Using Design Basics to Get Creative Results

Customer Reviews:

Just not enough content.......2002-02-04

Just not enough content pretty much sums it up for me. Half the book was pictures, which were supposed to emphasize the techniques, but I found many to be unappealing. The overall material explaining the author's ideas of design criteria could have been presented in about ten pages.

12 years in the trade and I refer to this book frequently.......2000-06-09

The cover of this book could have employed design basics to get creative results, but the interior makes up for it. Its generous amount of fundmental information is nicely laid out in an uncomplicated and easy to use format. Mostly, I am disappointed with graphic design how-to books. They tend to be ambiguously narrated "portfolios" of high-profile designers with magnificant clients; as if just staring at their work is going to make you a better designer with a bigger budget. Though the majority of these samples are grand, Perterson actually analyses why the designs chosen are successful based on design fundamentals. The first half of the book is honest and humble -- like kindergarten; but in a really nice classroom. The topics discussed in depth are the basics of design like line, type, shape, texture, balance, contrast, unity, color, and value. The second half graduates to the working world and how those philosophies are applied to working models. A must for every designer. I have been doing this for twelve years and I still refer to the first half of this book all the time.

Getting Started.......2000-05-27

I was really impressed with the fact the author wrote the book with "design novices" in mind. The book was an easy read, but yet pushed the reader to think beyond the examples laid out in the book

Customer Reviews:

A gorgeous catalog of an Australian exhibit........2006-05-19

This is a slim but beautiful catalog of part of the collection of the Powerhouse Museum in Australia. The shoes themselves are all in color and clearly photographed, the pictures ranging from a couple of inches to an entire page. A few of the smaller ones were a trifle hard to see and would have benefited from being enlarged.

There are also a number of historic photographs, mostly black and white, as well as color reproductions of paintings and advertisements to add historical context.

The introductory matter explains the history of the collection and gives an explanation of shoe-making. The shoes are mainly arranged chronologically with a few introductory paragraphs relative to the period. All the shoes are labelled, but details are give in a Shoe-List section in the back. Of particular interest is the section on Australian shoes which is a valuable supplement to more general histories of shoes. There is also a list of further reading.

Peace Out, Dawg! Tales from Ground Zero
Average customer rating:

"All in all,it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me." George W.Bush,Dec.12,2001

Wonderful work

trudeau says whta on his mind

Buck on Trudeau

Peace Out, Dawg! Tales from Ground Zero
G. B. Trudeau
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Got War?: A Doonesbury Book (Trudeau, G. B., Doonesbury Book.)

The Long Road Home

The War Within: One More Step at a Time (Doonesbury Books (Andrews & McMeel))

The Revolt Of The English Majors: A Doonesbury Book

Talk to the Hand: A Doonesbury Collection (Doonesbury Book)

ASIN: 0740726773

Book Description

As 9-11 shakes the Doonesbury world, many of its denizens are drawn inexorably toward Ground Zero-Mike to attend a memorial service for a former employer; B.D., reactivated for crowd control and celebrity tourism; Marcia Feinbloom to hit on firefighters; and Zonker to deliver potent fruitcakes to weary rescue workers. Those on the home front are no less affected by events: "I no longer care what Madonna had for breakfast," laments Boopsie, proof positive that Everything Has Changed.Half a world away, in Al-Qaeda Qountry, a burka-clad Roland Hedley is captured by a freelance warlord, then wounded by a can of Spam during a massive friendly food drop. Feyzabad Station Chief Havoc's effort to rescue the downed journalist speaks well for the new, improved CIA, which has somehow managed to parlay its "massive" intelligence failures into cult status on the nation's campuses. How else to explain Jeff Redfern's new internship with "Acme Imports"-and his sudden affinity for shaken-not-stirred libations'Meanwhile, former inside trader Phil Slackmeyer watches from his deathbed as the effort to smoke out evildoers expands to include the entire management team of Enron. Prominent among them is "Jimmy Jack Jumbo" Andrews, head of over 400 Caymans-based businesses, who calls his old friend to ask the question on many an ex-exec's mind: "What's prison like'" And back at the White House pressroom, NPR attack-dog Mark has questions of his own, like, "What time will you be launching the cover-up'" and "Will there be a lunch'" Yes, excavating Enron's smoking crater will be a long and dirty job-even if the president barely knows "Mr. Lay," the disgraced CEO with whom he exchanged 350 letters. As Dubya assures us, "I did not have political relations with that man."

Customer Reviews:

"All in all,it's been a fabulous year for Laura and me." George W.Bush,Dec.12,2001.......2006-03-23

Another great book fom the best Political Cartoonist around today and also for a long time. I used to read many Comics for years,but the only one I follow these days is Doonesbury. There have been several in the past that were giants in their day My favourites were L'il Abner by Al Capp,remember the Schmoo (Social
Security) and Sadie Hawkin's Day;Pogo ,By Walt Kelly,and his take on Joe McCarthy; and of course Dick Tracy,by Chester Gould,when a crime meant punishment, not a social issue. My local papers no longer carry it,but thanks to the Net,I can still follow it.Capp's replacements give it the old college try,but it lacks the zing of the master. I sure hope Trudeau keeps it up;it would leave a huge gap if didn't.
This book covers the very tumultuous time time from May 28,2001 to June 29 2002. What a year with 9/11,international stuff like Terrorism,Afghanastan and all,then at home with Enron. And then there's all the other Doonesbury issues like Mr.Butts,Walden College and the ever present shenanigans around White House politics;with of course Trudeau's humorous take on it all. These books are great to read a few years after the fact;and bring back wonderful memories of the past strips.
Trudeau's artwork continues to amaze me. In this period his portrayal of the destruction at the WTC on 9/11 is outstanding.
The only shortcoming in the book is that all the strips should have been in color. Black and white just doesn't do his artwork the justice it deserves.

Wonderful work.......2003-06-18

Doonesbury is still the best comic strip out there. The only serious competition it had was Peanuts and Calvin & Hobbes, and they are gone.

Doonesbury has warmth, humor, relevance, and sting. Get it.

trudeau says whta on his mind.......2003-05-30

I love the honesty of this collection. Trudeau says what he wants without caring if someone says he should go back to canada (even though Trudeau is a new york state native). Trudea takes it all in stride and comes up with some great polictical and social satire.

Buck on Trudeau.......2002-11-14

I no longer read Doonesbury either in books or in the paper.

Trudeau has become cynical and vicious. His wit has descended to mean spitefulness and I for one am not surprised. When he took a "sabatical" or whatever label you want to call it I suspected something was up. Better for him to call it a day.

For what it's worth I REALLY miss "Bloom County" by Berke Breathed.

Book Description

Jeeves has some outrageous ideas about how Gussie Fink-Nottle can capture the affections of Miss Madeline Bassett: scarlet tights and a false beard. What follows is a delightful romp through the banquet halls and boudoirs of English high society by "the funniest writer ever to put words on paper" (Hugh Laurie).

"P. G. Wodehouse at his shining best." --John Mortimer

Customer Reviews:

Baccarat and Milady's Boudoir.......2007-08-03

"Right Ho Jeeves" was first published in 1934 in the UK, though was first published in the US under the name "Brinkley Court". The book is set in England and features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.

The book opens with Bertie's return from Cannes, having spent two months on holiday with his Aunt Dahlia, his cousin Angela and Madeline Basset - Angela's best friend. Arriving back at his flat, Bertie is surprised to learn that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been a frequent caller in his absence. Gussie, an old school-friend of Bertie's, is something of a reclusive character : he doesn't drink, looks rather like a fish, prefers country life to the city and is a noted newt-fancier. Gussie has apparently fallen in love, and has - wisely - taken to visiting Jeeves for his advice on how to win the young lady's heart. However, following a disagreement with Jeeves about a white mess jacket purchased in Cannes, Bertie decides to take over Gussie's case.

By sheer coincidence, the object of Gussie's desires is none other than Madeline Basset - who, after the trip to Cannes, has returned to Brinkley Court (Aunt Dahlia's stately home). Bertie sends Gussie off to the stately home in question - though his motives aren't entirely noble. As well as spending time with Madeline, Gussie will also be delivering a speech at the local grammar school's prizegiving day - a job Aunt Dahlia had intended for Bertie. However, when word comes through that Angela has brokern off her engagement with Tuppy Glossop, Bertie and Jeeves race off to the countryside to offer their support. Naturally, Bertie's attempts to ease smooth things over land everyone in a great deal of bother.

A very easy and enjoyable read.

Love and scheming.......2007-07-22

If there's one thing Bertie Wooster should never do, it's make elaborate plans to bring estranged lovebirds back together.

And he demonstrates just why in the second full-length Jeeves novel, a screwball disaster saga that sees Bertie confidently trying to fix people's lives. Of course, things go horribly wrong, and Wodehouse's arch, nutty look at what happens next is an absolute gem.

When Aunt Dahlia summons him to Brinkley Court for a prizegiving, Bertie sends his newt-fancying friend Gussie instead -- especially since Gussie is enamoured of a girl staying there, the soppy Madeleine Bassett. But when Bertie hears that his cousin Angela has broken off her engagement to Tuppy Glossop -- and his aunt is in need of money -- he rushes down to assist all his relatives and pals by advising them to feign such sorrow that they're unable to eat.

Unfortunately his plan falls through, and they manages to enrage the cook Anatole to the point where he storms out. Even worse, the prize-giving is a disaster and the wrong people end up engaged -- and pursued by homicidally angry exes. Only Jeeves' formidable brain can somehow save the day -- and Bertie's behind.

P.G. Wodehouse made a pretty good living off of spoofing the upper crust of England, and the subtlely intlligent servants who bail them out. "Right Ho Jeeves" is a prime example of his writing -- some small mistakes rapidly balloon out into a crazy tangled mess, which only an intelligent manservant can rescue Bertie from.

Much of the book's charm comes from its complex plot and series of disasters (such as Tuppy's homicidal rampage). And as usual, poor Bertie finds himself the object of young ladies' affections -- in this case, the appallingly goofy Madeleine thinks he's madly in love with her, when she's not rambling about fairies and bunnies. If there's a flaw, it's that Jeeves' final solution is a bit limp.

But Wodehouse's writing is what really makes the book timeless. It's arch and wry, whether he's describing basic actions ("He leaped like a lamb in springtime"), or goofy dialogue ("But if you were a male newt, Madeline Bassett wouldn't look at you. Not with the eye of love, I mean").

Jeeves and Bertie are the perfect comic team -- Bertie is proud, goofy, and not terribly bright, while the quiet Jeeves is a towering intellect with wry wit. And they're backed by a colourful, small cast of nutty aristocrats, schoolboys, sharp-tongued aunts and cousins, newt-fancying fish-faced men, and a girl who talks about how "every time a fairy sheds a tear, a wee bitty star is born." Yech.

"Right Ho Jeeves" is a hilarious, tangled farce of love, money, jealousy, dinner jackets and the mating rituals of newts. Absolutely priceless, from start to finish.

cure for the blues........2007-02-10

got the blues? melancholia got you in its grip? the prospect of death got you down? jeeves to the rescue! nothing like a good wodehouse read to cheer one up. problem is, the man wrote just short of a million books, and not all of them are good. so where to start? right here, with this book. of all the wodehouse books i've read, this is my favorite, the most consistently entertaining. just what the doctor ordered to smash you in the funny bone and get a smile going on the old face.

Classic British Humor...Hysterical!!.......2006-09-24

If you love Monty Python, Faulty Towers, and the like, you'll love RHJ. The glowing reviews on this page are spot on. This is timeless stuff. And Cecil's reading (if you incline towards the recorded version) is terrific. Laugh out loud funny. I adored every moment!

Very good, sir........2006-09-13

It is rare that I derive such pleasure from a book, but Right Ho, Jeeves, gave me a delightful surprise. Not only does Wodehouse make an art of the satirical novel, but in the process wraps the reader up in the witty speech of Bertram Wooster and his strange arrangement of friends, family, and butler. Bertram, or "Bertie," as he is commonly known, stumbles through the entire novel with the idea that he alone must bear the weight of being the sole aid to his friends' problems. Despite several attempts at a kind reprimand from Jeeves, his personal servant, ("I beg your pardon sir... What I intended to say, since you press me, was that the action which you propose does seem to be somewhat injudicious."); Bertie continues to give it his best. Among other things, Wooster implements the best intentions while attempting a match between old friends, but with little success: "All he had to do was propose." "Yes, sir." "Well, didn't he?" "No, sir." "Then what the dickens did he talk about?" "Newts, sir."

Despite the playful banter, colorful characters (such as a sensitive French cook), an inept yet lovable narrative voice found in Wooster, and of course, Jeeves, behind all is an incredibly clever satire on the "upper crust," so to speak. Although, admittedly, many readers cannot associate directly with the early-middle twentieth century, one cannot help but feel the idle, privileged and somewhat clueless lives of the English aristocracy seep from the pages of Jeeves. Wodehouse does a wonderful job of capturing the lives of people who have nothing better to do then dabble about ridiculously in the lives of one another.

Indeed, Wodehouse does much to reflect the over-privileged lives to which Bertie and company cling to so humorously. However, what might have become a novel filled to overflowing with hilarity and drama is brought back down to a more substantial level with the constant subtle humor and patronization brought in by Jeeves. "Jeeves, don't keep saying `Indeed, sir?' No doubt nothing is further from your mind than to convey such a suggestion, but you have a way of stressing the `in' and then coming down with a thud on the `deed' which makes it virtually tantamount to `Oh, yeah?' Correct this, Jeeves." The nature in which Bertie and the rest are virtually ignorant to Jeeves' little jibes such as this shows clearly the statement of Wodehouse, how the aristocracy is too self absorbed to notice even the slightest. In short, this is a wonderfully clever novel, which keeps the pages turning with quick wit and snappy humor. I highly suggest it.

Brinkley Manor/(English Title = Right-Ho Jeeves)

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Brinkley Manor/(English Title = Right-Ho Jeeves)
P.G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Suspense | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9997520440

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Right Ho Jeeves
P G Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Arrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0099513749

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RIGHT HO, JEEVES
P. G. WODEHOUSE
Manufacturer: Herbert Jenkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RSF7C6

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RIGHT HO, JEEVES
P. G. WODEHOUSE
Manufacturer: JENKINS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S6G1SQ

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Right Ho, Jeeves
P. G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U563FG

Average customer rating:

Right Ho, Jeeves
P.G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Arrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0099777509

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Right Ho, Jeeves
P.G. Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

Humor | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Product Description

P.G. Wodehouse is a critical and popular favorite on both sides of the Atlantic. A master of farce, he creates an idyllic world that never grows old. His hilarious tales, featuring Bertie Wooster and his incomparable manservant Jeeves, provide a rollicking romp through the trials and tribulations of Britain's upper-crust society. As one might expect, Bertie tangles himself into a web of problems when he tries solving the troubles of others without assistance from the unflappable Jeeves. After Bertie starts rearranging the lives of everyone around him, he begins racking up the errors. He pushes old pal Gussie Fink-Nottle in matters of love, nearly drives Aunt Dahlia's prized cook from the home, and fouls up several other situations. With everyone in an uproar, perhaps even the inimitable Jeeves may not be able to see the way clear through this murky mess.

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Right Ho, Jeeves
P.G.Wodenhouse
Manufacturer: Book Jungle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (October 15, 1881 - February 14, 1975) was an English comic writer who has enjoyed enormous popular success for more than seventy years. Wodehouse was an acknowledged master of English prose, admired both by contemporaries like Hilaire Belloc, Evelyn Waugh and Rudyard Kipling and by modern writers like Douglas Adams, Salman Rushdie, Christopher Hitchens and Terry Pratchett. Sean O'Casey famously called him "English literature's performing flea", a description that Wodehouse said he believed was "meant to be complimentary", and which he used as the title of a collection of his letters to a friend, Bill Townend, which was published in 1953. Best known today for the Jeeves and Blandings Castle novels and short stories, Wodehouse was also a talented playwright and lyricist who was part author and writer of fifteen plays and of 250 lyrics for some thirty musical comedies. He worked with Cole Porter on the musical Anything Goes and frequently collaborated with Jerome Kern and Guy Bolton. He wrote the lyrics for the hit song "Bill" in Show Boat.

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Right Ho, Jeeves
P G Wodehouse
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000G9WEHM

Book Description

Manchester, 1976, Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by an unknown band called the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances. Soon Manchester's punk groups are clamouring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club, and bands like Joy Division, New Order, and the Happy Mondays emerge to change the industry forever. 24 Hour Party People is now a United Artists (MGM) movie that will be releasing in August 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Tony Wilson RIP.......2007-09-01

Factory records was one of the more important post-punk labels. It provided us with JoyDivision, New Order, Happy Mondays and quite a few more (ACR, The Durutti Column). This book retraces parts of this history in a very special and very incomplete but also very entertainning way. Indeed, it was written by the founder Tony Wilson himself, who was quite a figure in Manchester. The bok will retrace the initial inspiration by punk which led to the foundation of the record label, the opening of the famous Hacienda club and finally to bancrupcy.It does make a quite sensational read even if it does not allways make complete sense but you do get a sense of the athmosphere and enthusiasm of Tony Wilson for the music scene he helped create. The movie is not bad as a companion to it but you should really try and listen to the wonderful Palatine box set while you read: indeed, JoyDivision/new Order were only a very small part of why his record label was such a success back then. Tony Wilson regretfully passed away a few days ago but he has left a wonderful legacy that still lives on.

Doesn't separate fact from fiction.......2003-03-23

Anyone who has seen the excellent movie that this novelisation is based on will know that the film script took quite a few liberties (i.e., made up) a number of events in the movie. While this (and changing the timing of events) has, undoubtably, improved the narrative flow of the movie from the film-makers point of view it is slightly disappointing to those of us who want to know the true story. Unfortunately, you're not going to find it here as - which is a pity as it really is an interesting story.

Tony Wilson has essentially rewritten the movie script, adding a few small snippets here and there, expanding on other aspects and, very occasionally, replacing the movie version with the truth. Having said that, it is still an enjoyable read, but if you have seen the DVD and have watched the directors' and Tony Wilsons commentaries you won't learn much new here.

Customer Reviews:

Fantasic historical account not just pictures..........1999-04-20

This is an amazing first hand account of the cafe racing scene from the 30's on. Great stories and bike information.

Average customer rating:

entertaining & enlightening- I enjoyed it
pretty good coverage of some strange bands

CULT ROCKERS
Wayne Jancik
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

entertaining & enlightening- I enjoyed it.......2000-06-22

Authors Wayne Jancik(The Billboard Book Of One-Hit Wonders) & Tad Lathrop have compiled a fun book of rock's lords, losers & lunatics. While no one would ever agree on the list of artists to be included in a book like this, these guys have done a commendable job. Some of my personal favorites include Johnny Thunders, Husker Du, The Replacements,The Clash, Eddie Cochran, Elvis Costello, Gram Parsons, The New York Dolls, The Pogues, X, Roky Erickson, VU, Tom Waits & well, you get the idea. Each band gets about one to four pages. There are plenty of black & white photos included. There is also a list of what the authors consider to be the bands key recordings. I think you'll enjoy seeing some old favorites in here, and you might discover some new oddities worth checking out. The segment on Blowfly is hilarious. This isn't just punk/alternative bands...it goes back to Robert Johnson. It's always nice to see Flipper(the band, not the dolphin) appearing in a real book. This one is not some cheap, rush-job production. It certainly won't embarrass your shelves. Cult Rockers is not, by any stretch of the imagination, the end-all/be-all book on this subject, but it is a fine one!

pretty good coverage of some strange bands.......1999-11-28

This book is a good overview of some truly unique musicians. From the industrial-aggro of Ministry to the poetic punk of the Fugs, the artists highlighted are both unique and influential. However, a few major exclusions (Throbbing Gristle, the Red Krayola, Big Black) should be highlighted in a second volume.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to some Vegas Fun.......2005-01-04

I was preparing for a trip to Vegas and wanted to try something else besides blackjack.

This was just the book I needed. Craps is really not that difficult once you know what's going on at the table, and, as this book will tell you, you don't even need to understand all of it. Most bets on the table are sucker's bets. The odds are stacked in the house's favor. Stick to the bets outlined earlier in this book.

The early chapters explain the layout and rules of the table. The author goes on to explain what the odds are versus what the bets pay, which gives you the house advantages.

The system described in this book is more of a money management plan. Bet smart, and know that the house will always have some advantage, even if it's only 0.09%. In the long term you're going to lose. Manage your cash, have a ton of fun at the table cheering and letting the dice fly, while being served free drinks. Maybe you'll walk away with more in chips than you showed up with in cash. I did.

You'll have fun playing craps after reading this book. Just remember to ignore anyone, including the author of this book, who will lead you to believe over the long term you'll emerge a winner.

Good Beginner's Book, not for experts........2001-04-21

The text and elaboration on the rules of the game are great for the beginner. The "winner" part, I'm not sure of. I would investigate other books for strategy advice on craps, though I cannot advise which ones.

If you've never played before, this one is good.

Casino Craps Review.......2000-04-25

This book is fine for the beginning dice roller, but not for those who already have some knowledge about craps. The book has a VERY GOOD discussion of the basic rules of the game, odds and the different payouts. I like the chapters on special allowance for both right and wrong betters. I still use the book to refresh my memory sometimes. Other than that, however, the playing systems are nothing great. Pass or Don't Pass with odds. Nothing new here, but a good book for those just starting out in the game of craps.

Good content and easy to read........1999-10-16

Gives a simple method of playing based on mathematical explanation of odds.

Book Description

Identifying and Leveraging the Hidden Social Networks That Drive Corporate Performance

In today's flatter organizations, collaboration in employee networks has become critical to innovation and to both individual and companywide performance. Executives spend millions on new organizational designs, cultural initiatives, and technologies to promote the sharing of knowledge and expertise across functional, hierarchical, and divisional lines. Yet these efforts have achieved disappointing results.

Rob Cross and Andrew Parker argue that's because most managers have little understanding of how their employees actually interact to get work done. In fact, formal "org charts" fail to reveal the often hidden social networks that truly drive--or hinder--an organization's performance. In this eye-opening book, Cross and Parker show managers how to find, assess, and support the networks most crucial to competitive success.

Based on their in-depth study of more than sixty informal networks within organizations around the world, Cross and Parker show how managers can implement a wide range of specific and inexpensive actions-from bridging strategically important disconnects in a network to eliminating information "bottlenecks" to recognizing key connectors-that will enhance the powerful impact networks can have on performance and innovation.

Customer Reviews:

Social network theory gains real traction in this how-to guide........2007-02-16

In 1935 social network theory was created when an Italian born sociologist began drawing the now familiar network diagrams - laboriously constructed by hand but showing how employees related to each other within organizations. Today, softwares such as Ucinet are readily available and as a result social network analysis has moved onto the desktop and is available to all those who see its potential. here, Cross and Parker have wasted no time in stamping some ownership on the field by showing how and why social network studies within organizations should be conducted - and then how the results, those complex network diagrams can be diagnosed. They achieve a high standard here though they shy away from some of mathematical thinking that explains how the diagrams are derived: with only scant reference to terms like Betweenness, Centrality and Group Density which have become of the social network lexicon and, one would ahve thought, a useful toolset for the analysis of results. For this I mark them down one point - but overall the volume is rich in insight, clear in writing, and action-oriented: as much as anything it is a how-to guide, and HR professionals and market researchers would do well do reflect that the real dynamics within an organization do not follow the official organization chart but, rather, reflect the informal networks based on trust, knowledge and wisdom and developed by individuals as they navigate around what is usually a politically charged environment. Good insightful reading! I recommend this for researchers, HR professionals and managers.

On a broader front - here are two other books on social networks that are worth reading. Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (Open Market Edition) Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks

Not bad.......2007-01-03

The book is written in an acamdemic style, you know the type of books you read in college. They are not mush fun to read, are a bit "woolly" and lack any personality.

But its an ok book. If you are interested in social networks and other networks I would recommend Mark Buchanen and books "Nexus", "Why catastrophes happen", and "Linked".

Very insightful book!.......2005-09-16

This book has been very interesting and helpful for me. It helped analyze and systemize my social networks. I recommend it to the people who want to organize their networks.

Understanding How Work Really Gets Done is Organizations.......2005-07-24

Well written book with helpful insights that one can apply to the work world. By becoming conscious of the power that these networks yield we can better harness their potential energy and creativity force.

Things that may hinder or break social networks.
1) Reward Systems
2) Splintering work groups
3) Poor job design
4) Watch for creating bottlenecks reliant upon specific people in the organization.
5) Redundacy, having involve everyone in the decision

Common Social Network Applications
1)helping in the collaborations of partnerships and alliances
2) improved strategic decision making
3) streamling core processes
4) promoting innovation
5) developing communities of practice
6) introducing change
7) spread learning and communication

Some attributes of that can affect social networking
1) Tenure in the organization
2) Encourage of mentoring
3) Ability to get new folks intergrated quickly
4) Gender, Age, Ethnicity, Education
5) Organizational Culture -> view of external contractors
6) Opportunities for projects to allow cross fertilization
7) Employee status
8) Task Interdependence
9) Physical Distances
10) Hierarchical levels
11) Organizational silos

VIVIDLY REVEALS A KEY DIMENSION OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUCCESS!.......2005-04-23

This book is about how employees actually interact through networks to get work done, how such social networks function, how to analyze these networks, and ways to build and strengthen them. The major focus is on information flow and collaboration. The authors have found that a highly effective and pragmatic approach to analyzing and developing networks need not be highly complex. Their focus is on improving organizational performance by both understanding and promoting vibrant networks. The book concentrates on the factors that make a network effective and how, in practice, managers can foster the potential of a social network within and between units of organization. The discussion of factors that infuse energy into a network is excellent. So too are sections on the elements used to promote network connectivity and the six steps for conducting a social network analysis, including example questions. Based on considerable research and real-world experiences in private and public sector entities, the book is outstanding in revealing a key dimension of organizational success. It is well written, makes main points clearly, and delves into the substance of its subject. For anyone with an interest in, or engaged in, organization analysis, design, development or leadership, this book is must-reading!

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