Though contractors don't always realize it, marketing always has--and will continue to be-- the best way for them to distinguish themselves from their competition. Now, for the first time, everything a building professional needs to know about marketing construction services has been pulled together in one easy-to-follow book. A "must read" for success in the twenty-first century!

The reviewer is the Past-President of the Construction Writers Association, and Publisher of the award-winning construction newsletter "Words from Woody."

Authors Kubal, Miller and SMPS' own Ron Worth have put togetherone of the strongest marketing books to come along in a long, longtime. This is a virtual encyclopedia of how-to marketing, weighting in at 420 pages plus a CD-ROM.

Finally we have a marketing book that recognizes we are in the electronic and digital age and that the internet has changes marketing forever. The summary of Chapter Two on "Virtual Construction" starts out, "Undoubtedly the virtual age is encroaching upon the construction industry. Its effects on how construction is completed will become obvious, and changes to how construction is sold and marketed in the twenty-first century will also occur." while that is an understatement, many firms have not yet realized that the twenty-first century is here and these things are happening all around us.

The CD-Rom, with its listing of internet hyperlinks, is worth the price of the book alone. Using this CD, you can access most of the information about our industry that is available today. The book's chapter on market research will show you just how valuable the internet and the CD can be.

While some of the chapters in the book are targeted to the construction field, most of the book is directly applicable to our entire industry. The chapters on "Creating a Marketing Plan" and "Marketing and Sales Technology and Marketing Materials," while illustrated with examples from the construction industry, are as good a general guide on "how to do it right" as you will find anywhere.

Some of the best of the book can be found in "Marketing Communication Plan" and "Getting Publicity for Your Business." Any firm can gain from reading and implementing the material in these chapters. The list of questions on how to quantify your prospects on page 99 needs to be copied and given to every marketer and principal in every firm in the land. It is a list of the basic questions, the ones not asked or, if they are, the answers are ignored.

I have a couple of bones to pick about the book. One is the title. Why not just call it Marketing Techniques for the Construction Industry? I guess they thought that mentioning 'profits' would get more attention. My problem with the title is that some will buy the book looking for the wrong thing and, more importantly, some will not buy the book when they go looking for good marketing advice.

The other problem I have with the book (and I am being really picky here) is that the authors, from time to time, get too caught up in the widgets and wizardry of technology. The danger here is that the widgets and wizardry change every day. When you mention Palm Pilot III, you are already yesterday's news. The concepts are right, but listing today's technology tools is a mistake.

Today, it's everyone's role to market and sell. The book will help you with everything from implementing a marketing plan and building strategic alliances to selling virtual construction and design-build methodologies. What an effective and powerful tool for the construction industry and about time!

I am the proud possessor of Down With Skool, How to be Topp, and Molesworth's Guide to the Atomic Age in original bindings. I say "possessor" because I've highjacked them from my mother and brother. Needless to say, knowing that a re-print is out there is proof positive that dere Santa does exist. 'Pon my soul, darling Arabella, but life may not be as tuough as it seems. What I hadn't known until I ran across the factoid some years ago is that Searle began drawing while in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, with burned matches. Since then I've always wondered to what extent that experience informed his views of st custards.
Anyone who enjoys eccentricities and eccentrics simply must have these works in his library, right alongside Wodehouse and Betty McDonald. There is nothing like them.
Just one question: What exactly does the mrs joyful prize actually look like?

This is one of the funniest compendiums I have ever read. Gloriously, delightfully, and devastatingly accurate caricatures by the great Ronald Searle bring to life the hysterical adventures of the fearsome, loathsome nigel molesworth, the curse of st. custards, his grate frend peason, the oiks, cads, MASTERS and of course his own bro molesworth II chiz chiz chiz. the late author, Geoff Willans, was an for a short time a schoolmaster, and he obviously recorded EVERYTHING he saw while he was at it.

Maybe it's larking on an esoteric subject you have to have experienced to see the funny side - in which case it would be totally lost on those outside the English grammar school system of twenty years ago and more - but for my money there is no funnier book around. What's more I think JK Rowling owes Willans and Searle a debt - surely it is no coincedence that she named her legendary school of wizardry and witchcraft "Hogwarts" after a fictional Molesworthian Latin play?

Totally, utterly recommended.

Ol' Nigel is the topp of the whizz Its Jokes are really weird chizz But oh surprise,don't you know whence comes the name of th'school of tooday's top of the show? Read at page 131 or so (Penguin edition) a little piece named ...shiver whit anticipation the Hogwarts!...hem hem,so well, doesn't that ring a little bell?

The first half of this book is written by the listed authors, followed by six essays by thought leaders on peer-to-peer commerce, collaborative commerce, portals, adaptive strategies for B2B marketplaces, B2B integration, and visibility in the extended supply chain. Fingar and Aronica have done a commendable job of examining and explaining the changes to business models brought by information technology. The authors tell the reader what they think was wrong with the dot-com economy and what needs to be done to succeed in the high-tech economy in which the major risk is not getting Amazoned so much as getting "GE'ed". The book straightforwardly delves into the business model implications of electronic marketplaces, peer-to-peer commerce, B2B exchanges, e-hubs, e-services, component-based architectures, m-commerce, collaborative commerce, value chain optimization, and more. The authors agree with a growing number of others, including re-engineering gurus Hammer and Champy, that the key to success now lies in extended business relationships. The book does an excellent job of looking at the new generation of Internet technologies need to enable new business models and processes. You do not need to be highly technically inclined to follow this discussion which helps business leaders understand what they need to do to power ahead in the real innovation economy. One strength of the book is reflected in the subtitle which shows that the authors are concerned not with technology alone but with how it fits together with new technologies and new business models.

Doing business on the Internet is now a mainstream phenomena ranging from novice online entrepreneurs to established multinational conglomerates. In The Death Of "e" And the Birth Of The Real New Economy, Peter Fingar and Ronald Aronic effectively collaborate to survey and explain the rapid and fundamental changes affecting how individuals and companies are doing business in this age of the computer whether the transactions are across town or on the other side of the world. The authors explain the emerging business models of the electronic marketplace, peer-to-peer commerce, e-hubs, B2B exchanges, auctions, wireless applications, m-commerce, intelligent agent technology, collaborative commerce, digital strategies, and more. The Death Of "e" And the Birth Of The Real New Economy is very highly recommended, essential reading for corporate executives, economists, business managers, and anyone with an interest in how the Internet is impacting upon local, regional, national, and international economies and business practices.

This book covers what assumptions were wrong in the dot-com economy and refocuses on the realities of business in the technological, digital-savy economy. It covers all of the P2Ps: Powerpoint-to-Production, Path-to-Profitability, and finally, Peer-to-Peer technologies among others.

Explained are the educational takeaways from historical, leading edge developments of e-commerce, e-procurement and electronic marketplaces and how they can be applied based on the realized importance of extended business relationships. This book then addresses the appication of the newest developments, including peer-to-peer, collaborative commerce, and B2B integration within the supply chain in the currently developing (Real New) digital economy.

This book is recommended reading as it clearly details the digital past and provokes thought on how to continue to execute using new technologies within business today.

Ronald Coase, though not an economist, in this book develops the rationale for the existence of firms (the reduction of transactions costs), an insight that has revolutionized the field of microeconomics since its publication (the original essay was published in the 1930s). He also touches on arguments related to monopolies (and when they should and should not be curbed by regulation). Despite the deep implications, it is written in an easily readable format.

This collection of seven of economist Ronald Coase's essays provides important understanding of the workings of market economies, the boundary between private and public, and what determines the size and structure of a firm. Coase distinguished his work from other economists by focusing on the role of transaction costs-now a common theme in discussions of the new economy. If you read only one of the chapters, it should be "The Nature of the Firm". Here Coase provides the intellectual foundations for strategic thinking about business architectures, mergers and acquisitions, outsourcing, and collaborative commerce. Some of this work was later elaborated on by Oliver Williamson (see his 1985 book, The Economic Institutions of Capitalism.) Like Joseph Schumpeter, Ronald Coase is an economist whose works from decades ago are now more relevant than ever. While Schumpeter's phrase "creative destruction" may be more memorable, in the end it is Coase's views on transaction costs and the nature of the firm that may be the more significant (and certainly more readable).

(This review was posted earlier, but somehow my names was removed from it. Please put it back or allow this re-post of the review. Thanks!)

This book consists of Nobel Prize winner Ronald Coases classic articles where the 1937 "Nature of the Firm" and The 1960 "The Problem of Social Cost" stands out.

This is *the* book to own on the subject as Coase takes his time to explain some of the reasons why economists in general has misunderstood his argument.

It is also well worth reading if you like Oliver Williamson's elaborations on the subject as a reading of Coases original articles reveals much of Williamsons work as just that. If you haven't read Williamson's 1985 The Economic Institutions of Capitalism book I recommend it highly *after* you've read this.

The book I read aloud to my 7 year old daughter is the 1956, 1957 Copyright with a yellow hardback cover with drawings of dogs on it. The illustrators are Janet and Anne Grahame-Johnstone.

This book is fun and exciting and is more enjoyable than the Disney cartoon version. You will be surprised by the Dalmation Perdita in this book. She is not what you expect. Also, you will not find out where the "101th Dalmation" comes from until the last two chapters unless you are very, very perceptive. I kept coming up with 100 total Dalmations until the very end.

This book is a must read for everyone; but, you will probably have to borrow it from your local library. This book needs to be rereleased.

We bought this audio book hoping to wean our young children (who enjoyed both movie versions of this book very much) off of movies and get them more interested in "real stories."

I have to tell you that this story far exceeded my expectations. Not only was it a fun story that my children enjoyed immensely, but one with subtleties, humor and bits of truth sprinkled throughout that had me listening and laughing right alongside them.

There are a lot of dog stories out there and I admit to being a dog-lover (well at least of big dogs), but this is a lot more than just a dog story. Certainly there's a great deal of humor, adventure and ... Dalmatians... but underneath all that you get many tidbits of truth that are applicable to life itself.

Martin Jarvis does a fabulous job in narrating this unabridged classic. Highly recommended!

101 Dalmations deserves ongoing mention as an excellent audio that will appeal to a wide age range. Martin Jarvis' smooth voice provides a clear, unabridged production bringing to life the classic story of a host of puppies who must escape the cruel Cruella de Vil in order to get back to their home. Cruella has a fur coat in mind - made of dalmations. The whole family will find this fun and a fine listen.

The experiences and explanations provided are primarily devoted to total hip replacement. Interesting combination of viewpoints - orthopedic surgeon, physical therapist and patient - makes book more helpful to those facing the daunting prospect of a total hip replacement. Helps somewhat to decrease anxiety about the surgery and recovery. Information is generally accurate.

When I first picked up this book I thought that its utility would be limited to "living with arthritis" but my hip arthritis progressed quickly and within two years I was planning for total hip replacement. Ron Allen's perpective has helped buoy my spirits and has helped me find the determination to make it through what will be a tough few months.

I'm 43 and was pretty surprised and scared when I was told I needed hip replacement surgery- although I was in a lot of pain and having difficulty walking. This book goes through, step by step, making the decision to have surgery and what takes place during and after. I've read several books, but this is easy to read and from the patients perspective.

this book is extremely funny. This was obviously written to make money off stoned freshmen, but instead of being written by stoned freshmen or ignorant pigs, the people who wrote it were intelligent. The name changes and chapter names are funny, and the real life refererences are predictable, but in good humour. I don't want to give it away much...so READ IT!

I bought this book when it first came out. Was reading on a long flight. I had to put it away because my out-loud laughter was interferring with other passengers! Once read, you'll never see the original in the same way! Purists beware: this hilarious parody may make you mad if you're humor-impaired.

"...AAAEEEEE! A Ballhog!" This is a true cult classic. You won't find a used book store clerk that doesn't know off the top of the head whether or not it's in stock. I dare any J.R.R. fan read an entire paragraph without busting out in laughter. The poetry is particularly thought provoking, lovely and inspirational.

I am teacher in the university. I need him.

I believe that this book is very usefull for the people that really want to practice with some basic logistic concepts as TSP problems, Routing problems, Inventory Policies etc. The use of the computer programs provided by the CD rom is the winning chioce to get really focused on these problematics.

This a very usefull book that helps you to get a handle on the main issues of Logistics. Its treatment of the issues is deep but easy to read. A profitable bought.

Paul Slanksy evidently hates everyone, and the 80's supplied him with more than enough material to nail them all. Obviously, Republicans take far more abuse because the book IS about the Reagan era. This book is funny and really cuts through the nostalgia many (GOP in particular) hold about the 80's. Great Read.

If I owned a time machine, I'd go back to the late seventies when Reagan was starting his campaign and drop copies of this book all over the country.

Perhaps it could have helped.

The idea that someone so incompetant and clueless could become PRESIDENT is a sobering thought.

The cover has been crudely taped on backwards, the cover laminate is gone, the pages are dog eared, but my copy still holds together after countless re-readings.
Chronological, exhaustive coverage of the gaffes and shocking lies told to the american public that made reagan so memorable (or should have), combined with gems of pop culture, entertainment, crime, and so on. An illustrated, cynical diary of soundbites and factoids. If you were under the general impression that reagan wasn't that bad of a president, you will walk away from this a changed person: he WAS'NT the president! The ascerbic commentary may seem occasionally unfair, (more so if your a republican), but 9 times out of 10 it hits straight on, attacking both democrats and republicans with their own quotes and foolishness. But mostly reagan.

The authors present a simplistic notion of therapy and hypnosis. Their talk of "mini-minds" reminded me of the movie Austin Powers. You won't find sophisticated theory here, but there is much of practical value. This book is definitely worth owning as a reference manual, but it is overpriced for what you get.

The book has a a variety of inductions, emerging scripts and scripts for dealing with assortment of situations a hypnotherapist may encounter in his practice. Most scripts contain metaphors which may work more effectively in one-on-one practice if they are adapted to the one's that may be more meaningful for the client.

Here's a sample script from this collection:

SWEET DREAMS SCRIPT
Tonight, perhaps tomorrow too,
your unconscious mind
can give you a dream,
a very special dream
that clarifies the problem
indicates the source perhaps,
but tells you quite clearly
how to solve that problem now.
And each night afterwards,
until you understand it,
until you decide to do it or not,
that dream can return to you
in one form or another.
And every day
as you go about your business,
your unconscious can find something,
some thought, perception, awareness,
a taste perhaps or a sensation,
or even a color,
that seems familiar
and reminds you of something,
reminds you fo what your unconscious mind
is trying to tell you,
until you fully understand
and use that understanding for you.

I really began appreciating this book after attending an Ericksonian hypnotherapy workshop. The induction scripts are good examples of the different kinds of inductions and are usable as written. The metaphors (where the work gets done) are also very useful as is but as you get more experienced they make great bases for customized scripts. The chapter "on doing hypnotherapy" is one of the best introductions to the art I've seen. This is the one book I use regularly while doing therapy with clients.