11 Mar 10 Uncommon Grounds The History Of Coffee And How It Transformed Our World books summaries
Amazon.com Review
Since its discovery in an Ethiopian rainforest centuries ago, coffee has brewed up a rich and troubled history, according to Uncommon Grounds, a sweeping book by business writer Mark Pendergrast. Over the years, the beverage has fomented revolution, spurred deforestation, enriched a few while impoverishing the many, and addicted millions with its psychoactive caffeine. Coffee is now the world’s second most valuable legal commodity, behind oil, according to Pendergrast, who is also author of For God, Country, and Coca-Cola. “A good cup of coffee can turn the worst day tolerable, can provide an all-important moment of contemplation, can rekindle a romance,” he writes. “And yet, poetic as its taste may be, coffee’s history is rife with controversy and politics.” For example, coffee bankrolled Idi Amin’s genocidal regime in Uganda and the Sandinistas’ revolution in Nicaragua. Uncommon Grounds provides some fascinating tidbits. Did you know that coffeehouses helped spawn the French and American revolutions? Or that coffee supplanted alcohol as a favorite breakfast drink in Britain in the late 1600s, and later became a patriotic American beverage after the Boston Tea Party? Pendergrast also details the rise and fall of regional coffee brands in the United States, the role of advertising in the industry, the global economic impact of coffee prices, and the recent emergence of specialty-coffee retailers–Starbucks, for example. Finally, he explores the social and environmental ramifications of coffee and highlights recent attempts to encourage a livable wage and environmental protection in coffee-producing nations such as Brazil. Pendergrast also includes an appendix on “how to brew the perfect cup.” This wide-ranging book is a good read for those curious about the history and context behind that morning cup of coffee, as well as for those strictly interested in the business side of the industry. –Dan Ring
This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Caffeinated beverage enthusiast Pendergrast (For God, Country and Coca-Cola) approaches this history of the green bean with the zeal of an addict. His wide-ranging narrative takes readers from the legends about coffee’s discoveryAthe most appealing of which, Pendergast writes, concerns an Ethiopian goatherd who wonders why his goats are dancing on their hind legs and butting one anotherAto the corporatization of the specialty cafe. Pendergrast focuses on the influence of the American coffee trade on the world’s economies and cultures, further zeroing in on the political and economic history of Latin America. Coffee advertising, he shows, played a major role in expanding the American market. In 1952, a campaign by the Pan American Coffee Bureau helped institutionalize the coffee break in America. And the invention of the still ubiquitous Juan Valdez in a 1960 ad campaign caused name recognition for Colombian coffee to skyrocket within months of its introduction. The Valdez character romanticizes a very real phenomenonAthe painstaking process of tending and harvesting a coffee crop. Yet the price of a tall latte in America, Pendergrast notes, is a day’s wage for many of the people who harvest it on South American hillsides. Pendergrast does not shy away from exploring such issues in his cogent histories of Starbucks and other firms. Throughout the book, asides like the coffee jones of health-food tycoon C.W. PostAwho raged against the evils of coffee and developed Postum as a substitute for regular brewAprovide welcome diversions. Pendergrast’s broad vision, meticulous research and colloquial delivery combine aromatically, and he even throws in advice on how to brew the perfect cup. 76 duotones. Author tour.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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11 Mar 10 Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers, and Staff Developers books summaries
Review
“…Caffarella’s book may help keep readers afloat.” (Exchanges, 7/18/02)
This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Review
“You will find this book firmly grounded in clearly expressed concepts and principles derived from research-based theories of adult learning and loaded with practical suggestions for strategies and methods for applying these principles. Whether you are new to the field, or an old-timer, you will have one happy adventure.”
—from the Foreword of the first edition by Malcolm S. Knowles, professor emeritus, North Carolina State University “The book is just plain fundamentally the best resource that puts everything in sequence and concrete terms.”
—Joellen Killion, director of special projects, National Staff Development Council “Adult educators love the Interactive Model of Program Planning. It is practical, easy to explain and use, and ensures the kind of buy-in that is needed to make sure that everyone is on board for implementation, even when the going gets rough! The model is elegant in its simplicity and solid in its theory-research base. The book adds more value because of its many tools and tips. I am delighted to see this book revised and updated.”
—Victoria J. Marsick, codirector, J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations and professor, adult education and organizational learning, Teachers College, Columbia University “I have used the previous edition of this book with great success in my program planning courses. The adult educators in those courses have found it an invaluable resource for their planning efforts. I am confident that they will find even more of value in this new edition.”
—Ronald M. Cervero, professor and graduate coordinator, Department of Adult Education, The University of Georgia
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11 Mar 10 Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers, and Staff Developers, 2nd Edition books summaries
Review
“…Caffarella’s book may help keep readers afloat.” (Exchanges, 7/18/02)
Review
“You will find this book firmly grounded in clearly expressed concepts and principles derived from research-based theories of adult learning and loaded with practical suggestions for strategies and methods for applying these principles. Whether you are new to the field, or an old-timer, you will have one happy adventure.”
—from the Foreword of the first edition by Malcolm S. Knowles, professor emeritus, North Carolina State University “The book is just plain fundamentally the best resource that puts everything in sequence and concrete terms.”
—Joellen Killion, director of special projects, National Staff Development Council “Adult educators love the Interactive Model of Program Planning. It is practical, easy to explain and use, and ensures the kind of buy-in that is needed to make sure that everyone is on board for implementation, even when the going gets rough! The model is elegant in its simplicity and solid in its theory-research base. The book adds more value because of its many tools and tips. I am delighted to see this book revised and updated.”
—Victoria J. Marsick, codirector, J.M. Huber Institute for Learning in Organizations and professor, adult education and organizational learning, Teachers College, Columbia University “I have used the previous edition of this book with great success in my program planning courses. The adult educators in those courses have found it an invaluable resource for their planning efforts. I am confident that they will find even more of value in this new edition.”
—Ronald M. Cervero, professor and graduate coordinator, Department of Adult Education, The University of Georgia
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11 Mar 10 OneKey CourseCompass, Student Access Kit, Effective Small Business Management books summaries
Product Description
OneKey is all you need! OneKey offers the best teaching and learning online resources all in one place. OneKey is all instructors need to plan and administer their course. OneKey is all students need for anytime, anywhere access to online course material. Conveniently organized by textbook chapter, these compiled resources help save time and help students reinforce and apply what they have learned. OneKey for convenience, simplicity, and success. OneKey is available in three course management platforms: Blackboard, CourseCompass and Web CT. For Students OneKey includes: Learning Modules for each chapter include Chapter Reviews, Pre- and Post-Tests, Leaning Activities and chapter quizzes. Additionally students can access a multitude of useful features, including a Business Plan Evaluation Scale, a “Before You Start” checklist, a list of hundreds of links to useful small business sites and chapter quizzes. A mapping guide maps Business Plan Pro to the textbook to increases the ease and makes building a business plan even more intuitive. Business Plan Pro is available in with this text in the U.S. for $10 net.
From the Publisher
This text offers practical, hands-on advice for all areas of concern to the small business student — e.g., business plans, financing, location and layout, marketing, advertising and promotion, purchasing, inventory, crime, computers, human resource management, business law and government regulation.
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11 Mar 10 Case Supplement books summaries
Product Description
For courses in Small Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Starting a New Business, Running a Small Business, New Venture Management. This practical, best-seller teaches budding entrepreneurs the “hands-on” tools and techniques for launching and managing a small business the right way-and to imbue it with the staying power necessary to succeed and grow in today’s competitive environment.
From the Publisher
This text offers practical, hands-on advice for all areas of concern to the small business student — e.g., business plans, financing, location and layout, marketing, advertising and promotion, purchasing, inventory, crime, computers, human resource management, business law and government regulation.
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11 Mar 10 Effective Small Business Management books summaries
Product Description
This practical, applied book focuses on business planning and the day-to-day issues of running a small business. This book stands out from others through it's extensive integration of developing a business plan, and specifically through its itegration of Business Plan Pro software (the most popular commercial software package used for business plan development).
From the Publisher
This text offers practical, hands-on advice for all areas of concern to the small business student — e.g., business plans, financing, location and layout, marketing, advertising and promotion, purchasing, inventory, crime, computers, human resource management, business law and government regulation.
This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
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11 Mar 10 Effective Small Business Management books summaries
Product Description
This book provides you a pathway to launching a new, small business successfully. The edition provides information on the right way to launch and mange a small business with the staying power to succeed and grow. This book is for the new venture entrepreneur who wants to explore the possibilities, the challenges, and the rewards of owing a business.
From the Publisher
This text offers practical, hands-on advice for all areas of concern to the small business student — e.g., business plans, financing, location and layout, marketing, advertising and promotion, purchasing, inventory, crime, computers, human resource management, business law and government regulation.
This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
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11 Mar 10 Statistics for the Utterly Confused, 2nd edition books summaries
Product Description
Statistics for the Utterly Confused, Second Edition When it comes to understanding statistics, even good students can be confused. Perfect for students in any introductory non-calculus-based statistics course, and equally useful to professionals working in the world, Statistics for the Utterly Confused is your ticket to success. Statistical concepts are explained step-by-step and applied to such diverse fields as business, economics, finance, and more. The message of Statistics for the Utterly Confused is simple: you don’t have to be confused anymore. Updated and expanded to give you the latest changes in the field, this up-to-the-minute edition includes many new examples of Excel output, the most widely used of all statistics programs; a new chapter on Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); and 200 additions to the 700 self-testing questions and answers. The expert author’s Web site also gives you tons of fresh examples, practice problems, and strategies–so you can go from utterly confused to totally prepared in no time! Inside, you’ll discover how to:
- Grasp the meaning of everyday statistical concepts
- Find out what’s probable and what isn’t
- Read, understand, and solve statistics problems
- Improve your scores on exams
- Use your skills in any field
From the Back Cover
Statistics for the Utterly Confused, Second Edition When it comes to understanding statistics, even good students can be confused. Perfect for students in any introductory non-calculus-based statistics course, and equally useful to professionals working in the world, Statistics for the Utterly Confused is your ticket to success. Statistical concepts are explained step-by-step and applied to such diverse fields as business, economics, finance, and more. The message of Statistics for the Utterly Confused is simple: you don’t have to be confused anymore. Updated and expanded to give you the latest changes in the field, this up-to-the-minute edition includes many new examples of Excel output, the most widely used of all statistics programs; a new chapter on Analysis of Variance (ANOVA); and 200 additions to the 700 self-testing questions and answers. The expert author’s Web site also gives you tons of fresh examples, practice problems, and strategies–so you can go from utterly confused to totally prepared in no time! Inside, you’ll discover how to:
- Grasp the meaning of everyday statistical concepts
- Find out what’s probable and what isn’t
- Read, understand, and solve statistics problems
- Improve your scores on exams
- Use your skills in any field
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