Would you explain me the concept of balance of paymen

Francis' book should be read - and heeded - by anyone interested in creating successful new products. It is particularly valuable because it provides a comprehensive view of the processes and problems of creating new products. He not only describes the core process from idea generation through product launch, but he also includes the often neglected issues of information systems support, accounting for the costs and benefits of R&D programs, and patents and other legal issues associated with intellectual property.

The scope of the work is broader than it first appears to be. Francis, a well-known expert in manufacturing, describes product creation processes and methodologies equally useful for manufactured products and for service "products".

The book is rich in checklists on important topics, such as metrics of R&D performance, computing your leadership quotient, and motivating workers. He ends each chapter with a section called "Ideas for Action". These are tips on what to do to move from his printed page to action in the reader's organization. They are very useful.

The most important message of the book is that successful product creation cannot be left to the R&D department; it requires the joint efforts of every organizational function. People from other departments who affect product creation will find this book very valuable, as will the R&D people themselves.

This title contains excellent explanation on protocols of various types of electronic payment systems. The contents are not limited to well-known protocols such as SSL and SET (even these are explained clearly)-- the authors succeeded in writing on almost all payment systems from today's systems of banks and EDI to cryptographic protocols including micropayment (NetBill, Millicent, Mondex, etc.) and some digital moneys. Also mechanisms of integrated circuit cards are included. Most protocols are clearly described with many charts. If you want to be familiar with electronic payment systems, this book is a must.

I think that "Readings in Electronic Commerce" is a good theoretical explanation of the electronic commerce practice, like other two books by the same authors.

Setting up a Red Hat Internet Server? Then "Red Hat Linux
Internet Server" is the book for you. I had previously read Red
Hat Press's "Red Hat Linux Networking and System Administration"
by Collings and Wall. Though a good book, I had expected a bit
more from one blessed by Red Hat. "Red Hat Linux Internet
Server" does live up to its expectations of being blessed by Red
Hat. "Red Hat Linux Internet Server" is the better of the two
books.

This book is better focused on its subject of setting up an
Internet server and its more common Internet services. There is
lots of practical advice based on what is considered SOP for good
Unix/Linux Internet server schemes. (From my own experiences, I
did not find anything to disagree with them on and I liked their
take on learning the CLI first before going off into GUI-land.)
At least a quarter of the book is focused on security (a good
thing). I suspect this has much to do with Jay Beale, being from
the Bastille Project. Noteworthy are chapter 3 on setting up
DSL, chapter 10 on the Postfix mail server and chapter 13 doing
backups via Amanda.

If you are new to Red Hat Linux and can afford it, buy both
books. If you've been around awhile in the Red Hat world, then
Sery & Beale's book is the better choice.

Commerce IS Western society and has been since our Puritan founders disclosed divinity in the ethos: work hard. From Calvinism, we have developed the Gila Monster (as John Steinbeck puts it) called capitalism, and now it develops and controls us, dollar for dollar.

Patrick Murray gives us a guided tour of commercial life via classical and contemporary texts: Aristotle reminds us of the purpose of money in commercial exchanges as well as our contradiction in the form of usury (using money to "breed" money, collect interest). Aquinas allows us refuge from usurious sin by examining consumable forms of capital (money) and non-consumable forms of capital (like an apartment for rent). Then, there's John Locke's labor and Invisible Hand, David Hume's luxury, and probably most importantly, Karl Marx's Capital.

After Marx, the book takes an interesting shift into Weber's "spirit of capitalism," Bataille's examination of gifts, Weil's "bigness," and others.

This is one of the most important books I have ever read. The social form peculiar to commercial society is, like language, so close to us that we often can't see it. Even recommending this book, I am asking you to participate in a commercial exchange: you SELL your labor power to your employer; "they" give you a wage and keep the excess value you've produced; you BUY this book, read it, and suddenly understand how it all works.

No matter how high tech the world becomes, relationships continue to drive marketplace success. Jack Burke's new book is a fact-filled guide to understanding the customer, communicating with the customer, and delivering what the customer wants. He successfully shows us how to use technology to develop personal relationships.

Like his other book, Creating Customer Connections, Jack Burke gives us a comprehensive appendix that gives the reader the tools to build a relationship aspect culture. His blend of information and personal experiences make this book enjoyable and valuable for all types of businesses.

Read this book. Apply the principles. Watch your business soar!

This book is written for organizational development professionals. Those not educated and engaged in the field will find the text slow reading, but loaded with information and insight. OD types will enjoy this volume, as will thought leaders in the human resource profession. It will also be well-received by futurists and strategists interested in gaining knowledge about life in the Information Age environment. Information Technology professionals will also find the book of interest . . . and validating.

I have given this book a Five Star rating because, for the intended market, that's certainly the ranking it deserves. For the general public, including business executives, the book will be slow reading, but with frequent gems to highlight or write down.

The book is organized into five sections: Setting the Stage, The New Strategic Basics, Collaborative Challenges, HR, OD, and Information Technology, and Conclusions and Implications. The first section is written by the editor, Stan Herman (no relation to the reviewer), who presents Uncertainty is Unavoidable, Technology, and Commerce are the Key Drivers of Organizational Change, and Three Imperatives of Change Derived from Information Technology.

Part Two contains three chapters, each written by a different contributor: Strategic Navigation: Learning Viability in a World Wired for Speed, Strategic Conversations in the Networked Economy, and Inside the AOL Experience. Part Three also includes three chapters each written by a different author: Virtual Teamwork, Ready for Virtuality: A Case, and The Whole System Transformation Conference: Fast Change for the 21st Century.

In Part 4, the first chapter presents Basic Info-Tech for Consultants. The second chapter, HR and IR: Metamorphosis and Opportunities delves into some practical aspects of dealing with the issues of telecommuting, e-learning, knowledge management, e-cruiting (internet-based recruiting), and approaches to HR/IT integration. These topics will be "hot" in the near future as both HR and IT cope with the problem of how to not just get along, but be happily intertwined. I was glad to see this chapter included, lending a bit of a pragmatic strength to the book. While there isn't a lot of how-to in this representative chapter that caught my attention, there's enough for HR, IT, and OD professionals to advance their work. A case study contributes to the "this is real world" aspect, but this book is oriented toward raising issues to be explored in organizations, rather than to offer step-by-step solutions. The chapter includes references to web sites and other resources to help readers go deeper. Chapter author Jana Markowitz offers insights into emerging roles in organizations-Chief Learning Officer, Chief Knowledge Officer-as she explores some of the changes underway in today's corporations.

Organizational life is moving at a rapid rate. Technology is indeed a powerful driver, so those leaders concerned with the human side of the enterprise should read this book to gain a deeper understanding of what's happening . . . and what they might do to help their organizations through the evolution to a new way of operating. They'll discover some pioneering ideas, some practical guidance, and a look at some of the theory behind some major shifts in our corporate world.

This book presents a very concise and perceptive analysis of doing business in China. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in understanding China's economy and the implications of technology's impact to this vast country. Today, China is the world's 3rd largest economy, and will be the world's largest economy (even surpassing the US) in about 10 years. Having a fundamental understanding of this country at this early stage is essential to everyone. There will be many investment and business opportunities in this vast country in the decades to come.

Book review: @Risk: Internet and E-commerce Insurance and Reinsurance Legal Issues

Edited by R Hammesfahr, Reactions Publishing Group, 438pp, £150. Reviewed by John W Cooley, Esq.

I approach this assignment to write a review of @Risk: Internet and E-commerce Insurance and Reinsurance Legal Issues with both the delight and enthusiasm of a small child who has discovered a new and shiny coin. Edited by Robert Hammesfahr of the Chicago law firm of Blatt Hammesfahr & Eaton (now Cozen & O'Connor) and written by the firm's lawyers, comprehensive guide to e-commerce insurance issues generally and to issues concerning the prosecution and defence of insurance and other types of legal claims arising out of use of the internet by individuals and businesses in a commercial context. Of particular interest to mediators and arbitrators and lawyers who use ADR processes are Chapters 16 and 17 covering topics of litigation and alternative dispute resolution in relation to

e-commerce. Chapter 17 is authored by Richard L Blatt, a lawyer and ADR practitioner and a member of the Working Group of the Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association (CIDRA). Before discussing those chapters specifically, an overview of the entire book would be appropriate. A review of the Table of Contents of the book gives a sobering glimpse of its exhaustive coverage of the subject of e-commerce. The book has a total of 17 chapters. While the subject matter would seemingly be quite technical, the clear and direct writing style of the authors renders the content easily understandable by lawyers or lay persons with a basic working knowledge of computers, the internet, and insurance. Chapters 1 and 2 are introductory in nature. Chapter 1 discusses basic definitions relating to the internet and e-commerce and reports of the US Department of Commerce regarding the emerging digital economy. Chapter 2 addresses electronic contracts, digital signatures, clickwrap agreements and other related topics. Chapter 4 covers cyber-crime, including such topics as the Federal Computer Fraud Act, National Stolen Property Act, and the Fourth Amendment's applicability to the internet. Chapter 5 discusses First Amendment issues (defamation, privacy violations) and also identifies and explains typical cyber-loss risks (computer viruses, fraud online, spamming, products liability). Chapters 6, 7, and 8 address, respectively, topics of web-related intellectual property law, employment law issues, and e-commerce Y2K liability. Chapters 9 through 15 provide in depth coverage of several e-commerce insurance law coverage topics, including: first-party property; commercial general liability; directors' and officers' liability; errors and omissions, media liability, and intellectual property; employment practices liability; fidelity, surety and crime insurance, and reinsurance. One outstanding feature of this book is the liberal infusion of hypothetical cases and case analyses throughout many of its chapters. These numerous detailed and realistic scenarios provide thought-provoking grist for interactive discussion and analysis. This feature makes the book an ideal candidate for use as instructor's resource material or as a source of student role-play information for seminars and educational courses on e-commerce and/or online dispute resolution. Chapters 16 and 17 on litigation and ADR provide a comprehensive look at considerations to take into account when deciding whether to go to court with e-commerce disputes or to use some alternative to the court system. Chapter 16 covers such litigation issues as choice of forum, discovery, experts, damages, and trial strategy. Chapter 17 on ADR describes the principal ADR processes and hybrids and discusses when it might be useful to employ each. Finally, the book has eleven appendices containing a comprehensive collection of e-commerce related legislation and key court cases. Truly, @Risk is a fine piece of authoring and legal craftsmanship that greatly simplifies and clearly communicates complex legal concepts concerning the internet and e-commerce, and in my opinion, is a must-read for every forward-thinking lawyer and ADR practitioner. Initially published in The Winter 2000 issue of Undisputed Facts, which is the newsletter of The Chicago International Dispute Resolution Association