Usonia, New York: Building a Community with Frank Lloyd Wright

Book Description

Usonia, New York is the story of a group of idealistic men and women who, following WWII, enlisted Frank Lloyd Wright to design and help them build a cooperative utopian community near Pleasantville, NY. Through both historic memorabilia and contemporary color photos, this book reveals the still-thriving community based on concepts Wright advocated in his Broadacre City proposals. Over the years, thousands of architects, scholars, planners, and students have visited the community, but no book has yet appeared on this remarkable site. Reisley, one of the original members of Usonia (and still a resident), has written the first full account to illuminate the events, problems, and passions of a democratic group of people developing a designed environment an hour from New York City and the ups and downs of working with America's most famous -and most famously volatile-architect.

Customer Reviews:

An Extraordinary Community.......2007-09-20

This is an excellent book: Well-written and thoroughly illustrated, it literally answered all my questions about this astonishing community in suburban NYC. Although I've walked through the community I now feel the need to return as a more informed observer!

Book Description

Every garden has a unique character, with hidden treasures just waiting to be captured. Start painting, guided by these tips for buying and preparing oils; innumerable sample pictures with a detailed breakdown of how they were done; and hints on creating marvelous oils from mundane subjects. There’s advice on using photographs and making the most of available light, plus pointers on improving technique and developing a personal style.

Customer Reviews:

A Universal Treasure!.......1999-08-29

Let me say that being able to hold this treasure in my hands and to feel the souls of both the artist and those within, provides an experience I never thought I would have. This book is a road map to the soul of all of us and it is my wish for everyone who is fortunate enough to see it that the door to the inner self that shines from Bergman's work is opened to them. It is a rich feeling indeed to be able to open the book at any point and see the face and love of God. Bergman is blessed with a vision that has brought this to Everyman. A KIND OF RAPTURE is a great and universal gift.

Windows to the soul.......1999-08-29

These are images that go beyond being visually powerful, they also have a profound spiritual, emotional and intellectual meaning. Toni Morrison's provocative meditation, "The Fisherwoman", is an integral part of this great work of art and provides a perfect entree into a gallery of sacred beauty.

A work unlike any other.......1998-11-24

This superb book is nearly uncategorizable. The portraits contained in this volume, described as "color pictures of everyday people" taken with "a simple 35-mm camera, amateur film, no tripod, and no special lighting" are unlike any other photographs ever published. On a technical level, Robert Bergman's work equals the best of any of photographer now working (including any of a number of celebrity lensmen) while his painterly use of color, texture, and composition is unrivaled. This in itself would be enough for most photographers: in sensual terms there's much to startle and delight the eye. But for Bergman, the revelation of the inner life of the subject reigns supreme, and his masterly technique is entirely in the service of his manifest sympathy for each person whom he presents to us. It's here that these images depart so markedly from what we are used to seeing in a photograph of a person--each individual is revealed with the most penetrating gaze, but with such tenderness of spirit as to leave his or her human dignity unsullied. It's not photography, it's art. As Toni Morrison concludes in her Introduction, "Occasionally there arises an event or moment that one knows immediately will forever mark a place in the history of artistic endeavor. Robert Bergman's portraits represent such a moment, such an event."

Among the most breathtaking color portraits you will see........1998-11-22

I am much more of a devotee of black and white images than color - especially portrait photography. But, this incredible display of artistry sweeps me off my feet! The artistic depth and personal sensitivity displayed through this work makes me want to know more and see more from the master photographer who created it. You won't be disappointed with this purchase!

Incredibly beautiful photography that must be seen!.......1998-11-13

I don't encounter color photography very often that literally knocks me off my feet. But,this is a notable exception. The portraits in this book are glorious - a tribute to the profound sensitivity of the photographer who took them. This book is a must for any serious collection.

Here's Bobby's World: How a TV Cartoon is Made (Little Celebration)
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Here's Bobby's World: How a TV Cartoon is Made (Little Celebration)
Judith Ross Enderle
Manufacturer: Celebration Press (NJ)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 067375751X

Book Description

H. G. Wells continues to be widely read as a novelist, short story writer, and as the father of science fiction. Because he was deeply involved with the literary, social, and political issues of his time, a chronology of his life is in a sense a history of ideas in the 20th century. J. R. Hammond offers a definitive chronology of Wells that provides a fascinating insight into the background, life, and times of a major literary figure.

Shadow Lovers: The Last Affairs of H. G. Wells

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A slipshod effort

Shadow Lovers: The Last Affairs of H. G. Wells
Andrea Lynn
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0813333946

Book Description

Nearing age seventy, and in what would be the last decade of his life, H. G. Wells fell in love at least three times-first with the much younger Baroness Moura Budberg, and soon thereafter with two well-born Americans, Constance Coolidge and Martha Gellhorn, twenty-five and forty years his junior, respectively. These would constitute what Wells himself described as his "last flounderings towards the wife idea." The affairs also would demonstrate that Wells was driven less by his considerable intelligence than by his libido, and his obsession to find his ideal lover--what he called his "lover-shadow."

In Shadow Lovers, Andrea Lynn has created a fascinating study of the very personal side of one of the 20th century's greatest thinkers. This self-proclaimed "Don Juan of the Intelligentsia" was said to have "radiated" energy--intellectual, emotional, physical, and sexual, and his assorted charms made him fabulously successful with women. Drawing on papers recently made public by the Wells estate, Lynn traces Wells's relationship with each of these three femmes fatales and sheds light on the many secrets of all of their lives. Along the way she paints a vivid portrait of the early part of the last century in London, Moscow, Paris, Peking, and the United States.

Customer Reviews:

A slipshod effort.......2005-05-15

The poor quality of this book is indicated by the author's statement that I did not attempt to contact Martha Gellhorn during my research for a biography of her Even a cursory reading of the first edition of Nothing Ever Happens to the Brave: The Story of Martha Gellhorn shows that I did indeed contact Gellhorn, and that I received a reply. Correction: The author of this book points to an error in my comment on it. Lynn did not write that I failed to contact Gellhorn; rather she speculated that perhaps I did not ask for an interview. Readers of my Gellhorn biography (first edition) can have little doubt that I intended to interview Gellhorn. But more to the point, for a writer to speculate that perhaps I did not ask for an interview is slipshod. All she had to do was contact me to resolve any doubts she had.

H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal : A Biography

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H.G. Wells: Desperately Mortal : A Biography
David C. Smith
Manufacturer: Yale Univ Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Group Portrait: Joseph Conrad, Stephen Crane, Ford Madox Ford, Henry James, and H.G. Wells

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An interesting perspective on five literary greats

Group Portrait: Joseph Conrad, Stephen Crane, Ford Madox Ford, Henry James, and H.G. Wells
Nicholas Delbanco
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0881845841

Customer Reviews:

An interesting perspective on five literary greats.......1998-08-03

Thanks for scholars like Nicholas Delbanco who hunt down biographical details that enrich our knowledge of famous authors lives. Here is a book that offers a savory meal for the literary gourmet. Henry James liked donuts. Stephen Crane chain smoked. Conrad the English stylist spoke with a thick Polish accent. Ford Madox Ford embellished his recollections with untruths. H. G. Wells treated offers of help with cocky independence.

The author contends that for a certain interval these men associated with and admired each others literary accomplishments. "South of London in 1900, a galaxy of talent assembled that beggars in accomplishment anything the English language has since produced." He provides quotations and photographs that demonstrate social intercourse between the big five. Between the initial overview and the concluding summary, three chapters provide respectively a view of Stephen Crane on a visit to England to meet the other masters of ficti! onal prose, a study of the collaboration between Ford Madox Ford and Joseph Conrad, and an examination of one of English literature's most famous disputes - James vs. Wells.

I found the book informative and interesting and recommend it to any admirer of any of the five writers singularly or in combination. About those we admire our curiosity is insatiable. Did Shakespeare like his eggs over easy or sunny side up? We have his Hamlet, his Lear, isn't that enough? Some might say no. We have Crane's "Open Boat", Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", Ford's *Good soldier, James' *Ambassadors, Wells' *Time Machine*. Still, it's natural to inquire about the virtues, quirks, and foibles of their creators. *Group Portrait* gives us a taste of the traits that rounds out these illustrious authors.

A sad epilogue to which Mr. Delbanco refers in his lead chapter is that this literary summer was so brief. Crane died in 1900. Eventually the other associations wither! ed. By 1906 the friendship between Conrad and Ford had coo! led. *Boon* published in 1915 dissolved Wells' ties to James with its ridicule of the latter. For a while there was Camelot albeit a loose confederacy of brilliant writers. A genius needs a tough ego to sustain him for the long haul to fortune and fame. An alternate lesson from *Group portrait, perhaps one not intended, but nevertheless patent, is that collaboration must eventually give way to ego.

Experiment in Autobiography: Discoveries and Conclusions of a Very Ordinary Brain (Since 1866)
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Comedy & prose with a dose of real life

Experiment in Autobiography: Discoveries and Conclusions of a Very Ordinary Brain (Since 1866)
H. G. Wells
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (T)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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H.G. Wells in Love: Postscript to an Experiment in Autobiography

ASIN: 0316930318

Customer Reviews:

Comedy & prose with a dose of real life.......2005-05-20

I looked up this book initially to sell the copy I have, then upon seeing how many for sale there were coupled with the sales rank, I wondered what would the book be like? H.G. Wells is known to be a great storyteller, although I am not personally fond of his works. And an autobiography? I am not fond of these either; but I felt drawn to open the book.

Once there, I was sucked in, compelled to read the next paragraph, and then the next page, flowing into the next chapter. When I cought a breath of air I was through the introduction, and two more chapters in. Wells draws the reader in with his smooth use of the language, and through the ability to relate to everyone around him. Page 7 "We all compromise. We all fall short. The life story to be told of any creative worker is therefore by its very nature, by its diversions of purpose and its qualified success, by its grotesque transitions from sublimation to base necessity and its pervasive stress towards flight, a comedy."

While telling his life story, he questions and laughs at his mistakes. He includes sketches, photos, letters, & illustrations throughout to show you himself. His use of the language though is so smooth that you forget to notice when you turn the page. Beautiful in its simplicity, talking to you as if it was yesterday, H. G. Wells has managed to turn his life into an entertaining story, rather than a serious withdrawn recolection of life.

H.G. Wells at the End of His Tether: His Social and Political Adventures

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H.G. Wells at the End of His Tether: His Social and Political Adventures
Gordon D. Feir
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

H.G. Wells was one of the most prolific writers in the English language. He published over one hundred books, yet he is recognized by only two or three of his popular novels including The Time Machine and War of the Worlds. Why has such a well known and widely read author from the nineteenth century almost disappeared from the bookshelves of the twenty-first century? H.G. Wells at the End of His Tether attempts to answer this question and others by examining his work from a nineteenth century perspective.

Wells was a controversial figure. He was an avid socialist and a self-proclaimed prophet. He hated the Church and the Monarchy and spent much of his life promoting utopian ideals, world government and other radical concepts that are politically incorrect today. As he watched the First World War tear Europe asunder he wrote The War to End War and created a new label for that infamous conflict. He was a highly vocal anti-war journalist and often frustrated by how little impact he was making on the world. When the Second World War descended on Europe he became despondent as he approached the end of his political and literary tether.

The Picshuas of H. G. Wells: A Burlesque Diary

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A collection of simple, black-and-white sketches and cartoons by literary legend H.G. Wells

The Picshuas of H. G. Wells: A Burlesque Diary
Gene K. Rinkel , and Margaret Rinkel
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0252030451

Customer Reviews:

A collection of simple, black-and-white sketches and cartoons by literary legend H.G. Wells .......2006-07-03

The Picshuas Of H.G. Wells: A Burlesque Diary is a collection of simple, black-and-white sketches and cartoons by literary legend H.G. Wells (1866-1946), best known for his classics such as "War of the Worlds" and "The Time Machine". The drawings, which Wells himself called "picshuas", evoke wit, whimsy, and the glimmering of ideas; they are accompanied by extensive contextual discussion, which forms the meat of The Picshuas Of H.G. Wells. A timeline and index round out this "must-have" addition to library shelves and the bookshelves of fans of Wells' enduring literature.

H.G. Wells: Traversing Time (Early Classics of Science Fiction)

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H.G. Wells: Traversing Time (Early Classics of Science Fiction)
W. Warren Wagar
Manufacturer: Wesleyan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0819567256

Book Description

The English writer Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) is one of the giants of science fiction. His early novels, The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, invented a number of themes now classic in science fiction. But he also wrote mainstream novels, journalism, political tracts, a memoir, and purely didactic fiction designed to support his various causes. In this comprehensive new critical study, W. Warren Wagar traces Wells's obsession with the unfolding of public time--in short, with the history and future of humankind--to show the persisting and provocative relevance of Wells's work.

Most interest in Wells today centers on his science fiction, but Wagar contends that one cannot fully understand or enjoy the science fiction without exploring the mind that produced it. This accessible overview takes the reader through dozens of Wells's most important works, following the twists and turns of his thought as he struggled with the great issues of human provenance and destiny.

The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H.G. Wells

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absurd
Short and very readable character study

The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H.G. Wells
Michael Coren
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

For almost half a century H.G. Wells was an international literary phenomenon; the only writer of his time who could command an audience with both Roosevelt and Stalin.

Unlike any other biographer of Wells, Coren paints a composite portrait of an extremely varied life set against the social and political background of the time. The Invisible Man delves deeply into the paradox that was H.G. Wells: the utopian visionary and staunch advocate of women's suffrage versus the misogynistic womanizer and vicious anti-Semite. This book exposes for the first time his disturbing views on "the Jewish problem," views that he defended vehemently even through the 1930s.

Customer Reviews:

absurd.......2004-05-01

The biography here is merely a bait-and-switch scaffolding. Really our putative biographer wants to attack Wells for his supposed "anti-semitism". The evidence presented, such as it is, is culled very selectively, mischaracterized, and hyperbolically flailed at. Wells was not anti-semitic; he was anti-nationalist. Read instead Anthony West's "H. G. Wells: Aspects of a Life" or, better yet, H. G. Wells's "Experiment in Autobiography".

Short and very readable character study.......2003-03-06

First let me say that I am neither a science fiction fan nor a literary expert. Like many children, I read The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau and the War of the Worlds. Those books became a part of my dreams-and nightmares-for many years. In the intervening decades, I had really almost forgotten about Wells. However,I recently came across a collection of his complete short stories, and this sparked my interest in learning more about him.

This is the first biography of H.G. Wells that I have read, and I must admit I chose it mainly because it was short and compact! I would actually class this book as as more of an essay on Wells the man and his character, than a history of his life. Not that the author ignores biographical data. I knew absolutely nothing about Wells when I opened the book, and now feel that I have learned quite a lot about his life and times.

However, the historical information is mainly presented as a background for the author's argument that Wells has been whitewashed by previous biographers. He begins with the premise that standard biographies of H.G. Wells ignored or downplayed certain negative aspects of his character and thought. According to Coren, Wells was wrongly admired as a working class hero, a scientific visionary, and a utopian dreamer. He states at the beginning that his purpose in writing this book was to set the record straight. His intent is to prove that Wells' works had a "pernicious" influence on society. He also contends that Wells was a man of bad moral character, which was concealed by a public image of genial tolerance.

The author attacks Wells and his previous biographers with two lines of argument. In one, he presents evidence for his assertions of Wells' pernicious influence on British society. Coren contends that Wells was an exponent of xenophobia, religious intolerance, and racism. As he quotes from Wells' own writings, these criticsms seem to be founded in fact. He quotes from works in which Wells predicts a future in which the world has been made safe through a combination of technological progress, and radical eugenics. (Although the author does not make this explicit connection, Wells seemed to be advocating a future totalitarian world society very much like Plato's Republic-except with flying machines and wireless communication.) If true, this certainly seems grounds for criticism.

The second line of attack is on Wells' faults as a friend and husband. The author gives considerable space to the feuds that Wells carried on with other literary figures such as Shaw and Chesterton, and to his spats with members of the Fabian Society. I found this the least interesting part of the book, but that may be because I know so little about the people involved.

Mr. Coren also takes Wells to task for his marital infidelity and irresponsible sexual behavior. Here the argument seems a bit shakey, as Wells and his circle were exponents of free love and sexual revolution. It is hard to see what else could have been expected from someone who held such views.

As I have not yet read the other biographies to which this book refers, I can't comment on the accuracy of his claims, or say whether Mr. Coren proves his point. However, reading this book was worthwhile. Before reading it, I had no idea that Wells had been such an influential man, or that his writings included such a broad range of subjects. I certainly found this book a fast and enjoyable read, and I am now interested in in tackling some of the longer biographies and crititical studies of H.G. Wells.

H.G.: The History of Mr Wells
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H.G.: The History of Mr Wells
Michael Foot
Manufacturer: Counterpoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 188717804X

Intangibles: Management, Measurement, and Reporting
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An Important and Constructive Vision

One side of the story

Concise analysis of intangible management

Making the Invisible Visible

A unique combination of theory, evidence, and solutions

Intangibles: Management, Measurement, and Reporting
Baruch Lev
Manufacturer: Brookings Institution Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Intangible Assets (Oxford Management Readers)

The ValueReporting Revolution: Moving Beyond the Earnings Game

Making Sense of Intellectual Capital: Designing a Method for the Valuation of Intangibles

Unseen Wealth: Report of the Brookings Task Force on Intangibles

Valuing Intangible Assets

ASIN: 0815700938

Book Description

This book is the first comprehensive, scientifically based study of the nature and impact of intangibles. Weaving case studies and real-world examples with contemporary business theory, Baruch Lev

* establishes an economic framework to analyze managerial and investment issues concerning intangibles; * surveys the impact of intangibles on corporate performance and market values, including management difficulties, risk, questions of property rights, marketability, and cost structure; * analyzes information deficiencies associated with intangibles, including the major economic principles governing intangible investments, limits of management information systems, and recommendations for improved accounting disclosure; * sets forth a comprehensive information system-aimed at satisfying the needs of both internal and external decision makers-to reflect the impact and value of intangibles within the context of enterprise performance.

Customer Reviews:

An Important and Constructive Vision.......2005-05-20

It isn't easy to make a book about accounting interesting and uplifting, but this book comes fairly close to accomplishing that. It provides a clear understanding of why it matters how well accounting rules treat intangible assets, and gives some good guidelines on how to improve them.
Some of the proposed improvements are fairly easy to evaluate, such as breaking down R&D into subcategories for basic research, improvements to recently released products, etc., but with some of the book's suggestions (e.g. trademarks) I'm puzzled as to whether there's little to be gained or whether he has a good idea that he hasn't adequately explained.
Alas, accounting standards are a public good that few people have an incentive to create. The improvements suggested by the book could generally be adopted without first being approved by a standards committee because they mostly involve adding new information to reports. But the first company to adopt them gains little until investors can compare the information with that from other companies. And accounting standards committees tend to attract people whose main concern is preventing harm rather than creating new value. And that tendency is currently being reinforced by investors who want a scapegoat for their complacency at the peak of the recent stock market bubble.

One side of the story.......2004-12-05

This book was published 2001 by Brookings as part of a pair; the other being Unseen Wealth

Lev's book comprised his view, whereas Unseen Wealth included about 20 views including Lev's

Lev is primarily concerned with helping the accounting industry fill its black hole; intangibles being the difference between market value and the tangibles that the 100 years rules of tangible accounting prescribe for. Formerly this blackhole was also known as goodwill.

The trouble is as the service and globally/locally networked economies compounded over the last quarter century, goodwill (or transparent trustflows of an organisation mapped in flows of productivities and demands and across to partnering organisations) became the larger dynamic explaining how most value compounds (both finacially and in human terms like learning, community, social progress that take more than 90 days to invest in and may have diverse views of development).

I dont find in Lev's book any answers to such issues as how to resolve the wicked assumptions that all tangible accounting revolve round. These include:
people are costs, only machines are investments

separate units, separate 90 day periods rather than want to map how they interact and compound in non-lonear ways

What is really needed for tracking, strategizing, transparently governing, leading, developing intangibles (and human relationships) is an opposite type of maths that value multiplies instead of separating out bottom lines as if everything in teh world adds up perfectly in 90 days periods. Whilst Unseen Wealth is clear about the magnitude of the Intangibles Crisis, Lev is not so clear. However, his work is the middleground and epicentre if you are looking at intangibles only from the perspective of what to do if you are intent on perpetuating the traditional accounting profession as nearly as possible as is.

Concise analysis of intangible management.......2003-04-10

The discipline of intangible management (knowledge management) has been around for decades; there have been many attempts in better understanding & management of intangible assets, with different perspective (organizational learning, technology, strategy etc). Lev has provided a very concise analysis of intangible management with an economics perspective. His analysis is very systematic, robust, with support of empirical studies; his treatment of the subject is coherent & enjoyable to read. But I find the recommendation part of the book slightly weak; the 'value chain scorecard' does not provide significant enhancement over Kaplan & Norton's balanced scorecard.

Making the Invisible Visible.......2001-11-22

The topic of intangible assets is one of the most vexing issues facing corporations, investors and policymakers today. Professor Lev's book is an important contribution to the literature on intangible assets. The author is well-informed on the inadequacies of current accounting practices and his prescriptions for dealing with the problems are extremely insightful. What makes this book special is the author's obvious passion and enthusiasm for his subject. This book deserves more than five stars.

A unique combination of theory, evidence, and solutions.......2001-08-20

With the collapse of dot coms and many other high tech companies, many wonder whether intangibles should also go by the wayside. In his book, Lev persuasively argues otherwise. In today's environment, in both old and new economy sectors, the only systematic and sustainable drivers of value and growth are intangible assets, such as patents, brands, unique supply and distribution processes, and human resource practices.

This landmark book represents the most comprehensive and thorough economic analysis of intangibles to date. Building on the author's high-impact research and first-hand experience working with executives, consultants, and regulators, the book offers a coherent framework for understanding the fundamental economics of intangible assets. Baruch Lev identifies attributes of intangibles that are different from tangible assets (property, plant, and equipment), by focusing on their distinctive role in value-creation. He highlights the most critical issue concerning intangibles: the need to make relevant information available to outsiders.

Perhaps the most difficult job in tackling a challenging issue, such as intangibles, is to recommend a practical solution. Baruch Lev proposes an information system, the Value Chain Scoreboard, to enhance information disclosure about intangibles. A notable feature of the system is its emphasis of key drivers in the creation of valuable intangible assets, as opposed to ex post measurement of performance. Although the focus is on improving external information communication, its mission of reflecting the valuation-creation process of intangibles makes the system potentially useful for managers who want to monitor the performance of investment in intangibles.

With a wonderful blend of real-world stories and easily understood economic reasoning, the book also has tremendous educational value, in a variety of business disciplines. It is an especially valuable source for those interested in learning about managing knowledge-based business.

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