Critical Beings: Law, Nation, and the Global Subject (Law, Justice and Power)

Book Description

The radical restructuring of organizations can have momentous effects and not all of them are good. In fact, many are actually bad and may cause serious harm. How management can remedy these ill effects systematically and restore stability to their traumatized organizations is the theme of Dr. Geisler's compelling new book. How do we clean up the mess from poorly conceived, badly implemented, and ultimately unsuccessful restructurings? How can managers, who have been caught up in these changes and who are as disrupted by them as anyone, regain their own equilibrium and help the healing and reconstructive process take hold? Geisler's answers to these questions are essential reading for corporate executives in all types of organizations (public and private both), and for academics and students. Dr. Geisler lists the problems associated with radical change and describes the futility of total corporate transformations in general. In addition, he develops a staged process by which managers can counteract the side effects of radical change programs. By showing that the beneficial effects of radical corporate change are usually transient, Dr. Geisler's process is a key ingredient in any effort designed for the long-term survival of the firm and the preservation of its strategic goals and methods. Thus, not only does Geisler provide a sound, well-reasoned criticism of corporate restructuring, but he offers something that few if any other books can offer: a workable means to cope constructively with the effects of its many failures.

Book Description

Functional genomics--the deconstruction of the genome to determine the biological function of genes and gene interactions--is one of the most fruitful new areas of biology. The growing use of DNA microarrays allows researchers to assess the expression of tens of thousands of genes at a time. This quantitative change has led to qualitative progress in our ability to understand regulatory processes at the cellular level.

This book provides a systematic introduction to the use of DNA microarrays as an investigative tool for functional genomics. The presentation is appropriate for readers from biology or bioinformatics. After presenting a framework for the design of microarray-driven functional genomics experiments, the book discusses the foundations for analyzing microarray data sets, genomic data-mining, the creation of standardized nomenclature and data models, clinical applications of functional genomics research, and the future of functional genomics.

Customer Reviews:

A helpful and informative overview.......2006-01-05

The authors of this book are very excited about the prospects of the field of functional genomics and DNA microarray technology. Their optimism however is tempered by a large degree of caution, for they make it clear in the first few paragraphs of the book that expression profiling using microarrays is still in its infancy and that there have been exaggerated reports of its success. They wrote this book with the intent of giving the reader a more realistic view of microarray technology and have succeeded in their goal. They target the book specifically to experienced biologists and bioinformaticians with limited experience in using microarrays, and to students who are entering the field of bioinformatics. Most importantly, they emphasize that functional genomics is an experimental science, and that highly sophisticated algorithms from data mining or other areas of artificial intelligence will be of no assistance if the experimental information is not there in the first place. They do encourage however further development of these algorithms, in order to be able to extract the data as it becomes available, and as microarray technology itself matures. Even with the current technology, enormous amounts of data are generated, and if sense is to be made of this data, one will have to develop more effective algorithms than what are currently available.

To perform successful experiments, the authors describe a `functional genomics pipeline', and list the characteristics that it must have, consisting of both `wet' (laboratory) and `dry' (computational) steps. They devote a lot of space in the book describing how to develop an effective genomic experiment. Crucial to such investigations they say is a design that maximizes the possibility of observing relevant gene expression patterns, and the `experiment design space', which encapsulates all possible conditions that a particular biological system could be influenced by. Also important to the design is the `expression space', which is the collection of all potential expression values of all genes in a given genome. One could view the expression space as a vector space of high dimension, with each dimension corresponding to a single gene. Of great interest, and widely discussed in the general bioinformatics literature under the guise of the new field of `systems biology' is a subset of the expression space called the `transcriptome.' This subset models the expression of a cellular system under all stimuli. Considering that one might have to deal with 30,000 genes in the case of a human, the characterization of the transcriptome will be a formidable project. Interactions between the genes will complicate the analysis even further. The authors view each experiment as being an exploration of the space of all possible expression patterns, and describe good experimentation as being the `maximal exercise' of the genome. This consists of finding those correlations between the genes that have the greatest impact on the process under scrutiny.

A book on microarrays would not be complete if it did not discuss how they actually function. This is done in a fair detail in chapter three of the book. The authors do not favor a particular vendor but rather discuss what biological assumptions all microarray technology is based on. One of these assumptions is, as expected, that there is a direct connection between mRNA transcription and the protein translation associated with it.

In any laboratory experiment one has to deal with experimental uncertainty or "noise." This involves the influence of unknown external perturbations that result in variability in the outcomes of the experiment. As further evidence that the authors are careful experimenters, they discuss noise in detail, noting first that expression experiments deal with information that is both digital (DNA sequence information) and analog (mRNA expression levels). They distinguish between `intra-chip' noise, which arises when one probe feature influences another, improper scanning techniques, and manufacturing defects, and `inter-chip' noise, which arises from sample variation. Normalization issues are also discussed. Readers should take particular attention to the discussion on fold calculation and significance because of its connection with statistical analysis and because it sets the tone for the rest of the book. In particular, this discussion leads to the very important topic of dissimilarity and similarity measures. This part of the book is more sophisticated mathematically than what has been encountered so far, dealing for example with the concept of a metric space, which may appear to be somewhat abstract by readers who are not mathematically astute. Linear correlation and mutual information are two examples of metrics that are discussed.

Data mining is of course heavily discussed in the book, along with the new field of `ontological engineering' and how the latter is used functional genomics. Data mining is of course a vast field, but the authors give the reader a good taste of how some of its techniques can be applied to analyze microarray experiments. Both unsupervised and supervised learning is discussed, along with `self-organizing maps.' The authors end the book with their vision of future developments. Naturally they point to further refinements in microarray technology, the need for educating a new generation of bioinformaticists, and the push towards the development of new data mining algorithms. Certainly all of these are important, and one can expect other technological developments to occur in the coming years that may prove superior to microarrays in their application to functional genomics. In addition, and there are indications of this even at the present time, one can expect technologies that fully automate the study of gene expression. This includes the generation of hypotheses that characterize scientific investigation, the development and construction of the experiments themselves, and the analysis of the resulting data.

Well written.......2004-06-29

This is a well written book that gives an overview of the technology of microarrays and their use as investigative tools in functional genomics experiments. I found the technical and analytical descriptions very easy to follow. This is still the only book around that can bring any investigator with little knowledge of molecular biology, data analysis, and/or microarrays up to speed in the field. It is also a good text book for a graduate level course on microarray data analysis.

Not well written..........2004-02-27

I am not an informatics researcher, however I hold a doctorate in biotechnology related areas, as well a law degree. I routinely purchase books and journals to keep up. However, the problem with this book is its presentation. It is written in an almost stereotypically pretentious manner to the extent that it clearly detracts from the subject matter's presentation. Did you know that a tissue or cell type may be "interrogated"? Coincedentally, I happened upon a brief review article by the same author in Nature Biotech. Again the writing was such that it was too much of an effort to extract what was being said. For those who feel drawn to this book, check the internal pages on Amazon's site.

lots of important stuff.......2004-01-21

This book contains lots of important topical information on the design and analysis of microarray experiments. It calls attention to a lot of important but sometimes subtle issues that many biologists appear to be overlooking. It appears to be a must-read for researchers who want to avoid expensive dead ends. But it's not perfect...

A well-informed computer scientist will recognize that quite a few computational statements are just plain wrong (e.g., p 180,
"[Dendrograms] require the comprehensive precomputation of the dissimilarity measure for all pairs of genes, which grows on the order of N^2" Wrong! Try bucketing. Or p 139, a dissimilarity function based on linear correlation coefficients is "definite". No! If x is a vector and C is a scalar, then clearly x=/=Cx, but d(x,Cx)=0, contrary to the definition of "definite". The "pseudocode" in Chapter 4 is not any clearer than the text, and it is not structured in a way that would allow it to be elaborated into well-engineered code. So rely on this book for big ideas and references, not for details. The book also reinforces my preconception that MIT Press doesn't employ editors... 'way too many typos, for starters.

You have to know the basics of molecular biology for this book, and it wouldn't hurt to have a basic understanding of DNA chips as well. It's definitely not the first step for a mathematical scientist hoping to become a bioinformatician. (But why should it be? :c)

Amazing.......2002-10-14

This is the book we have all been waiting for. The authors do an amazing job of describing, in understandable terms, how to perform meaningful microarray experiments. I highly recommend this seminal work.

Average customer rating:

Microarrays for an Integrative Genomics
Issac S. Kohane
Manufacturer: Ane Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 8180520552

Average customer rating:

Microarrays for an Integrative Genomics.
Isaac S. Kohane
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000M4HOA8

Average customer rating:

Microarrays for an Integrative Genomics
Isaac S. (Author) Kho, Alvin (Author) Butte, Atul J. (Author) Kohane
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQC8OQ

Book Description

Gorillas dispels the popular myth of the aggressive, chest--beating monsters that appear in the King Kong movie. Found in Africa in mist--shrouded mountains and lowland rainforests, gorillas are peaceful vegetarians who live amicably in social groups. This book paints a fascinating, detailed portrait of these primates, covering all aspects of their behavior and environment. Gorillas presents the latest research on the largest of all the primates: the natural environment of gorillas, where they are found today, and what they eat; family life of the gorillas, including the silverback male and his harem of females; rites of passage in the life of gorillas--in males the progression from infant to blackback to silverback; the intelligence of the gorillas, particularly their environmental intelligence; and their ability to learn elements of human language. With its lively narrative style, attractive design, and appealing photographs Gorillas informs and delights the reader. The gentle giants of the African forest--gorillas--are the focus of this title, one of three books in a series about our primate relatives. Author Michael Bright draws on the latest research to reveal the habits of these highly intelligent animals--their sociability (shown when they groom or play), their foraging routines, and the meaning behind their animated expressions. From the "silverback" males with their harems of females to the infants who cling to their mothers as they travel through the forest, Gorillas presents encounters among the diverse members of each gorilla group. Packed with fascinating facts and superb photography, Gorillas provides abundant information and delight.

Book Description

Fifty-four hikes east of Phoenix.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent hikes in Phoenix area.......2001-01-29

I gave it only four stars because there's a lot of information he could have given that he did not give, but still, given the limits of the format, this is one of the better books on hiking in the Phoenix area. Most books either cover a few of the most popular hikes or cover a small area. This one covers a small enough area to include both the popular hikes and some lesser-known hikes (and even a few off-trail hikes for those wanting the true wilderness experience), while still covering enough ground to keep you from being bored. Don't make it your only book (I recommend "Hikers Guide to the Superstition Wilderness" as well as the Forest Service publications), but if you're in the Phoenix area (or planning to hike there) this book is definitely worth buying.

Book Description

New "bible" of French verbs makes learning faster and easier!

When we set out to build a bigger, better French verb "bible," we made certain it would be a quantum leap over Barron's 501 French Verbs and every other source available today. The result is hands-down the most comprehensive, clearest, and easiest-to-use source for beginning and intermediate learners of French. The Big Blue Book of French Verbs exceeds all previous standards of coverage and presentation and is in a class of its own when it comes to enhancing textbook and classroom learning.

Customer Reviews:

Very Handy Verb Conjugation Book.......2006-10-25

I used the 501 Verb series in studying Spanish and French years ago. I still occasionally use those for reference. I picked this French volume up on a recent trip to Canada. Unfortunately, my copy did not include the CD, so I can't comment on whether that is a helpful tool.

Many of this volume's virtues are described in other reviews. But one of my favorites is the Irregular Verb Form Index. This Index is an alphabetical list of verb forms for many verbs which are different enough from the infinitive that someone (like me) who is studying the language cannnot readily identify the infinitive. For example, while reading in French I come across the word "sachant". Most dictionaries won't have it listed since it is not itself a separate verb, but the present participle of the verb "savoir". To keep you from having to search endlessly for what verb this is, the Index lists "sachant" and identifies it as relating to savoir".

Another nice feature is that for each of the Top 50 Verbs, there is a full page of examples of the verb's use as well as some idiomatic phrases.

I now use this volume in place of 501 French Verbs, but you can't go far wrong with either of these reference tools.

Wonderful Soure.......2004-09-06

I was searching for a book to help me with my French classes and was very pleased to find this one. The price was so unbelievable that I had to order two. I would recommend this book to anyone as a source for learning French. Yes, the book is not small, but if you are a college student, carrying books that are huge is nothing unusual. It is a fantastic buy!!!! I'm thrilled that I bought it.

Bulky format; Great Reference Guide.......2004-06-15

The only thing I don't like about the Big Blue Book of French verbs is its bigness; the 8 X 11 format combined with the book's thickness, makes the volume a chore to carry around especially if you are usually packing a dictionary, textbook and notebook to complete your foreign language study arsenal.

Otherwise, the book is great, consisting of introductory pages that explain the simple and compound tenses and provides usage examples.

The bulk of the text devotes a full page to each of the 555 verbs with full conjugations and examples of regular and idiomatic usage. Verbs which fall under the TOP 50 include an extra page of examples and related words.

ALong with drills to help test your knowledge of verb forms, the text concludes with three indices: an English-French verb list, and Irregular Verb Form cross-referenced by infinitive and a list of over 2500 verbs with their English translation, cross-referenced to their verb model.

Its bulk intimidates, but this book is a great reference guidel its dimensions may make it cumbersome to carry about, but it is a worthy desk aid.

What More Can I Say?.......2003-07-05

This is the ultimate French verb book. It's got every verb conjugated in every sense. It also rates the top 50 most used verbs, a very useful feature. It's very nicely packaged, and in my opinion better than 501 Verbs, although I have both and both are truly great resources.

Average customer rating:
New Look to Now: French Haute Couture 1947-1987
dePietri & Leventon
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ON0IRS

Book Description

Relationship Marketing: Creating Stakeholder Value extends the analysis of the change in the marketing rationale from a crude concern for increased market share to a strategy aimed at creating long-term profitable relationships with targeted customers.

Offering a cutting edge vision of relationship marketing, Relationship Marketing: Creating Stakeholder Value is a seminal text for all students and managers in the field. With new up-to-date case materials and examples of best practice, the book covers all the stakeholder markets - employees, suppliers, influencers, customers and consumers - for which the relationship approach is critical. It also provides crucial advice on how to develop, integrate and implement the various strands of a successful relationship strategy.

Based on the best-selling first edition of Relationship MarketingComprehensive account of how to develop and implement a winning relationship strategy
Includes frequent vignettes to show how the theory works in practice

Customer Reviews:

Global Debt Bomb.......2000-04-10

Global Debt Bomb is a very interesting book. It gave many insights into the booming economy and what could happen if it all goes bust. It is a great book for economists, or people who simply want to keep their finances in order. It is easy to read and gives many important ideas about the problem of debt in America.

Book Description

Using India as a case study, this well-written, concise book covers everything one needs to know to understand how a country becomes internationally competitive. Showing that reforms that pertain to the real sector alone, such as industrial deregulation and trade reforms, are not enough to enhance a country's competitiveness, this book makes a compelling case for complimentary financial sector reforms.
Of interest to academics studying international trade, industrial economics and development economics, this book is also guaranteed to be extremely useful for professional economists and those involved with policy making in developed and developing countries.

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