liberty. The story is reaching an entirely new readership of enthusiastic theater fans with I Am My Own Wife, the new Broadway show by Doug Wright about the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in drama.

Customer Reviews:

Gramophones are flowers.......2007-06-04

Don't let the sensationalist title scare you off - this is a bewildering rarity in TS lit: humanist, protean, sagacious.

Ostensibly the (obliquely Oedipal) saga of a gay crossdresser surviving the Third Reich, then "socialist" East Berlin, Mahlsdorf's narrative is, at core, a love story - with fin de siècle furniture. As stubbornly as she withstood two ridiculous, internecine regimes, Marhlsdorf regales her text with Gründerzeit minutiae. Tedious, obscure, for sure - deal. I believe that's the intuitive point. When Mahlsdorf, a maniac collector of antiquities, proclaims "To me, moldy air is like Chanel No. 5" she strikes a mighty blow against every TS cliche.

Roll over Christine Jorgensen and tell Jerry Springer the news: Gramophones are flowers.

Things that will never be again revisited.......2004-12-19

This is a lovely read by a gentle man who felt he was really a woman in a mannish body, and also it is the story of a German who lived in parts of Germany and Berlin that are gone and will never be again. I felt a nostalgia for times past for the neighorhood around the Alexanderplatz in Berlin which used to be the gay and lower class neighborhood and also the red light district. If one goes to Alexanderplatz today there is the hideous Russian Funkturm radio tower and almost everything has been bulldozed, and there is a huge statue of Michael Jackson (of all things) in the space where Alexanderplatz was, and the neighborhoods Charlotte knew will never be replaced. He has struggled bravely to take pieces here and there where he could and save them for the ages, fighting bravely in the face of the Soviets stealing everything from Berlin that wasn't nailed down and the east German mentality of bulldoze and build worker flats and raze what is the capitalist past. What a time to live in and how amazing to have the story of a transvestite who lived them and knew every thing and place from the bottom up, so to speak, it puts a new face on history. 5 Stars!

Update October 2006: I just returned from Berlin where I visited the Grunderzeit Museum in Mahlsdorf which is a suburb of Berlin. You can get there on the S-Bahn and then walk to the museum (about a 15 minute walk). I was heartbroken to learn that Charlotte had passed away on April 30, 2002. The museum was nice and looks like it is a booming business. I bought some postcards and apparently there is a stage play currently running about the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf (in Berlin). Berlin has changed since I was there last, and it is knitting itself together up the middle where it was divided. The museum has had structural repairs and the basement is available for parties. I liked the museum and it was worth the trip!

Engaging story of a memorable transvestite life.......2004-08-21

Young Lothar Berfelde loved stylish women's clothes, and as he got older he tried them on. Amazingly, he got enough support from loved ones to have the strength to follow his inclinations. He also had the clarity of mind to observe what was going around him with historical perspective and perspicacity, i.e., the Soviet occupation of Berlin, the rise of the Nazis (his brutish father was an enthusiastic Nazi), the persecution of the Jews, the murderous suppression of the working class by the post-WWI socialist government, etc. Driven to killing his father, he fell into the hands of the Nazi "justice" system and survived. From his teenage years he was captivated by Biedermeyer era furniture and collected what he could. In the near-anarchy following the war and through circumstance and chutzpah he was able to "acquire" a Berlin mansion in which he created a museum to the pre-WWI furniture, household objects and consumer culture that he loved. He struggled to maintain the mansion and the museum's priceless contents, but was only partially successful. East Berlin bureaucrats and their Stasi agents were formidable foes. But Berfelde, who had changed his name to Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, never succumbed to glorification of the capitalist west. He eventually traded his taste for stylish women's clothed for the peasant hausfrau look of his later years and was strangely content with playing the simple housefrau. However this was an affectation, for he was a very broad-minded and humanistic man. He lived a remarkable life and his story is very much worth the reading.

moving, emotional, and a must read.......1998-05-26

I bought the book because I wanted to understand transvestites, but I came away with so much more. This book should be used in schools to illustrate a part of war they don't teach you, and also how being gay, and/or a transvestite is only part of who a person really is.

I Am My Own Wife - True Story Of Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf

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I Am My Own Wife - True Story Of Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf
Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf
Manufacturer: Cleis Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K01T3M

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