By NBS/RIBA Enterprises

Author: Ian A Gordon, Ian A Melville
By Estates Gazette

Inspections and Reports on Dwellings: Assessing Age, 2007-09-27
This book gives a real insight in the ageing of building without getting lost in the construction process

Author: Rupert Newman
By Guild of Master Craftsman Publications Ltd

Clear and covers a lot of ground, 2008-09-26
As a timber framer learning his trade I have found the book book technically informative whilst being well written in easy langauge with concise illustrations and photos throughout.

A must have for anyone seeking a book covering the full range topics for the modern timber framer.

Author: Michael Balfour
By Merrell Publishers Ltd

Eclectic mix of watches, 2008-03-25
This is a very interesting book to dip into and covers an eclectic mix of watches from the Rolex Submariner, Breitling Navitimer and Omega Speedmaster to Ingersoll Character (i.e. Mickey Mouse) watches and Swatches as well. Each gets several pages setting out information on the brand/manufacturer and the cult watch itself, with very good colour photographs.

Author: John Thompson
By Heinemann Educational Publishers

Excellent book buy it, 2008-02-22
We use this book on our NVQ 2 Plumbing course here a PPL Training. Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds and the clear and easy to follow diagrams are a must. As I mentioned on my review of the Level 2 JTL Plumbing book, this book at not as technical as some out there. But we would recommend it in conjuction with the JTL book.

Author: Patrick Mitchell
By WritersPrintShop

Author: Paul Hymers
By New Holland Publishers Ltd

Author: Chris N. Mindham
By WileyBlackwell

Author: Wilson Harvey
By Rockport Publishers Inc.

Great for inspiration, 2008-04-09
I bought this one a couple of months ago, and i have used it as a source of inspiration for almost every piece of display typography i've had to put together since then.

It's a bible of what's possible if you spend money on spot colors, metallics and things like that, but it's also great inspiration for your daily headers, covers etc. if you want to give them that extra something.

I really enjoy the way it's been divided up into: flyers+leaflets, books + magazines, logos + stationary, brochures, posters + banners, 3D + Outdoor + Digital(web mostly). It makes it very easy and fast to find inspiration for just the kind of assignment you're working on.

As someone esle mentioned each example has a number assigned to it. If you go in the back of the books there's a database of all these numbers, where it says who did the work, who was the client, which designers and art directors worked on it. what program was used and which fonts.

Author: C.K. Prahalad, M.S. Krishnan
By McGraw-Hill Professional

How to prosper in the "N = 1 and R = G" world, 2008-05-02

I have read and then reviewed all of C.K. Prahalad's previous books and thus was especially interested in reading this book, co-authored with M.S. Krishnan. As they explain in the Introduction, "We view innovation as shaping consumer expectations as well as responding continually to the changing demands, behaviors, and experiences pf consumers. We must do this by accessing the best talent and resources available anywhere in the world. These two ideas must be connected - the resources of many to satisfy the needs of one.. We suggest that this is possible only if we pay attention to the glue that enables ideas to be transformed into operations. We will focus on the business processes and analytics as the glue."

Prahalad and Krishnan acknowledge that there is a fundamental transformation now underway, worldwide, that will radically alter the very nature of an enterprise and how it creates value. This foundation of this transformation has two basic pillars:

1. "Value is based on unique, personalized experiences of consumers. [begin italics] The focus is on the centrality of the individual. [end italics] We will designate this pillar as N = 1 (one consumer at a time.)"

"2. No firm is big enough in scope and size to satisfy the experiences of one consumer at a time. [begin italics] The focus is on access to resources, not ownership of resources. [end italics] We will designate this [pillar as R = G (resources from multiple vendors and often from around the globe)."

There are several key elements of this transformation. Prahalad and Krishnan focus on five: Value is shifting from products to solutions to experience; all companies seek access to the talent, components, products, and services they need from the best sources; flexible systems are a prerequisite and must be developed; resources in a company's ecosystem must be continually configured; and finally, specific models must be developed that enable a company to focus on one consumer from among the millions. These are indeed formidable challenges. Prahalad and Krishnan suggest a number of strategies and tactics to consider when responding to them. When proceeding through the rigorously and eloquent narrative of this book, it is imperative to keep in mind that their ultimate objective is to help companies to prosper in this "N = 1 and R = G" world. To that end, they share the most important business lessons learned from a number of exemplary companies that include Amazon.com, Apple Computer, eBay, Google, ICIC Bank, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Unilever, and United Parcel Service (UPS).

To me, some of the most valuable material is provided in Chapter 5 (Pages 109-145) as Prahalad and Krishnan discuss the requirements of an information and communication technology (ICT) architecture and the governance mechanisms that can connect business processes and analytics to data and applications. In one of several graphics, Table 4.1 (Pages 124-126), they summarize the specificati9ons of the new ICT architecture in terms of four categories (i.e. "buckets"): Confronting Reality (e.g. capacity to link large systems and multiple databases), Compliance and Change (e.g. regulatory compliance and change), Evolving Capabilities (e.g. Security and privacy of data), and Enabling Foundations (e.g. from transaction-driven to event-driven systems).

Given the fundamental shift in the focus, the sources, and the processes of innovation and value creation, what do suggest for an agenda for managers to consider? They respond to that question in the final chapter. Specifically, they invoke a metaphor --- The New House of innovation - whose design and construction must be viewed as an "integrated package" in terms of its architecture, construction materials, and subsequent maintenance. The organizational transformation process must also be comprehensive and cohesive during a transition period (i.e. a "migration") of management practices to develop new skills, attitudes, and behaviors. It remains for decision-makers in each organization to design and then build its own new house pf innovation. Fortunately, they can use the information and counsel that C.K. Prahalad and M.S. Krishnan provide to guide and inform those initiatives.

Those who share my high regard for this brilliant volume are urged to check out Competing in a Flat World: Building Enterprises for a Borderless World co-authored by Victor Fung, William Fung, and Yoram (Jerry) Wind as well as Competing on Analytics: The New Science of Winning co-authored by Thomas Davenport and Jeanne Harris. Also Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne Ross, Peter Weill and David Robertson and Dean Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success.