Business Communications by: Brounstein, Bell & Smith

Business Communication:
Communicate Effectively In Any Business Environment
Marty Brounstein, Arthur H. Bell & Dayle M. Smith
Wiley
ISBN 9780471790778

This book was just released in the spring of 2007. The authors did extensive research and used the materials in the classroom. This is an excellent resource and would be a good tool on the bookshelf in any office or business, or for any student who has to prepare business reports. Like Work term reports. The book goes through the do's and don'ts of business communication and the new business etiquette in an electronic age.

The Sections of the book are:
Part I: Foundations of Business Communication
Part II: The Writing process
Part III: Letters, Memos, E-Mail, and Other Brief Messages
Part IV: Developing Speaking Skills
Part V: Reports and Proposals
Part VI: Employment Messages

This book is packed full of new features and online support to help make the information more accessible and easily applicable, either in the classroom or in the office. There is a website: www.wiley.com/college/brounstein
It has a pretest and a posttest for each chapter to check your knowledge. You can use the pretest to determine where to focus your effort in the chapter, and the posttest to see how you did. There is also a quiz at the end of each chapter to make sure you have grasped the concepts in that chapter. The book also has some information on new laws regarding emails and the use of them in court and as legal documents.

Some of the other features are an extensive Glossary, and a number of appendices with samples of most of the documents discussed in the book. Also included in each chapter are extensive samples and examples of the different styles commonly used in business documents.

In my experience, most textbooks are not well written, or easily accessible to the student or a person looking to work through it on their own. I have a professor at UW who changed textbooks every term because he could never find one he was satisfied with for more than one term. This book would not fall into that category. It is user-friendly, well organized, comprehensible and useful. This book will be referenced for years to come. If you're writing positive business letters, negative messages or trying to write persuasively, this book will give you examples aplenty and the skills to maximize your business communication. Most of those skills will be transferable into writings reports and essays during your time at UW.

This book will be an asset to you throughout your student career and beyond!

(First Published in Imprint 2007-09-29 as 'Short Titles with Varied Depths.')

Unleashing the Inner Geek

Finding My Inner Geek

As some of you know from earlier posts I have been retraining and working on some computer certifications to help me get back into the workforce after an injury. This first picture is a screen shot of my computer taken a few days back. I am running a host machine running Microsoft Vista Home Premium, on it I am running a mix of operating systems in VMWare and Microsoft Virtual PC. The guest systems are:


Mac OSX
Windows 98
Windows 2K (2000)
Windows 2003 Server
Windows XP Professional.
Dam Small Linux

You can see the Mac OS under the Linux and Windows. I have come to realize how much of an inner geek I have. I rebooted the Windows till I got a screen shot of all three in startup screen's.(Picture 3) I have also gone back as far as Windows 3.11 on Dos 6.2. It is fun playing in the old OS's and remembering how to do networking and such through them. It should come in handy working in IT.


There are a few applications to playing in such a way. The first is you can run a number of different operating systems without having to set up multi-boot. The second is if you have old software you need that will not run on a new system, you can now use it and have the benefits of the newer operating system.


This final picture is a shot of all the Microsoft Windows I have installed in virtual Machine's either at home or at school. Geeks of the world Unite, or since I am dyslexic 'Geeks of the World Untie'.

(Click on images for larger views.)

Articles in this Series:

Unleashing the Inner Geek
MOS Microsoft Office Specialist
Playing with Multi-OS's
Inner Geek - Validated
Inner Geek - On My Way
Inner Geek - Validated February 2008
Inner Geek - Validated September 2008
The Changing face of BRAM
Inner Geek - Updated February 2009
Windows 7 Beta Review
Inner Geek - Updated April 2009
Inner Geek - Updated July 2009
Inner Geek - Updated November 2009

Inner Geek - Updated December 2010

Mac VS PC an It Guys Perspective
Inner Geek - Updated June 2011
Inner Geek - Updated December 2011

Catholic Carnival 137 - School Daze

The Carnival is up at 'Mommy Monster Inc.' this week's is called 'school daze' It is large and it is good. It almost seams that everybody showed up for the pregame bbq. There are some amazing posts this week, so be sure to check them out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.

Darkwing by: Kenneth Oppel

Darkwing
Kenneth Oppel (blog)
Harper Collins - Browse Inside
ISBN 9780002007443

This book can either be seen as a first book in a new series or as the 4th in an old series, written as a prequel. If it is a prequel it might be a record-breaker for time span. For Darkwing is a book set 65 million years ago. It is the story of a bat named Dusk, who does not know that he is a bat. He was born of a species named chriopter, and son of the Colony's leader Icaron. However Dusk is different - his sails(wings) are furless, his coloring is darker, and he is stronger in the shoulders and chest than other chriopters.

The story is set in the animal world in a time when the dinosaurs were in the process of dying off, and most other species were becoming overpopulated. Thus, nature, in an attempt to balance the ecosystem, was allowing to emerge, new breads of predators.

Oppel writes amazing books, as is evident by his numerous awards and nominations. His accolades include over a million copies of the Silverwing trilogy, The Governor General's Award, a Michael L. Printz Honor book, and the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award and many others. He has accumulated book awards both at home in Canada and across the pond in the UK.

In Oppel's writings, he crafts his words and draws you into the world in ways you have never seen or imagined. Silverwing, written from a bat's perspective, is written without using any color - all the descriptions are in black, white, silvers and grays, as seen from the bat's perspective. In the same way, this book told from multiple first person perspectives, helps you see a prehistoric world from the animal's eye, whether it is the bat or Miacas.

In this book we follow Dusk and his colony as they try to find a new home in the world, after being driven from their family tree by Carnassial, who was driven from his pride for becoming a carnivore and is the leader of a smaller pride. Both Dusk and Carnassial must come to realize that the world is not as it was, and is changing fast. They must each come to grips with their differences, and help their families find their new place in the world.

The story is very well written, and will compel you to keep reading. As you turn the pages quicker and quicker, you will realize that as things in the world that long ago were racing towards change, you also will find yourself racing for the end of the book.

This book can either be seen as a prequel to the Silverwing trilogy, or as this reviewer hopes, the first in a new series about the bats from long ago. Either way Darkwing is a book to be enjoyed again and again.

(First Published in Imprint as 'Imprint's Reading' 2007-09-14)

The Silverwing Saga
Silverwing
Sunwing
Firewing
Darkwing

Books by Kenneth Oppel:

Half Brother (2010)
The Devil's Cure (2000)
Dead Water Zone (1992)
The Live-Forever Machine (1990)

Apprenticeship of Victor Frankenstein
This Dark Endeavour (2011)
Such Wicked Intent (2012)

Airborn Series
Airborn (2004)
Skybreaker (2005)
Starclimber (2008)

Children's Fiction:

The King's Taster (2009)
Peg and the Yeti (2004)
Peg and the Whale (2000)
Emma's Emu (1995)
Galactic Snapshots (1993)
Cosmic Snapshots (1993)
Follow That Star (1992)
Cosimo Cat (1990)
Colin's Fantastic Video Adventure (1985)

Barnes and the Brains
A Bad Case of Ghosts (1993)
A Strange Case of Magic (1994)
A Crazy Case of Robots (1994)
An Incredible Case of Dinosaurs (1994)
A Weird Case of Super-Goo (1997)
A Creepy Case of Vampires (2002)

Holly Cole by Holly Cole

'Holly Cole'
Holly Cole
Alert Records
2007
ASIN B000N60HDQ

Holly Cole in her 9th Studio album, this self titled CD Holly Cole is absolutely stunning.

This is her first studio recording since 2004 and it is more than worth the wait. The album on first listen is both haunting and familiar. Cole has tapped the best sounds of her previous, she parades us through the ranges of her voice and style, she draws us in and tosses us out.

This album classified as Jazz is a mix of all that is good in vocal jazz; rowdy honky-tonk, to smoky smoldering songs that burn your heart.

One of the most stunning tracks is Cole's own 'Larger Than Life' a song that reveals that Cole is not only a student of the Jazz Masters but destined to become one herself.

'The House is Haunted by the Echo' is deep, dark and melodious reminiscent of her version of 'Trust in Me' from earlier albums. Cole's greatest power is that she is a story teller, and with her voice, she makes the jazz classics or standby's her own.

Cole is amazing on this album, and if you ever get the chance to see her life do not pass it up. My only regret about this album is that there is no scat, however with that said there is not one of the 11 tracks I would want to drop from the album to hear some of Cole's scat!

(First published in Imprint in 'Imprint's Playlist 9.14' 2007-09-14.)
Note: This Cd has also been released under the title 'Charade' in some markets.

In Conversation With God: Volume #4: Ordinary Time: Weeks 13-23 By: Francis Fernandez Carvajal

In Conversation With God
Volume #4: Ordinary Time: Weeks 13-23
By: Francis Fernandez
ISBN 090613823X
Scepter Press
7 Volume Set
ISBN 0906138191

When I started writing the reviews of this series last year, I did not think it would be that hard to write separate reviews on each book in the series. I think the books are awesome and would benefit any Christian in their spiritual life. The volumes that deal with special feasts or Easter & Christmas were easy to write about. But the volumes covering ordinary time are much harder to write about, so see my write-up below about the series as a whole, or check out some of the specific reviews linked below. And God bless.

Scepter Press in North America has just reprinted them again last fall.

About the Complete Series:

The complete series is worth the money, time and effort. This is an amazing Catholic meditation and daily reflection series. The seven volumes have daily readings for each day of the church year, as well as volumes 6 & 7 being special Feast Days. The readings draw heavily upon the writings of Josemaria Escriva the founder of Opus Dei, Pope John Paul II, and the daily readings from the common liturgy for that day. The Sundays have three sets of readings, depending on whether we are in year A, B, or C in the church readings. These devotions are all about 6 pages long and divided into 3 sections. They can all be read as a complete section, or part in the morning, midday and evening as they each have three sections. I find that with every day there is so much meat in these devotions that I am already planning on reading them again next year.

This series was originally published in Spanish and was completed in January 1991; the English translation was completed in 1993. It has been immensely popular since they first started coming out in1988. They are published around the world, and have helped thousands of readers in enriching their spiritual lives.

There is a complete subject, and biblical reference index in volume 7; unfortunately the earlier volumes' indexes only go as far as that volume #. The indexes are subject and reference quoted by church Fathers, Popes and Saints. These books will draw anyone deeper into a faith and a life of action based upon that faith.

Books edited by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Year of Faith Treasury: Prayer 

Year of Faith Treasury: Holy Communion 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Roman Pontiff 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Sacrament of Confession 

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Faith

Year of Faith Treasury: The Virtue of Fortitude 

In Conversation with God:

Volume #1 Advent and Christmastide

Volume #2 Lent and Eastertide

Volume #3 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-12

Volume #4 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-23

Volume #5 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-34

Volume #6 Special Feasts January-June

Volume #7 Special Feats July -December

Complete Set 7 Volumes

In Conversation with God eBooks:
Volume 1 Part 1 Advent 
Volume 1 Part 2 Christmas and Epiphany
Volume 2 Part 1 Lent and Holy Week
Volume 2 Part 2 Eastertide
Volume 3 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 1-6
Volume 3 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 7-12
Volume 4 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 13-18
Volume 4 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 19-23
Volume 5 Part 1 Ordinary Time Weeks 24-28
Volume 5 Part 2 Ordinary Time Weeks 29-34
Volume 6 Part 1 Special Feasts January-March
Volume 6 Part 2 Special Feasts April-June
Volume 7 Part 1 Special Feats July -September
Volume 7 Part 2 Special Feats October -December

Books by Francis Fernandez Carvajal:

Overcoming Lukewarmness

Through The Winds and Waves

The Day that Changed My Life

Life of Jesus

...

Catholic Carnival 136

The Carnival is up at 'just another day of Catholic pondering' this week's is called 'Catholic Carnival 136! Game Day!' It is large and it is good. It almost seams that everybody showed up for the pregame bbq. There are some amazing posts this week, so be sure to check them out.

Check out the Catholic Carnival submission form complete with screenshots in this post: BlogCarnival.com Submission form.

Or join the Google group to be made aware of call for submissions and when new Carnivals are up and where they are up.

The Catholic Carnival FAQ.