Book Description
The number one seller in the market, this mainstream marriage and family text combines a balanced scholarly and applied approach with a unique theme, "making choices in a diverse society" The text achieves an excellent balance between the sociological and ecological or family systems theoretical perspectives, while including coverage of family dynamics and interpersonal relationships. Lamanna and Riedmann's coverage offers insightful perspectives on diversity, including different ethnic traditions and marriage and family alternatives.
Customer Reviews:
Marriages & Families: Making Choices in a Diverse Society .......2007-09-16
this book is a course book,it has what I needed for the course,it was in excellent condition upon receipt. Thank you for your prompt service w/the delivery of this book
Interracial relationship data in book is biased.......2004-12-29
I study close relationships of all kinds regardless of race. I have noticed something troubling about books such as yours. I have noticed many texts are off base or one sided when discussing heterogamous or "interracial" relationships involving black men. Rather than present a balanced picture of heterogamous relationships within the black community, the authors of this text deliberately took a stance which casts a negative shadow on black men in heterogamous relationships even going so far as to quote an article in a popular magazine as a source. This is a text book. There's no room for unsupported opinions from popular media. All arguments should be fairly presented and documented with a diversity of academic sources because you're influencing the minds of students who are relying upon your "expertise."
One ludicrous claim in this text was the notion that black men trade successful positions in society for white women of lower status in order to gain status. This is a very old myth that only perpetuates negative stereotypes of black men. Studies have found NO correlation of that type, it's just a pernicious myth! (Golden, 1954; Heer, 1974; and Monahan; 1976). Think about it rationally. When you consider the stares, negative comments and potential social isolation black men who marry outside of their race experience, do you honestly see that as raising status? The reality of the situation renders the "status" argument moot and demonstrates it is a ridiculous assumption.
Please stop printing these damaging unsupported myths about black men!
Other than this grossly distorted section, the book was a good overview of marriage and family issues within our culture.
Book Description
In the spirit of Alvin Toffler's Future Shock, a social critique of our obsession with choice, and how it contributes to anxiety, dissatisfaction and regret. This paperback includes a new P.S. section with author interviews, insights, features, suggested readings, and more.
Whether weᱥ buying a pair of jeans, ordering a cup of coffee, selecting a long–distance carrier, applying to college, choosing a doctor, or setting up a 401(k), everyday decisions––both big and small––have become increasingly complex due to the overwhelming abundance of choice with which we are presented.
We assume that more choice means better options and greater satisfaction. But beware of excessive choice: choice overload can make you question the decisions you make before you even make them, it can set you up for unrealistically high expectations, and it can make you blame yourself for any and all failures. In the long run, this can lead to decision–making paralysis, anxiety, and perpetual stress. And, in a culture that tells us that there is no excuse for falling short of perfection when your options are limitless, too much choice can lead to clinical depression.
In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz explains at what point choice––the hallmark of individual freedom and self–determination that we so cherish––becomes detrimental to our psychological and emotional well–being. In accessible, engaging, and anecdotal prose, Schwartz shows how the dramatic explosion in choice––from the mundane to the profound challenges of balancing career, family, and individual needs––has paradoxically become a problem instead of a solution. Schwartz also shows how our obsession with choice encourages us to seek that which makes us feel worse.
By synthesizing current research in the social sciences, Schwartz makes the counterintuitive case that eliminating choices can greatly reduce the stress, anxiety, and busyness of our lives. He offers eleven practical steps on how to limit choices to a manageable number, have the discipline to focus on the important ones and ignore the rest, and ultimately derive greater satisfaction from the choices you have to make.
Customer Reviews:
A FEW interesting ideas - a FEW ideas for change.......2007-10-08
I actually do think that many people suffer because of too many choices. I have seen this in upper middle class people agonizing over school choices for their grade schooler. A big part of the problem is that they CAN afford private school, or to move to a neighborhood with better public schools, but which one? They end up second guessing themselves and changing their mind every year and causing a lot of misery for themselves and the child.
That said, the book takes a few fairly simple ideas, repeats them several times and doesn't offer much help. There is some research (not clear how much it really applies) that shows that having more choices makes you less happy with the choice you make, having more choices increases the chance you will delay deciding, etc. There are a few ideas in the back that may help some people with decisions - things like narrowing choices quickly to 2 main choices, learning to accept good enough for many of life's choices, etc. I suspect some of these are easier to say than do. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book.
Read this Anti-dote to the information age insanity.......2007-07-24
Oh, My, Goodness. We who are embedded in consumer culture so need this book. It will take some time to put the lessons into practice but will be worth it. Think of all the leisure time, satisfaction, and fun we will have!
This is a fun read with an important message. In the style of Blink, the author shares studies and experiences and theory that all converge on one thing: We are not satisfied because we have to many choices.
Then he provides the anti-dote to being overwhelmed by the information age: "Satisficing"
This book could save relationships, as well as personal well-being.
I am now on the path to recovery. I am a recovering optimizer and on the way to being a satisficer!
This one is a must-read.......2007-07-02
Some parts get a little complicated for just a quick read. But, at 240 pages this is a a fun look at the societal and psychological issues we face.
The areas explored are summed up with the following:
"...our experience of choice as a burden rather than a privilege is not a simple phenomenon. Rather it is the result of a complex interaction among many psychological processes that permeate our culture, including rising expectations, awareness of opportunity costs, aversion to trade-offs, adaptation, regret, self-blame, the tendency to engage in social comparisons, and maximizing."
The last chapter goes on to highlight and explain how we can try to avoid these issues (regret leading to depression, leading to suicide; comparing to neighbors and having regret; post-decision regret). A lot of it has to do with accepting "good enough".
Again, I recommend the book because it may help you see your decisions a little differently. At the same time, it helps understand the psychology behind others' decisions.
The Real Deal.......2007-06-09
The book may look on the outside like a social, economic, or political critique. But it's actually addressed mostly to individuals, and probably belongs mostly in the self-help category.
Most books of this kind - even some good ones - have only enough interesting ideas to justify a sizeable magazine article. The authors of such books also usually overstate their case drastically by claiming that everything in the world that they don't like can be explained by the one insight that forms the premise of their book.
This book is an exception. It's not long, but that's largely because there's no padding. Schwartz uses several examples to illustrate his point that our modern, economically productive society has provided us with an unprecedented range of choices in areas of our lives where formerly we didn't have to even think hard to make a decision.
For me, one of the most thought-provoking and enjoyable things in the book was the inclusion of many creative and revealing psychological experiments which produced unexpected insights concerning how we make decisions, and what the consequences of the decision-making process are.
Schwartz makes a good case for his thesis that "choice overload" can have a wide range of negative results. And instead of delivering a political diatribe or social critique, blaming politicians or greedy corporations for all of these problems, he addresses himself primarily to his readers, and tells us what he thinks WE as individuals can do to ease the undesirable consequences of having to make too many choices.
The only part of the book I found unconvincing was when Schwartz argues that (1) when people have to make individual choices in too many areas of life, they then have to take responsibility for the results of those choices, and (2) people who take responsibility for most of the things that happen in their lives tend to be unhappier. I'm condensing his argument here, but he definitely does give the impression that he believes that. And I'm here to say that even if people who take responsibility for the results of their actions **are** unhappier, that's just tough. The last thing we need in our society is fewer people who take responsibility for the results of their choices. Just about every failure and every criminal that I have ever met, or known anything about, has REFUSED to accept responsibility for his or her choices - and that's why they're failures and criminals. If taking responsibility increases your stress level, well isn't that just too bad.
But that one disagreement doesn't prevent me from giving the book 5 stars. The book makes so many important points, and explains them so lucidly, persuasively, and non-ideologically, that I think everyone should read it.
A Great Book for Business Owners.......2007-05-15
I thought this book was most excellent. I took my time reading it but it still went fast. The opening about choosing jeans at the GAP really struck a chord with me. I have had the same dilemma and therefore I only buy two pairs of jeans every 2-3 years. It's confusing. On a business sense this has helped me with providing excellent customer care with AUDIN Web Design. The sense of past loss versus future loss/gains really helped me in my business. I am able to create a pricing model that is able to help my business as well make the customer feel comfortable., If you are a business owner, I suggest you take a look at this book. I've also used this book to evaluate my personal life. Have you been holding onto something because of some (ancient) intrinsic value? This book helped me realized that I have a lot of things that will cost me more in the long run than it would if I just tossed it out. That's the past loss.
Amazon.com
QBQ! by John G. Miller is a motivational primer aimed at purging the "blame, complaining, and procrastination" from the workplace. Miller believes that one of the hallmarks of today's business culture is a lack of personal accountability; he prescribes the cure in this series of short stories and personal observations drawn from his years of experience running his organizational development firm. His main point is that positive change begins with individuals changing themselves: "Instead of asking, 'When will others walk their talk?' let's walk our talk first." The result is choppy (39 chapters in 115 pages), and at times Miller's advice boils down to truism and cliché. Nevertheless, managers whose workplaces demand remedial, straightforward advice should find a useful tool here. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
Who Moved My Cheese? showed readers how to adapt to change.
Fish! helped raise flagging morale.
Execution guided readers to overcome the inability to get things done.
QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, already a phenomenon in its self-published edition, addresses the most important issue in business and society today: personal accountability.
The lack of personal accountability has resulted in an epidemic of blame, complaining, and procrastination. No organization-or individual-can achieve goals, compete in the marketplace, fulfill a vision, or develop people and teams without personal accountability.
The solution involves an entirely new approach. We can no longer ask, "Who dropped the ball?" "Why can't they do their work properly?" or "Why do we have to go through all these changes?" Instead, every individual has to ask the question behind the question: "How can I improve this situation?" "What can I contribute?" or "How can I make a difference?"
Succinct, insightful, and practical, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question provides a method for putting personal accountability into daily action, which can bring astonishing results: problems get solved, barriers come down, service improves, teamwork grows, and people adapt to change.
Download Description
"Who Moved My Cheese? showed readers how to adapt to change. Fish! helped raise flagging morale. Execution guided readers to overcome the inability to get things done. QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, already a phenomenon in its self-published edition, addresses the most important issue in business and society today: personal accountability. The lack of personal accountability has resulted in an epidemic of blame, complaining, and procrastination. No organization-or individual-can achieve goals, compete in the marketplace, fulfill a vision, or develop people and teams without personal accountability. The solution involves an entirely new approach. We can no longer ask, ""Who dropped the ball?"" ""Why can't they do their work properly?"" or ""Why do we have to go through all these changes?"" Instead, every individual has to ask the question behind the question: ""How can I improve this situation?"" ""What can I contribute?"" or ""How can I make a difference?"" Succinct, insightful, and practical, QBQ! The Question Behind the Question provides a method for putting personal accountability into daily action, which can bring astonishing results: problems get solved, barriers come down, service improves, teamwork grows, and people adapt to change. "
Customer Reviews:
It should be required reading.......2007-09-05
The book is thin and it is a simple read. My 6th grade daughter would understand every concept in the book. While this would all generally make for a low rating, I instead give it the highest rating. Why? Because although it does not present many original ideas, the vast population of American at least, do not follow the QBQ. If it takes a book that can be read in an hour and that can be understood by someone who reads at a 6th grade level for people to start taking responsibility for their actions and thier lives, then I am all for it.
This is not to say that the only people who will benefit from this book are the young and irresponsible. Many of the points, while not rocket science, were new ways to look at old ideas and as the book says "repetition is the motor of learning."
Personal accountability is fine in theory, but more should be said about what to do when others do not.......2007-08-22
Personal accountability is fine in theory, but enormously difficult in practice. This is because it will only work if the overwhelming majority of people practice it. It is a fact of life that it takes only a few people engaging in selfish behavior to slow down the progress of everyone else. If you hold yourself accountable for what is done and those you work with do not, then the group, including those that are unproductive, will collectively get the credit.
I am not saying that you should avoid holding yourself accountable for what you do; just that one must be reasonable about doing it. You must keep your expectations to a manageable level and understand that there might be times when only you will know what you have accomplished.
Personal accountability of course starts with the actions of each and every individual and from that perspective this is a good book. Miller discusses what questions or statements should be said rather than what is actually being said. By using the singular pronoun I in "What can I do better?" rather than "What do I get out of it?" each person can take an enormous step towards success and personal achievement. However, as has already been stated, the actions of others may render your achievements down to a much lesser height than they could have been. Miller largely ignores this segment of reality, which lowers the value as you ramble down your lane of the rat race.
Outstanding!.......2007-08-14
In a word, OUTSTANDING! This book is an inspiration and a guide for me every day. I share it with my students in EVERY class. It is a quick read and full of simple insight.
Buy this book!
Motivational.......2007-07-27
I think every business owner should require their staff to read this book. "what happened to personal accountability", this is the main theme of this book. Amen!!!!! Our generations view things so differently, however I think we can all agree on the information presented in this book. This is another required read for all of my new staff.
Nice quick and concise read for personal accountability.......2007-07-10
I had the pleasure of hearing Mr Miller speak to my organization and felt his message in personal accountability spoke volumes about how to make small changes create a large impact.
Mr Miller speaks eloquently about his topic and is obviously passionate about the role QBQ takes for everyone, be they a leader, parent or any human being. The book is an easy read and the concept is not a stretch to understand, follows similarly to "Who Moved My Cheese" or the One Minute Manager series. This is the type of concept that asks you to think about what is the right thing to do, and more importantly, complete it. The procrastination concept is powerful and impactful, again, very simple, however a concept all need to follow and practice...practice being the root of all habits.
Mr. Miller has one example of a cashier at Home Depot that lowered the rating from 5 to 4 stars; this example is too far fetched and the litigious results that potentially could arise from other customers feeling slighted is too over the top. I understand what Mr. Miller is presenting, and why he purposely ignores the repercussions of such an act, this example only degrades the message he is presenting.
I look very forward to reading "Flipping the Switch" and putting these concepts into action, along with re-reading this series annually to ensure I continue to practice personal accountability.
Book Description
Asking the right kind of question isonly the first step to becoming fullyengaged at work and in life.
In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships.
Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal accountability every day.
When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life:
- LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change
- OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems
- CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding "within the box"
- SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed
- TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships
With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by "flipping the switch."
Download Description
Asking the right kind of question isonly the first step to becoming fullyengaged at work and in life. In his bestselling book QBQ! The Question Behind the Question, John G. Miller revealed how personal accountability helps to create opportunity, overcome obstacles, and achieve goals by eliminating blame, complaining, and procrastination. The result? Stronger organizations, more dynamic teams, and healthier relationships. Now Miller takes readers to the next level to show how they can use the power of the QBQ! and personal accountability every day. When a light switch is flipped the flow of energy that is released reaches the lightbulb in an instant, bringing it to life. Similarly, asking the right kind of question-a QBQ-is the first step to empowering what Miller calls the Advantage Principles-five essential practices that will lead to a richer experience in every aspect of life: - LEARNING: live an engaged and energized life through positive personal growth and change - OWNERSHIP: attain goals by becoming a solution-oriented person who solves problems - CREATIVITY: find new ways to achieve by succeeding ""within the box"" - SERVICE: build a legacy by helping others succeed - TRUST: develop deep and rewarding relationships With compelling real-life stories and keen insights, Miller demonstrates how anyone can find success and satisfaction by ""flipping the switch.""
Customer Reviews:
Taking Charge Of My Life.......2007-10-03
For years I'd worked in an environment where complaint was the norm, a way to pass the time, to even connect with colleagues. A teachers meeting would start with griping about our principal and move on to how the parents weren't involved enough or were involved too much. Both complaints were equally possible in the same meeting! It's funny how a shift in perspective could transform a shift in my reality. All I needed to do was "Flip the Switch" and take a look at my actions, pose different types of questions and suddenly my working life was filled with ease and enthusiasm. Instead of asking the question: "Why aren't the parents involved more?" I now ask "How can I communicate better to bring in more parent involvement?" Shifting the responsibility onto me has made all the difference.
John Miller fills each page with enthusiasm and a belief that personal accountability is the key to success. He believes in posing questions that don't blame but resolve; questions that focus on action and the moment....because the moment is all we have.
"Flipping The Switch" was the glorious icing to a rich cake I discovered a while ago when I read the books "How To Create A Magical Relationship" and "Being Here, Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment" by Ariel & Shya Kane. They taught me that I could either complain about the events happening in my life OR I could embrace them. I've chosen the latter for a while now and shared with others how this simple phenomenon is possible for each of us. It's great that I'll be able to share this new book too. I highly recommend all of them!
Great for Harnessing Your Own Strength.......2007-08-16
"Flipping the Switch" is a small but muscular tool. It helped me to get out of a cycle of complaining, pushing me to ask "What Can I do about this situation?" rather than "Why is this situation so annoying?" As a teacher, I have found I can sometimes dwell too much on the faults of the school system, or my colleagues, blaming them for the way things are, rather than truly trying to make a situation better myself. When I catch myself doing that now, I remember the QBQ, or the question behind the question: rather than saying "Why is the bureocracy preventing me from getting things done?" I ask, "What can I accomplish right here, right now?"
I have also been reading "Working on Yourself Doesn't Work," and "How to Create a Magical Relationship," both by Ariel and Shya Kane, and find them to be a wonderful companion to "Flipping the Switch." Their principles of transformation and everyday examples of how one can live with excellence (rather than being dominated by a situation you resist) are brilliant. Both are inspirational reference tools to be pulled out whenever you need it. I highly recommend these books along with "Flipping the Switch."
Flipping the Switch - Nice Refresher on the QBQ.......2007-07-30
John Miller has written another easy to read reference that outlines the simplicity of his topic, personal accountability. Too often everyone gets hung up the blame game or being a victim; John asks his readers to consider the way positive thinking can affect how you attack a challenge or mindset.
The author keeps his lessons easy to read and short, you can read it in 1-2 sittings, and continues to emphasize the same concepts. This is not the depths of the 7 habits or How To Win Friends, but is a very easy read which makes it ideal for a quick lesson. Breaking out of a slump can be hard to do and Mr. Miller provides that lifeline, including writing it simply when procrastination is one of his concepts to overcome!
Wonderful!.......2007-03-26
This book is worth your time and then share it with everyone at work! I am ordering another copy for my manager. This book is an eye opener.
Quick read, life changing, and needed by all!!!.......2006-12-25
This little book on personal accountability is worth a lot MORE than the retail price. Anyone struggling with blame, finger-pointing, and a desire to COMPLAIN needs Flipping the Switch And the author's original book, QBQ! As a sales exec for a large pharmaceutical firm, we have brought these books into our organization, formed book discussion clubs, and have begin to see a true level of change in our culture. From one of recrimination to creativity, trust, service and ACCOUNTABILITY. We have big goals to hit in 2007 without personal responsibility by all, they'll never be achieved. The stories in these books are terrific, the reading is quick, and Mr. Miller's insight into human nature is amazing.
Book Description
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the development and application of quantitative statistical methods to study choices made by individuals. This primer provides an introduction to the main techniques of choice analysis and also includes details on data collection and preparation, model estimation and interpretation and the design of choice experiments. A companion website offers practice data sets and software to apply modeling and data skills presented in the book.
Customer Reviews:
Everything you need to learn to carry out a choice model.......2005-10-17
This book is massive, and hence the term "primer" may be a little misleading. But if you really want to understand how to model choice data for a range of models, the book is outstanding. Other books focus more on the econometrics of the models, which are pivotal to know. But this book builds upon that by walking you through a series of increasingly-complex models, allowing you to understand why you need to perform particular modeling tasks.
The book focuses on NLogit software, but once you understand how to actually estimate choice models utilizing software, the skills can be easily carried into other software programs. However, without such experience, the other books available may fall short in enabling you to estimate choice models. Indeed, this was the case for me -- I understood the econometrics of the models, but had difficulty estimating complex models using software, simply beacuse I was uncomfortable with the syntax.
Hensher et al. removes this obstacle by giving the reader thorough training in both understanding what a given set of choice data may represent (e.g., observations from a particular choice experiment), and how to physically estimate models. The increase in confidence I received from working through the exercises in the book is why I rate the book so highly. Not only are the econometric concepts explained, but the nuts and bolts of model estimation are revealed, and that made all the difference.
An ambiguous oriented book.......2005-10-05
The whole book serves as a software (NLogit) manual. If you already know about the discrete choice analysis, you might be able to find out the messages that the authors try to convey. And it contains barely new information, so it doesn't help you anyway. But if you are new to this area, this is not the good book for you to start.
The book is extremely verbose and the ideas are hidden behind lines and ill-presented. It turned out that it's very difficult to comprehend the essence or even sense of the choice methods from this book. The best one can get is becoming a software user of the authors' own program.
Besides, the software, Nlogit, is not user-friendly and can't serve as a mainsteam tool.
Book Description
Should you take a much-needed vacation or save money for your children's education? Should you protect the endangered owl or maintain jobs for loggers?
How do you handle questions such as these? We frequently face ethical dilemmas in our daily lives, and few have trouble with the "right vs. wrong" choices. However, the "right vs. right" dilemmas, in which neither choice is clearly or widely accepted as wrong, many times present obstacles that call for value-based decisions, and that's where we often need help.
Kidder -- the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics -- teaches us how to think for ourselves in order to resolve any ethical dilemma, from the personal to the philosophical. Unique in its approach and full of illustrative anecdotes, How Good People Make Tough Choices is an indispensable resource for arriving at sound conclusions when facing tough choices.
Download Description
"
Should you take a much-needed vacation or save money for your children's education? Should you protect the endangered owl or maintain jobs for loggers?
How do you handle questions such as these? We frequently face ethical dilemmas in our daily lives, and few have trouble with the ""right vs. wrong"" choices. However, the ""right vs. right"" dilemmas, in which neither choice is clearly or widely accepted as wrong, many times present obstacles that call for value-based decisions, and that's where we often need help.
Kidder -- the founder of the Institute for Global Ethics -- teaches us how to think for ourselves in order to resolve any ethical dilemma, from the personal to the philosophical. Unique in its approach and full of illustrative anecdotes, How Good People Make Tough Choices is an indispensable resource for arriving at sound conclusions when facing tough choices.
"
Customer Reviews:
The few. The moral. The good people........2007-05-23
There are no books on the market that address morality that way that this book does. Not the Bible. Not my university textbook on ethics. None. It's one thing to talk about moral issues and take sides with them, but it is another thing entirely to talk about solid moral principles that can guide you in making moral decisions based on reason instead of blind faith. This is a book that does the talking.
If you want to find out what a religion or a moral philosophy is really made of, nothing will put it to a test more than a moral dilemma will, and this book is chock full of examples of real life moral dilemmas. Some of those moral dilemmas are things most people wouldn't even think of as moral dilemmas -- justice vs mercy for example. One dilemma I like (to paraphrase) was the one about the highway patrol officer who comes upon a truck wreck where the driver is irremovably pinned down in the cab and a fuel-fed fire is starting to blaze out-of-control. The driver asks the officer to kill him before he is fried alive. What would you do and how would it be a moral decision?
It is not a perfect book, for example, there was the issue of what is truth. Truth and fact are not the same thing. Truth is whatever people *believe* to be fact, whether or not what they believe in really is a fact or not. Truth is not a reliable yardstick by which to gauge morality by. That might seem like nitpicking with words, but the most common cause of distress of clients in counseling is confusing facts with truth. Knowing the difference between the two is important to making proper moral decisions, otherwise you might be basing your decision on an illusion.
It also didn't cover the issue of punishment. The topic of punishment often comes up in moral discussions as a deterrent from being immoral. If a person needs to be deterred by force from being immoral, does that deterred person become a moral person then, or are they a person only putting on an act of being moral, only to resort to immorality in private when nobody is looking and they can be the "real me"? So is there no other purpose of punishment, besides being a poor deterrent? Most philosophies of punishment I've heard have very immoral reasoning at their cores and therefore should be discussed in every discussion on moral or ethics. Therefore any religion or moral philosophy based on deterrent is an immoral religion or philosophy.
How Good People Make Tough Choices: Resolving the Dilemmas of Ethical Living.......2007-03-09
The book is a little confusing and doesn't offer a lot of insights on the decisions of real life ethical probelms with real life people.
Good Information.......2007-02-07
Good information but not something I would read again. Very dry chapters and some lack any formal directions on the proposed information.
Sound framework, good case studies.......2006-08-16
This book provides a strong framework in which to understand ethical decision making, which Kidder distinguishes as "right vs. right" situations as opposed to the "right vs. wrong" of moral decisions; ethics isn't about whether you do the right thing despite the temptation to do wrong, but how you choose the course of action when either solution could be defended as morally correct. Kidder explains the rational considerations you can use to better make such choices.
All of the major points are illustrated with thought-provoking case studies, many of which are true dilemmas. This makes the book continually interesting.
Good material for ethics class.......2005-08-20
This books allows students of all ages to start the difficult job of ethical decision making. Starting with its "Right vs. Right" concept, it teaches various ways to think about ethical decision making. This would be a wonderful book for a middle school or high school ethics class as well as an adult discussion group. Could easily be adapted to a church setting.
Book Description
Focusing on the many advances that are made possible by simulation, this book describes the new generation of discrete choice methods. Researchers use these statistical methods to examine the choices that consumers, households, firms, and other agents make. Each of the major models is covered: logit, generalized extreme value, or GEV (including nested and cross-nested logits), probit, and mixed logit, plus a variety of specifications that build on these basics. The procedures are applicable in many fields, including energy, transportation, environmental studies, health, labor, and marketing.
Download Description
This book describes the new generation of discrete choice methods, focusing on the many advances that are made possible by simulation. Researchers use these statistical methods to examine the choices that consumers, households, firms, and other agents make. Each of the major models is covered: logit, generalized extreme value, or GEV (including nested and cross-nested logits), probit, and mixed logit, plus a variety of specifications that build on these basics. Simulation-assisted estimation procedures are investigated and compared, including maximum simulated likelihood, method of simulated moments, and method of simulated scores. Procedures for drawing from densities are described, including variance reduction techniques such as anithetics and Halton draws. Recent advances in Bayesian procedures are explored, including the use of the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm and its variant Gibbs sampling. No other book incorporates all these fields, which have arisen in the past 20 years. The procedures are applicable in many fields, including energy, transportation, environmental studies, health, labor, and marketing.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent and thorough book.......2006-03-08
This book is one of the best for introduction to Discrete choice models. I had been using Ben-Akiva & Lerman, but feel this book should be read along with that one for a better understanding of choice models. Also, Train covers recent advances in the field and provides a good introduction to Halton draws. He really makes sure you get the concepts and the online lecture series are really excellent.
Probably the best of its kind. Good for MS students and up .......2005-04-24
-Enjoyable read
-Does not assume PhD level of econometrics
-Explanations are clear and concise
Actually, an advanced undergrad may find this book usefull as well.
Is this the best discrete choice methods book ever published?
Let y = 1 or 0 where 1 = yes, this is the best and 0 = No, the book is not the best. Also let P = Prob (y=1). My results show P = 0.98 (see forthcoming Econometrica article).
While finishing a Master's Thesis in applied econ which focuses on a multinomial logit model, I have sought good info on this topic. Not having gone through the rigors of a PhD program, I have gone through many of the important books and articles which address discrete choice modeling methods some of which address a post-doc audience only. Dr. Train's is by far the best I have encountered. His explanations are concise yet not too dense (see Amemiya). I first encountered many of the concepts in other publications but did understand them until reading Train's book. In my opinion Train has that rare quality of being, not only an exceptional economist, but quite enjoyable to read.
excellent discussion of what the models mean.......2005-03-17
If I could give this book six stars I would. It's simply one of the best statistics books I've ever read.
This book is very well-written by one of the experts in the field. It covers logit models and the various generalizations (GEV, mixed logit, probit, etc.) in detail, along with a thorough discussion of modern estimation of these models. What I find most useful about it is that the words-to-equations density is highly favorable. The equations you need are there, but the words you need are there too, making sure you understand the model assumptions inside and out. Each equation is explained thoroughly and the surrounding discussion probes the model to bring the reader to a critical understanding of what exactly is implied by the model. Too often complex statistical models are treated in a "black box" fashion. The dirty little secret is that it's easier for the author to do this. Train doesn't take the easy way out. The fact that his web site has truly excellent support--including a large number of webinars in addition to the more usual papers, software, etc.--makes this book a doubly valuable item. See http://elsa.berkeley.edu/~train/distant.html for even more.
Book Description
From chronic physical pain to deep emotional hurts, we are all, at some level, in need of healing. And healing, writes author Stephen Arterburn, is a choice, although not our choice-it is
God's choice. While that may lead us to understand that healing is out of our hands, there are several things we do or believe that can stand in the way of God's healing in our lives.
Describing ten choices we can make, and the corresponding ten lies that we must reject, Arterburn outlines the plan for opening our lives to God's divine touch. For example, to be receptive to God's healing, we must make the choice to
feel; but we often buy into the lie that we need something to help numb the pain. Likewise, we can choose to
embrace reality; but we often falsely believe that if we act as if nothing is wrong, the problem will go away.
Healing on all levels-spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical-is a miraculous gift from God; but it is a function of our own decisions and beliefs as well. When we make the right choices, and reject the lies, we can find the way to wholeness again.
Customer Reviews:
Healing is a Choice.......2007-09-22
Healing is a Choice is the book and workbook my Bible Study Small Group chose this fall. It is a great study for everyone.... A real work on myself what a diffence my outlook on life is now.
Good book........2007-09-17
This book is about getting over the pain of the past and moving into your future. I recommend it to anyone who has a difficult time moving on.
"Healing is a Choice" helps in healing process.......2007-07-21
My counselor suggested I get the book "Healing is a Choice." I haven't finished it yet but it has already helped me to look at areas of my life and understand why I think and feel the way I do. It also helps me to make better choices in the way I think and feel. Healing is a choice ... and also a process and this book really gets to the heart of the matter.
Excellant Book.......2007-05-30
I really enjoy this book. Stephen Auterburn put his heart into it. I am currently in a ladies group setting at the church I attend. and doing a chapter a week in it and the workbook. It has helped me tremendously as well as other people I know. This a book for anyone who really desires to be healed from the strongholds in their life.
If you really want to heal - READ THIS BOOK.......2007-02-11
My therapist asked me to get this book and I have not been able to put it down. If you are serious about getting help in healing with true Christian guidance, this is the book for you. The book is easy to read, non-itimidating - but very practical and no fluff! It works best if you get the handbook that goes with it and do the exercises after every chapter.
Book Description
To the list of writers connecting mainstream readers and cutting-edge science—Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Johnson, James Surowiecki—add Read Montague, with this exploration of what exactly determines the choices we make.
With a new perspective on the science of decision-making from the researcher at the center of the computational neuroscience revolution, Why Choose This Book? shows what the latest brain science reveals about the crucial events of everyday experience—the choices we make. From how we decide what we consume to what kind of art we like, and even the romantic, ethical, and financial choices we make, Read Montague guides the reader through a new approach to the mind with an accessible style that is both entertaining and illuminating.
In taking apart the mind's decision-making machinery, Montague first illustrates how our brains are like computers that are slow, small, fuzzy, and cheap—and began with goals like food, water, and sex. Second, he reveals how simple goals like these then turn into ideas like beauty, love, and terror with a life of their own. Finally, he explains how a value system in our heads controls those ideas so we can make good decisions—and how that physical system can break down leading to bad decisions, addictions, mental illness, and even large economic disasters.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting, yet vague.......2007-08-07
I found the book to be interesting, presenting many ideas about cognitive function that seem novel and even new. However, they were presented in a vague way with too many details glossed over. I understand the need to "dumb things down" for a wider audience, but it seems as if this went too far. The author is obviously very knowledgeable in this field and he is going out of his way to make the material accessible. This is where the problem lies, the feeling I got when reading this was that I was being treated like a little kid. I still would recommend this book to anyone who asks because it was a quick read and does give a nice overview of what is currently known and what is being worked on.
An Interesting Book.......2007-06-30
I really enjoyed this book, because I am interested in the brain and why we make decisions. Overall it used language I could understand, and made great connections between the anatomy of the brain and the structure of the mind. I would recommend it for anyone who is interested in why we choose what we do and what the brain has to do with it.
Deep information on the working of the brain.......2007-06-27
This indepth study of how the brain works is written so that the average person can understand it. Dr. Montague is an amazing author to be so knowledgeable and able to bring the information down to easily understood language. Everyone should read this.
Thought provoking - but very poorly written.......2007-06-10
Read Montague is probably a very intelligent man, but he is not a very good writer. In an attempt to popularize a very challenging area, he adops a rather breathless style. With testimonials from the likes of Steven Pinker, Antonio Damasio and V.S. Ramachandran, far be it for me to argue with his qualifications in his field - computational neuroscience. My compaint is that he lacks the communication skills of those three noted authors. Montague gets lost in jargon and trying to be cute.
On a more substantive note, I was disappointed with his lack of discussion of the role that emotions play in decision making, and his sketchy descriptions of neural processes.
On the whole, I was disappointed with the book. For anyone interested this area, Marvin Minsky's now book "The Emotion Machine" is better, although both works have very misleading titles.
Mind-blowing.......2007-03-31
I am only part way through this book but I am so excited by it that I've already had to get googling to find out more about the worlds it is beginning to uncover. As someone just starting to study science seriously, it has helped me find what I think might be my field - a convergence of biochemistry, computation, and economics that could lead us to create truly intelligent machines.
Average customer rating:
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Uncertainty, Information and Communication: Essays in Honor of Kenneth J. Arrow, Volume III
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Book Description
Professor Kenneth J. Arrow is one of the most distinguished economic theorists. He has played a major role in shaping the present state of the subject and now is to be honored by the publication of three volumes of essays on economic theory. Each volume deals with a different area of economic theory. The books include contributions by some of the best economic theorists from the United Stated, Japan, Israel and Europe. This third volume is entitled Uncertainty, information, and communication.
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