What You Need to Know About Project Management Project Management is all about getting things done without spending too much or taking too long. But when you start hearing things like man-days, PSOs and stakeholders, it just makes it difficult to understand. So what do you really need to know about project management? Find out: Why setting clear goals matters How to estimate absolutely everything. How to get things back on track after they’ve gone wrong How to track big projects Why work/life balance matters when you’re running a big project This clear and simple approach will mean you’ll never panic when faced with a big project again. Read More in the Want You Need to Know Series and Get to Speed on the Essentials… Fast.
Business is big. Actually, it's often small and medium-sized too. But the point is that it matters – a lot. This book is designed to answer all those confusing questions that flit through your mind when you get to the business pages of the paper, and stop you being embarrassed in job interviews. It explains the things you really need to know about business, and will tell you: What the point of business is How what happens in the economy affects real businesses What the law means for business Finance, accounting, shares, bonds etc and other big numbers How companies grow and why the merge (even though most mergers fail) What HR departments actually do all day Time management, motivation, leadership, communication skills and all the other skills you'll need if you want to know what the view's like from the CEO's office After reading it, you'll smile knowingly whenever the advantages of outsourcing, balanced scorecards or Porter's 5 Ps come up in polite conversation.
In any career in business, chances are that the time will come when someone will ask you to do a strategy for something. Too often, this will be a cue for stress at work and sleepless nights. What You Need to Know about Strategy shows that it doesn’t have to be like this. Taking you step-by-step through the basics of what you need to know to come up with a great strategy, it shows: That getting the right answers depends on asking the right questions Why priorities matter How to map out your internal and external situation How to deal with uncertainty How to make tough choices What your brain does while you’re doing strategy By cutting out the theory, and focusing on the things you need to know and do to come up with a killer strategy, this book means that you never need to panic again.
The political history of the twentieth century can be viewed as the history of democracy’s struggle against its external enemies: fascism and communism. This struggle ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet regime. Some people think that democracy now faces new enemies: Islamic fundamentalism, religious extremism and international terrorism and that this is the struggle that will define our times. Todorov disagrees: the biggest threat to democracy today is democracy itself. Its enemies are within: what the ancient Greeks called 'hubris'. Todorov argues that certain democratic values have been distorted and pushed to an extreme that serves the interests of dominant states and powerful individuals. In the name of ‘democracy’ and ‘human rights’, the United States and some European countries have embarked on a crusade to enlighten some foreign populations through the use of force. Yet this mission to ‘help’ others has led to Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, to large-scale destruction and loss of life and to a moral crisis of growing proportions. The defence of freedom, if unlimited, can lead to the tyranny of individuals. Drawing on recent history as well as his own experience of growing up in a totalitarian regime, Todorov returns to examples borrowed from the Western canon: from a dispute between Augustine and Pelagius to the fierce debates among Enlightenment thinkers to explore the origin of these perversions of democracy. He argues compellingly that the real democratic ideal is to be found in the delicate, ever-changing balance between competing principles, popular sovereignty, freedom and progress. When one of these elements breaks free and turns into an over-riding principle, it becomes dangerous: populism, ultra-liberalism and messianism, the inner enemies of democracy.
Today we like to think that marriage is a free choice based on love: that we freely choose whom to marry and that we do so, not so much for survival or social advantage, but for love. The invention of marriage for love inverted the old relationship between love and marriage. In the past, marriage was sacred, and love, if it existed at all, was a consequence of marriage; today, love is sacred and marriage is secondary. But now marriage appears to be becoming increasingly superfluous. For the past forty years or so, the number of weddings has been declining, the number of divorces exploding and the number of unmarried individuals and couples growing, while single-parent families are becoming more numerous. Love has triumphed over marriage but now it is destroying it from inside. So has the ideal of marriage for love failed, and has love finally been liberated from the shackles of marriage? In this brilliant and provocative book Pascal Bruckner argues that the old tension between love and marriage has not been resolved in favour of love, it has simply been displaced onto other levels. Even if it seems more straightforward, the contemporary landscape of love is far from euphoric: as in the past, infidelity, loss and betrayal are central to the plots of modern love, and the disenchantment is all the greater because marriages are voluntary and not imposed. But the collapse of the ideal of marriage for love is not necessarily a cause for remorse, because it demonstrates that love retains its subversive power. Love is not a glue to be put in the service of the institution of marriage: it is an explosive that blows up in our faces, dynamite pure and simple.
A compelling history of science from 1900 to the present day, this is the first book to survey modern developments in science during a century of unprecedented change, conflict and uncertainty. The scope is global. Science's claim to access universal truths about the natural world made it an irresistible resource for industrial empires, ideological programs, and environmental campaigners during this period. Science has been at the heart of twentieth century history – from Einstein's new physics to the Manhattan Project, from eugenics to the Human Genome Project, or from the wonders of penicillin to the promises of biotechnology. For some science would only thrive if autonomous and kept separate from the political world, while for others science was the best guide to a planned and better future. Science was both a routine, if essential, part of an orderly society, and the disruptive source of bewildering transformation. Jon Agar draws on a wave of recent scholarship that explores science from interdisciplinary perspectives to offer a readable synthesis that will be ideal for anyone curious about the profound place of science in the modern world.
A practical, hands-on guide for all dads-to-be Being a dad has changed so much since you were born that you'd be forgiven for feeling a bit lost! This useful guide is filled with all the info that fathers-to-be need, covering the logistical, physical and emotional aspects of your journey into parenthood. Find out how you can get involved and support your partner! Get to grips with Pregnancy 101 – understand how your baby develops Plan for your baby's homecoming – discover the essential gear you need to buy (you need more than you think!) Choose the right carer – decide on the best person to get you and your partner through the pregnancy and birth Prepare for the big event – learn how to bea great birth partner and help your partner through labour Keep your baby safe and sound – discover how to care for a newborn Find support for yourself – work out who you can turn to for help Open the book and find: What to do when conception doesn't happen How to play an involved and active part in your partner's pregnancy Secrets for keeping your pregnant partner happy and healthy Information on your role during labour Advice on bringing your newborn home Lists of essential gadgets for babies (and dads)
Sell your home for the best possible price Thinking of selling up but not sure whether it's the right time, or how to go about it? From helping you decide whether selling really is the best option for you, to finding an agent and choosing a sales method, all the way to exchanging contracts, this step-by-step guide covers all the practical, financial and legal aspects of selling your home. Work out whether you're ready to sell – consider all the options and decide if selling is the way to go Find out when you should sell – understand supply and demand, and time your sale perfectly Choose a real estate agent who's right for you – find the best fit for you and your home Set the right price – understand what drives the value of property and determine a realistic asking price for your home Get your home looking its best before selling – find out whether a clean-up will do, or if it's worth renovating before you sell Choose a selling method – get step-by-step instructions for selling by private treaty and auction Understand the legal stuff – do the paperwork properly to ensure a smooth sale Open the book and find: In-depth information about working with property professionals Strategies for selling first then buying, or buying first then selling Tips and tricks for sprucing up your property for inspections How to avoid over-capitalising Everything you need to know about selling a holiday or rental property Learn to: Determine the best time to sell Get your property ready for inspection Set the right price Choose between an auction or private treaty sale
Diversify your investments with today's fastest growing financial product Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) offer access to a range of investments in a single trade, are usually less volatile than individual stocks, cheaper than most managed funds and more tax-effective. But how do you pick the one that's right for you? This straightforward book helps you weigh up your options, build an effective portfolio and maximise your profits. Get to know the major players in Australia and New Zealand – find a broker, open an account and familiarise yourself with suppliers and indices Understand risk control and diversification – learn the importance of a diversified, lowly correlated portfolio, and how ETFs can help you achieve this Invest smartly in commodities and precious metals – tap into the returns offered by the Australian mining boom Manage small-cap, large-cap, sector and international investments – take advantage of returns in local markets and invest directly in US-listed ETFs Add bonds, REITs and other ETFs – secure consistent yields and add property to your investment portfolio Work non-ETFs into your investment mix – improve returns through careful selection of active managed funds Fund your retirement years – determine how much you need for retirement, and how ETFs can get you there Open the book and find: Advice on choosing ETFs over options, CFDs and warrants Sample portfolios Tips on revamping your portfolio based on life changes How to avoid mistakes that even experienced investors make Forecasts for the future of ETFs in Australia and New Zealand A complete listing of Australian and New Zealand ETFs Great online resources to help you invest in ETFs Learn to: Diversify your investment portfolio Lower your investment costs and reduce your tax liabilities Take advantage of Australia's mining boom by investing in commodities Invest in international markets
Some of the most successful traders in the U.S., Australia, and Asia share their secrets with you Following on the heels of the bestselling Volume I, The Wiley Trading Guide, Volume II brings together an elite selection of writings from many of the most successful traders in the world today. These market aces share their secrets on everything from arbitrage to precious metals trading, options and commodity futures to technical analysis. Featuring completely new material from each contributor, this book offers intermediate to experienced traders a veritable gold mine of indispensable information on how to make a killing in the financial markets in the wake of the global financial crisis. Hot topics covered include automated forex trading, why silver will leave gold in the dust, technical analysis of the energy and commodity futures markets, and market conscious trading New writings by trading luminaries based in the U.S., Australia and Asia, including Roger Kinsky, Colin Nicholson, Jeff Cartridge, Ashley Jessen, Ramon Barros, Jacob Bernstein, Chris Kacher, Gil Morales, and Kathy Lien