The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology

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The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, Revised Edition, 2003

A new approach to IT investment and business results

A refreshing view of IT investment and business results

Highly Recommended!

Excellent synthesis of ideas on getting value back from IT

The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology
John Thorp , and Fujitsu Consulting's Center for Strategic Leadership
Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0071342656

Book Description

As corporations invest more and more in cutting-edge computer telecommunications technology, figuring out how these investments impact the bottom line is increasingly problematic. While CIO's and other strategic leaders eagerly sign up for newer and jazzier systems, it has become the job of line managers to figure out how to manage these high-tech toys--and to measure whether or not they are effective. The paradox lies in this very problem: without tools to measure results, how can we effectively implement new technology? "Information technology," after all, is about providing new information. But these systems fail to provide the most crucial bit of information managers need: Is this technology paying off for my company?

Customer Reviews:

The Information Paradox: Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, Revised Edition, 2003.......2005-08-27

My comments on this excellent book are based on my 35 years working as a public servant within the Government of Canada and on its applicability to a government context. The Government of Canada invests in its employees and programs and is committed to demonstrating and evaluating in a transparent manner the benefits and results, whether expected or not, of its programs. This book focuses on information technology (IT) investments and explains why they often do not realize their promised benefits or results. Although IT leads to more and often better information, the paradox is that having more and better information does not automatically lead to realizing the expected benefits for the business or government program that made the investment. Going from our expectations of information technology to `better information' to better programs that realize the benefits and results is not always a straight line. This book by John Thorp helps us to better understand the complexity involved in linking information, how information is transforming the way employees think and act, and the strategy for realizing the expected and desired benefits. But more importantly, this book provides us with useful models (especially the Results Chain model), tools and techniques to address the complexity and make the linkages work so as to increase the likelihood of realizing the benefits. The Information Paradox should be compulsory reading for government (and business) managers and consultants who are concerned with planning new programs intended to realize expected benefits or with evaluating existing programs to determine if benefits are being realized. The models, tools and techniques described in the book will contribute to best practices in government evaluation and performance measurement.

A new approach to IT investment and business results.......2004-04-05

This book helps to understand why some of IT projects don't bring the expected business results. The book lays a new approach to help mapping between Information Technology investments and achieving business values.

A refreshing view of IT investment and business results.......2004-04-05

Highly Recommended!.......2001-08-07

John Thorp's book recalls Mark Twain's definition of a classic as "a book you want to have read but don't want to read." If you're an executive with control over your company's information technology purse stings, you probably don't want to read a book this detailed in the intricacies of IT, which is exactly the reason that you should. Thorp's initial premise is that many IT investments never pan out in part because the people that are signing off on them have absolutely no idea what to expect. This book will give you a clue, but don't expect to enjoy it. It's dense with IT terminology, change and program management strategies and valuation techniques. We [...] recommend this book to all of you professionals who know that you need a better understanding of information technology, even if you won't admit it. Don't put off reading this book, no matter how much you'd like to.

Excellent synthesis of ideas on getting value back from IT.......1999-06-21

Well-structured well-written thought-provoking book. Good mix of theoretical and case-study materials. Clearly introduces useful models and analytical methods. Applies the balanced scorecard approach to IT value measurement, linked with an emphasis on sound programme management/control to constrain IT costs. The bottom line: a darn good read!

Book Description

'For anyone interested in learning about the landscape, particularly for anyone wanting to go forth and muddy their boots to find out more, this is an excellent introduction…a guide to how to understand what is all around us.' - East Midland Historian, 2000

'this latest book from Richard Muir deserves to become influential with a wide range of landscape professionals. It should also appeal to the knowledgeable amateur and be required reading by all those responsible for developing and managing change in the landscape…Although covering a lot of material, the book is written well enough to maintain interest and to be re-read. It is ably supported by effective quotations, maps, figures and summary tables.' -Landscape Research, Vol. 26, No 1, 65-76, 2001

Overall, the title of Muir's The New Reading the Landscape: Fieldwork in Landscape History describes exactly what this book is: a guide to how we can use evidence contained within the fabric of today's countryside to understand its history. It is extremely well illustrated, very reasonably priced, and will form a valuable guide for anyone who is curious about the history of our landscape.' - Devon Archaeology Society Newsletter, May 2000

'It allows the reader to begin to make some sense of what the landscape mutely records about the beliefs and social patters of past societies. It is supported in this by an attractive format, clear informative diagrams and beautiful black-and-white photographs that vividly illustrate the landscape described in the test. The breadth gives a newcomer to the field a sufficiently good general introduction to the theory and practice of landscape history to be able to go out and 'try it for themselves', with the likelihood of achieving a fair initial result.

'The excellent presentation, the thematic arrangement and the breadth of the book means that…it will deservedly become a textbook for the next generation of students of the landscape. There is nothing else quite like it in combining the theoretical perspectives with practical hints for field observation and interpretation, despite a number of recent publications. It has filled a gap that needed filling.' The Local Historian, February 2001

'This completely rewritten version of Muir's earlier book about the interpretation of landscape, originally published 20 years ago, is exciting and compulsive reading. It covers a range of aspects of landscape history (or historical geography, depending on how you look at it) in an eclectic and passionate way, combining analysis and aesthetics in brilliantly fluid narrative…The book will be an ideal companion for teachers who themselves are keen on fieldwork and who want to know more about the heritage and the underlying sub-text of the landscape in which they and their classes go out to study and learn.' -Times Educational Supplement, 23 June 2000

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Catalogue of Visual & Infrared Photometry of Galaxies from 0.5 Um to 10 Um (1961-1985) (University of Texas Monographs)
Antoinette De Vaucouleurs , Giuseppe Longo , and Antoinette De Vaucouleurs
Manufacturer: University of Texas, Department of Astronomy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books
Astronomy | Astronomy | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0960379657

Book Description

Two institutions of New England, our fall colors and Henry David Thoreau, are brought back together in this posthumously published rumination on Nature. This is Thoreau classic essay on the colors of New England fall.

Customer Reviews:

An essay omitted from many anthologies.......2002-01-02

Published in _Atlantic Monthly_ five months after his death, this essay describes the colors of the New England landscape as Henry David Thoreau saw them in the mid-1800s. His motivation for writing such words seems to have been his neighbors' apathy and indifference toward the natural world, for "A man sees only what concerns him." And so Thoreau speaks of the beauty of purple grasses and of maples, elms, and oaks. He doesn't mind the fallen willow leaves that land in his boat and doesn't clean them out -- he accepts them as extra cushioning for his seat. One wonders what Henry would think now, when tourists are apt to drive to New England on fall weekends, just to see the leaves. There's no earth-shattering revelations in this booklet. It's just an easy read for a crisp and bright October day.

"Autumnal Tints" and "Wild Apples" in The Atlantic Monthly, Volume X, 1862

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"Autumnal Tints" and "Wild Apples" in The Atlantic Monthly, Volume X, 1862
Henry David Thoreau
Manufacturer: Ticknor & Fields
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000KD5L3I

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October, or Autumnal Tints
Margaret Stucki
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 140108463X

Book Description

The riveting account of a 1913 storm that paralyzed the heart of America

Autumn gales have pursued mariners across the Great Lakes for centuries. On Friday, November 7, 1913, those gales captured their prey. After four days of winds up to 90 miles an hour, freezing temperatures, whiteout blizzard conditions, and mountainous seas, 19 ships had been lost, two dozen had been thrown ashore, 238 sailors were dead, and the city of Cleveland was confronting the worst natural disaster in its history.

In White Hurricane, writer and mariner David G. Brown combines narrative intensity with factual depth to re-create the events of the "perfect storm" that struck America's heartland. Interweaving human drama, mystery, and historical consequence, Brown has created a vast epic ranging over Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie and echoing down the decades.

Customer Reviews:

Best yet.......2007-08-24

Brown's presentation of the "Big Blow" is the best compilation of information currently available. The central "character" is the storm, and while jumping from one ship to another might seem confusing, that is exactly what the storm was. While Barcus' "Freshwater Fury" is very good, Brown excels in that he not only shows the problems modern historians have in trying to understand the meager records of the day, but also has consulted trained meteorologists in an attempt to give the whole picture. While he does apply some speculation, in most cases he presents it as such.

While this is the best, it's not perfect. A comparison of many authors who have published works on this storm reveals many glaring contradictions, even though all are recognized historians. Brown does better than the others in acknowledging conflicting accounts, and given that many reports and records of the time were designed for sensationalism or covering mistakes, one must expect some variety in the conclusions of the authors. My own preference would be to have all the sources footnoted and compared, but that would have made a tome that few would be able to handle. Because Brown makes a couple of minor errors it still leaves one wondering where the line is between historical fact and reasonable speculation.

I read this book before purchasing it for my library. I think it's worth having there.

The Great Lakes Perfect Storm of 1913.......2007-02-22

In "White Hurricane" the reader is taken on a fascinating and frightening trip across each of the Great Lakes during the November Gale of 1913. Winds would reach 90 miles an hour, and waves cresting intense heights of 35 feet.
With a dozen ships sunk, another twenty five stranded (or shored), and at least 250 lives lost. "White Hurricane" keeps the reader on edge, and in suspense as Brown jumps, back and forth, from ship to ship...While describing the terrifying events of those five days on the Great Lakes.
The only draw-back of Browns jumping is the reader needs to pay close attention as to where he leaves off, with each ship.
Other than that, the book is highly interesting, moving, and suspenseful. It touches the heart of the reader, and the sailors come alive, and Brown pulls the reader into the events of the storm, causing a chilling feeling, as if they were there.
Brown also describes the inadequacies of the National Weather Service in 1913, and how the events of this storm would bring about improvement. Also, rescue services would immensely improve over the years, the rescue crews of 1913 were a courageous lot beyond compare. The tid-bits of information regarding the attempts the rescue crews made, send chills down the readers spine.
White Hurricane is a recommended read, with interesting facts of history and America's deadliest maritime disaster.

MAKES "THE PERFECT STORM" LOOK LIKE A PICNIC.......2004-12-25

In November 1913, multiple storm systems collided above the Great Lakes, fueling a deadly maelstrom that lasted several days. There was no ship-to-shore radio. Meteorology was in its infancy; the jet stream hadn't even been discovered yet. Weather news was transmitted via telegraph, and then signal flags were hoisted at assorted spots along shorelines to warn mariners. It wasn't enough.

After unseasonably warm weather in the 60s, ships docked along all the Great Lakes set out for their final trip of the season. For many of them, it was their final trip, period.

The author compiles a staggering quantity of data from a by-gone era to present a sequential, methodical telling of the multitude of ships which sailed headlong into the worst Great Lakes storm in recorded history. While his wide-ranging narrative can sometimes lose the reader in a blizzard of names and places, gradually a larger picture comes clear of flesh-and-blood men struggling to just get home against unimaginable odds. This book evokes tension, courage, even nightmares, followed by heartwrenching tales of frozen bodies washing up on beaches, lifeboats occupied by dead sailors lashed to their seats, and even a message in a bottle hastily penned by a man who knew he'd be dead in minutes (and whose corpse indeed washed ashore a few weeks after this bottle was found). This is man vs. nature, this is man looking into the abyss, this is man meeting his Maker in no uncertain terms.

The next time you stroll along a sunny beach with the water washing around your ankles, consider this:

Your ship battles 30-foot waves driven by sustained 70-mph winds. Out on deck, there's a jackline which extends from bow to stern, specifically to help sailors walk safely along the ship's deck in rough seas. That jackline is now coated with ice as thick as a man's torso. Soon the waves smash out the pilothouse windows. Skylights in the boiler room have also shattered; men somehow continue to shovel coal into the engines while knee-deep in 40-degree water. One gigantic wave actually crushes the pilothouse; all hope of navigation has now vanished. The captain shouts to drop anchor; within minutes the anchor's chain snaps like twine. The ship's inch-thick steel plating begins to crack, and iron rivets snap like buttons. There's nothing to do now but pray and wait to drown--and every minute lasts an eternity.

Entertaining & accurate; better than fiction........2004-07-13

Dave Brown has really done the necessary, comprehensive research. His description of Great Lakes' shipping is 100% accurate. The reporting is factual and not embellished with contrived dialogue. I was an engineer in Great Lakes and ocean ships, one cited in the book, and can visualize the events he described and emphasize with the crewmen's situations.

The last trip of the season.......2003-12-17

Ninety years ago this November, one of the worst disasters in Great Lakes history took place over a period of four days, when twelve ships foundered and thirty-one were stranded, and 253 sailors drowned during the deadliest storm ever to hit the Great Lakes. The actual toll was probably higher, but no single agency in 1913 kept track of vessels lost or sailors killed. According to this author, the death toll did not include "the commercial fishermen, hunters, or anglers who also lost their lives."

At least three books have been written about this storm, including "Fresh Water Fury" (1960), "Ships Gone Missing" (1992), and this book by David G. Brown, published in 2002. One of the things that sets Brown's book apart from the others is his meticulous meteorological reconstruction of the 1913 storm that raged for four days in early November and sank ships on Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron (the worst hit) and Erie.

According to the author's research, the weather in early November 1913 was remarkably dry and balmy, tempting the shipping companies into making one last run before the end of the season. The U.S. Weather Bureau issued storm warnings on November 7, 8, and 9 but these did not come close to suggesting the true ferocity of the 'White Hurricane.' In fact the Weather Bureau never did post hurricane warnings--two red flags with black centers, displayed one above the other--on the Great Lakes, preferring to reserve that warning for tropical storms even though the four-day storm that struck the Lakes was of hurricane intensity.

This book is organized as a temporal narrative of the storm, starting on Wednesday, November 5 as freighters such as the 'Charles S. Price' took on loads of coal, railroad ties, and iron ore for their last trips of the season. The 'Price's' Assistant Engineer Milton Smith had such a strong premonition about the forthcoming voyage that he quit his job and went home. He would later be asked to identify the bodies of his shipmates that washed up on Huron's icy shores.

On November 6, ships on western Lake Superior were already experiencing rough weather, but nothing that qualified as a full-fledged November gale--not yet. In Detroit, a prominent halo ringed the moon, perhaps bringing to mind the rhyme: "When halos ring the moon or sun/ Rain is coming on the run." In the case of this particular storm, it was a warning of the ferocious blizzard that would paralyze Cleveland and other cities on the Lakes, and add to the woes of the ships that were already battling life-threatening gales.

The empty wooden bulk freighter 'Louisania' was the first casualty of the storm. On Saturday, November 8, the onrushing gale stranded her near Port des Mortes on Lake Michigan, where she burned to the waterline. Up on Lake Superior, the storm "began picking apart the 'L.C. Waldo' shortly after midnight near the Keweenaw Peninsula." Her sailors were some of the lucky few to be picked up from their stranded, ice-bound freighter, but they would have to wait until Monday, November 10 to be rescued.

Brown's narrative of the height of the storm is truly frightening and he can only speculate on the fates of the ships that disappeared far from land. Of the seventeen ships known to be in lower Lake Huron on Sunday, November 9, only two survived and they sustained serious damage.

This book also provides an extended aftermath, appendices, bibliography, and index.

If you'd like to read more about the 'Big Blow' of 1913, I highly recommend Dwight Boyer's "True Tales of the Great Lakes," William Ratigan's "Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals," and the above-mentioned "Ships Gone Missing" by Robert J. Hemming.

Book Description

The most up-to-date and comprehensive one-volume English/Hebrew, Hebrew/English Dictionary available anywhere in the world.

46,000 entries, including a concise explanation of the essentials of grammar in both languages. Hundreds of new words in both English and Hebrew.

Customer Reviews:

Avoid this dictionary.......2007-08-29

I am a native speaker in both Hebrew and English so my usage of the dictionary may be biased towards the less frequent words. That said, I cannot recall a single instance when I looked up a word in this dictionary and found a proper translation. In those few cases where a translation was available (and those were few indeed) it was terse and incoherent. This dictionary is completely useless to anyone beyond a total novice and even a beginner may want more comprehensive translations than what is begin offered.
There are much better dictionaries on the market and there is no reason to waste money on this one.

A solid pocket dictionary.......2006-05-01

I used this book when I was a beginner and I recently bought a new copy because the old one fell apart after a few years of carrying it around. The book is a bit flimsy, made of newsprint so the pages can rip easily and the cover and spine start to weaken after a while. But I can't complain about that too much because the price is quite low.

I never had any problems with the print quality. I just flipped through it now and I could see the difference between nun's and gimel's with no trouble.

Sometimes the word I try to look up isn't in the dictionary. That's frustrating, but pocket dictionaries are always limited in scope. Any serious student should have a heavy duty hardcover dictionary to refer to whenever the pocket dictionary fails.

A dictionary with example sentences is always much more useful than one without, and this dictionary doesn't have any. That is a shortcoming. A good one with example sentences is the Oxford English-Hebrew/Hebrew-English dictionary (available in both hardcover and paperback).

This one dictionary is probably not enough for studying Hebrew, but for a cheap pocket dictionary it does the trick. I always carried this cheap one around with me and left my hardcover treasures at home.

Miserable print quality.......2006-04-10

The Hebrew letters are very small, fuzzy, smudgy, and painful to read. The difference between a gimel and a nun can be impossible to see, chaf and bet confused, even heh and hhet are hard to pick apart. I need a huge magnifier and a good deal of luck to get a result. It's a shame because the dictionary contains a large number of words. Keep looking and skip this one. It will become plant food at my house once I find a replacement.

pretty fricken great.......2006-03-21

i liked how it was organized, and is good for a quick reference. maybe not for traveling around israel, but a great homework help!

Frustrating!.......2006-03-19

I bought this book because of the high praises from other reviewers. I have never had any Hebrew lessons and I am homeschooling my child in Hebrew. I needed a good strong dictionary so, we can work on vocabulary and understand what we are reading. I wear glasses and the font was way too small. Sometimes, the font is so tiny that it looks smudgey. This makes it hard to distinguish between a gimel and a nun. Believe me, I know the difference. It did not have some basic words that I was looking for either. To me, (in my personal opinion), I found it very confusing trying to look up the word in Hebrew to figure it out in English. There was no visible pattern. For example, I was looking for a word that began with a chet. I found that easy enough. However, when you look for the vowels as the letter that follows the consonant, it seems so complicated. It does not seem to go in order at that point. Perhaps, I just have to try to figure it out. Then again, I might just opt for a more practical dictionary for me especially with a bigger font!

The New Bantam-Megiddo: Hebrew & English Dictionary

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The New Bantam-Megiddo: Hebrew & English Dictionary
Dr. Reuven et al Sivan
Manufacturer: Bantam Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Book Description

Wounded and estranged from his partner and love interest, Anna Turnipseed, Emmett Parker has come home after 13 years of federal law enforcement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. At once a son of the Comanche and a government investigator, he has ties to both sides--and is about to discover which side pulls harder.

Customer Reviews:

Another hit for Mitchell.......2007-07-09

Emmett Parker is a Comanche BIA investigator who normally works out of the Arizona office. But as a Special and unique investigator, Emmett is called upon to solve all kinds of crimes.

However, his last adventure cause him physical harm so he has come home to Okalahoma to recuperate and heal, and possibly decide if he still wants to be in this line of work.

Before we can even determine if Emmett is settling into his mother's home for some much needed R&R, he is accused of killing his best friend, being involved in an elaborate scheme to skim money from the trust funds of the Native Americans, and is being hunted by an adversary who has known him all his life. Michael Mangas is an FBI agent out to get Emmett, maybe, just because. He is not sure Emmett is guilty, but it sure is looking that way. Only with cunning and ingenuity and a little help from his friends can Emmett avoid getting killed or captured.

This is a fast-pace book with lots of action and twists. We are not sure who are the bad guys, and who are the good guys. All we know for certain is that Emmett is not guilty and someone else is. Proving it is another kettle of fish altogether.

When an investigator is on the wrong side of the law, he has to be very careful and suspect everyone, including the ones who claim to be helping him.

The ending is true Mitchell, lots of action and fireworks to conclude the storyline, but also, enough hints to leave us waiting for the next installment of Emmett Parker and his exciting life.

Dance of the Thunder Dogs.......2007-05-12

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Events unfolded at a good pace and there was not alot of the emotional torture that Parker went through with Tumbleweed in previous books. That can get a little tiresome.

Mitchell's best yet.......2007-03-27

Emmet home to recover or retire? Think again.
While it is hard to grasp that immediate suspicion should fall on such a respected law enforcement officer, the intrigues make this a page turner like no other. Parker on his own, on home turf that has become unfamiliar to him through his long absence, adds great cultural background, works very well, and makes this probably Mitchell's best book so far.
However it would be nice to see Anna back in the future somehow...

Mitchell does it again.......2006-05-16

If you're a fan of Indian Country whodunits, Kirk Mitchell is tops. I could go on, but I'd just be repeating myself. This is a terrific read.

Sorely disappointed.......2006-03-22

The human side of the book, which was most germane to all of the preceding books, was mostly lacking in this story. The tale was told exclusively from an indian viewpoint except from the nuiance of Comanche sexuality. His previously books weave several layers of the indian viewpoint regarding sex, and this book ignores it except in a superficial way.

It also was somewhat difficult to see Parker go from being a presidential decorated "hero" to a fugitive to be "shot on sight" in only a few pages. It seems that there were a few too many miracle escapes.

The ending was not the most believable and seemed to end the story a little too rapidly.

I'm looking forward to the next one, hopefully with the return of Turnipseed.

4 PBs by Kirk Mitchell: Spirit Sickness, Ancient Ones, Cry Dance, Dance of the Thunder Dogs

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4 PBs by Kirk Mitchell: Spirit Sickness, Ancient Ones, Cry Dance, Dance of the Thunder Dogs
Kirk Mitchell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000U5WV0C

Product Description

Paperbacks

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Dance of the Thunder Dogs

Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GTFXGQ

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