Miller is an exceptionally blunt, honest, straight-forward writer. I like that in a writer from whom I am seeking business advice. Fanciful stuff is great in science fiction, but this is the real world, the harsh, unforgiving world of business today. I need to be able to trust the writer to relate facts, not fiction, and to do so in a way I can easily understand and quickly apply to my own business plans. I highly recommend this book, and this writer. You can rely on the information to help you move your business forward.

Any fan of Slashdot knows that the site has never embraced the kind of silliness that led some people to fool investors into believing that the road to riches was in selling cheese graters on-line at cheese-graters.com. Part of this reason is Robin Miller, one of the steadiest hands on the tiller. This guy used to drive a limo and that taught him how to manage a real business. Now, he's written down all of the secrets that has kept Slashdot from following cheese-grater.com into Chapter 11.

This is really a practical book that contains none of the new economy mumbo jumbo. Keep your costs low, says Miller, and he suggests a number of ways to use free or very low cost software to accomplish that. If you want to dream of infinite growth, endless revolutions, or shattering paradigms, look somewhere else. It's all about balancing the books and keeping costs in line with revenue.

Jeanette's book outlines several tips you can apply right away. She makes generating online profits easy, affordable, and fun! Use this book to generate increased traffic to your website and more content for your web visitors to read.

Jeanette Cates' Online $uccess Tactics: 101 Ways To Build Your Small Business is a simple, straight forward, no-nonsense, "user friendly" collection of tips, tricks, and techniques designed to harness the power of the World Wide Web for low-cost promotion, visibility, sales, service and support, and more. Each page lists a different helpful idea, offering an excellent starter spark for go-getting businesses everywhere. Written for the entrepreneur and business owner, Online $uccess Tactics will prove a practical, accessible, immediately applicable "how to" manual that will swiftly improve and enhance a company's performance where it really counts -- the bottom line.

In deft strokes, "Partners or Competitors" sets the stage with both Europe and America vying with each for a piece of the trade prize which is Asia. Although there is a history of competition between the U.S. and the EU, the economic downturn in Asia made both aware that they were in the same boat, in that both were going to suffer substantial losses due to debt that is unlikely to be repaid.

The competitive systems of the EU and the U.S. are similar, which creates a concomitant desire for similar outcomes in trade negotiations with Asian countries. The mutual interests between the EU and the U.S., especially in light of an Asian economic downturn, would seem to compel cooperation on trade issues and, perhaps, shared economic pressure on Asia to comply. However, there are enormous barriers to cooperation--some of which are inherent in the structure of the trade organizations currently used to negotiate international trade agreements.

The editors have put together an impressive array of contributors who, together, have written a careful exploration of the prospects for Asian trade liberalization along with the barriers to U.S./EU cooperation. Some of it is descriptive, some of it is prescriptive, all of it is brilliant.

This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in international trade negotiations, European/U.S. cooperation to affect trade policy, and the application of political power to open foreign markets.

Bravo.

This is now require reading for all of my students

Complex topics such as partnerships tend to be covered in a very fragmented manner. Partners.com does not have this problem. Cunningham ably deals with the people, process, technology and market issues that forge partnerships, but also how to manage, measure and change them. Rarely are these areas covered in sufficient detail, but here there is a roadmap with milestones and strategies that are working in the marketplace. Partners.com does for partnerships what Patti Seybold's Customers.com did for customer relationships. A classic!

This book is a prize! For those that are looking for the details behind partnerships the information here is not only relevant, but very comprehensive. The mixture of technology, strategy and culture required to pull of good partnerships is difficult for organizations trying to make it happen. Cunningham provides not only a great roadmap, but illustrated with real world examples of what has and has not worked. Do not be fooled by the .com in the title, this book is targeted at all businesses. I particularly liked the sections on self-service Partnerships and the "most important partners, your staff". A practical piece with great strategic insight. Organizations will be able to use this to hone their competitiveness, internal and external consultants will buy to emulate all that has been learned on this topic.

This book is absolutely a must read for anyone who wants to succeed in tomorrow's totally-electronic trading environment. Like it or not, technology is the future of trading and the sooner you learn about it the better.

I found this book to be very helpful - and plan to buy a copy for everyone in our trading group. A soup to nuts guide to the business and technical aspects of the electronic trading arena. Whether you are a seasoned trading professional, new to the area or looking to implement an Electronic Trading System, there is something new for you to learn in this book and much to help gain a competitive edge - before the others catch on.

I've been a publishing consultant for twenty-five years, owned a book printing company, and have published calendars, software, books, and newsletters. There are only a few books on publishing that anyone considering self-publishing should buy - "Publish to Win" is definitely one of them.I lent my copy to a client and they never returned it - so I bought another one. Add this book to your library - you'll be glad you did.

This review by Jon Sievert is reprinted with permission from the BAIPA Newsletter (Bay Area Independent Publishers Association). - There's a new addition to my essential reading list for independent publishers, *Publish to Win: Smart Strategies to Sell More Books* by Jerrold R. Jenkins and Anne M. Stanton (Rhodes & Easton, 350 pp, $20). It earns its spot by addressing the topic of marketing thoroughly and uniquely. Though most of the book concentrates on selling a finished product to multiple markets, it is the one you should purchase and devour long before your own manuscript is complete. Early chapters provide invaluable no-nonsense advice on evaluating the marketability of your book idea, defining your target audience, testing the market *before* you spend your life savings, and the business and aesthetic end of packaging for maximum impact. In addition, there are invaluable chapters on scheduling, finding a distributor or wholesaler, and creating smart, cheap, and effective publicity. Publish to Win's most enduring value, however, lies in its focus on selling to non-traditional markets. Jenkins and Stanton subscribe to Dan Poynter's contention that bookstores are the worst, least profitable places to sell books, and they offer a wealth of other possibilities for consideration. Whole chapters are devoted to selling to libraries, academic markets, foreign markets, book clubs, warehouses and mass merchandiing clubs, gift and specialty stores, catalogs, and corporations and associations. Suggestions for locating, courting, and selling to these markets are delivered in practical detail, backed up by the real-life experiences of small publishers who have successfully done so. It is no exaggeration to say that the advice in any single chapter of *Publish to Win* is easily worth the price of the entire book to a publisher who finds a new market within. This book belongs on every publisher's bookshelf, no matter how long you've been in business.

On line in real time is what shopping for life's essentials ought to be about. Fortunately there is Quixtar.com that moves us closer to that reality. For those of us new to shopping virtually or someone curious about how this works..this book is a treasure. We should all have such a "best friend" to do the research for us and pave the way. Someone who makes the mysterious seem so easy. Full of wit, wisdom and helpful tips to navigating this diverse site and fascinating business vehicle. Best of all when you're done your feet won't hurt. Ms Reynolds has updated her first edition to encompass the evolution of the site and teach us still more about shopping and buying on the Internet to simplify our lives. What do women want? Simpler lives! I can't imagine shopping any other way. Knowing there is surely more change coming, I look forward to the 3rd edition.

In September, 1999, Quixtar.com appeared on the Internet like the little, blue engine chugging, "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can." Many people climbed aboard that train to cross the mountain to reach Success and Freedom. However, to climb that elevation, they needed well laid track. Quixtar.com click-by-click was the answer. Now, in 2001, the summit has been reached. Success and Freedom can be seen. Quixtar click-by-click, 2nd Edition, the best and strongest track ever, is here to guide the Quixtar engine carrying all the people down the steep slopes of the mountain chugging, "I thought I could. I thought I could. I thought I could." The 2nd Edition with its "Lingo", "Quick Tips", and step by step approach can guide someone just learning about the Quixtar site. But, even better! IBOs, who think they know the site, are going to be amazed at all the information of which they're unaware. The chapters concerning Catalog City and Partner Stores are worth the price of the book. Wait until you see the detailed Ditto Delivery chapter and use the intricate index! Everybody needs to own a copy of Quixtar click-by-click, 2nd Edition, the best and strongest track ever laid. Chug, chug...click-by-click.

This book knocks the legs out of the diamond industry. What appears elegant and elite turns out to be a down and dirty industry, selling tainted, overpriced products. And they've maintained a monopoly during generations of anti-trust measures!

This book is very readable and very entertaining. I wrote a report on the subject for a MBA class which got great reviews. I'm inclined to think it was as much for the shocking truths which were revealed as much as my superior writing skills! I'd recommend this book to anyone who has ever considered purchasing a diamond.

This is an unparallelled history on the account of a most treasured mineral which continues to live on only through the de Beerse's famous and clever phrase: "Diamonds are forever." After so many found, cut, polished and rated by the 3 c's, it's stunning one can still be duped into buying a fake. There is a Statue in Antwerp, Belgium, of Lodewijk Van Berken, Go see it! You will understand!

The title of this book need not deter you. Yes, it is aimed at both Test Managers (the risk elements) and at web testers (the E-Business content). However, if, like me, you fall into neither category, it is still a very worthwhile addition to your reading list and workplace library.

The authors use very practical examples from real life testing to illustrate points. A continuous analogy of an individual E-Business being like a shop, with potential walk-in customers, works very well. Some rather startling facts emerge too; the average visit to the Systeme Evolutif web-site (of which Paul Gerrard is the web-master) is less than two minutes. I am sure that is true of a lot of sites, including those that are payment-now, real business sites.

Everyone in testing seems to promote 'risk'. Here is a strategy for answering the inevitable questions on ready-for-live issues based on whether risks have been addressed. "When enough tests have been prepared, executed and passed to convince the risk-owners that the risk has been addressed, enough testing has been done".

I have dabbled in web testing, both formally and informally (the latter probably every time I use the internet). The techniques for addressing real and perceived E-Business risks have a large carry over into other (i.e. non E-Business) test forms. The sections on performance, usability and Large Scale Integration rung some bells with me, and the use of tools is both encouraged, and discouraged. Strange as it may seem, the way of doing this did not seem to be contradictory. The sections on why the concept of E-Business is different only seeks to place MORE emphasis on why a coherent risk strategy is necessary. With web applications, not only is the time-to-market critical, but the price of failure can be so much more disastrous.

Use of American spelling and currency (everything is quoted in dollars) jars for the British reader, and look out for the words "we", "us", and "our". These are sometimes used a little ambiguously. (Ask who "us" refers to). However, expect to be challenged, and encouraged on to the land of better testing. There is a wealth of source material provided, especially on tools, and toll providers. There are lots of web-based references; additionally, a significant number of articles and books referenced are from 2001 or 2002.

The preface gives one of the reasons for the book being the ordering of the vast quantities of information that there is around. What was set out as an aim has been achieved, and both Paul and Neil have brought their experience, knowledge and communications skills to benefit us all. One of the dedications says: "To all those testers who do the best they can, but always think they should do more". I for one appreciate that the book was written for me. Thanks.

Although the focus is on e_business testing this book has changed my views about the realities of risk-based testing for any environment. First, the authors give a dose of reality regarding the differences between 'best practices' provided in the testing body of knowledge that is growing into hundreds of books (less than two years ago there were only a few dozen books on software testing, so this is a positive trend for the profession as a whole). Second, the fallacies in conventional risk-based testing are exposed. Here the authors propose that testing be exclusively focused on product risk, instead of trying to encompass the wider scope that includes project and process risk. This, in my opinion, is sage advice and keeps testing focused on areas where it can contribute to a project's success.

Among the strong points of this book are it's clear writing, which is full of examples, and the logical sequence in which the material is presented. In addition, the clear definitions of general risk management and associated processes and procedures, and how it all ties together are among the most succinct I've read. However, the best aspect of this book is the way the chapters build upon each other, and the complete coverage of risk-based testing.

Specifics include a general chapters on risk-based e-business testing and types of web site failures that lay the foundation for the technical aspects of the book. These are followed by chapters that show how to develop an e-business test strategy, how to fit risk analysis to a test process, and a comprehensive treatment of test techniques and tools. The latter is especially valuable because it covers the full range of testing techniques that are tailored to e-business testing, which includes static, web page integration, functional, service and usability testing. This part of the book also includes security testing and large scale integration testing - both of which make this one of the most complete collections of test techniques for e-business as well as general testing.

The remainder of the book covers the context of e-business testing (including brief advice on how it fits within Extreme Programming and the Unified Process), E-business test organization, planning and specifications (a wealth of information for the test manager), and E-business test execution (which also addresses important topics such as incident management and testing in a live environment). The two appendices, Essential Web Technologies for Testers and Web Testing Using Home Brew Tools are also valuable.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is involved in E-business testing, and also recommend that it be used in conjunction with Systematic Software Testing by Rick D. Craig by Stefan P. Jaskiel (ISBN 1580535089), which nicely augments this book.

I found this book to be an excellent analysis of the a part of the Iranian economy during the Safavi period. Although it is slanted toward the Armenian minority and does not cover the whole economy, it provides a unique and preceptive view of a section of the economy that has been ignored. Aside from bringing to light the power of the Armenian minority in a hypothetically theocratic state, it will change the reader's preception of the economic, political and social sophistication of Iran and, in fact, the Middle East at the time of European expansion. The book is very well written and the analysis excellent. The absence of tables in the discussion of the volume of exports as given in different sources and and conversions of currency is sorely missed. Such tables would have made it considerably easier to compare the various references. However, this is minor in the general context of the book.

A detailed and fascinating study of international trade and Safavid politics in the seventeenth century. I found it to be extremely well researched, drawing together evidence from Armenian and Persian documents, as well as European archival collections. The book chiefly focuses on the Armenian merchants who managed the export of silk from Iran to Europe, and the import of European silver back to Iran and India. It successfully demonstrates the crucial financial role these merchants played in the consolidation of the Safavid state in Iran, with comparisons to other outsiders financing the formation of absolutist states in Europe.