Learning in Chaos: Improving Human Performance in Today's Fast-Changing, Volatile Organizations (Improving Human Performance Series)

Book Description

This book explains how change is a functional characteristic of any organization. And, as organizations begin to understand the nature of change, they can still adapt and grow by incorporating change into their structure instead of trying to control it. To help you understand and grow in this ever-changing environment, this book covers four principal areas of thought on change.

Chaos, including chaos theory
Organizational theory and practice
Learning theory and practice
The general social environment
Executives, managers, and other organizational leaders will find this book invaluable as they refocus the direction of their organizations in order to realize the benefits of learning under changed environmental circumstances.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully crafted book on a difficult topic.......2000-06-15

This book grounds theoretical notions of chaos and complexity into the realities of learning and organisational performance. And does so with exceptional clarity. The author leads you through the concepts and applications of technical and classical chaos theory in a pragmatic way. I found the descriptions of the various models of learning (such as social, cognitive, behavioural etc, although concise, very informative. The topics of 'Chaos' and 'Learning' are brought together with practical examples and suggestions on how to lever new thinking to produce improved organisational performance. An excellent book that is full of content and helpfully chunks this into manageable sections and chapters. The chapter references are commendable.

Book Description

This popular handbook presents a step-by-step method for clearly explaining a product, system, or procedure. The easy-to-follow text--packed with examples and illustrations--explains the unique demands of this form of writing and shows how to set up the best user model. The book covers developing a modular outline and storyboard, generating the draft, revising, developing a formal usability test, and supporting and updating user documentation. Also included are a glossary of terms, a listing of books and periodicals for additional information, and an index.

Customer Reviews:

Solid, Spartan Book.......2006-11-18

Not a lot of waste involved with this book. The reviews here are right on. This book shows how to do tech writing by example. It also gives reliable guidelines for doumentation planning. If you are a starting tech writer reading this book is what you need to do solid instructions writing. it does not really cover documentation technologies, but after reading this book you should be able to choose technologies that enable the type of doc writing and concepts in this book.

A system for saving your sanity.......2001-01-03

This book is all about applying engineering principles to document production. Basically, you start with questions like: "Who is this documentation for?" and "What is the document's purpose?". You then plan your document as a series of modules. By creating a title, abstract and outline for each module, you have a basis to discuss, test, plan and assign sections of the document. I've seen a few technical books follow the layout guidelines presented in this book, and the results are usable and readable. The procedures will take your team some getting used to -- but the results are worth it. My documentation projects that were overwhelming became manageable.

Planning steps key to good documents.......2000-08-22

Weiss covers all the basics: not just how to write, but how to plan documentation so that it benefits the user, the technical contributor and the person responsible for getting the documentation to users. The ideas are practical, sensible and well formed. Examples and exhibits (graphics) provide real-life models. The writing is clear, concise and a prime example of the author's premise. The typography and layout do the same. This is just what my boss (an engineer) and I (a tech writer) have been looking for: ways to upgrade our documentation process and our documents. The structure suits us wonderfully and is easier to apply than I thought possible.

Mandatory reading.......1999-02-18

This book clearly and succinctly lays out the objectives and the methods of technical writing. After 15 years in the business I still haven't seen another book that comes even close to this one.

Excellent book!.......1997-07-16

Excellent book! I used the book for a technical communications course. I initially had reservations about the book but I became a 'convert' after reading it and following the author's approach. The author recommends a modular approach to creating user documents. His book contains specific information on how to analyze the audience, create a storyboard, and present the material, etc

Book Description

This book was never meant to be. Author Gordon Woolf started writing a few notes to accompany letters he received asking for advice on publishing, and it became a book, Not only that but it sold, in increasing numbers, embarrassing numbers considering it was produced by the methods it promoted, which were mainly suited to just a few dozen copies at a time. Libraries also started buying it, and it was soon being reprinted by the hundred.

But progress in short-run printing made it increasingly out of date, so now we have a new edition, printed using readily available short-run methods which suit print runs of a few hundred. This is an example of what an individual can produce using readily available systems. The individual cost per copy is slightly higher than traditional publishing but it is no longer necessary to have thousands of dollars tied up in unsold copies for long periods. Print what you expect to sell, then print more. As the author suggests: No one was ever made bankrupt by printing too few copies.

As with all Worsley Press books, there is a continuing email advice service to all readers.

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-06-10

I wrote a book, and with the help of this book, I completely published, printed, and marketed on my own! It's on Amazon right now. "Stop the Wrong Man from Ruining Your Life!" I was able to publish my book, copyright, and list with the Library of Congress, all with the help of this book and accomplished this in 2 months! Thank you Gordon Woolf!

Average customer rating:
The First Five Minutes: The Successful Opening Moves in Business, Sales & Interviews
Norman King
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Running Meetings & Presentations | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

ASIN: 0671654462

Average customer rating:
The First Five Minutes, The Successful Opening Moves in Business, Sales & Interviews
Norman King
Manufacturer: New York: Prentice Hall Press, 1987
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O3MH18

Average customer rating:
First Five Minutes: The Successful Opening Moves in Business Sales and Interviews (Positive Paperbacks)
Norman King
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster (Trade Division)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Advertising | Consumer Behavior | Customer Service | Marketing | Public Relations | Sales & Selling
ASIN: 0671697048

Average customer rating:
The First Five Minutes: The Successful Opening Moves in Business, Sales& Interviews
Norman King
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OIMTAM

Average customer rating:

You've got to be kidding!

those who can't, teach

laughable

Timely and Terrific!

Comprehensive and Comprehensible

Internet Jobs for the Rest of Us
Deborah Gallant , and Cindy Grogan
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Job Hunting | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0425178315
Release Date: 2001-03-06

Book Description

The rise of the Internet is the most exciting development since the Industrial Revolution. But most of us think the only people getting the great jobs and cashing in on the new economy are techies. Wrong! The digital world is desperate for people with traditional skills-advertising, retail, finance and more-even those without web experience. How do you shift your current career into the Internet space? How do you figure out which Internet company is right for you? This is the first guide that shows non-technical types, step-by-step, exactly how to do it.

Internet Jobs for the Rest of Us reveals everything you need to know to get in the Internet game: how to make your resume more web-friendly, the lingo, the basic skills you need (and the ones you shouldn't worry about), what to expect at the interview, how to negotiate your package and how to be a star once you get the job. You don't need to be a computer expert-just have a spirit of adventure. The rewards of Internet business aren't just for geeks...they're for the rest of us, too!

Includes Internet careers in

• Media, advertising and product sales
• Business development
• Advertising and marketing
• Finance and operations
• Writing, editing and designing
• Retail and B2B commerce
• Public relations
• Law
• Community organizers
• The Not Com option
• and much more.

Customer Reviews:

You've got to be kidding!.......2002-10-07

Talk about someone with absolutely no clue. There is so much bull in this book that you'd be better served using this in your garden as fertilizer.

those who can't, teach.......2002-09-24

and those who can't teach, write books about the internet.

you'd be better served with release 2.1 by esther dyson or check out some theodore geisel. at least the nonsense in his books isn't masquerading as business advice.

laughable.......2002-08-23

Well, first off, this book might have been useful if you knew absolutely NOTHING about the Internet a few years back, but in today's environment it strikes me as just plain clueless. It is more or less designed to teach people how to fake their way through an interview and fool people into thinking that they actually have some idea of what they're talking about. Of course any interviewer worth their salt will be able to see right through some idiot trying to use buzzwords to look smart. I get no sense that the authors have actually ever had any success in any industry involving the Internet. I'd be amazed if they actually were able to parlay these "skills" into a real Internet related job and even more shocked if they were able to hold those jobs for more than a month. Hopefully they've been weeded out during the recent economic downturn and will have a chance to see just how useless their ideas are in an economy that isn't hiring anyone with a pulse

Timely and Terrific!.......2001-03-22

Gallant and Grogan have put together a wonderful guide with all the ins and outs of e-business. All the information you'll need is here in easy to understand text (no techie-psychobabble here!) with delicious humor and wit. America needed a book like this 5 years ago. Better late than never! Great!

Comprehensive and Comprehensible.......2001-03-17

An excellent analysis of the Internet industry, job market, and figuring out what is right for you. Takes out a lot of the mystique and tells you what really to expect if you ever land the job that you think from the outside is a dream. Also good to determine whether your skills make you conducive to working in the industry and various positions in the industry. It's a really big book filled with quality and a real steal...

Book Description

This spiritual guide to wealth creation and successful investing equips the reader with the tools necessary to be a savvy, godly investor. Learn the essential principles of investing, the way to distinguish between various classes of investments, and how to develop a sound investment strategy. Thomas, a seasoned investment professional and licensed minister, dynamically teaches you the art of "planting".

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2004-06-24

Excellent book. You must read Part 1 and 2. This book will provide you with so much wisdom about improving your finances.

I highly recommend this book!!! GREAT JOB!.......2003-07-10

If you've seen my review of the other part of this series - "Stop Digging!" you know that I have nothing but accolades for this approach. Please, please, please take the time to acquire these treasures of knowledge - they are a good compliment to your life journey.

Book Description

In this book, economist Richard Vedder examines the causes of the college tuition crisis and explores ways to reverse this alarming trend.

Customer Reviews:

Going to Mortgage Your Home to Pay for the Kid's College?.......2006-11-23

I found this book to be groundbreaking. I have not found other books that directly address the subject matter as this book does. It would be a plus if you have an understanding of Economics, but it is not completely necessary. I applaud Richard Vedder for shining light on this subject. I only hope he continues to further explore the subject of rising tuition and declining productivity in higher education. I would like to see proposed solutions too. Well done.

Good Material, Too Technical.......2005-12-27

The market for college tuition suffers from the same problems as that for healthcare - the large impact of third-party payors (eg. government, scholarship discounts makes consumers far more indifferent regarding costs than they otherwise would be. Vedder also should have mentioned that comparing quality has also been difficult in both markets, and that suppliers are rewarded for their errors ("rework" in healthcare, increasing time to graduation due to lack of course availability). Other problems include admitting those unqualified, and high drop-out rates.

One problem with the book is that Vedder concentrates too much on tuition costs. Tuition hikes are a result of both increased costs and shifting funding sources - since the latter is extraneous to any issues of spending, it simply confuses the issue. Vedder's efforts would be more useful if he had instead focused on trends in inflation-adjusted costs/fte.

"Research" is often cited as the reason for increased college tuition - however, Vedder points out that much of it is trivial, and those undertaking it generally receive grants to offset the costs. Regardless, at some point, for example, the additional studies of eg. King Lear garner vanishingly small returns.

Vedder's alternatives to publicly funded (high-costs universities) include private institutions (Vedder cites the University of Phoenix (UofP)- however, subsequent reports have found that the UofP has very high dropout rates and questionable marketing practices), community colleges, company-administered examinations (eg. demonstrations of Oracle or Microsoft expertise), and providing aid to students instead of schools (would hopefully better reward institutions providing better attention to student needs - eg. course offerings, and could encourage graduation by forgiving a portion for those graduating).

It is difficult to make a case that the increased education spending has brought improved college instruction - Graduate Record Exam (GRE) results have declined slightly over the years, the proportion of classes taught by adjunct faculty and teaching assistants has increased, the school year has decreased (Vedder, however, did not indicate how much it has decreased), and the percent of students taking five or more years to graduate has increased.

Trends in spending allocation: Instruction: 39% in '76-'77 - 34% in '99-'00. Research: 18.4%, 22.4%. Total staff/100fte: 18.5% to 20.8%. Faculty/100fte: 7 to 7.6.

Faculty as a PerCent of Staff: 48% in 2 yr. institutions, vs. 28% in 4 yr. ('99-'00)

Teaching loads have declined from about 9 hours/semester at major research universities, 12 at medium-quality state/private, and 15 at somewhat lesser known. This is a MAJOR cost issue, however, and Vedder does not treat it in sufficient detail or with clarity.

Summarizing, "Going Broke by Degree" is an important start, but only a start. The problem is worse than Vedder portrays, and his conclusions do not stress enough the issue of declining productivity. Too much of the book is filled with arcane economic theory that clarifies little. Further, he does not address important side issues - the vast amounts wasted on students admitted without proper preparation or who quickly drop out, and those who graduate but then take jobs that do not require a college degree.

A good book, but heavy on statistics........2005-04-30

Richard Vedder's collection and analysis of information regarding college costs and quality is an excellent exercise of statistical work. If, however, you're not familiar with stats, or just don't like them, you may want to find another book on the subject.

To simply forward Vedder's conclusion, the rising cost and dropping quality of college education is due to, ironically, alumnus donations and government subsidies, and lack of market stimuli (although higher education is protected from these for the sake of improving quality).

Although the use of tables, graphs, and other statistics is very pronounced- sometimes too easy to get lost in- there are occasions when there just isn't the specific number that would tie everything together. There is a point where Vedder is attempting to describe a regression line, and mistakenly describes a kind of logarithmic function, by using a percentage of a variable instead of a percentage of a constant (the constant, even if you notice it's missing there, doesn't appear to be anywhere else). It also seemed to illustrate a very important point, and it's regretable that the point is so hard to grasp.

This example is the worst I could find in the book. Such as it is, Vedder's book is good if you're interested or patient enough regarding the number-crunching; most of it is coherent and makes sense easily enough. His theories rest solidly on the evidence, and his perspective will resonate with those of you who believe the government is too wasteful and/or corrupt to be handling the schooling of the young.

Probably, the best use for this book will be as a source of numbers in debates concerning higher education, as Vedder goes to considerable length to crunch them for the reader.

Bringing accountability to higher education.......2004-07-20

Dr. Vedder's book and insights reaffirm the issue facing both our system of higher education and our state and local governments - how to pay for the growth of our post secondary education system and prepare students to become productive and qualified workers.

With less than 20% of college costs being covered by tutition, on average, in the U.S. and graduation rates at 4 year colleges (over a 6 year period) in the 50% range and at 2 year colleges (over a 3 year period) below 30%, it is hard to see how the public can continue to subsidize a system that fails to acknowledge its obligation to educate students, not build organizations and infrastructures that are uneconomic.

Unfortunately these issues were clearly oulined in 1998 in "Straight Talk About College Costs And Prices", Report Of The National Commission On the Cost Of Higher Education, January 21, 1998.

Where the Commission said:

"This Commission, therefore, finds itself in the discomfiting position of acknowledging that the nation's academic institutions, justly renowned for their ability to analyze practically every other major economic activity in the United States, have not devoted similar analytic attention to their own internal financial structures. Blessed, until recently, with sufficient resources that allowed questions about costs or internal cross-subsidies to be avoided, academic institutions now find themselves confronting hard questions about whether their spending patterns match their priorities and about how to communicate the choices they have made to the public"

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Cato Journal, published by Cato Institute on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1106 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: Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much.(Book Review)
Author: Neal McCluskey
Publication: The Cato Journal (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Cato Institute
Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Page: 170(3)

Article Type: Book Review

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