We always look forward to Maria Langer's books. "Putting Your Small Business on the Web" is a delightful departure from many of Maria's other more technical books, giving the busy business person a quick, clear and inspiring starter kit for launching a business web site. Maria handholds even the 'old timers' with her easy to digest introduction to what the web can and cannot do for small business. You'll get a primer on web serving options, designing web site and then managing the site keeping it up to date. The sections on "Working with a Web Site Designer" and FTP are well worth the cover price alone. __ This is not a thousand page tome that will bog you down with too much techno-mumbo-jumbo like many of the other eBiz books out there. If you're thinking about getting your small business on the web, get this book FIRST. I think you'll be happy you did.

Enabling is the best word I can find to describe this book. It enables the "newbie" small business owner to understand e-commerce. There are so many books out there about e-commerce. This is the first one that I have found that speaks directly to the small business owner. Ms. Langer only includes pertinent vocabulary and doesn't overwhelm the reader with acronyms. She speaks to real people. I recomend this book for those who have gotten lost in the hype of e-commerce. This book will lift you out of the acronym soup and paint a clear picture of what the web can and can't do for you.

Why wasn't this book out a year ago when I got conned by a Web "consultant"? The chapter that explains how to work with consultants could have prevented me from making a very costly mistake! This book has TONS of information that explains what the Web is and how it can benefit a small business in plain English terms that anyone can understand. It also provides lots of tips for building a Web site -- even some info about doing it yourself! And believe it or not, it's even fun to read! Buy it!

This book breaks Sydney into shopping districts that can be covered in an afternoon or a day. Brief descriptions are sufficient to get a feel for whether you would be interested in visiting certain stores, or even whole districts, so that you can more efficiently plan your trip. Hours of operation are included. Colorful pictures of the interior of stores and their merchandise are helpful, but a relative indicator of prices (like a 1 to 5 dollar sign system) would be extremely helpful. Also, mileage indicators on the maps would be a big plus.

Like any international city,Sydney has a wealth of retail outlets, but it never struck me as an intriguing shopping town until I saw this engaging guide. Grouping stores by neighborhood, Ms Matthews steers buyers beyond the Benettons and other international chains so they can make a beeline for the most unusual wares Sydney has to offer. Complementing Ms Matthews's snappy writing style are the crisp, almost tactile photos by Rupert Lorhaldar.

Many of the products on offer here are indigenous to Australia. There is an espresso bar where the handmade furniture you sit on is for sale, and a store specializing in anything made from Australian cotton, for example. Yet the book also tells you where to find the best French imports, Soviet memorabilia and Swedish designs. Among the 113 rather esoteric businesses to choose from are an upscale sex shop; a boutique of unusual buttons; a lounge where you can go with friends and a bottle of wine to make your own pottery; a bottled-water purveyor with 100 varieties; and a consignment shop for recycyled designer clothes.

Information on each store includes address, telephone and fax numbers and hours, but does not include prices. The latter are apt to change; besides, as in a store window, a lack of price tag can draw you into the store to ask. For richer or, more likely, for poorer, this fashionably slim book should accompany the acquisative to Sydney.

After the success of her foray into the clique that is Melbourne's shopping secrets, I was anxious to see how Michelle treated Sydney. Again, this formula delivers sensational results. Just how does she find these places? The little vignette on each store is certainly enough to get you through the door where the charm and uniqueness of the proprietor and her/his wares is sure to clinch the sale. Hot on the heels of the Melbourne edition, is this the niche retailer's answer to Lonely Planet? Like Steve Jobs and Apple, Michelle encourages you to think (and buy!) different. Even if you don't, she can take you to places you've never dreamed of. A great companion guide for Olympic visitors.

This is an engaging and entertaining adventure. This is definitely a book you should have in your library. It gives a very humanistic view of Africa and its people without resorting to stereotypes.

In the world of survival stories, this one is an outstanding classic. Captain James Riley's account of his shipwreck and subsequent enslavement by nomadic Arabs will amaze you beyond belief. I cannot began to imagine how anyone could survive under these conditions...naked, sunburned, starving, beaten and driven across the buring desert as slaves. It was encouraging to me that throughout it all, he kept his faith in God and somehow endured with the hope he would eventually be a free man once more. He also exhibited great leadership as he urged his fellow shipmates not to give up. Somehow they would make it! Written in the early 1800's this story has been an inspiration to millions over the years. It's a great addition to any library.

Our lives today are easy beyond compare to the lives the desert nomads lived, the Africans who enslaved the crew of the wrecked ship Commerce back in 1815. The way water was treasured to every last drop makes me feel guilty about how little thought we generally give to where our water comes from. This is an enthralling tale, one I could not stop reading until I was finished. To realize that I am reading a book that my great great grandfather may have read back in his days makes it that more special.

Despite the continuing problems with everything from content to the protocols, there is still no question that the wireless transfer of data has a dynamic future. Incorporating wireless equipment into your operations is a significant decision and it is incumbent on all managers to learn the rudiments of what wireless technolog\y is and what it can do for you. If that is your goal then this is the place to start.
Designed for the non-technical person, the approach used in this book is right on that target. All of the general principles of what wireless is and what it is supposed to do are explained. The problem is of course that the gap between what it is supposed to do and what it can do has not been closed. These problems are mentioned, but not to as great an extent as they could have been. I subscribe to several trade magazines and it has been some time since there has been an issue that did not contain an article describing some problem with wireless.
Another concern is in the citing of statistics. While the source is cited when a data point is given, there is no mention of the range of estimates. As a new technology, the range of estimates for the monetary value of wireless is quite wide. Simply citing one of the more optimistic estimates does no justice to the extensive debate regarding the actual value of wireless in the future. As befits an overview, the authors include a large number of print and online references. While no such list can ever be complete, they are certainly the first step to a complete one.
Overall, I found the book to be satisfactorily simplistic in tone, neither too simple or too hard. As long as you read it with the knowledge that no one statistic concerning an emerging technology can be trusted, you will find it of value.

About two years ago I had the pleasure of hearing Frank Coyle speak at an industry conference. Frank's talk at the conference was primarily on XML (Extensible Markup Language). During the talk I was very impressed with the breadth and depth of Frank's knowledge. He traced the development of XML from its origins in GML (Generalized Markup Language) from the 1970s to SGML (Standard Generalized Markup Language) to HTML and XHTML, touching on a variety of important issues along the way.

In parallel with the development of XML Frank outlined the development of programming languages, describing them as code- or data-centric and traced their influences and progress from procedural-oriented to their eventual support for objects and components. Frank then showed the relationship of markup languages to the world of components and how they all fit together.

Frank's talk wasn't a history lesson, but an in-depth examination of XML technology along with the how, what, where, and why it is important. It was a tour-de-force presentation that finally allowed me to see and appreciate the context and proper application of XML.

I am happy to report that most of Frank's XML presentation is included in his book, "Wireless Web - A Manager's Guide." Frank's ability to distill and explain is extended, in the book, to all things wireless and the convergence of wireless with the Web. Frank covers the majority of wireless technologies from the perspective of three evolving forms: the cell phone, the personal digital assistant (PDA), and the portable computer, within a larger context of the wireless advantages, including localization, personalization, and immediacy.

Separate chapters are devoted to wireless devices, Bluetooth, WLAN (wireless LAN), 1G, 2G, and 3G networks, WAP (wireless application protocol), XML, Java, and security issues.

Managers, programmers, and consultants who are looking to understand and implement wireless applications will find this book essential. It is the only book I have found that provides the in-depth coverage combined with the necessary touchstones to guide your journey. It is a smart book written by a sharp author who understands technology is best considered in context and converging influences. After reading this book you will not only understand the current wireless landscape, but also be in a position to make intelligent judgments on its future directions.

Wireless Web is an effective technology primer for managers. It provides a well-illustrated introduction to the applications, devices, networks, and standards that drive the wireless Web. The greatest strength of this book is Dr. Coyle's impressive use of analogies and executive summaries. For example, he uses the analogy of all the conversations that are carried on in a busy restaurant as a way to explain how multiple 'conversations' can take place simultaneously over a CDMA cellular network. The analogies and side bars makes this one of the most readable technology books I have come across.

The author covers the important current wireless Web standards - WAP, Bluetooth, I-Mode, etc. with enough depth to show you where they fit into the puzzle. He also devotes chapters to XML and security. While you might question whether these topics belong in a wireless book, they are pervasive standards that are integral to other wireless standards. I would like to have seen more coverage of the Java 2 Micro Edition, but given the length of the book this would have been difficult. The chapter on wireless networks is excellent because it provides a realistic analysis of where we have been and where we are going is this highly dynamic area.

All in all, this is a well rounded book written for an international audience. I found it a great starting point for learning about the wireless Web.

I think that the content of this book looks OK, but I made a BAD decision in buying the eBook version and find the format to be EXTREMELY user-hostile so I have not read as much as I would have liked. I have a branding project going on at work & didn't want to wait to have the hard copy of this book shipped. HUGE MISTAKE. I had never purchased/used an eBook before - and probably won't again. It took quite some time just to download because it wasn't obvious that you had to load the eBoook Reader BEFORE you can even download the file. Finally got that taken care of and opened the book with the intention of printing out the sections I wanted to read (while comfortably sitting on my sofa) - only to find out that I can only print out 27 pages per WEEK. The interface is so clumsy, it will be virtually impossible to read on screen. Even worse, I ended up downloading it to my computer at work and it doesn't appear that I will be able to take MY book home with me so I will have to stay late at work if I want to read the stupid thing. For anyone like myself who is unfamiliar with this format - It is NOT like a PDF - you will be paying extra for something that may not allow you to read it the way you would like.

What "Principia Mathematica" from Sir Isaac Newton did for science, this book will do for branding. If you are a designer, copywriter, brand consultant, marketing executive, Jack Welsh's new guy at GE, Bill Gates, in fact any CEO or entrepreneur, this is the one book on branding you need to read! As a designer and brand consultant for more than 20 years, it was illuminating to find one book that says it all. What I have tried for years to put across to clients (from small to large) is now cristalised by these wonderfull authors - or shall I say genius' - in a clear and conscise manner. Illustrating and proving the 22 immutable laws with common sense and solid facts of the top global brands, makes it credible and so easy to understand and absorb even for the novice. And to quote the authors: "Break these laws and you do so at your own peril." It might be worth your while to know these laws.

I have read this book about 2 years ago, passed it on to a friend . I would recommend this book for people who either work at American Express to get a understanding of how the company came to being and those who like reading about companies.

It is somewhat outdated but it still paints a picture of the culture at Amex and how it go to where it is today. They were one of the first to issue a credit card and even today the Amex card is one of the premier cards to have. Everyone knows about "Don't leave home without it."

Here is a spoiler:

It once owned part of Federal Express and got owned by Chase Manhattan bank.

This book would likely interest people who want to learn about American Express, its history, ingredients to business success and how this financial giant became what it is today.

Not exactly a John Grisham thriller, this book provides an insightful account of Amexco's past and how it became what it currently is. Certain business decision-making ideas and actions (or the lack thereof) could be acquired (or reaffirmed) while reading this book. This book will likely be meaningful for businesspeople who consider expanding their currently profitable business. Best of luck.

...is evident in every page. Even if I hadn't been planning another trip to the city of lights, I would have been on the next flight!
As shown in her other books, Maribeth Clemente has a wonderful way of not only giving you the information that you need, but getting you excited about your exploration with every word. She covers the "unique" of Paris with a fresh, honest perspective. I feel like I'm walking down a lovely boulevard with her as my guide. When I've checked the "reality" of other travel books, I've found a real mix--what I read was not always what I got. It seems like reviews were completed by multiple sources with multiple perspectives of what would entice. Maribeth Clemente's insight/personality is consistent, elegant, fun and unexpected. And yet...she always seems to leave a little bit to your own exploration. I trust her to route me to the best--especially if I don't have a lot of time. This book is also an improvement from prior releases in it's organization--making quicker, easier reference to the user "on the road". Thanks!

One has not travelled until you have visited Paris. It is a city of wonder, history, romance, excitement and fashion. I studied for a short time in Paris many years ago and fell in love with the city. It also fell in love with my pocket book! The cafes, exquisite boutiques, and Epicurean cuisine will forever be a cherished memory; however, the first-time traveller to Paris should be forwarned; it can be a VERY EXPENSIVE city to enjoy, particularly if you do not know where you will get "the best value for your dollar." As this book clearly points out, most of the better hotels are luxurious and quite costly, as are the better known, finer restaurants. You definitely will not want to leave home without your trusty credit card! I purchased a Chanel Tee-shirt and for the same price, I could have purchased an entire rack of tee-shirts in my country. However, the joy of Paris is for many, a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one you will never regret no matter what the cost. The book is not complete; however, many of the special places of interest are not included in the book, which was rather disappointing. There are also some excellent more affordable restaurants and places to stay in Paris which are not listed here. The book was interesting and informative but did tend to patronize basically the higher-end, upscale facilities.

Most of the Paris guides available give plenty of information on using the Paris Metro, the museums, and taking a taxi. However, what they lack is information on the very things that make a visit to Paris memorable and personal. Maribeth Clemente's "The Riches of Paris" provides key information on a wide variety of shopping interests. Are you into antique books?-the book has it....Are you into food stores, children's boutiques, or flowers? - the book has it. How about the best place to get a couture scarf, a pen, a cigar? - Again, the book has it. What I especially found useful was my ability to plan my shopping excursions before I got onto the plane...when I arrived I was able to fit in both the best sightseeing and museums AND the shops I knew would be of interest to me. My time was efficiently planned and I was able to fit many more memorable experiences into my trip. Ms. Clemente's index is especially useful in personalizing your trip...seperating shops by like categories, and presenting them in the book by area. This categorization takes the work out of planning a day....one day I planned to visit a particular area...I was set because of the book. Another day I decided to visit all children's toy stores...no problem again because of the book! A must have for getting the most out of your time!

Before accepting too much of this author's version of history, PLEASE read Dave Crocker's review in "The Internet Protocol Journal" (December, 2002, pages 27-30). Dave lived through this era as a major participant and his review is well worth the read.

As one who was there for this entire timeline, I can attest to the accuracy of Mueller's book (and the suggestion to read Crocker's account is misguided, as his account is about the most biased treatment available. Be warned on that as well).

What this book, and no other treatment to date has been able to do is capture the flavor of the events. Notwithstanding that, however, Mueller explains what happened and why, and as an academic accounting, is spot on, and his analysis is just as accurate.

Mueller's work, recounting the Internet's Domain Name Wars, is entirely "interesting." Little is widely known about the history and origins of the Internet; what many think they know constitutes little more than mythology. Here is an excellent recount of the history of the Internet's development, and how conflicts with the naming space came to be. This is required reading for those interested and concerned with the potential success or failure of the Internet governance experiment. This is a continuation of a long history of excellent work by Mueller and is well recommended.

The bottom line of this book is quite simple: in America in the 1930s - as it is now, business is business. It doesn't matter if business men are dealing with a sweet little old lady who's selling flowery vases on a street corner or a multi-million dollar chemical industry that produces deadly toxins that are used to destroy hundreds of thousands of lives - business is business. And those who were given the opportunity to take part in it easily fell into the old trap: absolute power corrupts absolutely. Especially if there's money to be made.

Even the American Government was powerless to stop certain American companies from selling aviation fuel and oil to the NAZIS during the time we were at war with Germany!!! Umm...those facts seem to have been left out of your average 9th Grade American reader. Hmmm...I wonder why?

So much for being loyal to your country, or doing the right thing for the greater morality of the time. Mr. Hingham's book outlines the rampant treason that was going on in American industry before, during, and after the Second World War. And, if you'd like a nice follow up to this book, read THE BEAST REAWAKENS by Martin Lee. His book takes up somewhat where this one leaves off: the treason continues...

This is a fascinating look at how some major American and German banks and corporations managed to conduct business with each other during World War II. In what is largely an untold story in American history, this book reveals how some of the biggest names on the Fortune 500 (Dupont, Ford, the Rockefeller interests) managed to maintain wartime business ties with I.G. Farben, the Deutsche Bank and others via Swiss banks and corporate subsidiaries in South America. It raises some interesting questions in todays global economy. When the nation's interests are on the line, are our multinational corporations on anybody's side but their own? Amazon.com notes this is out of print, but I found this as a cheap reprint on the bargain book counter of my local Barnes & Noble. (No offense to Amazon intended!) Jim Lutz Kirkland, WA

This is an astonishing book, even for those jaded by the routine amorality of international politics. How many Americans believe that WWII was anything other than a 100% patriotic effort by all sectors of society, including big business. At least, that's the way it's portrayed in those assembly-line documentaries that serve as history texts for most of us. Turns out however that those governments above government such as Standard Oil, ITT, I.G. Farben, et. al., refused to let even a world war block the flow of profits and products, not only to friends, but to the enemy as well. All of which yields an interesting idea of where power really lies, since It also turns out that neither Hitler nor Roosevelt could challenge this supremacy -- both Allied and Axis war machines were dependent on corporation good will for materiel to fight the enemy! In the final analysis, the ambitions of both sides were beholden to the same international cartels and the leverage they wielded behind the scenes. (Check out Standard Oil executive William Farish's lecture to chief trust-buster Thurman Arnold, p.66.) Thus, whoever won the war, the trans-nationals were guaranteed a continuing place on top, their business networks intact. Moreover, trading with the enemy was made legal by Executive Order 8389, in which the Secretary of the Treasury was empowered to authorize such arrangements with the Axis powers. Certainly no hint of any of this in those high-kicking Hollywood tributes to the boys at the front, so popular at the time. We also get interesting glimpses of that ultimate Establishment figure FDR, as he weasles around the admirable likes of Harold Ickes, Arnold, and other administration figures opposed to business as usual. Despite the occasional fuss, apparently no one blew the whistle on this deal making at the top -- bad, I guess, for morale among a nation of 150 million ration stamp users.

An expose like this depends greatly on documentation and while I'm in no position to judge Higham's sources, extensive appendices are attached for those wishing to dig more critically. Assuming Executive Order 8389 as a minimum, it would seem that standard histories of WWII have left out some of the most important parts, even in this, our most patriotic war. And who's to say that the vectors of power revealed by the book have altered in the meantime. Though no longer in print, the book can still be obtained used and should be for the light it continues to cast.

This is one of the better books I've read on Web marketing. Some of Sterne's best advice comes in Chapter 1 when he writes, "Having a site that's cool and looks sharp is fine if that's all your target market is really after. The game, though, will go to those who come up with unique services. If you have to choose between fun, interesting, or useful, useful wins. Every time. Hands down."

Sterne starts the book talking about the basic questions in marketing: What are you trying to sell? Who are you trying to sell it to? And, what do they really want? He gives some good advice on working through the process of answering these questions and relates these issues well to Web related marketing. Chapter 3 is a great chapter on usability issues. It's refreshing to see a marketing guy like Sterne give so much attention to usability. There are ample references to Jakob Nielsen's research into usability issues, mixed with Sterne's own good thinking on the subject.

In the middle chapters of the book, Sterne talks about the different ways to effectively use the unique aspects of the Web --interactivity and personalization -- to market to your customers. I particularly liked his discussion of interactivity and flow in Chapter 4. He then goes on to discuss the use of the Web to do customer management and dedicates a whole chapter to partner relationship management. These are probably my least favorite sections of the book. He does give some good examples of companies effectively using the Web for this purpose, but I don't think the chapters on CRM and PRM where very thorough or insightful.

The last few chapters are dedicated to measuring the effectiveness of your Web marketing effort, managing your site, and what the future holds. In the chapter on measuring effectiveness, Sterne talks about the cost to reach and ultimately acquire a customer through your marketing efforts. The following information on Web log analysis was kind of thin, but Sterne does do a pretty good job discussing "The Softer Side of Assessment" like measuring customer satisfaction and reputation management. The chapter on managing your site was thin at best. For site management, I'd recommend Jessica Burdman's book, "Collaborative Web Development: Strategies and Best Practices for Web Teams."

Overall, I'd give Sterne an A on this book effort. The first half of the book is very, very good. The last few chapters felt somewhat rushed. Granted, Sterne picked some chapter topics that should be book topics, but even the summarized information didn't seem well put together. Maybe Jim was getting tired, or maybe I was getting tired. I finished reading this book on a red-eye flight home.

This is one of the better books I've read on internet marketing. I really recommend this book for anyone who is getting into this web marketing arena.

This is the most comprehensive Web marketing book I've seen. No mere fluff piece touting opt-in emails and keyword optimization, Sterne's newest edition goes deeper than most, from achieving Csikszentmihalyi's "Flow" state to avoiding Nielsen's Top Ten Mistakes, Sterne synthesizes current marketing and optimal Web design wisdom into this 400+ page compendium.

Based on his 15 years of marketing research and consulting, Sterne practices what he preaches and gives you his best stuff up front. Using real-world examples he illustrates various principles you can use to improve your Web site, and then raise your profile.

Like any good Web citizen Sterne is generous with his outbound referrals, and uses expert quotes and cutting-edge companies liberally to illustrate his points. The book has so many useful examples and Web sites it would take you weeks to try them all. I can usually summarize a book with a list or two, but not this one. So I'll just list the chapter headings to give you an idea of its scope:

* Using the World Wide Web for Marketing - What Are You Trying to Accomplish?

* Customer Service First

* The Usable Web - Be Kind to Your Users

* Interactivity Goes with the Flow

* Selling Services

* Feedback

* Value-Added Marketing - It's Personal (Fun, interesting, & useful)

* Personalization - Getting to Know You

* Professional Personalization - Extranets and Customer Relationship Management

* Partner Relationship Management

* Attracting Attention

* Measure for Measure

* Managing Your Site and Your Sanity

* Looking toward the Future

If you've seen him speak, then you have an idea of how he writes. No bull, pragmatic prose based on real world examples, sprinkled with his trademark humor. This book is about what actually works when selling products and services on the Web.

I especially enjoyed the personalization chapter, which had some innovative products/URLs I hadn't seen before (and that's hard to do). For a mere 30 bucks, how can you beat it? If you follow his advice, you can have a dramatic effect on your bottom line. Highly recommended. From WebReference.com.