Average customer rating:
- Not a Project Management Guide
- real world pm
- project management with your feet on the ground and your heart on it
- highly practical and thorough coverage
- Great book
|
The Art of Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly))
Scott Berkun
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0596007868 |
Book Description
The Art of Project Management covers it all--from practical methods for making sure work gets done right and on time, to the mindset that can make you a great leader motivating your team to do their best. Reading this was like reading the blueprint for how the best projects are managed at Microsoft... I wish we always put these lessons into action!" --Joe Belfiore, General Manager, E-home Division, Microsoft Corporation
"Berkun has written a fast paced, jargon-free and witty guide to what he wisely refers to as the 'art' of project management. It's a great introduction to the discipline. Seasoned and new managers will benefit from Berkun's perspectives." --Joe Mirza, Director, CNET Networks (Cnet.com)
"Most books with the words 'project management' in the title are dry tomes. If that's what you are expecting to hear from Berkun's book, you will be pleasantly surprised. Sure, it's about project management. But it's also about creativity, situational problem-solving, and leadership. If you're a team member, project manager, or even a non-technical stakeholder, Scott offers dozens of practical tools and techniques you can use, and questions you can ask, to ensure your projects succeed." --Bill Bliss, Senior VP of product and customer experience, expedia.com
In The Art of Project Management, you'll learn from a veteran manager of software and web development how to plan, manage, and lead projects. This personal account of hard lessons learned over a decade of work in the industry distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice. Inspiring, funny, honest, and compelling, this is the book you and your team need to have within arms reach. It will serve you well with your current work, and on future projects to come.
Topics include:
- How to make things happen
- Making good decisions
- Specifications and requirements
- Ideas and what to do with them
- How not to annoy people
- Leadership and trust
- The truth about making dates
- What to do when things go wrong
Customer Reviews:
Not a Project Management Guide.......2007-10-14
I guess I expected more after reading some of the reviews, but was disappointed to find out that it is a high level project management supplemental book. If you are a beginning PMer looking for a good book about the fundamentals of PM, this is not the book. The level of the content is for those who simply want a book that is more a novel than a help book.
real world pm.......2007-06-29
An easy and fun to read book, based on real life examples and experiences. While reading it, I got many tips from the book and apply them in my onw work.
project management with your feet on the ground and your heart on it.......2007-05-24
I really love this book!! I've read many books about how to run projects, to keep teams motivated, to be an effective leader, and I think this book compiles all of the above, plus it gives you a grounded point of view. There are no promises, only hard work and ways to improve your performance.
I've used some of the recommendations included in chapter 13: How to make things happen and, although is not a guarantee of success, I have accomplished some of my most difficult projects with it and the ones I didn't, at least I know why.
[...].
highly practical and thorough coverage.......2007-05-12
Reading this book is almost as good as having a highly experienced mentor help you manage a project. The book provides very thorough coverage with sound, practical advice. There is a good list of reference material as well. I have been a software developer for more than 25 years and have managed several projects and still found I learned a lot from this book. I wish it had been available years ago. The book also provided confirmation for many of my beliefs about which I disagree with my current project manager. I hope to use this book to help convince him to change. I will be managing my own project again soon and plan to use use this book to help me succeed. Every software developer should read this book even if they are not a project manager. My only very slight criticism is that the book is most helpful to software product projects, but I think even internal development projects should be run as this book explains.
Great book.......2007-05-09
This is a great book.
Filled with real-world wisdom, it prepares you for what to expect in the world of project management as a career option.
Especially usefull for people from software development background.
Average customer rating:
- Simplistic description - poorly written
- THE textbook for basic TRIZ education
- Interesting
- A brilliant model of problem solving
|
Simplified TRIZ: New Problem-Solving Applications for Engineers & Manufacturing Professionals
Kalevi Rantanen , and
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Manufacturer: CRC
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ASIN: 1574443232 |
Book Description
As customers and shareholders demand better products faster, more pressure is felt by technical professionals to develop it now and develop it right the first time. Considered the breakthrough design and inventive problem-solving approach of the past 100 years, TRIZ is a unique, algorithmic approach to problem solving that allows engineers, planners and managers to formulate the best possible solutions for technical systems problems and predict future product needs based on technology evolution and competitive advantages. Developed in Russia, the popularity of TRIZ is now spreading to Europe, the United States, and Japan, but until now no comprehensive, comprehensible treatment of the topic has been available in English. Simplified TRIZ: New Problem Solving Applications for Engineers and Manufacturing Professionals not only demystifies TRIZ, but it also shows how it can be used in new ways to enhance Six Sigma, Constraints Management, Supply Chain Management, QFD, and Taguchi methods to gain innovative and technological competitive advantages. This practical how-to guide teaches you how to solve problems creatively, and more importantly, shows you how to find and foresee the evolution of problems in the future. It provides many exercises, worksheets, and tables to further illustrate the concepts of this multinational method. Implement the same problem-solving tool that many Fortune 500 companies are already using with Simplified TRIZ.
Customer Reviews:
Simplistic description - poorly written.......2006-10-05
The method itself is extremely interesting, unfortunately the authors repeat the same examples over and over again. Very annoying. The style borders on boring. I would recommend definitely reading the book from Savransky as a much better example of TRIZ
THE textbook for basic TRIZ education.......2005-10-27
Simplified TRIZ provides the theoretical foundation for the beginner to learn the practical application of the TRIZ methodology. Domb and Rantanen present a cohesive and structured breakdown of the basic components of TRIZ: the Ideal Final Result and Ideality, Contradiction Theory, Resources, and the Patterns of Evolution. The book's importance is such that I use it as a supporting text for my basic TRIZ curriculum. The students find it easy to understand as well as demonstrative enough to teach application.
Dr. Domb's credibility (international TRIZ evangelist and editor of the TRIZ Journal, www.triz-journal.com) in the quality and innovation communities is such that this book MUST be studied if you are serious about TRIZ.
Interesting.......2005-08-02
I found the book very interesting, even if I was not able to apply it to real problems we face yet.
A brilliant model of problem solving.......2003-07-05
Using a perfect model, this books first introduces characteristics of GOOD solutions, then step by step, it describes triz problem solving tools (and strategy development tools as well) all integrated into each other.
As stated in the title, it's a simplified book so you can't find some advanced tools like su-field modeling in it.
Book Description
The mastermind behind Apple sheds his low profile and steps forward to tell his story for the first time.
Before cell phones that fit in the palm of your hand and slim laptops that fit snugly into briefcases, computers were like strange, alien vending machines. They had cryptic switches, punch cards and pages of encoded output. But in 1975, a young engineering wizard named Steve Wozniak had an idea: What if you combined computer circuitry with a regular typewriter keyboard and a video screen? The result was the first true personal computer, the Apple I, a widely affordable machine that anyone could understand and figure out how to use.
Wozniak's life—before and after Apple—is a "home-brew" mix of brilliant discovery and adventure, as an engineer, a concert promoter, a fifth-grade teacher, a philanthropist, and an irrepressible prankster. From the invention of the first personal computer to the rise of Apple as an industry giant, iWoz presents a no-holds-barred, rollicking, firsthand account of the humanist inventor who ignited the computer revolution. 16 pages of illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Get to know THE man.......2007-09-26
It's Woz, how can you go wrong? I really enjoyed this book, although I would have enjoyed it a little more if Woz told more up-to-date stories. I know he has a ton, and I was really hoping to learn much more about Woz TODAY. Still, if you want to read about one of the most important people in Computer history, this is a good start.
Disappointed.......2007-08-30
Steve Wozniak is interesting because he helped found Apple. This book is not about that time in his life. It covers it, but only minimally. Less than a quarter of the book covers this time period. In fact, it is over half done before Apple even really gets mentioned. Instead, this book is about Steve Wozniak himself. It's about his high school science projects, his pranks, and his philosophy of life. Steve is a little different than other people and it comes through in this book. He talks very highly of his accomplishments and often frames them as more important or unique than they really were. He did good work, but not all of what he claims he was first to do was he truly first.
I love Steve Wozniak, but this book was just too much about the small things in his life to be interesting to me.
Fun and interesting.......2007-08-12
This is a very enjoyable book that tells a fascinating story, one most of us are only vaguely familiar with. Wozniak comes off likeable. There are laugh out loud segments. You don't have to understand all the computer stuff (although the writer makes the stuff understandable)to grasp the thrill of the ride.
A must read for every engineer.......2007-08-01
Its a book with which you can relate to very easily if you're an engineer. At the end it gets boring when he starts talking about how Apple became big but its the part on how he starts off and how difficult it was for him to get to making computers that makes for a very interesting read. Certainly a book I would recommend every engineer to read!
An interesting overview of the history, but a tad banal.......2007-07-17
The story Woz is telling is engaging and makes iWoz a very enjoyable read, but the structure of the book itself and the method of telling his story just feels like it's either being told to an eight year old or it feels like the author needs to write the subject down to a very basic level. iWoz is filled with phrases like, "I was so proud," "We were so excited," and "I was very excited." Even I feel redundant and excessive just mentioning it but I'm not exaggerating to say that nearly every topic includes several statements like this. As other reviews have said, it doesn't take long - only a few paragraphs - to feel like Woz is bragging and the book is just an expression of ego.
If you can look over this, it is an entertaining overview of his life as an engineer, the early days of personal computing and the beginnings of Apple.
Book Description
This applied book for engineers and scientists, written in a non-theoretical manner, focuses on underlying principles that are important in a wide range of disciplines. It emphasizes the interpretation of results, the presentation and evaluation of assumptions, and the discussion of what should be done if the assumptions are violated. Integration of spreadsheet and statistical software complete this treatment of statistics.
Chapter topics include describing and summarizing data; probability and discrete probability distributions; continuous probability distributions and sampling distributions; process control charts; estimation procedures; hypothesis testing; the design of experiments; and simple linear and multiple regression models.
For individuals interested in learning statistics—without a high level of mathematical sophistication.
Customer Reviews:
Very Practical Book.......2003-11-30
I have found this book to be very useful with practical examples and case studies. I felt that as an engineer I needed to know how to use software(to save time)along with the formulas that work in it.This book satisfies that, using a very common software EXCEL..what could be better than this.
I strongly recommend this book for a high level course in statistics.
Good for first edition.......2002-05-10
I used this textbook for a course in statistics. I must say that it was better then the first time that I had taken statistics 5 years ago. The book uses one or two data sets per chapter that helps you focus your thoughts while learning the different techniques. A nice feature about this book that wasnt available 5 years ago is the Excel and Minitab examples which saves a lot of time that is ordinarly spent on copious number crunching. I would have given the book 5 stars, however I found some obvious errors in the book that should have been edited out before the release. Good starter book for sats.
Book Description
The definitive history of Hewlett-Packard and its legendary founders, based on unprecedented access to private archives
This is the most authoritative version ever of the most famous start-up story in business history. In 1938, working out of a small garage in Palo Alto, California, two young Stanford graduates named Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard built their first product, an audio oscillator. It was the start not only of a legendary company but of an entire way of life in Silicon Valley—and, ultimately, our modern digital age.
Others have written about the rise of Hewlett-Packard, including Packard himself in a bestselling memoir. But acclaimed journalist Michael S. Malone is the first to get the full story, based on unlimited and exclusive access to corporate and private archives, along with hundreds of employee interviews.
Malone draws on his new material to show how some of the most influential products of our time were invented, and how a culture of innovation led HP to unparalleled success for decades. He also shows what was really behind the groundbreaking management philosophy—“the HP Way”—that put people ahead of products or profits.
There have been attempts in recent years to discredit the HP Way as soft and outdated. But Malone argues that the HP Way was a hard-nosed business philosophy that combined simple objectives, trust in employees to make the right choices, and ruthless self-appraisal. It created an innovative and ferociously competitive company—arguably the world's greatest company.
This business adventure story will be perfect for entrepreneurs, young managers, and students, not to mention the tens of thousands of current and former HP employees.
Customer Reviews:
Instructive biography of tech pioneers Hewlett and Packard.......2007-07-27
This is a book about the ability of corporate culture to preserve a company through hard times and periods of transition. The case in point is Hewlett-Packard. Michael S. Malone's solid corporate biography skirts hagiography as he covers the business that Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard built, and why and how they built it. Malone only touches upon their personal lives in relation to the company's development. He doesn't deal much with the nitty-gritty of their problems, but he does set out the broad picture of where they succeeded (often) and tripped up (rarely). A nice feature of the book is the use of stars in the text that refer you to a section in the back of the book that summarizes the lessons illustrated by that part of the story. At times Malone brings up object lessons maybe once too often (for example, the buyout and hiring of Tektronic's sales reps). Still, we find that his many valid, interesting insights counteract that issue, and recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of technology.
Learn about how Bill & Dave built HP, but also about the role of personal character in long term success.......2007-07-23
This is an excellent biography of the Hewlett-Packard Company. Obviously, it is impossible to tell that story without telling something of the William Hewlett and David Packard, but it does not delve into every aspect of their personal lives. The author keeps things squarely focused on the founding and building of the company and the character of that company.
Michael S. Malone does a fine job of showing us how the character of the Hewlett-Packard company flowed directly from the personal character of Bill & Dave. This is a great lesson for today's business men and women. The old saying about bad businesses is that a fish rots from the head. It is absolutely true. It is not possible to have a long term organization this is simultaneously financially successful, competitive to dominant in its market space, with a great workforce, and is widely admired, on a long term basis without a strong example from its leaders. The organization always takes on the characteristics of its leaders, for good or ill. The fact that so many people talk about the experience of working at Hewlett-Packard under Bill & Dave as a privilege speaks libraries of volumes about what they achieved and why.
We get a brief treatment of their youth and how they each met Fred Terman at Stanford. This was a pivotal relationship for all three men. The relationship that Bill & Dave kept with Terman and Stanford is also a testament to their character. Yes, the great company did have its origins in that dirt floor garage on Addison Avenue, but rather than simply retell that myth, Malone shows us what the physical reality of the garage meant to Bill & Dave (nothing) versus the use they made of the myth to build their corporate culture (everything). Malone also shows us what the post-Bill & Dave leaders did in restoring the garage as a symbol of a corporate heritage they paid lip service to while they were actively throwing away.
I loved learning about the product development discussed in the book. Obviously, only a few of the major products could be discussed because HP did so many hundreds of great products over the year. The whimsical reasons chosen for some of the names is great. For example the HP 35 calculator was given the number based on the number of keys it had.
Malone is at his very best in showing us how the culture of HP developed at its founding, what put stresses on it as they company grew, and how Bill & Dave successfully adapted it during their tenure as it became a public and global organization. Frankly, few entrepreneurs have managed to take a startup to successful global enterprise. Where Bill & Dave ran into some difficulties was in handing over the leadership of the company to others. Not that they weren't good people, but the HP Way is such a part of the character of Bill & Dave that it is hard to have that same mix in anyone else. Even they required the pair of them to have it.
This book makes no apologies about considering the Fiorina years a disaster and Malone shows why he believes this. She considered the HP Way anachronistic and was bringing her dot-com CEO as rock star credentials to this venerable firm. Luckily, the culture resisted her efforts. While she won a major battle in the Compaq acquisition, she ended up losing the war because she could generate almost no internal support. And Bill & Dave had used the employee stock purchase program to put a large chunk of the company in the hands of those who had made the company a global success.
I hope that more of today's business people can learn from these legends of business and learn the real lessons of what makes a company great. Of course, boards will have to set aside the sensationalists, the fabulists, and look for men and women of real substance and character to run their corporations. Maybe more of them should go back to being private if being public is what puts pressure on companies to do the Enron, Adelphia, WorldCom, and Tyco stupidities. Remember, stressful situations don't test character, they reveal it. Start with character and you will always do better than finding out about the lack of it when disaster strikes.
This should be considered a business classic.
Once upon a time, in a garage...........2007-06-07
Most (if not all) of the "Fortune 100" companies began as very small operations and that is certainly true of Hewlett-Packard which William Hewlett and David Packard co-founded with $538 in 1938, literally in a garage in Palo Alto, California. Their first product was an audio oscillator and one of their first customers was Walt Disney Studios which purchased eight of them to use during the creation of Fantasia. The company's subsequent growth is largely explained by sales of H-P's testing equipment during World War II (revenue grew from $34,000 in 1940 to almost $1-million in 1943) and expansion accelerated 50-100% throughout the 1950s.
What we have in Michael S. Malone's biography, Bill & Dave, includes a thorough (at times obsequious) account of how Hewlett and Packard led their company's growth until their successor, John Young, became president in 1977 and CEO the following year. In later chapters, Malone shifts his attention to events which resulted in Carleton S. ("Carly") Fiorina's appointment as president and CEO in 1999 and then as chairman in 2000. She was forced to resign in 2000.
Although I greatly admire what William Hewlett and David Packer accomplished throughout the establishment and development of the company whose name properly honors them, I do not share other reviewers' high regard for Malone's discussion of them. Before I even began to read this book, I was put off by the subtitle's assertion that Hewlett and Packard "built the world's greatest company." To the best of my knowledge, neither ever made that claim and it seems to me (one man's opinion) that it is both presumptuous and incorrect for Malone or anyone else to do so. If Malone is to be believed, Hewlett and Packard almost never did anything wrong whereas Fiorina, for example, almost never did anything right.
Malone's perspective is understandably subjective (another person's opinion, fair enough) but his judgment seems biased. Others who had a close association with both Hewlett and Packard throughout the 1940s and 1950s all agree that they were exceptionally intelligent, thoroughly decent human beings. Their talents, skills, and (yes) qualities of character are the core values of what is frequently referred to as "The H-P Way." But they were not deities and would be the first to point that out in no uncertain terms.
My rating of this book is explained by the fact that Malone provides a wealth of historical information about an especially important era (i.e. the birth and adolescence of high technology) and a wealth of biographical information about two men who were among the most effective business leaders during that era. I am grateful for what I learned.
That said, I regret that Malone's perspectives are not more circumspect and his judgment more balanced. In the final section of his book, he provides an especially sentimental account of what occurred on December 6, 2005, in a quiet Palo Alto neighborhood. Here's how he concludes the book: As older visitors to the "Birthplace of Silicon Valley" passed through the garage "like pilgrims at a holy shrine, [they] looked as much at the lovingly restored but still worn and uninsulated plank walls as at the historic items. After all these years, after all that has happened, it is still here, they told themselves. Together, we have survived." The tone of reverence and adoration in this and other passages in the book, in my opinion, compromises the authentic significance of who William Hewlett and David Packard were as well as the authentic importance of what they achieved.
Great Book.......2007-06-04
Very well written, good empathy with characters as they are well described, fascinating time period starting with the invention of the radio and running up to modern days. Good look at the development of Silicon valley and how the culture of universities like Stanford has changed over the last 100 years.
Review of Bill & Dave: How Hewlett & Packard Built the World's Greatest Company.......2007-05-14
I had the preveledge of working at HP from 1963 to 2001. Michael Malone did a great job of capturing the true charter and greatness of Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard and the way they pulled together a group of people that did in fact built the worlds best company. It was a hard working group of individuals that became " family " that believed that collectively they could accomplish almost anything. He captured the spirit of HP through the glory years and the tough times. But through it all it is a testomony to The HP Way and the HP people that kept the company from coming apart. It came colse to losing it's way but it is now begining to find it's way back to the greatness that it is capable of becoming. This is a must read for any student of HP and The HP Way and should be read by anyone wanting to build a truly great organization.
Bruce Myers
Book Description
A fascinating memoir featuring never-before-told stories from Beatles recording engineer Geoff Emerick—the industry legend who made music history by crafting the groundbreaking sound of the group's most famous records, including Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and Abbey Road
Geoff Emerick was only fifteen years old when he began working with the Beatles as assistant engineer for their early classics “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and “She Loves You.” Incredibly, at the age of nineteen, he was promoted to full engineer, taking the helm for the group's groundbreaking album Revolver. Ten months later, he joined forces with the Beatles for the recording of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, hailed by Rolling Stone as the greatest album ever made. In their constant quest for experimentation and new sounds—and despite the technical limitations of the pre-digital age—Emerick developed a slew of innovative recording techniques, many of which are still in use today.
In Here, There and Everywhere, Emerick tells his story for the first time, taking the reader through the hallowed (though somewhat dingy) corridors of Abbey Road Studios to give rare insights into the Beatles' unique creative processes and personalities and provide a behind-the- scenes look at how the greatest band of all time made their greatest records. As Emerick describes the Beatles' transformation from wide-eyed Liverpool teenagers into tour-savvy professionals, he provides a startling picture of the Fab Four. Fascinating and moving, Here, There and Everywhere illuminates the creative tensions within the band that fueled their early success, but would ultimately lead them to record in separate studios while the partnership was disintegrating.
“We all owe some debt to Geoff Emerick's self-effacing work as an engineer and producer . . . there is very little that any group of scruffy musicians can throw at him that he cannot put into some kind of good sonic order. I feel fortunate to have worked with him.”
—Elvis Costello
Customer Reviews:
The co-producer of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper's!!!.......2007-10-10
If you're the kind of Beatle fan that love discussing not only about their lives and accomplishments, but also getting down to the technical aspects involved in the creation of their revolutionary music, this is A MUST ONE to have.
Reading it is a very enjoyable experience, especially when it comes down to the explanation of the tricks they had to do in the then pre-historic technology (but still, great) Abbey Road studio to generate and record the very special sonic wishes of the Beatles.
The book itself made me realize (this time for sure) that Geoff Emerick is, really, the co-producer of Revolver and Pepper. And that means a lot!
Vitally Important Perspective.......2007-10-09
I am about 50 pages from finishing this book, but one thing I want to point out is that Geoff Emerick does not fawn all over Paul at the expense of the other Beatles, as has been stated in previous reviews. Most people I know have their favorite Beatle, and Mr. Emerick is no exception. He makes it clear that Paul was always the most friendly and diplomatic of the four, and this coincides with what we already knew. Whereas the other Beatles may have had a tendency to put up buffers around themselves, Paul tended to be the outgoing and friendly one, and I'm sure that was a comfort to Emerick, who was trying to fit in with the world's most popular pop recording group. Just the same, and as proof of his objectivity, Emerick also points to the contributions made by Paul toward the overall friction that developed and led to the break-up of the Beatles. Emerick also eventually has very positive things to say about Lennon and Harrison, and illustrates the bridges and appreciations that developed between him and them. So, don't be put off by those reviews that criticize Emerick for being unduly biased. If you have listened intently to Beatles recordings, many of your conclusions will be confirmed by what Geoff Emerick has to say in this book. I think he did an amazing job, and if you are into uncovering new and interesting detail about the Beatles and how they worked in the studio, don't pass this one by.
He should know; he was there.......2007-09-28
Few accounts of history are more accurate than the first-hand kind, and that is what we have with Mr. Emerick's outstanding book. To his credit, this thoroughly British gentleman focuses on what he actually saw versus what is commonly known about the Beatles. His tone is respectful, but he does not shy away from saying what he thinks based on what he saw and how he was treated. Mr. Emerick went on to engineer and produce some great acts, which I hope are the subjects of a future book. And consider this: When I was 19, I was just learning to tie my shoes. He was engineering the "Revolver" album!
Class Act.......2007-09-17
I couldn't put this book down....what a fascinating first hand account of one of the most infuential musical experiences in modern history. I think you will find it particularly interesting if you write and record music, as Geoff's recollections are incredibly detailed and specific. It's truly unbelievable that he could remember so much of what happened in such picture perfect detail, and it is a lasting testament to critical and often unsung heroics of the worlds best audio engineers. Howard Massey did an excellent job helping Geoff make this material completely accessible to the lay person and fan as well. When I proposed to my wife in 2002 I wrote a symphonic piece and surprised her at Capitol Records in Studio A, where we recorded it live (I proposed afterwards). While they were mixing the music we took a tour of Capitol Records, and when we returned there was a gentleman in the studio playing the most beautiful music on the grand piano. We listened for awhile, then entered to studio and spoke with him for almost half an hour. What a lovely man, and what great music. That was Geoff Emerick. Perhaps someday we will hear you on the other side of the glass young man:)
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing life with us Geoff. As I sit at my grand piano in Maui I can't thank you enough for the inspiration. Warmest aloha from Maui, Tim & Michele Heile
Here, There and Everywhere.......2007-09-03
Geoff Emerick was there for the creation of the Beatle sound. It is well written with enjoyable person information.
Book Description
This book introduces the reader to the C++ programming language and how to use it to write applications in quantitative finance (QF) and related areas. No previous knowledge of C or C++ is required. - experience with VBA, Matlab or other programming language is sufficient. The book adopts an incremental approach; starting from basic principles then moving on to advanced complex techniques and then to real-life applications in financial engineering. There are five major parts in the book:
- C++ fundamentals and object-oriented thinking in QF
- Advanced object-oriented features such as inheritance and polymorphism
- Template programming and the Standard Template Library (STL)
- An introduction to GOF design patterns and their applications in QF Applications
The kinds of applications include binomial and trinomial methods, Monte Carlo simulation, advanced trees, partial differential equations and finite difference methods.
This book contains a CD with all source code and many useful C++ classes that you can use in your own applications. Examples, test cases and applications are directly relevant to QF.
This book is the perfect companion to Daniel J. Duffy’s book Financial Instrument Pricing using C++ (Wiley 2004, 0470855096 / 9780470021620)
Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing quant C++ book.......2007-08-31
The motivation and objective of the book are quite appealing, teaching C++ to people who want to move to quant finance. However, the job is not well implemented. I read through most of the book and were quite surprised on the number of chapters and how few contents each chapter contains. Each chapter just gently touches the surface of the subject and it hardly covers much useful knowledge of C++ compared to C++ primer and effective C++ books. If one is new to C++, do not expect to learn much from the book. If one is quite familar to C++ but has not much experience on applying C++ to quant finance, the use of this book is quite limited. Although some example codes are printed in the book, there are really few further explanation on the design and syntax of the codes.
Moreover, the book is way overpriced given its limited value. I still regret much spending 70 bucks on it.
In conclusion, it has an attractive title but is not well designed and written.
A rather pointless and useless book.......2007-03-18
According to the author this text is supposed to serve as a self-contained introduction to C++ for beginners without any prior experience in C or C++. Unfortunately, the author's lack of didactic talent and even more so his negligence to introduce and explain key concepts like e.g. the "this" pointer (all the while making extensive use of it in his examples) would probably foil any attempt of using it in that way.
Initially, I thought the text might still be useful for people hoping to refresh prior knowledge. That is until I happened to come across the code excerpt on page 107 that almost made me fall off my chair. There, the author instead of employing a simple do-while loop actually constructs a loop using goto! On top of that, he fails to initialize a member variable (tol) in the constructor that he merrily goes on to use later on. At the same time he introduces and increments count variable (n) that has no practical use at all.
Another reviewer referred to the book as having the feel of a student's scratch pad. I have to disagree. This text is nothing but an utter embarrassment.
The first step to learn C++ in quantitative finance.......2007-02-23
Well, this book has listed out the essential elements for option pricing using C++. You are assumed to have a basic background of C++ programming up to OOP and simple STL. All materials covered in part I and II are well written for sharpening your knowledge in STL, inheritance, polymorphism and data structures which are useful for filling the gap between C++ language and application in computational finance. In part III, a core section of this book, it lists out the most popular techniques for pricing derivatives products such as tree method, Finite difference scheme and Monte Carlo method. This book is highly recommended for the first glance in computational finance. With the full source code in the attached CD, you can self-study easily. In addition, another Duffy's book - Financial Instrument Pricing Using C++ and Justin 's book - Modeling Derivatives in C++ are good references for intermediate level learning.
A great introduction.......2007-02-18
This book is a great introduction to C++ for people working with or studying Quantitative Finance. I strongly recommend this book. The author is taking you from novice to a good level of understanding of C++ in a few hundred pages. I especially like the introduction to STL and the chapter on Design Patterns and how to apply them. In short a very good book.
A very good introduction into C++ from a quant finance point of view.......2007-02-14
A reviewer below quotes the phrase "After completing the reading, you will earn a 'black belt' in C++ for financial engineering" like as it was a promise made by the author of the book. This phrase in fact belongs to one of the reviewers of this book and has nothing to do with the author's own opinion. In section 0.1 the author says "After having read this book, studied the code and done the exercises you will be in a position to appreciate how to use C++ for Quantitative Finance". So, the author's promise is far more modest than a 'black belt'.
After almost having read the book I see it as an introduction into object-oriented C++ in which explanations are made through examples from quant finance. The book doesn't teach you anything but C++, so don't expect a derivation of the Black-Scholes formula or explanations of how Binomial methods work. It assumes that you know this stuff. I think this book is the best for someone who already knows a little bit about derivative pricing, but has a limited programming experience. It will give you a quick introduction into C++ and the ability to start reading more advanced literature on the subject.
Book Description
This completely updated second edition illustrates the mathematical concepts that a game programmer would need to develop a professional-quality 3D engine. Although the book is geared toward applications in game development, many of the topics appeal to general interests in 3D graphics. It starts at a fairly basic level in areas such as vector geometry and linear algebra, and then progresses to more advanced topics in 3D game programming such as illumination and visibility determination. Particular attention is given to derivations of key results, ensuring that the reader is not forced to endure gaps in the theory. The book assumes a working knowledge of trigonometry and calculus, but also includes sections that review the important tools used from these disciplines, such as trigonometric identities, differential equations, and Taylor series.
Customer Reviews:
One of a kind.......2007-03-23
As a professional 3D graphics programmer, I can not stress enough the quality of this book. This book covers 3D math fundamentals, algorithms, and it is complete with easy to understand (!) proofs. The math is difficult because there is so many problems to be solved in 3D (and they draw from many different branches of mathematics), but it is written in such a clear way that every topic is made approachable. Unlike esoteric Ph. D papers, you aren't assumed to have any specific knowledge of math idioms or jargon. You simply need a decent grasp of college calculus and trigonometry to make the most of it. There are a few samples too to test your knowledge.
Expect to spend at least a solid year to really make the use of this book. Treat it as you would a two - three semester course in college. During this process, you'll find yourself occasionally wanting to get more practice and referring to a respective book on it.
If you could only own two books for 3D programming, buy this first and buy Ericson's book on collision detection next.
In summary, Eric Lengyel's attention to detail and mastery of 3D math / algorithms really shines and this book is an example of it.
Great book.......2007-03-08
This book is great for anyone interested in computer graphics. Even for people who do not have a lot of math/graphics experience, this book starts you off with the basics of vectors and matrices and has exercises/solutions for each chapter. It saves you the time of looking through your old linear algebra and differential equation math books and contains the must know information you will use as a graphics programmer.
Math majors rejoice.......2007-03-02
To be honest, while I find this book to be a decent reference, I find it to be pretty inaccessible in terms of sitting down and reading through it in an attempt to learn the concepts. As a non-math major (I'm actually an engineer and software developer) these math concepts are by no means beyond me. But rather than simply being presented with equation after equation, proof after proof, what I find a lot more valuable is more discussion on the usage of these equations. Specifically I'd like to see examples, diagrams, and code, and there is precious little of any of that in this book.
In other words, this book is very much like what you expect to find in a very dry upper devision college math text for the consumption of math majors who are used to such things. But for a non math major just trying to make use of these concepts in order to get the job done and make games? eh, not so much.
Still, I do think this book is useful as a reference when I want to look up an equation as there are a ton of them crammed into this book, but for me, I just don't find this book to be very good as a learning tool.
Great book on the math needed for 3D games and graphics.......2006-11-27
This book illustrates the mathematics that a game programmer would need to develop a professional-quality 3D engine. Although the book is geared toward applications in game development, many of the topics appeal to general interests in 3D graphics. It starts at a fairly basic level in areas such as vector geometry and linear algebra, and then progresses to more advanced topics in 3D game programming such as illumination, visibility determination, and collision detection. Particular attention is given to derivations of key results, ensuring that the reader is not forced to endure gaps in the theory. The book assumes a working knowledge of trigonometry and calculus, but also includes sections that review the important tools used from these disciplines, such as trigonometric identities, differential equations, and Taylor series. This book has plenty of examples and figures, making it much more illustrative than your average math book. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in implementing more advanced mathematics into their games or graphics applications. The following is the table of contents for this second edition:
Chapter 0 The Rendering Pipeline (NEW)
Chapter 1 Vectors
Chapter 2 Matrices
Chapter 3 Transforms
Chapter 4 3D Engine Geometry
Chapter 5 Ray Tracing
Chapter 6 Illumination
Chapter 7 Visibility Determination
Chapter 8 Collision Detection
Chapter 9 Polygonal Techniques
Chapter 10 Shadows (NEW)
Chapter 11 Linear Physics
Chapter 12 Rotational Physics
Chapter 13 Fluid Simulation
Chapter 14 Numerical Methods (NEW)
Chapter 15 Curves and Surfaces (NEW)
Appendix A Complex Numbers
Appendix B Trigonometry Reference
Appendix C Coordinate Systems
Appendix D Taylor Series
Appendix E Answers to Exercises
Note that there are four new chapters in this second edition.
An Essential Source for Robust 3D Graphics Engine Design.......2004-11-21
I have not yet been able to purchase the second edition of this book. However, since it is a refinement of the first edition, I feel that I am somewhat competent to review this later version of Lengyel's text on this knowledge of the fundamental chapters which are included in both editions.
Definitely, the subject of 3D Computer Graphics draws programmers and gamers inward like a bug lamp draws insects inward. The ability to express one's own inspiring representation of the world seems to attract the deepest longings of the subcreative nature of the human person. However, the coder quickly realizes that the realization of this dream is extremely difficult due to the complexities of visualization in nature. Lengyel's text helps to break through many of these complexities.
In order to make sure that the reader is "up to speed" on the essentials in mathematics which are necessary for a 3D engine, Lengyel gives a quick, but thorough, review of Vector and Matrix operations. I was indeed impressed by the amount that he condensed into the beginning of the text. While this is far from a complete treatise on Linear Algebra, this material gives the reader the basics which will be necessary for all the other chapters. This is further augmented by his treatment of 3D geometry, its representations, and calculations relevant to it.
Using this, he treats on various subjects that are extremely important for making a lean, mean, and beautiful rendering machine.
His treatment of transformations gives the reader a base in this knowledge that is independent of the rendering context. This is an excellent approach because knowledge of how something works allows for one to use it more fully. He also goes further in introducing Quaternions and deriving rotations around any arbitrary axis.
The chapter on Ray Tracing gives the necessary background for the work done in the following chapter on illumination. While the latter is often implemented by the graphics environment that the coder is using, the full knowledge of this allows for further application in subjects such as bump mapping (which he treats) as well as reflective surface simulation.
Perhaps the most interesting and important subject covered in the text, however, is the chapter on visibility determination. Since this is critical to the speed of rendering, this topic is central to game engine design. Lengyel works through the various methods for bounding box construction as well as bounding spheres, ellipsoids, and cylinders and then explains how these can be tested against the view frustrum in order to determine if an object should even be rendered. Another chapter on various techniques which can be applied to polygons outlines procedures for reducing the complexity of meshes, without compromising quality.
The remaining chapters touch on collision detection, linear and rotational physics, and fluid simulation. These topics allow for the addion of various levels of realism to be added to 3D engines and are of importance once the rendering environment has been established. Furthermore, his appendices are a nice addition for those times when our memories fail to recall various facts.
And so, I give this book my definite approval. It is hard to come by a text so compact, yet thorough, on the foundations truly needed for 3D Graphics. These mathematical foundations allow for greater things to be explored and should interest any 3D programmer as well as individuals with a general interest in mathematics, especially in the applications of linear algebra and calculus.
Book Description
Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer's Handbook covers all of the key areas of selling high-technology products, including detailed action plans to establish personal excellence in key performance drivers in technical sales. This comprehensive volume teaches you how to be more successful as an individual contributor, helping to better ensure promotion within your sales organization, or advancement elsewhere within your company. The book gives you the practical guidance you need to sharpen your skills in sales and technology. Moreover, for the technical manager it explains how to build an infrastructure to support continuous high sales growth.
You are encouraged to use the tested and proven frameworks provided, working with the best practices specially adapted for the sales engineer, to develop a more effective, personalized and systematic approach to improve your personal performance. Special attention is given to the team sales concept and the importance of the contributions of the technical professionals who directly support sales. This book is not the usual update, or rehash of "years-ago" methodologies. Instead, it shows you how to deal with today's vastly higher levels of sophistication in technical products and customer needs.
Download Description
Mastering Technical Sales: The Sales Engineer?
Customer Reviews:
Detailed info on techniques and processes .......2006-07-06
This book is uniquely geared to the sales engineer role, not to general sales reps. Yet anyone selling technology products will learn from the detailed info on techniques and step-by-step processes for the technical sales cycle. Case studies and exercises supplement the book's discussion with real-world perspective. However, the book gives only a brief, passing reference to the role of marketing to support sales activity--an understanding that is valuable to every SE.
Excellent.......2006-04-02
I'm new to the Sales Role and this book is helping me a lot understand not only the process sales but how to deal with politics and things that make the technical sale.
Essential tool that any SE be they new, experienced, or a manager should read cover to cover........2006-01-03
I was challenged a few months ago to explain in detail what makes up a Sales Engineer/Solutions Consultant? What does the role entail and what do you need to know to be successful? Well, if I'd read this book before that exercise then I'd have simply asked the technical trainer I was briefing to read this book!
Mastering Technical Sales, not to be mistaken with the similar sounding Making The Technical Sale by Greenwald & Milberry, is an excellent practical book that covers the needs of not just new SE's but also provides advice and knowledge for the more experienced SE, SE manager or even executive tasked with creating and maintaining an SE organisation. What I found particularly useful were the real world examples of both successful and unsuccessful practice - these lend a level of credibility and relevance to the material that perhaps the Greenwald & Milberry book lacks. (Btw, this is also a fine & very relevant book for any SE). I also particularly liked the chapter organization of summarizing the chapter goals, presenting the material, summary and then presentation of a skill-building summary for both the new SE and the experienced SE.
The book tackles pretty much every aspect of a typical SE's life from what type of person does it take and why do we do this? What do I need to do to be successful? What resources should I call upon? When? How? When & how to use executives. How to leverage corporate resources be they product management, engineering, technical support, marketing, or external resources such as partners. I thought the section on 'crossing over to the dark side' was particularly relevant and accurate as it covers the risks, the rewards and the reality of whether this is something that an SE should consider or not and more importantly, why or why not?
The book covers all the standard stuff very comprehensively from the sales process itself, presentation skills & techniques, objection and competition handling plus the realities of how to manage the sale to avoid the pitfalls of demos, succumbing to technical trials & evaluations or being driven by your competitor's agenda. All excellent material and covered well with real war stories.
Whilst this isn't the cheapest book on the subject, I'd definitely consider it worth every cent. Highly recommended.
Excellent.......2005-07-23
Mastering Technical Sales provides a terrific foundation for the newly-minted Sales Engineer, a growth vehicle for the developing journeyman, and rich source-book for the seasoned professional.
While there are numerous "sales methodology" books available today, nearly all focus on the sales people and provide little or no information for the Sales Engineer and others who address the technical sale portion of the overall sales process. Mastering Technical Sales focuses on this critical area and shares how to manage and execute technical sales tasks to enjoy the highest success rates, both in the sales process and in one's professional growth.
Advice to SE's: Buy it and read it.
Advice to SE Management: Purchase copies for all of your new hires.
Real World Wisdom.......2004-04-17
As a professional technical sales consultant I enjoyed this book. I particularly like the real world examples and case studies for "tricky" sales situations. Even though I think of myself as a seasoned professional I learnt some new techniques and approaches from the book; especially in how to give a technical demonstration of a piece of software.
PS. I met one of the authors who was presenting at a product launch a few weeks ago in New York and got my book autographed.
Book Description
A careful blend of theory and practice, this book presents a comprehensive approach to assessing the impact of unplanned events on the cost of engineering complex systems. It illustrates how probability theory is applied to model, measure, and manage risk in the cost of a systems engineering project. The book contains numerous mathematical and professional anecdotes, case studies, results, observations, and interpretations that clarify the challenges in cost risk analysis. It includes references, equations, and illustrations, provides theoretical and applied exercises, and uses examples and case discussions derived from systems engineering projects to describe key concepts.
Customer Reviews:
Best technical book written yet, on this subject.......2003-12-12
Well written and very thorough in its treatment of how probability methods are used to quantify cost risk; excellent textbook for students (lots of exercises), as well as for professional cost analysts.
A Must Book for Engineers and Engineering Managers!.......2000-07-08
This is a must book for engineers, scientists, and engineering managers. Garvey's book presents how probability theory is applied to model, measure, and manage risk in the cost of a systems engineering project. The work is a first of its kind in the engineering, cost engineering/analysis, and operations research communities.
The book provides readers a clear discussion on the nature of uncertainty, how it affects the cost of a systems engineering project, and how probability methods are used to model, measure, and control risk from a systems engineering perspective. Readers benefit from the numerous mathematical and professional anecdotes, case discussions, results, observations, and interpretations found throughout the chapters.
The book contains 110 applied and theoretical exercises. It is an outstanding text for students in engineering and the related fields.
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