How Reliable is Your Product? by Mike Silverman - Book review

How Reliable is Your Product?



50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability



By: Mike Silverman



Published: January 3, 2011

Format: Hardcover, 370 pages

ISBN-10: 1-60773-060-X

ISBN-13: 978-1-60773-060-6

Publisher: Super Star Press



























"Reliability is an interesting discipline because there are many techniques you can use to solve problems and create a reliable product", writes Certified Reliability Engineer and Founder and Managing Partner at reliability engineering consultancy, Ops A La Carte, Mike Silverman in his reader friendly and very practical book How Reliable is Your Product? 50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability. The author describes fifty ideas to improve and revolutionize the process of designing, manufacturing, testing, and measuring product reliability from a overall viewpoint.



Mike Silverman understands that guidelines and best practices for ensuring reliability are important, but it's more crucial to find techniques and methods that work best for the individual company. Many factors come into play in the techniques selection including company size and culture, market considerations, and customer experience. The author provides a total of fifty different techniques for design reliability, but acknowledges that not all of the methods are needed in every organization. Mike Silverman provides an overarching framework of guidelines and improvement concepts that can be incorporated flexibly to best suit the business needs. The author encourages every company to design and develop an individualized reliability program that suits their own specific requirements and organizational goals.







Mike Silverman (photo left) moves beyond the traditional back end based method of testing product reliability of trying to break the product. Instead, the author turns that thinking upside down and proposes building reliability into the design from the very beginning. The front end approach to reliable not only develops potentially superior products, but takes customer and testing considerations into account through the entire process from concept to customer. At the same time, a company can create meaningful metrics for measuring product reliability that can detect problems much more quickly than a traditional back end testing model. For Mike Silverman, reliability is no longer a separate and siloed part of the design and manufacturing process, but is an integral part of the overall system. The concept of Reliability Integration, and its holistic approach to product reliability is a key element of the book, that transforms the company design culture from one of separate groups into one where an overall big picture consideration of reliability becomes the norm.



For me, the power of the book is how Mike Silverman transforms the entire approach to reliability from one of separate operations to one of an integrated whole. The author provides an approachable and engaging examination of reliability engineering and testing, that is readily understandable by both engineers and non-engineers within the organization. The minimal number of mathematical formulas will definitely appeal to managers, who lack a background in higher mathematics, but seek a clear overview of the concept of a holistic and integrated system for reliability. At the same time,



Mike Silverman presents a high level examination of the topic that will appeal to managers looking to incorporate reliability into all phases of their system, including design, manufacture, testing, and measuring of products. The author enhances his concepts with succinct and concise case studies that illustrate the various techniques in the real world. A handy glossary of common engineering and reliability acronyms is a valuable extra feature of the book as well.



I highly recommend the essential and must read book How Reliable is Your Product? 50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability by Mike Silverman, to anyone seeking a high level, overview approach to product reliability. This book considers all aspects of reliability as part of an integrated whole, where all areas of the process fit together as one system.



Read the idea packed and reliability transformational book How Reliable is Your Product? 50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability by Mike Silverman, and discover how to develop a unique reliability program that suits the needs of your company. The author dispenses with one size fits all, and mandatory best practices, while encouraging creative approaches to the overall concept of reliability. This book is a treasure trove of information and concepts for any product reliability engineers and managers.

Tags: How Reliable is Your Product? 50 Ways to Improve Product Reliability, Mike Silverman, product reliability engineering, business book reviews.

Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli - Book review

Read This Before Our Next Meeting

By: Al Pittampalli

Published: August 3, 2011
Format: Hardcover, 80 pages
ISBN-10: 1936719169
ISBN-13: 978-1936719167
Publisher: The Domino Project









" One mediocre meeting after another corrodes our organization, and every day we allow it to happen" writes speaker, blogger, change agent, and founder of The Modern Meeting Company, Al Pittampalli, in his action oriented manifesto on ending bad meetings, Read This Before Our Next Meeting. The author describes how to end the bad meeting culture that permeates organizations, and how to replace it with the corporate culture changing modern meeting.

Al Pittampalli recognizes that meetings are not only necessary but can even achieve results. While this concept may seem radical to veterans of useless and time consuming traditional meetings, the author offers timely advice for holding useful meetings. Al Pittampalli provides evidence that the standard format meeting is not only bad and a waste of valuable time, but is also counterproductive to the overall goals and culture of the company. For the author, bad meetings destroy any sense of urgency, and replace that critical time element with a sense that perhaps time is not that important after all. For organizations facing stiff competition, this loss of urgency fostered through pointless meetings, can cause serious harm to the business. As a result, the author recommends an entirely new approach to how meetings are thought about and conducted by organizations at all levels.



Al Pittampalli (photo left) understands that the traditional meeting has simply devolved into another communication tool that serves little real purpose. Instead of wasting the potential power of a meeting on mundane communication, Al Pittampalli proposes that meetings should instead be considered as a last resort. This key insight forms the basis for the author's sole reason to hold meetings. That reason is to support decisions. The author shares the tools for transforming meetings into decision making vehicles that propel the organization forward, and that achieve real results. To that end, Al Pittampalli offers his seven principles of the Modern Meeting Standard:

* Meet only to support a decision already made
* Move fast and end on schedule
* Limit the number of attendees
* Reject the unprepared
* Produce committed action plans
* Refuse to be informational. Reading the memo is mandatory
* Work with brainstorms, not against them

For me, the power of the book is how Al Pittampalli turns traditional and ingrained thinking about meetings upside down. The concept of the modern meeting is revolutionary as it removes all of the standard meeting reasons from the table, with the exception of supporting decisions. The author shares his seven principles of successful modern meetings, and provides an explanatory chapter on each one, to support his reasoning. In the end, the author strives to transform moribund corporate cultures where meetings became a crutch for inaction, into dynamic organizational cultures where meetings serve a real purpose.

I highly recommend the revolutionary and must read book Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli, to anyone seeking an effective and results based alternative to the standard, time wasting meeting. This book changes the way people will think about meetings and their true purpose, restoring the importance of meetings as agents of change and advancement.

Read the idea filled and essential book Read This Before Our Next Meeting by Al Pittampalli, and discover not only how to conduct more effective meetings, but why the meeting should even happen in the first place. This book is a guerrilla guide to better and more effective meetings.

Tags: Read This Before Our Next Meeting, Al Pittampalli, enhanced meeting strategies, business book reviews.

Apocalypse: How to Survive a Global Crisis by Dan Martin - Book review

Apocalypse

How to Survive a Global Crisis

By: Dan Martin

Published: May 15, 2011
Paperback: 302 pages
ISBN-10: 142765185X
ISBN-13: 978-1427651853
Publisher: ECKO House Publishing










"When/If life as we know it ever reverts back to 'simpler' times due to any occurrence or multiple occurrences at any time, you'll need the life lessons that were once passed down from generation to generation (as well as few additional ones I've devised) to guide you in and through the new world", writes former engineer at Boeing, disaster survival consultant, and founder of Agua Luna, Dan Martin, in his often shocking but always thought provoking book Apocalypse: How to Survive a Global Crisis. The author describes the potential nightmare disasters that can destroy society as we know it, and how to survive not only the catastrophic events themselves, but also how to survive in the new and dangerous world that would emerge in the aftermath.

Dan Martin presents a number of global disaster scenarios,ranging from the readily plausible to the truly exotic. Far from dismissing even more fanciful sounding prophecies, the author considers them surprisingly realistic descriptions of world wide catastrophes of epic proportion. In all of the various societal destroying cases, Dan Martin recognizes that the general population will be completely unprepared, and chaos will be the immediate result. The author points to examples like Hurricane Katrina to demonstrate that governments will be unwilling or unable to provide the needed assistance for survivors. To prevent this lack of preparedness from endangering the lives of his readers and their families, the author shares many survival techniques ranging from the simple to the extreme.



Dan Martin (photo left) pulls no punches with his clear eyed description of the potential modern world ending catastrophes. The author leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader that should events unfold in any of the global destroying events described in the book, that the world we know will only be a distant memory. Instead of our usual daily routines, concerns, and obsessions, the first needs will be simple survival, food acquisition, shelter, and personal safety.

For Dan Martin, the old rules of society will be replaced by a ruthless law of the jungle aftermath, where people will be forced to change how they think about life, property, and other people. The scenarios presented are frightening, and outside of the life experience of most people. As a result, Dan Martin offers some lessons in disaster survival, many of which will be repugnant to most readers. He offers those ideas to give people a rude awakening as to what a post-apocalyptic world will be like in no uncertain terms. The world as we know will have ended, and Dan Martin shares harsh lessons in extreme survival techniques and strategies.

For me, the power of the book is how Dan Martin provides realistic and plausible scenarios of global disasters that would end modern life as we know and understand it. The author describes with unflinching clarity the difficult and soul searching decisions that people will be forced by circumstances to make to ensure the survival of themselves and their families. It should be noted that not all of the survival strategies and tactics are ones that would appeal to most people The author provides a service to his readers in making them aware that other crisis survivors might not be as ethical as the readers of this book. On the other hand, Dan Martin provides some very useful strategies that can be employed in local disasters; along with the global society destroyers presented in this book.

I highly recommend the over sized and potentially life saving book Apocalypse: How to Survive a Global Crisis by Dan Martin, to anyone seeking a no holds barred survival guide to global natural or man made catastrophes. The techniques shared in this book may not be for everyone, but the author leaves no doubt that people would never know what they would do in the rubble of a destroyed world.

Read the startling and surprisingly hope filled book Apocalypse: How to Survive a Global Crisis by Dan Martin, and discover how to build a life when the world as we understand it is long gone. Instead of becoming one of the uncounted casualties of a global apocalypse, this book teaches real world survival methods that can and will save your life and those of your family and loved ones.

Tags: Apocalypse: How to Survive a Global Crisis, Dan Martin, catastrophe survival techniques, science book reviews.

Math For Grownups by Laura Laing - Book review

Math for Grownups

Re-Learn the Arithmetic You Forgot From School So You Can, Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes) Figure ... homework Convert calories into cardio time

By: Laura Laing

Published: July 18, 2011
Format: Paperback, 256 pages
ISBN-10: 1440512639
ISBN-13: 978-1440512636
Publisher: Adams Media











"Even people who don't sweat math problems - namely, mathematicians! - sometimes have trouble with the calculations we face in everyday life", writes journalist and former high school mathematics teacher Laura Laing, in her very engaging and user friendly book Math for Grownups: Re-Learn the Arithmetic You Forgot From School So You Can, Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes) Figure ... homework Convert calories into cardio time. The author provides a practical and useful guide to relearning the basic mathematics necessary to solve the many number based problems that arise in everyone's daily lives.

Laura Laing recognizes that many people have either forgotten, or never really learned, the standard mathematics formulas needed to perform the calculations needed in everyday life. Whether the problem is ensuring that the amount of money in one's pocket will cover the selected store purchases, measuring around the house for repairs or new appliances, figuring out the costs involved with buying a house or automobile, or figuring out a recipe in the kitchen, calculations are needed to find a solution. That necessity means knowing and understanding basic math formulas and concepts. For Laura Laing, the intimidation many people feel when faced with numbers and calculations is unfounded and unnecessary. Instead, the author demonstrates how math is not only helpful in our lives, but is really a lot of fun as well.



Laura Laing (photo left) maintains that math problems are not really challenging at all, but simply basic arithmetic, shapes, measurements, and the language of numbers. The author describes the good news is that very few people in the world are unable to solve simple math problems. Indeed, Laura Laing presents compelling evidence that everyone is able do math very well in almost any setting. For the author, people have an innate curiosity about the world, and that world involves numbers, sizes, shapes, and measurements that anyone can master effectively. To this end, Laura Laing guides the reader through the steps to solving even the most seemingly complex problems with relative ease. The chapters cover the areas in life where people will have the need for some basic math:

* At the store
* At the dealership
* On the market
* At home
* In the kitchen
* In the yard
* In the craft room
* At the bank
* In the gym
* On the road

For me, the power of the book is how Laura Laing takes the mystery, and along with it the misplaced sense of difficulty, out of the basic principles of mathematics. Through a combination of real world examples, interesting and intriguing problems, and a healthy dose of good humor, the author teaches math in the way many people wished it had been taught to them. Laura Laing is enthusiastic about mathematics, and conveys her excitement with numbers and finding solutions to the reader. The author dispenses with the highly theoretical and abstract math that many people remember from their high school days, and grounds the subject in the very real world of everyday life. Along with the fun and well designed problems, Laura Laing also provides a very handy list of formulas and glossary of math terms, for easy reference.

I highly recommend the enjoyable and easy to follow guide book Math for Grownups: Re-Learn the Arithmetic You Forgot From School So You Can, Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes) Figure ... homework Convert calories into cardio time by Laura laing, to anyone seeking a useful and results oriented refresher course in basic mathematics. Instead of the often discouraging and dry treatment accorded to the fascinating world of mathematics, the author transforms the subject into an enjoyable journey toward a solution to an identifiable problem.

Read the mathematics misconception ending book Math for Grownups: Re-Learn the Arithmetic You Forgot From School So You Can, Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes) Figure ... homework Convert calories into cardio time by Laura laing, and discover how delightful math can be as an easy to relearn tool for working through even the seemingly most perplexing problems. This book will have you actively seeking out new opportunities to apply your rediscovered mathematical abilities.

Tags: Math for Grownups: Re-Learn the Arithmetic You Forgot From School So You Can, Calculate how much that raise will really amount to (after taxes) Figure ... homework Convert calories into cardio time, Laura Laing, basic everyday mathematics, business book reviews.

Roger C. Parker: #Book Title Tweet - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio



Book coach, online writing expert, and bestselling author of of the idea packed and reader friendly book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles, Roger C. Parker, shares his ideas about why book titles are important and how to select the right title to maximize sales for your book. Roger describes why book titles are critical for internet search engine driven traffic and for enticing potential buyers who are only one click away from another title. Roger Parker points out that an effective title sets your book apart from the competition; and provides ideas for what makes a book title a great one. Learn how to research title ideas, and how to put them together, to create a title that differentiates your book from the others in its field. Discover how to use your great new book title as another powerful online and offline marketing tool.

Roger C. Parker is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.

The show airs live on Thursday, August 4, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.

Book coach, online writing expert, and bestselling author of of the idea packed and reader friendly book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles, Roger C. Parker, shares his ideas about why book titles are important and how to select the right title to maximize sales for your book. You will learn:

* Why book titles are so critical to the success of a book

* How to research, create, and test great title ideas

* Why titles are so important on the internet, social media, and search engines

* How to avoid the costly mistakes that result from choosing a weak book title



Roger C. Parker (photo left) is a book coach, helping others build their personal brands. He is a "32 Million Dollar Author," book coach, and online writing resource. His 38 books have sold 1.6 million copies in 35 languages around the world. In this book he shows you how to take a fresh look at titles and re-examine their effectiveness. The hundreds of examples he provides will inspire you to recognize good titles when you see them, and apply their lessons to your own projects. #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles.He coaches you to welcome writing projects, and optimize your written communication to maximize the value of your time, your money, and your brand.

My book review of #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles by Roger C. Parker.

Listen live on Thursday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.



If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.



To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832

Let's talk with book coach, online writing expert, and bestselling author of of the idea packed and reader friendly book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles, Roger C. Parker, as he shares his ideas about why book titles are important and how to select the right title to maximize sales for your book. Rogers describes why book titles are critical for internet search engine driven traffic and for enticing potential buyers who are only one click away from another title. Roger Parker points out that an effective title sets your book apart from the competition; and provides ideas for what makes a book title a great one. Learn how to research title ideas, and how to put them together, to create a title that differentiates your book from the others in its field. Discover how to use your great new book title as another powerful online and offline marketing tool on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles, Roger C. Parker, book title strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.

#Book Title Tweet by Roger C. Parker - Book review

#BOOKTITLEtweet Book01

140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles

By: Roger C. Parker

Published: June 2, 2010
Format: Paperback, 134 pages
ISBN-10: 1616990260
ISBN-13: 978-1616990268
Publisher: THINKaha












"Titles sell books in the same way headlines in advertisements sell products and service; they make a promise that compels further reading, writes book coach and bestselling author Roger C. Parker, in his idea packed and reader friendly book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles. The author provides 140 ideas for creating, writing, and utilizing book titles to entice readers, sell more books, and develop the author's brand.

Roger C. Parker recognizes the importance of a good book title to the overall success of the book and its author. Roger Parker writes from experience as the successful writer of thirty-eight books totaling well over $1.6 million in sales. With his proven track record in hand, the author demonstrates not only why great titles are so critically important, but also how to create and test the ideal title prior to publication. With the advent of the internet as an integral component of any book sales strategy, Roger Parker provides the strategies for developing book titles that will be visible on the search engines, and on any website or blog.



Roger C. Parker (photo left) transforms the focus on the book title from being only informational to being part of an overall book marketing and branding strategy. The author not only offers reasons for needing a strong book title but he also points to the problems generated by a weak book title. For the author, a book title must contribute, at a glance, to the sale of the book through enticing the prospect to become a purchaser. With the internet, social media, and search engines becoming ever more crucial to a book's overall success, Roger Parker shares his tactics for creating titles that work online. The author describes the characteristics of strong book titles, and how to research, create, and test potential titles to find just the right fit for the book. The author even adds a caveat that an author should not depend solely on the title to sell the book. The content between the covers must also live up to the promise made by that well thought out book title.

For me, the power of the book is how Roger C, Parker presents the both the reasons as to why book titles are so critical to success, combined with a simple but practical road map to creating those titles. Using only 140 tweets of 140 characters, the author provides an engaging and easy to follow guide to effective and results oriented title creation. Roger Parker covers all of the factors surrounding titles, from what constitutes a strong title, to the strategies for generating ideas, brainstorming, and researching the right title to suit the book. The author augments his book by adding a valuable resource section to help authors research the concepts of titles and branding further.

I highly recommend the deceptively simple but very insight filled book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles by Roger C. Parker, to anyone seeking a clear and concise good to developing and utilizing good book titles. While it may be said that a book can't be judged by its cover, the author makes a compelling case that a book can indeed be judged in terms of the effectiveness of its title.

Read the valuable and definitive titles book #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles by Roger C. Parker, and put the power of a superior book title to work for your next volume. Your sales will increase, along with your brand visibility, and your enhanced reputation as an author.

Tags: #BOOKTITLEtweet Book01: 140 Bite-Sized Ideas for Compelling Article, Book, and Event Titles, Roger C. Parker, book title strategies, business book reviews.

Brian Dietmeyer: B2B Street Fighting - Blog Business Success Radio

Listen to Wayne Hurlbert on Blog Talk Radio







Sales and negotiation strategist, President and CEO of Think! Inc., and author of the results oriented and very effective book B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation, Brian j. Dietmeyer, describes a fresh approach to thinking about business negotiations. Brian moves beyond the usual listing of tactics and presents an alternative concept of negotiation as a predictable and repeatable process. Brian shares three specific counter-punches that any negotiator can employ to improve their success rate. Learn how to change any negotiation, including sales conversations, from one focused on price to one that considers the importance of value to the customer.



Brian j. Dietmeyer is my internet radio show guest on Blog Business Success; hosted live on BlogTalkRadio.



The show airs live on Tuesday, August 2, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time; 5:00 pm Pacific Time.



Sales and negotiation strategist, President and CEO of Think! Inc., and author of the results oriented and very effective book B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation, Brian j. Dietmeyer, describes a fresh approach to thinking about business negotiations. You will learn:



* How negotiations have changed with the rise of professional buyers



* Three major challenges that face negotiators



* Three usable and repeatable strategies that can be employed in any negotiations



* How negotiations are not random events but predicable and repeatable







Brian J. Dietmeyer (photo left) is a 20+ year veteran of sales, marketing and strategic planning. As Vice President with Marriott International, he led the National Account, Territory Management, Telemarketing and Teleconferencing Sales Forces. He’s a frequent public speaker and had published articles on Negotiations, Marketing Research, Business to Business Relationships and Adding Value. Mr. Dietmeyer is the author of two books: Strategic Negotiation and B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation.



Brian has been VP of Marketing on the Board of Directors for National Account Management Association and was the Chairman of the MPI Education Foundation Board. He completed his undergraduate studies at DePaul University with a degree in Liberal Arts. He holds a Masters Degree in Management from The JL Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and he’s a graduate of the Executive Development Program at the Aspen Institute/University of Maryland. He is also a certified Sales Trainer.



My book review of B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation by Brian j. Dietmeyer.



Listen live on Tuesday at 8:00 pm Eastern, 5:00 pm Pacific time.







If you miss this very informative show, it will be available for free download as a podcast for iPod, iTunes, and MP3 players; or play it right on your computer. To download this, or any other of my guest interviews, go to the Blog Business Success host page and click on Archived Segments. Once there, click on the podcast icon at the end of the episode description, to download the show free of charge for your listening enjoyment. You can also subscribe to the show feed.







To call in questions for my guest, the number is: (347) 996-5832



Let's talk with sales and negotiation strategist, President and CEO of Think! Inc., and author of the results oriented and very effective book B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation, Brian j. Dietmeyer, as he describes a fresh approach to thinking about business negotiations. Brian moves beyond the usual listing of tactics and presents an alternative concept of negotiation as a predictable and repeatable process. Brian shares three specific counter-punches that any negotiator can employ to improve their success rate. Learn how to change any negotiation, including sales conversations, from one focused on price to one that considers the importance of value to the customer on Blog Business Success Radio.

Tags: B2B Street Fighting - Next Generation Business-to-Business Negotiation, Brian J. Dietmeyer, enhanced negotiation strategies, Blog Business Success, Blog Talk Radio.