Customer Reviews:
2nd volume C++ network programming architecture .......2007-09-14
The 2nd volume is a complement to the first.The 1st one talks for portable source code and wrapper classes. The second one concentrates on deisgn patterns & all issues in C++ network programming architecture .
Again i say dont reinvent the wheel , give ACE a look.
Excellent reading for any network programmer.......2003-09-17
This is an excellent reading for any network programmer. More than ACE itself the concepts covered are of a great value. I am a beginner to intermediate network programmer, but an experienced programmer otherwise, and found this to be an extremely valuable resource in terms tackling large application frameworks from the ground up. The concepts are precise upto the point but extremely easy to read and digest. Of course, the book is assuming that you know quite a bit of every thing else that is not covered here. There are quite a bit of things that are totally missing or not correct based on the OS and the advances in Posix threading. Nevertheless this is an excellent source for any network programmer.
Wonderful book!.......2003-01-15
I discovered ACE almost two years ago after a coworker told me about it. As a developer in the networking / streaming media / distributed computing space, i've all too often run into the problems that are inherent in developing this sort of software -- scalability, maintainability, not to mention all of those bugs ...
ACE makes all of that much easier, and delivers the promise of true reuseability; not just classes, but common behaviors (patterns). This book explains why ACE was needed, the problems it solves, and how to use it. Though it's highly technical, it's not boring or overly verbose -- the problems developing networked apps are presented, and the solution ACE uses as well. Doug and Steve did an amazing job with this ... highly recommended.
Good ACE overview.......2002-11-29
I have been trying to learn ACE for the past few months now. Their docs are not that great. I ran C++ doc generator on the API's and that helped alot. The book really closed the deal for me. I work with many customers that are just begining to use ACE and I recomended this book to them as well.
Read the on-line docs first.......2002-06-01
I became interested in ACE for a project I'm working on, so before spending money on a book I decided to check out all the on-line documentation, which is pretty detailed. That wasn't quite enough to get me over the learning curve, so I went and bought the book. I was disappointed though - while it was very clear and thorough, it didn't tell me much more that what I had already learned. So my advice is to save your money and stick with the on-line documentation and tutorials.
Customer Reviews:
c++ network programming.......2007-09-14
If you want to learn C++ network programming architecture , design patterns and want the source code to be portable , this is the book for you . If you cant afford to have your own copy at least suggest your company to buy it . If your in C++ network programming and dont use ACE , think again , you might be reinventing the wheel.
Good ACE book.......2006-02-16
ACE becomes popular in the world of system programming these years because of it's portability, low difficulty by providing wrapper encapsulating the complexity of low-level thread usage. However, going on development on ACE without thorough knowledges of system level details is hazardous and therefore further readings are recommended.(e.g. Hart's book)
Quite not what I expected it to be.......2003-09-17
After reading the Vol. 1, I expected quite a bit from the volume 2. May be I am not there yet to understand what the authors are trying to emphasize here. I found some of the material from vol.1 covered to much deeper extend. But the framework from the reusability point of view is missing. Some of the topics covered here are great indeed, especially chapter 5, 6 and 7. Other than that I found this book to be a quick browse and keep it away.
Well-written book for eligant power code warriors.......2003-01-03
This is a well written book documenting many of the eligant and powerful frameworks and idioms used in the ACE library. I've been using ACE for over 7 years to implement portable, concurrent, networked, distributed applications and it's great to see a well-written book like this finally being published. I would highly recommend it as a must have reference for all serious ACE programmers who strive to develop powerful, flexible and portable networked applications. It is also an extremely valuable resource for programmers who want to get introduced and up and running on the concepts and application of some very valuable frameworks.
Open-Source Framework Facilitates Network Programming.......2002-12-10
Writing networked applications using modern operating
systems and languages looks like it should be easy, but it
is emphatically not. The nave designer of networked
applications will encounter a thicket of problems including
lack of portability, distributed performance bottlenecks,
maintaining correctness during shutdown, and managing
recovery from partial failures.
"C++ Network Programming, Volume 2, Systematic Reuse with
ACE and Frameworks" by Douglas Schmidt and Stephen Huston
provides some powerful help in the design and implementation
of networked applications. This help comes in the form of
several frameworks.
A few words about the definition of "framework." The first
step up from writing applications that interface directly
with operating systems is to insert object-oriented wrappers
between the application and lower level services. These
wrappers are classes that encapsulate the low level,
functionally specified, services such as operating systems
and protocol stacks. This first step was taken in the
predecessor volume to the present book, "C++ Network
Programming, Volume 1: Mastering Complexity with ACE and
Patterns", by the same authors, where a collection of
wrappers, called the ACE wrappers, is provided that not only
raises the level of the application interface from
functional to object-oriented, but also provides portability
at the same time.
For example, consider an application that directly uses
sockets. This application would depend on the syntax and
functional details of that operating system's s operating
system's socket implementation. By inserting the ACE
wrappers, the application acquires an object interface to
socket capabilities, and in addition becomes portable across
a large number of compilers, operating systems, and
communication protocols.
But a set of wrapper classes does not solve the networked
application designer's problems, any more than a pile of
bricks is a house.
Frameworks, which are the subject of the present book, are
the next step up in power from wrappers. A framework is an
integrated set of classes into which application designers
plug code that is unique to their applications. The
frameworks described in the present book handle a large part
of the difficulty inherent in network programming, leaving
application designers to deal primary with their
applications' local functionality.
For example, one of the frameworks described in the book is
the Acceptor-Connector Framework. This framework relieves
the user of dealing with the numerous tricky details
inherent in the conceptually simple process of connecting
clients with servers, such as address formats, protocols,
initialization, and message queue locking.
Readers should be aware that the present book is not a
general-purpose text on network programming using C++; this
book is a focused exposition of the ACE frameworks. Readers
will be most comfortable reading this book if they are
already familiar with software design and architecture
patterns, including those described in "Pattern-Oriented
Software Architecture: Patterns for Concurrent and Networked
Objects, Volume 2" by Douglas Schmidt et al, and in the
famous Gang of Four book: "Design Patterns: Elements of
Reusable Object-Oriented Software" by Eric Gamma et al.
The large amount of code that implements the wrappers of
volume 1 and the frameworks of volume 2 is available for
download for free. This code is in wide use today.
Designers of networked applications, when offered a large
pile of code that purports to do a lot of what needs to be
done, must trade off the anticipated saving in design and
implementation time against the anticipated time to
understand what the offered code is intended to do and what
it actually does. This tradeoff can lead a reasonable
designer to ignore existing code in favor of hand-writing an
entire application. In the case of the ACE wrappers and
frameworks, as documented and explained by the two books
mentioned here, combined with the open-source nature of the
implementing code and its widespread employment in real
applications, make the result of this tradeoff pretty clear:
read the books, use the code.
Amazon.com
The Internet has made many enterprises easier since its rise to popularity in the mid-90s: book sales, personal correspondence, and, in the case of John Robinson, serial murder. Even before he ever went online, Robinson had forged a life consistent with a killer's profile. Despite being fired and arrested numerous times for fraud and theft, he wriggled out of serious trouble thanks to a smooth charm and cunning intelligence. For decades, Robinson's more sinister activities escaped the notice of nearly everyone, including law enforcement and, incredibly, his own wife. But what makes Robinson's story, as told here by John Douglas and Stephen Singular, uniquely disturbing is the presence of the World Wide Web and the ease with which a murderer can use it. Online, Robinson frequented chat rooms and sites dedicated to the lurid underground world of bondage and sadomasochism. In this anonymous space, he was free to assume honey-tongued new identities that he used to lure women, especially those in vulnerable situations, to Kansas with promises of employment, protection, or sex. Their subsequent disappearances were explained away with letters that appeared to be written by the victims but were actually typed by the killer on pieces of paper the women had previously signed. Ultimately, dogged law enforcement officials were able to catch up with Robinson and put him on trial after finding gruesome evidence of his deeds. While they are skilled true-crime writers, Douglas and Singular occasionally stray into hyperbole, which is far from necessary given the elements already present in Robinson's horrifying story. It is likely that any reader will walk a little more warily by their computer after reading this book and getting an idea of who might be hiding behind a given nickname. --John Moe
Book Description
Legendary FBI profiler and #1 New York Times bestselling author John Douglas explores the shocking case of John Robinson, a harmless, unassuming family man whose criminal history began with embezzlement and fraud -- and ended with his arrest for the savage murders of six women and his suspected involvement in at least five disappearances. Most disturbing was the hunting ground in which Robinson seduced his prey: the world of cyberspace. Haunting chat rooms, targeting vulnerable women, and exploiting the anonymity of the Internet, his bloody spree was finally halted by a relentless parole officer who spent ten years trying to nail Robinson as a cold-blooded killer.
A cautionary tale set in a virtual world where relationships are established without the benefit of physical contact, and where mainstream Americans can be drawn down a dark path of temptation and death, Anyone You Want Me To Be is a contemporary real-life drama of high-tech crime and punishment.
Download Description
"JOHN DOUGLAS -- THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MINDHUNTER AND THE UNDISPUTED MASTER PROFILER OF SERIAL CRIMINALS -- TELLS THE CHILLING TRUE STORY OF JOHN ROBINSON, THE INTERNET'S FIRST SERIAL MURDERER. In Olathe, Kansas, a balding, pudgy father of four sits in prison convicted on three counts of homicide -- two of capital murder -- and suspected in at least five other disappearances. During the last half of the 1990s, John Robinson exploited the Internet's active world of sadomasochism with horrific results. By haunting chat rooms, he pinpointed vulnerable women who were looking for romance and stalked them on-line, nefariously convincing them of his maturity, sensitivity, and financial stability. He seemed like the perfect man. He enticed these women with offers of a solid relationship and a lucrative job, persuading them to move to his hometown. Once they arrived in Kansas, the women invariably disappeared. After a dramatic trial and days of intense jury deliberation, Robinson now faces the death penalty. Disturbing as his crimes may be, what's most alarming is how he selected and lured his victims and how willingly they responded. John Robinson expanded the hunting ground, the techniques, and the technology of the sexual predator. He is the world's first-known Internet serial killer. Law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and the coauthors of Anyone You Want Me to Be have struggled to unravel the enigma that is John Robinson.
Customer Reviews:
Was John Robinson a true serial killer?.......2007-09-18
After all, it has been said (by Mr. Douglas or someone else - I can't remember which) that 'Night Stalker' Richard Ramirez wasn't. In Mr. Robinson's case the same elements are present -- and the same elements are missing.
Both of these guys were nasty SOB's. But Ramirez's killings weren't sexually based. He didn't go around killing people for the gratification it got him, nor did he have a need to go out and kill again when the gratification from the last killing dissipated. He was fundamentally a burglar. If he picked the wrong house and someone walked in, he'd kill out of sheer spite -- or he'd run away. Or if a woman was home, he'd commit a rape of opportunity -- or he'd just slap her around and let her go. All serial killers are sociopaths, but not all sociopaths are serial killers.
John Robinson's contribution to us was a dandy of a demonstration as to how the internet could be used by a serial killer to lure his victims to him, rather than make him have to roam about looking for them. Mr. Robinson's winning formula is that he's a con artist, a scammer, a swindler. He's also into BDSM sex -- probably another way his desire to manipulate/dominate/control shows up. But his killings don't follow naturally as a result as they would with a true serial killer.
Linkage blindness alert: old wives tales about sexual minorities. Remember the one about how 'all homosexuals (gay men specifically) molest children'? Or how a lesbian can be easy -- and indeed, a wild woman in bed who'd challenge your sexual prowess -- if just the right guy makes just the right advance? These came about because of the sort of thinking that equates other-than-strictly-hetero sexual practices with a fulfillment issue -- 'any guy who'd use another man for gratification (or allow another man to use him as one would a woman) will do anything to get off . . .', or 'any woman who'd use another woman just needs a guy to satisfy her: the problem is, not every guy has what it takes . . .'. Not necessarily true. Nor is it true that BDSM has to culminate in sexually-based homicide, or even accidental death or serious injury from playing risky games with those whips and chains and spiked dog collars. (If BDSM is indeed as popular as this very book would have us believe -- and I don't doubt that -- then you'd see a lot more bodies turning up if more than a very, very small minority of its practitioners engaged in practices that resulted in death or high risk of death or serious injury). I point this out, however, because a) those in behavioral science agree that linkage blindness is sometimes a problem and b) I've indeed seen investigators reach bad conclusions by linking things that had no correlation, or by missing significant links that were indeed there. That they know to watch for the error doesn't make them immune from making it.
Evidence that Mr. Robinson't killings weren't sexually based?
First, the number of women that he lured into his web that he let go, that he didn't kill. Barbara Sandre. Alecia Cox. Vickie Neufeld. Jeanna Milliorn. (In Neufeld's and Milliron's case, even late in the series). Others.
Second, the missing pieces in Robinson himself. We see no elements of the 'homicidal trial' in his early life. We see a long record of fraud schemes and con games, but no nuisance sex offenses other than the occasional risque crack to a woman neighbor.
Third, there is no indication of ritual elements in the way the killings were carried out, nor in Robinson's postoffense behavior. True, it's odd that he kept the bodies in 55-gallon barrells on his properties, but for souvenir value? Or perhaps because he'd given no thought as to a better way to dispose of them. Or because they were so heavy that moving them would require an accomplice -- and a potential witness against him if things went wrong later.
Finally, all of the killings were disorganized. A hammer blow, or the use of some other blunt instrument to the head in each case? There are less messy ways of doing the job of intentional, premeditated murder.
More likely, one by one, these women got out of control somehow, caught on to the fact they were being used, caught on to who was picking up the alimony checks and disability checks at the Mail Room and cashing them. Or maybe they just wanted out, but knew too much to be let go without putting Robinson at risk. A confrontation occurred. And each of the killings in turn was Robinson's response to just that thing going wrong, his need to cover up his activities and his frauds (the discovery of which would no doubt lead to an investigation and the discovery of his double life).
Indeed, if the killings were done to cover up other crimes, that's a different classification of murder; not the sexually-based killings that are the mark of true serial killers.
The killings followed in sequence, and were related to, someone's need for kinky sexual gratification. But they weren't part of that need. They didn't happen as even a result, never mind a necessary result, of Robinson's sick kinky sex games. They didn't necessarily follow.
This one is like the Susan Smith tragedy in South Carolina, which I reinvestigated in more detail. The pieces go together if you hook them together one by one, as in the old 'Barrel of Monkeys' game that was popular in the '60's. But just because someone did that doesn't mean that one thing follows the next naturally, that the next thing that occurred had to occur because the last thing that happened happened. They only follow in sequence because someone hooked them together in a way that made sense at the time.
Here, we have a string of related killings that follow sexual exploitation. Accordingly, we naturally assume a serial killer. But it doesn't add up to how we define a serial killer.
Unlike Susan Smith's story, the moral of the story is still the same. If Robinson had indeed been a true serial killer, his ability to lure his victims via the Internet would be exactly what you would see happening. As for Robinson himself (again, unlike Susan Smith), he still did it (and quite intentionally), he still got exactly what he had coming to him for what he did, and he doesn't have my shoulder to cry on. He may escape execution, but he belongs in prison, forever, finally, keep him there, lock him up and weld the door shut. Period. For the victims and their families, it's still not a happy ending, but justice prevails.
And when criminal behavioral science experts make a mistake, it's easy for someone, somewhere to catch if they don't simply accept his work without question. It's going to happen once in awhile. We all have our bad days on the job.
John Douglas has done some great stuff, and I admire his work, but this isn't one of his better pieces.
A horrific tail....I can't believe this really happened.......2007-09-03
This is a fast paced true Crime novel about the murderer John Robinson, who started off his criminal career with fraud and embezzling money. Later as the Internet became more popular he would surf the net looking for his victims. Finding women who he could lure into his sadistic life.
This book has some really graphic parts and also deals with the world of S&M, getting into detail about his relationships with some of the girls and how he made them sign slave contracts.
Once again it is amazing to see what someone can accomplish and get away with for so many years just by being a smooth talker and knowing how to read other people. Compiling more and more information on them through casual conversations and then using that knowledge against them. Quite sick. Makes you really think about how much information you give out over the internet, do you really know who you have been talking too???
This book also contains 8 pages of photos of John Robinson and some of his victims.
Cyberspace: The Hunting Ground!.......2007-08-18
It is sickening to think that a family man as Robinson was able to sustained a family--a household-- and at the same time committed hideous crimes. Robinson used cyberspace as his hunting ground alluring vulnerable young women and take them into his world of sadomasochistic and sex-slavery, financially robbed them and ultimately killed them. In cyberspace, he portrayed himself as a charming, successful businessman, "claiming whoever he wanted to be." It was unfortunate that many fell for it. The story was engrossing at the same time horrific and plain gross. While this type of crime is less likely to occur in this generation, we are now facing another revolution of crime such as identity theft, phishing, bank fraud, cyberterror and child pornography. Hopefully, the Robinson's case is a cybercrime history that will never repeat itself, for it involved many precious lives. As a writer, this book is very helpful. It allowed me to take a peek at the mind of a psychopath and how he eluded the authorities. Cold Eyes
book purchase.......2007-01-15
I received this item in a timely manner and it is in womderful condition.
Factual but interesting.......2007-01-04
I got this book on a tip from a friend regarding a name in it. It was so well written that I read it cover to cover. Didnt think I would like the subject matter but it was written using all aspects of the case. And of course it had a good ending.......the culprit caught and convicted. The fact there was so much left unsolved has me intrigued if there will be a sequel to this book in the future??
Book Description
An evenhanded and provocative exploration that shows how the social constructions of race and ethnicity can both be imagined and at the same time be absolutely fundamental to social life and to one’s deepest sense of the self. Readers of this book will see everything from ethnic conflict in Eastern European cities to multiculturalism in U.S. schools with a fresh understanding and a sociological eye.
"I am enthusiastic about this book because I think it serves a series of needs which are not currently met by the publishing community: scholarly material which is neither diluted for an introductory mass market nor professional."
-- Jeffrey Chin, LeMoyne College (former Editor of Teaching Sociology)
Customer Reviews:
A thought-provoking overview of ethnicity and race.......2006-10-25
Ethnicity and race are controversial topics in many respects, but understanding these concepts is an important step in the process of dealing with and confronting the issues they present. This book walks the reader through over a century of social theory on race and ethnicity, dissecting the different theories and pointing out the strengths and weaknesses in each. It also effectively uses historical examples to illustrate the concepts it presents. For anyone who is interested in the topic, this book is an excellent primer that will provide a great conceptual basis for further study in the fields concerning race and ethnicity.
Amazon.com
Now that we've been downsized and outsourced and reengineered and networked, management gurus are finally focusing on the one universal resource that has been staring them in the face all along: their so-called "human capital." The funny thing is, some of the best thinking on the subject was published more than four decades ago, when few senior business people were ready to listen. In essays like "New Concepts of Management" and books like The Human Side of Enterprise, the late MIT educator Douglas McGregor argued articulately that corporations are not merely machines, nor are workers simply cogs to run them. Now, in Douglas McGregor, Revisited, Gary Heil, Warren G. Bennis, and Deborah C. Stephens resurrect many of these prescient observations and place them in a context appropriate for our times. The three prominent leadership specialists open with "Why McGregor Matters," an extensive section in which his opinions are discussed as they relate to performance, cooperation, motivation, commitment, and other topics like teams. The authors conclude with selections from McGregor's work that address issues (including the changing composition of the industrial work force, job satisfaction, and paternalism) that remain as relevant today as the day they were written. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
The words of Douglas McGregor, one of the fore-fathers of management theory and one of the top business thinkers of all time, cannot and should not be ignored. McGregor's vision of a more humanistic workplace may not have been widely accepted over three decades ago, but technological advancements that McGregor himself anticipated have paradoxically helped companies become more human. Viewing employees not as cogs in the machine but as living beings with individual goals-what McGregor called "the human side of the enterprise"-has proven to provide a remarkable competitive advantage.
Now, with the rise of the networked economy, the growing power of frontline workers, and the shift in power from mass producer to individual consumer, authors Gary Heil, Warren Bennis, and Deborah Stephens assert that McGregor's ideas are more important and relevant than ever before.
Douglas McGregor, Revisited emphasizes McGregor's lasting influence and updates his thinking with new concepts, fresh strategies, and modern implementation. This timely work traces McGregor's original thinking, which has emerged in current approaches that stress distributed leadership, open-minded appraisal techniques, and employee/customer commitment.
Highlighted throughout with gems of wisdom in McGregor's own words, the book describes the value of his theories for today's managers. The authors carefully outline how to put McGregor's thinking into practice in your own business so you can:
* Devise a better performance management system
* Form and supervise effective management teams
* Build cooperation instead of internal competition
* Cultivate an intrinsically motivating, values-driven workplace
* Create a cause worthy of employee commitment
Also featured are examples from a host of companies and leaders who have flourished under McGregor's approach. Authoritative and highly instructive, Douglas McGregor, Revisited offers new generations of managers important lessons from history and from the field.
Praise for Douglas McGregor, Revisited
"This book revisits in a contemporary manner the most important question facing management today: given what we know about human nature, how should work be managed so as to unleash the vast creative potential of human beings? The evidence is overwhelming that many people either come to an organization or can be appropriately led to exhibit the behavior McGregor characterized as 'Theory Y.' This book provides a 'how-to' approach for developing people at work and for establishing high performance organizations."-Joseph A. Maciariello, Horton Professor of Management
Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management, Claremont Graduate University and Claremont McKenna College. Author of Lasting Value: Lessons from a Century of Agility at Lincoln Electric
Douglas McGregor's seminal works, The Human Side of the Enterprise and The Professional Manager, debunked Taylorism and described a revolutionary way to manage people. He was the first to apply the findings in behavioral science to the world of business. Based on what had been learned about human behavior, McGregor explored the implications of managing people in a different manner than tradition dictated.
The nature of work today makes McGregor's ideas more relevant than ever before. This important book applies his thinking to today's business world, proving again that the human aspect of work is crucial to organizational effectiveness. It also suggests how you can change your thinking and implement his ideas in your own business and workplace.
Customer Reviews:
Enterprise - The Human Aspect.......2005-04-18
i want to write Report on ` Enterprise - The Human Aspects `
McGregor's Work is Classic!.......2003-07-01
McGregor's work is classic. This is required reading for executives.
Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"
What a wonderful book!.......2001-03-24
This book is a real gem. The 140 pages or so of outline on McGregor's ideas is invaluable. I've read Human Side Of Enterprise, but the way the authors explain theory Y brought a lot of light to my understanding of McGregor's ideas. McGregor's ideas reach much farther than I realized, and the authors are virtuosos at explaining the real profundity in the Human Side of Enterprise. I recommend this book highly, even to those well versed in this stuff. I also learned a lot by the modern examples (like Lincoln Electric and Herman Miller) of companies which follow theory Y. Douglas McGregor does not have all the answers. But even if McGregor is not the last word on management, all future thinkers will have to grapple with the ideas and the questions (so many!) that he put forth.
How to unleash the vast creative potential of employees.......2000-07-31
Douglas McGregor's seminal works, The Human Side of Enterprise and The Professional Manager, debunked Taylorism and described a revolutionary way to manage people. He was the first to apply the findings in behavioural science to the world of business. Based on what had been learned about human behaviour, McGregor explored the implications of managing people in a different manner than tradition dictated.
Authors Gary Heil, Deborah Stephens and Warren Bennis assert that the nature of work today makes McGregor's ideas more important and relevant than ever before. This book revisits in a contemporary manner the most important question facing management today: given what we know about human nature, how should work be managed so as to unleash the vast creative potential of human beings? It applies McGregor's thinking to today's business world, proving again that the human aspect of work is crucial to organisational effectiveness. It also suggests how you can change your thinking and implement his ideas in your own business and workplace.
The authors carefully outline how to put McGregor's thinking into practice in your own business so you can devise a better performance management system, form and supervise effective management teams, build cooperation instead of internal competition, cultivate an intrinsically motivating, values-driven workplace and create a cause worthy of employee commitment.
Irresistible Retrospective on Managers Lacking Introspection.......2000-05-30
When I was in business school (back in the Dark Ages), McGregor was considered the finest thinker about organizational behavior. He grasped that behavioral science offered great promise for making organizations more effective and more desirable places to be.
Everyone was excited about the potential of his assumptions about people in the workplace: Employees want to do a good job; they will make extra effort to learn and accomplish more; they have the potential to much more; and it makes great sense to get everyone involved as much as possible. At the time, it seemed like the first breath of fresh air in the stale world of corporate bureaucracies. Although I haven't thought much about McGregor in over 20 years, I realize that I was profoundly influenced by his thinking.
Reading this fine book gave me a valuable new perspective on McGregor -- that a central weakness of many companies and managers is that the comapny's leadership is not consciously aware of what it assumes about its employees. While almost every company espouses humanistic and empowerment ideas and ideals, many continue to operate in the same old command and control way. Most of the focus is on creating carrots and sticks to manipulate behavior.
Why don't people get it? McGregor had figured out that managers don't think much about their assumptions about employees. McGregor made the important point that everyone needs to determine what those assumptions are (Can people be trusted? If yes, use Theory Y. If no, use Theory X). What happens now is that many people hold Theory X beliefs that employees cannot be trusted and but try to use Theory Y methods (that they can), and the mixed messages keep everyone confused. 'I want you to take full charge of this project, but check with me before doing anything.' Sound familiar?
In particular, managers don't really understand Maslow's hierarchy of needs. As simple needs are fulfilled, psychic needs become more important such as working on something that will make a difference. Chapters 6 and 7 are especially good on how intrinsic personal motivation is created.
This book is excellent in that it contains a retrospective perspective on McGregor as well as some of McGregor's own key essays. I especially enjoyed Warren Bennis's essay on the weaknesses in McGregor's argument: How do managers get their needs served if they are always servant leaders (see Joe Jaworski's excellent book, Synchronicity to get an answer to that) and what is the role of the environment on the needs of the worker in the workplace? Clearly, the Internet is one example of a new force that irresitibly is creating Theory Y contexts for accomplishment, independent of what managers do.
The main weakness of this book is that it does not point out that the limit to Theory Y was that McGregory did not give enough detail to make it possible to know exactly what to do. See Bill Jenson's book, Simplicity, for the significance of this mistake by McGregor.
Whether you believe that employees cannot be trusted or that they are your first line of offense and defense empowered on their own, you will benefit from reading and thinking about the questions and topics in this book. It can be an important step forward toward helping you build an irresistible growth enterprise.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Pre-Marriage Material.......2007-07-16
I am LDS and my bishop gave me this book before my marriage. I found the book to be an easy way to approach this serious subject before marriage with someone else who was may be shy to discuss intimate things openly. I specifically liked the section about the purpose of the honeymoon.
I think the people who complain that the book labels oral sex as unnatural and against LDS doctrine, are the LDS members who are guilty of it and don't want to admit that their behavior is against church teachings.
Boys are bad and girls can't be satisfied..........2005-07-27
I'm engaged and some of the anatomy type explanations were very helpful, that's where the good parts of the book end. As a man reading this book I felt like every stereotype in society about men being sex-animals with no feeling or regard for anyone was pointed out-and agreed with. If my sex drive is higher that's my problem, and I need to fix myself. If our sexual relationship isn't going right it's always the man's fault. On the flip side, my fiance almost cried as she read the book, feeling that being happy with our sex life and finding satisfaction can't ever happen. While I haven't been married yet, I believe this is a false belief, that a wonderful sex life can be achieved. A relationship where each partner is unselfish and aware and sensitive to the needs of their partner. This book did a poor job of giving anyone who's never experienced a sexual relationship, hope of that ever being a unifying, positive experience for both people.
Insulting and Destructive!.......2005-05-04
I agree with many of the other reviewers about this book. It's not something newlywed couples should read, and certainly not married couples experiencing intimacy problems.
The tone of the book is very offensive and even anti-sex at times. It gives you a complex about sex and possibly crossing some "line" which the author refuses to actually draw. Sex is treated as a selfish thing, and being selfish is a sin. The book is especially degrading of women and their needs. For example, it talks about orgasm with a kind of disdain, something "unecessary" that you shouldn't bother aiming for. It has a kind of "oh, that's overrated" attitude towards orgasm and the female's pleasure in general. If she doesn't experience it at all or with any frequency, i.e. not satisfied, eh, that's ok, no big deal. And same for the guy. Satisfaction doesn't "just" come from orgasm.
The book will ultimately cause you problems. I can't see it helping anybody with much of anything. It makes you feel selfish about doing anything and will bind you down with worries and make you feel guilty for trying to find solutions to problems that exist or ones that might come up.
Read President Hinckley's book.......2003-07-29
For all of you complaining about oral sex and what has been said 30 to 40 years ago, read Pres. Hinckley in "Teachings of President Hinckley" to find out what he says NOW.
How can the LDS Church allow such misogynic drivel?.......2002-10-24
As a man, I was offended by the tone this book takes towards women and sexual relationships in general. The book professes to be a guide, a help for married couples, but in truth the book could not possibly be a help to any except the most tragically naive and repressed couple. The book constantly harps on how bad it is to be selfish in the bedroom - which is the last thing most LDS couples, and LDS women in particular, need to hear. The book equates honestly asking your partner for certain acts to be done with selfishness - and as most LDS guys are clueless when it comes to what a woman wants done to them, a woman's sexual desires will therefore be left unsaid. Comments in the book such as (paraphrased) "you should never touch yourself during sex to stimulate yourself (as this is selfish and evil masturbation) are completely unjust to many women who find that self-stimulation during mutual sex is necessary to achieve orgasm - or at least feelings highly pleasurable - to both partners. To not say even ONE word about oral sex is just ridiculous in a book about intimate sexual relations - and the reference in the index for that practice to the section within the book on "unnatural acts" is not only completely against LDS doctrine, but highly injurious to those couples that enjoy it or could enjoy it with some helpful encouragment from unbiased authors. What the LDS married population need is a real sex book from an LDS perspective, perhaps even published by the LDS Church. The Deseret Book stamp of approval had this book flying off the shelves for months - which shows the need for such a book as none other existed prior to this, but the harm done to good marriages by this one book may take years of struggling for many couples to overcome. As great alternatives for LDS couples, I would recommend "Magic of Sex," by Miriam Stoppard, and a new book, "Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm," by Kim Cattrall and her husband. Don't waste your time or money or marriage on this book. Shame on the authors.
Average customer rating:
- Hitchiker revisted
- Perfect for Old and New Fans of This Classic!
- The first in a series yet complete in its self
- I love listening to this audiobook in my car .
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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Douglas Adams
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ASIN: 0739322206
Release Date: 2005-03-29 |
Book Description
"IRRESISTIBLE!"
--The Boston Globe
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years.
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!
"[A] WHIMSICAL ODYSSEY...Characters frolic through the galaxy with infectious joy."
--Publishers Weekly
From the Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Hitchiker revisted.......2006-09-02
It was wonderful to hear Stephen Fry's version of one of my favorite BBC TV programmes "Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
This is my firsy audio book and it's great as I can do other things and still listen and enjoy this book.
Perfect for Old and New Fans of This Classic!.......2006-05-31
Over the Memorial Day weekend, I had the good fortune to be invited to Maine to see the fabulous tree house that is the subject of The Treehouse Chronicles. I decided this would be a good chance to listen to a recording of an old favorite that I've never heard in audio form before. Browsing through the library, it was an easy decision to pick this new recording of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Within minutes, I could tell that I'd made a winning choice as I listened to Stephen Fry brilliantly share his voice to add texture to this intriguing story. Between the accents and the humorous references to irony, I was enthralled. I found myself wishing that the recording was a longer one.
When you read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, it can come across a little simplistically in places. Those spots work much smoother in this audio version.
In fact, if you haven't read the book, I recommend that you listen to this recording instead. I think you'll enjoy and appreciate the book more in its more dramatic version here.
If you don't know the story, Arthur Dent finds himself awakening with a hangover determined to save his home. Only problem is, while the demolition crew looms, he's also about to lose his other home, the Earth. Aided by his alien friend, Ford Prefect, Arthur is soon off hitchhiking his way through the galaxy in a most improbable set of circumstances that will amuse and delight you. You'll meet Zaphod Beeblebrox, one of the most memorable aliens in anyone's fiction. Along the way, you'll learn more speculation about wearing digital watches and finding lost ballpoint pens than you ever expected to know.
Bravo, Stephen Fry and Douglas Adams!
The first in a series yet complete in its self.......2005-08-02
A galactic freeway is coming through and you guest it the Earth is in the way.
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. Another advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.
How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."
If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.
I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.
This book has changed my life.
I love listening to this audiobook in my car ........2005-06-22
It is fitting that this audio adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was voiced by actor Stephen Fry. Fry was a close friend of the late Mr. Adams, and he also narrates the new H2G2 movie as the voice of the Book. Fry does a great job of making this classic novel come alive, drawing the listener into the story. This audiobook makes a great tribute to Douglas Adams and the world and characters he created in the H2G2 universe.
Book Description
There has never been another writer quite like Douglas Adams; witty, funny and brilliantly eloquent on a gargantuan number of topics. The Salmon of Doubt brims with the Adams trademarks: thought-provoking, silly and insanely original writings in an all-new never-before-published collection. For the millions of readers who expressed their grief and shock at his untimely death, this is it: his final book and our last chance to see new work from an acknowledged comic genius of our time.
This work includes the title novella, essays on subjects near and dear to his heart, including perception, computers, and Bach's Brandenburg concertos; laugh-out-loud short pieces, and transcripts of Hitchhikers Guide to the future radio scripts. One last glimpse of Douglas Adams before we go.
Customer Reviews:
If you loved this Douglas Adams you are gonna love this !.......2007-08-18
I was so glad that there was more Douglas Adams to read, thank god for this book. But now that I have found a book that you will love to read as it is cut from the same laugh riot ilk as any great DA.
It is not science fiction by any means, but if you like Douglas Adams, you are gonna love Pete McCarthy's book "McCarthy's Bar A Journey of Discovery in Ireland".
This is a little known book and I even had to post the photo of this book on Amazon and afterwards came across to post a review of this book for any other Douglas Adams fans as they will be glad that I have shared.
Kind Regards,
Randall
McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery In Ireland
A look into life in his galaxy.......2007-08-02
For even a part time Adams fan, this book is golden. Assembled after his death, this book compiles many years or writings and musings, and throws them in with some unfinished works Adams left when he left this galaxy of ours. The book does take some getting used to, as many of the parts are unpolished, and largely in the state the left his mind from, which can be unorganized. Once you get past this, you really can begin to enjoy this. It reveals a deep and complex thought process, and also gives new depth to your views on Adams. I for one was amazed he could write a rather lengthy excerpt about his feelings on his own nose, to a point where I enjoyed reading it. After learning so much of his thought process, the criminal part of this work is that the man himself is gone, and now that you have insight into his life, he has departed.
If you are an Adams fan, this is a must have, no doubt about it.
A river of tears awaits any real Douglas Adams fan.......2007-03-27
A close friend of Douglas Adams once stated that, when one is reading a book by the author, one feels as if what was written was penned especially for him or her. Douglas Adams' mischievous and insightful humor has caused millions of guffaws, billions of knee-slaps, trillions of snorts, and quadrillions of smiles. Any real fan of Mr. Adams' works will find it hard to keep a dry eye throughout this beautifully arranged ode to the memory of the great author.
A collection of memorial speeches, past writings, short stories, interviews, and one incomplete fiction novel await the listener of this collection. At approximately 8 hours, this collection, narrated by Simon Jones, Christopher Cerf, Richard Dawkins, and Stephen Fry, will make you laugh, cry, think, and remember.
The eulogies will unleash your sadness. The short stories will, however briefly, trigger a newfound appreciation for certain simple things. The interviews will inspire your pursuit of clear thinking. The presentations will take your mind on a, hopefully permanent, tour of the wonders of original thinking. The incomplete novel (whether a new "Hitchhiker" or "Dirk Gentley" book, none can tell) will wake up that seldom-used "intelligent-humor" area of the brain. The overall experience will, however temporarily, change your thinking about life in general.
The only criticism I would levy against this production is its relative brevity. The addition of "Young Zaphod Plays it Safe", although an entertaining short story, feels like a cheap way to extend the book somehow. "Young Zaphod" was included in previous collections of the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", and was thus an unusual addition to this book. However, this is a minor complaint, and is of insufficient import to justify not buying this very moving collection.
REGARDING THE UNABRIDGED AUDIO EDITION: Simon Jones' narration is appropriate on all counts. His erudite enunciation and perfect emphasis would surely earn the approval of this collection's muse--if only he were alive to hear it. Douglas Adams' humor is channeled through the talents of this remarkable voice actor: his skills make even more memorable the sad experience of remembering this genius author, comic, technophile, and luminary.
Fans of DNA: listen to on a good day, or just when you're enjoying a fantastic cup of tea.
DNA newbies who love humor, silliness, and wit: pick up the "Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" first; otherwise, you'll miss many references.
DNA newbies who hate humor, silliness, and wit: please leave your genes in the wastebasket by the door on your way out of this life.
an unfinished story.......2007-03-08
the first half of the book has extracts from inetrviews and essays Douglas has written, still fun to read. The second half is a good (but unfortunately unfinished) stry. Good to have if you are a douglas fan.
Best book I've read in the past two years!.......2007-03-08
Very funny. A good read with a nice twist on the ending. I'm not ususally a fan of Douglas Adams and I love it.
Average customer rating:
- A good foreign policy overview
- Good book up until the author switch
- history lite
- Can't Put It Down!
- Excellent overview of U.S. foreign policy since 1938
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Rise to Globalism
Stephen Ambrose , and
Douglas Brinkley
Manufacturer: Longman
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ASIN: 0140268316 |
Customer Reviews:
A good foreign policy overview.......2007-07-08
This is a good survey of American foreign policy since 1938. It can be dry at times since it is dealing with policy but I highly recommend it. Stephen E. Ambrose co-wrote it so you know it must be pretty good. I recommend this because many Americans now adays don't really know much about America's foreign policy and how we became a hegemonic power. If you are interested in American foreign policy since 1938, then this is the book for you.
Good book up until the author switch.......2007-02-02
This book started out really well. Ambrose did a good job of laying out the history of America's global relations. Like a good historian he pointed out the facts of what happened. He gave credit where credit was due but also gave appropriate criticisms. Yes it is easy to look back and criticize but he did so evenhandedly so that students could learn.
Somewhere in the book the tone changed decidedly. Instead of pointing out what was good and what was bad about the presidents and their policies the book started taking on a definent slant. Where one would have at least expected some criticism of Carter you got only defense. At one point the author's only justification for Carter not being all that bad was that Nixon was bad too. This sounds like playground logic if I ever heard it.
I went through the book and found something out that I did not know when I purchased it. Rather than two authors collaborating on one piece the actually wrote separate parts of the book. Originally written by Ambrose the book was later revised by Brinkley who obviously is nowhere near the historian that Ambrose was. A good historian can turn their personal feelings aside and look at things objectively, Brinkley is not one of them.
The book was five stars up to the Nixon years when Ambrose was clearly writing. 0 stars are attributed to the op-ed portion that marks Brinkley's contribution.
history lite.......2006-04-10
mr. ambrose has always been an easy target. he's overextended they say. well, after reading this pile of words, i'd reduce ambrose to a decent intro to the topic. if you'd like an overview of events during america's rise to superpower status, flip through these pages and consider his editorials lightly. the events are indisputable and his spin is helpful. ambrose is like water on a paper towel. give this book to young students who express interest in american foreign policy during the 20th century. if they indicate an interest, start pursuing other tomes, written by legitimate historians well-versed in their subjects.
Can't Put It Down!.......2005-11-29
Ambrose's writing is so fluid and exciting that the book reads more like a novel than a history book. A great read.
Excellent overview of U.S. foreign policy since 1938.......2005-11-17
This is a great book for those looking to understand the United States' position in the world today. Ambrose and Brinkley are two critically acclaimed authors who have an excellent grasp on America in the 20th century.
The current edition of the book covers the period from 1938 to the first Clinton administration. The authors provide a good explanation of all major military conflicts and foreign policy decisions the U.S. made during those years. Note, however, that this book only covers U.S. foreign policy and deals very little with domestic policy and events. Ambrose and Brinkley do an excellent job connecting major themes in American foreign policy, such as containment and the Truman Doctrine, to the actions Presidents and Secretaries of State and Defense made.
The book is an excellent overview for casual readers and historians looking to understand American foreign policy over the last sixty years. Sentences are kept brief and to the point. The chapters flow with a good narration of events and in a chronological order. Ambrose and Brinkley, while not providing a bibliography, do provide some good suggestions for further reading. Overall, this is an excellent starting point for casual historians and students of modern U.S. history concerned with foreign policy.
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