Edge Chronicles 3: Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Edge Chronicles, The)

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SANCTAPHRAX WILL BE destroyed by the energy of the Mother Storm. . . .

Far over the Edge, the Mother Storm is brewing—a storm more terrifying than any seen in the lifetime of any Edgelander. Sweeping in from the open sky, it must strike the source of the Edgewater River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax, a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain. Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who dared to sail over the Edge—and returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide. But to recover his memory and take action, Twig must first find his lost crew. And this means a journey back into the Deepwoods, and beyond. . . .

“As before, Stewart’s descriptions are brilliant; Riddell’s line drawings are exquisitely detailed and notably grotesque. . . . Altogether this series is so exceptional that if I had any chance of collecting, I’d bet good money on it still being in print a century from now. . . . When’s the next book coming?”—Interzone

“Fabulously illustrated. . . .”—The Sunday Times

“Richly inventive. . . .”—Literary Review

Customer Reviews:

Grandpa Reads Grandson Reads.......2007-01-12

The Edge series is just the ticket for a grandpa to read to his near teenaged grandson. The main theme is "Quest." The story holds its own against the high tech toys that command my grandson's attention. The wonderful drawings inform, helps to "see" the action. Believe me there is constant action, constant
challenges to our hero. It is a balanced tale about Twig's mistakes and triumphs. Paul Stewart is a master craftsman with the language. Encourages me to re-read passages that are so well written.

Missing Page.......2006-07-24

The book itself was great. I loved it. However, the book is missing a page. The pages go 225, 226, 229, 228, 229. There is another copy of page 229 instead of page 227. That is why I gave it a 4 star rating. Fortunately, you can still understand what happened even without this page.

just a good book.......2006-05-14

I think that midnight over santaphrax is a great book. Yes, so it is the last of twig's adventures, well at least know. but overall it is a super good book. any edge chronicle fan would enjoy it. i know i did and i am now on the 8th book.

.) .) My heart beats fast, I want it to last .) .).......2006-04-19

This is DEFINTELY the best Edge Chronicle ever. Twig has now fully matured (his hair is as awesome as ever) and he must embark on a mission to save his crew, which has been dispersed by the Mother Storm. Even if most of it isn't told from Twig's POV (meet Cowlquape, the biggest loser in Sanctaphrax) it's still nice to hear about Twig.

This book is pretty episodic, with Twig jumping from one place to another. Unlike "Beyond the Deepwoods" there is a purpose for all this because Twig is trying to find his crew members. In this book Twig travels everywhere: Sanctaphrax, Undertown, Great Shryke Slave Market, and ultimately Riverrise, the holiest place on the Edge. All the while he is accompanied by Cowlquape, who is such a loser it's almost insulting to Twig. Nevertheless, his patheticness makes Twig seem even larger than larger-than life, and I appreciate this.

Edge Fans (and especially Twig fans) like me will be sad to see the brave young captain for the last time. It's so sad that it has to end here. The next time we meet him he is a brave OLD captain and his hair isn't the same :(

P.S. the period/parenthesis arrangement at the top is my pathetic attempt at musical notes. It's not easy one a computer, you know!

Speechless.......2006-01-25

Would you like to go on an action-packed adventure on a flying ship that is sailing into a storm and possibly over the edge of existance? Then this book is for you.

Harry Potter aside, I've never read a fantasy novel more original. The first three installments of these series will have you hooked. You won't be able to put the books down.

In the first installment, Twig is a young boy raised by a woodtroll clan who gets lost in the dangerous Deep Woods and goes on a topsy-turvy adventure you won't want to miss. Man-eating trees, wild wolves, giant insects, gloamglozers -- who would want to miss that?

The second and third installments are twice the fun and we leave Captain Twig at the height of his grandest adventure. But the magic stops here. Be warned, folks. As the books continue on, they get less and less orginal and the stories are not at all as marvelous as they started out. They become repetitive and watered-down. To tell the absolute truth, the series should have stopped after this one. It would have been fine the way it was.

But don't miss the first three installments. You'll love them if you love adventure.

Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: The Edge Chronicles, Book 3

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Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: The Edge Chronicles, Book 3
Paul Stewart , and Chris Riddell
Manufacturer: Listening Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

The Edge Chronicles - Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchasers, Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (SIGNED)

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The Edge Chronicles - Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchasers, Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (SIGNED)
Paul and Chris Riddell Stewart
Manufacturer: David Fickling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Beyond the Deepwoods / Stormchaser / Midnight Over Sanctaphrax - 3 Book Starter Set (The Edge Chronicles, Vol 1-3)

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Beyond the Deepwoods / Stormchaser / Midnight Over Sanctaphrax - 3 Book Starter Set (The Edge Chronicles, Vol 1-3)
Paul Stewart , and Chris Riddell
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: B000UWJ1SK

Product Description

Volume 1 Young Twig lives in the Deepwoods, among the Woodtrolls, but he isnt one of them. In a brave attempt to find out where he belongs, Twig wanders into the mysterious, dangerous world beyond the Deepwoods. He meets a collection of odd companions, such as his wise guardian, the Caterbird; the Slaughterers... Volume 2 Since his childhood in the DeepWoods, young Twig has always longed to soar above the forest canopy and explore the sky. Now a crew member on his fathers sky pirate ship, the Stormchaser, his dream seems fulfilled. But a much higher destiny awaits Twig. Volume 3 Far over the Edge, the Mother Storm is brewinga storm more terrifying than any seen in the lifetime of any Edgelander. Sweeping in from the open sky, it must strike the source of the Edgewater River to bring new energy to the land. But in its way is Sanctaphrax, a magnificent city built on a floating rock and tethered to the land by a massive chain. Only one person can save the Edgelands from certain disaster: Twig, the young sky pirate captain who dared to sail over the Edgeand returned with his memory shattered and his crew flung far and wide.

The Edge Chronicles Midnight Over Sanctaphrax

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The Edge Chronicles Midnight Over Sanctaphrax
Paul and Chris Riddell Stewart
Manufacturer: David Fickling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

The Edge Chronicles, Books 1-3:, Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser and Midnight Over Sanctaphrax

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The Edge Chronicles, Books 1-3:, Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser and Midnight Over Sanctaphrax

Manufacturer: David Fickling Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IEGGR4

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Midnight Over Sanctaphrax
Riddell, Paul, Chris Stewart
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000VTQAUE

Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: Bk. III (Edge Chronicles)

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Midnight Over Sanctaphrax: Bk. III (Edge Chronicles)
Paul Stewart
Manufacturer: Corgi Childrens
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

The Twig Trilogy (Edge Chronicles #1-3): Includes Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser & Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Edge Chronicles)

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The Twig Trilogy (Edge Chronicles #1-3): Includes Beyond the Deepwoods, Stormchaser & Midnight Over Sanctaphrax (Edge Chronicles)
Paul Stewart
Manufacturer: Doubleday UK
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Edge Chronicle Series Volume 1-7; Beyond the Deep Woods; Stormchaser; Midnight Over Sanctaphrax; the Curse of the Gloamglozer; the Last of the Sky Pirates; Vox; Freeglader By Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell

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The Edge Chronicle Series Volume 1-7; Beyond the Deep Woods; Stormchaser; Midnight Over Sanctaphrax; the Curse of the Gloamglozer; the Last of the Sky Pirates; Vox; Freeglader By Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Paul Stewart , and Chris Riddell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Edge Chronicle Series Volume 1-7 by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell.

Book Description

After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the countries of East-Central Europe embarked on a journey to transform themselves into democratic capitalist societies. Their governments searched for strategies that would allow them to pursue radical market reforms within the context of nascent democratic politics. Poland adopted a neoliberal strategy that attempted to push through as much reform as possible before an antireform backlash could occur. In the Czech Republic, a social liberal strategy for transformation attempted to combine neoliberal macro-economic policies with social democratic measures designed to avert such a backlash.

A detailed analysis of Poland and the Czech Republic suggests that alternation between strategies has been the secret to the success of East-Central European countries.

This comparative case analysis identifies the significance of reform mistakes during transition and the corrective benefits of policy alternation, its claims illustrated with an in-depth study of privatization policy in the two countries.

Mitchell A. Orenstein delves into the historic struggle to build capitalism and democracy during a decade of post- communist transition in East-Central Europe and develops a model that explains why democratic policy alternation may accelerate policy learning under conditions of uncertainty and constraint.

Out of the Red is accessible to a general audience and as such is suitable for both graduate and undergraduate courses on political economy. It will be of particular interest to economists, political scientists, sociologists, students of postcommunism, and anyone interested in the relations between capitalism and democracy in the contemporary world.

Mitchell A. Orenstein is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Syracuse University.

Customer Reviews:

Important critique on neoliberalism and democracy.......2001-11-27

Orenstein's book provides a compelling critique of neoliberal strategies implemented in Poland and the Czech Republic emphasizing the underappreciated role of democratic change in policy reform. He clearly outlines his arguments for what he calls "policy alternation" providing substantial evidence of 1) its existence and 2) its effect on policy. As a student of East European studies I found the book to be extremely useful in painting a clear picture of the policymaking process in these two post-communist countries and in filling in many gaps in the relevant literature. The book is very approachable and I highly recommend it to those interested in post-communist democracies - scholars and casual observers alike.

Clear, comprehensive, and compelling.......2001-11-21

The reviewer from New Brunswick, NJ is totally off base and shows remarkably little sign of actually having read the book. Out of the Red is not about "a bad neoliberal Poland and a good social democratic Czech Rep." Instead, the book argues that democratic policy alternation since 1989 has led to better economic performance in both countries, and that Poland has benefited more than the Czech Republic from policy learning as a result of more policy alternations in recent years. Moreover, democratic policy alternations have had such positive effects because the two countries share a common goal - membership of the European Union. Out of the Red offers a subtle and nuanced argument, with rich descriptions, and does not characterize either country as good or bad. In addition, the book is exceptionally well-written and provides a clear and comprehensive analysis of what has happened in these transition countries over the past ten years. It's a must read for anyone interested in the contemporary politics of economic reform.

Missed the point.......2001-11-17

The book is a story of a bad neoliberal Poland and a good social democratic Czech Rep. During the transition. Author begins with the claim that the success of reforms depends on policies and not initial conditions. A poor comparative frame to prove this: Poland's initial conditions were much worse than those in Czech republic indeed. Take foreign debt and hyperinflation for example. The most important, what the author portrays as a social liberal approach in Czech Republic turned out to be a combination of short-term policies to avoid unpopular policies that caused a major economic downturn in Czech Rep. since 1996. Indeed, it was the first country in the region to go into the second post-transition recession! The author's scheme does not explain some obvious facts:
1) Poland experienced the lowest GDP decline and enjoyed the fastest and the most robust recovery in the whole post-Communist world.
2) The amount of social spending to GDP actually grew in Poland during first years of transition.
3) Czech privatization scheme turn out to be a disaster in terms of investment and corporate governance: the companies replaced FDI with acummulation of debts from the banks inside and outside the country, which put a pressure on Czech currency and caused its collapse in 1997.The lack of clear owners did not allow to turn around companies and profitability slipped - so did the employment (so much for socially-oriented policies).
4) "Social liberalism" in Czech Republic was financed from abroad and brought forward acummulation of foreign debt per capita much higher than it is now in Poland: in the beginning of transformation Czech was virtually debt-free.
5) After Czech government was no longer able to purchase social stability on credit card, unemployment soared.
6) Czech privatization worked the way to make the banking sector responsible for the liabilities of the rockbottom companies (Many banks controlled investment funds that acummulated vouchers). As a result, savings were hurt.
7) After bad liberals were removed in Poland, social democrats continued their policy course: for what reason?
8) The much-trumpeted "Strategy for Poland" of Kolodko, mentioned by Orenstein, proved to be a cosmetic alteration of the neoliberal policies. BTW, today it is the left again that imposes fiscal discipline in Poland.

Overall, the book gives an inadequate picture on what happened in the region during transition. It is, however, a good record of the basic misconceptions in the debate about transformation and neoliberalism in general. I would still recommend to read it because of this.

A well written book on eastern Europe and democracy.......2001-10-01

I bought _Out of the Red_ because I have a general interest in the relation between capitalism and democracy and in eastern Europe. It turned out to be one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I've read in a long time. First, the writing is terrific: it's not only clear and straightforward, but also really punchy, with a marvelous sense of irony. I'm sure it would be more than appropriate for undergraduate readers in terms of its style and approach. Second, the thesis really shed new light for me on the different strategies countries in eastern Europe have taken in their transition to capitalism and democracy, specifically Poland and the Czech Republic. The basic idea, as I see it (though I'm not expert in the field), starts with the assertion that Poland and the Czech Republic took contrasting approaches to their political and economic transitions, especially in the area of privitization policy, on which the author focuses a whole chapter. Where Poland followed a "shock therapy" route, the Czech Republic provided more of a social safety net to maintain popular support for "neoliberal" reform policies (the author calls this a "social liberal" route to reform). Here's where it gets interesting. The author suggests that the Polish reformers in instituting shock therapy under conditions of political democracy were able to learn from their mistakes when the social difficulties their policies produced brought their political opponents to power (a rise that, later, produced a pendulum swing in the opposite direction, once again toward shock therapy). In the Czech Republic, in contrast, the political stability created when the government instituted both neoliberal and "cohesion-oriented" policies at the same time actually extended the life of bad policies. The author calls the process by which, under conditions of democracy, eastern European policy reformers have learned from their mistakes, with the pendulum of reform swinging from "neoliberal" to "social liberal" policies and back again, "democratic policy alternation." "Eastern Central European countries that have succeeded in the transformation to capitalism and democracy," the author writes, "have done so not by sticking to a single strategy of reform, but rather by vigorous policy alternation and learning." This was really fascinating to me, and it seems to have implications far beyond its immediate subject, in political science, economics, policy, law, and even "information science" and "knowledge work." A terrific read and a very interesting book!

Out of the Red: Building Capitalism and Democracy in Postcommunist Europe. (Book Reviews). (book review): An article from: Finance & Development

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Out of the Red: Building Capitalism and Democracy in Postcommunist Europe. (Book Reviews). (book review): An article from: Finance & Development
Raj M. Desai
Manufacturer: International Monetary Fund
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Finance & Development, published by International Monetary Fund on March 1, 2002. The length of the article is 762 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: Out of the Red: Building Capitalism and Democracy in Postcommunist Europe. (Book Reviews). (book review)
Author: Raj M. Desai
Publication: Finance & Development (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2002
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Volume: 39 Issue: 1 Page: 54(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Observers and Macroeconomic Systems is concerned with the computational aspects of using a control-theoretic approach to the analysis of dynamic macroeconomic systems. The focus is on using a separate model for the development of the control policies. In particular, it uses the observer-based approach whereby the separate model learns to behave in a similar manner to the economic system through output-injections. The book shows how this approach can be used to learn the forward-looking behaviour of economic actors which is a distinguishing feature of dynamic macroeconomic models. It also shows how it can be used in conjunction with low-order models to undertake policy analysis with a large practical econometric model. This overcomes some of the computational problems arising from using just the large econometric models to compute optimal policy trajectories. The work also develops visual simulation software tools that can be used for policy analysis with dynamic macroeconomic systems.

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The Sweetheart Journeys
Jack E. Skirvin
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1420813765

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When World War II became history, there was a big reception in Boston Harbor followed by a heartwarming celebration at home. Jim would now be able to keep the promise he made to his four sweethearts residing on the west coast; a mighty long way from his bailiwick. Sweethearts Miriam and Loretta were waiting in Oregon and he would board the Great Northern Railway to see them. Rita and Connie were sitting on pins and needles in Los Angeles. His cousin Andy returned home from the War, bought an old Ford, and wanted to go along with Jim to see Hollywood and swing at the famous Palladium. Two of their high school buddies were hitching rides to the north woods and they wanted to go along. So, Jim made arrangements to visit Miriam and Loretta in Oregon; take a semester of classes at Indiana University; and then begin the long journey to Hollywood in his cousin

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Eva Cassidy You're The Voice
Eva Cassidy
Manufacturer: IMP
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Best of Eva Cassidy (Piano/Vocal/Guitar)

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The Eva Cassidy Songbook for Guitar (Songbook)

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Time After Time

ASIN: 1843283395

Book Description

Eva Cassidy's posthumous albums have sold millions. You're the Voice is a collection of ten timeless classics arranged for voice, piano, and guitar, as performed and recorded by the legendary Eva Cassidy. The enclosed CD offers full backings for each song, professionally arranged to recreate the sounds of the original recordings. Titles are: Ain't No Sunshine * Autumn Leav es * How Can I Keep from Singing * Imagine * It Doesn't Matter Anymore * Ov er the Rainbow * Penny to My Name * People Get Ready * Wayfaring Stranger * What a Wonderful World.

Book Description

During World War II, radio broadcasts were fundamental to the morale of the allied troops. When Americans attempted to establish their own network, the Armed Forces Network (AFN), the BBC initially resisted. This documented account of the disputes between Britain and the United States in regard to the airwaves illustrates how, despite the tensions and with the intervention of General Eisenhower and Winston Churchill, the relationship succeeded. It details the political machinations with which the BBC attempted to thwart the development of the AFN and the strategies by which the Americans established and operated the network. It was not long before the AFN captivated a wide British audience and introduced it to the American big bands, such as the Glenn Miller orchestra, and entertainers like Jack Benny and Bob Hope. The tensions and compromises between the two broadcasting networks reflected the disagreements and concessions characteristic of the overall Anglo-American alliance. This lively chronicle of the frictions between the BBC and the AFN, and the portrait it paints of wartime Britain will appeal to a number of audiences, from scholars of the history of broadcasting, to wartime music buffs, to those interested in the politics of World War II, and to the veterans who served in the war.

Customer Reviews:

A New Look at a WWII Battle.......2001-06-21

Not all battles of World War II were fought in the bloody battlegrounds of Europe. Some of the loudest were fought in the boardrooms, pubs, Whitehall seats of power and the Headquarters of the American Expeditionary Forces in London.

Patrick Morely, a longtime BBC staff members re-creates these battles, their losses and their victories, in his book "This is the American Forces Network" and subtitled "The Anglo-American Battle of the Air Waves in World War II".

This air battle didn't involve Hurricanes, Spitfires, Henkels and ack ack. At sometimes friendly, sometime not, swordspoints were the brash young Yanks who were landing by the hundreds of thousands on English soil. Lonely and away from home they wanted American radio. "Nevah," said the staid BBC. "Try our world-class radio," they said. "You'll like it."

They tried it. They didn't like it. Somehow a snail-paced broadcast of a 5 hour cricket match failed to titilate the Yanks who wanted to know who was winning the World Series. Nor did Sunday vesper services adequately replace Jack Benny in their hearts and minds.

The book masterfully traces the laborious formation and eventual birth of the American Forces Network. With awesome scholarship and detail, it manages to enlighten and amuse the reader while untangling the path through the bureaucratic minefields.

As some obscure English writer once said, "All's well that ends well." It won't spoil the ending to know that British broadcasting may well have been pushed a bit into a more modern era of broadcasting as its listeners turned their dials to the brash, informal offerings of the Yanks.

It's an interesting journey and one which ended well. The BBC continues to be one of the world's premiere services. And AFN, which began as the BBC's baby brother 70 years ago is now a world-straddling giant broadcasting to Americans overseas in more than 140 countries.

The book will be of great interest to those who suffered through the blitz and, particularly, to the millions of Americans who have served overseas in the years since who found AFN and its familiar programs a source of home news, familiar voices and favorite music.

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Essential templates to integration

Elegant, Easy to Read, Good Primer for Managers

Great book on a timely topic!

Enterprise Integration: The Essential Guide to Integration Solutions (Addison-Wesley Information Technology Series)
Beth Gold-Bernstein , and William Ruh
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 032122390X

Customer Reviews:

Essential templates to integration.......2005-02-06

The statement on the last page, "This book is not intended to be a full blown integration methodology", holds true. This book is essentially a walkthrough of the provided document templates (see Appendix and the included CD) and provides only limited information about how to use or implement an integration methodology. In fact, the templates are the main reason to buy the book, but don't expect to read about a tried and tested integration methodology or (unfortunately) how to develop an enterprise integration architecture.

The authors do include a fair number of 'lessons learned', but they are scattered across a very repetitive book, so don't assume you can easily find them again. I found the authors' choice of 'important lessons' odd at times. For example, section 8.3 makes some key points about metadata for integration architecture, but the points only feature in the standard text whereas a description about XML is highlighted in a framed box. That really seemed like a waste of two pages.

The second key part of the book is the "Integration Road Map" first introduced on page 11. The road map (not to be confused with a methodology!) is meant as a "step-by-step" guide to implement a reference framework based on the provided templates. Incidentally, it also serves as a reading guide to the book.

The problem with the road map is that it fails to explain how the individual activities (read: templates) hands together, i.e., they lack an obvious way to link the templates together into a coherent architecture description. This is why the book falls somewhat short of the stated goal of demonstrating how to document a reference integration architecture. 'Disjointed' is the word I was looking for.

The authors' have focused on what the templates should describe rather than how the templates describe a certain view or aspect of the enterprise integration to ensure a consistent end-to-end architecture. "Documenting Software Architectures: Views and Beyond" is a good reference on how to do this.

Oh, and before I finish. The book's constant reference to importance of building "re-useable" components is not a bad thing, but just remember that good re-useable software components only come from the knowledge of what and how people will re-use them - guessing will almost certainly only lead to wasted development effort and undermine the business' confidence in the IT department or vendor.

Elegant, Easy to Read, Good Primer for Managers.......2004-12-13

If you are a manager to whom information technologists report, or a manager that employs technical advisors who in turn help oversee varied IT procurements and implementations, then this book is an ideal primer. It can also be scary, because I will wager than in 7 out of 10 cases, the technical experts are not pursuing the enterprise integration fundamentals that this book outlines.

Both authors are strong in their own right. The book bring together Bill Ruh, former MITRE, MITRETEK, and Concepts 5 guru, today the global manager for CISCO AONS, who is updating his 2000 book on the topic, with Beth Gold-Bernstein, who has consulted, lectured, and written on this topic, and has her own book titled "Enterprise Integration: A Practical Approach."

I regard the book, and the topic, as a watershed between the old days of configuration management and a focus on data that was largely within internal custody, and today, when real-time data integration and exploitation is required across both all internal points (i.e. including the 85% that is in emails and hard drives) and external points--not just the web, but supplier, buyer, regulatory, and other databases.

I recommend this book for managers in part because the book itself is quite clear on the fact that information technology by itself, no matter how much money is thrown at it, will not achieve enterprise information integration. Management mind-sets, management metrics, management enforcement of standards and compliance with the strategic direction implied by enterprise integration, are all required.

Early in the book there are important references to both scale and speed, with the key difference between the 1990's and today being that instead of humans accessing the data, there now much more machine to machine communication and sharing, and this requires hyper-speed. There is also much more focus on event-driven information actions, with Delta Airlines being cited as a very good case study--the system must be able to take many autonomous actions triggered by an event (e.g. an airplane more than 15 minutes late, with repercussions across gate management, luggage management, connections management, catering management, etc.). Zero latency, real-time enterprise, and event-driven information transactions are among the buzz words.

The case study of CISCO on page 6 grabbed me early on--my primary focus is on the Global War on Terror (GWOT), and reading about CISCO's move to real-time metrics (this book is *very* strong on metrics, which I take to be a very good thing) and real-time decision making and course corrections, I was thinking to myself that CISCO is to information as special operations are to terror. So when CISCO doubled productivity, cut costs by 30%, and made daily reporting the norm, I say to myself: okay, now let's see that in GWOT....this book is Ref A in answering that challenge. Another case study, on FedEx using hand-held devices as both points of data entry in the field, and end points for data value to the field, also struck me as relevant to GWOT.

Throughout the book, one of its own phrases: "people are the most expensive part of any system," keeps resonating, because everything in here is about either increasing productivity or reducing the time-cost of information transactions. This book also has a very healthy focus on information sharing across all boundaries, with appropriate security, privacy, and legal attributes for each transaction.

Standards receive heavy emphasis throughout.

The book is slightly dated on the topic of automated metastandards and semantic data definitions, but I know the authors to be personally very engaged in the very latest developments surrounding semantic web and synthetic information architectures and other related automated assignments of meaning, so I take this to be primarily an issue of timing--the book had to be put to bed.

The chapters on Information Integration Architecture and on Information Integration, the ones I was most looking forward to reading, strike me as the least developed among the many excellent parts of this book. In part this is because Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is just coming of age, and truly scalable solutions to the challenge of managing global multi-media multi-lingual unstructured information data (Cf. InfoSphere AB in Sweden) are just now coming into being. This chapter does provide an important itemization of key organizations responsible for metadata standards, and lays out a framework for establishing "who needs to know what when" as part of the manager's contribution to the over-all enterprise integration planning process. These two chapters excel in pointing out that information management is about ensuring long-term data value, allowing for reachback over time and space.

In its conclusion the book makes reference to turf wars, training, reducing redundancy, reducing reliance on proprietary technologies with lock-in costs, finding a return on assets, and creating a culture of reuse. The last hundred pages of the book, and the CD-ROM, provide templates that any manager could reasonably demand of their technical advisors. I opened these up and found them very useful, to the point of being worth at least a week if not more of man-time, and hence easily repaying the price of the book many times over.

The bibliography is good and the index has been thoughtfully developed. I recommend this book to anyone who deals with global information in any form, but especially to managers who might be wondering if their IT people have any clue as to where they are taking the enterprise and its information. This book also strikes me a superb textbook, both for undergraduates as a primer, and for graduates as a foundation for a more nuanced discussion. For myself, it was "just enough, just in time" information, exactly what I wanted and needed in my specific context.

Great book on a timely topic!.......2004-12-03

Nothing is hotter in IT right now than integration. The authors have done a great job in not only explaining the term "enterprise integration," but arguing that it's as much a business concept as it is a technological one. The short case-study examples propel the text forward and give it a real-world credibility. The authors have obviously walked the integration walk, and their book is an effective testimonial to their experience.

Jill Dyche
Author of The CRM Handbook and eData

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