Reviews (21)

Informative Book
This was a great book to get your mind started on thinking about opening a retail business.It doesn't focus solely on EBay.It also covers other small business avenues.
Perfect for beginners
This book is perfect for first time sellers and people that just need help finding direction.A lot of the information is general business knowledge but there is an occasional piece of helpful knowledge, even to experienced ebayers and amazoners.There is help with understanding taxes as well as creating yourself as a professional business.All around it's a decent read.

What to Sell on eBay & where to Get It
Very informative and well reserached book loaded with useful facts. As good as an expensive class. Good to keep for future reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. E-Commerce - General    5. E-Commerce - Internet Marketing    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Internet auctions    8. Internet marketing    9. New Business Enterprises    10. Business & Economics / E-Commerce / General    11. Business & Management    12. Consumer guides & advice    13. World Wide Web (WWW)   

Reviews (111)

waste of paper
This book is a total waste of time.Stick to books by Pring, Murphy and Elder...
Why and how to design a successful trading system
Thousands, if not millions, of people waste huge amounts of money and time every year searching for some get-rich-quick Holy Grail of trading.Tharp's somewhat misleadingly titled Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom is definitely not a get-rich-quick technique.Nor is it even a guide to analyzing the markets; there are no fundamental analysis approaches, no technical chart patterns, no quantitative formulae.Instead, Tharp offers something totally different and far more useful: he systematically describes why you should develop your own trading system and how you should go about building and testing it.
Read It
There is a lot to learn from this book.If you can exersice the things taught in this book you can make a ton of money in the market.RE read it several times.Every time you read it you learn something new and better understand the conceps being taught. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Consumer Finance    4. Finance, Personal    5. Investment Finance    6. Investments & Securities - General    7. Personal Finance    8. Personal Finance - Investing    9. Stocks    10. Budgeting & financial management    11. Business & Economics / Personal Finance / Investing    12. Investment & securities   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Finance    5. Finance    6. Budgeting & financial management    7. Business & Economics / Finance   

Reviews (17)

For those who love going into the detail...
This is one of the best books I have read to date on Valuation.It spanks various methodologies and speaks to their differences.It goes into the detail and stays there to provide the depth necessary to get a intuative understanding.WARNING:not for those who do not like math.You can follow the derivations and I found it very good practice and reinforcement to learning the concepts.
OK but very technical
Overall, the book covers relevant M&A material but it's difficult to read. Coming from a finance background, I was looking for a reference book to be used at work. There are other books that are more user-friendly. Recommendation: get Applied Mergers & Acquisitions from Wiley Finance instead; same topics but a pleasure to read.

Purely for Reference
As an M&A finance practitioner, I am torn between giving this book a 3-star or 4-star rating.As many reviewers have noted, this is structured to be a reference book.There is more math than is typically needed or used in most small or medium-sized transactions, and there is very little introductory material for the uninitiated to get their bearings.Instead, the books delves straight into valuation exercises that are at times even more difficult than what I have encountered in the profession.The examples, while numerous and varied, are often reviewed much too quickly, and occasionally with so many permutations and small digressions that it is difficult to keep track of the purpose of the original endeavor.And as good students know, it is very hard to remember how to do something when you do not know *why* you are doing it. As such, it is difficult to recommend this book with much enthusiasm to anyone who does not at least have a few transactions under their belt because as a general guide it does not at all do the trick.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consolidation and merger of co    5. Consolidation and merger of corporations    6. Corporate Finance    7. Corporate Mergers And Acquisitions    8. Corporations    9. Finance    10. Industries - General    11. Investments & Securities - General    12. Mergers & Acquisitions    13. Textbooks    14. Valuation    15. Budgeting & financial management    16. Business & Economics / Finance    17. Finance & Accounting    18. Takeovers, mergers & buy-outs   

Editorial Review

With the stock market breaking records almost daily, leaving longtime market analysts shaking their heads and revising their forecasts, a study of the concept of risk seems quite timely. Peter Bernstein has written a comprehensive history of man's efforts to understand risk and probability, beginning with early gamblers in ancient Greece, continuing through the 17th-century French mathematicians Pascal and Fermat and up to modern chaos theory. Along the way he demonstrates that understanding risk underlies everything from game theory to bridge-building to winemaking. ... Read more

Reviews (132)

Ingenious ways to measure probability
"Against the Gods; The remarkable story of risk," is a world-class history of ingenious ways to measure probability.Author Peter L. Bernstein approaches the subject of risk/uncertainty with patience and unfolds a stirring tale of how civilization dicovered ways to improve the understanding of probability.
Enjoyable
It has interesting parts. Good for those looking for a recreational reading rather than a good manual for beginners. On this count, I recommend Barboianu's "Understanding and Calculating the Odds".

A good non-mathematical introduction to economic risk
For people who are interested in the economic side of risk (mainly stock), rather than the probabilities and risks of every day things.
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Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Decision making    6. Decision-Making (Psychological Aspects)    7. Finance    8. Insurance - Risk Assessment & Management    9. Probabilities    10. Probability & Statistics - General    11. Risk management    12. Budgeting & financial management    13. Business & Economics / Management    14. Management decision making    15. Probability & statistics    16. Psychology   

Reviews (1)

Everything you need to know in finance - superb!
I found this book very complete and comprehensive as a reference source.It covers the strategic and operational perspectives of the finance function.This is one of the best "CFO" books, together with "CFO Architect" and "CFO Handbook".A little bit overpriced - I would have put it in the US$60 range.Reading this book is like taking an advanced course in preparing yourself for the CFO career.It is very didactic and straightforward. A recommendation for the author: in a future edition, you might consider expanding on the topics of international finance, value based management and corporate restructurings. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - Managerial    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Chief financial officers    6. Corporate Finance    7. Corporations    8. Entrepreneurship    9. Executive Management    10. Finance    11. Handbooks, manuals, etc    12. Management    13. Management - General    14. Budgeting & financial management    15. Business & Economics / Accounting / Management   

Reviews (1)

Not for OM majors
This books does a good job supporting a contemporary approach to Operations management. It does not assume everybody wants to major in Om nor does it assume everybody wants to go into manufacturing. It is very readable and does a good job helping the studetn understand the basic trade-offs of OM. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Management - General    6. Operations Management    7. Production & Operations Management    8. Business & Economics / Production & Operations Management    9. Customer services    10. Operational research   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Entrepreneurship    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Management - General    6. Operations Management    7. Project management    8. Quality Control    9. Six sigma (Quality control sta    10. Six sigma (Quality control standard)    11. Technology    12. Business & Economics / Quality Control    13. Production & quality control management   

Editorial Review

Classify this itsy-bitsy book as a project management guide that isn't aproject to read but that distills all the basics for you into a quick thumbnailguide on everything from establishing objectives and keeping to schedules andbudgets to providing effective leadership and tackling problems efficiently.Along the way, simple checklists enable you to be fully prepared at every stage,from starting up to closing down, and accessible diagrams and flow chartsexplore different options for action and provide useful examples. Granted, ifyou're looking for very specific or in-depth guidance, you may find this booktoo cursory and general in its approach. But if you're looking for a thumbnailguide to the basics, it'll do you just fine.Read more

Reviews (2)

Guiding Light!
The Book is a great 'Guiding Light' - I mention this because Project Management is a wide topic. Any good business needs to begin with a plan to blueprint for operating and building company eg. Establishing, Budget, Targetting market, Competition etc. This book provides check lists with diagrams, graphs and examples that focus on SWOT (Strength, weakness, Opportunities and Threat) analysis of business. There's expert advice on team work, communication and developing Leadership and the authors' co-experience brings to limelight the basics of understanding the Project with topics like: Essential Managers: Project Management
An excellent, very portable, reference crammed cover-to-cover with easy to read information, including a multitude of diagrams and clear instructions that will allow managers and team players alike, to plan, monitor and control business projects to successful completion. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Decision Making & Problem Solving    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Handbooks & Manuals    7. Production & Operations Management    8. Project management    9. Business & Economics / Decision-Making & Problem Solving    10. Business   

Reviews (12)

Packed With Knowledge!
In Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, Performance Research Associates - with some editorial help from Ron Zemke - highlight the main principles and techniques involved in providing great customer service and resolving customer problems. This lively book features many short chapters, cartoons, bulleted axioms and what-to-do examples. However, much of the information seems very familiar, like a juiced-up version of hints, tips and advice that have appeared in many other customer service books. Thus, it has a kind of d�j� vu quality. While someone who is experienced in this field may find the information here too familiar, we recommend this accessible volume as a great introduction to customer service.

Packed with Knowledge!
In Delivering Knock Your Socks Off Service, Performance Research Associates - with some editorial help from Ron Zemke - highlight the main principles and techniques involved in providing great customer service and resolving customer problems. This lively book features many short chapters, cartoons, bulleted axioms and what-to-do examples. However, much of the information seems very familiar, like a juiced-up version of hints, tips and advice that have appeared in many other customer service books. Thus, it has a kind of d�j� vu quality. While someone who is experienced in this field may find the information here too familiar, we recommend this accessible volume as a great introduction to customer service.

It's not Brain Surgery � So why is it so hard to do well?
"Knock Your Socks Off" is an easy to read, well-organized, thorough introduction to the crucial aspects of providing excellent customer service. I kept it on the corner of my desk and read it during lunch hours. The 31 short chapters (approx. 150 pages) can be finished in just a week or two. I intend to pass it along to the Customer Service Reps that work for me as "required reading" (or maybe even splurge and buy them their own copy!)Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Customer Service    5. Customer services    6. Entrepreneurship   

Reviews (7)

Filled With Useless Information
If you want to wade through useless babble to get to the actual cost accounting, go at it. However, you'll probably buy this book anyway if you have an unscrupulous accounting professor who received a gift basket from the publisher.
FOR THE PRICE, THIS BOOK SHOULD BE BETTER
This book should have been written better when you consider its expensive price tag. However, the review excercise at the end of the chapter is extremely helpful. I would recommend the book if serious improvements are made. Overall, it is not that bad.

Want to Cheat Someone
I made a mistake and chose the book they listed in the Amazon.com. When the book arrived, I saw that what they have listed was only a Study Guide from a really old edition. I must say that they have said this on the listing. That was my mistake. But I wrote them back that I do not want this book, and want to return it. But they do not accept the return and refund of money. They do know that it is hard to find someone again doing this mistake. I looked at the book. This is $ 10 worth, not more. And impossible to sell again. I am a student. I do not have so much money to afford the required book. So I got really frustrated and faced losts of problems in the following weeks and spent a lot of time and energy to get the right book. It is a really sad story and an experience for me. I hope the seller is right know enjoying my $ 139.71. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Activity-based costing    3. Business & Economics    4. Business / Economics / Finance    5. Business/Economics    6. Cost accounting    7. Managerial accounting    8. Budgeting & financial management    9. Business & Economics / Accounting / General   

Reviews (14)

Excellent Book for non-specialists!!!
I think this book is very effective! Once you by pass all the gramatical errors, then you will be in driver's seat on this subject. A good book worth reading by anyone who is or plans to be a small business owner. I take my hat off to the author for making such a complicated subject easy to follow within the covers of such a small book.

Excellet Resource
Although the price is steep for such a small book, and the book is full of grammatical errors, the information is invaluable.The book seems to have not been proof read prior to publishing.However, the author knows his subject and I have already used some of the information in the book on two business deals.One passage especially, on valuing (discounting) a minority partnership interest saved my organization several million dollars.They had planned to pay "pro rata" to buy a minority stake in a company.I was able to demonstrate why that was not a good idea because of the way the partnership was structured.They are now successfully negotiating at a discounted price.I highly recommend this book and agree with another review which states that you can find lengthier books on business valuation, but this one cuts right to the main points. In fact I bought three other books on valuation, one is over 1,000 pages but "Unlocking the Value of Your Business" is the book I find myself referencing everyday.Maybe that is why I could not find a used copy at a cheaper price, everyone holds on to their book!

great book - reliable info
I have several books on this subject, and this one is probably my favorite.I've done many, many valuations and found that the more esoteric books on the topic don't seem to produce better results than the "tried and true" methods in this manual.There are also quite a few books, aimed at the layman, that oversimplify the subject - but there's no danger of that here.You will find this book both very accessible and technically complete.Highly, highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting    2. Business & Economics    3. Business & Economics / Accounting / General    4. Business & Economics / Consolidation & Merger    5. Business & Economics / Small Business    6. Mergers   

Reviews (15)

Good information--not as complete as I would like
As a designer, I was looking more for input on equipment layout and functionality.This book gave me a good equipment list to discuss and layout with the client.The local building department loved our plans!The one area where the book falls short is helping to illustrate some good layouts.

It's a good start...
Start & Run a Coffee Bar is a good starting point. The devil is always in the details. This book does a great job of helping you to think about the details. All those little things that you usually discover as you are in the process of setting things up. Starting with the business plan and working through to expanding and franchising. The book offers sample lists, charts and worksheets that provide ballpark figures to work with. The book talks about the basics of the product itself, coffee and espresso. In short, the book is very thorough in covering the things you will need to think about in starting and running a coffee bar.
Best book for the beans
We are opening a coffee house in 4 months and, needless to say, I have been reading and researching tons of books.Not just on the coffee world, but on insuring a small business as well as other legal insights.This book has been a HUGE resource for our venture.It is an easy read, meaning, it doesn't numb your mind for countless pages discussing, say, insurance.Let me add that it does talk about insurance, and I thank the authors for that.They explain complicated business talk with clear and consise examples.They also tend to weigh situations against other situations.For example, when drawing up the plans, they give you three ways of doing it (yourself, a draftsman, and an architect) and explain the pros and cons of each.This is consistent throughout the book and they go on to explain why or why not certain things work. They discuss marketing, staffing and the interview process, equipment tips, design layout, decor, etc. This is obviously written from the stand point of people who have been there.They cover all the bases about getting your shop up and running while touching on some potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.And if you get in a bind, they discuss how to get out of it.My highlighter has gotten a workout and I am passing this on to my co-owners to read.I am grateful to have found this book and only wish I had found it sooner to save money on the previous "coffee house" books I have purchased.This book exceeded my expectations as it went beyond the basics and truly is the only book you'll ever need.I was impressed to see that they covered LLC's, C corporations, and, S corporations...where people can't sue and go after your homes, bank accounts, personal assets, etc.Our attorney recomended an LLC for our type of operation and I was relieved to see that this book brought the topic up. Thanks to the authors for being the most complete work out there (in my opinion) on starting your business THE RIGHT WAY from the start. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Enterprise    4. Business/Economics    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Hotel And Restaurant Management    7. Industries - Hospitality, Travel & Tourism    8. Hotel & catering trades   

Reviews (4)

The Strategy Concept and Process
Need to know about the fundamental concept and process in Strategy? read this book, you will find a comprehensive description in "easy to understand" language, even that you're a beginner in Strategic Management. This book is a usefull guide for anyone, no matter you're a undergraduate, Graduate or Doctoral student. A state of the art of Strategic Management.

Learn To Develop a Strategic Plan and Capture the Essence
Basically, this book aims at making strategy concepts and techniques very clear to readers. In this book, strategy concepts were translated into well-considered formulations. very usefull in the field
Very exciting knowledge from the expert ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Corporate Planning    5. Entrepreneurship    6. Management - General    7. Strategic Planning    8. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    9. Business strategy   

Reviews (7)

Warwick is a skillful writer
Warwick's writing style is extremely straightforward and clear. It was a pleasure to learn these tips on writing equally straightforward solicitation letters. What differentiates this book from other ones is that it is up-to-date and remains relevant.

Every Non-Profit Should Have This Book
Fundraising is a very specialized area of copywriting and marketing. Unlike the more common direct mail letter wherein you are selling a product or service, fundraising often offers nothing more to the receipient than a chance to feel good about doing good. The best book of its kind ...
There are many many books and courses on how to write a funding proposal but few out there on how to write and develop your organization's annual campaign. Fortunately Mal Warwick's is the only book you'll ever need. Thorough, loaded with examples, not only of solicitation letters but follow up and thank you letters as well -- if you're a development professional this is one book you must have on your shelf. Using Mal Warwick's books and website, along with a great deal of marketing reading, I successfully redesigned my organization's membership campaign - raising our overall donations by 33% the first year and an additional 25% the second year.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Communication - General    4. Business Writing    5. Business/Economics    6. Direct-mail fund raising    7. Finance    8. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    9. Nonprofit organizations    10. Small Business - Capital Generation    11. Budgeting & financial management    12. Business & Economics / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    13. Charities & voluntary services    14. Non-profitmaking organizations    15. Writing & editing guides   

Reviews (16)

This book helped me QUINTUPLE my income
This review may sound like one from the author or other paid representative -- but it isn't. Nonetheless, this tome provided so much insight and structure as to successfully charging value-based fees that in a sense I have "been paid" by the author many times over. I have read other reviews posted about this book that criticize Alan Weiss for merely regurgitating in extended form his shorter booklet on maximizing fees. However, those reviews miss the point that this book is a greatly expanded analysis of the methods and challenges (and how to surmount them) of high-end value-based fee structuring. When I entered private practice a decade ago I was entirely hourly / standard-rate structured. Now, greater than 90% of my work is value-based according the impact on the client's business. And, the AMOUNT I KEEP (Weiss consistently states: "It's not what you make, it's what you KEEP") has skyrocketed and enabled me to become financially independent. In short, I highly recommend this book -- and feel no "conflict of interest" in saying that I am "being paid by the author" -- in a round about manner! Best of success to you!
read one, read them all
Alan Weiss is taking advantage of his readers by essentially taking a pamphlet worth of information and stretching it into a hard back book.Most the the essential information was imparted in one of his first consulting books (Million Dollar Consulting) which had value. Read that book and you are set with much of what he has to offer.

Alan Weiss tell it like it is
Alan Weiss tells it like it is. If you want to learn from one of the best...read EVERYTHING Alan Weiss writes! Alan's insights and experience are second to none. I personally own just about every book Alan Weiss has written. He is not only a consultant's consultant, but he is also a gifted writer as well.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business consultants    4. Business/Economics    5. Consulting    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Fees    8. Business & Economics / Consulting    9. Consultancy & grants for businesses    10. Finance & Accounting   

Editorial Review

In 1897, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, in his study of the patterns of wealth and income, observed that the distribution of wealth was predictably unbalanced. He first discovered this pattern in 19th-century England and found it to be the same for every country and time period he studied. Over the years, Pareto's observation has become known as the 80/20 principle. Read more

Reviews (64)

Excellent Book
I first heard of the book in an article by Perry Marshall.Using 80/20 analysis on some recently released SE data has given me new insight into what people are looking for on the Internet, and has dramatically increased the effectiveness of my advertising. And that's only the tip of the iceburg ... assuming 80% of what we do in life is largely irrelevent to happiness, and creating techniques to focus on the important 20% is an eye-opening experience.

Fantastic Book For Educators
One of the best books on leadership I have had the privilege of reading for quite some time is The 80/20 Principle: The Secret to Success By Achieving More With Less. Author, Richard Koch eloquently and convincingly describes one of the best methods for tipping the scales towards a "strengths-based orientation" and for setting our goals based on that knowledge. Basically what Koch is telling us is that we need to be doing more of what we're good at and less of what we're bad at. To apply an old cliché, this book describes how to achieve more by working smarter; not harder. As one who holds the position of CEO for a school district in Canada, I believe Koch's ideas have tremendous implications for how teachers teach, administrators administer and kids learn.
Eye opener
The 80/20 principle describes a motivating theory that can be applied to virtually anything that has to do with the efficient allocation of resources.Whether the resource is money, management, time, labor, mind-share or especially happiness, the 80/20 principle provides a universal focus.The book is broken up into 4 parts.The first part is somewhat analytical but interesting.It suggests that with all things being equal, they aren't even close.It is an eye opener.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business Life - Inspirational    4. Business/Economics    5. Conduct of life    6. Entrepreneurship    7. Industrial efficiency    8. Labor productivity    9. Management    10. Management - General    11. Psychological aspects    12. Time management    13. Advice on careers & achieving success    14. Business & Economics / General   

Reviews (2)

Soviet Style "Progressive" Management puts you in rust belt
p99 7ed politically correctly redefines the Hawthorne effect to be "tendency of persons singled out for special attention to perform as expected" - but this has been taught forever as
THIS IS A TERRIFIC TEXT!
An excellent introduction to management theory and practices. Major subjects are economic and social environment, planning, organizing, leading, and controlling, each containing key topics such as motivation andteamwork. Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Management    6. Management - General    7. Business & Economics / Management    8. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (14)

Excellent Aplication of Systems Theory to Executive Coaching!
I highly recommend this book to new and seasoned coaches. Not only is it enjoyable to read, but the author presents a clear description of the application of systems theory to executive coaching. There are a number of coaching books that describe coaching skills, but O'Neill's book provides a solid theoretical framework for applying these skills.
Useful Guide with a Few Key Elements Missing
Mary Beth O'Neill is an experienced executive coach who provides a useful perspective and helpful guidelines and examples of what coaches can do to help executives. Her systems perspective and four-step approach is helpful with case examples and additional insights into how leaders can be coached to coach and how coaching can be combined with consulting to have a greater impact on the organization.There are several key elements of professional coaching that are missing in the book:First- The four-step approach does not include a thorough assessment of the executive and his/her organization using reliable historical, normative, and 360-degree data.Instead, the major focus is on asking the executive what they think they need or want to work on.Second- There is a lack of focus on involving and partnering with the executive's boss, board, key constituents, HR professionals and others to truly understand the executive and the organization from multiple perspectives and to have the potential impact on the whole system.And third- there could be greater emphasis on what happens after the coaching is completed; how to transition for continued learning, application, and improvement. "Real World" Coaching
Excellent resource for experienced coaches looking for insight to take their practice to a higher level. This book is also useful for those considering coaching or consulting as a permanent profession. O'Neill provides many honest examples of the inner thoughts of coaches during sessions and tools to help maintain effectiveness and composure with tough clients.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Entrepreneurship    5. Executive Management    6. Executive coaching    7. Human Resources & Personnel Management    8. Leadership    9. Management - General    10. Business & Economics / Human Resources & Personnel Management    11. Management & management techniques    12. Personnel & human resources management   

Reviews (5)

A good book for the designer of energy risk managment tools
If you develop computer code in this field it could be a help, but if you are more interested in knowing more about the ways to avoid risk in the energy business I would recommend another book. There are also not enough practical examples to give a good understanding of the principles.
Not for the average industry professional
The authors have written a very detailed, well structured text on the different models and developments in the power and fuel markets.It's a very complex, mathematical analysis of the different techniques being used, and the text may lose a number of readers in the overly rigorous formulations.For those involved in risk management, market modeling, or asset management, the book would be a good secondary or tertiary read after you've established a sound understanding of stochastic models and current hedging and pricing techniques in the marketplace.For the layman in the industry, the book will be far too heavy and not worth the read.

Good overview
The management of risk in the context of energy or weather is quite different than in other contexts, due to the peculiarities of the data that occurs in energy prices. The high volatility of energy prices can range, as the authors of this book point out, between 50-100% for gas, to 100-500% for electricity. No doubt this kind of volatility, and other properties such as correlations and mean reversion, entails that some different mathematical strategies for modeling energy derivatives be devised. The authors give a good tour of some of these strategies, and anyone interested in energy derivatives will gain a lot of insight into their modeling when reading this book. Due to space constraints, only chapters 5 and 7, which this reviewer considered the most important of the book, will be reviewed here.