Book Description
BUSINESS COMMUNICATION: PROCESS AND PRODUCT is a time-tested, Web-supported, teaching/learning/testing system that delivers comprehensive resources. The text uses the 3-x-3 writing process to guide the user in writing effectively. Accurate, detailed model documents provide numerous examples for learners to emulate, and abundant activities and cases develop skills. The variety and depth of resources in both print and electronic media are unmatched by any competitor. Mary Ellen Guffey leads the market in providing instructors with timely, innovative, and continuously refreshed teaching tips and support through her Web sites, monthly newsletters, and conference presentations.
Customer Reviews:
Student review.......2006-10-19
My writing has improved 200% because of the information presented in this book. I am a junior marketing major at Northern Illinois University. This text is enjoyable to read with great visuals and equally interesting real- world examples. I will definitely keep this book. The skills learned from this book will guide me in my career for years to come. Thank you for writing this book and to my professor for choosing this book.
BUSINESS WRITING INSTRUCTION TAKES QUANTUM LEAP!.......2004-10-01
As a college business communication instructor and corporate writing consultant of 20+ years, I feel my career is about to take a quantum leap forward with my discovery of this magnificent compendium of materials. Mary Ellen Guffey has done ALL the hard work! Juicy, readable text: done. Riveting "inside" information on cool corporations: done. Web-based support? Manuals? PowerPoints? Videos? Done. Fresh writing prompts, some packaged with the research already done? Done. With my old text, I've been drowning in an attempt to supplement and update and enrich the dated material enough to keep it relevant and arresting. Now I'm finding that I have plenty of time to interact with students over their own writing and presentations. I've always felt one-on-one and small-group interaction to be a huge part of my mission as a classroom teacher. Thanks to Mary Ellen Guffey, I'm able to do more of it, while spending less time overall on take-home work. Thank you, Mary Ellen, from the trenches--not just for a marvelous tool, but for a whole toolbox full of them.
Perfect for the Classroom!.......2004-09-27
I am an instructor at a business college, and this textbook (along with the accompanying website for students) proved to be wonderful for use in the classroom. The chapters were lively (even for a four-hour lecture class!) and provided real-world details and examples. The website accompanying the textbook has plenty of extra information for classroom use, as well as activities that students can do to review chapters and test their grammar skills.
A Great Book for College Students.......2004-09-23
Business Communication: Process and Product has been the best textbook I have worked with. Everything is presented in a clear and reader-friendly manner. Of all the books I have had to purchase for my courses, this was well worth the investment. Even though I recently earned my degree, and am no longer taking classes, I am still benefiting from owning this book.
BC:PP is an instructor's dream!.......2004-09-22
I teach an entry level MBA class that focuses on Leadership and Communication. Previously, the text for this class was average to poor. I dreaded using it. Starting this semester, we're using Mary Ellen Guffey's Business Communication: Process and Product text. It's a dream! It's a joy as an instructor to have an academic text such as BC:PP that is (a) very applicable to real-world business situations, (b) easy and fun to read, and (c) filled with tons of great ideas for class and homework assignments. In addition, instructors can request support materials such as video, PowerPoint chapter reviews, chapter tests, etc. that save a TON of time and effort! I am truly enjoying using this book, as are my students. I'd HIGHLY recommend it for any undergrad or graduate level communication course!
Book Description
Discover the secrets of written persuasion!
"The principles of hypnosis, when applied to copywriting, add a new spin to selling. Joe Vitale has taken hypnotic words to set the perfect sales environment and then shows us how to use those words to motivate a prospect to take the action you want. This is truly a new and effective approach to copywriting, which I strongly recommend you learn. It's pure genius."
-Joseph Sugarman, author of Triggers
"I've read countless book on persuasion, but none come close to this one in showing you exactly how to put your readers into a buying trance that makes whatever you are offering them irresistible."
-David Garfinkel, author of Advertising Headlines That Make You Rich
"I am a huge fan of Vitale and his books, and Hypnotic Writing (first published more than twenty years ago), is my absolute favorite. Updated with additional text and fresh examples, especially from e-mail writing, Joe's specialty, Hypnotic Writing is the most important book on copywriting (yes, that's really what it is about) to be published in this century. Read it. It will make you a better copywriter, period."
-Bob Bly, copywriter and author of The Copywriter's Handbook
"I couldn't put this book down. It's eye opening and filled with genuinely new stuff about writing and persuading better. And it communicates it brilliantly and teaches it brilliantly-exemplifying the techniques by the writing of the book itself as you go along."
-David Deutsch, author of Think Inside the Box, www.thinkinginside.com
"Hypnotic Writing is packed with so much great information it's hard to know where to start. The insights, strategies, and tactics in the book are easy to apply yet deliver one heck of a punch. And in case there's any question how to apply them, the before-and-after case studies drive the points home like nothing else can. Hypnotic Writing is not just about hypnotic writing. It is hypnotic writing. On the count of three, you're going to love it. Just watch and see."
-Blair Warren, author of The Forbidden Keys to Persuasion
Customer Reviews:
English Majors need to buy this book!.......2007-10-24
The key two points of this book: Get the editor out of your head and just write! and Write as you speak to keep your reader engaged. These two things would have saved years of torture when writing for English Lit classes or anything else. This is a keeper!!!
User Friendly.......2007-10-23
One of the best aspects of this book is that Joe Vitale does on the page what he is teaching the reader how to do. You learn about hypnotic writing and at the same time you experience it on the page in front of you. And it isn't a secret! Joe is transparent about that fact. This book is as close as a reader can get to experiential learning on the topic without taking a workshop.
I highly recommend it for any internet marketer. Hypnotic Writing can make a difference in your potential client sticking with your web site long enough to actually become a client!
Hypnotic Writing.......2007-09-27
This is a well written book with lots of real ideas for copywriting that sells. The best part is. . . well read the book!
Absolutely Amazing.......2007-08-13
Absolutely amazing
This book refers to all the process and ideas that I've always noticed, but could never point out the system... A must have for anyone! Even if you are just selling yourself
a lot of filler but a lot of good stuff too.......2007-07-31
this is not for beginners. if you already know the basics of copywriting then you'll pick up a lot of useful tips and techniques from this book.
would i recommend it to my colleagues? yes.
Book Description
Would
you
read
information
presented
like
this?
No. It’s just not natural. Sometimes presentation is almost as important as content. When you create a report, the goal is to provide information for readers in a format they can readily understand.
Crystal Reports 10 For Dummies, the latest version of the most popular report writer in the world, shows you how to create simple or sophisticated reports, turning data into interactive, actionable reports that convey what’s happening in your business. You can progress cover-to-cover or use the index to find out how to:
- Give your reports more pizzazz by using the correct fonts, color, drop shadows, graphic elements, and more
- Integrate elements from multiple, non-database sources
- Group sort, total result sets, cross-tab reports, and add formulas, charts, or maps
- Print reports
- Use customized Business Views gleaned from the same information to provide each reader with information he or she needs to know without spilling all the beans, sales figures, marketing information, or whatever
- Present multi-dimensional data in OLAP (Online Analytical Processing) cubes
- Get ideas from sample reports on the companion Web site
Written by Allen G. Taylor, nationally known lecturer, teacher, and author of over 20 books, including Database Development for Dummies, Crystal Reports 10 For Dummies makes it crystal clear how to:
- Store your information securely in Crystal Repository
- Use Crystal Analysis 10 to display OLAP data so you and your report’s readers can analyze the information in an online environment
- Use Crystal Enterprise to put Crystal Reports online for viewing by hundreds or thousands of people in your organization
Whether you want to dazzle your company’s CEO and shareholders, motivate the sales force, or simply share database information cogently, with Crystal Reports 10 For Dummies you not only make your point, you an impression. When your reports look professional, you look professional.
Download Description
ated to reflect the latest version of the Crystal Reports reporting tool
* Explains how to use Crystal Reports to quickly transform almost any data into interactive content
* Features a jump-start chapter on creating a simple report
* Covers basic and advanced reporting features, such as retrieving data from databases; sorting, grouping, and totaling result sets; using report templates; making correlations with cross-tab reports; working with formulas; adding geographic detail with maps; publishing reports; and much more
* Includes a new section that explains how to use the new time-saving and data-sharing features available when Crystal Reports is integrated with the other components in the product suite: Crystal Enterprise and Crystal Analysis
* Companion Web site includes sample reports from the book
Customer Reviews:
good.......2007-09-16
a good book to get your feet wet. my first 'for dummies' book. I felt a tad foolish buying this, having written loads of programs in the last 18 years, but this book was very helpful getting me started on crystal reports.
Crystal Reports 10- Yay!.......2007-06-14
This is not an intuitive program for me to use for reports and documents, but the book gave me some good pointers.
The For Dummies Approach applied to Crystal Reports.......2007-03-11
The computer was going to eliminate paperwork. That's why Crystal Reports has sold about 13 million copies. Simply put, Crystal Reports is a database report writer.
Most of the data a business wants to look at is maintained in a database. How to produce a report that is customized for what you (or your boss) want to see can be done by going directly to the database, executing a query and then printing it out in a format that you want to see -- bah humbug. Who wants to go program all that stuff?
Hence Crystal Reports. Here is a program that allows you to basically point and click and produce the report you want. It's rather simple to use for a simple straight forward report. That's why Crystal Reports is included in some 200 software packages.
Now, why buy a book on it, and why this book in particular. First, if you've looked at the documentation provided by Crystal Reports you've probably thrown up your hands in disgust. Second, because you've gotten to this page means you probably searched for something on Crystal Reports and found that you didn't have all that many choices that cover Version 10. Third, this is a 'For Dummies' book. It is written in a style that most of use can read and get some sense out of it.
If you're just getting started, this is a good place. If you're already an expert, this will tell you about what's possible in the newest version.
Crystal Reports 10 for Dummies.......2007-02-20
This book is pretty good for a quick tour of the software and it's capabilities.
Dummies and Crystal Report.......2007-01-11
Crystal Reports has more features than can one book can explain, but this one gives a great mini overview of lots of items available. Well worth the expense.
Amazon.com
An April 2007 Significant 7 Editors' Pick: Funny, engaging, and oh-so-practical, Send is the ultimate etiquette handbook for email, making David Shipley and Will Schwalbe the "Miss Manners" resource for the digital age. Full of practical insights, Send is an invaluable resource for anyone who uses email, and is guaranteed to help you "think before you click." We are not the only fans of this important book. We asked psychologist, science journalist, and bestselling author Daniel Goleman to read Send and give us his take. Check out his exclusive guest review below. --Daphne Durham
Guest Reviewer: Daniel Goleman
Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses, and is the author of many bestselling books, including Emotional Intelligence and most recently, Social Intelligence.
Poor Michael Brown. During the darkest days of the Hurricane Katrina debacle, Brown, then director of FEMA, the agency that so badly bungled the rescue efforts, sent this email: "Are you proud of me? Can I quit now? Can I go home?"
Emails can come back to haunt us--any of us. Few among us have mastered this medium, and only slowly are we realizing its dangers.
From the earliest days of email people "flamed", sending off irritating or otherwise annoying messages. One explanation for the failure to inhibit our more unruly impulses online is a mismatch between the screen we stare at as we email, and the cues the social circuits of the brain use to navigate us through an interaction effectively: on email there is no tone of voice, no facial expression. When we talk to someone on the phone or face-to-face these circuits would ordinarily squelch impulses that will seem "off." Lacking these crucial cues, flaming occurs.
It's not just flaming--I've sent my fair share of emails that were, in retrospect, embarrassing, too familiar or formal, or otherwise wrong in tone. Email invites these lapses in social intelligence in part because the social brain flies blind. In the absence of the other person's real-time emotional signals we need to take a moment to shift from focusing on our own feelings and thoughts, and intentionally focus on the other person, even in absentia, and consider, How might this message come across?
The peril of being off-key is amplified by the temptation to hit SEND prematurely: before we've thought it over and had a chance to ease up on that too-stiff tone, drop that bit of sarcasm, and remember to ask about the kids.
In the old days of letter writing--a dying art--we had plenty of time to rewrite before sealing the envelope, and so flaming letters were far more rare than red-hot emails. And so the brave new world of email could benefit from a civilizing force, a voice that articulates the ground rules online.
Enter Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home, a new book by David Shipley (an old friend of mine) and Will Schwalbe. Send not only articulates the way to win--or keep--friends online, but offers practical tips on both email etiquette and on the writing style most suitable.
In this witty and wise book Shipley and Schwalbe give essential guidance on vital matters like the politics of using Cc (nobody likes to be left out); when to just reply and when to "Reply All"; the danger of the URGENT subject (too many and you cry wolf); fine-tuning your greetings to fit the relationship (if you use the wrong one, you can lose them at hello); how best to apologize online (put the word 'sorry' in the subject or else the email may never be read).
But Send is far more than Miss Manners for the Web; it's brimming with fascinating insights. For example, now that email has become the way we talk, showing up in person has added impact as the ultimate compliment, signifying that the person, meeting or project has special importance for you.
Years ago a slim volume by Strunk and White, The Elements of Style, laid out the ground rules for good writing; the book became a bible for authors, widely known just as "Strunk and White." Send should make Shipley and Schwalbe the "Strunk and White" for the Web. --Daniel Goleman (www.danielgoleman.info)
Book Description
When should you email, and when should you call, fax, or just show up?
What is the crucial—and most often overlooked—line in an email?
What is the best strategy when you send (in anger or error) a potentially career-ending electronic bombshell?
Enter Send. Whether you email just a little or never stop, use a desktop or a handheld, here, at last, is an authoritative and delightful book that shows how to write the perfect email—at work, at school, or anywhere. Send also points out the numerous (but not always obvious) times when email can be the worst option and might land you in hot water (or even jail!).
The secret is, of course, to think before you click. Send is nothing short of a survival guide for the digital age—wise, brimming with good humor, and filled with helpful lessons from the authors’ own email experiences (and mistakes). In short: absolutely e-ssential.
Customer Reviews:
More like "Eats , Shoots & Leaves" than Strunk & White.......2007-10-16
If you enjoyed the arched-brow humor of Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, then you'll enjoy "Send." It's an elegant, fun guide to something that seems so simple, but is actually pretty complicated: using email effectively.
Help for today's communicator.......2007-09-30
Hello reader
I have found the help I need at last.
In my workplace people write an email rather than picking up the phone or turning around and talking to the person at the next desk.
Is this the same for you?
And do you find it leads to confusion and endless chains of communication on simple matters?
Here is your solution.
Read it and keep it for reference.
No need to reply.
Regards
David
Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Home and Office.......2007-09-29
Easy to understand even if you are not too computer literate. Would have been helpful to be able to read a paragraph or two before purchase.
Learned what I didn't know I didn't know.......2007-09-26
This is an easy read with lots of great info packed into a small volume. The authors' credentials are hard to beat, and the info is laid out in categories making it easy to go back and reread. I learned many things I didn't know about email etiquette (not just no caps!) and the reasoning behind it. They talk about overuse of attachments (I'm guilty!) and other problems I never thought of as a problem. Enjoy!
EVERYONE, and I mean EVERYONE should read this book.......2007-09-25
Some of the reviews below are correct, this book is simplistic. But unfortunately, most people have lost all sense of etiquette when it comes to email as the book suggests.
Email has become a disgraced form of communication that few people know how navigate properly, and those that do, could certainly stand to become better.
I am buying this for all of my coworkers, family, and friends for Christmas...if only for selfish reasons that it will make my work and home life more productive.
Amazon.com
The Copywriter's Handbook is somewhat out of date. There are no references to Web sites or the Internet, and author Robert W. Bly advises that a freelance copywriter have a good typewriter. No matter. Bly has compiled an incredibly useful resource for budding, and even experienced, copywriters. Bly calls his book "a step-by-step guide to writing copy that sells." And that it is: Bly covers the writing of print ads, direct mail, brochures, catalogues, public-relations material, trade-journal articles, speeches, newsletters, commercials, and more. But equally informative is the substantial amount of space that he devotes to the copywriting business, in which he offers guidance in setting up a freelance copywriting business, getting hired by an ad agency, and hiring and working with copywriters (this section also includes a chapter on graphic design for copywriters). This is a terrific book. If you don't take my word for it, take David Ogilvy's: "I don't know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book," he says. "And that includes me." --Jane Steinberg
Book Description
This is a book for everyone who writes or approves copy: copywriters, account executives, creative directors, freelance writers, advertising managers . . . even entrepreneurs and brand managers. It reveals dozens of copywriting techniques that can help you write ads, commercials, and direct mail that are clear, persuasive, and get more attentionand sell more products. Among the tips revealed are eight headlines that workand how to use them eleven ways to make your copy more readable fifteen ways to open a sales letter the nine characteristics of successful print ads how to build a successful freelance copywriting practice fifteen techniques to ensure your e-mail marketing message is opened This thoroughly revised third edition includes all new essential information for mastering copywriting in the Internet era, including advice on Web- and e-mail-based copywriting, multimedia presentations, and Internet research and source documentation, as well as updated resources. Now more indispensable than ever, The Copywriters Handbook remains the ultimate guide for people who write or work with copy.
Customer Reviews:
Want to Write For a Living? Bly Shows What It Takes.......2007-10-21
Highest recommendation!
I'm a copy writer for a small company serving businesses across the country. I learned the ad writing business "on the fly via Bly" after miraculously landing a copywriting job when a very brave Pacific Northwest employer decided to take a chance and hire me -- even though I didn't have a single day's worth of "in the trenches" experience beforehand!
My resume documented that I had written four books and dozens of articles for magazines and newspapers, but writing advertising copy is a whole 'nuther animal!
Because of Bly's excellent books (he has several -- none of them will steer you wrong) and a few others by Joe Vitale, I was able to jump into the new job and truly wow diverse clients from the get-go. The information and insights in The Copywriter's Handbook saved my bacon!
Kristine M Smith, Author
DeForest Kelley: A Harvest of Memories : My Life and Times With a Remarkable Gentleman Actor
Every copywriter's best friend - a must-read keeper.......2007-10-03
Bob Bly is the master of showing beginning copywriters how to write compelling copy. He also knows all there is to know about the copywriting business.
If you're just starting out in this business, you must buy this book and any time Bob updates it, buy the new one.
He helps you know what to charge. He guides you in the rules of the road in a way you'll understand. Reading this book could be the ticket to a great career for you. So pick up your ticket and enter the world of copywriting.
Highly recommended --- especially for beginning copywriters or those who need a handy everyday reference to refer to when they have a question.
The Copywriter's Handbook.......2007-08-29
Excellent service.
Arrived really quick and in excellent packaging.
Love the book, Thank you!
Breaks down the basics of writing killer copy.......2007-07-28
Before I started my own copywriting business years ago, this one was my first books on the subject. And I still refer back to it periodically. Bob Bly is a copywriting legend who is well-known for making the fundamentals of writing great copy easy to understand. Whether you're thinking about a writing career, or just need to make your marketing materials more effective, this is the perfect primer for anyone who wants to learn how to write to sell!
Good for direct response copywriting, but not so great for ad agency writing.......2007-05-18
Since this review is largely negative, I should admit that "The Copywriter's Handbook" can be found near my desk and I reference it often.
With that confession, I'll take my first punch: the author of this book has never won an advertising award. Not one that matters, anyway. But in Bob Bly's world, awards really don't matter.
Since 1985, "The Copywriter's Handbook," has been a guide to the ugly but lucrative subculture of advertising called direct response. In this world, Bob Bly is a self-anointed diety. Since the book was first published, mobs of enterprising disciples have drunk his Cool-Aid, hoping not for a promised land, but a six-figure salary.
It's true that copywriters can earn $10,000 for writing one letter. Of course, it's a direct response letter. The kind beleaguered with double underlined sentences. Features explained through benefits. Promises punctuated with exclamation points. And, of course, the grand finale is highlighted in yellow: an offer that must be acted upon immediately.
For industrious writers who want to come up with this stuff, "The Copywriter's Handbook," is considered a bible. But for anyone who aspires to create concept-driven advertising, there's not much in this book.
Bly starts this work by taking sides against concept-driven advertising. He explains, "A copywriter is a salesperson behind a typewriter." He warns against becoming "an artist or entertainer." For if you go down this dangerous path, Bly warns, "Your copy will be wasting your client's time and money."
Although I don't do direct response, as a freelancer, I write a lot of stuff that's not artistic, entertaining, concept-driven advertising. I often write stuff that works hard at doing more than building a brand. For those jobs, this book contains a lot of practical advice.
Of its nearly 400 pages, I found Bly's lists most helpful. "Copy motivators" offer 22 reasons why someone might buy a product, a good thing to ask your client before writing. Bly offers interview questions too, many of which I have incorporated into my own. He also outlines different types of ads, which can be useful in finding direction for an ad. Will we do a question ad? A testimonial? An offer of free information?
But for all of his juicy nuggets, so many of Bly's examples read like spam. They sound too good to be true, killing the credibility of his work. So much so that I think his audiences must be incredibly stupid to read - let alone respond - to what he writes.
"Would you pay $1,000 to save $5,500?"
"One of a kind. Is that phrase a little trite? I used to think so until I tried to find you. ..."
"Three years ago this month, a man I know - he was then a vice president of a big corporation in Illinois - walked into his boss's office and handed in his resignation. Two weeks later, he started his own company. ..."
Aren't we past this kind of stuff? Judging by the number of people who make serious cash writing Bly-style advertising, apparently not. I know that I don't allow any of it into my life, not even from nonprofits and politicians I believe in.
Despite the money to be made, you won't find me crossing to the schlock-y side of hard-sell direct response advertising. Even knowing about the profit potential of this work, I still want to create cool, concept-driven creative work. Because unlike Mr. Bly, I know that my kind of advertising can work for clients.
I recommend: How to Write Great Copy: Learn the Unwritten Rules of Copywriting
Book Description
A powerful sales letter is the ultimate marketing tool for all types of business owners, sales reps, and advertising professionals. However, most sales letters end up getting tossed in the junk mail pile. The Ultimate Sales Letter, 3rd Edition shows you how to write letters that get read, generate leads, and make money. Coverage includes:
The twelve best headline formulas
Strategies for building a customer base
Sales letters for Web sites and online use
This guide teaches you a step-by-step system for writing sales letters any business can use--designed by the most successful and highly paid professional direct-response copywriter in the country.
Customer Reviews:
Thought it would be more...........2007-09-26
It was ok but would have liked something more easy to adapt to my letters.
The Ultimate Guide to Sales Letters.......2007-09-19
This book is the only start for anyone who is interested in developing sales letters, that sell. There is a reason that Dan Kennedy is the guru of developing sales letters and other forms of copy.
In the book, Kennedy unleashes a lot of information in bits of detail which are easy to follow. The book is so well written that you can not help but excel at writing great sales letters by the end. There are many copies of very successful sales letters throughout the book to illustrate the strategies, tactics and techniques revealed. The content flows smoothly from chapter to chapter making this book an effortless read.
If you are interested in learning to write great sales letters, get this book first!
Eliot Hoppe
Author - Selling: Powerful New Strategies for Sales Success
Another powerful, practical book from Dan.......2007-07-28
Have you ever spent hours writing the perfect sales letter, only to send it out and get little or no response? This information-packed book is sure to show you where you went wrong. And it takes you through all the basic steps and concepts that go into writing amazingly effective sales letters. Of course, there's no substitute for practice, but this book will get you off to a solid start.
Known as the "No B.S." guy, Dan Kennedy is a crack copywriter and consultant who regularly helps clients make millions of dollars. From my personal experience (and I have a shelf full of Dan Kennedy's stuff), all his books are worth their weight in gold. But be warned, he has a straight-up, slightly sarcastic style of communication that you either love or hate. Personally, I love it. And I confidently recommend anything and everything Dan Kennedy writes or sells.
Great book with great ideas simplified.......2007-06-23
This book is as good as a thick textbook on copywriting. Mr. Kennedy doesnt waste words and gets to the point in every sentence in this book. Also of great interest are copies of sales letters he wrote for his clients.
What I liked about this book was chapter/step 6: Getting your sales letter read. There are generous examples of attention-getting headlines and fill in the blank headlines. A lot of these caught my attention and I'm very picky about which emails to open because I've looked at thousands of them, but the samples in this book are still good to use.
I like this book because it is like AWAI's copywriting course condensed into one book.
Read this book today and start writing better copy.
A Fantastic Reference Guide.......2007-06-13
I received this book in the mail and read the whole thing in one night! It was a very practical, no-nonsense, reference guide. This one has it's own special place on my desk. Buy it!
Book Description
Produce winning presentations and reports with expert advice from this definitive guide. Discover vital tips on how to best utilize Crystal Reports’ features to analyze data, and build professional, complex, and effective reports. Find the entire spectrum of user knowledge—from advice for new users on how to develop, design, and build a simple report, to in-depth information on complex features such as Crystal Server Pages and integrating Crystal Reports into Visual Basic.NET programs.
Customer Reviews:
Crystal Reprots 10 - complete reference.......2007-02-20
This is a very good, thorough book with lots of examples included. I have bought other books by the same publisher and have been very pleased with all of them.
Best Book on Crystal Reports 10.......2005-06-17
This book has been an invaluable resource in creating and publishing reports with Crystal Reports 10. I've been able to give it to new designers to get them up to speed and also use it to look for answers to quick questions on new features. Overall, this is the most versatile book I've found on Crystal Reports 10.
Complete but not for learners.......2005-04-02
This book delivers exactly what the title promises. It goes through Crystal Reports 10 screen by screen and feature by feature. It is well laid out and has lots of screen prints. There is way too much verbiage, at least for this reader.
So what's the problem? The book desparately needs examples of how you actually DO some of the things it talks about in such detail. Crystal gives you some really nice sample reports, but they are all finished, not exactly easy to break apart and understand. If this book had some case studies (eg, now lets build the chart report of Quarterly Sales by Employee), I would have found it a whole lot more useful.
Come to think of ut, I would trade this book in a minute for something more task-oriented and hands-on.
Good review -- lacks advanced depth.......2005-03-30
The text is one of the first available for Crystal Reports 10. It does a good job of covering all the basics. It even goes into some "intermediate" details in various sections. If you're new or fairly new to Crystal Reports, then the book will be a valuable reference to you.
If you're an experienced Crystal Reports developer, then this book will probably not get too much use. It lacks the hard-hitting details that would make it an excellent standard resource, and it's shy on the "topics for gurus" sections commonly found in complete references. One thing that is good about the book is the scope--there is not much left out entirely, so even an advanced developer will find bits of useful information, particularly when using Crystal Reports in new ways or on new platforms, etc.
If you're familiar with the earlier renditions of this book (i.e., for Crystal Reports version 8.5, etc.), then you will find this rendition exactly as expected.
Book Review.......2004-07-16
I have to say I'm disappointed in this book. Normally I don't buy McGraw-Hill "Complete Reference" books because generally I find them lacking sufficient detail and depth to do any real programming. I bought this book because there aren't an abundance of Crystal 10 books out yet and because Crystal Reports documentation is notoriously bad, but this book has lived up to my McGraw-Hill "Complete Reference" expectations. I find the book lacks sufficient detail and code samples to be of any real use for integrating Crystal Reports into an application. Specifically, I'm working with Part II, Crystal Reports 10 on the Web.
Book Description
More than 6,000 words and phrases that make the difference between "yadda-yadda-yadda" and copy that sells
Looking for a better way to say "authentic?" Words That Sell gives you 57 alternatives. How about "appealing?" Take your pick from 76 synonyms. You'll even find more than 100 variations on "exciting." Fully updated and expanded, this edition of the copywriting classic is packed with inspiration-on-demand for busy professionals who need to win customers--by mail, online, or in person.
- More than 75 lists of powerful and persuasive words and phrases, including 21 new lists for this edition
- Cross-referencing of categories to jump-start creative thinking
- A crash course in basic copywriting techniques
- Helpful lists of commonly misspelled words, confusing words, pretentious phrases to avoid, and more
Roget's is fine for writing term papers and letters to the editor, but when it comes to the business of writing copy that translates into sales, there is no substitute for Words That Sell.
Customer Reviews:
FABULOUS BOOK!.......2007-06-20
This book and its sister book, More Words... -- are the handiest and great must haves in my editorial and office service business library! I highly recommend them!
Great Canned Words/Phrases.......2007-05-12
This is a book in which the author has collected words and phrases from different sources over time and made into a book - a great collection at that. If you are looking for some great ideas - this book doesn't have any. The book is divided into 4 sections; Grabbers, Descriptions and Benefits, Clinchers, and Special Strategies. And the painstaking collection of various words and phrases collected over time are shown under each head with the bulk of book taken up by the Descriptions and Benefits. A must have book by your side if you are groping for words or phrases while writing a business letter, etc. Had I been a copywriter I would have given the book 5 stars.
Great for writing copy.......2007-04-05
If you need to look for words you can
use for your copy in emails or sales letters
this a a great book to pull down and look
for words or phrases you can use.
Matt Bacak
Author of Secrets of the Internet Millionaire Mind
and The Ultimate Lead Generation Plan
Very Helpful.......2007-02-07
Recently I bought this book and immediately made some textual changes to my company website based upon the contents of this and "Hot Button Marketing" by Barry Feig. The two mixed together have already begun to pay dividends in terms of conversions of visitors into prospects which will lead to customers and/or partners.
The lessons I learned as I read some of the material:
1) You may believe you're using the right words to sell (as I did prior to reading over the book), but there are always improvements that can be made.
2) Have fun--if your current campaign isn't working as well as you'd like, tweak the copy by using some of the suggestions in this book to see if a different word sprinkled in here and there improves things. It's interesting to see what a little change can do as enough of them can add up to one big success over time.
In a nutshell, this book is a great reference to have handy regardless of what you're selling.
Pump new life into your copy and sell more.......2006-12-14
I've been a copywriter for 14 years, most of the time as an independent practitioner. I've also been a senior copywriter for an advertising agency and worked in the creative department for a major newspaper.
The expanded edition of "Words That Sell" by Richard Bayan gets to the heart of an issue copywriters and marketers constantly face: How can we communicate the same old tired ideas in new, different and even exciting ways?
For example, I can't tell you the number of times I've been asked to position clients as experts in their field. There's nothing wrong with that -- they truly are experts. But we're all besieged by experts. (The fill-in-the-blank experts. And so on.)
Bayan offers a list of 75 or so entries for communicating experienced or expert. And throughout the book he provides hundreds of entries for many other common copy points and marketing messages.
Besides supplying a good resource, Bayan provides a good reminder that to be memorable copywriters and marketers must write it, say it and show it in a fresh, interesting way. And that usually requires at least a little extra creative effort.
Book Description
Special Edition Using Business Objects Crystal Reports XI is a reference guide designed to provide you with hands-on experience for the latest release of the Business Objects' product suite. The authors, all Business Objects insiders, bring unique and valuable real-world perspectives on implementations and uses of Crystal Reports, Crystal Reports Server, BusinessObjects Enterprise, WebIntelligence and OLAP Intelligence. Content, tutorials and samples for reporting within the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and J2EE development environments is also included. Advanced data-source coverage including SAP R3, SAP BW, Peoplesoft, Siebel, EJBs, .NET/COM objects and XML are also covered. Advanced content on report distribution and integration into the secured managed reporting solution, Business Objects Enterprise XI and the new Crystal Reports Server XI, is included along with coverage on the new Web Services SDK. If you are a Crystal Reports XI user, Special Edition Using Business Objects Crystal Reports XI will become your definitive users guide.
Customer Reviews:
my favorite reference.......2006-07-07
I really like this book. it not only helps answer thing but makes suggestion and gives real world scenerios at end of a chapter. I use it mostly for a reference tool as chapters 1-11 pertain to CR XI report creation part, which is what I need refresh on the most. I do wish there was a good tool book that gave more on crystal syntax if anyone knows please email me, but this book helps get me thinking on the right track.
A Solid Reference - But Poorly Organized.......2006-06-15
This is a solid book and a worthwhile reference. Unfortunately, the content organization is somewhat confusing--and the sheer size of the book makes it fairly difficult to find what you're looking for.
The contents have so many hints and tips that every programmer will learn something. I've been using Crystal Reports for many years, and reading through the book I would frequently learn little tips or timesaving processes.
I might note, however, that several of the examples are specific to certain database platforms or certain report implementation methods. For example, I didn't have easy access to SQL Server while reading the book, so testing out some of the examples was nearly impossible.
Nevertheless, one of the best Crystal Reports XI references available on the market.
Did not answer my question........2005-10-11
I purchased this book with the hope of figuring out how to produce a table of contents. Since database publishing tools are no longer produced I was trying reproduce the effect in Crystal Reports. I have 18 years experience using the Oracle Reporting tools and know how to produce what I need, however Oracle will no longer be supporting it's report toolset. There is an article on the Business Objects knowledge base on how to do this but it is written for SQL Sever and not Oracle. I was hoping that this book would go into this real world situation, it does not. I have also gone to the book's web site and asked for help, but no reply after 2 weeks.
Finally the author implies that including a stored procedure is a matter of selecting the procedure and then providing the parameters, WRONG. For an Oracle stored procedure there much, much more to it than that. The author should research solutions before he puts them in the book. If his solution was for SQL Server then he should be reminded that Oracle holds market share.
Good series book has become better with XI version.......2005-09-24
I have acquired and am using the current version (XI) of the "Using Crystal Reports" series book and I am impressed. I am a seasoned business-savvy IT professional and this book has helped me create useful reports with some of the advanced product features like sub-reports, variables, formula manipulation, parameter passing, advanced formatting, etc.
The author team has evolved the chapters to stay abreast of new features and Business Objects APIs. They have also clearly spent a good deal of time editing this version as the chapters flow together better than the previous versions and the real-world samples are particularly improved (and useful).
The book is not perfect and is lacking detailed coverage of all of the Business Objects Enterprise, Crystal Reports Server or Crystal Reports RDC APIs but the existing coverage is very insightful and I'm not sure I could carry the book if it had many more pages.
Book Description
From persuasive memos to complaint letters, sales letters to executive summaries -- this exceedingly useful guide helps the business worker write clearly and in an appropriate format, style and tone. Numerous examples show how to overcome writer's block, organize messages for maximum impact, achieve an easy-to-read style, find an efficient writing system and much more.
Customer Reviews:
Go to book.......2006-11-03
I bought several similar reference books at the time of this purchase. Effective Business Writing is my go-to book, my first choice, and usually all I need.
Great reference book - - timely, too!.......1999-04-22
This is a well-written, carefully organized book that belongs on desks across America! Topics covered include organizing before writing, overcoming writer's block, suiting letters to complex situations, and using grammar and punctuation properly. If I had to provide one criticism, it would only be that the book is too short! As a reader, I didn't tire of the useful sample letters and would have happily read more and more. A great reference for the tentative writer and a good refresher for seasoned writers, as well.
Books:
- Business Communication: Process and Product (with InfoTrac®)
- Business Communication: Process and Product (with InfoTrac®)
- Business Communication: Process and Product (with InfoTrac®)
- CCDA/CCDP Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (Flash Cards and Exam Practice Packs)
- CCDA/CCDP Flash Cards and Exam Practice Pack (Flash Cards and Exam Practice Packs)
- CISA: Certified Information Systems Auditor Study Guide
- Classroom Management for Middle and High School Teachers (7th Edition)
- Communicating for Results: A Guide for Business adn the Professions
- Cross-cultural Servanthood: Serving the World in Christlike Humility
- Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Golem's Eye
- History: Fiction or Science
- Unequal Partners: A Primer on Globalization
- An Introduction to Copulas
- Crash Proof: How to Profit From the Coming Economic Collapse
- Hamlet
- Case Concerning Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo
- The Magic of Dialogue: Transforming Conflict into Cooperation
- Benchmarking: The Search for Industry Best Practices That Lead to Superior Performance
- Bacteria in Their Natural Environments
Communications
| Skills
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Study Guide for Guffey's Business Communication: Process and Product, 5th
Statistics for Business and Economics (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Statistics for Business & Economics)
The Team Handbook Third Edition
Managerial Accounting
Global Business Etiquette: A Guide to International Communication and Customs
