1 comments about Wiley CPA Exam Review Impact Audios: Regulation.

1. I was pretty disappointed with these audios overall. I specifically researched and made sure these were the newest ones to come out and they say 2009, and the CDs themselves say 2009, but all of the specific tax info is for 2007 and says to refer to publication 17 for current info. So basically...any specific information that changes year to year you have to look up, and I was trying to avoid that. Otherwise they are just ok, but nothing special. Probably better off getting the book and reading it for $50 less unless you hate reading.

5 comments about Right Ho, Jeeves (Audio Editions).

1. If there's one thing Bertie Wooster should never do, it's make elaborate plans to bring estranged lovebirds back together.
   
   And he demonstrates just why in the second full-length Jeeves novel, a screwball disaster saga that sees Bertie confidently trying to fix people's lives. Of course, things go horribly wrong, and Wodehouse's arch, nutty look at what happens next is an absolute gem.
   
   When Aunt Dahlia summons him to Brinkley Court for a prizegiving, Bertie sends his newt-fancying friend Gussie instead -- especially since Gussie is enamoured of a girl staying there, the soppy Madeleine Bassett. But when Bertie hears that his cousin Angela has broken off her engagement to Tuppy Glossop -- and his aunt is in need of money -- he rushes down to assist all his relatives and pals by advising them to feign such sorrow that they're unable to eat.
   
   Unfortunately his plan falls through, and they manages to enrage the cook Anatole to the point where he storms out. Even worse, the prize-giving is a disaster and the wrong people end up engaged -- and pursued by homicidally angry exes. Only Jeeves' formidable brain can somehow save the day -- and Bertie's behind.
   
   P.G. Wodehouse made a pretty good living off of spoofing the upper crust of England, and the subtlely intlligent servants who bail them out. "Right Ho Jeeves" is a prime example of his writing -- some small mistakes rapidly balloon out into a crazy tangled mess, which only an intelligent manservant can rescue Bertie from.
   
   Much of the book's charm comes from its complex plot and series of disasters (such as Tuppy's homicidal rampage). And as usual, poor Bertie finds himself the object of young ladies' affections -- in this case, the appallingly goofy Madeleine thinks he's madly in love with her, when she's not rambling about fairies and bunnies. If there's a flaw, it's that Jeeves' final solution is a bit limp.
   
   But Wodehouse's writing is what really makes the book timeless. It's arch and wry, whether he's describing basic actions ("He leaped like a lamb in springtime"), or goofy dialogue ("But if you were a male newt, Madeline Bassett wouldn't look at you. Not with the eye of love, I mean").
   
   Jeeves and Bertie are the perfect comic team -- Bertie is proud, goofy, and not terribly bright, while the quiet Jeeves is a towering intellect with wry wit. And they're backed by a colourful, small cast of nutty aristocrats, schoolboys, sharp-tongued aunts and cousins, newt-fancying fish-faced men, and a girl who talks about how "every time a fairy sheds a tear, a wee bitty star is born." Yech.
   
   "Right Ho Jeeves" is a hilarious, tangled farce of love, money, jealousy, dinner jackets and the mating rituals of newts. Absolutely priceless, from start to finish.



2. "Right Ho Jeeves" was first published in 1934 in the UK, though was first published in the US under the name "Brinkley Court". The book is set in England and features Wodehouse's best known creations : Bertie Wooster and his valet, Jeeves. Bertie is the book's wealthy, good-natured and rather dim narrator. He's a member of the "idle rich" and, rather than having to work for a living, lives off an allowance provided by his uncle. He spends much of his time in the bar-room of the Drones Club, is fond of the occasional wager and has an appalling dress sense. Luckily, Bertie has Jeeves, to look after him. Without Jeeves, Bertie's life would be a mess : he makes an excellent hangover cure, his bets usually win and is intelligent enough to rescue Bertie from nearly any situation. He disapproves of Bertie's more garish items of clothing, and will - occasionally - take it upon himself to deal with the offending item.
   
   The book opens with Bertie's return from Cannes, having spent two months on holiday with his Aunt Dahlia, his cousin Angela and Madeline Basset - Angela's best friend. Arriving back at his flat, Bertie is surprised to learn that Gussie Fink-Nottle has been a frequent caller in his absence. Gussie, an old school-friend of Bertie's, is something of a reclusive character : he doesn't drink, looks rather like a fish, prefers country life to the city and is a noted newt-fancier. Gussie has apparently fallen in love, and has - wisely - taken to visiting Jeeves for his advice on how to win the young lady's heart. However, following a disagreement with Jeeves about a white mess jacket purchased in Cannes, Bertie decides to take over Gussie's case.
   
   By sheer coincidence, the object of Gussie's desires is none other than Madeline Basset - who, after the trip to Cannes, has returned to Brinkley Court (Aunt Dahlia's stately home). Bertie sends Gussie off to the stately home in question - though his motives aren't entirely noble. As well as spending time with Madeline, Gussie will also be delivering a speech at the local grammar school's prizegiving day - a job Aunt Dahlia had intended for Bertie. However, when word comes through that Angela has brokern off her engagement with Tuppy Glossop, Bertie and Jeeves race off to the countryside to offer their support. Naturally, Bertie's attempts to ease smooth things over land everyone in a great deal of bother.
   
   A very easy and enjoyable read.



3. RHJ is certainly the best Wodehouse novel although some of the Mulliner, Golf, and Ukridge short stories may score higher if you're giving points for brevity ("pound for pound" funnyness). On the other hand, maybe not. Every line of RHJ is funny and beautiful as well. Yes, as another reviewer said, it's easy to read, but it also rewards rereading many times. Like Mozart, it's quite a bit more complicated than it sounds at first.
   
   SPOILER ALERT: Do not read further until you have read the book!
   
   Question to consider AFTER reading: is Bertie a Christ-figure? He does, after all, redeem the story's universe through his suffering. Which is caused by (apparent) betrayal. And, to which he is more-or-less legitimately condemned for stirring up the community. If yes, how many Passion-analogues can get away with having the Christ-figure be the first-person narrator? How many succeed this well at getting the reader to identify with him? Not many. As I said, I think this piece may be deeper than it appears.



4. Being a fan of PBS TV. I enjoy British comedy(Laurie and Fry) in the Wooster and Jeeves series. The P.G. Wodehouse books are 'spot on', I say. I find myself reading the novels in the speech pattern that Laurie and Fry use in the tv series. Mr. Wodehouse uses words that I have never seen before, causing me to keep a dictionary handy.



5. particularly when Bertie Wooster lends a hand.
   
   Once again all the principals are in place, Bertie Wooster has returned from a few weeks on the Riviera with one of his numerous Aunts to discover his man Jeeves has taken to giving advice of the romantic sort to Bertie's pals. Since Bertie and Jeeves are engaged in one of their many battles of will over Bertie's wardrobe Bertie quickly decides to take over the task. Soon Bertie finds himself in a stately country home, and embroiled in a romance himself! With more than a few hilarious twists and turns all ends up well, but not before Jeeves has arrived on the scene.
   
   In the Wodehouse world it is always that lovely era between the Wars when smart young things had the time and money to spend long weekends in stately English country houses to recuperate from nights spent at the theatre and various nightclubs. Everyone knows everyone else and still manages to become involved in complicated misunderstandings that would make Shakespeare proud.
   
   Fans of the 1eeves and Wooster series featuring Frye and Laurie will undoubtedly recognize this one, but knowing how the story ends will in no way diminish the delight of reading about the misadventures along the way.
   
   This review is based on the Kindle version of the novel, a particular delight since it was located and delivered on a dreary night in a matter of minutes at no charge.

No comments about Wiley CPA Exam Review Impact Audios: Auditing and Attestation.

5 comments about SPSS 16.0 Student Version for Windows.

1. It is good for some research. It has limitations. If you need extensive research you need he full version. It is worth the cost. I returned mine because the school furnished a full version for research.



2. I guarantee you will be surprised by what this package doesn't do. No repeated measures. No multivariate ANOVA. No, it does not say anything to that effect on the back of the box, which I read carefully before I bought it. Graduate students probably need the "Graduate Pack" which is twice as much, or need to work in their computer lab at school. Otherwise, if you know what statistics you need to run, check the internet to see if this version will allow you to do it.



3. My copy of Spss16 worked like a charm on my laptop computer with Windows XP. Others from class are having major problems with Vista.



4. I have to have this software for a class, so it's not something I really wanted to buy but was needed. Fast shipping. I ordered over the weekend and got it Monday afternoon in time for class.



5. I ordered the SPSS Student Version 16.0. Instead I received the SPSS Graduate Pack 16.0. If you are not going to send the right item please indicate. I still do not know the difference and the student version is no longer available. This is too expensive to be sending back and forth and I need the item for next semester.

No comments about Wiley CPA Exam Review Impact Audios: Financial Accounting and Reporting.

1 comments about Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today's Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves.

1. To be honest I bought this book to help me with marketing ideas and suggestions to make my planned web site more viral. The book really does not so much offer any suggestions as it does give you motivation and a look into the web world from a unique point of view. As a result I have thought of what I consider some great new ideas for my site but they did not come from the book. The book heightened my optimism and made me think about things from a broader perspective. That's why I give it a 4 star. If you're looking for a suggestions manual this is not it. If you are hoping to be spurred onto new ideas by hearing success stories of others than this just might be the ticket!

5 comments about Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies.

1. Based on real and relevant consumer data and enlivened with ample case studies, this book is highly compelling. New communication forms and technologies are here to stay and evolving rapidly. This has made it difficult for many marketers to turn them to their advantage. The authors define groundswell as, "A spontaneous movement of people using online tools to connect, take charge of their own experience, and get what they need - information, ideas, products and bargaining power with each other". The challenge is now people source what they need from each other, not companies. This threat to businesses and brands has impacted their ability to react appropriately and with the speed demanded by groundswells.
   
   The book reads very logically, yet in a highly engaging way. The authors educate the reader on methods of examining groups to influence groundswell behavior. They provide a four step process explaining why leading with technology is a mistake, how to engage the groundswell proactively and how to drive peer-to-peer movements. All this is explained through case studies involving Ernst & Young, Lego, Loblaws, Best Buy, Dell and Unilever. The book argues that "social networks will connect people with the groups they care about. Transactions will be constantly rated and reviewed. Tags supplied by ordinary people will reorganize the way we find things. Feeds will alert us to any changed content, and feed readers will be as much of the online experience as email and browsers are now". Some things that Amazon and a few other were onto at the outset of this 'groundswell'.



2. The authors define Groundswell as "A social trend in which people use technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional institutions like corporations." This book will likely change your approach to the so-called Web 2.0 technologies and how you will use them.
   
   If you do not have a strategy to these technologies, you will be motivated to develop one after reading Groundswell. Groundswell is written like a text book to show how organizations tap it, listen to, talk with, energize, support, and embrace it. Asking a customer of your product to post an on-line critique may be smart. But, if your product gets hammered, it is there for everyone to read. Your organization's public credibility would be destroyed by selectively deleting the bad press. A central theme in this book then is being willing to "let go" of the message. You cannot control the ether space.
   
   Groundswell spends considerable time on technographics profiles or how various segments of the online communities can be expected to use and interact with the technologies and applications. The authors spend much time on the "P-O-S-T" acronym, starting with the People, the organizations Objectives, the Strategy to achieve, and then , and a distant fourth, the Technology.
   
   Groundswell concludes with useful observations on how we can use the emerging technologies to interact more effectively and purposefully. Having read the entire book, as I would read a text, I will again read portions of it selectively when I have opportunity to plan or participate in mine or my organizations communications. I strongly recommend it.



3. This books tells you in an open and down to business way the changes and key drivers of todays social technologies.



4. Groundswell presents a good overview of social networks and explains why they are appealing to participants. The authors provide excellent examples of companies using social media to achieve business goals. I also appreciate the writing style. While the book is full of relatively dry statistics, Li and Bernoff deliver a compelling narrative the kept me moving through the chapters. I didn't fall asleep while reading once.



5. This is a great book or should I say resource. You'll find multiple case studies with specific do's and don'ts for entering and succeeding in the Groundswell. This text will help you understand how social technologies can and should be used to interact and embrace your customers as well as serving a similar role for engaging your employees. I'm glad I bought this book. It's worth every penny. I've already provided targeted recommendations to friends and colleagues alike to get this book. I really liked the detailed explanations and classifications for participation in Groundswell activity such as the Social Technographics Ladder (read the book to find out more).

5 comments about Googled: The End of the World as We Know It.

1. As a member of the old media (50 plus years), I have high praise for
   Googled and Ken Auletta's great reporting and writing. He puts in
   perspective how Larry Page, Sergey Brinn et al, without that specific
   goal, triumphed over the troglodites that run Ameerica's newspapers,TV
   stations and advertising agencies. Yet in chronicling the media
   revolution, Auletta makes a subtle case for the old. Nothing in the
   impressive line-up of new technology can match the creative skill of a
   reporter like Auletta. Content still rules. A five star effort!



2. I read the book because I was seeking to learn more about Google's strategy and evolution. Be aware, that while the first 150 pages of the book provide a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at Google, the second half of the book is less focused on Google specifically. Instead Ken Auletta provides an overview of the impact of the Internet (and Google) on the media and entertainment industry. He explores how television, newspapers, radio, magazines and traditional advertising agencies have been dramatically impacted by new media models. The second half content is interesting, but was not what I was expecting.
   
   Nonetheless, the first 150 pages of Googled are superb! Auletta provides excellent insights into the behavior traits and characteristics of founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin. There is lots of interesting Google trivia including explanations of the relationships with Al Gore, Jeff Bezos and Stanford University faculty. You will learn about how co-founder Sergey Brin had an idea to start a hedge fund that would leverage Google's unparalleled access to data. And discover how Google's biggest potential competitors such as AOL, Netscape and Yahoo were actually key catalysts to accelerating Google's growth by providing lucrative search engine contracts.



3. Googled is a well-written, engaging look at the history of Google and the key people who have made, and continue to make, Google what it is: a powerful, game-changing global company with seemingly good intentions. Auletta gave me some great food for thought. I, like millions of people across the globe, trust Google with my information as a Gmail, Reader, and Docs and search user. Google uses the information it gathers to increase their coffers with money it makes as an advertising giant. What will Google use this information for in the long-run? Are we at risk?
   
   The subtitle, "The End of the World as We Know It," refers to Google's game-changing practices. Information, be it what people search for on Web sites, found in books, in newspapers, etc., empowers people and is, according to Google, meant to be free. This practice informs many of Google's choices, disrupting the business-as-usual of old media and forcing them to make some really tough choices or doom themselves to an early grave. The future, therefore, is Google, and it will be a brave new world.



4. Ken Auletta's book, Googled: The End of the World As We Know It, presents the creation and explosive growth of the company that is also a verb: Google. This is a well-written account of the people and the culture, and shows off fine writing following significant access to key people. This is a story of the impact of efficiency: smart engineers who make things better. The success from their work is obvious; the fallout for others, especially traditional media companies (that Auletta knows well), would be less well done in the hands of a different author. Auletta excels at description, examples and insight. Googled melds personal stories with corporate culture and competitive behavior in ways that will interest many readers.
   
   Rating: Three-star (Recommended)



5. The thought that ran through my mind in reading Ken Auletta's GOOGLED is that it was like a Saturday Night Life sketch that was fine in and of itself, but weakened when made into a full length movie. The chapters that sparkled were those right out of the gate on Google creators Larry Page and Sergey Brin. After that, the narrative was consistently the same--Google doesn't want to be like others, it is and isn't concerned about revenue, it is tearing down the old media. Interestingly in and of itself, but not enough to fill up a book of over 350 pages.

5 comments about The Scarecrow.

1. It's not a good day for Jack McEvoy. A crime reporter at the L.A. Times for twenty years, he has just been told that he will be laid off in two weeks. Jack decides to go out with one last good story. He has been contacted by the grandmother of a sixteen year old gang member who has been arrested for a grisly murder the media is calling The Trunk Murder. She insists her grandson is innocent, and Jack decides to look into the story.
   
   As Jack starts to investigate, he quickly realises that not only is the teenager innocent, but the reason he is not guilty is that there is a serial killer out there who has been killing women in different states and leaving them in car trunks. He starts an investigation, aided by FBI Agent Rachel Walling. He worked with Rachel on his biggest story years before. That story was the detection and capture of The Poet, another killer.
   
   This time is different however. The killer is investigating Jack and Rachel as intently as they are investigating him, and is targeting them as his next victims. Along with the chase, the reader learns about how technology plays into both the killer's targeting of his victims, and the investigation into his crime.
   
   Michael Connelly readers will not be disappointed in The Scarecrow. It delivers what one expects from Connelly, a page-turner with enough twists and turns to keep the plot moving. The story is taut and the reader is involved in the investigation. The love interest between Jack and Rachel adds another dimension. This book is recommended for mystery readers and Connelly fans. Although it is another in a Jack McEvoy series, it can easily stand on its own.



2. Wow, what a lousy book by one of the best authors around. I guess he had to grind out a book to fulfill a contract obligation or something, but this book was lame from beginning to end. Connelly ought to stick to writing about Bosch or the Lincoln Lawyer. McEvoy seems to bring out the author's worst qualities. I found the book wanting on many fronts: unrealistic plot, lousy characterization, too much serendipitous coincidences to move the plot forward, a weak ending, and so on and so forth. It pains me to find one of my favorite authors serving up such a bomb. He can do a lot better -- a lot better!



3. Jack McEvoy, a newspaper reporter, was the primary character in one of Connelly's early works, The Poet. In fact, before The Poet, all Connely's books featured Harry Bosch as the main character, so Jack is really the second main character Connelly ever developed. Since The Poet, Jack played minor roles in several other Connelly books, but The Scarecrow is the first one in which he is the main character again.
   
   In the Scarecrow, Jack finds himself a victim of the shrinking newspaper industry--they are laying him off. Determined to go out with a bang, McEvoy decides to write a Pulitzer worthy piece and begins researching his story with the help of his replacement on the crime beat at the L.A. Times, Angela. He gets more than he bargained for and finds himself up against a serial killer for the second time in his life. He calls in Rachel Walling, an FBI agent he met during the Poet case, to assist in tracking down the killer. Jack finally figures out the killer's "signature" which leads to the killer's identity being discovered...now all they need to do is catch him...easier said than done. The Scarecrow is a fast-paced read with a fairly predictable ending. Still, I would recommend The Scarecrow and hope to see Jack in another Connelly book soon!



4. Its just another book with a murder investigation. It does not tie you down or make does not have a nail biting finish etc. I bought this because it is in Top 10 Books: Mystery & Thrillers. I was kind of disappointed and lost some credibility points for the top 10 book selection at amazon.



5. An excellent book by an author whose other books I have read. I like a brief sumary of the book to see if I might have already read it. I read many books of this gender.

5 comments about The Last Lecture CD.

1. Still some residue left on the book from some sticker I would assume.
   Book is smaller than I expected but content is all there (thing that matters).
   Quality is a little worse than I expected compared to buying a new book from the bookstore.



2. What a fabulous book. It was so thought provoking and generated great conversation between my husband and I.



3. "We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand."
   --Randy Pausch
   
   A professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon, Dr. Pausch had prepared to give his "Last Lecture" before he had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He determined to use this venue to speak to his children and his wife, because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think." This intimate and insightful little book was prepared from the lecture that he gave, a combination of personal biography, lessons learned as a student and teacher, child and parent, with some heartfelt and practical advice on making the most of living. The chapters are very short, with intriguing titles like "In Fifty Years, It Never Came Up" (when he learned by accident of his dad's heroism in WWII).
   
   There is much to be gleaned from this tiny tome. My only real disappointment with the book is, as I am person of deep faith, I wish he had shared more of this perspective in his writing. He indicates near the end of the book that he considers faith a very personal matter and, as such, chose not to share it in his Last Lecture, which he titled "Really Discovering Your Childhood Dreams."



4. The Last Lecture
   
   THIS IS A REAL LIFE STORY, SAD, BUT VERY INTERESTING. THE AUTHOR WROTE THE LAST LECTURE FOR HIS CHILDREN TO KNOW HIM GOOD AFTER HIS DEATH. THEY WERE SMALL, AND HE WANTED TO LEAVE THEM HIS EXPERIENCES NI WRITING. HE WAS A BRAVE PERSON AND INSTEAD OF BEING SAD OR MAD BECAUSE HE WAS DYING OF CANCER HE MADE THE BEST TO MAKE HIS WIFE, HIS KIDS AND HIS FAMILY HAPPY. A BEAUTIFUL EXAMPLE FOR US TO FOLLOW. GOOD BOOK! GAVE ME ROOM FOR THOUGHT, AND I AM WRITING MY MEMORIES. HOPE YOU CAN BUY MY BOOK FROM AMAZON.COM SOON ALSO! ENJOY YOUR LIFE NO MATTER WHAT WRONGS YOU ENCOUNTER IN YOUR SHORT JOURNEY ON A EARTH. THE BEST IS TO COME YET.



5. One of the most deeply moving books I've read. He focuses on the big picture in our lives, something so many of us fail to see until we're confronted by mortality. His students were indeed privileged to hear him first hand, and to experience his final moments. The Last Lecture