The Global Media ; The New Missionaries of Corporate Capitalism

Book Description

Every year corporations spend billions in pursuit of change. Some are successful. Many are not. In this winner of the prestigious 1999 Management Consultancy Association Prize, Paul Taffinder casts a critical eye over the big change efforts of more than 30 organizations worldwide, and offers conclusions as unsettling as they are insightful and firmly supported by real-world business sense. "Paul Taffinder achieves what in many other books remains an empty promise. Brilliant insight...inspiring...A real eye-opener."--Dr. Siegfried Hoenle, Director, Warburg Dillon Read.

Customer Reviews:

Big Change: A route map for corporate transformation.......2000-09-25

This book utilizes interesting and detailed stories of well-known businesses, which emphasize the importance of giving a free rein to the creative energy of talented employees. Taffinder's advice is pragmatic and illustrated with interesting analyses and numerous examples. It covers a wide range of concepts and actions that are useful to any type of organization, and his use of "Action Lists" in most of the chapters provides the reader with important summary points. His use of lessons learned, as he describes the successes and failures of different organizations, provides the reader with a richer understanding of the concepts discussed.

The author emphasizes the necessity for business leaders to constantly strive for perfection, appreciate the lack of permanence in the ways business is done, and acknowledge the constant vulnerability all companies face. Leaders need to consider what can be expected from the future, and consider competitive strategies; will a business be a "rule maker," a "rule taker," or a "rule breaker?"

He discusses some of the personal psychological dimensions of transformational leaders, as well as the important leadership actions that are needed during the period of "big change." He emphasizes choosing the right team, uniting the team members, maintaining communications (which he feels is the essence of change), and keeping and supporting your change agents. They are the facilitators of behavioral change, and need continual support from their leaders, especially when the pace of the change process slows down.

His description of the organization of the future emphasizes networking, with a leader who provides purpose, focuses on essentials, and is the agent of cultural values. The successful business environment is characterized by rapid feedback, constant communication, and workers who are creative, think strategically, and exhibit a sincere commitment to the organization. There is still a critical need for relationship-building and trust, as well as risk-taking and opportunism, which are aligned with an openness to new ideas and possibilities.

The author stresses that "big change," or transformation, in order to be successful needs to be systematic, and should affect the entire organization at all three levels; the individual, the group and the entire organization. Taffinder highlights five elements of human and organizational effort, which is essential for big change to occur: 1. Awakening, 2. Conceiving the future, 3. Building the change agenda, 4. Delivering big change, and 5. Mastering change. Further, he emphasizes the essential role of a transformational leader in this process, stressing the importance of the leader having a strong conviction; he must adamantly believe in the changes taking place.

He discusses how the organizational climate has a significant bearing on organizational improvement. Innovation is impacted by employees' emotional involvement in goals and operations, the independence people have to share information, the way ideas are treated, and the emotional safety, tolerance of uncertainty, and overall atmosphere of the business itself. The author stresses the importance of good communication, employee understanding of the changes planned, an assessment of their willingness to accept the changes, and modification of the work environment to accommodate the new structure and processes.

Some implications of his ideas: Change occurs constantly, but knowing what to change, how to change, and when to institute change is not so easily understood. Changes may be incremental and moderate in some situations, while in other cases, the only way to survive is through a major transformational alteration. An organization needs to take part in critical self-analysis, be willing to challenge existing practices, and focus attention away from "empire building" and toward a winning attitude that is required to compete in a global economy. Leaders of big change must be absolutely clear about what is important to their business, what strategies will be used, where the business is coming from as well as where it is going, and what is expected of all of the employees. They need to be able to answer questions like Why change? Why now?

For real change to occur, fundamental changes in behavior are necessary and these changes need to be sustained over time. The use of training programs that concentrate on change management skills, technological skills and basic skills to support new practices, are methods that can maintain the changes being instituted.

Emphasis is placed upon building a culture that expects and allows people to accept and cultivate change. Businesses need to allow employees to use their brains, be empowered to make decisions, experiment with innovations (trial and error is encouraged), and build a culture of personal responsibility.

Taffinder's book is much like a manual on procedures to follow in order to deal with the change process. The information provided is useful and informative, giving the reader much to think about.

An excellent book based on many case studies and insights.......1998-11-03

An excellent book based on many case studies and insights, Spending some time reading the book I greatly benefitted from the practical lessons. Provides a good route-map for organisations embarking or finding themselves in the middle of big changes.

Average customer rating:
A study of the land in the catchments of the Otway Range and adjacent plains (TC)
Tony Pitt
Manufacturer: Soil Conservation Authority
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0724119086

Book Description

Saving lives versus taking lives: These are the stark terms in which the public regards human embryo research--a battleground of extremes, a war between science and ethics. Such a simplistic dichotomy, encouraged by vociferous opponents of abortion and proponents of medical research, is precisely what Jane Maienschein seeks to counter with this book. Whose View of Life? brings the current debates into sharper focus by examining developments in stem cell research, cloning, and embryology in historical and philosophical context and by exploring legal, social, and ethical issues at the heart of what has become a political controversy.

Drawing on her experience as a researcher, teacher, and congressional fellow, Jane Maienschein provides historical and contemporary analysis to aid understanding of the scientific and social forces that got us where we are today. For example, she explains the long-established traditions behind conflicting views of how life begins--at conception or gradually, in the course of development. She prepares us to engage a major question of our day: How are we, as a 21st-century democratic society, to navigate a course that is at the same time respectful of the range of competing views of life, built on the strongest possible basis of scientific knowledge, and still able to respond to the momentous opportunities and challenges presented to us by modern biology? Maienschein's multidisciplinary perspective will provide a starting point for further attempts to answer this question.

Customer Reviews:

"Conflicting views, evolving dogma on embryos and stem cells" .......2005-08-24

"Whose View of Life?" puts the competing views of life underlying the controversy over embryos and embryonic stem cell research in clear historical context. Dr. Maienschein shows how even strict dogmatic views have evolved under the influence of technology, particularly the ability to visualize the embryo and fetus.
In this regard, it seems to me that such seeing does not necessarily bring philosophical enlightenment.
This excellent book can help clarify one's own thinking on this crucial controversy, as well as better one's understanding of perspectives other than ones own.

Navigating Cloning and Stem Cell Controversies.......2004-03-10

These are highly contentious issues where many have long- and emotionally-held views. Maienschien first puts these issues into historical context. The questions, ethical and moral, that they pose are not really all that new. Through history decisions have been made sometimes on science, sometimes in ignorance, and sometimes in the absence of real understanding.

What comes through is that the science of human development has been an evolving process and, like all of science, it has had no shortage of breakthroughs, brilliant insights, and egos. The bottom line is that science does not yet have all the answers...and in some cases...the answer may not lie in the realm of science.

So what are politicians to do about this. How do they decide? Make law? Balance the competing and strongly-held views on this issue?

By the close of the book we know Maienschein's position, but unlike some who have written in this area, she does not then discount those with whom she disagrees. Rather, she seems to suggest that responsible decisions must always remember that there are those who will disagree with any particular stance. The challenge for our leaders, then, is to make decisions that are "right" and not those that are politically expedient.

Customer Reviews:

Balanced?.......2000-11-08

The subtitle of this book reads "A Balanced, Comprehensive View of Abortion From Its Historical Context To The Current Debate". What a bunch of garbage!! I am Pro-Life. I was looking for a book that FAIRLY represented both sides of abortion. This book seemed to represent this, based on the subtitle.

This book is actually a very one-sided book. It talks only about repressing women, selfish males, right wing wackos, and the heroism that women have gone through to win their rights.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on August 1, 2004. The length of the article is 2191 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: The Science of Wishful Thinking.(Whose View Of Life? Embryos, Cloning, And Stem Cells)(Book Review)
Author: Maureen L. Condic
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: August 1, 2004
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Issue: 145 Page: 69(6)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Whose Left?(views of liberals and conservatives): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life

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Whose Left?(views of liberals and conservatives): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life
James Nuechterlein
Manufacturer: Institute on Religion and Public Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1191 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: Whose Left?(views of liberals and conservatives)
Author: James Nuechterlein
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Page: 7

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Whose life?(Bites: brief notes on news and views from around the world): An article from: Arena Magazine

Average customer rating:

Whose life?(Bites: brief notes on news and views from around the world): An article from: Arena Magazine
Rachel Power
Manufacturer: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arena Magazine, published by Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. on October 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1104 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: Whose life?(Bites: brief notes on news and views from around the world)
Author: Rachel Power
Publication: Arena Magazine (Refereed)
Date: October 1, 2004
Publisher: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
Issue: 73 Page: 39(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

No bat so fires our imagination and is more renowned than the common vampire bat of tropical America. The vampire's singular diet of warm blood, its stealthy nighttime attacks, and its capability of transmitting deadly diseases, all strike us with fear mixed with fascination. It comes as no surprise that the vampire bat has assumed not only the real-life role, but acquired the persona of its mythical Old World counterpart. By giving this bat the ability to metamorphose in and out of human form in countless horror stories and films, we have bestowed on this small mammal a notoriety unmatched by any other animal on earth. Reality and superstition have become intertwined. But there also exists an enormous amount of reliable information on the vampire bat. Zoologist David Brown has gathered and distilled this wealth of studies, and sifted through the mythology of the REVIEW: "vampyre" to present a picture of the vampire bat in true-life form. Although written for the non-biologist, even bat-specialists will appreciate Brown's factual presentation of the life story of the vampire bat. "This is a delightful book. . . . For cavers interested in learning more about one of the most intriguing creatures that frequently dwell in Latin American caves, it is highly recommended. For aficionados of the vampyre in film and literature, it is must reading."(--CAVE CRAWLER'S GAZETTE)

Customer Reviews:

Gone batty for this book.......2000-03-03

Vampire bats, like few other animals, capture our attention for both pragmatic and aesthetic reasons, and this readable little book does justice to the animal itself as well as human interest in them. I especially like the love-hate balance that Dave Brown manages so nicely in his presentation and personal recollections, pointing up all the beauties of this unique little mammal while at the same time the horrors of the blook-sucking life style, both bat and human. Brown proves to be not only a good student of the biology of wildlife but also of humans, which makes this book a must for anyone interested in how nature affects human culture and societies, and vice versa.

Book Description

Are you new to the martial arts? Or are you a veteran student who is looking for that extra edge or curious about other styles and new techniques? No matter where you train, at what level or in which style, the Ultimate Martial Arts Encyclopedia offers in-depth insight into the most critical aspects of your martial arts experience. Inside, you'll find dozens of chapters covering an impressive array of topics, from histories and traditions to techniques and more. Every chapter is written by an expert, and photographs throughout the book ensure that you'll learn the techniques properly and be able to integrate them into your practice. Topics include:

An introduction to all the major martial arts styles, from aikido to wing chun
Advice and instruction on getting the most out of every block, strike, and kick you execute
Clear, illustrated explanations of highly effective techniques from lesser-known arts
Insight into developing a fighting strategy, conquering fear and pain, and improving your mental game for strong practice in the classroom and in competition

Weighing in at more than 250 pages, with 46 chapters full of hard-hitting advice, the Ultimate Martial Arts Encyclopedia is required reading for all martial arts students, from beginners to black belts. About the Editors John R. Little is the author of The Warrior Within, Bruce Lee: Words from a Master, and other books on Bruce Lee. He is also the author of numerous published articles on martial arts philosophy and practice. Curtis F. Wong is the publisher of Inside Kung-Fu and other highly respected martial arts magazines.

Customer Reviews:

Great collection.......2007-01-16

This is a good volume. It has a lot of what I consider really interesting articles: French Savate, Dan Inostanto talking about training with Bruce Lee, combat wing chun, etc. I really like this volume.

A Good resource of Information........2000-08-27

I just recently saw this book at a local bookstore and was curious. When I took it home I found that this book had alot of information from the basic ideas of various styles to good training tips for competition. I have studied Martial Arts for 12 years and have really found this book has alot of info I didn't know in it. I think all Martial Artists, Beginners to Masters, should have this book in their library.

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Word by Word Picture Dictionary English/Russian Edition

Average customer rating:

useful, but not what I thought
disappointing
Awesome for older children adopted from Russia!

Word by Word Picture Dictionary English/Russian Edition
Steven J. Molinsky
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0131258575

Customer Reviews:

useful, but not what I thought.......2007-05-12

This book is set up for Russian learners, so it is less useful to those of us English readers trying to learn Russian. I bought it as well as the Oxford Picture Dictionary, which is also for Russian learners of English. That book does not have questions at the bottom as this book has, but since they are all in English, it does not help with the Russian at all. There is a glossary list at the back of the book, so that is helpful. (The Oxford book also has the glossary, and with pronunciation, BUT--for the English words!)

disappointing.......2004-04-06

True, this book has almost every imaginable word you would need if visiting Russia or trying to communicate with your new child from Russia BUT it does NOT have any pronounciation help. Every word is written, well, in the Russian alphabet. So unless you can read Russian letters and pronounce them, this book is really no help.

Awesome for older children adopted from Russia!.......2000-12-30

We are in the process of adopting a 15 year old boy from Russia. While we are learning Russian, I doubt we will know enough to converse with him those first few months. This book is awesome! It has pictures for just about anything you could think of!! And, next to the pictures are both the English and Cyrillic words. For example, there is a page that shows a daily routine of getting up, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, etc. It has pictures for every object in your house. It has food items. Grocery store items. Sports. School activities. It is absolutely wonderful!! I feel very confident that we will be able to communicate with our new son.

Product Description

Delightful, lyrical poetry accompanying pointellist artwork of cats !

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