This book provides the mathematical tools and problem-solving experience needed to successfully compete in high-level problem solving competitions. Each section presents important background information and then provides a variety of worked examples and exercises to help bridge the gap between what the reader may already know and what is required for high-level competitions. Answers or sketches of the solutions are given for all exercises.
This book is for both managers and those they manage. It is for both individuals and teams. It is a practical book which, I hope, will speak to both your hearts and your minds. Since this book was first published in 2000, I have received many encouraging comments from readers telling me what a difference it has made to their lives. The book has been purchased by libraries, prisons, social services, universities and students. It has been recommended as essential reading material by various training organizations and educational establishments. It has also been translated into three languages. But the book was a hardback edition retailing at a high price. This meant that it was out of the reach of many of the people for whom I originally wrote the book. I hope that by having it republished in paperback at a more affordable price range, more people will be able to purchase it and put the skills into practice. I know this book works. It is based on material from the excellent 12 Skills Programme from the Conflict Resolution Network of Australia (CRN). (www.crnhq.org). While grappling with my own conflict issues, fate brought me into contact with the teachings of the CRN, a network of people with a common commitment to conflict resolution, co-operative communication strategies and related skills.
The new M&A bible. Few actions can change the value of a company—and its competitive future—as quickly and dramatically as an acquisition. Yet most companies fail to create shareholder value from these deals, and in many cases they destroy it. It doesn't have to be this way. In The Synergy Solution, Deloitte's Mark Sirower and Jeff Weirens show acquirers how to develop and execute an M&A strategy—end to end—that not only avoids the pitfalls that so many companies fall into but also creates real, long-term shareholder value. This strategy includes how to: Become a prepared "always on" acquirer Test the investment thesis and DCF valuation of a deal Plan for a successful Announcement Day, and properly communicate synergy promises to investors and other stakeholders Realize those promised synergies through integration planning and post-close execution Manage change and build a new, combined organization Sirower and Weirens provide invaluable background to those considering M&A, laying out the issues they have to consider, how to analyze them, and how to plan and execute the deal effectively. They also show those who have already started the process of M&A how to maximize their chances of success. There's an art and a science to getting mergers and acquisitions right, and this powerful book provides the insights and strategies acquirers need to find success at every stage of an often complex and perilous process.
The war for talent is heating up in emerging markets. Without enough “brain power,” multinationals can’t succeed in these markets. Yet they’re approaching the war in the wrong way—bringing in expats and engaging in bidding wars for hotshot local “male” managers. The solution is hiding in plain sight: the millions of highly educated women surging into the labor markets of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates. Increasingly, these women boast better credentials, higher ambitions, and greater loyalty than their male peers. But there’s a catch: Attracting and retaining talented women in emerging economies requires different strategies than those used in mature markets. Complex cultural forces – family-related “pulls,” such as daughterly duties to parents and in-laws, and work-related “pushes,” such as extreme hours and dangerous commutes – force women to settle for dead-end jobs, switch to the public sector, or leave the workforce entirely. In Winning the War for Talent in Emerging Markets, Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Ripa Rashid analyze these forces and present strategies for countering them, including: • Sustaining ambition through stretch opportunities and international assignments • Combating cultural bias by building an infrastructure for female leadership (networks, mentors, sponsors) • Introducing flexible work arrangements to accommodate family obligations • Providing safe transportation, such as employer-subsidized taxi services Drawing on groundbreaking research, amplified with on-the-ground examples from companies as diverse as Google, Infosys, Goldman Sachs, and Siemens, this book is required reading for all companies seeking to strengthen their talent pipeline in these rich and expanding markets.
The authors combine to produce a work that addresses some of the most pressing issues in athletics today. While the book focuses primarily on steroid and supplement abuse, it also covers unethical practices on the part of some coaches and athletes to gain a competitive edge. Finally, it offers healthy alternatives to supplements for athletes wishing to gain size and strength without putting their future health at risk.
It took Harry Cornell two years to figure out that his wife, Karen Payne, did not die in the World Trade Center on nine-eleven. He discovers that his wife had been obsessed with finding an historic African artifact, a carved statue of a Bantu warrior, brought to America on a slave ship in the late eighteenth century. Convinced that finding the artifact will lead to his wife, Cornell travels to the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina. The trail narrows to the five star resort of Hilton Head Island. His first discovery is the murder of his wife''s former lover who also was reported as a casualty of nine-eleven. The brutal murder draws him deep into the low country and the world of the Gullah and root doctors. Cornell discovers that these medicine men of years past still work voodoo magic. He finds others are intensely interested in locating the artifact as well. Rebecca Kane claims that the carved statue is an heirloom of her family and she knows her fellow native islanders will help her find it. Clinton Cooper, the unscrupulous and disgraced former CEO, is convinced the artifact will lead to a hoard of diamonds and gold bullion, a treasure he desperately needs. The root doctor unleashes his terrible magic to help Rebecca Kane locate the artifact but the costs are high. In the end the legendary curse that accompanied the Gullah Prince works it evil one final time.
