Making Your Small Farm Profitable: Apply 25 Guiding Principles/Develop New Crops & New Markets/Maximize Net Profits Per Acre
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Good advice for serious beginners
  • It's about business, the business of farming.
  • A Wise Investment for the Inquisitive, Curious Beginner
  • Where's the beef?
  • Being a Farmer does not mean living in Poverty
 Making Your Small Farm Profitable: Apply 25 Guiding Principles/Develop New Crops & New Markets/Maximize Net Profits Per Acre
Ron Macher
Manufacturer: Storey Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1580171613

Book Description

This practical, step-by-step guide to operating a small farm in the new millennium examines 20 alternative farming enterprises. Readers will learn how to target niche markets and sustain a farm's biological and economic health.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Good advice for serious beginners.......2007-06-15

There are lots of books written about how to grow things, how to raise animals, organics, etc. However, this is one of few on the subject of small farming that actually puts the whole picture together in terms of creating/sustaining a business and a lifestyle. The author expects that the reader is serious about surviving and thriving from his/her farming activities and shares information specific to the "business" of farming in a sensitive and ethical manner. It shouldn't be a secret that the small farmer needs to take advantage of every asset on the property year round, in addition to wearing every hat in a small business: Planning, marketing, sales, accounting, production, maintnenance, networking, etc. Excellent general information and many specifics, too. Well worth the read if you are serious about learnting to farm for profit.

5 out of 5 stars It's about business, the business of farming. .......2007-03-01

This book is about the business of farming. It is not about how to produce a specific crop or livestock. There are many other books out there that cover these subjects. Some people rated this book poorly because their expectations for the book conflicted with what the book's subject is.

If you want to know about the buying equipment, how many hours of your time and how much capital you'll need to expend on various livestock or crops and how much you can expect to profit by those efforts, this is the book that will help you.

5 out of 5 stars A Wise Investment for the Inquisitive, Curious Beginner.......2004-03-21

First, let me begin by saying what this book is not. This book gives zero advice to practicing small or large farmers on how to turn a profit. This book is not a how-to guide for those starting out. Nor is it a step-by-step method on how to get rich by working the land. If that were the case, then every small farmer in America would have read the book and gotten wealthy, instead of banks and other creditors foreclosing on family farms and putting them on the auctioning block.

Now, let me elaborate on what this book really is. This book is a very polite warning by two very seasoned, jaded individuals who are aware of the escapist notions and romantic fantasies many people have about farming. They have been around long enough to have become intimately familiar with the Back to the Land Movement, a Return to Simplicity, and Environmental Sustainability/Sustainable Agriculture- aka The New Improved Agriculture. It took me a while to realize this (three readings in fact!) and understand the dangers associated with one pernicious stereotype about farming.

Many of us on the sidelines believe that anyone can farm, and all it takes is a willingness to work hard (the trite saying about hard-working ditch diggers getting rich comes readily to mind). When we think of the farmer, we often have one (malicious) stereotype in mind- that of the dumb country boy with a 'gee aw shucks' outlook on farming and life. Basically, we really do not think it takes brains in order to farm successfully. I mean, after all, you take some seeds, toss in a little fertilizer of your choice, water them and come back in a few months to collect your crop and get your pesos (almost literally)- just how hard could that be?

Well, speaking as someone who is thoroughly new to farming, never once has farmed, and is inquisitive about the practice of agriculture, after considerable investigation I can tell you the prospective reader that no matter how hard they work, dumb people will not be able to stay on the farm for long. We on the sidelines do not think farming is difficult because we do not think about the Practice of Farming and the Business of Farming. If your experience of farming up to this point is shopping at your local natural foods co-op, perusing the stalls at the local weekly farmer's market, or wandering the aisles at some trendy, eco-hip retailer like Whole Foods or Wilds Oats (who have skillfully co-opted environmentalism as a path to insane riches), and you are considering going into farming as a vocation, then I do not think you will hear the polite warning contained in this book. If you are someone stuck in a dead-end or high-paying but otherwise unfulfilling career (like this reviewer), and you are seeking an out, a means of escape (what we politely but laughingly call a 'transition'), then you just might catch the polite warning consistently stated throughout this book.

Farming attracts many people not because of its business or financial aspects but because of the lifestyle many people associate with farming. If you are an MD, then you are in the business of healthcare. Your business and your lifestyle are completely different. In fact, whether your business is highly successful or modestly successful, your lifestyle could be lavish, it could be modest, or it could be parsimonious- it's up to you and your personal preferences. If you don't like your current situation, from where you work, to who you work for (read HMOs) to your clientele base, you can make a change without changing your lifestyle- too much that is.

Now here is the polite warning: if you are drawn to farming because of the lifestyle, and you turn this lifestyle into a business, then it behooves you to make damn certain that your business can pay for itself, because after all, your business is your lifestyle and your lifestyle is your business. The lifestyle will not work out if the business end does not pay. In fact, the business end may place quite severe limitations on the lifestyle you can reasonably expect to achieve, which in many cases will be well below what you are currently accustomed to. Unlike a 9 to 5 gig with some godless multinational, you can not simply just pack up and leave (this assumes implicitly that the heartless .......... have not fired you in the latest round of restructurings), and if the business end does not work out, you lose not only your lifestyle, but also your home.

For me, the true heart of the book and the real message of the text were contained in the Foreword by Budd Kerr Jr and Part I- Getting Started. In terms of content, the book contains little on the techniques of farming, and has eleven chapters divided into four parts- Getting Started, Farming, Planning and Marketing, and Management, with a handy appendix chock full of useful resources on the Business and Practice of Farming. The text is specifically pitched at a level that almost anyone can understand, and there is a noticeable bias towards the environmentally minded reader.

That said, the true purpose of this book is to get you, the prospective reader who may be thinking of getting into farming, to start thinking about the Practice of Farming and the Business of Farming, all romanticism and eco-hip verbiage aside. This book is of no use to someone who is already farming, and in need of help. The best time to read this book is before you get into farming whole hog as they say down on the farm.

Even though it took me three passes to finally get the message, I am glad that I did read it before taking any action.

Read this book several times BEFORE you venture into farming, not during or after.

1 out of 5 stars Where's the beef?.......2004-02-19

I kept reading and reading looking for the exciting practical information promised by all these reviews. Then the book ended. Then I looked back at the reviews to see what I'd missed that (mis)lead me to believe there was practical information in it. They use words like 'overview' to indicate that there ain't much in the way of real meat in this book. I can sum it up in one sentence: Find yourself a niche market locally and grow what they want. If you need details about producing the product, this is not the book you're looking for.

For extensive, detailed, practical information about making money by pasturing mixed species of livestock, look at books by Joel Salatin. But even he could still bring in more complementary planting for winter forage. Greg Judy has a detailed book about making money with livestock without owning the land or the livestock.

5 out of 5 stars Being a Farmer does not mean living in Poverty.......2004-01-07

I enjoyed Mr. Macher book. His realistic examples and stories on how to get started have convinced me to leave writing software and become a business man who's products are farm products.

The appendicies are great with current information about where to get more information.

His true stories boxes let you know that he understands what beginging farms needed in the way of encouragement and information to help them make the decision to farm.

He is correct when he writes "to survive as a farmer you must have a market before you start to grow and you must provide a quality product with even better customer service."

Worth the money and a pleasant read for anyone thinking about starting a business or farming.
Viable Vision: Transforming Total Sales into Net Profits
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Excelent view of all TOC tools
  • Good introduction to E. Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition
  • First TOC book for smart but busy exsecutives
  • A must read for CEOs serious about explosive growth!
  • TOC summary with essence
 Viable Vision: Transforming Total Sales into Net Profits
Gerald I. Kendall
Manufacturer: J. Ross Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 193215938X

Book Description

Developed by industry guru and mega best-selling author Eli Goldratt, Viable Vision is a proven strategic plan and approach that lays out the steps to transform an organization's current total sales into net profits within 4 years. This book explains the Viable Vision concept and provides readers the proven frame of reference and roadmap for achieving exponential growth in profits, without relying on minor miracles such as a new product breakthrough.

Supported by significant testing and proven results in real companies, it is now conceivable that even large companies can grow profits at double digit rates. Concisely packed with the proven principles of 25 years of scientific research and real-life application, readers will learn about the holistic implementation of constraints management in strategic planning, operations, supply chain/logistics, sales and marketing, project management, technology, metrics and finance. Whether or not you are one of the millions of people who have read "The Goal" or other fine books on the Theory of Constraints, you will gain enormous benefits from reading this book. Viable Vision is a must read for anyone interested in rapidly increasing their company's net profits.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Excelent view of all TOC tools.......2006-08-16

I have studied a lot of TOC bibliography but this book connects all in a very simple and easy way to learn

4 out of 5 stars Good introduction to E. Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition.......2005-03-09

In this book, Gerry attempts primarily to demonstrate two things. First, that contemporaneous complex and fast-changing business environment can best be managed through simplicity. Second, that the successful application of this approach can unleash the potential for organisations to achieve, in less than four years, net profits equal to current sales (Eli Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition).

After introducing Eli Goldratt's Viable Vision Proposition in chapters 1 and 2, Gerry provides a concise summary about the frameworks of reference, logic, application and expected results when applying the Theory of Constraints (TOC) to the different areas of the organisation (chapters 3 to 10). With this approach he seeks to prove his first claim.

Throughout the book, the reader will find examples and valuable information about the applicability of the TOC to managing businesses operations. Also, about new business propositions that organisations can take advantage of and that arise thanks to this TOC's management approach. Without doubt, Gerry's book makes the reader wiser and does help experience a paradigm shift.

Finally, and in Part IV of the book, Gerry describes a powerful buy-in process (chapter 11) and criteria to construct lasting competitive advantage (chapter 12) with chapter 13 explaining different phases through which managers can aspire to move their organisations towards a period of unparalleled growth.

If the reader is in need of gaining a good overview of TOC and of getting new breakthrough ideas to increase organisation's competitiveness and sales, this book won't disappoint. However, the reader must be warned that this book is not sufficient neither to implement some of the changes necessary to achieve sustainable results nor to develop and implement a Viable Vision that will generate, in less than four years, net profit equal to current sales. To this ends, the reader must seek professional advice!

...more in www.TOCworld.com

5 out of 5 stars First TOC book for smart but busy exsecutives.......2005-02-23

I have just completed translating this book into Japanese. Actually I translated several TOC books into Japanese in the past, because many Japanese readers want them to read in Japanese. However, in order for those who want to understand what TOC is all about, they had to read several books in the past before they understand whole of TOC and its implications to their business.
One of the unique points of this book, in my opinion, is that this is the first TOC book ever written specifically aiming at smart but busy executives as the target audience. In the Acknowledgments, Gerry wrote "...my original idea - a short, to the point Theory of Constraints (TOC) book for executives." Exactly this is why I decided to translate this book into Japanese so that the Japanese executives can read it quickly in Japanese without language barrier. Therefore, by investing little time, say, while traveling, executives can grasp all of the guts of TOC and its implications to their business.
The second uniqueness of this book is that, although it is concise, it is still comprehensive to cover every aspect of TOC - in other words it is full of messages that can make your business achieve high growth, and therefore, these messages should not certainly be overlooked by the Japanese executives who are keen to regain their success in world markets by applying the holistic approach explained plainly in this book to marketing and logistics.

5 out of 5 stars A must read for CEOs serious about explosive growth!.......2005-02-04

Gerry has done a nice job of explaining what a Viable Vision is and the Viable Vision process. If you are seriously interested in turning your current sales level into your profit level in 4 years then you should read this book.

It sounds outrageous doesn't it? But out of 100 companies who have applied for a free Viable Vision, 70 of them are in the Viable Vision process. After reading the book, I recommend attending one of Dr Goldratt's Viable Visin Offer Events. You can judge it for yourself, hear references, see the reaction of other CEOs, and apply for your free 2 hour meeting with Goldratt Consulting. You can get more information on the Viable Vision Offer Events at www.Viable-Vision.com

5 out of 5 stars TOC summary with essence.......2004-12-08

This work is summarizing very well the essentials of the TOC
set of tools and strategies. Yet it is done in away that enable
the reader to get insights about why these theories can add value
to your businesses or endeavors.
Virtual Trading: How Any Trader With a PC Can Use the Power of Neural Nets and Expert Systems to Boost Trading Profits
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Virtual Trading: How Any Trader With a PC Can Use the Power of Neural Nets and Expert Systems to Boost Trading Profits
    Jess Lederman
    Manufacturer: Irwin Professional Publishing
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    ASIN: 1557388121

    Book Description

    In plain language, Virtual Trading, shows you how to proceed from data collection to system development to actual trading. For traders who want to stay on the cutting edge of market technology, Virtual Trading is a must read. Featuring contributions from the leading experts in the field, Virtual Trading provides in-depth information on every important aspect of artificial intelligence in trading. Highlights include: Synergistic market analysis using neural networks by Lou Mendelsohn; Developing a market-timing system using genetic algorithms by Casimir Klimasauskas; Neural networkds and stock market valuation by John Keal; Applying chaos theory to a neural network by Joseph Shepard; Developing a trading system that uses Al by Mark Jurik; Neural network techniques for time series analysis by Peter Davies.
    Value Nets: Breaking the Supply Chain to Unlock Hidden Profits
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Innovative
    • Capturing value using a value net
    • Gives A Framework of Digital Supply Chain
    • Give This One A Pass
    • read only if you have much time...
    		 Value Nets: Breaking the Supply Chain to Unlock Hidden Profits
    David Bovet , and Joseph Martha
    Manufacturer: Wiley
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

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    3. The Art of Profitability The Art of Profitability

    ASIN: 0471360090

    Book Description

    "Value nets are digital powerhouses that fuel business results."-From the Foreword by Adrian Slywotzky

    If you have ever ordered a computer over the Internet and been amazed that a product built to your exact specifications could arrive at your door within days, or if your business's competition is suddenly gaining share by delivering custom-designed merchandise faster and more reliably than you can, you need to read Value Nets. Enlightened managers around the world are learning that the supply chain can be a bountiful source of profitable growth, increased market share, and shareholder value. Value Nets: Breaking the Supply Chain to Unlock Hidden Profits shows you how to release the value hidden in supply chain operations through new digital networked solutions.

    Value Nets introduces you to a new form of business design built around superb supply chain performance in the e-commerce world. This design enables any company to do far more with the supply chain than simply control costs. It provides a basis for true differentiation in the marketplace and gives you the power to deliver first-rate service and customized products to customers in ways that delight them and keep them coming back for more.

    Using numerous powerful case studies and examples from companies that have adopted value net design-Gateway, Cisco Systems, Cemex, Biogen, Zara, and dozens more-the authors demonstrate how value nets bridge the gap between the executive culture of strategy and business reinvention and the operational world of procurement, manufacturing, and logistics. They introduce the new concept of value nets and offer compelling evidence of their outstanding results. They also explain the five elements of value net creation, supplying specific examples from companies that have built value nets and showing how the new design helped these companies achieve superior profitability and customer satisfaction.

    Complete with an appendix that helps you think through the applicability of value nets to your company, Value Nets delivers everything you need to understand and implement this remarkable new business design. It captures the creativity of today's most effective business model and puts its power where it will do the most good-right in the palm of your hand.

    As one of the world's premier corporate strategy firms, MERCER MANAGEMENT CONSULTING helps leading enterprises achieve sustained shareholder value growth through the development and implementation of customer-focused business designs. Mercer's thought leadership on the topic of value growth is evident in four agenda-setting books published in the past four years: Profit Patterns, The Profit Zone, Value Migration, and Grow to Be Great. The firm serves clients from twenty offices in the Americas, Europe, and Asia."Value Nets exposes the supply chain for what it really is--a strategic differentiator. Reading about the success of Apple Computer, Zara, et al., will convince you that the time to take action is now!"-H. Lee Scott, President and CEO, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

    "Our experience is proof that the ideas presented in Value Nets work. Agile, networked operations help us deliver superb service to our customers and drive shareholder value as well."-James Mullen, President and COO, Biogen, Inc.

    "Value Nets takes supply chain management to the next frontier. CEOs will find it extremely helpful in their quest to provide better service and reduce cost by meeting unique customer requirements."-William "Gus" Pagonis, Retired Lt. Gen., U.S. Army Executive Vice President of Logistics, Sears, Roebuck and Company

    "Value Nets brings new concepts and a road map for competitive advantage to businesses in Latin America and other global markets where traditional supply chain thinking controls business design."-Julio A. Barea, President and CEO, Sara Lee Branded Apparel, Latin America Group

    Customer Reviews:

    4 out of 5 stars Innovative.......2006-01-26

    Enormous profits are hidden away in the supply chain, say the authors. You can find new value in the operating end of your business- how you handle orders, source components, build your products and get them to customers. The key to unlocking this potential profit is an entirely new business design, the value net.

    The value net is a system driven by customer choice, not the company. Today's customers demand exceptional convenience, speed, reliability and customization. These objectives are difficult to achieve with traditional supply chain management. The value net combines recent advances in supply chain management and strategic thinking to deliver more flexibility, speed and customization. The value net approach begins with the goal of creating value for customers. It is demand-driven. This is a contrast to traditional supply chain management which is driven by manufacturing needs, or supply-driven.

    This new business model is based on five key elements.
    1. Value proposition: Determine what the company will offer to potentially profitable customers, in terms of convenience, speed, customization, etc.
    2. Scope: Determine which activities need to be performed to meet these goals, and who will perform them. Consider outsourcing activities to others to add value and efficiency.
    3. Profit capture: Determine how the company aims to earn a compelling return on shareholder investment. Break down returns from benefits offered to customers like superior service, creative solutions, and costs and assets.
    4. Strategic control: Maneuver to protect the profit stream over time through sustainable competitive advantages. Control your brand reputation and your relationships with supply partners. Use innovative design to pass on low-cost products and services to customers.
    5. Execution: Use human capabilities and digital technology to hold all the elements together. Cultivate a team oriented culture fully supported with digital technology.

    4 out of 5 stars Capturing value using a value net.......2002-02-25

    Value Nets is an intriguing look at businesses that have revolutionized the way the do business by revolutionizing their supply chain. What is a Value Net? According to the author a value net "is a business design that uses digital supply chain concepts to achieve both superior customer satisfaction and company profitability". One of the main concepts of a value net is that it operates in parallel manner rather then a rigid sequential chain.

    Value Nets have the following five main characteristics:

    Customer-alignment
    Collaborative and systemic
    Agile and scalable
    Fast flow
    Digital

    Value Nets builds on the work of The Profit Zone, which define five elements of a value-creating business design. These five elements are defined as follows:

    Value proposition - a company's value proposition consists of products and services that add value to customers.
    Scope - what activities are required to deliver the company's value proposition and who delivers them (internal or partner).
    Profit capture - mechanisms that capture profit from the value proposition
    Strategic control - elements that protect profits over time
    Execution - operational excellence

    Value Nets take the five characteristics of the value net and show case studies of how companies implemented value nets within the context of the five elements of business design listed above.

    The models that this book lays out are quite useful for considering how a product or service is delivered. The case studies and example in this book are quite useful and cover several industries. Most of the examples relate to product companies, but the concepts can be applied to services companies as well.

    This book is a interesting and useful read for business consider how to interact with partners, competitors, suppliers and customers in the digital age. I would recommend reading the Appendix Value Net Self-Diagnostic first because is a great intro to the book. If this book resonates well with you might also like How Digital Is Your Business and The Profit Zone (also from Mercer Consulting).

    3 out of 5 stars Gives A Framework of Digital Supply Chain.......2001-03-31

    Merits: A systematic framework to understand how digital supply chain can apply to businesses. Good comparison with traditional supply chain (systematic vs. sequential). A few cases are detailed and insightful. For a fan of Mercer's Business Designs, it will be delightful to see how the authors fit the two together.

    This book will be more readable if contents are cut by half. Many contents are repetitive. "The Profit Zone" is full of new ideas, "Value Nets" is filled with consultants' empty statements. Some cases only talk about what happened, but not why it happened and how.

    I gave "The Profit Zone" five stars, "Value Nets" deserves only three.

    2 out of 5 stars Give This One A Pass.......2001-02-13

    If you're interested in supply chain management issues or e-business, you won't find much here. It's mostly a rehash of the other Mercer Consulting Book, The Profit Zone. Very general in nature, there's not much new material here. Read The Profit Zone and leave this one in the bin.

    3 out of 5 stars read only if you have much time..........2001-01-18

    This book is not primarily about eBusiness, but about the application of general management knowledge (such as customer focus etc.) in an internet - enabled world. As such it does not present new concepts for eBusiness. It merely summarizes old and well known cases and makes them fit to the own model of 5 "elements of business design". The book might be nice for beginners to see what is possible nowaday's but of little help if you want to learn really new concepts. Last point: the content could well be condensed to fit on 100 pages, 4 repetitions of everything are really of little use.
    Net Profit: How to Invest and Compete in the Real World of Internet Business
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Highly Recommended!
    • You must read it.
    • Entry level
    • Net Profit
    • Bringing Order to Chaos
    		 Net Profit: How to Invest and Compete in the Real World of Internet Business
    Peter S. Cohan
    Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    Amazon.com

    With all the uncertainty and hoopla around the Internet, how can investors and business managers hit the right financial buttons? In Net Profit, Peter S. Cohan, a premier Internet consultant and stock picker, analyzes the trade's top companies--including Yahoo!, Amazon.com, America Online, and Cisco Systems--and offers some compelling insights for investors and businesses on the Web or those considering it. "This book is about the companies that are working to make economic sense of the Web," Cohan writes. "And it is about a search for the business strategies that distinguish the market leaders from their peers."

    Cohan identifies nine segments of the industry--infrastructure, consulting, venture capital, security, portals, e-commerce, Web content, Internet service providers, and commerce tools. He judges each of the leading companies in the nine fields on its management, breadth of customer service, and most critical, ability to deliver a product that is so scarce and important that it carries a high price. Most Internet companies fail to meet all of Cohan's strict standards. Portal leader Yahoo!, for example, lacks economic clout over advertisers because of tough rivals in the traditional media. Cohan gives high grades to technology consultants like Gartner Group, venture capital firms, and network builder Cisco. He loves Cisco because it controls 80 percent of the router market, keeps customers by providing other network components, and shows a knack for acquiring smaller companies. Easy to understand, Net Profit features some key strategies for competing on the Internet. Cohan also helps companies evaluate whether it makes sense even to offer services on the Web. --Dan Ring

    Book Description

    The recent Internet stock crash has caused investors and managers to throw the baby out with the bath water. The gloom surrounding many publicly traded Internet companies makes objective evaluation of their performance difficult. In Net Profit, author Peter Cohan breaks down the complexity of the Internet market by answering two basic questions: Who makes money on Internet-related business? And how do they do it? His incisive analyses of leading Internet companies, their competitors, and their chances for continued growth pinpoint the factors that investors and managers in Internet business must examine to ensure future success.
    For excerpts and more detailed information on Net Profit, click here.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended!.......2001-08-14

    At the peak of the dot-com bubble, buying Internet stocks was momentum investing at its most pure - get in when a new stock or sector is on its upswing, and get out while the gettin's good. But Peter S. Cohan has created new criteria for Internet investors to apply in the traditional method of fundamental analysis. Instead of looking to old-line gurus like Graham or Buffet for advice, Cohan draws on the business strategies of John D. Rockefeller to come up with fresh e-commerce attributes like economic leverage, closed-loop solutions and adaptive management for investors to measure. We [...] recommend this book to executives, employees and students with equal vigor, although consider yourself forewarned that Cohan's extended barking-dog analogy will grate on your nerves. Nevertheless, anyone who invests in Internet companies or even traffics in Internet commerce for business or pleasure will gain insights from this book, regardless of whether Cohan's investment criteria prove to have staying power.

    5 out of 5 stars You must read it........2000-07-08

    Practical and effective. A balanced book with an understandable writing and depth of analysis.

    3 out of 5 stars Entry level.......2000-05-28

    This book is good for Newbie to the internet but certainly don't worth a look for someone looking for insight.

    The framework is nothing new but more or less a simplified business plan.

    In Chapter 13, Advice for Internet Management and Investors sounds like a common sense and existing strategy using by most of the dotcom. Common Sense: Strategy 1 of those advices is moving the company into a more profitability region in short. (It dividies the market into 3 levels of profitability. so called Lossware, Brandware and Powerware. Well, no matter if it is New or Old economy, there is always different degrees of profitability.)

    Existing strategies: Selling out of a porfolio builder, deep pockets and restructuring. We are seeing consolidation in the market a long long time ago and a lot of big or small players already know it is the way.

    This book is more like a news reporting and a lot of newly invented words cannot make this book a standard of new economy rules but disappoint me only.

    5 out of 5 stars Net Profit.......1999-12-14

    This is the most lucid, sensible analysis I've read thus far of the likely implications of engaging in e-commerce from different strategic perspectives and business models. Cohan provides a valuable framework and applies it to scores of real cases. I find myself returning to his book time and again to apply his methodology. His only off-base advice: don't invest in companies led by folks over 35. I'll forgive him that one. The rest of the book is a real gem. It should age well.

    5 out of 5 stars Bringing Order to Chaos.......1999-11-30

    I enjoyed the book tremendously, and think Peter's done a fabulous job dissecting the Internet investment frenzy, providing the logic to the momentum everyone else seems to have missed.
    Net Loss: Internet Prophets, Private Profits, and the Costs to Community
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • Startling cogent analysis
    • Challenges conventional wisdom
    • It's good for you and it tastes good too!
    • Myth about a 'myth'
    		 Net Loss: Internet Prophets, Private Profits, and the Costs to Community
    Nathan Newman
    Manufacturer: Pennsylvania State University Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0271022051

    Book Description

    "Nathan Newman has written a fascinating history of the Silicon Valley that chronicles the federal government's leading role in creating, and then privatizing, the Internet. Net Loss not only dispels the myth that the Internet emerged full-blown as a result of entrepreneurial risk in a competitive marketplace, but also explains in depth how forces of globalization have undermined regional economies in California while reshaping social and political life in local communities. This groundbreaking book is a must read for anyone concerned with the power of global corporations and the future of democratic governance."—Scott Bowman, California State University, Los Angeles

    "Net Loss is the perfect antidote for the confusion generated by the years of hype and the recent disillusionment surrounding the Internet economy. Nathan Newman offers a cogent and original analysis of what the Internet has really meant to the regional economy of the Silicon Valley as well as to other regions. Anyone in search of fresh ideas carefully grounded in a rich base of research will find this book just what they have been looking for."—Peter Evans, University of California, Berkeley

    How has the Internet been changing our lives, and how did these changes come about? Nathan Newman seeks the answers to these questions by studying the emergence of the Internet economy in Silicon Valley and the transformation of power relations it has brought about in our new information age. Net Loss is his effort to understand why technological innovation and growth have been accompanied by increasing economic inequality and a sense of political powerlessness among large sectors of the population.

    Newman first tells the story of the federal government's crucial role in the early development of the Internet, with the promotion of open computer standards and collaborative business practices that became the driving force of the Silicon Valley model. He then examines the complex dynamic of the process whereby regional economies have been changing as business alliances built around industries like the Internet replace the broader public investments that fueled regional growth in the past. A radical restructuring of once regionally focused industries like banking, electric utilities, and telephone companies is under way, with changes in federal regulation helping to undermine regional planning and the power of local community actors. The rise of global Internet commerce itself contributes to weakening the tax base of local governments, even as these governments increasingly use networked technology to market themselves and their citizens to global business, usually at the expense of all but their most elite residents. More optimistically, Newman sees an emerging countertrend of global use of the Internet by grassroots organizations, such as those in the antiglobalization movements, that may help to transcend this local powerlessness.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Startling cogent analysis.......2003-09-04

    What fun this was to read! It's so refreshing to read something that looks at the actual facts, crunches the data, and tells me the way it is, the way it should be, and how to fix it-- in clear language! Newman's argument is flawless, and I couldn't put it down. Read this to learn how little fish can team up to eat big fish.

    5 out of 5 stars Challenges conventional wisdom.......2003-08-30

    After having the lights go out in the Northeast, it's worth reading a book that predicted the problems coming from deregulating "networked" industries. More broadly, it challenges the conventional wisdom on the Internet-- from making clear how much the tech boom was based on government regulation and spending as well as why it was the withdrawal of government that helped lead to the Silicon Valley bust in the last 90s.

    Highly recommended.

    5 out of 5 stars It's good for you and it tastes good too!.......2003-08-24

    This author has somehow taken topics that, despite their importance, ordinarily would make my eyes glaze over with boredom and has through pithy writing and an abiliy to interpret complicated matters for the lay person acually managed to make them into a fun book to read. I highly recomend this book especially if it is not the type you would typically read.

    1 out of 5 stars Myth about a 'myth'.......2003-04-21

    I don't know anyone who believes that anyone other than the government, through DARPA originated the Internet ... so why the book?
    10 college sports programs report profit: UCA records highest net income; UA barely tops Henderson State. : An article from: Arkansas Business
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		10 college sports programs report profit: UCA records highest net income; UA barely tops Henderson State. : An article from: Arkansas Business
      Mark Friedman
      Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Digital

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      ASIN: B000EHT9CY
      Release Date: 2006-02-09

      Book Description

      This digital document is an article from Arkansas Business, published by Thomson Gale on January 23, 2006. The length of the article is 1081 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

      Citation Details
      Title: 10 college sports programs report profit: UCA records highest net income; UA barely tops Henderson State.
      Author: Mark Friedman
      Publication: Arkansas Business (Magazine/Journal)
      Date: January 23, 2006
      Publisher: Thomson Gale
      Volume: 23 Issue: 3 Page: 1(2)

      Distributed by Thomson Gale
      ACE net income up 25%. (Bermuda Briefs).: An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		ACE net income up 25%. (Bermuda Briefs).: An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management
        Lisa S. Howard
        Manufacturer: The National Underwriter Company
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Digital

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        ASIN: B0008DH7DM
        Release Date: 2005-07-31

        Book Description

        This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on May 12, 2003. The length of the article is 461 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

        Citation Details
        Title: ACE net income up 25%. (Bermuda Briefs).
        Author: Lisa S. Howard
        Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
        Date: May 12, 2003
        Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
        Volume: 107 Issue: 19 Page: 34(1)

        Distributed by Thomson Gale
        ACE Net Operating Earnings Up 29 Percent.(ACE Ltd. reports profits)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included): An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          		ACE Net Operating Earnings Up 29 Percent.(ACE Ltd. reports profits)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included): An article from: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management
          Caroline Mcdonald
          Manufacturer: The National Underwriter Company
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Digital

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          ASIN: B0008HXP8Y
          Release Date: 2005-07-28

          Book Description

          This digital document is an article from National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management, published by The National Underwriter Company on May 21, 2001. The length of the article is 743 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

          Citation Details
          Title: ACE Net Operating Earnings Up 29 Percent.(ACE Ltd. reports profits)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
          Author: Caroline Mcdonald
          Publication: National Underwriter Property & Casualty-Risk & Benefits Management (Magazine/Journal)
          Date: May 21, 2001
          Publisher: The National Underwriter Company
          Volume: 105 Issue: 21 Page: 47

          Article Type: Brief Article, Statistical Data Included

          Distributed by Thomson Gale
          ADV. MED OPTICS REPORTS NET INCOME OF $8.8 MILLION FOR 4TH QTR.(Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. ): An article from: Biotech Financial Reports
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		ADV. MED OPTICS REPORTS NET INCOME OF $8.8 MILLION FOR 4TH QTR.(Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. ): An article from: Biotech Financial Reports

            Manufacturer: Worldwide Videotex
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Digital

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            ASIN: B0008DB8KA
            Release Date: 2005-07-31

            Book Description

            This digital document is an article from Biotech Financial Reports, published by Worldwide Videotex on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1229 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

            Citation Details
            Title: ADV. MED OPTICS REPORTS NET INCOME OF $8.8 MILLION FOR 4TH QTR.(Advanced Medical Optics, Inc. )
            Publication: Biotech Financial Reports (Newsletter)
            Date: April 1, 2003
            Publisher: Worldwide Videotex
            Volume: 10 Issue: 4 Page: NA

            Distributed by Thomson Gale

            Books:

            1. Management of a Sales Force
            2. Management of a Sales Force
            3. Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content Strategy
            4. Marketing Management (12th Edition) (Marketing Management)
            5. Mastering High Net Worth Selling: The Critical Path
            6. Norman Vincent Peale: Three Complete Books: The Power of Positive Thinking; The Positive Principle Today; Enthusiasm Makes the Difference
            7. Product Strategy for High Technology Companies
            8. Qualitative Market Research: A Comprehensive Guide
            9. Sales Dogs : You Do Not Have to Be an Attack Dog to Be Successful in Sales (Rich Dad's Advisors series)
            10. Search Engine Marketing, Inc.: Driving Search Traffic to Your Company's Web Site (Ibm Press)

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