Mastering Windows Server 2003

Book Description

The Only Windows Server Resource You Need

The single most comprehensive and understandable book on the subject, Mastering Windows Server 2003 continues author Mark Minasi's award-winning tradition of clear and comprehensive coverage of Microsoft's Windows Server products. This book shows you how to plan, configure and install your network, keep it running its best, and fix it if it breaks. And you still get all the coverage you need for the Windows 2000 Server installations that remain part of your environment.

Coverage includes:
* Configuring IP, DHCP, DNS, and WINS to achieve the right foundation for your network
* DNS explained in everyday English, from basics to advanced design
* Designing, running, and maintaining Active Directory-based domains with Server 2003 and 2000 Server
* Running your own Web, FTP, and e-mail server with 2003
* Controlling hundreds, even thousands, of workstations with group policies and security templates
* Tuning and monitoring your network
* Securing your network from split-brain DNS to AD delegation to group policies, logs, IPSec, PKI and more
* Using Windows Server 2003 to share Internet connections
* Complete coverage of all new 2003 features
Real Solutions to Real Challenges
If improving the real-world performance of your network is the bottom line, this book delivers the goods. It shows you how to design and manage a multiple-platform network, build a Windows-based intranet, find the right data backup strategy, prevent and recover from disasters, and much more. There's no end to what you'll accomplish with practical, step-by-step instruction from the expert who has actually done it all on live networks!

Customer Reviews:

boat anchor book.......2007-10-15

it's an okay book and it's really big. don't plan on taking it anywhere regularly.

Best Server Book Around.......2007-10-02

This book is extremely valuable as reference after you have read it through carefully. Everything is in "Plain English", so whether you are a novice or advanced in the field, this will answer your questions. This is "a must" for anyone wanting to learn about Windows Server 2003.

Love it.......2007-09-17

Fantastic. Still reading it, but this is a worthy reference guide and a long but interesting read. The only book I'll own on the subject. No need for anything else, as far as I can tell.

Very well written.......2007-08-13

If you're looking for a Windows 2003 book, this is the one. It's comprehensive and well written in a way that caters to newbies and experts alike. As a plus it's printed on high contrast paper in a very readable font.

Great Book on Windows 2003 Server.......2007-04-14

Need to do something with Windows 2003 server?? GET THIS BOOK....

Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience

Average customer rating:

frieghteningly good book. This stuff is for real!
astral projected...never came back!
Simply the best WOULD GIVE IT 6 STARS IF POSSIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The book is misleading.
My amazing out of body adventure!

Mastering Astral Projection: 90-day Guide to Out-of-Body Experience
Robert Bruce , and Brian Mercer
Manufacturer: Llewellyn Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Channeling | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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Astral Projection | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0738704679

Book Description

2005 Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) 2nd Runner Up of Interactive Sideline category! Projecting out-of-body requires a delicate balance of mind, body, and spirit. Mastering Astral Projection offers everyone the opportunity to explore nonphysical dimensions and learn more about their spirituality.

This practical guide to achieving conscious out-of-body experiences is based upon Robert Bruce's extensive knowledge of astral projection, Brian Mercer's methods for personal success, and valuable feedback from volunteers who have tested this program. Presented in an easy-to-follow workbook format, the thirteen-week program introduces astral projection methods and provides daily exercises that progressively prepares and trains readers for this incredible, life-changing experience.

Customer Reviews:

frieghteningly good book. This stuff is for real!.......2007-08-28

Take heed to this book's warning not to jump ahead and skip chapters. Also psychic self defense would be a good companionship to this book.

astral projected...never came back!.......2007-08-22

This book is so powerful it will cause you to astral project-but then like me,you may have trouble getting back into your body! I was out for 3 days!I was terrified!! I saw monsters and demons. One demon said he would keep me prisoner for 1000 years. DONT try this! My girlfriend,Lulabelle,projected and has never returned! I keep looking for hereverywhere! Lulabelle,where ARE you!!?? Look behind you--QUICK! Is that my Lulabelle???

Simply the best WOULD GIVE IT 6 STARS IF POSSIBLE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-10

I had read over a dozen so called do it yourself manuals on astral projection. I came to the conclusion that it was a fable and just fiction. A friend gave me this book and challenged me to read it. In less than two weeks , I had my first real exsperience.
WOW!!!

The book is misleading........2007-08-07

I got the first top 5 astral projection books from Amazon, and this is the first book I got, I afraid --this book is 'misleading.'

Author thinks, what he believes is astral projection, but what it actually is... combining 'meditation' and 'remote viewing.' Author admitted himself, he is doing meditations. Astral projection is not meditations, author obviously cannot tell the difference, and misled many of his followers. Author cannot see his own astral body, and does not believe in astral body, and does not believe in higher dimensions.

Astral projection is a way to exit your soul from your human body, and 'NO'. ..you cannot project while you are standing nor working in the office and project the same time. The book is totally misleading.

There are the actual astral projection books out there, awaiting you to explore. Then you will realize how unrealistic this book is.

My amazing out of body adventure!.......2007-08-05

Ok, this book worked amazingly well. Too well. Here goes. First of all I rose up out of my body and saw the Patriarch, your's truly, laying there. That was crazy. But I had seen myself in the mirror all the time so this was nothing new. I decided to fly around the neighborhood.

This was pretty cool because I could get a bird's eye view of all my neighbor's houses. I saw the Johnson's dog and had to mess with him, because everyone knows animals can see your spirit. Again, this was nothing I hadn't seen. I flew across the ocean then, it didn't take long, and I ended up in Iraq and, get this, I actually saw George Bush, Dick Chaney, and Donald Rumsfeld and they were like shooting Iraqis left and right and drilling for oil. This was way too scary so I decided to fly up higher. So I go higher and higher and I reached this, higher plane of existence kind of thing and there was these other spirits there and they talked to me.

They told me they were called the...ennui or something like that. And they were telling me the craziest things but, they made sense at the time. The only bad thing is I can hardly remember what they told me but it was really important. The most important thing sounded like nonsense though.

It sounded something like this:

Tfel sraey evif sah ylno htrae.

I wonder what it meant... Well, I woke up then and I was back in my body. This was a really enlightening experience but I will never do it again. Try this out but make sure you know what your getting yourself into.

In the end I give it 5 stars because it works but I take away two stars because it kind of messed me up. I gave it one extra star though because the author has a first name for a last name.

Bye now.

The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative

Average customer rating:

Go directly to the end of each chapter
Don't Miss the chapter on the paradox of innovation
Put away the PowerPoint slides
Great points but hard to read
Humanising Leadership Through the Art of Story Telling

The Leader's Guide to Storytelling: Mastering the Art and Discipline of Business Narrative
Stephen Denning
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 078797675X

Book Description

In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader’s Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization “stunningly vulnerable” to a new idea.

Download Description

In his best-selling book, Squirrel Inc., former World Bank executive and master storyteller Stephen Denning used a tale to show why storytelling is a critical skill for leaders. Now, in this hands-on guide, Denning explains how you can learn to tell the right story at the right time. Whoever you are in the organization CEO, middle management, or someone on the front lines you can lead by using stories to effect change. Filled with myriad examples, A Leader's Guide to Storytelling shows how storytelling is one of the few available ways to handle the principal and most difficult challenges of leadership: sparking action, getting people to work together, and leading people into the future. The right kind of story at the right time, can make an organization stunningly vulnerable to a new idea.

Customer Reviews:

Go directly to the end of each chapter.......2007-10-11

This is a very scholarly book that really sheds light what it's like to be a business leader. Then Denning shows how storytelling can be part of an effective leadership tool box.

Each chapter ends with a couple of pages of great instruction--how to craft and deliver the story that chapter was devoted to. I found the table on page 18 to be a helpful overview of the eight types of stories, their uses and what reactions they should elicit from the audience.

However, business speakers who want to add stories to their presentations TODAY need to work with a presentation coach. In much less time, and with much more fun, your coach will get you to actually be a storyteller, not just think about telling stories.

Don't Miss the chapter on the paradox of innovation.......2007-02-15

Chapter 11, to be precise. It is the best critique of the Innovators Dillema and similar work that I have seen anywhere. It also has a good review of future vision techniques in Chapter 10. If I were teaching a graduate seminar in a business school, these would be assigned reading.

Put away the PowerPoint slides.......2007-01-29

Getting things done in business requires much more than hard facts and PowerPoint presentations -- it requires the ability to persuade, motivate and convince. Denning does a fantastic job demonstrating how to do this through storytelling - making your audience (your boss, teammates, customers) get involved in your idea, allowing them to put themselves into your story. Presentation slides have become a frustrating crutch -- few remember (or even trust) your numbers and unending bullet points. Put your audience inside your story - allow them to apply their own context to what you are explaining and they will start listening and participating.

Good leaders persuade through what often appears to be spontaneous narrative. They build credibility and respect. This book gives you the tools to strategically target and build your narrative to accomplish specific objectives. It spends time explaining purposeful communication and storytelling methods for different situations.

I thought the section on Values was a little out of place, as more of a lesson on values than as a storytelling method.

This is a book I will go back and read several times as I try to put it to practical use. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to succeed in business, especially given our overload of information from every angle. It will help you to find a way to stand out and be heard.

Great points but hard to read.......2007-01-14

I'm only in Chapter 2, and it is already clear that Denning makes a lot of great points in this book. It is most definitely worth every penny and more!

My biggest complaint is that the book is written like a 19th century philosophy treatise! Philosophy was one of my majors in college, so I am well-aware of the agony in reading philosophical text - instead of getting straight to the point, it meanders and loses the reader after every third sentence! In the first chapter of this book, Denning goes on and on about things you could care less about for over 20 pages. I had a sigh of relief when he finally put down all his points in the chapter in just two pages at the end of the chapter!

When I was reading in the plane, I thought at first the reason for my agony was that I was tired. However, each time I got bored with Denning's book, I switched to a novel, and I was not tired anymore! Hey, wait a minute! I thought this was supposed to be a book on storytelling! Why then was it written like an obscure Ph.D. dissertation? You don't believe me? See for yourself. Here's a sampling of the torture:

"Second, the apparent paradox of zero improvement in performance from teams in organizations overall - along with extraordinary gains reportedly made in specific instances - reflects the fact that teams are found at both ends of the effectiveness spectrum."

Now do you believe me!? :)

I'm not saying the entire book looks like the glob you see above. My point is simply that there are numerous sentences here that will require you to pause, say "Huh?", and then reread. So, if you are a speed reading junkie like me, please be very patient! Speed reading is not recommended.

Despite the stated criticism, Denning makes really good points in this book. The book has my complete endorsement due to the great points. Besides, as my philosophy professors used to tell me in college, if you don't have the patience to tread through the gobbledygook of philosophical treatises, then maybe you're not scholarly enough to major in philosophy!

Humanising Leadership Through the Art of Story Telling.......2006-10-22

In the weeks since I first read Denning's book, I have had to make a number of appearances. In one case, I was invited by the head of my department at my alma mater to speak to graduating students. Others were either speeches made in the course of marketing my services or training workshops. My deliberate incorporation of story telling made even normally dry technical subjects come alive. And in the case of the talk to graduating students, I like to think I must have touched a life or two.

Denning shows you how to use stories to ignite action, build trust in your person and brand your organisation, transmit values, encourage collaboration, share knowledge, deal with harmful rumours and share your vision. Fusing all these story telling patterns into your leadership style will help you become an involved, interactive and transformational leader.

Average customer rating:

WOW...You will love this book!
Highly recommended
Very satisfied.
Excellent Book
This guy is really, really smart

Mastering UNIX Shell Scripting
Randal K. Michael
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Network Programming | Networking | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0471218219

Book Description

Provides readers with end-to-end shell scripts that can be used to automate repetitive tasks and solve real-world system administration problems
Targets the specific command structure for four popular UNIX systems: Solaris, Linux, AIX, and HP-UX
Illustrates dozens of example tasks, presenting the proper command syntax and analyzing the performance gain or loss using various control structure techniques
Web site includes all the shell scripts used in the book

Customer Reviews:

WOW...You will love this book!.......2007-10-22

This book is great! I Recently landed a job as a Systems Administrator (Solaris), and I needed to know how to script. With little scripting experience (and me not wanting to loose the job of my dreams); I picked this book up. All I can say is WOW. What a GREAT book. It describes step by step what to do, how it's done and why it's done. Although it's exclusively KSH, it does have the same script written in different formats so that it works with Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, and other Unicies.

This book assumes that you know SOME basic scripting skills. Beginners would have to learn some basic scripting and (more importantly) understand the concept besides the actual command(s). I recommend this book for, nonetheless, to everyone who wants/needs to script. Happy scripting!

Highly recommended.......2007-09-08

I thought the book was excellent. Each example program is thoroughly explained. The example programs are very useful and well written. The examples will work for the most common Unix variants. A library of functions are provided that can be used to build more complex programs.

I am a seasoned system administrator with a lot of programming experience but I have a limited amount of experience with Unix and AIX. This book helped me get up-to-speed with common system administration tasks such as resource monitoring and notification.

Very satisfied........2007-07-04

This title provided me with what I needed to write Kron scripts. This will allow me to automate many of the task I need for Oracle Administration. This and the Unix shells by example have provided me with what I needed.

Excellent Book .......2007-02-21

This is a good book, with all the practical examples we need for day to day Korn Shell Scripting.

Its good for the persons who has bit of knowledge on UNIX.

This book will be handy for the UNIX programmers as a reference book for day to day use.

Enjoy reading this book

Cheers
SAM

This guy is really, really smart.......2006-11-17

This guy is really, really smart. (I read this book from cover to cover.) For those interested in speed/efficiency, the chapter entitled "Twelve Ways to Process a File Line by Line" is helpful. Korn shell users might want to consider "Korn Shell: Programs for Your Survival at Work" by Larry L. Smith. Bash users might want to consider "Bash Shell: Essential Programs for Your Survival at Work."

MasteringActive Directory for WindowsServer 2003 R2 (Mastering)

Average customer rating:

In-depth coverage material for high-level active directory administrators...
Good Administrative Reference
Active Directory for Windows Server 2003 R2
Very Useful
Great read for all levels

MasteringActive Directory for WindowsServer 2003 R2 (Mastering)
Brad Price , John A. Price , and Scott Fenstermacher
Manufacturer: Sybex
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Networking | Microsoft | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

General | Operating Systems | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0782144411

Book Description

Active Directory stores information about a network's users and directories, making it easier to configure, manage, and update a network
Windows Server 2003 R2 will include a new scripting engine to make Active Directory administration quicker and easier, plus a Group Policy Management Console for managing group and user accounts
Geared to experienced system administrators, this book focuses on serious day-to-day needs and provides real-world solutions, including scripts that can be downloaded and implemented in any AD system

Customer Reviews:

In-depth coverage material for high-level active directory administrators... .......2007-07-07

Even if you are just getting your feet wet on the subject of network administration, this book is your lifesaver in the deep sea of Windows 2003 R2 Active Directory administration. You'll appreciate the coverage of day-to-day tasks, troubleshooting suggestions, best practices, and AD optimization techniques. This book is very well written and will guide you through the variety of scenarios. A must have for a serious professional.

Good Administrative Reference.......2007-05-09

When I picked up this book, I was expecting something that focused on the Server 2003 R2 specific Active Directory additions and changes, as the title somewhat implies. Instead, you are provided a Windows 2003 Active Directory from A to Z for administrators that includes sections on the R2 additions.

Pretty much everything you need to know about the AD is covered. It starts with a very good overview of AD components and objects, leading into design objective and considerations for implementing an AD configuration appropriate for your environment. Once implemented, quite a few chapters are dedicated to administration of user, group, computer, and printer object using both the standard GUIs as well as command line tools; beyond standard tasks, delegation and auditing are also well covered. Group Policy topics include software installation, Windows settings, templates, AD object inheritance, and general AD storage and handling, again via the native GUI as well as the add-on Group Policy Management Console. Replication is also covered. Surprisingly, the authors touch on Schema extension, but failed to provide a useful "how-to".

Insofar as R2 specific sections, Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS) and Identity Management for Unix both have very complete information for setup, configuration, troubleshooting, and administration both via the GUI as well as command line tools. I was disappointed in that Active Directory Application Mode (ADAM) was only briefly mentioned at the beginning of the book, but never actually addressed.
Quite a few chapters are also dedicated to troubleshooting. These sections are well organized, easy to follow, and cover general troubleshooting methodology, available tools, and reference tables for understanding specific AD errors.

Two additional sections are included that may be of interest to some. The first is an introduction to / overview of -Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM). Not a complete overview of that product, but very detailed in how to use MOM to assist in troubleshooting AD events and issues. The second is an overview of ADSI scripting for administrators, less of a learning resource and more of a cookbook of specific task scripts administrators could find useful.

Although the book is often a little to "Microsoft is Super", and there are areas that contain a little too much history or background and could be paired down some, the writing style is otherwise easy to read and understand, keeping the reader as interested and as involved as is possible given what the topic as a whole. No assumptions about the reader's prior knowledge of the AD is assumed, making this not only a good learning source for some, but a reference guide for everyone as well. Although scripting is introduced, prior experience with VBScript is a must if you wish to really use that section, and you should not expect to walk away fully versed in ADSI. All in all, as it does cover the R2 additions, this is a good replacement text for other Windows 2003 AD titles.

Active Directory for Windows Server 2003 R2.......2007-01-05

Very well put together book that will aid the system administrator new to Server 2003. It explains alot of the underlying functions needed to understand how/why Server 2003 acts/reacts.

Very Useful.......2006-11-03

Great book. With a MCSE Certificate, I still go back to this book for answers.

Great read for all levels.......2006-07-13

This book is a fantastic resource for novices and experts alike. I relate this to a buffet of knowledge. If you are starving, there is plenty of content to fill you up. If you simply want to graze, there is enough high-level practical knowledge to appease.

The chapters are very well written and you can tell the authors have worked hard avoiding the "bland technical trap" that I so often encounter in this industry. These guys go above and beyond to educate while keeping you interested enough to keep turning pages.

Mastering Internet Video: A Guide to Streaming and On-Demand Video

Average customer rating:

One of the better books on the subject..
Excellent Guide
An excellent technical overview of online video
For the beginner...
Truly understand streaming technology in plain language

Mastering Internet Video: A Guide to Streaming and On-Demand Video
Damien Stolarz
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0321122461

Customer Reviews:

One of the better books on the subject.........2007-02-03

I'm a working digitial media pro; a 15 vet, and I like this book. It is substantially clearer and better organized than others I have purchased. Comprehensive, decent glossary.

It ain't the be-all-end-all, but it sits proudly on my desk as a late-night on-hand reference whilst I struggle to hit another ambitious deadline.

Excellent Guide.......2007-01-11

Really enjoyed this book. It was a simple read of complex terms. I have so many computer type books but none like this one where I could read from start to finish and really learn the technologies.

An excellent technical overview of online video.......2006-08-21

This book goes into the high level technical details of creating an online video service. As an absolute newcomer to the field, I found it an invaluable tool for dealing with the knowledgeable professionals that I rely on to do such things as analog to digital conversion and the set-up and maintenance of media servers. This book will not give you the expertise to do any of these jobs - for that you have to get your hands dirty and actually perform some of the tasks yourself. But it will give you a grasp of the concepts and terminology you'll need to manage the issues that come up.

The book is solid all the way through, but some topics are treated with more detail than others. The sections at the start about video capture, compression, and file formats are in depth and somewhat technical. Later section, including one on transport protocols and DRM, are considerably more vague, probably because they are such complex topics that even an overview takes up the alloted space. Still, when I was able to dive into the details of capturing video from analog sources, compressing it, and setting up the software to serve it, but I could not have even begun to attack the problems of setting up a transport standard or a DRM scheme.

It should also be noted that one chapter out of the 8 provided is on a topic (enterprise multicast) that is not relevant to most consumer focused video services.

If you're going to be involved with online video at all, this book is an excellent technical overview. Highly recommended.

For the beginner..........2006-08-01

...This is the best book I've come across on the subject. There are a lot of articles and other books that just throw these terms at you without them really being understood. This book shows you how other media (TV, film, dvd) are put together and how they can be converted to become internet content.

maybe all your questions will not be answered, but at least now you can ask intelligent questions.

Truly understand streaming technology in plain language.......2005-02-19

The author does a great job of explaining streaming in great detail for the layman or more advanced user in plain easy to understand language. This book is good for web master, video engineer, student, or just about anyone who has an interest in a detailed guide about Internet video.

I found this book easy to read and understand. It is very complete in regard to today's technology. I have recommended it to several of my co-workers. A feel this book is required reading for anyone looking to deploy streaming into their organization. Damien Stolarz seems to be a person that is not just a tech writer but a seasoned engineer that has spend much time in the trenches of Internet video. This book is well worth the money.

The Ultimate French Review and Practice: Mastering French Grammar for Confident Communication

Average customer rating:

ideal for intermediate student
Good prep for a test
Hardly the Ultimate
Great for review and reference, not for total beginners
Not for beginning beginners

The Ultimate French Review and Practice: Mastering French Grammar for Confident Communication
David M Stillman , and Ronni L Gordon
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Study & Teaching | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0658000748

Book Description

A good grasp of grammar enables the foreign-language learner to build skill and confidence in communication. Here's the "ultimate," painless way for intermediate and advanced learners to brush up on the rules. Each grammatical concept is explained and then illustrated with lively sentence examples; extensive exercises offer practice at applying this knowledge in everyday conversation. Also included are "culture notes," authentic documents, vocabulary boxes, and verb charts, as well as a full answer key and index.

Customer Reviews:

ideal for intermediate student.......2007-09-08

This book is ideal for the intermediate, college student of French, or the advanced high school student. For more novice learners, I recommended getting drilled as the best learning method. Initially, students fear it as monotonous, but if the instructor paces the drilling correcctly, as well as frequently changing directions and injecting new things to be drilled, then that really isn't much of a problem. My students generally leave the class, not bored, but totally pumped. Warning: it is an intensive work method for the teacher. Drilling drains the teacher. The good news is that , once past the novice level, drilling should be done less frequently.

Good prep for a test.......2007-08-25

I bought this to study for a proficiency exam that I have to take 6 years after my last french class. So far it is proving to be a helpful resource in jogging the memory and teaching me new words and grammar quickly. I recommend as a great supplement or study tool.

Hardly the Ultimate.......2007-06-24

Although well-organized and comprehensive, the book suffers from several editing errors in both the text and the exercises/answer keys (particularly in the chapter dealing with the future and conditional perfect tenses) and a vocabulary primarily limited to academic settings (which is very limiting indeed). The book should also have been structured in workbook format to allow the student room to record answers; because the book does not fold well, writing answers on a separate piece of paper or laptop is a hassle.

Great for review and reference, not for total beginners.......2007-05-31

As others have said (and the title itself says), this is a great review if you've studied French in the past or a reference to use while you study using other textbooks.

You do need to have some French to use the book because the instructions for the exercises are in French. Here's the instruction for the very first exercise (sorry, had to leave out the accents, couldn't figure out how to write them here):

"Helene Poiret decrit une soiree passee en famille. Formez des phrases pour savoir ce qu'elle dit."

If you understand that, this is a good book for you. If not, you should probably start with a more basic textbook.

I like that the exercises are little stories. As exercises go, they are a bit more interesting to do than lists of random sentences.

Not for beginning beginners.......2007-03-27

Before I go on, let me admit that I'm the kind of person who loves languages but finds actually learning them very difficult. I'm not going to lie: I'm also not the brightest crayon in the box.

When I bought the Ultimate blah blah, I figured, what the heck it's cheap, even though the cover said "for intermediate and advanced learners" and I'm still mainly in the beginning stage. As many of the previous reviewers pointed out, this book is optimal for those of you who already know a great deal of French and want a refresher. If you don't know any French or just know a tiny bit, I'd say skip it for now and check out the Barrons' series of books.

In my opinion, this book is not the "be all and end all" of French grammar texts, but then again, I haven't read each and every book published on the subject, and my educational needs may be much different from yours. For one thing, I would have prefered some of the lessons to be longer with more examples. In my world, there's no such thing as too many examples. Also, because this book assumes the user knows a great deal of vocabulary, I had to constantly hit up the dictionary. Sure learning new words is great, but I found myself distracted from learning the grammar concepts.

However, it is pretty good, especially in the verb section. I really needed that chapter on imperfect vs passe compose! It's like a school text book on steroids for a quarter of the price. One big plus: Each chapter is divided up into smaller sections with a good deal of excercises in between for practice (and to keep one from going insane from all that info).

Overall, this book deserves 3 1/2 or 3 3/4 stars instead of the full 4. There's barely enough room to complete the exercises on the same page, like in the book "French Verb Drills". Even though I tend to write very small, I still had a hard time fitting in everything. Since I spend most of my time on crowded trains, I really don't have the room to get out a notebook to write in along with the text book.

By the way, all of the practice excercise instructions and cultural notes are in French with no translations into English!

Words That Change Minds: Mastering the Language of Influence 2nd edition

Average customer rating:

The title of this book is decieving
Brilliant
Informative with simplicity and clarity
Great way to develop communication skills for change and better being!
Not what I expected

Words That Change Minds: Mastering the Language of Influence 2nd edition
Shelle Charvet
Manufacturer: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0787234796

Customer Reviews:

The title of this book is decieving.......2007-09-10

This book is a human resource management book covering different areas in HR management with many boring and tedious examples. The book focuses on interview setting questions, employement and hiring. I was looking for a book on language, word structure and influencing techniques but this book is the complete opposite. In addition, this book does not have a "search inside" option nor a description.

Brilliant.......2007-08-27

I would recommend this book to anyone who has studied nlp or interested in the art of influence and wishes to further expand their knowledge. This books describeds meta programs in a very simple and straight forward way and how they are structured to fit the workplace, relationships (personal or professional) or any other context where you need to get yourself across efficiently and effectively.

Believe me when i say this is not a business book..it has a very readable writing style and helpful summary / appendicies section. I would recommend this book to anyone who really want's to use words that will change minds!

Informative with simplicity and clarity.......2007-08-11

This book is easy to read and very informative. If you have done NLP training you would have come across the Meta Programs, then this book takes your learnings to another level and gives indepth information on behaviours of people. A must read if you want to increase your ability to read people and their behaviours.

Great way to develop communication skills for change and better being!.......2007-07-29

This book is a great source of knowledge for people inner worlds from a perspective of who we get motivated, how we make desicions and move to action.
For those who know NLP it is a great guide for metaprograms and a lot of practical samples for the real life.
It is mainly focused on how to get results improving our communication skills, discovering how we can design our conversations to achieve the desired results.

Not what I expected.......2007-07-22

I am a hypnotherapist and I was looking for something to compliment that line of thinking. This book was not it. It is targeted at the business world. Perhaps persons in management could use it, but for everyday conversation, it doesn't help.

Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership

Average customer rating:

Be all that you can be
Stretching Good Material
How to Make Friends with Influential People
A Good Read!
Exploit Your Charisma, Your Personal Key to the Top

Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership
D. A. Benton
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0071411909

Book Description

A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an allencompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, "executive presence," are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office. Unfortunately, the vast majority of managers, even the most talented and ambitious ones, are not born with these personal qualities. In this breakthrough book, bestselling author and world-renowned executive development coach D. A. Benton helps readers acquire executive charisma.

In Executive Charisma, Benton outlines a proven six-step approach for learning how to think, act, and relate to others like an executive.

She provides powerful tools for fine-tuning the complete executive charisma skill set, including:

Interpersonal communications
Managing upwards
Confidence building
Business humor
Executive bearing, and more

Drawing upon her experience coaching clients at American Express, Century 21, Merrill Lynch, Nabisco, Viacom, Pepsi, and other top companies worldwide, Benton clearly defines executive charisma and explains why projecting a commanding professional demeanor is so fundamental to corporate success.

Customer Reviews:

Be all that you can be.......2007-08-29

Benton's advice is very much in line with Napolen Hill's and Dale Carnegie's: be friendly and give acceptance to maintain esteem; ask questions and favors; show weakness, be human; slow down, shut up and listen. The author expands on each of these points and more, and provides great overview and examples on every topic. It's a great refresher, and a well-written book.

Stretching Good Material.......2006-12-14

Deborah Benton is a serious student of what makes successful business people successful, and her book 'How to Think Like a CEO" reflects the seriousness and depth of her work there.

This book, on the other hand, is a very long hike for a very small picnic. She has essentially re-worked very familiar ground for her into a book that simply doesn't have enough to say to fill its length.

There are times, for example, when while reading, one realizes that the last paragraph has been nothing but semi-connected quotes from people in the large archive of Ms. Benton's interview files. It doesn't really go together and it doesn't really make any new points.

I would strongly recommend 'How to Think Like a CEO' but I would definitely not recommend this book.

How to Make Friends with Influential People.......2005-04-21

D.A. Benton's Executive Charisma is a basic book on working your way to the corner office via popularity contest. There is a lot of common sense stuff in this novel, so much so that it begs the question "How did my VP, Director, Manager, Supervisor, get his/her job?" Clearly charisma is not a prerequisite to climbing your way up the corporate ladder in 98% of companies today. Maybe this book should be mandatory (prerequisite) reading for managers.

Although I enjoyed this book, I have to say that it is highly superficial, perhaps purposely, and does not address any one area in great detail.

DA Benton outlines the "Sacred Six Steps" to becoming an outstanding leader as:
- Be the first to initiate
- Expect and give acceptance to maintain esteem
- Ask questions and ask favours
- Stand tall, straight, and smile
- Be human, humorous, and hands-on
- Slow down, shut up, and listen

All in all a good basic read for leaders or those aspiring to project their ability. And god knows that we need more people in the workplace who are willing to project their ability????

I long for a book on leadership that details how you become a great leader by being capable, producing measurable results, coming up with great strategic ideas, and making friends with those that you truly like and not just those that have influence over your career.

A Good Read!.......2004-03-01

Remember everything your mother told you. Stand up straight. Pull your shoulders back. Be outgoing. Smile. If you've forgotten these lessons, this is for you. It's not what you know, it's who you know - and what they think and feel about you - that makes all the difference in your career. Be human. Ask for favors. Ask for information. Pitch in. Have a sense of humor. Speak slowly and listen carefully. Author D.A. Benton's presumably deep, probing interviews with 500 executives convinced her that charisma isn't inborn. She believes that everyone can learn to be charismatic. Just follow the six steps that can turn even the most repulsive excuse for a manager into a charming, charismatic executive. So, read this and practice. There's no harm in it, and it might do some good. However, while recommending this basic manual, suspects that the nature of charisma is a bit like the way a jazz musician explained the nature of jazz - if you have to ask what it is, you'll never know.

Exploit Your Charisma, Your Personal Key to the Top.......2004-02-18

If you are an executive, or aspire to be one, read this book. Debra Benton simplifies the mystery of charisma into six practical, proven steps that anyone can immediately apply.

"Executive Charisma" is full of time - tested advice from the top business leaders of our time. It is a fast read, perfectly suited for busy people committed to life-long development.

As a practicing executive, I witness first-hand how top leaders relate to others on a daily basis. Those who know how to access and apply the 'soft' leadership skills are the winners, period. No matter how bright and classicaly educated a leader is, those who rise to the top have mastered the art of charisma.

Book Description

Does the idea of going to a large party make your palms sweat and your mouth go dry? You are not alone. Many people suffer from minglephobia, a secret terror of large parties. Jeanne Martinet’s tried-and-true cure is her unique system of techniques and strategies for overcoming social fears. Now you can relax and thrive at any business or social event!

Updated with dozens of brand-new field-tested tricks, tips, lines, and maneuvers, The Art of Mingling will teach you:

* Basic Survival Fantasies for the Truly Terrified
* The Flattery Entree
* The Fade In (and the Fade Out)
* The Human Sacrifice
* The Cell-Out
* The Hors D’Oeuvre Maneuver
* The Dot-Dot-Dot Plot
* The Quotation Device
* The Quick Change
* The Faux Pas Moi
* And much, much more!

Customer Reviews:

Worth Every Penny, Invaluable Advice For Mingling & Making New Friends!.......2007-08-25

I am a friendly, professional, outgoing person, who isn't shy around friends, but put me in a room full of people I have never met before, and like so many others, I become a complete -- "Minglephobe"!

I freeze up and immediately take physical inventory of all possible exits while the mind is grasping to retrieve all possible excuses that might be believable enough to give me the reprieve I need to make a quick and stealthy exit. Okay, okay, I'm not that bad, but those thoughts do run through my mind.

I've also recently realized that I get completely tongue tied with opening lines anytime I approach someone new and want to start a conversation.

I have purchased several books to help overcome this "phobia" and this by far, is the best of all the books.

I would highly recommend "The Art of Mingling." Even if you don't want to become an expert on mingling, this author provides some really wonderful insight, suggestions and methods for approaching strangers, some great conversation starters, tips on how to approach groups of people, and even how to get out of a conversation that is not going well.

I don't understand how the reviewer that said he was trying to improve his social skills found no value to this book. My girlfriend, who is one of those super-friendly people that can make friends with a room full of strangers in 15 minutes-flat also read and loved this book. She said it had some wonderful tips and she can't wait to try out some of the advice.

I think "The Art of Mingling" is an invaluable tool, and I would recommend this book to anyone that really wants some real-world, applicable solutions for making new friends.

NOT WORTH THE $, HERE ARE SOME ALTERNATIVES.......2007-07-29

refining my social abilities is something that always interests me. this book is a good read if you are extremely frightful and awkward in social encounters. however, it provides little useful information for those of us who have social skills, but are looking to improve them.

instead, i recommend:

- how to win friends and influence people -- by d. carniege. this text is the basis for all related books. in my humble opinion, it is the most widely cited and accepted novel in the self-improvement genre.

- how to talk to anyone -- by lowndes. the first half of that book is quite solid. however, in the secod half, the author discusses topics such as 'how to talk to celebrities', and thus loses focus and credibility. still though, a solid read.

- the friendship factor -- by mcginnis. if you dont get turned off by the religious references, the book is amazing. i opt to skip over any passage that goes on to ramble about jesus being the most socially apt individual. again, if you dont get turned off by the christianity aspect, it is a solid text.

Can't read her own book to save her life.......2007-06-20

Ms. Martinet has to be one of the worst readers I've ever heard "professionally." Even if her book were more clever (and it's not, studded as it is with chestnuts like "imagine everyone at the party in their underwear") her delivery would suck all the life out of it.

Why didn't anyone tell her? For crying out loud, she can't even pronounce paté

Breaking the Ice.......2007-05-09

Learn how to initiate small talk with this playful guide to social etiquette. Anyone looking for ways to improve their communication skills will benefit from this book.

Small Talk 101: Practical & lighthearted guide.......2007-04-20

Author Jeanne Martinet pens a playful guide to breaking ice and initiating small talk. These are useful social skills in settings that often make people feel awkward. The Art of Mingling offers a buffet of tips to choose from; graze at your leisure and try them out. Some are over the top and others are clearly designed just for women in mind.

Not just for "social cripples" but for anyone looking to improve their communication skills in the art of small talk, a talent for which can yield a big impact.

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