Trumpet to Arms: Alternative Media in America

Book Description

Chronicles 200 years of U.S. publications, from Tom Paine's Common Sense to I.F. Stone's Weekly, plus The Berkeley Barb, L.A. Free Press Mother Jones, and New Age Journal.

A Trumpet to Arms Alternative Media in America

Average customer rating:

A Trumpet to Arms Alternative Media in America
David Armstrong
Manufacturer: Tarcher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O600VY

Book Description

Now in an all-new edition, Harnessing AutoCAD 2002 continues to offer the widest selection of discipline-specific, step-by-step exercises and projects to guide readers to proficient use of today's dominant desktop design and drawing application software tool. Understanding the "hows" and "whys" of invoking particular AutoCAD 2002 commands and features is just the beginning! As they work through this edition of our most popular AutoCAD how-to and reference manual and its companion exercise manual, readers will acquire the knowledge and expertise they need to harness the full power of their software. State-of-the-art AutoCAD 2002 functionality is covered in detail, such as enhanced associative dimensioning and block attributes plus use of the new layer translator tool. Screen captures are also used effectively throughout the book to illustrate step-by-step command sequences and must-know techniques, helping readers avoid pitfalls when working through exercises and projects. Novices will appreciate being taken logically from 2D drawing and 3D modeling fundamentals through more advanced Internet connectivity, customizing and programming concepts, with each step carefully designed to establish the necessary foundation for those that follow. Experienced users who want to update their skills will find the detailed examples and comprehensive index invaluable in terms of saving time and enhancing productivity at the CAD workstation.

Customer Reviews:

Choose another guide to AutoCAD.......2003-09-06

One wonders if the person responsible for the "editorial review" actually ever read the book and/or tried to use the exercise manual. Both text and manual are replete with inaccuracies, misspellings, grammatical gobbledygook and, of course, worst of all for the student, incorrect, incomplete or, in numerous cases, altogether missing instructions/directions. The book appears as if it went unedited, or surely some of the errors would've been corrected?? The price tag is too high for a text with so many problems. Consider an alternative (any alternative).

Harnessing Autocad 2002 + Harnessing Autocad 2002 120 Day Software, Student Portfolio + Autodesk Software Promotional Flyer

Average customer rating:

Harnessing Autocad 2002 + Harnessing Autocad 2002 120 Day Software, Student Portfolio + Autodesk Software Promotional Flyer
Thomas A. Stellman , and G. V. Krishnan
Manufacturer: Autodesk Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

CAD | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Computers & Internet | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1401847765

Harnessing Autocad 2002 And Autocad 2002 Student Portfolio Software

Average customer rating:

Harnessing Autocad 2002 And Autocad 2002 Student Portfolio Software
Thomas A. Stellman , and G. V. Krishnan
Manufacturer: Autodesk Pr (Short Disc)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

CAD | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Book Description

High-school student Yota Moteuchi is so unpopular that his classmates have given him the nickname of "Dateless." So it no surprise when the love of his life, Moemi, is herself in love with Yota's best friend, Takashi. Yota turns to a video rental shop for comfort, but little did he suspect that the shop was magical, and the cute girl friend on his rented tape would pop out of the television and try to fix his ruined love life.

Customer Reviews:

YOTA FINALLY CHOOSES AI.......2007-03-07

Yota has broken up with Moemi and has decided that it's Ai he loves, or needs, or something. But Ai thinks he just feels sorry for her and doubts his resolve and his motivation and rejects his overtures of love. Meanwhile, her tape is running out and she has yet to "join in the bonds of love" with a human man, whatever these bonds may be. The old Gokaraku clerk has decided to help with the process of making Ai human but he has to have the consent of Yota to proceed with his plans. The reason being that if the plan is carried out, Ai's mysterious creator will most likely want to kill all of them. Is Yota prepared to risk his life for Ai? Is he willing to put his so called love on the line, with death being a possibility?

I have to say I was hugely disappointed by this last volume of the main story arc of Video Girl Ai. I cannot believe that after all these volumes of manga, Yota is still clueless when it comes to his feelings. I could see wavering between Ai and Moemi in Volume 6 or 7, but in the concluding chapter of the series? In the end, Yota and Ai's relationship was one that always bordered on being like the love between two middle school students with no depth or tenderness. It was mostly about selfishness and greed. And a huge lack of communication. Even in the most perfect of worlds I just don't see this couple working out. Yota is too indecisive, too self-analyzing, while Ai is immature, secretly submissive, and weak. Flawed children do not make good lifemates. Another thing that bothered me was the complete lack of explanation regarding the identity of Ai's creator and the other dimension he comes from. Was he a demon, and angel, something else? And what is the purpose of making video girls? None of this is gone into anywhere in the series which is kinda cheap. Video Girl Ai is a series that never lived up to its potential but instead made its own realm of mediocrity. What a shame.

Made me cry. GREAT BOOK!.......2006-03-12

I live for this book and now its all over. If you think I'm a perv for reading this book, well that your fault for not realizing how wonderful this manga is. GO buy the whole seriers. You won't go wrong.

Amazon.com

Bob Smith writes about topics that are standard elements of almost any actor-humorist's repertoire: family visits, early jobs, auditions for parts, and the ups and downs of romantic relationships. The major difference between Bob and most other comedians, however, is that he's openly and unashamedly gay.

Openly Bob is not, however, a collection of gay jokes. When Bob's sexuality is relevant to the joke, it comes up, as in his thoughts on how to abate right-wing fears about homosexuals using sex education in public schools as "recruitment." "Our educational system has proved," he writes, "that if a subject is taught in a boring enough manner, Americans will make every effort to avoid it for the rest of their lives. If homosexuality was taught in the same manner as trigonometry, even most gay people would have no use for it after graduation." The rest of the time, however, Bob's gayness is not an issue, but simply a state of being. His jokes aren't funny because he's gay; his jokes are funny because they're funny. "How did Tom and I come to realize that we needed couples counseling?" he asks at one point. "We had sex less frequently. Then we had sex less frequently than people in full-body casts. We stopped having sex. Finally, our relationship stopped other people, gay or straight, from wanting to have sex." Bob Smith's wit and intelligence, which garnered Openly Bob a 1998 Lambda Literary Award, will make him an equally appealing humorist to both gay and straight readers.

Book Description

As an openly gay comic, Bob Smith broke barriers with an appearance on "The Tonight Show." Now Smith offers up his own original, whine-free perspective on being grown up and gay.In OPENLY BOB, the acclaimed comedian candidly, and humorously, tackles issues facing grown-up gays as they make their place in an overwhelmingly straight society. From bringing your boyfriend home to your father's funeral, to being the only gay couple at a family wedding, to surviving couples counseling, Smith's decidedly wry spin on the events of our lives resonates with keen observation and hilarious truth."So Mom says to me on the phone, 'Just because you're coming home for your father's funeral doesn't mean we can't have fun!'"Sex education, meteor showers, lesbian ventriloquist dummies, fleamarket shopping, body piercing, pot -smoking drag queens, environmental correctness, Judgment Day, Samuel Beckett, Newt Gingrich, Coco Chanel, Sigmund Freud--nothing and no one escapes Smith's incisive eye in this very human collection of comic essays.

Customer Reviews:

What about Bob? he's hilarious and touching!.......2007-03-19

I laughed. I cried. I peed my pants. I actually read the whole book cover-to-cover! And paid for it myself! I pushed the other books off my bedside table to read Bob's laugh-out-loud funny essays that overflow with wit, wisdom and smart writing. His description of a lesbian ventriloquist's act is beyond funny, but there's so much more to this book. You'll wish you'd have written it yourself, and you'll find yourself quoting passages to your friends. If he isn't the reincarnation of Evelyn Waugh, who is?

Escaping Buffalo, sort of.......2005-07-03

Comedian Bob Smith recounts his misadventures as a young gay guy daring to break out of the closet in his hometown of Buffalo. He goes to NY, Provincetown and LA in search of fame, fortune, a boyfriend and rare birds -- yes, he actually makes birdwatching sound like a lot of fun. A piece about couples counseling with boyfriend Tom delightfully spoofs California-style therapy. A chapter about a summer gig in Provincetown gives a glimpse of his struggling early years in comedy; I wish he had written a bit more about breaking into the business. In the final chapter, he returns to Buffalo for his Dad's funeral, and this is by far the funniest, and yet the most poignant, part of his tale.
Smith comes across as a gentle, decent guy, poking fun at others but mostly at himself. He sometimes goes overboard with the puns; many of them seem forced. Quips that might work well in stand-up tend to fizzle in print. But that's a minor quibble. Overall, this is a lighthearted but memorable story of how a gay person can live an honest life, and even laugh about it.

Laughing out loud in the privacy of your home........2003-10-14

No matter what, no matter when, no matter how often I read this book, I laugh every time. I've read each book from Bob Smith at least 5 times, and I am enlightened, humored and tickled every time I (re)read them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes reading autobiographical humor, especially if you've ever thought your life was funny enough to publish.

I'd Give It Six Stars If I Could...........2002-07-03

I'd Give it six Stars if I could, but five stars is the highest rating. At any rate, this is the funniest and most touching book written by and about a gay man. At the risk of sounding trite, it IS a must read and it's enjoyable for anyone, not just gay men. Whenever I need a really good laugh, I turn to the chapter entitled, "Hurricane Bob". If you are looking for a really good book and can't make a decision, then get this one. You just can't miss.

Way to Go, Smith!.......2001-11-06

One of my favorites. Unfortunately, I -lent- my copy to a man I was not quite seeing, & he decided that I had "given" the book to him. Anyhow, the book is thoroughly entertaining, honest, straightforward & LOL hilarious! Read it!!

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Reading!
Hilarious Yet Tender Look at Gay Love and Lust in Alaska
Seductively Funny
Bob Smith does it again
HOT STUFF IN A COLD CLIMATE

Selfish and Perverse
Bob Smith
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0786720409

Book Description

Nelson Kunker is trapped in his job as the script supervisor on Aftertaste, the low-rated late-night sketch television show. His life in Los Angeles has come to a halt because he’s unable to finish the novel he's writing, doesn't have a boyfriend, and, at the pivotal age of thirty-four, has reached the juncture where he has to decide whether he's really talented or just gay.

One day he meets Roy Briggs, a part-time salmon fisherman/full-time archaeology student who's visiting from Alaska. When Nelson attempts to make small talk with the handsome Roy, he references an obscure but haunting story about bowhead whales that startles the science nerd in both men into suspecting that they might be soulmates. Unfortunately, Nelson discovers his soul is a bit of a slut when he also meets the guest host of that week's show, the surprisingly bookish movie star Dylan Fabizak, freshly paroled after a drug bust. When the three end up at Roy's home in Alaska, hilarity, love, and debauchery ensue. Wooed by both Roy and Dylan, Nelson comes to strongly identify with the salmon they are fishing for — another insanely driven species that will overcome every hurdle in its search for love.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Reading!.......2007-09-29

I always loved Bob Smith's comedy, and I loved his prior books as well. When the new one, 'Selfish and Perverse' arrived, I greedily devoured it in the course of a long weekend. As usual, Bob's insights are always clever and often hilarious. I also very much enjoy his use of language, and his witty turn of a phrase often had me laughing out loud! The book also has enough that's campy/trashy to keep you tittilated, so it would work as a beach-read as well. It's nice to find a story with gay charaters that doesn't take place exclusively in a big city. Kudos to you, Mr Smith!

Hilarious Yet Tender Look at Gay Love and Lust in Alaska.......2007-09-12

Selfish and Perverse is a captivating, hilarious, very gay and very unique book. Smith knows his quirky characters and his settings, Los Angeles and Alaska, inside and out, and manages to make Nelson Kunker endearing, even if he's not the most exciting character in the fabulous first novel. That mantle is reserved for his two love interests, the hard-to-read, smart and cynical yet romantic Alaskan fisherman Roy and the flashy, annoying, but hot movie star Dylan. Staring out with the lowly life of a writer's assistant on a show in Hollywood, with a pit stop sinking into the La Brea Tar Pits, then moving on to remote Alaska, Smith captures each milieu and its inhabitants.

This is also a brilliant book for anyone who's ever written, tried to write, or thought about writing a novel. Nelson's ongoing attempts to write, which we mostly hear about from him, and his agony over not having written, make for great fodder in Smith's hands. Nelson seems young at times, as he waits for the approval of those around him, and while he'll occasionally throw out a zinger or show his anger, for the most part he's cautious, taking his cues from those around him. He has big dreams of writing but is crushed when his boyfriend Roy doesn't ask to read his novel.

It's also the kind of book that, in the midst of joking around, will bust out with a truthful or heartfelt statement that makes you stop to reread it and fully absorb it. There's a tenderness to Smith's sex scenes, as he describes Nelson luxuriating in each vein of Roy's arms, that's sweet and sexy at the same time. Nelson seems like an average, insecure guy, and in some ways, he is--he lacks the flamboyancy of many of the other characters, and yet its his very fears and uncertainties, his mistakes and meanderings, that make him someone it's a pleasure to spend time getting to know. Smith doesn't make anyone here a tragic figure but lets us know that everyone, in their own way, is looking for wholeness, in love and in their careers.

It's to Smith's credit that he made this reader root for Nelson and Roy, but want Dylan to stick around if only to get in their way and be an annoying, showy, needy guy. He's a cheapskate movie star sex addict who needs constant approval and attention, yet I almost felt sorry for him for missing out on the real pleasures of life due to his shallowness. Even the more minor characters, like Roy's mom, Dee, and Nelson's bitchy/funny dyke friend Wendy, are vividly rendered. The unusual setting of a fishing town in Alaska makes for vivid imagery and all sorts of interesting details about things like salmon and nagoonberries. Smith plays up te drastic differences between Nelson's Alaskan life and LA life, the beauty and newness of one and the ludicrousness of the other.I got caught up in this novel and couldn't put it down, and I certainly hope there's more where that came from from Smith.

Seductively Funny.......2007-09-08

Smith, Bob. "Selfish & Perverse"

Seductively Funny

Amos Lassen

Bob Smith is a very funny guy and a very good author. He is considered to be the first openly gay comedian to appear on "The Tonight Show as well as to have his own HBO comedy show. He has also appeared on "Politically Incorrect" "Entertainment Tonight" and "Out There" as well as having won the Lambda Literary Award for his first book, a collection of essays, "Openly Bob". His new book "Selfish & Perverse" is one of those books that will have you both laughing and crying and is a comedic tale in the grand tradition of wit and hilarity.
Smith gives us the story of Nelson Kunker, a guy whose life has reached a standstill. He can't finish his writing of the great American novel, he works at a mediocre job in Hollywood and is unable to find a man to love him, He is 34 and questions himself, doubting whether he's really a gay man or just a man with a lot of talent. Nelson meets Roy Biggs who he thinks has the attributes that he is looking for in a man except that Roy has the unique profession of being an Alaskan salmon fisherman and a student of archeology. As Roy tells Nelson an eerie story about whales,
the two find something in each other and just as they begin to think that there is something serious going on, a handsome and hunky movie star with a questionable past appears, He is Dylan Fabizak, owner of a fantastically beautiful body and a desire to learn a little about everything, but who just happens to be on parole after he had been involved in a very high brow drug bust. Nelson finds him himself mysteriously attracted to Dylan and the three men set out on a fishing trip in far away wilderness of Alaska. Nelson is amazed that after thinking that there was no one in the world for him, there are two men who both want him and are ready to fight over him.
It is here that the hilarity of the novel really gets going and Nelson's life somewhat resembles that of a salmon. The salmon in an attempt to find a partner for sex will travel miles and in the process must avoid and be more intelligent than fishermen who want to catch him for food. Dylan, Hunter, Roy and their lesbian friend Wendy are only some of the characters you will meet in this wonderful book and you will laugh your way through the pages of "Selfish & Perverse".
I love the comparison of Nelson to the fish and how both will stand up to all the obstacles and sacrifice all for the sake of love.
The one-liners come fast and they are gems.\
Smith's take on the way gay men court are also amazing and how he ties cruising to fishing for salmon will keep you laughing long after you have closed the covers of this very well written novel. There is also sex in this novel and Smith also manages to inject humor into his very sexy way of writing. The book is not just funny but it a very clear observation of the way we date with several very touching scenes. Smith can write a really good story and this book shows us just that.

Bob Smith does it again.......2007-09-07

A huge fan of Smith's first two books and now a wonderful work of fiction.
Entertaining, sexy and FUNNY.
What more can you ask for.
I couldnt put it down. I can't wait for the next book. A sequel?
Fingers crossed.

HOT STUFF IN A COLD CLIMATE.......2007-08-29

A very smart and sexy novel -- and truly laugh out-loud funny. There are more wise and wry insights in this book than anything I've read in years. If Jane Austen was a gay man alive today, this is the novel she would aspire to write someday. Get it now!

Customer Reviews:

Excellent essays on the films of our time.......2001-01-13

This book is full of great essays on violence and sex in the cinema. The essays are guaranteed to get you thinking and may make you want to take a second look at some of the most controversial films of our time. I highly recommend this for any film lover, and for anyone who has ever critisized movies for there depictions of violence and sex.

Average customer rating:
Music Therapy-- Intimate Notes: Intimate Notes
Mercedes Pavlicevic
Manufacturer: Jessica Kingsley Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1853026921

Book Description

BradyGames' Spawn: Armageddon Official Strategy Guide features a step-by-step walkthrough leading players through the entire adventure. Complete coverage of Spawn's abilities. Flawless boss strategies and combat tactics. Detailed mission maps pinpoint all important items. Plus, hidden items and game secrets are revealed!

This product is available for sale in North America only.

Book Description

In this fourth edition of his ground-breaking work, Herbert A. Simon applies his pioneering theory of human choice and administrative decision-making to concrete organizational problems. To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the book's original publication, Professor Simon enhances his timeless observations on the human decision-making process with commentaries examining new facets of organizational behavior. Investigating the impact of changing social values and modem technology on the operation of organizations, the new ideas featured in this revised edition update a book that has become a worldwide classic.

Named by Public Administration Review as "Book of the Half Century," Administrative Behavior is considered one of the most influential books on social science thinking, and was referred to by the Nobel Committee as "epoch-making."

Written for managers and other professionals who wish to understand the decision-making processes at the heart of organization and management, it is also essential reading for students in business and management, economics, sociology, psychology computer science, government, and law.

Customer Reviews:

An Under-the-Radar Classic.......2007-04-10

Quick: Choose the two most influential people in business and industry in the latter half of the 20th century. If you chose people in the news, like Bill Gates or Tim Berners-Lee, you'd be wrong. People who make news are the exceptions, the high fliers, the men who bite dogs. The real movers fly under the radar, because they don't bother with exceptions: they define the rules.

So it was with Claude Shannon, who defined the rules of information theory: signal/noise ratios, feedback, errors--the foundation stones for telecommunications and so much more. For the best overview of Shannon's contribution to understanding that "so much more"--molecular biology, linguistics, brain function, etc.--read Jeremy Campbell's Grammatical Man (1982).

And so it was with Herbert A. Simon (1916-2001), who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1978 for his work in administrative decision-making. Administrative Behavior is his definitive work in this area. He went on to expand his thinking into areas such as artificial intelligence.

The book started out as his doctoral dissertation at the University of Chicago, and it is presented here in its 4th and final edition, which gives the original 1st edition text, but with each chapter followed by an update that corrects misconceptions, responds to critics, and shows how new developments in information technology affect his thinking--which, given the precision and strength of the original ideas, isn't really much at all.

I was introduced to Simon's work through the first paper in one of his volumes of collected papers. The argument, which corrected a standard solution to a standard decision problem, covered three pages--a quick read at the bookstore--and was so clear and obvious that I remember it exactly and can explain it in minutes. Perhaps because of that experience, I read the chapters of the original Administrative Behavior--clear, but a bit dry and old fashioned--and then appreciate the update chapters, which are more easy-going and conversational. Each is confident, but in a different way. As for usefulness, well, I've always been a believer in telling people what they already know: it confirms and organizes the knowledge that they've pulled together from many different sources and gives them a common basis for understanding. As a business analyst, mediating between business and IT, I find that Administrative Behavior helps me make sense of everything I know about business processes, enterprise architecture, and automated solutions.

For an assessment of Simon's contribution to modern thought, read the Wikipedia article. There, he is characterized as a political scientist, though the bulk of the discussion is given over to his contribution to decision sciences. But I like to consider Simon and Shannon together, as, respectively, the business side and the IT side of modern business, industry, and government.

IMPRESCINDIBLE.......2007-01-09

This book, it is an excellent work. A good result of a professional life fully dedicated to the study of human behavior. And for me what is more important is that the author "destile" his knowledge in very clear ideas.

Withouth any doubt a classical book.

A Must Read .......2007-01-05

What a great reference for grauduate students of management. A excellent book with current application. Ranks along with Drucker in his approach to decision-making.

Masterpiece on decision-making within organizations.......2003-09-24

The late Herbert A. Simon was Chaired Professor in Psychology and Computer Science at Carnegie-Mellon University. He was awarded the Noble Prize in Economics in 1978, for his work on rational decision-making in business organizations. This book was originally published in 1947; this fourth edition was published in 1997. This book is a result from Simon's research into decision-making processes within administrative organizations (with a larger emphasis on public organizations).

The aims of the book are to describe decision-making processes within human organizations and to examine how modern technology are changing management and decision-making. The book is split up in five parts. The first part, Chapters 2 and 3, lay out conceptual issues to the structure of human choice. The second part, chapter 4 and 4, describe and explain the realities of human decision-making and the influences on the decision-making environment. The third part, chapter 6, discusses the motivational link between the individual and the organization, with a particular emphasis on the influence of authority. The fourth part, chapters 7, 8, 9, and 10, looks in detail at the main organizational influence processes and how these affect the decision-making process. The final part, chapter 11, links analysis to organization structure. Each chapter is very detailed and there is an commentary to each chapter discussing old and new themes impacting on each subject within that chapter.

Yes, yes, yes, this is probably the best book ever written on decision-making and decision-making processes. Perhaps it is not simple and easy to read, since it is very detailed and specific. The extensive commentaries with each chapter is extremely useful and brings this book up-to-date. Highly recommended to all people interested in management and decision-making. The author does not use very simple business-language and there is plenty of psychology terminology, making it not a very quick read. A fantastic masterpiece from a true genius!

Immortal Classic.......2001-12-23

According to Simon, much has been written about actual doings in administrative theory, but less has been written about the processes that precede action, that is, decision-making processes. The main objective of the book is to understand the organizations in terms of decision-making processes. Comprehending the decision-making processes in administrative settings, according to Simon, will give the executives the opportunity of influencing the decisions of lower-level decision makers.

The book starts with a sarcastic criticism of classical administrative theory that has organized itself according to the schools and based mostly on principles. Simon demonstrates the limitations of principles-he calls these proverbs-offered by administrative theory scholars by illustrating how these principles contradict each other under specific circumstances. As an example, the author uses the conflict between unity of command and efficiency. When these two principles conflict with each other under some circumstances, these principles themselves do not give us any criteria that will provide us with the priority ranking that will help us to apply one of them. That is, a set of criteria that will guide the application of these principles must be developed. Instead of gathering around schools, Simon proposes that each theory deal with different domains of administrative organizations and knowledge cumulated about these domains be related to each other and be placed in a larger structure.

Also, Simon asserts that the fact and value must be separated from each other in a decision-making situation. The truth or wrongness of any decision in any administrative setting must be assessed according to the factual content of the decision, believes the author. I am not sure about how can we separate the value from fact, and Simon does not give any satisfactory answer to this problem. This problem belongs not only to Simon, but also belongs to all scholars that follow logical positivistic tradition of science.

The most contributive and thought-provoking chapters of the book are the fourth and fifth chapters in which the author develops the concept "bounded rationality", a concept that has positioned itself in the history of management thinking. First of all, Simon introduces the concept "means-ends hierarchy" to base the rationality on a robust foundation. Rationality is defined as the behavior alternatives (means) that will help the organization members achieve the stated ends above his level of hierarchy. That is, instrumental rationality is accepted. But, Simon asserts that rationality of an individual is bounded because "the number of alternatives he must explore is so great, the information he would need to evaluate them so vast that even an approximation is hard to conceive" (p. 92). Because of the limitations of the psychological environment of the individual, it is impossible for any decision-maker to be purely rational. According to Simon, the pattern of human choice is often more a stimulus-choice pattern than a choice among alternatives (p. 117). Due to information-processing limitations of individual workers the design of the decision-making system becomes very important in that Simon believes that the system must be designed in such a way that brings the "necessary" data (not much data) to the zone of attention of the individual decision makers. The objective for the executives, Simon believes, is to influence "givens" of the employees. Division of work, establishment of work practices, hierarchy of authority, communication system, training and indoctrination are some tools to be used to influence the givens of the individuals in a way to better serve the larger goals of the organization. Based on bounded rationality, "administrative man" makes a decision not to maximize the utility as does the "economic man", but to "satisfice". I think this is a great contribution that has taken a respectable position in the field of organization theory, though the economists are still at rational economic man.

There are very interesting chapters in the book that symbolize the breaking points from the classical administrative theory. However, one of the most important flaws of the book I believe is its assumption that organizational goals (at the top level) are known so that means-ends hierarchy serves a useful purpose. If the members of the organization at the top (top management) are not aware or are "consciously unconscious" of the organizational goals, the whole theory of Simon collapses.

I think and see that the later scholars of administrative theory have not followed the advice of Simon to establish a coherent framework and theory regarding organizational thinking, instead the theory has been splintered into different schools, each of which draws a different picture of organizations based on different premises. I believe this is the indication of richness, not the proof of the immaturity of the field.

Overall I highly recommend this classic to every student of organization theory. This book is worthy of reading several times, despite the discussible points I mentioned.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books