Book Description
Valuable software, realistic examples, and fascinating topics . . . everything you need to master the most widely used management science techniques using Microsoft® Excel™ is right here! Learning to make decisions in today's business world takes training and experience. Cliff Ragsdale--the respected innovator in the field of management science--is an outstanding guide to help you learn the skills you need, use Microsoft Excel for Windows to implement those skills, and gain the confidence to apply what you learn to real business situations. SPREADSHEET MODELING AND DECISION ANALYSIS gives you step-by-step instructions and annotated screen shots to make examples easy to follow. Plus, interesting sections called The World of Management Science show you how each topic has been applied in a real company.
Customer Reviews:
A Good Book for Finance/IT majors.......2007-09-17
This book does what it sets out to do: teach spreadsheet modeling. I'm only on the third chapter, but the author does a good job including step by step instructions on how to create winning models. The author is also very easy to understand. So if you're going to be doing optimization and modeling in your work, I highly recommend this book.
Great book, and includes @RISK.......2007-08-06
Ragsdale really makes spreadsheet modeling accessible to real-world business situations. It was a great asset to my MBA coursework. As a student, it came with a free student version of @RISK risk analysis software as well.
Good practical text.......2006-11-12
A good book for those studying decision making techniques or as a reference for managers looking to upgrade their skills
Decision analysis.......2006-11-02
Excellent book; I am considering it as a textbook for a Managerial Sciences course. The examples are clear and real increasing the interest of the students.
Good book , worth to read.......2006-02-17
This book is designated as the textbook for our master's level management modeling class. The author concerntrated on the application of Microsoft Solver to solve various of optimazation problems that we freqently faced in the real business opreations. Overall, this is good book for entry-level management modeling study.
Book Description
Easy to understand-even for learners with limited math backgrounds, this book uses a modeling approach to provide thorough coverage of the basic techniques in quantitative methods and focuses on the managerial applications of these techniques. An interesting and reader friendly writing style makes for a clear presentation, complete with all the necessary assumptions and mathematical details.
Chapter topics include probability concepts and applications, decision models and decision trees, regression models, forecasting, inventory control models, linear programming modeling applications and computer analyses, network models, project management, simulation modeling, and more.
For an introduction toquantitative analysis, quantitative management, operations research, or management science-especially for those individuals preparing for work in agricultural economics and health care fields.
Customer Reviews:
Introduction.......2006-12-17
We used this book in my "Operations analysis"-class, and it's a great introduction to the subjects discussed. Some very basic probability for estimating values and descision theory. Some regression in addition to other forecasting methods. Good sections on linear and integer programming, and also basic queuing models. Markov analysis is about as far as this book goes, and it basically just touches upon all the subjects in order to make the reader grasp the basic ideas.
One minus is the Windows-only software, no Mac-support there, but that only meant that I had to use Excel, which imo helped me gain a better understanding of the subjects, as I had to formulate all the spreadsheets myself instead of just feeding numbers into the QM-package, which imo seems like a total waste of a chance to learn. Anyway, most areas are covered with respect to both QM and Excel, which makes the non-existant Mac-support bareable.
So Much Better Than The University Bookstore.......2006-11-10
Wow! This brand new book cost $50 less than the same new book at my university bookstore! It was even cheaper than buying a used version of the book from the bookstore. The shipping was so fast, it arrived at my house the day after I ordered it! I'll be looking on Amazon.com for all my future text book purchases!! :)
Excellent introduction to the subject.......2006-02-28
I read this book as the assigned text for a course in Quantitative Analysis and found it to be an excellent text for such a class. Each Model and equation presented is explained through realistic examples, illustrations, and explanations of the math. This made the subject very easy to comprehend and apply to the real world.
Exercises at the end of each chapter are also based on real-world situations and case studies are included in the book and the CD that go into more detail about a real world use for each model.
The book was also easy to read and not overly technical when explaining mathematic concepts. An excellent text for an introduction to the field of management science.
Book Description
Make effective sales decisions with SALES MANAGEMENT! With a focus on the importance of employing different sales strategies for different consumer groups, this management text blends the most recent sales management research with real-life best practices of leading sales organizations. Role plays, cases, technology, and applications are just a few of the tools that will help you succeed in your sales career.
Customer Reviews:
Extremely good reference guide.......2005-08-04
I first came across this book whilst doing my MBA at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. The subject was Competitive Analysis and Babette Bensoussan was a guest lecturer. Working in Strategic Projects in a large Australian company, I found this book extremely useful in selecting strategic models to use for my analysis. The explanations of the models and how they work are accurate and precise and enables the reader to apply the model efficiently and effectively.
a must have for all business students.......2005-07-18
I just had the pleassure of having one of the authors (babette bensoussan) as a lecturer at bond university.
This book is THE reference for startegic analytical tools.
it is not one of the usual useless academic books - it is a practical usefull resource for most if not all strategy areas.
Selected as "the" text for government all-source analysts.......2004-01-14
Rather than outline the wonderful aspects of this book, which other reviewers have done so ably, I will just say that I rank the authors up there with Ben Gilad (Israel), Mats Bjore (Sweden), and Jan Herring, Dick Klavens/Brad Ashton, and Leonard Fuld (USA), and we have made this book "the" text for the annual government all-source analysis training that centers on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT).
This book, in combination with Ben Gilad's "Early Warning", the Leonard Fuld's "New Competitor Intelligence", Dick Klavens and Brad Ashton's "Keeping Abreast of Science & Technology", and Mats Bjore forthcoming book, are the essential five books for any business intelligence professional or anyone seeking to understand best in class business intelligence.
Excellent coverage of management analysis tools.......2003-07-23
This book fills a niche that should have been done by somebody a long time ago. It includes most of the popular analysis techniques that a management consultant would normally use, and provides a common process description for employing the method. It makes an excellent complement to Porter's series of books and can be nicely combined with more conceptual treatments in the strategy field. I have already bought several copies for my office colleagues as it will be useful for them in their consulting work as well. I can see why it has gotten many good reviews and I'd concur with these. It is worth having this one on your book shelf although, like me, you may find yourself pulling it off the shelf to refer to on a frequent basis.
Outstanding one stop source for techniques and "how to".......2003-03-25
It is rare to find a text that pulls together the many quite different techniques that can be used to analyze a business and the competitive environment in which it operates. This book does that, and more!
The authors have addressed their personal needs as much as the needs of those who will use the benefits of their labours. Now, when asked about a technique or asked for a recommendation as to how to attack an issue, one can turn to this one text and extract the most appropriate tool(s) and make sensible assessments of which of the various analytical tools is most appropriate.
The authors have gone one better - and I suspect that more than one MBA student will appreciate their efforts - they have included a very useful and quite comprehensive outline of financial analytical tools that add to the more "marketing" oriented techniques detailed in the core of the text. The various financial ratios are now at your fingertips. The financial analysis can be woven into the market and environmental competitive analysis.
Oh to have had access to this at an earlier stage of my career.
One of those indispensable tools. A "must have" in the office.
Book Description
Comprehensive Classroom Management presents practical methods for creating a positive learning environment, working with behavior problems, and other challenges in the classroom.
This text uses real-life examples to help pre-service and in-service teachers understand and apply the principles of classroom management in their own classroom situations. Through numerous case studies, examples, and descriptions of specific strategies based on solid research and classroom experience, Comprehensive Classroom Management features classrooms ranging from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The book's approach is to focus on creating positive learning environments, and it provides extensive, practical materials on both problem-solving and building individual behavior change plans for students with behavioral problems.
For pre-service and in-service teachers of elementary or secondary education, curriculum & instruction, educational psychology, or special education.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive Classroom Management.......2006-02-26
I had to buy and read this book for a classroom management class. It is a great book for comparing the most recent research available. However, you usually need to read five to ten pages of what could have been stated in a paragraph. I do feel that I really understand the material by the time I finish reading the book. I have also used many of the ideas in my classroom to try and improve my classroom management in my student teaching experience.
required class reading.......2005-02-22
I was required to purchase this book for a class I am currently taking. While the content of the book could be useful, the manner in which it is written is laden with ridiculous run-on ideas that could be communicated much more clearly. Here is an example from page 28:
"Regardless of the extent to which teachers decide to adapt to the norms and parenting styles of their student's culture or systematically assists students in learning to adapt while maintaining their cultural values, the point is that as educators we are willing to examine our own beliefs and way of working with students in light of the contextual variables existing in the classroom, school and community."
To students who may be required to read this text: Good luck. Perhaps you can change classes before it is too late.
To professors who may add this book to their required reading list: Please, please, please pass on this text and choose something more relevant and tangible for your students.
To educators who may choose this book to answer questions or add to their professional library: choose something else. This book is useless. My advice is your time will be better spent going to talk to teachers who have been in the field rather than reading this book.
Book Description
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the development and application of quantitative statistical methods to study choices made by individuals. This primer provides an introduction to the main techniques of choice analysis and also includes details on data collection and preparation, model estimation and interpretation and the design of choice experiments. A companion website offers practice data sets and software to apply modeling and data skills presented in the book.
Customer Reviews:
Everything you need to learn to carry out a choice model.......2005-10-17
This book is massive, and hence the term "primer" may be a little misleading. But if you really want to understand how to model choice data for a range of models, the book is outstanding. Other books focus more on the econometrics of the models, which are pivotal to know. But this book builds upon that by walking you through a series of increasingly-complex models, allowing you to understand why you need to perform particular modeling tasks.
The book focuses on NLogit software, but once you understand how to actually estimate choice models utilizing software, the skills can be easily carried into other software programs. However, without such experience, the other books available may fall short in enabling you to estimate choice models. Indeed, this was the case for me -- I understood the econometrics of the models, but had difficulty estimating complex models using software, simply beacuse I was uncomfortable with the syntax.
Hensher et al. removes this obstacle by giving the reader thorough training in both understanding what a given set of choice data may represent (e.g., observations from a particular choice experiment), and how to physically estimate models. The increase in confidence I received from working through the exercises in the book is why I rate the book so highly. Not only are the econometric concepts explained, but the nuts and bolts of model estimation are revealed, and that made all the difference.
An ambiguous oriented book.......2005-10-05
The whole book serves as a software (NLogit) manual. If you already know about the discrete choice analysis, you might be able to find out the messages that the authors try to convey. And it contains barely new information, so it doesn't help you anyway. But if you are new to this area, this is not the good book for you to start.
The book is extremely verbose and the ideas are hidden behind lines and ill-presented. It turned out that it's very difficult to comprehend the essence or even sense of the choice methods from this book. The best one can get is becoming a software user of the authors' own program.
Besides, the software, Nlogit, is not user-friendly and can't serve as a mainsteam tool.
Book Description
Incorporating new and updated information, this second edition of THE bestselling text in Bayesian data analysis continues to emphasize practice over theory, describing how to conceptualize, perform, and critique statistical analyses from a Bayesian perspective. Its world-class authors provide guidance on all aspects of Bayesian data analysis and include examples of real statistical analyses, based on their own research, that demonstrate how to solve complicated problems. Changes in the new edition include: · Stronger focus on MCMC · Revision of the computational advice in Part III · New chapters on nonlinear models and decision analysis · Several additional applied examples from the authors' recent research · Additional chapters on current models for Bayesian data analysis such as nonlinear models, generalized linear mixed models, and more · Reorganization of chapters 6 and 7 on model checking and data collection Bayesian computation is currently at a stage where there are many reasonable ways to compute any given posterior distribution. However, the best approach is not always clear ahead of time. Reflecting this, the new edition offers a more pluralistic presentation, giving advice on performing computations from many perspectives while making clear the importance of being aware that there are different ways to implement any given iterative simulation computation. The new approach, additional examples, and updated information make Bayesian Data Analysis an excellent introductory text and a reference that working scientists will use throughout their professional life.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive, but not well-written.......2007-01-06
This book is a very comprehensive treatment of Bayesian data analysis. However, it is not well-written. I find Lancaster's book to be much more well-written and interesting to read.
Very Excellent, but non-statisticians should start elsewhere.......2006-06-05
Gelman's book is an excellent and complete introduction to Bayesian methods. It covers a number of topics not touched by other intros I've read, and focuses much more on regression and ANOVA than other texts.
There are two downsides, coming from someone in psychology. First, the book seems to hover between an introductory text and a more advanced one. The topics covered are mostly introductory, but the examples aren't always entirely easy to follow. A tighter integration with the R and Bugs code would help. Perhaps a section at the end of the chapters containing a code example for each topic would be ideal. It's not that the topics themselves are necessarily opaque, but Gelman moves too fast at times, making it hard to think in terms of notation, theory, experimental design AND code at the same time (for those of us constantly thinking about how this affects our own research).
Second, as a general rule, this book is outside the ken of most psychologists. This is unfortunate since the methods are ideal for our discipline, and since many psychologists already perceive a large barrier of entry to statistics. As a psychologist with minimal undergraduate training in stats, I would (and did) start with a standard statistics book like Casella and Berger, and then move on to a gentler introduction to Bayesian methodology, like _Bayesian Methods: A Social and Behavioral Sciences Approach_ by Jeff Gill. Also, you can barely do anything in this book with SPSS so you'll have to learn R and Bugs.
As Good As It Gets For An Intro To Bayes.......2005-10-28
Yes, it is an introduction to Bayesian methods. That means you have to have a very good understanding of classical statistics (at the level of Casella and Berger would be optimal) and then be willing to use the WinBugs program to further your knowledge. A great book.
It is a good book, but not a bible of Bayesian analysis........2005-08-31
[1] A good introductory book, but definitely not a bible of Bayesian analysis.
[2] The example-based introduction may be a try of new generation of Bayesian. Many people, especially the beginners, may like this style.
[3] Some of the authors are good at programming in BUGS, R, etc, so the part of MCMC methods seems worthy to skim through.
[4] The book is suitable for the undergraduate and the first year graduate level.
A good introductory book, but..........2005-01-26
I read the other reviews and agree with them to some extent. This is
a good introduction to applied Bayesian analysis. Lots of
good examples, illustrations and exercises.
If you are the kind of person who learns by way of examples, then
this might be the text book for you. If you are looking for the
bigger picture, then you will be lost here. There is very little in the way
of theory. Why is this the right method? What is gained theoretically
over a frequentist method? What are the theoretical properties of the
proposed approach? To a large extent these kinds of questions remain a mystery.
In terms of flexibility an applied Bayesian approach has some decided
advantages. However, in terms of theory
it's almost as if the authors want you to believe that once
you adopt the Bayesian approach then the benefits of averaging
by way of using a prior will always be the right thing to do.
You could argue that advanced questions like this are better suited for
a more advanced text book. I tend to ask more out of a book.
Book Description
The emphasis of the text is on data analysis, modeling, and spreadsheet use in statistics and management science. This text contains professional Excel software add-ins. The authors maintain the elements that have made this text a market leader in its first edition: clarity of writing, a teach-by-example approach, and complete Excel integration.
Customer Reviews:
Managerial Statistics Text book.......2006-11-03
It was the text book the professor wanted me to buy.
It was good.
Sanjay Chheda.......2006-10-06
The book is very good with really good explanations and examples on descriptive analysis and inferential analysis.
Better Title: Intro to Statistics using Excel Add-ins.......2001-06-04
On the positive side, this book has many excellent case studies and examples. It is well written and interesting. However, I was disappointed, as I was expecting use of Excel to rigorously solve decision making and data analysis problems. The focus of the book is mostly traditional statistics solved using a group of commercial add-ins for Excel. If this is what you want, then the book would get five stars. However, for data analysis and decision making, I think a more thorough treatment using Excel without relying so much on the add-ins would have been appropriate.
Serious Excel 2000 Problem.......2001-04-12
The text book is great. I have many of Winston's other books and they are all great. The Palisade stuff works just fine. However, the StatPro Addin that accompanies this text does not work with MS Excel 2000. I contacted the IT guy that the authors directed me to--he was stumped. He just gave up and suggested I return my book for a refund because he could not figure out it out. Again, the book is great but the StatPro Addin sucks!
No trouble with Excel.......2001-01-31
I find the text and software a useful set of tools. It assumes familiarity with basic statistics and Excel, and builds on them to develop a powerfull ability to analize data and make decisions from it. I experienced no trouble with the software install or operation.
Book Description
Meta-analysis, decision analysis, and cost-effectiveness analysis are the cornerstones of evidence-based medicine. These related quantitative methods have become essential tools in the formulation of clinical and public policy based on the synthesis of evidence. All three methods are taught with increasing frequency in medical schools and schools of public health and in health policy courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. This book is a lucid introduction, and will serve the needs of students taking introductory courses that cover these topics. It will also be useful to clinicians and policymakers who need to understand the quantitative underpinnings of the methods in order to best apply the information that derives from them. The second edition of this popular book adds new material on cumulative meta-analysis as a method to explore heterogeneity. The coverage of cost-effectiveness analysis has been brought into close alignment with recommendations of the U.S. Public Health Panel on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Health and Medicine. Many of the examples have been replaced with more current examples, and all of the material has been updated to reflect recent advances in the methods and the emergence of consensus about some previously controversial issues. analysis. These three closely related methods have become even more important for synthesizing research since the first edition was published in 1994. And they have gained legitimacy as tools for guiding health policy.
Customer Reviews:
Best guide for analysis.......2006-12-20
There are several ways to do analysis of the health care industry but this book covers the big three. Cost Effectiveness is the most useful from a business standpoint. This book covers the math and theory behind each of these methods and gives strong arguments for how to write in each of them. As a health and pharmaceutical economist I found this book to be invaluable. It is written very clearly and helps sort through many of the issues especially meta analysis. If you are starting out in the health analyst field this is a must read and a book you will want to have handy at all times.
An excellent introductory text.......2002-02-05
Meta-analysis, as both an applied and theoretical science, continues to develop from its rather humble beginnings. Since most physicians lack a strong background in quantitative science, rigorous statistical approaches to clinical decision making have been slow to gain widespread support. Despite its limitations, meta-analysis is proving to be an important vehicle for making sense of the increasingly overwhelming amount of published data in the biomedical sciences. Petitti's book goes a long way in demystifying meta-analysis for the rank and file and also serves as an excellent introduction to the field for the more statistically literate.
Most of my own work is in meta-analysis and I bought the book exclusively for this content and not information on decision analysis and cost-effectiveness analysis. I do not mean to minimize the importance of the latter but rather point out my own narrow interest in the Petitti text.
The book is well written and concise. Petitti "cuts to the chase" explaining the theory underlying meta-analytic methods and provides many useful examples from the medical literature. The text is easy to follow, understandable and well balanced. A thorough reading should leave the reader well prepared for further exploration of applied meta-analysis as well as capable of articulating its strengths, weaknesses and future direction.
Overall, Petitti's text is an excellent place to start for those interested in learning the fundamentals of "research synthesis". The book is also an extremely handy references for the more experienced practitioner. I highly recommend it.
clearest yet description this topic.......1997-07-08
In a forest of mirky and arcane descriptions of a field that has come to dominate medical research and policy making, this book stands out for its clarity. Dr. Petitti speaks a language that normal people can understand. She avoids jargon and frequently uses quantitative examples that make it easy to plug in your own problems and directly apply her lessons to your tasks. This is easily the best book in print on this topic
Customer Reviews:
Good for the real world too.......2007-03-02
This book was meant for use within a university classroom setting.
Surprisingly, unlike most textbooks, you can actually use this book in the real world. For example, a lot of business plan books and articles casually mention business forecasting. Unfortunately, the large majority of them barely mention any details on how to construct them. Well this book covers it in depth. As for other applications with the use of MS Excel, the book will show you the optimal amount of money you should put down into a select number of investments, how to perform project scheduling (with out MS Project), and the list goes on....
This is a good book.
Books:
- Spreadsheet Modeling and Decision Analysis (with CD-ROM and Microsoft Project 2003 120 day version)
- Statistics for Business: Data Analysis and Modeling (Duxbury Series in Business Statistics and Decision Sciences)
- Statistics for Management and Economics (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac )
- Ten Best Teaching Practices: How Brain Research, Learning Styles, and Standards Define Teaching Competencies
- The Anger Workbook: A 13-Step Interactive Plan to Help You... (Minirth-Meier Clinic Series)
- The Art of Innovation: Lessons in Creativity from IDEO, America's Leading Design Firm
- The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and The Public Should Expect
- The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America
- The Fires of Heaven (The Wheel of Time, Book 5)
- The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Debt-Proof Living: The Complete Guide to Living Financially Free
- The Color Scheme Bible: Inspirational Palettes for Designing Home Interiors
- JFK, Nixon, Oliver Stone and Me: An Idealist's Journey from Capitol Hill to Hollywood Hell
- Marco Breuer: Tremors, Ephemera
- Sisters
- The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For
- So Far from the Bamboo Grove
- Essentials of Accounting for Governmental and Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Naming the System: Inequality and Work in the Global Economy
- Scandal Takes a Holiday
General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Managerial Accounting
Financial Accounting: A Valuation Emphasis
Training In Interpersonal Skills: Tips for Managing People at Work (4th Edition)
Microeconomics, 6th Edition
Statistics for Business and Economics and Student CD (6th Edition)
