5 comments about Off-ramps and On-ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success.

1. Despite all the print about the "Mommy Wars" and whether women should or shouldn't be in the workplace, the fact is that half the U.S. workforce is currently made up of women - and the workplace will have to change to accommodate them. Sylvia Hewlett's "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps" adds new, crucial information to this discussion. She provides data about women in the work force and provides models of flexible workplace structures now being used in corporations. The book gives a convincing business case for work force diversity and for the restructuring of our career model.
   Hewlett's book is a must read for anyone concerned about the work force of the twenty first century.



2. I actually hesitated to read Off-Ramps and On-Ramps, as it looked like a boring textbook at first glance. But, as I got into it, it was quite a provocative read and even brought up some interesting points that applied to both men and women. Here are a few highlights that struck my fancy:
   
   Chapter 1 - Why Mess with the Male Competitive Model. Good way to start a book. I think we'll be hearing more about this as generation y gets further into the workplace. While a hardcore minority will stick to the traditional Gordon Gecko "greed is good" model, we'll see countless others rebel against the values of the generations before them (as all generations before rebelled against their parent's values).
   
   Chapter 2 - Looks at how large a factor elder-care already plays in women's lives. In fact, it's larger than child-care as this affects all women. This is only going to increase as Boomers start being the ones needing care.
   
   Chapter 3 - Extreme Jobs, Extreme Demands. Thought this chapter could make a whole book. It's a great overview of how corporate America has changed. I have a friend whose parents were both big executives at major companies, yet all the time growing up, she swears that both made it home for dinner almost every single night. This is practically unheard of even for middle management these days.
   
   The latter half of the book gives examples of companies who are launching innovative programs to resolve the situation. This makes it a must-read for any management team who is struggling to keep women, OR, better yet, recognizes what a great asset they have and wants to boost them up even more! However, it still begs the question of what to do for the majority of women who do not work for the handful of Fortune 500 companies who get it, and have the funds to produce such innovative programs.



3. This book honestly and openly explores what I believe thousands of professional women are facing today - the deep challenge of creating a successful professional life of meaning, fulfillment, and balance, in today's current dominant work model. As one who works with hundreds of professional women each year, I see over and over the ill-effects of professional women striving to fit into a model that no longer reflects our needs, priorities, and values. Hewlett's book goes a long way toward presenting beneficial new thinking and programs that, when adopted, will certainly bring about beneficial and urgently-needed change.



4. Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett does an excellent job of outlining both subtle and bold barriers that relegate many talented women (and minorities) to the lower end of promotions and pay scales. Using ample documentation, she outlines the financial costs that corporations suffer when they operate with outdated career models designed for white male professionals. Hewlett also lines up practical solutions with real-life examples from top corporations. Though the book is marred by repetition and various examples are recycled in different chapters, overall, we consider this essential reading for senior corporate officials and staff members.



5. If you're interested in looking at the data behind women and careers, this is the book for you. Hewlett has summarized a number of really interesting data. For example, 37% of women take time off at some point in their careers. 30% of women take advantage of part-time or other flexible programs. Hewlett's data illustrates a number of important reasons companies should care about gender diversity. After building the business case for women, she talks about how companies have created programs to make it work. One of the nice elements of this book is that she illustrates the data with personal stories. One of my favorite quotes underscores the importance of finding meaning in your job. A working mom comments, "when I walk out the door in the morning leaving my 2-yaer-old with the nanny, there's usually a bit of a scene. Tommy clings, pouts, and whips up the guilt. Now, I know it's not serious--most of the time he likes his nanny. But it sure makes me think about why I go to work--and why I put in a ten hour day. It's as though every day I make the following calculation: do the satisfactions I derive from my job (efficacy, recognition--a sense of stretching my mind) justify leaving Tommy? Some days it's a close run. One thing I do know. It couldn't just be the money. I need a whole lot of things to be happening for me to work."

5 comments about The Kid's ROTH IRA Handbook: Securing Tax-Free Wealth From a Child's First Paycheck or Money Answers for Employed Children, Their Parents, the Self-Employed and Entrepreneurs.

1. After reading "The Kid's ROTH IRA Handbook", I came away with a good feeling that kid's and parents can have hope for the future. Once we get the current generation of kids to understand saving instead of consumption, the problem is solved. This book explains a difficult concept in easy terms "Great job,Tracy"
   Art Patino ,CCPS.



2. Teaching children about saving money is critical for their success as adults. This book provides a step-by-step guide on how to teach your children about investing and specifically Roth IRAs. As an adult who had little knowledge on this subject, I found the book easy to understand without it being condescending. My children have both read this book (16 and 10) and were able to understand it completely. Even though they were resistant at first, both of my girls are now eagerly working on saving enough money to start their own Roth IRAs. This is a well thought out book and should be required reading for all parents and children.



3. The book is directed towards teens and above which I was not aware while buying it. Regardless of how it is written it includes very basic information that any parent should know and use with their children, including those that can't read yet. I'm staring a Roth IRA for my 4 year old daughter using the tips from the book. The most useful part of this book from the parent perspective is a list of resources to go to for additional information, like the IRS publications, other books or websites to review. Overall very handy resource, but should be priced below $10.



4. I try very hard to teach my 17 year old strong money lessons.. he needs a job if he wants to have a car, he has to pay the insuarnce on that car.. the gas, it's mandatory that he save 1/2 of every paycheck he gets for "emercencys" etc. But i have to admit, i never thought of him starting a Roth IRA.
   
   We used this book for a little bit of a different reason. This was the first year my son recieved a "w-2" from his very own job. He was so excited to learn he would be getting money back! So it came in the mail and of course "mommy was gonna take care of it". So there it sat.. in my in box for weeks along with all the other to-do's ~ and then I ran across The Kid's ROTH IRA handbook by Tracy Foote. I skimmed through and something caught my eye... on page 93 a chapter started called "Tax Talk - All about tax forms". It was a step by step explanation of how to fill out a 1040 as well as information behind the questions on the form. It has illistrations of what the form and documents look like and shaded areas with extra information to help them along. There is also a Glossary in the back for words they may not have learned yet. It is really geared towards a wide range of tweens/teens, or a fun read for the parent of a smaller child
   
   So, I grabbed the book, his W2, printed off a 1040 from the internet.. and told him good luck.
   
   Within 30 minutes he had his return ready to go LONG FORM, but even better than that it sparked conversations that will help him immensely in his financial future. Before you know it he has refund deposited into his bank account and he is offically a tax paying citizen!
   
   This book is well worth the money and I implore you to enrich your childs financial future with this excellent read.



5. This book is wonderful! It is a great read, and an easy read for any parent teaching their kids about working and what to do with their money. Their is a lot more to it then just saving your money in the bank, and this book does a great job of breaking down the steps of what to do with your money. It even makes suggestions of jobs that children can do, whether it be working for their parents or getting a job outside of the home. My daughter is only 6, but I started teaching her about money and working for her money about a year ago. Of course I did not go into any complicated details, but I felt the younger the better to learn about money and what to do with it. I learned things from this book that I did not know before, so it was not only helpful for me to explain things to my daughter, but it was helpful for me as well, considering I learned some valuable information that I did not know before. I will keep referring back to book as my daughter gets older, and when she is old enough to understand the book on her own, she will read it as well.
   
   Thank you Tracy, for sharing your knowledge, and making learning about investing your kids money not so scary or complicated.

4 comments about Vault Career Guide to Investment Management, 2nd Edition (Vault Career Library).

1. This book was great! So easy to read and interesting...I read the book from cover to cover and found so many insightful tips. I HIGHLY recommend this book for anyone looking to break into the Investment Management field--I think it'll pay dividends! Kudos to the author, Adam Epstein, for opening my eyes to this industry!



2. This book is fantastic! I went to an ivy league school, graduated top of my class and spent months perfecting interview techniques, but I must say that I would not have been prepared nearly as well for my meetings if I didn't read this book. Epstein does a fantastic job explaining investment sytles and career choices. You can clearly tell that Epstein has great experience in the industry. Thanks to this book, I aced my interviews and am prepared to embark on my sell-side career. Now if I can only get to the buy side...



3. A must read for anyone going into Investment Management. Epstein gives realistic, actionable tips for breaking through.



4. This book is a must read for anyone that wants a job in investment management. It is clear the author has extensive experience interviewing candidates for a top investment management firm, and shares his insight as how best to prepare for interviews, as well as what he looks for in candidates. Epstein gives tips such as "know what GDP is" and "follow the stock market." These tips put me over the top, and helped me get a job in this highly competitive field. As a graduating MBA at a top tier business school, I owe Epstein my signing bonus!

5 comments about PM Crash Course, Premier Edition: A Crash Course in Real-World Project Management.

1. This is a fine book to learn the essentials of project management. Cover price of $39 is a little steep. It is a quick read. The exercises are valuable and made me think before I had a chance to see what Rite wrote. This book does a good job of covering the basics of project management and in a concise way. Topics were presented in a way that a new project manager could learn how to conduct a successful project. I wish every new project manager in my company would read this book and use at least one of the ideas they get in their next project.
   
   Since I'm an experienced project manager and have read many PM books this was still an interesting book as a quick review. I recommend Neal Whitten's "No Nonsense Advice for Successful Projects" for both inexperienced and experienced project managers. It is the best project management book I know of.



2. Rita Mulcahey is one of the leading training providers in the project management profession, not to mention one of the most engaging lecturers. The book shares these features: engaging, interesting, full of information, and a good companion if you are planning on taking a PM test any time soon. Several of my staff members have benefited from the effectiveness of her programs.
   
   If you are a semi-skilled project manager who has not yet taken the PMI Certifiying exam, or who doesn't want to wade through the encyclopedic and difficult PM Body of Knowledge, then this is a very good, very easy to read overview of pretty much everything that a high-speed project manager would want to know and do.
   
   However, in my initial impression, I would assume that a "crash course" is intended for someone who does NOT have the required skills and needs to get some results in a hurry.
   
   What this book is not, is a useful guidebook for someone who is getting started in the role of project manager. It is just too complete. The new PM will despair, and those who resist PM as "overhead" will have plenty of new evidence. Mulcahey makes the point over and over that PM is about planning ahead in order to avoid failure down the road, when corrective action is expensive. This is absolutely true, yet it may be lost on a neophyte PM or their process-resistant manager who will see project management processes as just another straw on the camel's back. But who other than a new PM would _need_ a crash course as opposed to the more deliberate and thorough training that an experienced PM would need?
   
   Short version of the PMBOK - definitely.
   Review book for trained PMs - definitely. I will probably be buying some for my office for this very purpose.
   "Crash course" for people unfamiliar with the practice of project management: this baby's too hot for you to handle. Remember, the project managers you see succeeding around you are trained professionals.



3. I think this book is well written, especially once you get past the first couple of chapters. At first, I felt as though I was really being spoken down to as though I was uneducated, but by the end of the book, it easily explains many of the necessities of project management. good book.



4. This book is an easy read and puts project management into manageable segments (what every project manager wants!)...



5. I would recommend Rita's books to anyone who's seriously going for a PMP certification or who wants to continue PMP certification. 'Crash Course' is for the novice. However, it is a practical, up to date, informational study in a condensed overview of the PMPBOK methodology. Everyone has their favorites but I've found Rita's team most effective in disecting this methodology. You'll make the right choice with 'Crash Course' if you're looking for a guide to wet your appetite and give you a true introduction to the field of Project Management as it pertains not only to the PMBOK but also reality.

4 comments about Stocks Bonds Options Futures.

1. Great book. Complex concepts are explained clearly and concisely. Examples are abundant and helpful.



2. I have to point out that I have the first edition of this book (which did not have Veale's name on it). It is absolutely excellent at introducing the basic concepts behind all types of securities and futures investing one may be considering. They cover what stocks, bonds, etc. are, how they are traded, the terminology used by brokers, and even some historical background. I was really impressed at how clear and understandable all the explanations were. This book was written by someone who really understands the concepts and knows how to explain them well.

   The book does not have a glossary in it, but does have an excellent index, which is really better in many ways.




3. I am making the transition from hard sciences to financial markets. I have started reading many math oriented books on quantitative finance, like the great two volumes by Shreve, but guess what, I still could not understand a Bloomberg article or a report on the radio, all these market terms were a mystery to me. Not anymore. This book did it for me. It requires ZERO financial knowledge and yet it is not for dummies. It is perfect for the level of someone who never had a formal training on what is the definition of a stock, what kind of departments exist inside an investment bank, etc. etc.
   
   It is a clear book, I would not call it technical, it reads like a novell, and I can not overstate any more how cleat it is. I definitely recommend it to people who want an introduction on the subject.



4. This is a must read for all who feel the need to learn about these important investment vehicles. The writing is stellar and easily understood, even on such ideas as futures, hedging, and more difficult concepts like the yield rate curve.
   
   Mr. Veale is an excellent writer and deals with the common and uncommon uses of these vehicles. You will understand how to read any kind of quote, from stock to bond to esoteric qoutes like T-Bill spreads and ED futures.
   
   I usually sell books like this once I have absorbed the knowledge, however this is a keeper since it will be an important reference for well into the future.

5 comments about Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers, and Librarians.

1. I ordered this book as a gift for a relative 6 weeks ago. After 2 delays the estimated ship date was still 4 weeks away. I contacted the pubilsher direct and they shipped the book the next day. Just an FYI.



2. This book was a splurge for me, but one that I can definitely say was well worth it! I thought I knew quite a bit about genealogy research, but this book has taught me so much more. Each chapter is written by a professional genealogist who specializes in the topic. While some chapters are geared towards genealogists starting their own research business, most are helpful to all genealogists. Lots of excellent examples of proper research methods and techniques.



3. I got this book for my dad who is really into geneology. He does small seminars at the Public Library and such. I thought for his birthday I would get him a geneology book so he could learn a little more. The reviews for this book said that is was for professional geneologists and teachers or die-hard people who are interested in it. So I thought he fit the category. He told me that is focused more on how to charge for your services than anything, more legal garb than insider professional hints to geneology. So we are returning the book.



4. Obviously this book was designed for the professional and is written for the professional. The amateur genealogist could be easilly snowed with all the technical jargon but once you get past these aspects there are a few things that are of value.
   
   Any amateur seeking help could do better by purchasing another source.



5. The book is excellent if you are researching how to structure your own business because it offers tips on billing, writing reports, etc. However, most of the book is not useful if you want to use it for non-professional reasons.

3 comments about Consider Your Options 2007.

1. This is a super book to have available in the office. My first copy was dogeared and held together with tape and sticky notes. The book is written in plain English and continues to be a great help!



2. I recommend this book for financial professionals as well as laypeople who need to learn their options (forgive the pun) regarding stock options. This book is current with tax law through 2007.



3. I looked on the web for information on exercising options since I had no prior business training in this area. This covered all the important facts and defined the language so that I could research the more complex areas myself. Clearly written and a quick read.

5 comments about Made-to-Order Lean: Excelling in a High-Mix, Low-Volume Environment.

1. Given the lack of "Lean for low volume" books out there, my hope was this book would be full of meaningfull tools. It ended up more like the a re-hash of any of the available Toyota books.
   
   Would have liked a more consistent stlye to the book. It ranges from digital photos to cartoonish sketches to Excel charts when giving examples.



2. This book is very practical and hands on. It shows a very practical roadmap for implementing lean when you have high variety and low volume. I found it easy to read and liked the actual examples and came away with many new ideas to go forward with in the job shop which I work. It is great to finally see a book that deals with lean outside high volume with actual methods and examples and even helps in the office and accounting areas.
   
   Sammuel Mason



3. Made-To-Order Lean provides the lean practitioner excellent guidance and instructions for applying the powerful concepts and methodologies of lean thinking to the most difficult of production environments, the job shop. As such, this book takes a major step forward in extending the reaches of lean thinking to high-mix, low-volume operations. It addresses the lean practitioner, someone who already has a basic understanding of lean principles and tools, and illuminates the ideas, tools, and principles that are most appropriate to the high-mix, low-volume environment. It is written in a very easy-to-read, down-to-earth manner. This is a guide book on how to do it with an abundance of great practical ideas and solid framework for implementing lean in the job shop. Mr. Lane starts off by showing how to use appropriate visuals to manage from the shop floor in real time. The use of visual management is built upon and emphasized throughout the book. For example, Mr. Lane explains how to use day-by-hour boards or FIFO boards and lanes to more effectively plan and control the flow of work through shared resources typically found throughout job shops. Mr. Lane is particularly effective in explaining how to use the powerful value stream mapping tool in the low-volume environment whereby the practitioner is faced with a multitude of products being produced across numerous shared resources. He gives great insight as to areas in the current state to evaluate for improvement in the future-state value stream. Mr. Lane explains how to manage inventories in the high-mix environment by having MRP manage the low-volume parts while utilizing a pull system (usually a kanban system) to manage the higher-volume repeating parts (the runners). This clever hybrid solution of combining kanban and MRP is thoroughly explained. These are but a few examples of the insightful explanations given for deploying lean principles in the high-mix, low-volume environment covered in Made-To-Order Lean. For me the book clarified many issues I was having applying lean thinking to the job shops with which I am associated. I came away with numerous ideas and a good grasp on how to greatly improve the operations with which I am involved. It is definitely a must-read book for the lean practitioner trying to improve make-to-order operations through the application of the powerful principles and tools of lean.



4. While this book claims to disseminate high mix, low volume production, it leaves the meat to Kevin Duggan's book "Creating Mixed Model Value Streams". Duggan's book is quite good, so the reference is appropriate.
   
   The book has some great visual management examples that are useful, but the planning and execution of high mix, low volume or even high mix, high volume is missing.



5. This book could have been better for me, but overall I liked it and found it useful. I work for a low volume Hi-mix company coming from a a hi-mix, hi-volume background. I found the traditional approaches were not going to work. Groping in the dark and some trial and error, I was coming to myown conclusions, when I found this book.
   
   It is not a complete compendium of all lean tools. It refers you out to Duggan's Book (Mixed Models) and others for deeper dives into particular tools.
   
   What is does do is give you a frame work to apply known tools to the low-volume problem. Traditional pull is ineffective if you make once or once or twice a year. Pull is still good, but the application of the tool is different because the circumstance is different.
   
   The big learning out of this for traditional lean guys is; the tools still work, how and when to apply them changes. The skill in the practioner is learning the new how and when.
   
   Quick overview in lo-volume: Traditional product families will be harder. Value stream maps are less important. Employee contribution and understand are much more critical. Focus on flow through the system. Focus on visual management of the team/cell, train the managers how to manage in that environment. Pull what you can pull... flow the rest. Mix kanban and MRP. Mix pull and push/flow. Focus on what works.
   
   I would have liked a more definitive answer, but as the author wrote, the different circumstances of company's varies so much at this end of the spectrum, what is right for the 4 a day guy may not be for the 4 a month or 4 a year. Principles hold.... tools and applciations change.

1 comments about Basic Investments (with Thomson ONE - Business School Edition) (Series in Finance).

1. Overall, this book is decent, but verbose. Dr. Mayo really overuses the passive voice, in my opinion, sometimes making even simple material hard to read (at the sentence level). That may not bother everyone, but for me it reduced the book's usefulness some.

5 comments about Full of Bull: Do What Wall Street Does, Not What It Says, To Make Money in the Market.

1. I heard about 'Full of Bull' while listening to Money Talk with Bob Brinker. I trust Brinker, so when he recommended the book and did an interview with the author, it got my attention. I never really understood how detrimental how some of Wall Street's actions can be to my personal investing. This book describes these practices and has helped me learn how to avoid taking what brokerage firms say literally. I never knew why Wall Street analysts are such bad stock pickers, or that emphasis lists are useless, or that stock price targets are just a guess. These guys are just trying to keep the big institutional investors happy. The stories the author tells are very candid and amusing. What I really liked was that after identifing all the land mines, the author gives some really solid, conservative investment advice. Own only a few stocks, don't diversify, no turnarounds or IPOs, and always look for dividends. The most important advice pertains to protection of capital. No one else really talks about this in detail. I wish the book was longer, had a few charts and tables, and that I had discovered it sooner. This is one of the most intriguing, informative books on the stock market.



2. This book is what I needed. It kindof reinforces what I have always thought, and makes me feel more confident as an independant investor. I like the straight forward style and the candid insight of wallstreet by a guy who knows what really goes on. A must read for todays market, or any market.



3. Brokerages did not even track the accuracy of their analysts' opinions until recently. A 2007 survey found stock-picking 10th (out of 12) in priority of analyst attributes - ranked by their employers. Not surprisingly, their track-record for accuracy is often atrocious.
   
   Problems begin with the fact that rating definitions differ between firms, and are usually overstated (in code) to pacify affected executives (eg. "Hold" = negative). Upgrades are usually late, rarely value-oriented, and usually momentum-driven. Unclear, but suspected issues (eg. lack of confidence in management's estimates, concern about untrustworthy management) are not put into writing, and may only show up in an analyst's body language or tone of voice.
   
   Analyst coverage overemphasizes large firms (obviously greater interest in them), is biased towards the short-term (6 months, or less), misses Titan shifts (eg. moving from film to digital), reaches individual investors late (vs. media, and institutions).
   
   Analysts generally ignore economists' projections - they're changed too often (and wrong). Analysts are reticent to downgrade a stock, fearing institutional holder retaliation via commission allocations.
   
   Since 2000, the number of analysts has declined about 40%, and is en route to falling another 30% by 2008.
   
   Best investments are those that are safe (low multiples, healthy balance sheet, not falling), small-cap, innovators, viewed for the long-term, and in a rising industry. Avoid IPOs (only dogs are offered to the little people), limit the number of holdings, firms with executives that blame external factors for their firm's problems, and those with flashy personal style.
   
   "Full of Bull" does not address the question of the relative importance of timing vs. stock selection. In today's obvious down market (and prior boom markets), timing seems much more important.



4. Stephen McClellan's keynote speech and book are both informative, easy to understand, and entertaining. Finally, somebody is addressing the needs of the small investor. In the book he explains how Wall Street really works. Definitely worth reading.
   
   
   Author of Knockout Presentations



5. Buy this book if you would like to take a look inside the world of investment banking and how security analysts really operate. After reading this book you will not take buy and sell recommendations as seriously. This book recommends that when a strong buy is reduced to a buy it is a warning to institutonal holders and it is a good time to sell, and when a buy is changed to a sell it is a good time to buy due to all the bad news being out.
   The author tells about his daily experiences as a stock analyst, his schedule, amount of travel, and that only 20% of his time was spent in research, the majority of tim is spent keeping clients of the investment bank happy. You will learn all about the conflicts of interest that exist in ranking stocks and the politics involved. The author gives his opinions on how the industry should be cleaned up by making resarch separate from the bank and the analysts should be held accountible on how their recommendations perform. The author gives solid investment advice through out the book, but it is rather basic. I was a little disappointed in not getting the inside insight that I believed he may have.
   
   Legendary investor Gerald Loeb on stock analysts:
   "In a bull market,you don't need them, in bear market, you don't want them."