A leading social critic goes inside the billion-dollar baby business to expose the marketing and the myths, helping parents determine what’s worth their money—and what’s a waste   Parenting coaches, ergonomic strollers, music classes, sleep consultants, luxury diaper creams, a never-ending rotation of DVDs that will make a baby smarter, socially adept, and bilingual before age three. Time-strapped, anxious parents hoping to provide the best for their baby are the perfect mark for the “parenting” industry.   In Parenting, Inc. , Pamela Paul investigates the whirligig of marketing hype, peer pressure, and easy consumerism that spins parents into purchasing overpriced products and raising overprotected, overstimulated, and over-provided-for children. Paul shows how the parenting industry has persuaded parents that they cannot trust their children’s health, happiness, and success to themselves. She offers a behind-the-scenes look at the baby business so that any parent can decode the claims—and discover shockingly unuseful products and surprisingly effective services. And she interviews educators, psychologists, and parents to reveal why the best thing for a baby is to break the cycle of self-recrimination and indulgence that feeds into overspending.   Paul’s book leads the way for every parent who wants to escape the spiral of fear, guilt, competition, and consumption that characterizes modern American parenthood.

Price: $9.99 USD

The only IT guide you need You're busy-very busy. You need reliable, practical answers to your IT questions, and you need them now. The Vest Pocket Guide to Information Technology, Second Edition is a handy pocket problem-solver designed to provide you with the quickest route to a solution. Practical, reader-friendly, and thoroughly illustrated, this updated handbook provides complete guidance for the complex, ever-changing world of IT to help you quickly pinpoint what you need to look for, what to watch out for, what to do, and how to do it. Written by two all-time bestselling accounting and finance authors, Jae Shim and Joel Siegel, this thoroughly updated Second Edition includes tables, forms, checklists, questionnaires, practical tips, and sample reports to help you avoid and resolve any and all IT dilemmas. A must-read for business professionals, financial managers and consultants, production and operation managers, accountants, COOs, CFOs, and CEOs, this handy guide helps you: * Select the best hardware for particular application needsStrategically use IT systems * Use the best software in planning and control * Select Sarbanes-Oxley compliance software * Prevent fraud through computerized security * Effectively apply Management Information Systems (MIS) * Use online databases to make business decisions * Use a decision support system (DSS) and an executive information system (EIS) to improve the quality of analysis, evaluation, and decision making * Understand emerging trends and developments in information technology * Harness marketing information systems to improve sales planning, sales forecasting, market research, and advertising * Evaluate and manage an IT project Your professional success depends on keeping abreast of the latest thinking and applications in information technology. The Vest Pocket Guide to Information Technology, Second Edition gives you all the information you need to make optimum decisions now and plan ahead for later.

Price: $24.95 USD

A master of the complex sale and a bestselling author, Rick Page is also one of the most experienced sales consultants and trainers in the world. Make Winning A Habit defines the gap between what companies know to do and how they consistently perform. Page clearly identifies five “Ts” of transformation: Talent, Technique, Teamwork, Technology and Trust . These five elements, when fully developed and integrated into the sales and marketing organization, begin to create the habit of winning over customers in every industry. Stories of successes-and failures-from members of prominent companies help you apply the five “Ts” to your company's culture, and point the way to more effective plans for motivating employees, building and coaching winning teams, and improving hiring processes. Then, with the use of Page's assessment scorecard, you can compare your company with some of the strategies and practices of the best sales forces in the world. Designed to gauge your organization's effectiveness and further develop breakthrough sales growth, this scorecard highlights your strengths and weaknesses, helping you bridge the gap between where you are and where you need to be. You'll also learn about:.:.; The “Deadly Dozen” (pains sales managers feel today) and how they can kill business.; A ten-point process for identifying and hiring nothing less than “A” players.; The 8 “ates” of managing strategic accounts and how they will maximize revenue and elevate relationships.; How to identify and correct the six most common areas of poor individual sales performance. With Make Winning A Habit , you'll discover the obstacles between you and the consistent sales performance you can achieve-and find the tools to not only make success a habit, but one that will keep growing with your business.

Price: $24.95 USD

Why customer retention is the new acquisition If there's anything the recession of 2009 taught us, it was the importance of investing in our customers, but when was this any different? So says Joseph Jaffe, bestselling author of Life After the 30-Second Spot and Join the Conversation, and a leading expert and thought leader on new media and social media. In most businesses, it costs roughly five-to-ten times more to acquire a new customer than it does to retain an existing one, and yet companies continue to disproportionately spend their budgets into the "wrong" end of the funnel – the mass media or awareness side. What we haven't paid enough attention to is the "right" end of the funnel-the word-of-mouth component that essentially acts as a multiplier for future business. The economic impact of an active, engaged and loyal customer is tremendous. And the same is true of the opposite scenario, namely the impact of angry customers and negative word-of-mouth or referrals. It is this thinking that Jaffe has channeled to challenge marketers to "flip the funnel" once and for all. With a renewed focus and energy on customer experience, it is possible to grow your sales, while decreasing your budget – in other words, getting more from less. Engaging a few customers to spread the word to many. Using this new "flipped funnel" model, together with a set of new rules of customer service and a revolutionary customer referral and activation process, you'll learn how to transform your existing customers into your best salespeople. In addition, Jaffe will explain how to best introduce and combine both digital and social media tools to boost your loyalty arsenal, deploy "influencer marketing" and implement word-of-mouth strategies that inspire your loyal, opinionated, and most vocal customers to become credible, persuasive, and influential endorsers of your products and services. Explains how to cut your marketing budget AND grow sales! Illustrates practical ways to use existing customers to reach out to new prospects Outlines the authentic role of social media Demonstrates key ideas with rich, real life examples including Comcast, Apple, The Obama Campaign, Dell, Panasonic, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola and many, many more Written by one of the most sought-after consultants, keynote speakers, and thought-leaders on new marketing change and innovation; renowned blogger and podcaster at Jaffe Juice (www.jaffejuice.com) and host/presenter of web video show, JaffeJuiceTV (www.jaffejuice.tv) Visit www.flipthefunnelnow.com to join the conversation.

Price: $29.95 USD

A newly revised and updated edition of the ultimate resource for nonprofit managers If you're a nonprofit manager, you probably spend a good deal of your time tracking down hard-to-find answers to complicated questions. The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition provides instant answers to all your questions concerning nonprofit-oriented product and service providers, Internet sites, funding sources, publications, support and advocacy groups, and much more. If you need help finding volunteers, understanding new legislation, or writing grant proposals, help has arrived. This new, updated edition features expanded coverage of important issues and even more answers to all your nonprofit questions. Revised to keep vital information up to the minute, The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition: * Contains more than 2,000 detailed listings of both nonprofit and for-profit resources, products, and services * Supplies complete details on everything from assistance and support groups to software vendors and Internet servers, management consultants to list marketers * Provides information on all kinds of free and low-cost products available to nonprofits * Features an entirely new section on international issues * Plus: 10 bonus sections available only on CD-ROM The Nonprofit Manager's Resource Directory, Second Edition has the information you need to keep your nonprofit alive and well in these challenging times. Topics include: * Accountability and Ethics * Assessment and Evaluation * Financial Management * General Management * Governance * Human Resource Management * Information Technology * International Third Sector * Leadership * Legal Issues * Marketing and Communications * Nonprofit Sector Overview * Organizational Dynamics and Design * Philanthropy * Professional Development * Resource Development * Social Entrepreneurship * Strategic Planning * Volunteerism

Price: $34.95 USD

The negotiated contract method for RFPs is a rapidly growing trend in construction. Traditionally, RFPs have gone through a competitive bid method – meaning that 100% of the design work is done without the input of contractors and with very little real cost information. With the negotiated contract method, only about 10% of the design work is done before a contractor is brought to the table, which means less paperwork and lower up-front costs. There are several advantages to the negotiated contract method:. •Because only a small part of the design work is done up-front (before a contractor is brought on board), no extensive re-design work has to be done when budget/schedule issues with the design become a factor. •A complete team – architect/designer and contractor – is assembled earlier, making for a much more efficient process and outcome. •The RFP process becomes a collaborative effort, rather than a competitive one. There is no other book on the shelf that either focuses specifically on RFPs in the construction industry, or features a step-by-step method for implementing the negotiated contract method. This is a step-by-step guide for managing the RFP process in a way that saves time, money, enhances team collaboration, and assures quality in construction. Focusing on the negotiated contract method (as opposed to the competitive bid method), the book takes readers from articulating the needs/wish list for a construction project, to the analysis of responses and interviews, through negotiations and finalization of the deal. This is a roadmap for:. •Preparing, understanding, and assessing the quality of information in an RFP. •Gathering critical, project-specific information from free and up-to-date local databases. •Adding value to the process by assisting consultants in marketing and project management capabilities. •Selecting and working with a team early in the process to stay on-schedule and on-budget. •Improving the materials selection process and the end-result overall quality of construction. •Example and template forms make it easy to create a successful RFP process.

Price: $34.95 USD

Project managers are no longer judged by the technical success of their projects alone. They're also held accountable for their contributions to the company's financial goals. Yet most project managers don't have the business knowledge necessary to make project-based decisions that lead to bottom-line success. In this book, Dennis Cohen and Robert Graham, both former university professors and experienced project management consultants, provide the skills that, until now, could only be gained through a graduate degree and years of hands-on experience. Cohen and Graham walk project managers through basic business concepts such as value creation, accounting and finance, strategy, and marketing. They connect these concepts to the decisions project managers face every day. And they make it easy to apply the resulting solutions on the job through a unique business systems calculator. Readers can use the online calculator in conjunction with the book to understand how different project variables affect business outcomes, to determine the overall impact of proposed project changes, and to evaluate the economic results of many decisions they make. Cohen and Graham's principles apply equally to projects in business, non-profit, and government organizations. And each one is illustrated through case studies drawn from a range of industries, including pharmaceuticals, the technology sector, even the winemaking business. Whether the mandate is to get new products to market, improve the infrastructure, or better serve customers and clients, this book teaches project managers how to make day-to-day decisions from an upper-management perspective. And it provides a blueprint for planning and pitching potential projects that demonstrates a higher level of business savvy.

Price: $52.00 USD

The wholesale capture and distribution of knowledge over the last thirty years has created an unprecedented need for organizations to manage their knowledge assets. Knowledge Management (KM) addresses this need by helping an organization to leverage its information resources and knowledge assets by "remembering" and applying its experience. KM involves the acquisition, storage, retrieval, application, generation, and review of the knowledge assets of an organization in a controlled way. Today, organizations are applying KM throughout their systems, from information management to marketing to human resources. Applying Knowledge Management: Techniques for Building Corporate Memories examines why case-based reasoning (CBR) is so well suited for KM. CBR can be used to adapt solutions originally designed to solve problems in the past, to address new problems faced by the organization. This book clearly demonstrates how CBR can be successfully applied to KM problems by presenting several in-depth case-studies. Ian Watson, a well-known researcher in case-based reasoning and author of the introductory book, Applying CBR: Techniques for Enterprise Systems has written this book specifically for IT managers and knowledge management system developers. * Provides 7 real-world applications of knowledge management systems that use case-based reasoning techniques. * Presents the technical information needed to implement a knowledge management system. * Offers insights into the development of commercial KM CBR applications * Includes information on CBR software vendors, CBR consultants and value added resellers

Price: $58.95 USD

At its heart this book is about innovation and the innovation process. On the way, it considers aesthetics, design, creativity and the creative industries, and a number of other similar topics. Much of the existing economic literature on innovation has taken a particularly technological or functional viewpoint as to what sort of new products and processes are to be considered innovations. One of the key things this book shows is that there is a type of innovation, here labelled 'soft innovation', primarily concerned with changes in products (and perhaps processes) of an aesthetic or intellectual nature, that has largely been ignored in the study of innovation prevalent in economics.Examples of innovations that, as a result of this refocusing, are here placed at the centre of the analysis include: the writing and publishing of a new book, the writing, production, and launching of a new movie, the development and launch of a new advertising promotion, the design and production ofa new range of furniture, and architectural activity in the generation of new built form designs. The realisation of the existence of soft innovation means that, not only is innovation more widespread than previously considered, but that it may also take a different form than commonly considered. Soft Innovation addresses key issues such as: * The measurement of the rate and extent of soft innovation,* The determinants of the rate and direction of soft innovation and its diffusion,* The impacts of soft innovation and diffusion upon outputs, productivity, employment, firm performance, trade, and economic welfare,* Policy, considering whether there is a rationale for government intervention in the soft innovation generation and diffusion processes, and if so what instruments can be used in such intervention?Soft Innovation breaks new ground in the study of innovation, and will be key reading for academics and researchers of Innovation, Marketing, and Design, as well as consultants, practitioners, and policy-makers concerned with the creative industries.

Price: $95.00 USD

This comprehensive volume provides state-of-the art guidance on Quality of Service (QoS) and Quality of end-user Experience (QoE) management in UMTS cellular systems, tackling planning, provisioning, monitoring and optimisation issues in a single accessible resource. In addition, a detailed discussion is provided on service applications, QoS concept, architecture and functions in access, packet & circuit switched core and backbone networks. Defines and explains the differences between QoS and QoE, and end-to-end concept, based on the premise that it is the end-user who is the ultimate beneficiary of QoS. Covers QoS and QoE issues related to present and forthcoming service applications, including multimedia messaging service (MMS), Video Sharing (VS), content download, business connectivity, Push to talk over Cellular (PoC), Voice over IP (VoIP), presence, instant messaging, gaming, streaming and browsing. Presents QoS concepts and architecture as defined in 3GPP Releases 97/98, 99, 5, 6, and 7, and provides a comprehensive description of protocols and packet data transfer across WCDMA evolved and (E)GPRS networks. Discusses service driven radio network planning aspects for (E)GPRS and WCDMA. Includes three detailed chapters covering concepts, means and methods for QoS provisioning, QoS & QoE performance monitoring and optimisation. This book is aimed at operators, vendors, deployers, consultants and managers specialising in the research, development, implementation, marketing and sales of products and tools for QoS and QoE management in UMTS networks. It will also be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers in the field of telecommunications and specialising in UMTS QoS and QoE principles and practices.

Price: $130.00 USD