Nafta's Impact On North America: The First Decade

Book Description

This volume covers many of the political, social, and nontrade changes that have accompanied NAFTA over the past 10 years; the authors project what to expect in the next 10 in such areas as labor, education, business, and security.NAFTA has not cured all internal ills in the three countries concerned, but they are now discussed and have become more amenable to satisfactory compromise.

Customer Reviews:

Ah! "Impact" as a verb............2007-08-15

Shouldn't the title be "NAFTA'S Effect On North America"? Impact is a poor choice to replace "effect", "affect", or "influence". It's the "ESPN'ing" of the English language.

Customer Reviews:

A Monty Python guide to Java & XML.......2002-04-08

Firstly the examples do not try to explain which code example they relate to on the CD rom. You have to distribute the code on the cd rom to paths on your web server, so unless you are already a dab hand at configuring a JSP server you cannot begin, the book doesn't help you with this, or anything else, in fact I would suggest the only people who may be able to decipher this book are expert professional Java programmers who must also have a knack for interpreting rambling babble. Avoid this book at all costs, talking of cost, cut to the Author - tropical beach - pina colada.

A Monty Python guide to Java & XML.......2002-04-08

Not for the novice, full of bugs and codes don't work.......2001-09-11

The book looked great and I thought that I can learn how to build my own web site within 30 days, especially since I had a fair amount of knowledge in HTML, Java, UNIX, C++, MFC etc. My only setback was that I have never done XML and JSP programming, nor used Tomcat web server before.

The book gives very little information about paths to put the example codes, and insufficient information on the server setup. After visiting the authors' web site and setting up the codes where, I believe, they should be, the main codes and servlets do not work.

I discovered some bugs in the files and fixed them. Yet the codes (except the HTML) still do not work.

Six weeks after buying the book I am no nearer learning XML and JSP. How can you learn how to use these languages when the codes that accompany the book do not work?

Lots of code that is not useful for real applications.......2001-02-19

Though the book contains a lot of code, it becomes evident as you go through the book, that the author has not thought about using them in real world situations. All applications use DOM for XML parsing and Servlets for presentation of the content. A few JSPs are thrown in may be because the title says so!

Buy this book if you got a lot of money!

This book does not contain practical examples!.......2001-02-13

The authors through this book explain how XML, Java servlets (and sometimes JSPs) could be used together in applications like Shopping cart and News Bulletin board.

Though the book contains a lot of code, two things are disappointing. First, DOM is implicitly suggested as a preferred means for working with XML documents even in cases where simple SAX parsing would do. Secondly, JAXP 1.0 API's beta classes like XmlDocument are extensively used in the examples. Both these are not very useful in the real world scenarios.

Though the book gives an impression from the title that it will be using JSPs to generate the presentation layer, the examples heavily use servlets with "hard coded HTML" in them for this purpose.

I happen to have a copy of Benoit Machall's "Applied XML Solutions" with me with which I cannot help comparing this book with. Applied XML Solutions explains similar examples in a practical way with simpler code as well as using open source software and stabilized APIs to achieve the same results.

So, these are a few things to consider before buying this book!

Book Description

How to Start a Business in Montana is your roadmap to avoid planning, legal and financial pitfalls and direct you through the bureaucratic red tape that often entangles fledgling entrepreneurs. This all-in-one resource goes a step beyond other business how-to books to give you a jump-start on planning for your business and provides you with:

Quick reference to the most current mailing and Internet addresses and telephone numbers for federal, state, local and private agencies that will help get your business up and running.
State population statistics, income and consumption rates, major industry trends and overall business incentives to give you a better picture of doing business in Montana.
Checklists, sample forms and a complete sample business plan to assist you with numerous startup details.
State-specific information on issues like choosing a legal form, selecting a business name, obtaining licenses and permits, registering to pay for taxes and knowing your employer responsibilities.
Federal and state options for financing your new venture.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth your money, use Google.......2007-06-15

I wont waste many words on this one. Every thing in here I could get on Google and saved my money. They just assembled it and produced a book which I guess may have some value ... that's why I gave it a 2 and not a 1. Google or go to the library.

A wonderful primer on starting a business with contact information for locating startup funds if necessary........2006-10-24

This is a valuable book (resource) for budding entrepreneurs. It seems to try to cover all the bases for starting a small business, but it can't do them all well in the space available between its covers. The book is only 288 pages long. If you are in the planning stages of starting a small business, then I highly recommend you get a copy of this book. Read it, study it, and outline it. There are helpful checklists to help you grasp the subjects. You will come up with a plethora of keywords and terms that you will want to google to find Web pages giving more detailed (and maybe more current) information.

I am a SCORE counselor (Senior Corps of Retired Executives) who typically does face-to-face counseling sessions three nights a month. It would really be neat if my clients would read this book BEFORE they came to their session with me because they would pretty much be "educated customers" ready to ask educated questions. Our sessions would be so much more beneficial.

My favorite chapters were:

1. Initial business concerns
2. Your business' structure
3. Business start-up details
5. Sources of business assistance (SCORE is mentioned here)
7. Your smart business plan (and a good sample plan is included)
8. Obtaining the financing you need

The book is weak when it comes to how the Internet can be used in corresponding, hiring, and marketing. But this is just one example of how googling keywords and concepts found in the book will make the book more complete. Don't treat the book as authoritative on the law. It isn't. Nor was it ever intended to be. It is light on tax information as it relates to small business.

I was particularly impressed with the material presented in Chapter 2: Choice of Legal Entity. That subject is sorely ignored in most small business books, and it is critically important. It is a subject I regularly must spend a great deal of time discussing at my SCORE sessions. This book does a pretty good job on the topic.

Chapters 4 and 9 through 12 are easy to find fault with. The topic of each could fill a book. But having these topics covered definitely will help a budding entrepreneur know some of the issues they raise.

I would have liked the book more if Chapter 6 (marketing) had been less superficial. When I read it I got the impression that the author was more a public relations expert than a marketing expert. I generally categorize public relations as a subset of marketing. Marketing includes advertising, public relations, and a whole host of other promotion techniques. I did not get this message when I read the book. I also would have liked the book better if the Internet, email, and Web sites had been discussed more. But there are many books on those subjects. Therefore, I can't complain too much about the limited discussion of computers.

When you read this book it may feel a little like it was produced on an assembly line. Maybe it was? There are 51 versions of this book sold; one for each state and the District of Columbia. Content is king, and this book has it. 5 stars!

The Montana entrepreneur's guide: How to start and manage a business in Montana

Average customer rating:

The Montana entrepreneur's guide: How to start and manage a business in Montana
Paul R Larson
Manufacturer: University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006QH1WS

Book Description

Get the big picture on policy networking with this guide from one of the leaders of policy-based standards efforts
With the advent of policy servers, network administrators no longer have to create data traffic rules (policy) by hand. This book will sort out the hype from the reality for this important advance in networking. The authors provide examples and case studies as well as product roadmaps and suggestions for possible migration paths from the old labor-intensive management to next-generation PBNs (policy-based networks). Readers will learn more about the first network services set up for policy-based management including Quality of Service (QoS), the Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) in Win2000, the LDAP directory technology, and other services nearing standards completion.

Download Description

In the networking world, the rules by which a network runs is called "policy." This book will sort out the hype from the reality of PBN (policy-based networks), provide examples and case studies as well as product roadmaps and suggestions for possible migration paths from the old labor intensive management to next generation PBNs.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book !!!.......2001-09-05

For some one that have never done anything related to Policy-Base Networking it was very easy to understand. It took me by the hand and started with a basic overview, and got deeper and deeper. I was able to create a model in UML with it. Great book

Primer to PBN suitable for those who seek an overview.......2001-07-08

Although case studies and some technical details (in the form of algorithms) are included, this book is more of a primer to the PBN field for those who are new to the concept. Readers who already have some ideal of SLAs and QOS will find it useful in understanding the big picture of enabling differentiated services over networks, and in catching up with recent developments. It must be noted that work in the field is still ongoing, so even though the basic principles stated are applicable in most scenarios, some of the information given is likely to be superseded in the near future.

Average customer rating:

Shop Around

Before You Say I Quit!
Diane, Ph.D. Holloway , and Nancy Bishop
Manufacturer: Wellness Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Job Hunting | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work

ASIN: 1587411172

Book Description

BEFORE YOU SAY "I QUIT!" Before You Say "I QUIT!" is an essential tool for anyone who frustrated with his or her job situation and has at least considered the idea of resigning. This book provides an organized approach to deciding when -and if- quitting is the best choice and how to implement the decision. It takes you through a step-by-step evaluative process that includes quizzes and worksheets to help you make the correct choices at critical junctures in your work life. Holloway and Bishop offer a complete blend of solid career advice and sound psychological counseling to help you determine the source of your job dissatisfaction, develop new job options, devise a career/life plan, make the most of your final days at a job, handle exit interviews, and answer potential new employer's questions as to why you left your position. "An indispensable guide for anyone considering quitting his/her job. I highly recommend it!" Linda Tell, Ph.D. Vocational Evaluator "One of the best books to read BEFORE you quit tour job." Michelle Newton, B.A., Job Developer About The Authors: Diane Holloway, Ph.D., is a certified career counselor who has been in private practice as a management consultant and psychotherapist in Dallas for many years. Nancy Bishop is the author of How to Get a Job in Dallas/Fort Worth. She is also senior editor for the Southeastern bureau of Adweek magazine.

Customer Reviews:

Shop Around.......2007-07-21

This book is extremely basic in its approach to resolving unpleasant work situations. There are a lot of common sense situations and cookie-cutter remedies that are discussed in detail. Most readers, if they have been struggling in their professions and seeking change, will have already seen these solutions in any number of magazines or self-help books. Maybe use this book as a primer but dont look to it for any Big Answers. Before you say Purchase...shop around.

BEFORE YOU SAY "I QUIT" A Guide to Making Successful Job Transitions

Average customer rating:

BEFORE YOU SAY "I QUIT" A Guide to Making Successful Job Transitions
Diane and Nancy Bishop Holloway
Manufacturer: Collier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O8RC72

Average customer rating:

Great Book For People Considering Any Job Change

Before You Say , " I Quit ": A Guide to Making Successful Job Transitions
Diane Holloway
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

A must for anyone involved in a career change. Here's a blend of solid career advice with sound psychological counseling.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book For People Considering Any Job Change.......2000-07-14

This is the second time I am ordering this book...lost the first copy. I am again considering a job change, and want to make a well-thought-out decision because the last thing I want to do is move-on and continue to be dissatisfied. This book is easy to follow and provides an excellent framework for factors that should be considered prior to making a workplace change. It helped me define the pros and cons of my current workplace and define what I am looking for in my new position. This book is good for people looking to stay in the same profession but interested in leaving their current company or moving to a new profession and for people looking to move to a new position within the same company. It's a relatively short, easy reading book with straightforward relevant exercises (unlike several other 400+ page books of this genre).

Average customer rating:

Most intriguing three day read you'll find!!!

Goodfellas meets Boiler Room

very disturbing

Pulitzer winner Weiss with a very fascinating story

Fascinating examination of the underside of Wall Street

Born to Steal: When the Mafia Hit Wall Street
Gary Weiss
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

Wall Street Versus America: The Rampant Greed and Dishonesty That Imperil Your Investments

Mob Over Miami

Confessions of a Wall Street Analyst: A True Story of Inside Information and Corruption in the Stock Market

Blood on the Street: The Sensational Inside Story of How Wall Street Analysts Duped a Generation of Investors

The Last Godfather: The Rise and Fall of Joey Massino (Berkley True Crime)

ASIN: B000EPFVDM

Book Description

Hood brokers. Monthly million dollar paychecks. Thirty-six hour cocaine binges.'Rocky' themed pep rallies. Run-ins with Mafia thugs toting Mac 10 machine pistols. This was the life of Louis Pasciuto, a fast-talking Staten Island kid who, from the age of 19 to 25, moved stocks for 17 different brokerage houses-most of that time without even a fake license. This inside account of the Mafia's infiltration of Wall Street details Louis' career as the consummate liar, selling phantom stocks to naive Americans and leading a lifestyle worthy of Caligula. To avoid a long prison sentence, Pasciuto eventually turned state's witness. Now, Gary Weiss shares the inside story of Wall Street's notorious 'chop houses,' the crooked Mob-run brokerages where rampant thievery netted several billion dollars from gullible investors.

Download Description

This account of the Mafia's infiltration of Wall Street uses as its chief source a fast-talking Staten Island kid named Louis Pasciuto who, from age l9-25, moved stocks for l7 different brokerage houses-most of that time without even a fake license. Louis was the consummate liar, selling overpriced and phantom stocks to naive Americans and leading a lifestyle worthy of Caligula. To avoid a long prison sentence, he ultimately became a witness for the state. Among the book's scenes: morning pep rallies filled with Dr. Seuss poetry and "Rocky" theme music; tie-'em-up-in-knots cold-call sessions that netted for each hood-broker as much as $500,000 per month; 36-hour cocaine binges; orgies; and tussles with Mafia thugs toting Mac l0 machine pistols.

Customer Reviews:

Most intriguing three day read you'll find!!!.......2007-07-06

I do most of my reading on the train commuting to and from work. This book did not give me that luxury because I was so into the story of how this kid became rich and invested for well known celebrities. I read it in three days because I kept wondering how and when this guy was going to get whacked by the mafia. The real life photos in the book make the stories more justifiable. Also, these pictures help keep the reliability of the book in tact.

Business mostly draws my interest for reading material, so that was the reason I bought the book at an airport one day. If you like business success stories and real life mafia drama, then this book will knock you off your feet.

Goodfellas meets Boiler Room.......2006-07-05

If you can imagine a book written that blended these two movies together, bada-bing, there's your book. There's your review.

very disturbing.......2006-06-18

It nevers ceases to amaze me that people could be so gullible as to send a check for a large sum of money because some guy with a great line of BS says he can make you rich and he represents an official sounding brokerage house. Wow.

The story is very captivating. Reading about Louis spiral out of control, hooking up with organized crime "Guys", the drugs, the lies, the scamming. Pretty entertaining.

This book really makes me wonder what all those regulatory agencies actually do. Its obvious they are not running around trying to protect the average consumer. Too bad, cause with people like Louis manning the phones, many people out there need protection.

I found myself looking for excuses during the day to get back to reading this book. I really enjoyed it.

Pulitzer winner Weiss with a very fascinating story.......2006-04-07

Mr. Weiss shows us how he has been able to capture his Pulitzer. The author "lets the hood tell his story" as one reviewer complains, but I would assert that this is a BIG asset to this book. Yes, we find out the "banality of evil" but that is beside the point.

You may find yourself dealing with this part of society in one shape or another eventually and you may be surprised to find that the Mafia is NOT so dead as it is being assumed to be. Of course, if you really read between the lines of this book you realize that this is an example of Organized Crime ADAPTING. The penny stock industry (Yes. .it is an ongoing industry . . and NOT going the way of the buggy whip, if my FAX machine is any indication. . .filled as it is with unsolicited stock BS) was the place to be if you wanted to rub shoulders with mobsters in the 1990s. Weiss acts as narrator as the life story of Pasciuto unfolds.

Some here have complained about the prose style. I found it very accessible. The story is an easy read and you are not supposed to wind up "compelled" by any character. They are almost all bad guys. This time, Weiss didn't complain about how incompetent the legal watch dogs must be to simply let this all unfold without being much hindrance, but if you think this stuff through fully, you would wind up wondering that. . .WHERE IS THE SEC??? . . .the NASD?

Anyway, if you want to get a feel for the chop stock industry you should read this book. If you feel compelled to invest in those ULTRA LOW CAP stocks that you see in your fax machine or in unsolicited e-mails. . .you MUST read this book!

Caveat Emptor!

Chris Tune

Fascinating examination of the underside of Wall Street.......2006-02-27

A really fascinating, jarring look at a corner of Wall Street that I did not know existed. Takes you back to the days of the Roaring Nineties when the Internet bubble and IPO mania was driving stocks skyward. Working around the edges of the market were criminals in Armani suits like the subject of this book, Louis Pasciuto.

Pasciuto was a sharp kid from the streets of Staten Island, and he was a cinch for the sharp talk of a hoodlum named Roy Ageloff, who ran the brokers at a crooked firm called Hanover Sterling. Pasciuto had a talent for ripping off investors, and he used that talent first at Hanover and then 17 other firms.

Watching Pasciuto on his rise and then fall is a truly unbelievable experience. Amazing that as a teenager he was already running an entire crew of other young thieves.

The book unveils the Mafia aspects of the book slowly and naturally, without sensationalizing. So we get realistic glimpses of what the Mafia has become in the later part of the 20th century. Through it all we get into the psyche of the Mafia gangsters, particularly the one who was principally shaking down Pasciuto, Charles Ricottone.

By the end of the book you come away with a deep appreciation of two things:

One is that the Mafia is definitely on its way out. I just finished reading Selwyn Raab's book Five Families, and that book, though also very good, failed to depict the Mafia's current state in quite as vivid a way as this one. Raab failed to adequately explore the personnel weaknesses that have decayed the Mafia. They become very obvious in reading Born to Steal. Obviously the people left in the Mob are low-level hoods without imagination or drive.

Second, you get a real sense of how Wall Street operates. Even though the book concentrates on on the lower rungs of the Street, you get a good appreciation of the kind of money-grubbing nature of the people who run Wall Street generally.

The epilogue, recounting what happened after the hardcover edition came out, is cynical and very funny.

In all, a very strong and readable book.

Born to Steal: When the Mafia Hit Wall Street

Average customer rating:

Born to Steal: When the Mafia Hit Wall Street
Gary Weiss
Manufacturer: Warner Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXW2ZU

Book Description

Between 1970 and 1997, the nation's railroads engaged in corporate mergers in an effort to stem the decline of the industry's market base, increase low return on investments, and counter the deterioration of trackage and equipment. The 73 Class I carriers in existence in 1970 have been consolidated into only 10 today. The recent battle over Conrail is only the most recent and highly publicized example of this trend that resulted from the relaxation of federal regulation. Business scholars, economists, railroad buffs, and anyone interested in transportation and federal regulation will find this book an invaluable tool.

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