Book Description
America's health care system is unraveling. Every day, millions of hard-working people struggle to find affordable medical treatment for themselves and their families—unable to pay for prescription drugs and regular checkups, let alone hospital visits. Some of these people end up losing money. Others end up losing something even more valuable: their health or even their lives. In this powerful work of original reportage, Jonathan Cohn travels across the United States—the only country in the developed world that does not guarantee access to medical care as a right of citizenship—to investigate why this crisis is happening and to see firsthand its impact on ordinary Americans.
The stories he brings back are tragic and infuriating. In Boston, a heart attack victim becomes a casualty of emergency room overcrowding when she is turned away from the one hospital that could treat her. In South Central L.A., a security guard loses part of his vision when he can't find affordable treatment for his diabetes. In the middle of the prairie heartland, a retired meatpacker sells his house to pay for the medications that keep him and his aging wife alive. And, in a tiny village tucked into the Catskill mountains, a mother of three young children decides against a costly doctor's visit—and lets a deadly cancer go undetected—because her husband's high-tech job no longer provides health insurance.
Passionate, illuminating, and often devastating, Sick interweaves these stories with clear-eyed reporting from Washington and takes us inside the medical industry to chronicle the decline of America's health care system—and lays bare the consequences any one of us could suffer if we don't replace it.
Customer Reviews:
A compelling read.......2007-10-14
This book is a great read, that yet again, puts a much needed human face on our health care crisis.
Good reading.......2007-08-16
I needed to read this book for a class I was taking. But, it was not a chore to read at all. It was very informative and gave me answers to questions I had regarding the health care situation here in the United States. The book is very easy to read and I could hardly put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about the health care crisis.
Right on Target.......2007-08-09
This book just begins to describe the issues with our health care system. The for-profits skim the lucrative services from the "not-for-profits", leaving us all with the tab. We are all subsidizing the for profit entities and paying their dividends.
Do people really think the US Government does not control the US healthcare system now? Medicare and Medicaid represent over half of hospital and physician payments and everything else is heavily regulated by the US government now! We have a government run and controlled system now and it is operating poorly!
Good convincing argument for reform.......2007-07-16
SICK by Jonathan Cohn is, thankfully, one of many books coming out these days about problems with our health care system in the United States. The style of the book is brilliant, since in the first eight chapters Cohn carefully examines various aspects of health care and uses case studies of people who fall through the cracks to illustrate problems that exist. As this book explains, we have excellent medical facilities in the U.S., but the terrible problem is that many people are denied consistent access to those facilities. Many of the people Cohn uses as case studies die because of lack of access. He provides enough detail about those people to make you see them as real people and thus to empathize with their plights, yet he also provides quite a lot of "technical" detail about health care. If, on the other hand, Cohn had focused totally on the technical aspects and policies, he would have lost everyone but the policy wonks. And if he had focused totally on personal stories, the book would not have been educational enough. Instead he strikes a very good balance between the two.
Another neat balancing act that Cohn performs involves solutions to our health care crisis. SICK mainly examines the situation with our health care system, and is not mainly about solutions. There are other books out there focusing more on that. Cohn deals with solutions only in the last chapter, which runs 17 pages. In that space, he clearly advocates a government-run universal health care system. He holds up France as a good model to emulate, where he says there is universal coverage, quick and easy access to care, and overall better results than we get. And yet the French pay far less than we do for health care, as does everyone else in the world! Cohn could have devoted more space to his proposed solution (maybe in a sequel?), but I believe his method of focusing on problems will convince more people of its prudence, since many Americans are opposed to more government intrusion in health care. Everyone who reads SICK must surely conclude that SOMETHING must be done to seriously reform health care in the U.S. If there is some better answer than government-run universal care, what is it, and why hasn't someone done it already? The burden of proof is on the nay-sayers.
Let's not panic and create a new American health care crisis.......2007-07-11
The author argues for single tiered universal health care - probably government administrated. As both a middle class consumer and a retired surgeon I agree (don't we all) that our medical insurance system needs fixing. But let's consider this further: Are the people of this nation really willing to pay for great health care for everyone? It won't be cheap. In the past 15 or so years Americans have shown that they want first-rate services, but have not been willing to vote for tax increases to cover them. By contrast, many of the European Countries that are cited as having successful healthcare financing systems have notably higher taxes.
So what are we really likely to get? At minimum a two-tiered system - the wealthy and the rest of us. Do we want that? If not, how many tiers are acceptable and who should administer them? The federal government? The private insurance companies?
So far the nationally-administered systems in this country have manifested several weaknesses. The MCARE system is a highly regulated system, setting prices, frequency of service, deciding the criteria for who can receive what treatment, how long a patient can stay in the hospital and much more. About 15 years ago, to contain costs, HCFA coined the phrase "the best the system can afford" and has since continued to reduce MCARE reimbursement, hospital stay length and covered services. MCAID is even more subject to economic pressures, and a quick review of its history shows that Congress has consistently balanced their budgets by cutting MCAID. Most recently, Congress passed a pharmacy reimbursement bill which prevents MCARE from negotiating pharmaceutical prices, a standard HMO practice.
In the short run patient's may be getting a bargain, but many of the finer physicians are opting out of being MCARE providers, or leaving practice because of the low compensation and heavy regulation that inteferes with their ability to effectively treat patients. And among those that are staying in practice, more and more doctors are choosing to provide non-covered services such as plastic surgery or diet counseling and products, creating a shortage of physicians in many areas.
Finally, contrary to popular belief, MCARE is a tiered system, in that it requires a monthly premium (which some can't afford), and allows for purchase of a secondary insurance (that many more cannot afford) to cover the required copayment.
We all know that conventional insurance has many of the same weaknesses and consequences. So what now?
I think a satisfactory system is developing through the efforts of state politicians that are working to design complex systems to meet a multitude of health care needs. This has spurred a dialogue that is highly educational and, I believe, over time will result in multi-tiered systems that will; provide a variety of choices for those that can afford health care coverage, eliminate discrimination against folks with pre-existing conditions and aging bodies, and fund a respectable level of health care (that can't be reduced by a budget-stressed Congress) for those who can't afford health care coverage.
Average customer rating:
- Useful and interesting - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED
- Superlative! A must have!
- A secret weapon for the energy auditor
- Everything you always wanted to know, in plain English
- Provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls
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Energy Efficiency Manual: for everyone who uses energy, pays for utilities, designs and builds, is interested in energy conservation and the environment (Energy Efficiency Manual)
Donald R. Wulfinghoff
Manufacturer: Energy Institute Press
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Similar Items:
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Handbook of Energy Audits: Sixth Edition
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Retrofitting for Energy Conservation
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Guide to Energy Management, Fifth Edition
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Energy Management Handbook, Sixth Edition
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Optimizing Energy Efficiencies in Industry
ASIN: 0965792676 |
Book Description
This is the primary reference, how-to guide, and sourcebook for energy conservation. It lets you improve efficiency and save money in all types of buildings and plants, ranging from individual houses to commercial buildings to large institutions and industrial plants. It is organized around 400 logically grouped energy conservation actions, presented in language that everyone understands.
It's for everyone who uses energy, pays for utilities, manages property, operates energy systems, designs, builds, and values conservation and the environment. It's loaded with features that help you quickly find the right information for each application. "Ratings" and "Selection Scorecards" identify your best conservation opportunities. "Traps & Tricks" ensure success. "Economics" estimate savings and costs. It has been acclaimed by professional and non-technical users. Publishers Weekly says it "answers just about any question [from] homeowner, plant manager, energy policy guru ... as practically useful as it is informative." 830 photographs and drawings illustrate the methods. Hundreds of examples give you a feel for real applications. A complete index makes it easy to find every topic and term.
Customer Reviews:
Useful and interesting - STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.......2005-02-08
Despite the intimidating name and size of this tome, I found it fascinating to read. It covers everything from light bulb selection to rooftop chiller maintenance. The depth and breath of coverage is amazing.
This is not a hippie guide to backwoods eco-conservation. It is a practical manual, firmly grounded in science and economics that explains different strategies for maximizing comfort while minimizing energy use. In every case, the author examines both the pros and cons of the measure, and calculates the expected payback term. It is so helpful to have a book that is realistic in its treatment of energy conservation. Lots of books outline promising energy saving techniques, none I've read before talk so frankly about the problems you will encounter when you implement them.
Quite technical in many places, the text excels at explaining important concepts that are often ignored in other texts. I have a background in physics, but not until reading this book did I have a good grasp of the operation of absorption coolers or how the spectrum of a light bulb affects the visual comfort of the scene it illuminates. The concise overview of heat transfer mechanisms is more thorough than any thermodynamics textbook I've ever read.
Most important of all is the practical advice that is clearly based on a huge body of real experience. As the book so frequently points out, energy saving measures are useless if they break or are defeated by building occupants. Hundreds of (non-obvious) examples of these failures are given, with pictures.
This book would be great for anyone with responsibility for designing or maintaining buildings of any size. If you are hesitant to pay the high price, find it at a local library. I don't write many Amazon reviews, but after reading this book I felt compelled to strongly recommend it.
Superlative! A must have!.......2003-12-08
Superlative! The ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL by Donald Wulfinghoff is a "must have" for professionals, libraries, facility managers, policy makers, homeowners, and anyone else who is serious about saving energy and cashing in on lower energy bills. It is the ultimate energy saving resource for businesses, industry, and government. PLUS, it will save money and reduce pollution, satisfying corporate bottom lines, policy makers, and environmentalists all at the same time. This book is unique. Highly informative, illustration-rich, and user-friendly, it is treasure trove of everything you need to know about energy efficiency from A to Z. Don't bother looking elsewhere -- the ENERGY EFFICIENCY MANUAL simply has it all. This book will pay for itself almost as fast as you can spot a hot air leak or install an energy-efficient light bulb!
-- Amy Vickers
A secret weapon for the energy auditor.......2003-07-01
As an energy auditor I'd almost call the Energy Efficiency Manual a secret weapon, except it has so many good ideas that I can't help but show it to many of the customers and prospective customers I meet. The diagrams are very useful, as is the self contained but well cross-referenced way in which each improvement measure has been written. For example, talking to the maintenance manager of a hospital, we looked at the diagrams of hot/cold deck multi-zone systems while discussing the pros and cons of upgrading a constant volume air conditioning system to a variable volume system. It is by far the most useful book on energy management that I have ever read (well, in the case of the Energy Efficiency Manual, that I have partially read - its an enormously large book!), and the ratings of each of the measures are particularly useful, along with the practical, no-nonsense approach. The book is extremely well cross referenced and Wulfinghoff has covered an enormous body of knowledge in writing the book. As someone fairly new to the field I'm grateful that he went to the effort of documenting and making available his knowledge and 30 odd years experience in the Energy Efficiency Manual.
Everything you always wanted to know, in plain English.......2001-04-25
I nodded my head in agreement while reading Wulfinghoff's philosophy about energy savings in commercial and light industrial facilities. He distills 20+ years of experience in this field with practical, no-nonsense how-tos to gain energy and dollar savings in a wide variety of facilities and end-uses: lighting, water use, steam systems, space heating, water heating, air conditioning, scheduling, pumps, energy management controls: its all here in a well-written, well-illustrated book.
Perhaps best of all, the author goes beyond theoretical considerations of high-tech efficiency products, with precautions of what works and what might fall short. He also reminds facility managers to be mindful of the human factors that can foil our best efforts. He offers suggestions on how to plan and manage efficiency upgrades complete with information for building operators and occupants, so that the savings persist.
Highly recommended for anyone managing energy use in facilities, ranging from individual buildings to college campuses to government facilities. [I am a local government energy manager myself.]
Provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls.......2001-02-04
Donald Wulfinghoff's Energy Efficiency Manual is a massive, 1,536-page reference work that is organized to guide the reader quickly to the right information for their particular energy project, problem, or inquiry. The first part of this "user friend" manual has 400 logically grouped activities for improving energy efficiency. each activity begins with Ratings and a Selection Scorecard to help the reader judge the merits and difficulties of that particular activity. "Economics" sidebars estimates the savings, cost, and payback period. The "Traps & Tricks" sidebars provides practical advice for avoiding pitfalls plaguing energy conservation efforts. Energy Efficiency Manual will earn back its cover price over and over again and is an essential, core reference for personal, professional, and community library energy conservation and energy efficiency reference book collections.
Average customer rating:
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Low-Aptitude Men in the Military: Who Profits, Who Pays?
Janice H. Laurence , and
Peter F. Ramsberger
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
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ASIN: 0275940608 |
Book Description
This unique volume examines in detail two recent periods in military manpower history that have had a profound and lasting effect on military recruitment and selection policy. Project 100,000 and the ASVAB Misnorming brought hundreds of thousands of low-aptitude men into the military. While military officials recall these times with anything but affection, some social activists praise these periods as exemplary military social welfare ventures that could be resurrected today. Janice Laurence and Peter Ramsberger examine the history behind Project 100,000 and the ASVAB Misnorming as well as their outcomes--both for the military and for the men brought into the service. The data do not support the claim that a tour of duty will ultimately lead to civilian success for the low-aptitude veterans. While some have fond feelings for the military and may have profited from the experience, many were found to be less well off economically and socially than their nonveteran counterparts.
Book Description
American: Who Really Pays the Taxes? is a disturbing, eye-opening look at a tax system gone out of control. Originally designed to spread the cost of government fairly, our tax code has turned into a gold mine of loopholes and giveaways manipulated by the influential and wealthy for their own benefit.
If you feel as if the tax laws are rigged against the average taxpayer, you're right:
-- Middle-income taxpayers pick up a growing share of the nation's tax bill, while our most profitable corporations pay little or nothing.
-- Your tax status is effected more by how many lawyers and lobbyists you can afford than by your resources or needs.
-- Our best-known and most successful companies pay more taxes to foreign governments than to our own.
-- Cities and states start bidding wars to attract business through tax breaks -- taxes made up for by the American taxpayer.
Who really pays the taxes? Barlett and Stelle, authors of the best-selling america: What Went Wrong?, offer a graphic expose of what's wrong with our tax system, how it got that way, and how to fix it.
Customer Reviews:
Missing the Big Picture.......2007-01-22
I find the author's primary thesis of "rich individuals and corporations shirking their rightful burden of taxes" to be undermined by the simple fact that those very same rich shoulder an enormous share of the financial burden of taxation. The top 1% of wage earners pay over a third of all federal income taxes, and the top 10% pay almost two thirds. I'm a university professor earning about $40K a year, and it seems pretty obvious to me that the wealthy are supporting the lower earners in this country when it comes to their fair share of the federal budget. Does a wealthy person use the army or highways more than I do? Than why should they pay so much more? I understand the attempts of the wealthy (like anyone) to reduce their taxes, and since the wealthy are still shouldering so much of the burden of taxation, I have to assume that their attempts are not quite as successful as the author would have us believe. It seems to me that this book, while well written, is focused too much on the small "tax dodges" and not enough on the big picture, which is that the wealthy are already shouldering more than their fair share of the country's budget.
Interesting, but suspect.......2004-04-08
I'm going to prelude this by saying I haven't completed reading this book yet, but want to express my opinion on what I have read so far. While the information contained is rather interesting and eye-opening, I have to take much of what is said with a grain of salt. The primary reason is that I have come accross several basic math errors in the author's conclusions (the difference between a 19.8% rate and 18.1% rate is NOT 9%). It's also rather dry reading (though I somewhat expected that, considering the topic) and repetitive (did the author really need to provide the exact quotes of 15 different people all saying (effectively) the same thing to make his point?).
More Like Who Does Not Pay Taxes.......2003-02-10
I had a concern coming into this book that is was going to be pages of dull tax code jargon that kill any reading joy I might find in a book that bashes politicians. Luckily the authorýs wrote the book for the average Joe and left out the tax code. The basic premise of he book is that there is a special set of rules that the rich have had written into the tax code so that they do not pay the stated rates on the progressive tax system in the USA. This should not surprise most of us as it is the rich and corporations that spend the money with the politicians to get them elected, thus the back scratching has its fingers in the tax code. Now days it is hard to bring this charge up without all the ýClass Warfareý bias charges being tossed at you and this book is probably no exception. To me the authors did not seam to really be that bias, just real mad.
As an average Joe many parts of the book did make me a bit mad, just on the basic fairness point of view. They are good tidbits to have handy next time you are in a discussion with a person that pulls out the ýrich already pay most of the taxesý lines. With that said I did feel that the authors might have been reaching on some of thier complaints about corporations. Like most things it is a matter of degrees and in some parts I thought they went one or two steps over the line. My biggest complaint of the book was the number of person quote examples they used. It was nice to see two or three comments from some Senators on this or that tax bill, but the authors always seemed to use 10 ý 15. It was too much, we all know the politicians all read from the same talking points memos so to spell it out in a book using examples was overkill. Overall the book was interesting but not earth shattering.
Left winged or right winged this book is well researched.......2002-01-23
America, Who Stole the Dream, was a WONDERFUL READ. I find myself leaning more to the right, from a political perspective, but the authors arguments are EXCELLENT at times and they definitely bring up some great points.
This book is the most well argued book I have read about the current demise of the middle class in the U.S. After reading it I would definitely have to say that I have more concern about political decisions being made in Washington as the authors illustrate that consistently the politicians don't do the right thing for the country.
The authors bring up several concerns
1. Middle class demise via outsourcing of manufacturing to lower cost areas
2. Growing disparity of wealth (the rich own more in % terms)
3. The outsourcing of the `HIGH TECH JOBS' that are to be the savior of the country.
4. Commentary about various social programs set up and how ineffective they are.
In conclusion I would say this book was extremely well researched and I therefore give KUDOS to the authors. While I don't agree with everything they wrote I believe they have put forth an excellent piece of work.
My main contention with the book is that it focuses on the demise of manufacturing and low-end jobs, along with some high tech. The U.S. is expensive from a labor perspective. As we have outsourced much of our manufacturing we have been able to purchase products at cheaper prices in the U.S.. Imagine what some products would cost if we were paying for labor that was, in some cases, 10x higher than current wages in developing countries? NOWHERE in the book do the authors mention the BENEFIT to our standard of living because we can buy more with our dollars than we would be able to do so otherwise. In general, this book is WAY to the left so reader beware.
My background is a B.S. in Acct., an MBA in finance and current interests in economic and social policy development so I found this to be quite an interesting read.
It's class warfare. In reverse........2001-05-26
If you are like me you might have wondered why the "tax relief" of the last twenty years never seemed to really show up in your paycheck. You might have wondered why it felt like more and more of your income seemed to go to pay sales taxes and property taxes and income taxes and fees. If you wondered about that then you are likely somewhere in the middle class or even poor. If you wondered why it seemed that way, it's because it really is that way. See, as the top marginal rates for the well to do and the rates of tax on corporations has been reduced over and over, the Federal distributions to the states and municipal governments have been cut over and over. Unfortunantly for the great unwashed masses of the middle class, the state and local governments can't just close shop and stop providing essential services so they did what they had to do. They raised state and local sales, income and property taxes in a regressive manner to make up the shortfall. But wait! There's more!
In the 80's, as the budget deficits soared beyond anyone's worst nightmare, something had to be done to mask the true size of the monster. The result? A spike in the "payroll taxes" used to pay for Social Security and Medicare! While technically "off budget" and held in trust, the shell game used these receipts to disguise the growing deficits by lumping them in with other tax revenue. Oh yeah...the wealthy don't pay this tax on the vast majority of their income.
Barlett and Steele do a very passable job of explaining the shell game that has been used to lead Americans down the primrose path while transferring an ever greater share of our nations wealth to the very few at the expense of the rest of us. Now, as we repeat the major blunders of the Reagan eras transfer of wealth to the well to do with the fiscally irresponsible Bush tax cut (if you think that there is really a surplus to pay for this thing you are in for a rude awakening), this book is a very timely read. I can't recommend it highly enough. Get a copy and find out why almost all of what you thought you knew and almost all of what our political leaders are telling you is simply wrong.
America now has the largest gap between rich and poor in the entire industrialized world. Tax policy is at least partly to blame and has accelerated the growth of that gap such that it has more than doubled in the last twenty years. Do yourself a favor by finding a copy of this book to find out why. It's much worse than I can tell you here in the words allowed to me. I think most people instinctively know the truth but they are in denial. It's ugly and it's time to face it.
Book Description
Many companies and executives talk about patents, but few can demonstrate significant returns from them. Who are the elite companies and managers that have created wealth and profit from IP rights, and how have they done it? What do they advise others do to achieve higher profit margins, better returns on costly R&D, and increased shareholder value? This reader-friendly book focuses on ten companies and managers/advisors who have successfully implemented wealth-generating patent programs--and shows you how you can do it too.
Customer Reviews:
THE FIRST 50 PAGES ARE WORTH THE COST OF A SEMINAR.......2006-11-11
The first 50 pages are worth the cost of a seminar
As a 37 year patent practitioner, I found the first 50 pages of this book to be an eye-opener. It not only is worth the cost of the book, but in my view is worth the entire cost of the seminar for which it was offered as a preliminary read.
Whether or not the figures are exacting, the dichotomy is striking between the potential value of an IP portfolio on the one hand and the proportionately smaller amount of C-level executive and Director time devoted to management of the asset. It is also worrisome for all those managers to whom management responsibility is entrusted.
For those stuck in the traditional notion of exclusion being the principle basis for valuation of an IP portfolio, the implications of ignoring other and more non-traditional forms of value, coupled with the possibility of being called to account for that non-imaginative and perhaps negligent approach, are too important to overlook. Failure to effectively manage an IP asset may generate potentially serious liability for responsible executives and directors.
A well-done call to possibility is never wasted. While not a "how to", this book delivers that wake up call concisely and effectively. It is a call to action for the assembly of financial, legal and strategic thinking and resources in the management of IP, to be particularly heeded by the caretakers and enhancers of value.
Some good contributors, but way overpriced.......2006-10-12
This volume is disappointingly lightweight. Notwithstanding the comment of another reviewer who allegedly spent several evenings reading it, one can easily read it in 2 hours or even much less. The pages have relatively few lines of text, and those lines are widely-spaced. Almost 30% of the book (55.5 pages out of 190, other than intro and index) is filler, comprising biographies repelete with photos of the chapter authors in their Formula 1 racecars, running in a triathlon, rubbing their dog's belly, etc., and lots of information about their hobbies, or else pages that are completely blank but for brief epigrams by the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain and Herman Melville.
The substantive focus is almost exclusively on patents, with a dash of trade secrets thrown in. On the plus side, writers from IBM, HP and Intel have good stuff to say about licensing strategies. But the book doesn't say much about the strategic side of building a portfolio -- e.g., you won't find any mention of designing around, the doctrine of equivalents, walls, fences or flooding. Many of the articles exalt the delights of suing people. The authors voice opposing views about patent trolls, but the discussion is surprisingly black and white, with little nuance (e.g., no discussion about whether there should be different remedies for different sorts of patent owners).
A frequent refrain throughout the book is that up to 80% of many companies' value is in IP and intangible rights. But actually, good luck trying to get 80% of your market cap by selling off your IP portfolio. In the context of this book, the statistic is misleading in several respects. First, the percentage is based on the gap between the market capitalization of a company and the book value of its tangible assets. Much of the value in this gap is in goodwill and brand, i.e. trademarks and related rights, which aren't discussed in this book at all. Second, the debate over whether market cap accurately reflects fundamental value would fill many books the length of this one. Lastly, the valuation of patents is especially context-dependent. A patent's value can only be determined by licensing or selling it to someone else, or by using it in litigation. For most companies (trolls aside), only a small percentage of their patents will ever be litigated. It's hard to predict which ones those will be, and even harder to predict the financial outcome of the case. And the percentage that are licensed is usually well under a majority (and in many cases is zero). All these issues complicate the attribution of value to patents. But aside from some brief discussions of patent quality in one or two chapters, you won't find such issues grappled with in this book.
The three or four best articles, such as the one by M. Phelps about IBM's licensing program, are way too short and general to give you much guidance on how to implement a strategy at your company. They're like tantalizing hors d'oeuvres -- whereas the book is priced like a full meal (or a very fancy entree, at least). As for the balance, there are plenty of websites and blogs where you can get articles of comparable depth and insight for free. So buy this book used, or read it in a store. A meatier book about patents generally, including portfolio strategy, is Knight's "Patent Strategy for Researchers and Research Managers"; and about licensing programs, a pretty good choice is Parr and Sullivan's "Technology Licensing: Corporate Strategies for Maximizing Value." You may spend more on those, but they're much better value for the price.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.......2006-07-26
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and found it extremely useful. It's an engaging compilation of 11 chapters written by 11 Intellectual Property experts, all of which are focused on how innovation brings shareholder value. By reading this book, a person is able to quickly understand the Intellectual Property playing field as it is today, and to identify many of the main actors and their differing viewpoints. Whether a person is an inventor, attorney, CFO or just interested in today's Intellectual Property environment, I think this book is a must-read. It is current, informative and well-written. Bruce Berman does an excellent job of giving the reader concise and valuable information.
Collection of Possibilities.......2006-07-12
Most of the business world focuses on the competition that occurs between products already on the market. A whole other world of competition takes place in the background involving intellectual property that a select few in business understand well. Bruce Berman has collected essays from an exemplary set of people who do understand intellectual property and have the track records to prove it. The book covers a lot of ground, which is the only issue this reader had with the material. Each of the individuals featured here could probably write his own book. The collection of possibilities to explore from an informed standpoint, however, is excellent; and in a field that is emerging from traditional ways of handling intellectual property, it pays to hear ideas from a number of voices.
Making Innovation Pay: People Who Make IP Into Shareholder Value.......2006-05-10
Management of patent portfolios is moving on to new innovative approaches and business models.Bruce Berman has assembled a group of people who are on the leading edge of developing and making use of these new approaches and models.This is an interesting read for business people and also for university people involved in technology transfer.It is well worth the few evenings it takes to read the book.
Average customer rating:
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The Coming Health Crisis: Who Will Pay for Care for the Aged in the 21st Century?
John R. Wolfe
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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ASIN: 0226905152 |
Book Description
By the turn of the century, the largest generation of Americans in history, the "Baby Boomers," will be approaching 65 years old. But as the demand for health and long-term care is growing dramatically, health care programs have been shrinking instead of expanding to meet the older generation's needs. In this timely book, John R. Wolfe offers practical solutions to the coming health crisis, exploring innovative ways of developing insurance plans for the care of the large, aging "Baby Boom" generation and beyond.
In previous decades, when younger Americans far outnumbered older ones, retirees could depend on financial support through taxes from the population at large. But as "Boomers" retire and the work force begins to shrink, there will be a disproportionately large population of retirees to workers. With such a big jump in the percentage of older Americans in the population, fewer workers will be able to to transfer funds, through taxes, to retirees. Moreover, other traditionally reliable sources of financial assistance—Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—have faced serious financial difficulties in recent years. Who will the aged turn to for assistance?
The Coming Health Crisis suggests that as funds from all quarters dwindle, older Americans will have to look to alternative programs for financial assistance. Wolfe urges immediate action to develop new saving programs and increase existing transfer schemes to head off an imminent crisis. Although tax increases might provide some resources, he demonstrates that it is more important to accumulate capital to create solid reserves for the future. Wolfe also explores two roles for government: prefunding new or existing social insurance programs and promoting private insurance options. By exempting insurance fund income from corporate taxation and permitting people at all income levels to defer income tax on accounts earmarked for long-term care, he shows how government could greatly encourage and expand personal saving.
Finally, this work assesses the value of other recent health and long-term-care innovations: social/health maintenance organizations, long-term-care individual retirement accounts, and reverse annuity mortgages, in addition to vouchers, care rationing, mandatory public insurance, and expanded private coverage. Through this wide-ranging survey, Wolfe demonstrates that, through a combination of these programs, we can care for the aging "Baby Boom" generation by anticipating their needs and saving now.
Book Description
In The Girl Who Swam to Euskadi, Mark Kurlansky exhibits his great affection for two rocky coastlines facing each other, Massachusetts on one side of the Atlantic and Euskadi (Basqueland) on the other. In his book The Basque History of the World, Kurlansky wrote, "The Basques seem to be a mythical people, almost an imagined people." In this children's tale, a small girl who, while practicing her swimming in Gloucester, Massachusetts, accidentally swims to Euskadi and finds a strange land of strange customs and remarkable beauty. Returning home, no one will believe her that such a place exists.
The Girl Who Swam to Euskadi is a bilingual book in English and Euskera, the ancient Basque language, which is the oldest living European language.
All proceeds from the sale of this book are donated to the New York Basque Cultural Center.
Average customer rating:
- He gets it
- Guess What Happened To ME!
- Good Info
- Great tool and interesting read!
- This Book Got Me A Job
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It's Who You Know: How to Make the Right Business Connections -- and Make Them Pay Off
Bret Saxon
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
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Binding: Paperback
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The Art of the Shmooze
ASIN: 0425179842
Release Date: 2001-08-07 |
Book Description
Bret Saxon and Elliot Goldman are not the sons of wealthy or famous men. They are not "insiders" of the Hollywood industry or have any political clout. Bret is a lawyer and Elliot runs an apparel business. Yet, these two guys have managed to meet and become friends with celebrities like Mohammed Ali, Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, former President George Bush, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. In this book they will tell you how they did it-and how you can too!
As social creatures, human interaction is absolutely essential. Networking is a way of life. And success is often determined by who you know, not what you know. Here, in one definitive guide, are all the tools and techniques of effective networking, as well as detailed sections on specific situations and a wealth of examples from the authors' own networking experiences. From getting a foot in the door, to getting on the VIP list, it's everything a professional needs to know to make the right connections-and make them pay off.
Includes sections on:
¥ Establishing networking goals
¥ Unique networking technique and implementation
¥ Understanding the value of institutions
¥ Resource sections which include key names, addresses, websites and other vital information for business, government, charity and other trade organizations
¥ and much more
Customer Reviews:
He gets it.......2006-12-17
Elliot gets it and knows how to make it happen, great read
Guess What Happened To ME!.......2003-07-13
I bought this book back in the summer of 2001. I HATE to brag, but the info contained within got me into a HOLLYWOOD PREMIERE at Paramount Motion Picture Studios, and I had chance to meet the chairman of the board...
Good Info.......2002-02-06
Book had a lot of good info, all in one place. Good Book
Great tool and interesting read!.......2002-01-27
I've read this book twice and continually reference it while I go about the business of developing new contacts. Though a large portion of the book contains directory information (i.e., list of corporations, trade show, charities, etc.) I found it to be a good and at humorous read. Using the techniques in this book can yield some impressive results. If you're not willing to have an open mind and actually try some of the authors' hints then pass on this book. If, on the other hand, you want to make changes in your life then buy it and go for it!
This Book Got Me A Job.......2002-01-15
I bough this book hoping it could help me break into the computer software industry - everyone kept telling me I had to network. This book seemed interesting, so I bought it and followed the system and just got a job offer yesterday. I'm totally excited. Buy ths book!
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Who Will Pay?: Coping With Aging Societies, Climate Change, and Other Long-Term Fiscal Challenges
Peter S. Heller
Manufacturer: International Monetary Fund
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 158906223X |
Book Description
Aging populations. Weather shocks. Scarce water. Globalization. Security threats. Policymakers today confront a number of developments that threaten to burden public budgets for decades to come, or bankrupt some entirely. The book argues that governments need to make policy changes now to take account of the potential fiscal consequences of these developments. After describing how analysts, national governments, and international organizations presently address, if at all, these long-term issues, the book stresses the vital need of a multipronged approach, involving strengthened analyses, greater attention to long-term issues and risk factors in the budgeting, and institutional reforms that address the myopic biases of politicians and the public.
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Who Pays for Bank Insolvency?
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 140391740X |
Book Description
How to avoid taxpayers paying for bank failures and banking crises? This book provides a proposal and a critique by twelve independent experts. It is addressed particularly to the threat posed in Europe by having large international banks, a history of bailouts and limited means of resolving any future banking crises. It shows how political imperatives and legal constraints currently result in economic losses in many countries round the world.
Books:
- Silent Selling: Best Practices And Effective Strategies In Visual Merchandising
- Stop Sitting on Your Assets: How to Safely Leverage the Equity Trapped in Your Home and Transform It Into a Constant Flow of Wealth and Security
- Stop Sitting on Your Assets: How to Safely Leverage the Equity Trapped in Your Home and Transform It Into a Constant Flow of Wealth and Security
- Stop Sitting on Your Assets: How to Safely Leverage the Equity Trapped in Your Home and Transform It Into a Constant Flow of Wealth and Security
- The Anglosphere Challenge: Why the English-Speaking Nations Will Lead the Way in the Twenty-First Century
- The Appraisal of Real Estate, 12th Edition
- The Appraisal of Real Estate, 12th Edition
- The Art of Closing Any Deal: How to Be a Master Closer in Everything You Do
- The Attractor Factor: 5 Easy Steps for Creating Wealth (or Anything Else) from the Inside Out
- The Best of the British Virgin Islands: An Indispensable Guide for Anyone Visiting Tortola, Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke, Anegada, Cooper, Guana, and All ... (Best of the British Virgin Islands)
Books Index
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A Second Opinion: Rescuing America's Health Care
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