Experience is king, this book helps fill the gaps.
344543
First, I passed both LPIC-2 exams, even scoring 100% on 117-201  and 720/800 on 117-202 (53/60 questions correct). I've been using Linux for about 10 years now, and have been a Linux Systems Admin professionally for about four. This book is great, I read Roderick Smith's Linux+ book (LPI version of the exam) which is also an excellent book, so I had no hesitation buying this book. Reading this book alone will not get you to 100% of what you need to pass the exams, practice and experience is whats going to get you a good score. What I did was read each chapter and then if I did not feel 100% about the subject in that chapter I started researching the topics covered, and investigated further about those topics, I also built a home lab utilizing virtual machines running on top of Fedora 15 (yum groupinstall Virtualization) so I could build a bind dns server, a apache web server, a squid proxy server, sendmail/postfix mail servers, etc. I rarely had to do more research on the first half of the book (first exam topics) because the vast majority of content I knew in depth (hence the 800/800 score), but the second half I spent some time on and learned a lot. Overall its a great book, and I'll continue to use it as a reference.

Minus 1 star for the price tag, especially the Kindle price which is what I purchased, $40 for a digital book is a bit much in my opinion.
3735489
As a self taught tyer it is good to benefit from others' experiences and knowledge times to further our own. Mr Talleur has been quite generous between the covers of this book.
1266922
I love the way the author manages to convey his extraordinary experience through words. I felt that I grasped what he was trying to say and I do believe in his experience. The author also provides means to progress your insight and knowledge through further reading, meditation and a non-profit website which allows the experience of reading this book to live on in your life.
290496
As others, I had some theory background before this book. It does a good job of getting a person exposed to the subject matter. I don't know if I could reccommend to the individual who wants something with a lot of depth. This book provides high-level snapshots at the topics and leaves out some details here and there. If that's all you want or need for now, this book is for you. As with any book that provides answers in the back, expect a few typing errors.
3028378
The author went to work for Bill W's widow.  Eventually this book resulted, after both were dead.

The book provides a much needed perspective.  It is clear on Bill's early atheism (which he called agnosticism) and helps focus how AA is a spiritual program and not a religious one and wny.

Over and over again it explains the forces that were being reacted against.  If you've listened to Bill and Charlie (they are available for free on the internet as mp3 downloads for ipods and similar products -- or your computer), this fills in the gaps.

For example, everyone knows about Bill as a womanizer in his later years.  What people do not know is that about the time he turned forty, his wife decided that she was done with sex.  She was older than he was, went through menopause and retired from sex.  No wonder that has he got into his fifties he started thinking of her more as a mother figure and less as a wife figure.

In a modern hospital, such as where my wife works, everyone knows about "banana bags" (IVs that are yellow from the b-vitamins, especially niacin, used routinely on alcoholics who have serious problems because of bad diet) -- but I never knew that started with niacin for alcoholics.

Or the rumors of financial misuse -- at complete odds with poverty and the audits -- now I know how they started and how they kept going.

I'm not an alcoholic (well, I've never had a drink, so I'm at least a very dry alcoholic), though I've sent a number of clients to 12 step programs, until recently I did not have the slightest idea what they were about.

With this I understand what makes AA different from every other program out there, why it found that balance and how it was shaped and touched by the personality of its founder.

The book is an easy read, and gripping.  I finished it over a weekend, along with other projects and preparing and teaching a Sunday School lesson.

It was interesting, complex, consistent and had a basic appreciation and fondness for the subject.

I'm not sure how it plays inside AA, but from the outside I find myself admiring Bill W and AA a great deal from having read this book.  Heck, I even got started on the "Big Book" (I've read about half of it so far).

If you've gotten to this page where the book is advertised, it is probably worth your while to buy it.  I got my copy at half price books for six dollars.  They had a bundle of them.  Used copies in excellent to new condition abound.

Buy it, read it, think about it.  Well worth the read.
3827755
An excellent book for all experience ranges. A great book to have.
74902
First Impressions...

The book was so much smaller than I expected. All the pictures I've seen of it make it look like a Chicken Soup for the Soul-sized tome, and I figured it would take me a few weeks to digest. But at 5 x 7, as it is accurately advertised on Amazon, if I'd just looked closer, and only 120 or so pages, it is less a biblical text on leadership than a satisfying, anecdote-filled, read-on-the-airplane and walk off with some good ideas type of publication.

The Premise

Heath gives us a good look at the need for leadership, and chunks it into two overall styles: Command & Control vs. Responsibility & Reward. His 'Attitude Check' works for either, asking us to decide what kind of leader we are, to identify our customers, and to realize the importance of our team to our value as a leader.

The Process

The book covers everything from building your team to motivating them to dealing with conflict, nonperformers, and dealing with lost production. He examines decision-making, owning mistakes, and even looks at the end game as the book closes, discussing how to groom your successor.

Some nuggets of wisdom I enjoyed included his explanation of 'organ rejection' within an organization, avoiding getting his toes stepped on by not putting them in the way of his team in the first place, and his use of visual reminders (in his case, a piece of clothing with USMC on it) to give him a 'subliminal Attitude Check' (my words, not his). Sometimes, it is important to remind ourselves who we are and what we expect from ourselves - to lead ourselves before we lead others.

The Heart

Heath shows three primary sides of his life to us, using them all as examples of his leadership prowess and the stumbles he had along the way to developing those skills. A Marine, a construction manager, and a Toastmaster who led the organization from the club level up to the International Board of Directors level. He notes the differences of those groups, from expectations to relationships to methods of results achievement. Suffice to say you can't expect a volunteer hoping to overcome their fear of public speaking to respond in the same manner as a disciplined fighting machine.

Most interesting to ME were his Toastmaster examples, of course, as I just kept trying to envision what he went through against my own experiences at much lower levels of the organization. I'm not sure if it encouraged me to actually move up into District Leadership or solidified my decision to wait another 20 years or so...

The Result

A concise and entertaining glimpse into Heath's life as a leader - essentially a weekend-long leadership seminar in a book. As a speaker, this book is perfect for him to sell in the back of the room, or sell ahead of time to organizations hiring him - as resources for their attendees. It isn't overwhelming to read, but it IS authentic, fairly comprehensive despite being brief, and almost always original enough to stand out amongst the thousands of other leadership books sitting on the shelves and the Amazon Wish Lists of the world.

I give The Attitude Check four stars out of five - I wish it had been longer - and that's more a compliment than anything else, I suppose. If you're looking for another perspective on leadership, or know some folks around you that could use one, or just want to send a copy to your local member of Congress, I fully endorse it.
2577405
i enjoy to read it, have make me remenber a lot about my experiences, i recomend it, is very instructive.
3575430
In The McKinsey Edge, Shu Hattori aims to communicate the tips and tricks he has learned while working for the global management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company. Truthfully, I'm not completely sure I understand what McKinsey & Company does, but, as far as I can tell, the firm exists to help big companies become more efficient, productive, and profitable.

The book, overall, does contain insightful and helpful points. Some of my favorites:

(*)  Have a 30-second answer to everything. If someone wants more detail, she will ask.
(*)  Pause 3 seconds before answering difficult questions. Show others you can withstand the weight of silence.
(*)  Put your best effort into a project early, since this is when you will make the strongest, most lasting impression.
(*)  Ask questions sooner rather than later. The earlier you ask, the less judgment and irritation there will be.
(*)  Create a holiday card for yourself one year in advance. Write down what you will have accomplished by the end of next year.
(*)  Schedule time for "new learning" (reading books, meeting new people, etc.) by putting it on your to-do list.

I most enjoyed the advice given in Chapter 2, about "growing with others." I thought this section really showed Hattori to be a thoughtful, caring, intentional, engaged, and kind person. I can see why he would be a good boss. Some of my favorite pieces of advice in this section:

(*)  Assume people have good intentions. Find the good, and remember it.
(*)  Deliver feedback using positive criticism.
(*)  Assign meaningful tasks to employees.
(*)  Meet with new people every week. And don't "grade" the interactions afterward. The value is in the meetings themselves.

I enjoyed the content of this book. However, I have two HUGE criticisms. First, I really wish the author had gone into more detail about what the firm actually does. There is an appendix in the back that describes the structure of the company somewhat, but I still found it insufficient. I ended up having to research the company on my own, so I could understand what I was actually reading about--and, even now, I'm still confused. It didn't help that the author seemed to be writing SO specifically to McKinsey employees. He says things like "the associate to engagement manager transition is the most challenging" and "people who work at McKinsey must learn to use a blank callout text box with an arrow pointed to a manlike figure made up of a circle and an isosceles triangle." Huh? Is that supposed to mean something to anyone who doesn't work at McKinsey? Why alienate readers by putting such specific information like that in there?

Second--and this is the biggie--this book is very, very poorly written. The author bio claims that Hattori is a native English and Japanese speaker, but this book definitely reads like it is written by someone who does not speak English as a first language. There is awkward sentence structure, incorrect grammar, and random shifts in verb tense. Hattori says things like "an encapsulating speech" and "Now, let the curtain unveil!" and "You want to show a solid reputation" and "But like most first timers, the experience takes a steep nosedive at first." (Do first timers take steep nosedives at first?) Ugh, it's just bad writing.

Normally, I would give a book written like this two stars, max. But the content in here is actually pretty good. Plus, the more I read the book, the more I became accustomed to the author's writing style, and the easier it was to read. So, take it for what it is. There is good info in here, and I would argue that the book IS worth checking out. But be prepared to work to get something out of it; the many grammatical mistakes and odd language choices are undeniably distracting.
4825167
An interesting collection of insights on the psychology of customer service, with plenty of sound strategic advice grounded in Englanders broad and varied experience.

Step 7 begins the discussion on how to proactively create a dialogue with a customer about his/her expectations, so that you can gain the information you need to manage those expectations. One concept I took away was that to provide the best service, it's necessary to engage in a process of joint discovery with the customer. It's about uncovering the client's goals, benchmarks for success, potential obstacles and so on, while being clear and firm on your own interests and capabilities.

I took the most from the section on time management, which engages a deeper analysis of priorities, values and larger goals. All in all, dealing with customers (I'm not personally in accounts, but the principles apply broadly)  can be so fast-paced it's hard to step back and learn from the process and the bigger picture. These reflections from an experienced practitioner of the art place a strong conceptual foundation for a wiser, more strategic accounts process. Await a paper version for my shelf.
4638817
This is a very good book for those with some experience in project work.  It is not entry level material, mainly because it makes important points with examples and without examples:  only those who have some experience will have a "hook" to latch onto in order to relate to the latter.  When examples are given they are succinct and easy to relate to.

The end of chapter tests reinforce the topics covered very well.  There are times when an experienced project manager who is doing some "brushing up" with this book will not necessarily agree 100% with the required answers as given -- you know the sort of thing, when you have to choose from answer "a", "b", "c", or "d" and you want to choose "e"!  Generally, however the authors show clearly that they have the relevant battle scars from actual projects (one seems to have more practical, hands on experience than the other).

I have 30+ years of project management experience behind me, with a few more ahead in my career.  I found this book invaluable for brushing up my knowledge and for learning a few new ideas.  Thank you Helen and Karen for sharing your comprehensive knowledge.

One peeve (otherwise it would have been 5 stars) - when I tried to do the final examination on line, as suggested, I could not find it anywhere on the web.  I have completed the exam and sent off my answers by snail mail to the name and address given in the book.  I await the response...
3198764
School is about preparing for the professional life. Case studies are suposed to put us in situations we will experience later at work. Sometimes, when playing out in the world field, we notice that the actual succes factors are not only those we learned at school. Gordon's extensive experience abroad proves that a successful carreer requires more than academic knowledge. And I am sure that many times we don't need to go outside the US to experience those stories. I am waiting for further books from Gordon, he surely has many real-world stories to tell us, and much more lessons to teach us. This book is entertaining, hopefully the next one will be a little more analytical.
3135670
Great read and learning experience.  Stephen King's style of writing without a plot gave me insight on building a new on-line interaction system.  King sets up a situation and characters and then allows the characters to make choices as decisions present themselves.  My thanks to the author for this method.  He presents his style  in the second half of the book.

In the first half of the book, King gives an open and honest bio of himself.  I felt he was in front of me having a conversation.  His excitement on receiving his first compensation for his work reminded me of my own experiences.  I only wish I had picked up this book sooner.
2350799
Good Book.
It is good getting a range of practical experience .
If your keen to actually do things - rather than just read about them
I'd recommend it.
-mike
105782
I just completed reading the book from cover to cover and I am pleased. I think when it comes to judging the quality of a book, a reader should consider how well the author has shared their real world experience in the field. I feel strongly that the author makes a compeling case for why engineers should care about doing DI, and the author shared a great deal of his experience, both good and bad, with implementing DI. I don't believe the author came accross as being smarter than anyone as someone else has posted. I think it takes a lot to write a book and share experience and I value the content that was shared with me. Obviously their is a lot of content out of date when reading this in 2016. However, Id say that there is still a great deal of value to be gained from reading this. Im sure a very small population of people can articulate the details of DI so be greatful you have some resource at all. Thank you.
4200392
This book was well thought out and I must admit that I understood the relevance behind the theme of the book, for I am not a CEO--I am a plant manager who does the changing of the guard on a yearly basis--I see good people get promoted all the time, and we have to have the next one in line geared up and ready to take center stage. As the author suggests being there for the changing can be an overwhelming experience for the one that is leaving, and it can be fun and fulfilling experience as well. On the other hand the newbie coming in can have fun with the whole situation as well, or they can approach the situation as difficult as to the person passing the baton can make it. Challenging, eventful, passion and openness can really have a meaning on the new/old during the event--As the author tells, new CEO's can be promoted in or come for another source, either way we have to create a new, heart felt welcome and make sure we don't over burden them with this how we did it, this is what works--for new people create new ideas, some may have never been brought--up so in the changing of the guard have an open mind and listen, just don't crush them with this is HOW I DID IT--it is their show now, have faith in them , believe in them and don't over shadow them---this was a great book, for any business leader on how to change in the new and out with the old.
2632775
This book was very well written - clear, concise, but also just well laid out.  Some of it, of course, will be review to those who have some level of knowledge already - but even then, there are gaps that will be filled.  And, of course, the book continues onward into new areas that I had no knowledge of at all.  Well done!