Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

detailed advice
The book is a collection of numerous extended tracts on various subjects, along with detailed advice for writing tutors. A lot of the advice revolves around being able to coach the students into learning for themselves, with a minimal amount of nudging from the tutor to ensure that the students are correctly assimilating the material.

It also looks at [possible] cultural differences between having native English students and ESL students. The latter might sometimes expect broader advice about dealing with cultural differences in a majority English speaking community. ... Read more

Product Description
The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White chronicles the meteoric rise of Informix Software, how it became a billion-dollar software giant, and the scandal that ultimately led to its spectacular fall. This fascinating behind-the-scenes book offers an insider'ss perspective on the business strategies that succeeded, the products that failed, and how a technology industry titan ended up in jail. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Little "business" in this book
The word "boring" comes to mind when trying to describe this book.It is obvious that much of it is filler material with very little "business" oriented material.It's not necessary to know any level of details about specific products like "4GL," etc. to explain the business view of what happened.

This book is more a history of Informix than anything else.The "Lessons Learned" are very basic and could be covered in 1/4 the pages.

There is nothing special at all in this book.

My advice is to save your money and skip it.

A Case Study of Strategic Failures and CEO Criminal Prosecution
Software businesses are hard to run. Customers all think they need slightly different code.Salespeople make promises that no one in the company knows about. Acquisitions seem to offer unlimited potential . . . but usually lead to disaster.Accounting rules don't always make a lot of sense. If you lose momentum, your key people leave for the competition.A competitor can cut your sales off at the knees with a timely new product that works.Your new products barely run when they are first introduced.

So is it any wonder that few software companies prosper in the long run?

This book seems to be primarily aimed at correcting the public record about how and why Informix Software tanked in 1997 and how the company's CEO ended up pleading guilty to a count of securities fraud and spending two months in jail.

If I take the book's material at face value, it does look like Mr. White was more guilty of being naive than of securities fraud.The explanation of the rebooking of revenues to follow more conservative accounting seems to make it abundantly clear that there was no massive fraud at Informix, despite what the newspapers said to the contrary at the time.

Any new software CEO would benefit from reading this book.Investors who are thinking about buying software stocks should also read this book and lie down until the urge to buy goes away.

People who want a serious history of Informix or its industry will find the book to be superficial and incomplete.

White Pride
This is an interesting, if sterile, dissection of the rise and fall of one-time Silicon Valley darling Informix and their charismatic CEO, Phil White.Author Steve Martin was an Informix employee in the critical years from 1991 through 1997, and therefore speaks with the authority and insider's knowledge not found in the perspective of an outside journalist, burdened by the baggage of an interviewee's selective recall.Martin couples with the history a series of business lessons, which, while not profound, provide a succinct primer of management basics that are broadly applicable.Not the least of these lessons is the danger in allowing personal rivalries to cloud sound business judgment.In the case of Informix, an irrational focus on beating Oracle and it's obnoxious CEO, Larry Ellison, could be traced to Informix's eventual demise. While Martin is admittedly a Phil White sympathizer, he is not an apologist, and does a good job of presenting the other side of the story that was so negatively twisted by a scandal-crazed press and a US Justice Department which, in the days of Enron and WorldCom, was chomping at the bit to get a major CEO in handcuffs doing the perp walk wearing stripes.Even the most cynical critic of Informix and White must concede that the offense that ultimately sunk the Informix ship was disproportional to the consequences delivered by Judge Breyer.


This book will be most appreciated by those who have lived and worked in Silicon Valley during the days immediately preceding the Internet boom and subsequent bust, as well as those not intimidated by a fairly heavy dosage of product-related technical jargon.Having been a Silicon Valley CEO at the time with some familiarity with White and the team, I was hoping for more specifics in the disastrous Illustra acquisition - especially more of the personalities involved - but that in no way impacts a solid story that deserves to be chronicled. In summary, if you're looking for an orgy of Informix gossip and dirty laundry, this isn't it.But for a quick and insightful history of an important chapter in Silicon Valley, "The Real Story of Informix Software..." is worth the time.

A "must read" for anyone connected to Silicon Valley in the 1990's - or today!
The Real Story of Informix Software and Phil White is a ticket to experiencing the roller coaster ride that was Silicon Valley of the last decade.The book succeeds on several levels - as an engaging chronicle of the DB wars of the 1990's, as an intriguing character study of Phil White, and -more subtly - as a pitch for Martin's other book, "Heavy Hitter Selling".Martin's pinpoint analysis and description of Informix' winning (and losing) sales strategiesproves his sales acumen.I was also in sales at Informix during this era and frankly we were so busy "doing" it's remarkable how Martin was also able to observe and analyze so precisely while consistently blowing out his numbers and making it to the vaunted "Summit Club".

Also, Martin really makes Phil "come to life".In the book he's colorful, whereas in my memory he is bloodless - all stark steel and blonde. (That's probably because he struck terror in me and I tried to avoid him at all costs!!)It's actually a flattering portrait of the man - Martin is able to vindicate Phil even as he criticizes his mistakes.

The prose is crisp, clear and descriptive.Even though Martin is the narrator and a first-hand observer of the action recounted, he does not over tread the story.I like how he embedded contemporaneous quotes from magazine and newspaper articles.The technique allows the author to seamlessly traverseamongmany "voices" in the narrative.Also, the simple but cohesive structure of the year by year chronology works. Plus I liked the use of analogy.For example, comparing Informix to Oracle and Sybasevia their similarity to a Chevy (reliable), a Mercedes (first class)and a Porsche (fast!, fun!)provides imagery as to how customers viewed the companies. And lastly, as a great software salesman, Martin gives full credit to the Systems Engineers - the technical sales personnel so critical to winning deals.Even though I lived through this era, I believe the book transcends the particulars and illustrates what it takes to succeed in business in today's tumultuous times.

The Best Silicon Valley Book. Period.
Without a doubt, this is the most interesting Silicon Valley book I have ever read. Irregardless if you work at HP, Sun, IBM, Oracle, SAP, or any other hi-tech company, I strongly recommend reading this book. It provides relevant lessons for hi-tech management, product case studies for developers, sales strategies for marketeers, and a concise analysis of a Silicon Valley time period that shaped our industry as we know it today.
... Read more

Product Description

Salespeople fail because they make selling far more complicated than it has to be. In SOLD! two of the world's leading sales trainers cut away the complexity, identifying Effective Selling Principles that are proven to work. In a world of complex products, state-of-the-art customer relationship management systems, and too-clever marketing, the single most important element has gotten lost: the salesperson's personal relationship with his or her customer. That relationship is at the heart of this book's five-step program for building sales.

Whether you sell products, services or ideas, you'll learn how to create and maintain a high-value customer relationship that makes it easy for customers to buy. Discover practical new ways to identify what's valuable to your customer... and deliver it. And above all, learn powerhouse techniques for moving any customer from talk to action--from opportunity to sale.

Product Description
Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA. Practice reference of internal medicine and family medicine residents. Provides a clinical guide for primary care practitioners as it review many of the clinical problems encountered in an ambulatory practice. Based on the Emory Internal Medicine Residency Program's curriculum in outpatient medicine. Softcover. DNLM: Ambulatory Care--Case. ... Read more

Product Description
'Tudor Scandal - Chopper tells all.' Newly discovered diaries and scrapbook cuttings of Chopper Smith - chief executioner at the court of King Henry VIII - reveal astonishing details of life in Tudor time. This work also includes: banquets and beheadings; torture and terror; weddings and funerals; the odd birth or two; the King's most private thoughts; Henry's wives and the loves of their lives; jousting and jokes; music and monasteries; and much, much more! You've never read anything like it before! ... Read more

Product Description
When Nexus and his buddy Dave journey to Dave's home planet in search of long-lost friends, they find that things have changed for the worse since their last visit: the once-thriving world has been ravaged by pollution and famine that seem to be spreading from a mysterious factory. Is this merely another case of industry run amuck, or do ancient Thune legends of a planet-devouring creature somehow figure into the picture? ... Read more

Product Description
With a double-page spread for every letter of the alphabet, this handbook gives guidance on introducing each lower case letter, how to write it correctly, how to pronounce each letter sound and how to explain the corresponding capital letter shape. It shows how to introduce the new "Letterland" characters in a warm, simple and fun way, full of practical suggestions for follow-up activities and discussion. It also helps with Foundation Stage profiles. ... Read more

Product Description
Mirabelle works as a shop assistant in the glove department at Niemans, LA's finest store; she also draws darkly gothic pictures at night. Adrift in the world and lonely, her situation is not improved by the fact that hardly anyone buys the kind of gloves that Niemans sell, so she spends most of her day leaning on the counter staring into empty space. There are two men in her life - Jeremy, a man who stencils amplifiers for a living, and Mr Ray Porter, an older man and millionaire who applies logic to relationships, and is serially confused and disappointed. In this exquisitely self-contained novel, Steve Martin touches on the surface horrors of LA - the false noses, lips, breasts and people - without exaggeration or explicitly playing for laughs. It's insightful, dark, funny and tender. ... Read more

Product Description
Farewell to Bill and Nell and Their Adventures
by: Clara E. Martin
... Read more

Product Description
This title is a unique guide to the taxation of companies in liquidation, receivership or administration, and those making voluntary arrangements. It examines the tax position of the insolvent company, its creditors and shareholders, and the Crown. Packed full of invaluable tax planning suggestions, the new sixth edition covers all relevant changes up to and including Finance Act 2006. ... Read more

Product Description
The thrust of this book is that you should exercise great care in doing business with sign companies.All sign companies are not rogues, however; there are many good companies. This book will help customers to single them out, to the commercial disadvantage of the remainder. For those who buy a lot of signage, this book offers a useful aide-memoir.You are probably aware of the endemic problems in some parts of the industry, alert to the risks, and adept at handling them.Even some of the experts, however, might find one or two twists in these pages that are new to them. For those who haven't bought signs before, the book should act as a very large warning.Do not go into the business of buying signage lightly; be well prepared. Not all the 100 questions in this book will necessary apply to your situation; you will have to sift out those that are relevant.No one is suggesting that it is practical, or sensible, to subject a sign company to the full interrogation given here - life's too short! Conversely, an awful lot of these questions are not exclusively applicable to the purchase of signs.If you have taken the trouble to buy a book like this, I assume you are a manager that spends money on signage.But you will, doubtless, buy other goods and services, as well, and I hope the book serves a wider purpose. ... Read more

Product Description
The letting industry is booming. With most properties too expensive for people to get on the housing ladder, a dearth of lending instruments, the need for a flexible and transient workforce, high divorce rates, and an increase in immigrants coming to the UK, more and more people are looking for rental accommodation. The requirement for professional letting and managing agents is high. Providing you have some business acumen and determination, you can run a successful lettings business without any specific prior knowledge. This book will provide much of the information you will need, and shows you how and where to get additional information, training and resources. The book provides a complete guide to starting and running your own residential letting agency even if you have no previous knowledge of the industry. It will also provide valuable information for anyone buying into a lettings franchise, or for people already working in the industry. ... Read more

Product Description
"Public Services Inspection in the UK" provides a detailed account of the changing role of inspection in public services management. It outlines the continuing debates about providing inspection that encourages not only accountability but also effective service provision and best practice.The contributors describe current inspection methods across the key public sectors of education, social care, local government services and healthcare, and provide insights into the underlying issues and tensions of public services inspection. They compare approaches adopted in different parts of the UK and present evidence that can be drawn on to develop more effective practice, as well as offering recommendations for future policy and research."Public Services Inspection in the UK" is essential reading for public service managers, social workers, policy makers, researchers, academics, students and those professionals in working in public services who have an involvement in the inspection process."Research Highlights in Social Work" series examines areas of particular interest to those in social and community work and related fields.Each book draws together different aspects of the subject, highlighting relevant research and drawing out implications for policy and practice. The project is under the editorial direction of Professor Joyce Lishman, Head of the School of Applied Social Studies at the Robert Gordon University.Social, health and education workers, policy makers, researchers, academics and students as well as professionals in working in public services. ... Read more