Customer Reviews (3)

Quick, easy reading
If you enjoy suspense mixed with a bit of humor, you will enjoy this compilation & its main character, McNally. These books are fun & easy to read. Recommend it for when you are seeking something not so heavy, but still want to be captivated & on your toes.

Entertaining detective fiction
This is a reprint of the first three books in the Archic McNally series when the characters were still fresh.The characters wear a bit thin in some later books of the series.The main player is Archie McNally, amodern day Bertie Wooster, who carries out investigations for his father'sPalm Beach law firm when he is not chasing women or hanging out at thePelican Club.He has a taste for fine dining and fashionable clothes (butdoes not wear socks), and dashes about in his red Miata, mixing pleasurewith work.His investigations bring him into contact with a broad spectrumof society, from the successful to the dysfunctional, old money, new money,and working stiffs.The plots and the various characters are welldeveloped.

This book was full of suspense and kept me interested.
I was impressed with Lawrence Sander's tale "McNally's Risk".I found it to be a veryfun, easy book to read.The story flowed throughout keeping my curiousity at its peak. I couldn't put it down until Ifinished it - which only took one day!I am looking forward to reading theother books in this series.I recommend this highly as fun, leisurelyreading. ... Read more

Product Description
Breaches in cybersecurity are on the rise. Between 1998 and 2003, reported cybersecurity incidents increased over thirty-fold. Managing Cybersecurity Resources provides managers and executives with a financial management framework for using limited resources to protect information security. Models detail how much can and should be spent on security, strategies for keeping incidents from impacting company valuation, and more ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Authors have no concept of reality
I work as an Info Sec Manager at a Fortune 500 and was looking for ways to communicate with Executive Management in regards to ROI and CBA. I have my MBA, PMP, CISSP, ISSMP, CISA and CSSLP... so I like to think I know what I'm talking about from time to time.

Unfortunately, this book was like a graduate student regurgitating everything they learned achieving their MBA and evidently they took an introduction to Information Security class as well... The authors preach continually that Info Sec Managers should be using ROI, IRR, NPV, ALE, CBA, etc... and continue to pontificate that you REALLY CAN determine the Cost of a Breach or the Benefit from a Cyber tool- but they never tell you HOW. They make numbers up throughout and never answer the hard question- How do you determine what the cost/benefit is. They quote some old surveys that have some basic data, but let's be clear- there is no true answer in this field and everything is essentially a WAG. Don't even get me started on the Probability of Occurrence portion. Without costs, benefits and likelihood of occurrence, you really can't do these calculations.

Long story short, this book is a waste and just reiterated what an experienced Info Sec professional already knows.

Also, I'm not sure who is writing the other reviews... the authors maybe?

An excellent book with only one major flaw
Managing Cybersecurity Resources (MCR) is an excellent book.I devoured it in one sitting on a weather-extended flight from Washington-Dulles to Boston. MCR teaches security professionals how to think properly about making security resource allocation decisions by properly defining terms, concepts, and models.The only problem I have with MCR is the reason I subtracted one star: its recommended strategy, cost-benefit analysis, relies upon estimated probabilities of loss and cost savings that are unavailable to practically every security manager.Without these figures, constructing cost-benefit equations as recommended by MCR is impossible in practice.Nevertheless, I still strongly recommend reading this unique and powerful book.

My favorite aspect of MCR is its explanation of economics and finance terms to the security audience.I felt like applauding when I read on p 47 "[M]any managers... are merely calling the IRR an ROI or ROSI (return on security investment).Given that the concepts of "return on investment" and "internal rate of return" are well established in the accounting, finance, and economics literature, as well as among nearly all senior financial managers (e.g., CFOs), security managers should be careful how they use these terms.Indeed, misusing these terms can only lead to problems for the security manager." (See p 45 for a comparison of ROI, IRR, and NPV.)

In a similar fashion, MCR explains what a "return" is for security on p 21: "The benefits associated with cybersecurity activities are derived from the cost savings (often called cost avoidance) that result from preventing cybersecurity breaches.These benefits are difficult, and often impossible, to predict with any degree of accuracy. Moreover, since the actual benefits are conceptually the cost savings associated with potential security breaches that did not occur, it is not possible to measure these benefits precisely after the security investments are made."

What of "investment"?Pp 28-30 say: "[O]rganizations tend to treat the bulk of their cybersecurity expenditures as operating costs and charge them to the period in which they are incurred," unlike capital investments, which "represent assets of an organization that should appear on the organization's balance sheet."The authors recommend us to "view all costs related to cybersecurity activities... as capital investments with varying time horizons."

So what is a cost?P 5 says "The cost of information security is essentially a negative network externality associated with the Internet... [It] arises when malevolent individuals and organizations [which the authors properly label "threats" on p 12] join the network, thereby imposing costs on all well-intentioned users.These costs take the form of losses caused by actual security breaches plus the cost of actions... designed to prevent such breaches."

P 30 wisely states "[N]o amount of security can guarantee that breaches will not occur... The goal of the organization should be to implement security procedures up to the point where the benefits minus the costs are at a maximum." The footnote on p 31 continues with "An alternative way to view this discussion is to think of the goal as one of trying to minimize the sum of the costs associated with cybersecurity activities and the costs associated with breaches... the optimal level of cybersecurity for an organization would be the same under the cost minimization goal as it would be if the organization were to maximize the net benefits."I think most managers prefer to think in terms of cost minimization, which is a prevalent throughout IT.

Costs are dissected on pp 56-58: "The direct costs of cybersecurity breaches are those costs that can be clearly linked to specific breaches... the indirect costs of cybersecurity breaches cannot be linked... Explicit costs of cybersecurity breaches are those costs of breaches that can be measured in an unambiguous manner... implicit costs are opportunity costs (i.e., costs associated with lost opportunities), which cannot be measured without ambiguity... the benefits derived from spending funds on cybersecurity activities come largely from the cost savings derived by avoiding the implicit costs of breaches."

Page 63 explains why companies have "Chief Privacy Officers" and the like, even though preserving privacy is the confidentiality aspect of the CIA triad and could be a CISO responsibility: "The findings from our study show that, on average, information breaches that compromise confidentiality do have a significant negative impact on the stock market value of corporations experiencing breaches.Indeed, the average decline in the firm's stock market value... was approximately 5 percent."

So far so good, right?The major flaw with MCR arrives in ch 4, on p 68: "The variables affecting potential cost savings include (1) the potential losses associated with information security breaches, (2) the probability that a particular breach will occur, and (3) the productivity associated with specific investments, which translates into a reduction in the probability of potential losses." This is true -- but this is the key problem: devising even rough estimates of 1, 2, and 3 is nearly impossible in practice.The authors' examples (see figure 4-2 for one) assume these factors can be determined (like $10 mil total potential loss without countermeasures, 75% probability of loss with no countermeasures / 50% with $650,000 of countermeasures, and so on).When I saw these contrived examples I wondered "what is the origin of these figures?"The fact of the matter is that they are all guesswork, which means the calculator can say anything the analyst wishes to produce.

In some sense we are back to square one, although much better educated in economics.(Note that Andy Jaquith's book Security Metrics also observes how calculating these figures is nearly impossible in real life.)

Because MCR is so right in all of its other discussions, the book deserves 4 stars.A proper acceptance of the difficulty or impossibility of determining 1, 2, and 3 might have resulted in 5 stars.Perhaps a second edition will address these concerns?

PS: I would be remiss to not quote the authors' exceptional insights into the problems with security auditing.P 132 says "[T]he checklist approach tends to shift attention away from the cost-benefit aspects of such security.That is, the checklist approach usually assumes that conducting a particular procedure is inherently worth doing."P 137 hits the nail on the head: "[F]or some firms, it is quite possible that the costs of cybersecurity auditing will exceed the benefits.If this were to occur, then cybersecurity auditing would in effect decrease the firm's value." Amen.

An excellent economic analysis of cybersecurity investments
This book is very timely and extremely useful as a tool for key decision-makers in organizations - Chief Technology Offiers, Information System Managers, and general managers, including CEOs, as well as academics.How do you allocate scarce resources to increasing cybersecurity, in the context of other competing claims ? Professors Gordon and Loeb provide a solid economic framework to do this.They bring their decades of experience researching and teaching about a cost-benefit approach to managerial decisions to the table, in the context of cybersecurity investments.

What I like about the book is its appeal to practitioners and academics alike.There is a nice section on developing a business case for cybersecurity investments.Empirical evidence to support their arguments are provided throughout the book.Complex ideas like real options and cybersecurity investments are nicely explained with simple and insightful examples.

Overall, whether you are a manager making or evaluating the case for cybersecurity investments, or teaching in this area, this book is a must-read.

Excellent reference
This book provides an excellent discussion of key economic principles needed to make managing cybersecurity resources more effective.I really liked the nice examples provided throughout the book. The examples reinforce the economic concepts and applications. I foresee this book becoming a prime reference for me.

Managing Cybersecurity Resources: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Managing Cybersecurity Resources: A Cost-Benefit Analysisis excellent! Information security practitioners will appreciate the insightful economic analysis on how to determine the right amount to spend on cybersecurity projects and how to prepare a business case to justify such projects.I especially liked the chapter on risk that included perspectives and analysis not found in any other information securitybooks.The book discusses many topics (for example, economics of cybersecurity and its role in national security) in amanner that novice and expert alike will find appealing. Its clear that the authors, chaired professors from a top business school and pioneers in cybersecurity economics, have a strong understanding of the security environment along with great technical skills.Of more importance, is their intuitive understanding of problems in the cybersecurity trenches.Policy makers, CISOs, CFOs, and managers at all levels, should find enormous value in this book.While at times I wish the authors would not have condensed their discussion, the good news is that they have left some important issues for a follow-up book.I am recommending this book to co-workers and friends. ... Read more

Product Description
"Visually lovely and perfectly cadenced, this warm-hearted adventure belongs in every library." — THE HORN BOOK (STARRED REVIEW)

Tiny Mouse has never been to the cornfield before, so he’s thrilled that his sister will take him. It’s the perfect place to play games, but it’s also full of strange new sights that make Tiny quiver and call out for his sister, who helps him feel braver. With boldly animated illustrations and a sympathetic story, Tiny’s Big Adventure captures all the excitement — and trepidation — of a first-time experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Tiny treasure
Sometimes my favorite new picture books are the ones I can imagine reading as a toddler.When you're a kid it's easy to slip into the moods and evocative scenes picture books conjure up.Books like "A Time To Keep" by Tasha Tudor leave you feeling nostalgic for a time you never knew.Books like "The Maggie B." sweep you into entirely new safe little enclaves.When I picked up "Tiny's Big Adventure", I was immediately entranced by its illustrations.Regardless of the plot (which is dandy), the visual images in this tale give readers entirely new ways of seeing the world.Children reading this book will treasure it for life.

Tiny the mouse lives with his big sister Katy in a cozy barn.One day Tiny expresses an interest in the nearby wheat field that stands by their home.Katy, ever patient and caring, takes her little sib there.After playing, Tiny (ever ready to flee at the slightest notion) spots various potential threats.Katy explains to her brother that no, that's a rabbit and not a cat.No, that's a pheasant and not an owl.Further reassurances are needed when Tiny stumbles on a snail, a spider, and an old abandoned boot.Fortunately, Katy is a vastly comforting presence and after playing a little more the two head home.Completely satisfied with the idea that the world is not as frightening as it may seem, Tiny suggests, "Let's do it again, Katy Mouse".And, we are told, they did.

I initially took the pictures in this tale to be woodcuts of some sort.After further inspection, however, I discovered that they are instead made from vinyl engravings, watercolor washes, and printed wood textures.The result is a particularly classic look awash in a variety of details and colors.Relying on a sky blue color for images that might otherwise be black, the illustrations deftly lead the reader's eye to various objects.Katy and Tiny are always drawn in comforting chocolate brown tones while the wheat field is a stunning shade of gold.There are red bees and a bright orange sun.These colors meld together effortlessly, yet the feeling you get from the book is still one of age and authority.You half expect this story to have been written in the early 20th century, it's so beautiful.

The story itself isn't too different from your usual preschool fare.I did enjoy the palpable love felt between the two siblings.It's always nice to read the occasional book that shows siblings that get along without descending into schmaltzy goo.This tale is touching without ever striking the reader as playing on their emotions.All in all, "Tiny's Big Adventure" is a class act.If you want a story that will remain a family treasure a little longer than, oh say, "Walter the Farting Dog", this should be your first choice.A great gorgeous outing.
... Read more

Product Description

Today stakeholders demand accountability from government and nongovernmental human service organizations. Performance measurement has become the major method of performance accountability. So how can human service organizations develop and utilize program output, quality, and outcome performance measures to satisfy stakeholders? This Second Edition of Measuring the Performance of Human Service Programs explains in detail how to measure and assess program effectiveness. With special attention given to the four types of outcome performance measures-numeric counts, standardized measures, level of functioning (LOF) scales, and client satisfaction-this updated classic is the only resource focused exclusively on performance accountability and performance measurement in the human services.

Features in This Edition

• Provides a fundamental understanding of performance accountability and performance measurement in human service programs with comprehensive and up-to-date material
• Utilizes the systems model as a conceptual framework- a common conceptual framework in social work and the human services
• Explains the different types of output (efficiency) performance measures-time, episode, material
• Includes updated examples of efficiency, quality, and effectiveness performance measures in human service organizations
• An Instructor’s Resource site (http://www.sagepub.com/martinmeas2einstr) offers PowerPoint slides for each chapter and suggested assignments to accompany each chapter.
  
• Intended Audience
  This book is designed for graduate courses on social work and human services and is also a invaluable resource for practitioners in human service organizations.

Product Description
Martin, Lawrence.

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. The Treaties of Peace, 1919-1923. Maps Compiled Especially for This Edition and a Summary of the Legal Basis of the New Boundaries by Lt. Col. Lawrence Martin.

New York: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1924. Two Volumes. lxxvii, 649; [vi], 651-1098 pp. Maps. Reprinted 2007 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1-58477-708-3. ISBN-10: 1-58477-708-7. Cloth. $195.

* A useful reference, this title contains the complete texts of the peace treaties that concluded the First World War. Volume I contains the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty of St. Germain-en-Laye and the Treaty of Trianon. Volume II contains texts of the treaties of Neuilly and Sevres, treaties between the United States and Germany, Austria and Hungary, the Treaty of Lausanne, the Convention respecting the regime of the Straits and other instruments signed at Lausanne. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A must for any collection of Hemingway scholarship!
Twice I have been working on a project and my editor has asked if I've read some article in Broer & Holland's _Hemingway and Women_.I finally broke down and bought my own copy.This truly is a must for any collection of Hemingway scholarship. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book by the multi-media-friendly comic sensation whom all of America is so crazy about. Now, to coincide with the video release of his latest outrageous cable special, You So Crazy, comes this companion book--featuring all the rapid-fire funniness from the show. 25 photos. ... Read more

Product Description
Total Quality Management (TQM) is shaping the management of the 1990s. This book is the first to present TQM concepts with social service administrators in mind. With examples drawn from public administration, gerontology, public health and non-profit-making organizations, the book provides sound background information on TQM for practitioners. ... Read more

Product Description
Easing the Way to a New Stage in Life..

Placing a loved one in a nursing home is a difficult thing to face. In addition to choosing a home, figuring out finances, and dealing with the actual moving, you may also be struggling with deeper conflicts. The emotions you may feel—of guilt, sadness, anger, and even relief—are never predictable, and can sometimes cause confusion. This invaluable book helps to ease this process, opening the channels of communication for all concerned. By examining the experience of nursing home care from all perspectives, including those of families, caregivers, and the residents themselves, everyone can learn to cope with this new situation. The Nursing Home Decision offers effective advice and empathic reassurance for managing one of life's most difficult transitions, allowing everyone to learn and grow from this new experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Poet, novelist, moral, rebel, preacher and philosopher, D.H. Lawrence has become one of the most distinctive and controversial voices of the 20th century. This volume draws together the complex strands of his life and work. ... Read more

Product Description
"David Lawrence has a Ph.D. in European History from theUniversity of Kansas and has taught History of Greece, History ofRome, Medieval Europe, Renaissance and Reformation, as well asseveral other courses for over twenty years at Lipscomb Universityin Nashville, Tennessee. His doctoral dissertation was on Erasmus,and he has published articles on him and the Protestant Reformation.David is eminently qualified to analyze and interpret the period,including the role of Martin Bucer, and I often say that he hasforgotten more than I have ever learned."Jerry L. Gaw, Ph.D.Professor of History, Lipscomb University"Martin Bucer is the premier unsung hero of the ProtestantReformation. A modern, accessible, biography of Bucer is longoverdue. I am delighted that historian Dr. David Lawrence hasundertaken this work. I know of no one better suited for the task.Like his subject, he is passionate about theology and worship, andthorough in his scholarship. His book is a must read for anyoneinterested in understanding and advancing the cause of Christ."Rev. Charles BradleyPastor, Hopewell Presbyterian Church, Columbia, Tennessee"Martin Bucer's significant role in the Reformation Movement hasoften been overlooked and neglected by historians. The lack ofhistorical studies about this sixteenth century German reformer hasleft a major void in Reformation scholarship. David Lawrence hasrendered a valuable service by providing his account of Bucer's life.Professor Lawrence is a dedicated historian, a longtime student ofthe German Reformation, and a skillful writer who is eminentlyqualified to pursue this study. His research in both Europe and theUnited States will add to the respect that his book is sure to garner."Timothy Johnson, Ph. D.Professor of History, Lipscomb University ... Read more

Product Description
Out-of-print graphic novel by renowned sci-fi/fantasy artist Don Lawrence. ... Read more

Product Description
Focuses on six masterpieces of short fiction: "The Shadow in the Rose Garden," "Odor of Chrysanthemums," "Daughters of the Vicar," "The Prussian Officer," "The Horse Dealer's Daughter," and "The Rocking-Horse Winner." Chapters on each story follow a similar format, detailing publication history and ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

An excellent guide to Lawrence's short fiction.
This guide is designed for those who would be knowledgeable readers of major short stories by D.H. Lawrence when the store of scholarship, investigation, and appraisal is far too vast for all but the expert. A thorough examination of what has been written about these short stories, each chapter deals with a different short story and consists of five distinct sections: (1)the complete publication history, including all revisions and variants; (2)an inclusive examination of recognized and hitherto unrecognized sources, as well as the influences at work on Lawrence in the creation ot the story; (3)the story's relationship to Lawrence's other writings; (4)acknowledgement and summary of all extant critical studies; and (5)a bibliography of works cited. ... Read more