The Death of Money: How the Electronic Economy Has Destabilized the World's Markets and Created Financial Chaos

Book Description

A clear and easy guide on how to use cryptography to secure e-commerce transactions
To be on the cutting edge of e-commerce, you need to understand how to best utilize cryptography to offer secure services for your customers over the Internet. But if you reach for most of the available books on the subject, you'll find that they are far too technical for most business needs. If you need a quick and lucid managerial summary to help you develop effective e-commerce strategies, this is the book for you.
Geared to nontechnical managers who would like to explore the underlying concepts of modern cryptography, this book features an easily accessible, logical explanation of how cryptography works to solve real-world e-commerce problems, a tutorial on the underlying mathematics, and two case studies of PKI cryptographic architectures, showing how Kerberos and PKC can be wedded to protect a company's intranet and how a full-blown working PKI provides security to a company's Internet communications.
Divided into three major parts tailored to readers' needs-Introduction to Modern Cryptography, Tutorial on the Mathematics of Cryptography, and case studies-the book covers:
How symmetrical key cryptography ensures confidentiality of messages
How cryptography lets you detect whether a message has been modified in transit
Why the distribution of cryptographic keys is important and difficult
The nuts and bolts of Kerberos-a major component of Microsoft's Windows 2000 security solution
How Public Key Cryptography ensures security between people who share no prior secret information
Digital signatures on electronic contracts and the concept of non-repudiation
How digital certificates ensure positive identification of individuals

Customer Reviews:

Excellent introduction to cryptography.......2002-12-26

This concise book is very helpful for people who would like to know cryptography. The book uses a lot of diagrams to make complicate concepts easy to understand. One improvement the author may want to do is to fix the errors in the book.

Excellent introduction to symmetric and PKC cryptography.......2001-08-07

The basics of the usage of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography are explained here step by step in a precise way visualized by clear drawings of a sender, (evil) observer and recipient. Starting with the simplest case and showing what's faulty about it, the author develops an understanding of why it needs message digestion, public and private keys and either Kerberos or a certification authority.

A small part of the book is reserved for some mathematical expostions which do not go very far. Two case studies, one awkward, one profound, round off the book.

The term e-commerce in the title is somewhat misleading. The book deals rather with B2B, the other subcategory of e-business.

A possible audience for the book are people like me, who are supposed to know what excatly a digital signature is and therfore cannot really ask someone.

I understand cryptography now!.......2001-04-19

It usually takes me a while to understand new things, this book was very informative and easy to understand. I now understand cryptography! Read this book!

Gentle introduction to cryptography and its applications.......2001-03-18

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of cryptography to non-technical people, and to illustrate how cryptography can be applied in e-commerce applications. The author has succeeded admirably in this endeavor.

The first part of the book provides a gentle introduction to symmetric-key encryption and authentication, public-key cryptography, key managements and PKI. The detailed explanations are accompanied with intuitive figures. For the most part, the mathematical intricacies are omitted from the main chapters thus enabling the reading to grasp the important concepts without getting bogged down with technical details. For those interested in the underlying mathematics, the second part of the book provides a tutorial to some of the mathematics. Finally, the third part of the book describes two crytographic architectures designed by the author.

I highly recommend this book to the people with nontechnical backgrounds who are interested in learning how cryptography can be used to secure their applications. Once the basic concepts are understood, the reader can then proceed to one of the many available technical books on cryptography.

Gentle introduction to cryptography and its applications.......2001-03-18

Book Description

With humor in the tradition of Robert Benchley and S.J. Perelman, Kanter shares with us the absurdities of life in a law firm. Via memos, speeches, and committee meetings, Arnold B. Kanter introduces the mythically inept firm of Fairweather, Winters & Sommers in The Handbook of Law Firm Mismanagement. In Advanced Law Firm Mismanagement, the firm's founder, Stanley Fairweather, tells us about the [good and not-so-good] old days and looks ahead with a bit of trepidation at where the profession is going. In The Ins & Outs of Law Firm Mismanagement, we see lawyers through the eyes of the firm's non-lawyers—secretaries, paralegals, the computer geek—who know better than anyone else how ridiculous lawyers can be. And in Was That a Tax Lawyer Who Just Flew Over? Kanter lets us see lawyers from the point of view of their clients and other outsiders.

Amazon.com

Professional speaker and trainer Marian K. Woodall believes everyone should modernize their communication skills--or risk being left behind in the years ahead. Her fourth book on improving these skills, Presentations That Get Results, highlights 14 specific reasons why so many presentations misfire and offers suggestions for each of these problems and misconceptions (ranging from "we don't need visuals" to "you bet we have visuals ... the fanciest visuals electronics can create") to help readers turn failure into success.

Book Description

Are your presentations and speeches getting the results you need? Confidently say "yes" with cutting edge content, style, visuals. Change comes everywhere, and big changes in presenting are here today. Today, your goal is not to deliver a message, but to get a result. Today, it's not what you want to say that matters, it's what the audience needs to hear. Today, to be sure your presentations succeed, consider three key qualities --a concise takeaway message, plus audience focus and audience involvement.

Includes tools for instant assessment of audience, tips for stimulating openers that grab your audience, strategies for turning your listeners into participants, hints for making visuals help rather than compete. Total: 14 key challenges for todays presenters -- with solutions. Be sure you have it all!

Average customer rating:
America's Fastest Growing Jobs: Detailed Information on the 141 Fastest Growing Jobs in Our Economy
J. Michael Farr
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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

Best Jobs for the 21st Century

300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree (Best Jobs)

50 Best Jobs for Your Personality

100 Best Careers for the 21st Century

College Majors Handbook with Real Career Paths and Payoffs: The Actual Jobs, Earnings, and Trends for Graduates of 60 College Majors (College Majors Handbook With Real Career Paths and Payoffs)

ASIN: 0613527402

Book Description

Identify and explore the careers in high demand, plus get proven job search advice—all in one resource! This fully updated book by America's premier career and job search author covers jobs with the most growth and the most openings through 2012. The new edition features thorough, current, and interesting descriptions for over 100 major jobs in convenient alphabetical order—including careers at every education and training level and in a wide range of industries. Plus, a special book-within-a-book section describes the seven steps that cut job search time in half. It includes resumes by professional resume writers for the fastest growing jobs. In one time-saving volume, job seekers and students find everything they need to research specific careers; learn about pay, outlook, education, and skills needed for rapidly growing jobs; and take seven steps to land a good job in less time.

Average customer rating:
Why Am I Always Broke?: How to Be Sane About Money
Albert Ellis
Manufacturer: Lyle Stuart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Public Finance | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Personal Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Guide to Rational Living

Guide to Personal Happiness

How To Keep People From Pushing Your Buttons

How to Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable about Anything: Yes Anything!

Case Against Religion: A Psychotherapists View and the Case Against Religiosity

ASIN: 0818405473

Book Description

Global markets, Japanese competition, the service economy, the sophisticated consumer--American business today faces challenges undreamed of just a few decades ago, and traditional approaches to corporate problems are becoming increasingly less effective. And yet, as the authors of The Unbounded Mind point out, MBA programs still preach--and thousands of American firms hold sacred--an antiquated system of business thinking that is wholly inadequate to the problems they face. In this groundbreaking work, two pioneering thinkers in business studies, Ian I. Mitroff and Harold A. Linstone, pinpoint the profound changes that must occur in the way business executives think, make decisions, and solve problems, if America is to remain competitive. They put forth a radically new approach--"new thinking"--and show executives exactly how to employ these special critical and creative tools to clear the hurdles businesses now face. Logic and rationality, they explain, are useful but limited. And traditional simplification often inhibits the ability to ask the right questions and recognize the true problem. But varying perspectives, multiple realities, and openness to multiple solutions are the secrets of contemporary problem-solving, and lead us to the cutting edge of innovation. Clearly and compellingly, Mitroff and Linstone weave together insights gleaned from philosophy, psychology, management science, economics, and decision science, and quote thinkers from Descartes to Robert Bly, from Alvin Toffler to Chief Seattle. In illustrating how "new thinking" differs from the usual ways in which American firms have handled problems, they analyze a wealth of examples including the decline of the American auto industry and the consequences of this country's blind exporting of technology. They also revisit and interpret some of the most grave crises corporate America has faced: the Bhopal disaster, the Tylenol scare, and the accident at Three Mile Island. Hard-hitting and insightful, The Unbounded Mind is a clarion call for American business. It argues that if we are to produce products and services that can compete in the information age, we must challenge the very foundations of our thinking, and learn how to approach decisionmaking in a truly creative way.

Customer Reviews:

A memorable schema for how people approach decisions.......2001-07-30

I enjoyed reading this a year ago, and recently bought a copy as a gift. I remembered it as a "light" read, but it's really fairly long. The authors give you a memorable perspective on how there are completely different ways of viewing decisions - appeal to consensus; appeal to facts; appeal to authority, etc. You may take that for grant, but the book really brings this perspective alive and points out that modern-world decision making requires more complex approaches that ever before.

Wicked problems are difficult to structure.......2001-07-27

This book examines the difficult task of formulating the structure of particularly complex, or wicked, problems. Wicked problems often do not have "right" or "wrong" solutions, and progress on one aspect of such a problem often leads to new problems on another aspect. By defining the multiple perspectives of stakeholders in these problem "messes", Mitroff and Linstone illustrate how one can begin to approach "solving" them in a reasonable fashion.

Understanding the limitations on our thought processes.......2000-07-22

While this is not a book to be read for entertainment, it will certainly surprise and excite those who wish to better understand our every day decision making processes. I highly recommend it for those who need to think quickly and efficiently in business, or even for anyone who just wants to better understand their own decision making patterns for better or for worse. You'll need at least a couple of weeks to get through this one, and I would recommend reading it with a friend so you can discuss each chapter as you progress throuh the book.

THE UNBOUNDED MIND Breaking the Chains of Traditional Business Thinking

Average customer rating:

THE UNBOUNDED MIND Breaking the Chains of Traditional Business Thinking
Ian I. ; Linstone, Harold A. Mitroff
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKKQVO

Book Description

Since it was first published more than twenty-five years ago, Asking Questions has become a classic guide for designing questionnaires?the most widely used method for collecting information about peoples attitudes and behavior. An essential tool for market researchers advertisers, pollsters, and social scientists, this thoroughly updated and definitive work combines time-proven techniques with the most current research, findings, and methods. The book presents a cognitive approach to questionnaire design and includes timely information on the Internet and electronic resources. Comprehensive and concise, Asking Questions can be used to design questionnaires for any subject area, whether administered by telephone, online, mail, in groups, or face-to-face. The book describes the design process from start to finish and is filled with illustrative examples from actual surveys.

Customer Reviews:

Great perspective on questionnaire fundamentals.......2006-11-15

This edition offers insight about the building blocks of questionnaire development, and more importantly, getting to the right answers. A good focus on the fundamentals and a valuable resource.

The definitive questionnaire design book.......2006-08-16

This book is a tremendous resource for any social science research methodology course. It should be used as a stand-alone text for a questionnaire design course or as core reading material for a general research methodology class (undergraduate or graduate). As a social scientist, I have used it to successfully create web-based questionnaires that have received great response rates, which I believe are a direct result of the depth and breadth of the knowledge conveyed in the book. In addition, the text itself is easy to understand, interesting, and intellectually stimulating (qualities that are lacking in many other questionnaire design books).

Dry and Outdated.......2006-03-02

I found this book to be a bit dry and behind the times, especially in terms of using the Web for surveys. There's also not much about polling. Unfortunately, that was my main reason for buying it. It is one of the few books out there about surveys and polls and there is some helpful information, but I will have to look elsewhere for my needs.

Amazon.com

"Asia can be a crazy place" and conducting business in this region often means "grappling with cronies, corruption and conglomerates" according to author Michael Backman. In his book Asian Eclipse, he takes us over the proverbial Chinese wall to reveal the bribery and corruption rife in the Eastern corporate world.

Delving into what constitutes "Asianness," he exposes a highly complex corporate landscape--one where Confucian thinking pervades all aspects of business culture; bankruptcy is considered an affront to one's ancestors; the media are threatened with closure for reporting on "sensitive" issues; patriarchal management and nepotism are the norm, often ending in costly family disputes; and auditing and corporate governance are new concepts! With a thorough analysis of the different Asian markets, he lays bare the structurally inherent flaws that led to widespread economic crises from 1997 to 1998. In his view, "the real Asian 'miracle' is that the economic collapse didn't happen earlier".

Packed with detail, this book should be the bible for anyone considering doing business in Asia, but is also accessible to the lay reader. The chapters end with excellent case-studies that provide rare and fascinating insights into some of the more shady corporate practices in the region, including President Soeharto's ventures, and also the contributors to Clinton's 1996 campaign funds. Backman recounts many incidents from firsthand experience, reflecting the wealth of knowledge he has accumulated from his extensive time in Asia. --Neelam Dongha

Book Description

"Backman really understands why business evolved the way it did in Asia."--Economist
"Backman's brisk analysis . . . should be required reading. The real strength of Asian Eclipse is its accessibility to nonspecialists through its startling insights into the business interests, machinations, and relationships."--Independent (London)
"The research and reporting is impressive and up-to-date . . . it's a pleasure to read, rich in anecdotes and never boring or academic."--Far Eastern Economic Review
Named one of the finest general nonfiction books of 1999 by the Economist, Asian Eclipse was the first book to comprehensively assess the corporate and business practices in Asia. This revised and updated edition features a new chapter on the Internet and e-commerce in Asia and updates on current markets and events.
Michael Backman (Australia) is a leading researcher specializing in Asian corporate practice and a regular contributor to numerous leading newspapers and magazines.

Customer Reviews:

Resonates Well With My Own Exerience in Asia.......2003-10-04

Unlike most readers of this text, I am very familiar with nearly all of the information presented here, as many of these stories have occurred in the same time frame as my professional and personal experience living and working in the Pacific Rim. As such, the content of this book is not new to me, or for that matter, anyone in Asian business circles, as all of the stories have appeared in one or more of the regional newspapers at some point in time. However, in the author's defense, those observing the region from the outside would have to read well over 100 sources, many of them in foreign languages, on a daily basis to get the information that is presented in this juicy, scandalous book.

Asian Eclipse presents the reader case after case detailing the more objectionable aspects of business in Asia. After reading many of the cases (presented by chapters devoted to each country in the Asian region), it becomes extremely difficult to distinguish any real differences, and I personally could not say if the individuals in question were Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian- the behavior in the end was virtually the same. Only the company name and the locality where the less-than-above-board behavior took place differed.

The book actually pays for itself in the first three chapters, for here is where the reader will learn the commonalities across the region. It is also the place in the book where Backman chooses to delineate, albeit very briefly, the underlying reasons for the under-handed and unsavory business practices that unfortunately typify, but as we are increasingly seeing with the spectacular financial skullduggery of US and European corporations, are not wholly limited to the Asian corporate landscape.

The author tells the would-be investor in Asia what it means to be a stakeholder in publicly listed and privately held companies in the region. Backman deftly delineates all of the obstacles one will face when doing business or directing investments toward Asia. Should you decide to invest in Asia be forewarned: Comprehensive due dilligence is paramount. Too many Western businesspeople who venture unaware into the region have found themselves holding the bag for the embarrassing things their so-called Asian partners have done before, during and after the partnership.

One very important point from the book is this: In Asia, those who enforce the rules are also the same people who make the rules...and break them with impunity (Modern Feudalism writ large). Thus, any attempt to enforce the laws written on the legal books protecting minority corporate stakeholders (and foreigners are definitely relegated to minority positions) or to uphold terms and conditions as stated in written contracts, would only result in one and only one outcome- nothing. In other words, any rights and protections that you take for granted in the Western hemisphere simply do not exist in Asia.

In sum, the book serves as a stern warning about commonplace business practices in Asia. It also serves as a good bit of contemporary regional financial history. Finally, I do not believe that any of the players learned the appropriate lessons from the various Financial Meltdowns, large and small and/or country-specific or regional. As is often the unfortunate case, the movers and shakers in this region of the world learned all the wrong lessons. Rather than opening up, reforming, and tackling their problems in a sincere and concerted fashion, they have chosen to insulate themselves, beseech their governments to bail them out, and spend precious time and resources shifting the blame- almost always to foreigners.

It's not Asia bashing, its great storytelling!.......2001-08-30

Backman's Asian Eclipse is the kind of expose that newspaper editors in Asia can only dream about. Not only does it provide a framework for understanding Asian business culture, it reveals in excruciating detail of the shenanigans in Corporate Asia?s largest boardrooms.

As the latest attempt to offer reasons for the Asian Crisis of 1997, it goes further than most treatments by delving into the institutional, political and social causes that underlie the culture of corruption, cronyism and managerial incompetence in Asia's former 'tiger' economies. The surfeit of detail is also the book's greatest weakness as it sometimes reads like a genealogy. However, this weakness it is trivial compared to the rich descriptions of the family-based power structures that govern much of East Asia.

The central thesis of Backman's book is that poorly paid civil servants, opaque bureaucracies, antiquated government systems and a compromised media act to subvert capital markets so they act like free ATM machines to feed the empire building lusts of Asian conglomerates at the expense of minority shareholders, and local tax payers. To back up this claim, the author offers a grand tour of the history and development of business culture in Asia. In the process, he also reveals the complicity of the multinationals and their mad race toward the lowest ethical standards to buy the cooperation of local politicians, thus feeding the nascent culture of corruption.

Backman is not as sanguine about the 'Asian Way', as many writers on the region seemed to be. He traces the origins of Asian business culture to the Confucian system of responsibilities and obligations between superior and subordinate. In this system, he argues, are clearly established lines of authority and responsibility that engender trust. In an economic context where contract law is undeveloped and institutions are unstable, a reliance on Confucian ethics provided the only reliable form of governance. What this system cannot do, having been created in an era of village feudalism and not global business, is to set out a similar code of rights and responsibilities between insiders (the family) and outsiders (non-family stakeholders). Outsiders are treated with suspicion, deception, and guile. Extreme forms of opportunism, driven by Sun Tzu's Art of War tactics, are routinely encountered by minority shareholders, foreign business partners, taxpayers and other 'outsider' stakeholders. The Art of War is a treatise designed to win wars with mortal enemies and thus emphasizes the use of deception, subterfuge, and unscrupulous tactics. Little wonder that foreigners find doing in business in Asia such a legal and ethical minefield.

Thus, the Asian crisis of 1997 was not the result of a series of random events but the logical outcome of a corrupted system with minority shareholders, foreign companies, bank depositors, and taxpayers as its unwitting victims. The main players in this game are corrupt government officials at the highest levels, high-ranking military officers, and the Overseas Chinese families who provide the business networks through which expropriated public funds are sterilized.

While readers of the book should critically consider the author's conspiracy theory of the activities of the Overseas Chinese, there is no question that it offers some of the best treatments of business in Asia and of the 1997 crisis than any book that has been written on the topic. In addition to the fact that it is easy to read and highly entertaining, it's carefully researched and well-documented treatment allows the reader to go beyond the standard stereotypes of Asian business heretofore promulgated by a business press enamoured with the illusory growth of the 1980s. In short, the reader should conclude, as I did, that the Crash of 1997 was self-inflicted, and not the work of currency speculators, neo-colonialists, or the 'evil' IMF!

The book concludes with a startling analysis. Contrary to the more optimistic, the author depressingly suggests that countries have not learnt from the lessons of the Crash of 1997. He cites the continuing inability of the Indonesian government to enforce laws designed to hold businesses accountable for their problems, the continuing delay in enforcing bankruptcy laws in Thailand, the Renong (business arm of the ruling political party) bailout in Malaysia, and the pulling back from serious corporate reform by South Korea's chaebols, as evidence that the region is poised to repeat the same errors in the future by rebuilding 'along the same fault lines' (page 379).

While he doesn't suggest that foreign investors disengage from the region, he does offer some suggestions to reduce the inherent risks. Investors should pay attention to building relationships before engaging in business negotiations. Part of relationship building should be devoted to knowing one's local partner as transparency and disclosure are unfamiliar concepts to many Asian businesses. Investors should regularly conduct due diligence and independent audit exercises to verify partner claims. That cronyism costs more in the long term than it yields in the short term, as demonstrated in Indonesia, strongly suggests that foreign investors stay away from all temptations to play the political connection angle. Finally they should be wary of approaching local banks for financing since these banks may often be affiliated with local competitors.

Interesting and informative.......2001-03-27

Backman clearly has extensive knowledge of the complex Asian business structures that encompass families, holding companies, cross holdings and often governments. Furthermore, he presents his detailed knowledge in an readable format that is relatively easy to follow. He gives excellent insight into the workings of Asian businesses, their unwillingness to disclose information and the dangers associated with hidden transactions, creative accounting and inefficient (family) management. The research Backman has gathered in this book is priceless and thorough.

Though I would never claim to be an expert on Asia myself, having lived more than 10 years in the region, I found that I was often grinning to myself in agreement with Backman's observations. Backman further managed to fill in many blanks I have in my Asian business knowledge, having grown up to realise only the social aspects of the various cultures here.

This book is an excellent read and a good reference guide for non-Asians doing business in Asia. I also suspect it's useful for Asians doing business outside their own countries, since often these sort of cross-border, cross-cultural relationships can be tricky in the region.

Tough appraisal of 'Asian miracle'.......2000-06-15

This is a solid book and an entertaining read. The author is not particularly profound in his analysis, but at least he is not just another neo-liberal ideologue. He understands that business is embedded in wider society, and that this fact fundamentally influences the business culture. I especially liked the portraits of major players, and the other telling details. Overall, not really deep, but an interesting coverage of Asia's economic woes.

A Dangerous Book For Unsuspecting Minds.......2000-03-18

There is no doubt that this book was very well researched. The stories are very detailed and cover the most important companies in the Asian region. However, precisely because it was well researched, it is a dangerous book for unsuspecting minds.

The author may have stayed in Asia for a long time. He may also have written articles and books about the region. But like most western authors, he had falsely believe that such qualifications make him an expert on Asia. He clearly misunderstood Asia on many counts.

For example, he mentions that the Confucius believes in ancestor worship. That is incorrect. In the Analects, it was recorded that Confucius when asked about the afterlife would rather his disciples concentrate on matter of the living. He did not comment on anything related to ancestor worshipping at all.

It would have been inconsequential for the author to have such beliefs and the book would still have been great if the author had stuck to reporting the events surrounding Asian companies. However, he chose to inject his flawed beliefs into the book by explaining in flawed reasoning why the failures of Asian companies occurred.

Unsuspecting readers or readers who do not understand Asians well thus tend to fall for his flawed logic as factual events lends credence to his reasonings. The author should have stuck to being a journalist and not venture into being a socialogist.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Asian large business and the economic collapse of Asian countries in 1997-1998. It is a comprehensive book on the subject. However, when the author starts telling you why certain things happen or how asians think, skip those parts. Specifically, skip chapter 1 and the last chapter.

Book Description

This yearbook contains basic information on export-import, investment and business opportunities in the respected country. Provides information on government structure, economy, business climate, regulations, and more... Includes basic statistics, information on the most important business contacts and business travel. Updated annually.

Turkey Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)

Average customer rating:

Turkey Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: 0739713728

Book Description

This yearbook contains information on investment business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books