Statistics on Occupational Wages and Hours of Work and on Food Prices: October Inquiry Results, 1997 and 1998

Book Description

A vital reference source for anyone interested in conditions of work and life, this trilingual survey provides detailed information on wages, hours of work and the price of food in English, French and Spanish. Published yearly by the International Labour Office, the October Inquiry presents data on 159 occupations, 49 industry groups, and the retail prices of 93 food items thus offering an indispensable statistical resource on the state of labor and employment in countries around the world.

Amazon.com

If you've ever gone out to lunch with a coworker and suddenly found yourself witness to a savage stream of unflattering assessments of bosses, wicked gossip, and the-emperor-has-no-clothes analysis of your industry, you'll know what it's like to read High Stakes, No Prisoners. Ferguson, an MIT Ph.D., started up a company called Vermeer Technologies in 1994, a rough time for startups in Silicon Valley. The country was coming out of a recession, the stock market was stagnant, and the Internet wasn't yet taken seriously by those with money to invest. Vermeer had a software program called FrontPage that only someone who understood the coming power of the Net could appreciate. Even in Silicon Valley, few were so prescient.

Most of High Stakes is the story of Vermeer, from its startup to its sale to Microsoft. (Now bundled with Microsoft Office, FrontPage is used by more than 3 million people worldwide.) Along the way, Ferguson met the players in the Valley and formed strong opinions of them. He describes Netscape CEO Jim Barksdale as an egomaniac and technological dolt in way, way over his head. Oracle founder Larry Ellison is "severely warped." One of his best lines sums up Silicon Valley as a place where "one finds little evidence that the meek shall inherit the earth."

But this isn't just the technological equivalent of WWF trash-talking. Ferguson is very tough on himself, too, and details his own shortcomings as a person and a businessman. Mostly, it's a gloves-off account of how things really get done in high technology today, as refreshingly honest and acerbic an account as you'll ever read. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

High Stakes, No Prisoners is a sharp, brilliant insider's account of the way Silicon Valley really works: the sharks, powerful incumbents, and old-boy networks who play hardball all the time and the geniuses who make the products that have changed the world.

Charles Ferguson started Vermeer Technologies and turned his very cool, very big idea into FrontPage, the first software product for creating and managing a website. A mere twenty months after starting the company, he sold it to Microsoft for $133 million, making a fortune for himself and his associates. FrontPage now has millions of users and is bundled with Microsoft Office. But getting there wasn't always fun.

High Stakes, No Prisoners is the book about the Valley and reflects Ferguson's unique experience not only as a successful entrepreneur but also as a policy analyst, computer industry consultant, and academic.

Reveals A Great Internet Success Story

High Stakes, No Prisoners is a highly personal account of what it really takes to win as a high-technology startup, especially in the Internet industry, where any speed below warp nine doesn't get you to takeoff. From securing venture capital to getting both the strategy and the technology right, from dealing with Microsoft's power to working with some of the quirkiest, smartest people on the planet, it's all here. The Valley story has never been told with this much depth and honesty.

Reports from the Trenches of the Internet Wars Vermeer was right in the middle of the battle between Microsoft and Netscape. Both companies wanted to either acquire Vermeer or kill it.

Skewers the Sacred Cows of the Valley

Yes, Microsoft declared war on Netscape, but the latter's demise was caused as much by itself as by Microsoft. Ferguson, for example, sees Jim Barksdale, the former CEO of Netscape, as arrogant, ignorant about technology, distracted by politics and glamour, and running a company in partnership with a twenty-three-year-old who'd never held a serious job before." Here's Netscape as it has never before been revealed.

Explains the Real Problem with Microsoft Microsoft's business model is unquestionably one of the great creations of American business. But its power has become so great, its behavior so unrestrained, and its abuses so dangerous that intelligent action has to be taken. Ferguson's analysis of what must be done is a major contribution to one of the most important public-policy questions of our time.

Silicon Valley is the crown jewel of the American economy and a critical driver of American technology. It's electric, addictive, vulgar, full of brilliance, brutally fair and brutally unfair, fiercely competitive, often dishonest, tremendously exciting, and utterly unique. With High Stakes, No Prisoners, the real story has finally been told--with frankness, insight, and great wit.

Customer Reviews:

Very informative.......2005-01-11

OK, If I could I'd give it 4.5 stars or so -- there are flaws. But basically, the book has a lot of great info, especially for geeks who work in the software business. There are very few books on the business side of things.

The author is incredibly blunt. Perhaps a bit nasty. But it is clear that he had to do it so that he didn't get fleeced. Also, it is great to see someone with a backbone.

The step-by-step evolution of stuff is great. You really get a feel for what happened, when it happened.

I'd say it is required reading for geeks.

This guy has *issues*.......2004-12-14

Yes, Charles is brilliant, arrogant and is lightening-fast in seeing the failings of others and himself and is willing to take ownership of them (rectifying the situation and doing something about it is another story completely...). However, he also has a massive inferiority-complex when up against anyone with more brains, more money, more privilege or more power than himself hence his complete disdain for anything Microsoft-related (never mind that it was the hand that fed him and he continues to bite it). He also fails to see that you can attract a lot more bees with honey instead of vinegar. It's not a coincidence that everyone from Vermeer, except Charles eventually landed a job at Microsoft, I suspect Gates was smart enough to see just how insanely jealous Charles must be of him. As for his acidic portrayal of many of the players in the book, I'm fairly sure Charles really reserves his most toxic rage and disdain for those persons who display A)either negative qualities he has and sees a lot of himself in and wished he did not have (i.e career opportunism, uppity-ness) or B)positive qualities he wished he had but is too nasty to ever take time out to acquire and attract (i.e Gates with his greater reserves of intelligence, power and wealth). Gates also has a quality and understanding that Charles doesn't: that life isn't just about accumulating stuff, but about the quality and integrity of the relationships around you. Gates is no innocent either but at least I've never heard any stories about him running around on his wife and kids and the people he surrounds himself with have been with him for years. Charles, on the other hand goes through people like toilet paper, he even admits that he's so impossible that people either dislike him right away or shortly thereafter - as exemplified in this book.
I've actually dated him and yes, his character does come out in his writing very strongly. So yes, he is a real jerk, and can be an even larger jerk especially when you've outsmarted him in any slight way. That being said, he also has a very warm, human, giving and honest side which for some unknown reason he hoards jealously (and glimpses of it come out here and there in the book), which is why in the book he skewers just about everyone and their dog. It's really too bad - with a talent and intelligence like that, he could have gotten a lot more for Vermeer, a lot more for himself and he'd be a happier human being instead of a 50-ish, balding, lonely, bitter software millionaire in a Mazda Miata.
A+ = for writing, use of wit and humour as well as quality
A = for relevancy of content
B = for character portrayal
C = for overall importance in the grand scheme of things

Straight shooter who did it right.......2002-11-16

Charles Ferguson, an MIT PhD, was the founding CEO of Vermeer Technologies, a company that developed one of the first web design tools. Vermeer sold the company to Microsoft for a boatload of money and lived to tell the tale. It's a fasinating story of what its really like on the inside of a high-tech startup replete with politics, hard-ball negotiations and strange bedfellows. Ferguson may be arrogant, but he's smart and tells it like it is. Anyone thinking of building a startup should read this book.

Sometimes interesting narrative, but flawed analysis.......2001-09-24

Charles Ferguson is smart. Charles Ferguson knows he's smart. But Charles Ferguson thinks he's smarter and more important than he really is, and this makes this otherwise interesting book sometimes painful to read.

The chapters covering the formation through eventual acquisition of Vermeer Technologies are an interesting education in the ways of VCs and hi-tech startups in the mid 90's. However, the last three chapters of the book are pretty worthless. These contain Ferguson's analysis of the industry and predictions for the future, and suffer because of Ferguson's worldview that he and Vermeer were far more important to the industry than they actually were. Ferguson lacks an understanding of large IT operations, and it's unfortunately evident in these chapters.

Ferguson's pronounced hostility towards certain actors in his book - including former subordinates - also makes for uncomfortable reading. Some things should simply be kept private.

Buy the book if you want to learn about VCs and hi-tech startups early in the Internet era, and don't mind wading through Ferguson's ego eruptions. Otherwise, skip it.

An Authentic Silicon Valley Story.......2001-07-25

Mr. Ferguson's book is the only narration I have so far encountered (including Mr. Michael Lewis' THE NEW NEW THING, Mr. Po Bronson's THE NUDIST ON THE LATE SHIFT, and Mr. Randall E. Stross' EBOYS) that may actually represent what goes on in the entrepreneur world, and it does so in a straightforward tone with a whole lot of humor- and some cynicism- thrown in, making the book an enjoyable read.

What's amazing about this book is its age: although the book is from 1999, much of what Mr. Ferguson concludes about where the industry is headed has come true or is slowly being recognized by the mainstream line of thought (this is quite an accomplishment in case you do not understand the rarity of such occurrences). Mr. Ferguson actually understands the technology and business underlining his startup as well, and he isn't afraid to admit when his comprehension falls short. Ask any engineer- this personality attribute in leaders of the entrepreneur world is becoming increasingly uncommon, unfortunately.

If you're looking for a book that is written by someone who has been there and has also stood the test of time in terms of holding its conclusions intact, this is it for the late 90s era. If you're looking for a book by an outsider who doesn't seem to understand what's really going on and that romanticizes Silicon Valley or Route 128, look for something else. I especially recommend this book to anyone who is frustrated with the herd mentality in the tech world and would like to read something that has a refreshing independence to its views.

(Actually, on second thought, if you're looking for a book that humorously shoots itself in the foot with its free-wheeling conjectures and hasty exclamations prior to the stock market correction, check out those books I listed above).

Amazon.com

Ruthann Robson's canny, well-written essays on lesbian legal theory and pedagogy, rooted in her experience as a lesbian professor at a progressive law school, offer a sparkling application of poststructural analysis, queer theory, and cautious, common-sense feminism to a wide range of legal problems and possibilities. She begins by imagining Sappho as a modern-day law student, with the hope of uncovering Sapphic rather than Socratic methodologies in legal theory: "How could [invoking Sappho] change the ways in which we understand, practice, and apply law? What if we adopted the Sapphic lyric as a mode of communication and understanding rather than Socratic argumentation?"

Included are essays on lesbians and criminal justice, same-sex marriage, child custody cases, and the role of personal experience in postmodern theorizing. In her provocative closing essay, "Lesbian Sex in a Law School Classroom," Robson describes the difficulties of teaching a course entitled "Sexuality and the Law" to a diverse group of students, some of whom object to the word "sex" appearing on their law school transcript, while others cannot help but unburden their private lives to her during her office hours. With its multitude of stories and its playful ambivalence toward personal narrative, even the theory-weary will find Sappho Goes to Law School stimulating and unusual. --Regina Marler

Book Description

-- Library Journal

In Sappho Goes to Law School Ruthann Robson weaves together concepts taken from traditional legal theory, postmodernism, feminist theory, and queer theory, as well as her own personal experience in the courtroom and classroom, to take stock of the complexities of lesbian identity and the often detrimental ways in which legal scholarship approaches lesbianism.

Customer Reviews:

A unique look at lesbians in the law.......2001-12-20

Robson is an openly lesbian, politically progressive law professor. (In later articles, she has come out as a cancer victim as well.) This is a collection of her essays on lesbians, homosexuality and the law. This book has a great introduction. Robson is a complex thinker, so do not assume this book will just say, "Aren't lesbian lawyers cool!?" Robson's analysis of legal issues can be overly pessimistic at times: as if one domestic partner law or pro-gay legal decision can be criticized for not removing all oppressions throughout the world! Still, this was an interesting read. It differs from many gay legal texts.

Average customer rating:

Sappho Goes to Law School
Ruthann Robson
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPKB1O

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Sappho Goes to Law School
Ruthann Robson
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPM9ZA

Book Description

Marine biological science is now studied at the molecular level and although research scientists depend on information gained using molecular techniques, there is no book explaining the philosophy of this approach. Molecular Approaches to the Study of the Ocean introduces the reasons why molecular technology is such a powerful tool in the study of the oceans, describing the types of techniques that can be used, why they are useful and gives examples of their application. Molecular biological techniques allow phylogenetic relationships to be explored in a manner that no macroscopic method can; although the book deals with organisms near the base of the marine food web, the ideas can be used in studies of macroorganisms as well as those in freshwater environments.

Customer Reviews:

from Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology.......2002-08-06

"This excellent book is effectively series of mini-reviews covering the complete gamut of molecular techniques which have recently become available to the marine biologist or oceanographer...The book is beautifully presented and all contributions are of the highest quality; the editor has done a fine job of maintaining consistency without suffocating the authors' individual styles"
- by Bill Burnett, Center for Tropical Coastal Management Studies

Book Description

Hardbound.

Book Description

In recent years, the study of weak interaction and its relationship with the other fundamnetal interactions of nature has progressed rapidly. Weak interactions of leptons and quarks provides an up-to-date account of this continuing research. The Introduction discusses early models and historical developments in the understanding of the weak force. The authors then give a clear presentation of the modern theoretical basis of weak interactions, going on to discuss recent advances in the field. These include development of the eletroweak gauge theory, and the discovery of neutral currents and of a host of new particles. There is also a chapter devoted entirely to neutrino astrophysics. Its straightforward style and its emphasis on experimental results will make this book an excellent source for students (problem sets are included at the end of each chapter) and experimentalists in the field. Physicists whose speciality lies outside the study of elementary particle physics will also find it useful.

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Leptons and Quarks
L.B. Okun
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0444860029

Book Description

Paperback

Customer Reviews:

The Ocean City Boardwalk.......2007-07-03

I enjoyed looking at the book. As a frequent visitor, for many years, to Ocean City I was interested in seeing, and having, this book. I was a little disappointed that it was principally a pictorial. I would have liked to see more historic pictures, and a little written to go along with the pictures.

Average customer rating:

Summer Half: A Barsetshire Novel
Angela Mackail Thirkell
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0881847844

Book Description

The denouement of Philip Winter's ill begotten engagement to featherbrained Rose Birkett is enacted in full view of Southbridge School's extended family during a holiday break. Everyone, including her parents, is rooting for Philip's escape which occurs when Rose breaks it off as the utter dullness of being engaged overwhelms her. Along the way, we enjoy the tea party where Rose, "through sheer want of personality brings the talk to her own level" and confounds her audience by insisting that Hamlet and Shakespeare are both names of plays (and probably the same one).

As in many of Thirkell's books, the characters refer to a body of literature, both classic and modern, with a casualness that would be improbable today; the assumption of a shared background and culture having been lost. The ceremony of the "Cleaning of the Pond" by Lydia, Eric Swan and a much improved Tony Morland brings the holiday to a satisfactory conclusion as does a match between Kate Keith and Everard Carter.

ELLERY QUEEN'S ANTHOLOGY: Volume 43 - Spring Summer 1982: The Will o' the Wisp Mystery; Chain of Terror; The Sark Lane Mission; The President's Half Disme; The Strong and the Weak; The Dead Past; Don't Cry Sally Shy; The Second Reason; Attention to Detail

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ELLERY QUEEN'S ANTHOLOGY: Volume 43 - Spring Summer 1982: The Will o' the Wisp Mystery; Chain of Terror; The Sark Lane Mission; The President's Half Disme; The Strong and the Weak; The Dead Past; Don't Cry Sally Shy; The Second Reason; Attention to Detail
Ellery (editor) (Edward D. Hoch; Patricia McGerr; Michael Gilbert; Ruth Rendell; Thomas Walsh; Barbara Callahan; William Brittain; Robert Edward Eckels; Gerald Tomlinson; William Bankier; Edgar Wallace; David Bradt; Rosalind Ashe; Lawrence Block) Queen
Manufacturer: Davis Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Half-Hours Of Blind Man's Holiday V2: Or Summer And Winter Sketches In Black And White

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Half-Hours Of Blind Man's Holiday V2: Or Summer And Winter Sketches In Black And White
William W. Fenn
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0548306915

Book Description

In Two Volumes. This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

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Half-hours with the summer stars,
Mary Proctor
Manufacturer: A.C. McClurg & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Merry Sunshine : Crochet a Summer Outfit: 10 ½ Pillow Doll. Doll and Dress fits over half doll body and pillow base. Dress also fits 13 standing doll. Instructions for slip included. (Fibre-Craft, FCM197)

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Merry Sunshine : Crochet a Summer Outfit: 10 ½ Pillow Doll. Doll and Dress fits over half doll body and pillow base. Dress also fits 13 standing doll. Instructions for slip included. (Fibre-Craft, FCM197)
Roberta Srock
Manufacturer: Fibre-Craft Materials corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000WEHQBU

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SUMMER HALF
Angela Thirkell
Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VVYUS6

Vacationland: A Half Century Summering in Maine

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Vacationland: A Half Century Summering in Maine
David E. Morine
Manufacturer: Down East Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

New England | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0892725389

Anatomy of a road trip: getting there really is half the fun when you pack these gadgets and goodies.(summer travel): An article from: Mississippi Magazine

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Anatomy of a road trip: getting there really is half the fun when you pack these gadgets and goodies.(summer travel): An article from: Mississippi Magazine

Manufacturer: Downhome Publications, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B00082RFOY
Release Date: 2005-06-01

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Mississippi Magazine, published by Downhome Publications, Inc. on July 1, 2004. The length of the article is 7920 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Anatomy of a road trip: getting there really is half the fun when you pack these gadgets and goodies.(summer travel)
Publication: Mississippi Magazine (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2004
Publisher: Downhome Publications, Inc.
Volume: 22 Issue: 6 Page: 54(2)

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Half full or half empty - lakes in trouble this summer.(Weather)(Some of the summer fun at area reservoirs may be left high and dry): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

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Half full or half empty - lakes in trouble this summer.(Weather)(Some of the summer fun at area reservoirs may be left high and dry): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

Manufacturer: The Register Guard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009H3FJW
Release Date: 2006-07-14

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on March 31, 2005. The length of the article is 995 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Half full or half empty - lakes in trouble this summer.(Weather)(Some of the summer fun at area reservoirs may be left high and dry)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: March 31, 2005
Publisher: The Register Guard
Page: a1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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