Product Description
"This book is the definitive guide for SAP NetWeaver BI professionals. Based on their extraordinary expertise with the product, the authors provide deep insights about key innovations in the areas of user experience, query performance, integrated planning, and enterprise-wide data warehousing."
—Stefan Sigg, Vice President, SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence

The long-anticipated publication of this second edition reflects the growing success of SAP NetWeaver as well as the various Business Intelligence (BI) capabilities that are embedded with SAP BW version 7.0. Written by SAP insiders, this comprehensive guide takes into account the ever-changing features, functionality, and toolsets of SAP NetWeaver to bring you the most updated information on how to use SAP BW to design, build, deploy, populate, access, analyze, present, and administer data. You'll discover the options that are available in SAP NetWeaver and uncover a new means to improve business performance.

This book reflects the process an organization goes through during an implementation of the software. The authors begin with an introduction to BI and SAP NetWeaver and quickly progress to information modeling and enterprise data warehouse concepts. You'll learn how to access and deliver meaningful analytic information to the organization, as well as perform integrated planning functions. Finally, the authors share invaluable insight on warehouse administration, performance, and security.

With more than 50 percent new or revised material, this second edition of Mastering the SAP Business Information Warehouse shows you how to:

• Extract data from online transaction processing systems
• Store transformed data in a way that best supports reporting and analysis
• Use the various Business Explorer tools such as BEx Report Designer, BEx Analyzer, BEx Broadcaster, and BEx Web Application Designer
• Schedule, monitor, troubleshoot, and archive data loads

The companion Web site contains sample chapters in Wiki format and the authors' blog where readers may enter discussions about the book and SAP.

Wiley Technology Publishing Timely. Practical. Reliable.

Visit our Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/

Visit the companion Web site at www.wiley.com/compbooks/mcdonald

The companion Web site contains the sample code presented in the text of the book, plus implementation templates. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Not for Newbies
If you are new to SAP or BW, do not read this book. No step by steps or walkthroughs. I had to constantly goto help.sap.com to understand the concepts.

Good Book
I had the first edition of the Book and some of the best ideas of SAP BW I indeed picked from this book. This is certainly for people more interested in the architecture of SAP BW not so much for people looking to build Step by Step. Highly recommended for people who are looking to design from first principles (offcourse from a Software package point of view) of how SAP BW core is coded and behave. Wish it may have covered the extraction bit, for standard areas atleast, in much more details though.

SAP BW Technology Explained
For anyone about to dip a cautious toe into the ocean known as SAP BW for the first time, this book is an extremely handy guide. It is very difficult to extract a meaningful overview of BW from the SAP documentation, which is oriented to very specific tasks, and which discusses everything in language that manages to be abstract and jargon-filled at the same time. An immediately useful aspect of the book is an appendix that provides a guide to the many SAP acronyms. Terminology unique to SAP BW is extensive and often bewildering to the newcomer, especially since there is a tendency for SAP to apply terms to specific concepts in a very idiosyncratic way. This book is very helpful to the reader already familiar with DW/BI concepts who is trying to comprehend the SAP way of doing things. The architectural overview is also excellent, especially since it provides insights into which components are required and which are optional, often in the context of the historical evolution of the SAP BW product family. I am very glad to have found this book, which has considerably clarified my understanding of this technology.

A gem of a book - but very serious typo errors
This book is a gem - an asset to professionals or starters in SAP BW. Not surprising given the credentials of the authors. But there are many very very serious typo errors. Obviously there was little or no proof reading done. Its a shame on Wiley publications !

Lots of concepts and theory. Very little hands-on guidance.
This book does a good job of explaining BW concepts and theory. But there is no hands on guidance or step by step walkthroughs. After I understand the general workflow and overview of what is supposed to happen, I needed other books and guidance to figure out the specifics of what needs to get done.

For an SAP expert new to cubes and associated concepts, this would probably be very helpful. For someone like myself, who has used a few other BI/cube products, but is new to SAP, this book is a poor choice. ... Read more

Product Description
This book explores the relationship between new experiences of selfhood and new patterns of social life. It does so through an encounter with young people who confront urgent social and cultural transformations, whose experience of selfhood is unclear, often shaped by social forces that while powerful, appear difficult, if not impossible to name. These young people live in a world where institutions are weakening and identities fragmenting, where socialization into roles is being replaced by new imperatives of communication and self-esteem. Their world is shaped by new forms of freedom, but also by new forms of social polarization and conflict. More than other social groups, young people confront the imperative of locating a sense of self and subjectivity, and this book is an account of this struggle in a context of profound social and cultural change. The author draws on the experience of a diverse group of young people-graffiti artists, sufferers of anorexia, the unemployed-all from a broad range of educational and cultural backgrounds. This book renews hands-on fieldwork in the Chicago School tradition; it is one where we meet real people confronting real social situations, while its research agenda is posited within the new French "sociology of experience". Struggles for Subjectivity is not only about young people-it explores forms of crisis and struggle increasingly evident in advanced societies. ... Read more

Product Description
Over the past decade we have witnessed the extraordinary rise of new global movements that throw into question the way we think about culture, power and action in a globalizing world.

• Examines three of the most significant global social movements of the last decade: anti-globalization, new Islamic movements, and the Falun Gong in China.
  
• Explores key dimensions of these movements, the tensions they confront, and the crises that created them.
  
• Demonstrates how these global movements require a rethinking of the very idea of social movements

Product Description
Cheers! is an indispensable A-to-Z of warm, funny, erudite, and sentimental sayings forevery possible occasion. Organized by category, Cheers! is more than a list of notable quotes and memorable toasts. It is full of useful advice on how to prepare a personalized message using the sayings in the book; deliver a toast without becoming flustered or, worse, running too long; and determine what words are appropriate for any given situation. An extended index and cross-references make Cheers! extremely easy to navigate, so finding the perfect words is a cinch. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great party coffe table book
Great conversations and laughter guaranteed when you put this book on a cofee table during your next party.

great book
This book is bound to have a toast in it that is right for every occasion. I have used several of them to surprise guests and they got a kick out of the funnier ones I have said.

A great choice
I ordered a few toast and public speaking books in order to prepare for some upcoming events.This book was by far the best.The quotes are organized in a way that makes them easy to find and the choice of quotes is wonderful!Now that the events are behind me, I still find myself picking-up this book just for fun.

Fabulous!
I found this great toast guide to be very helpful in putting together words for any occasion, from bachelor parties to promotions to weddings! ... Read more

Product Description
"Practically Invisible" is a compelling coming of age story that shapes a young boy's life and changes a town forever. After Christian's mother gets promoted, Christian and his family are forced to leave the big city and relocate to a small town in Virginia. During his journey to discover his new surroundings, Christian uncovers a secret world of underground adolescents, known as "The Locals." The Locals pride themselves on thinking they are above the law, the same law that failed to protect them from their abusive families. Now runaways, the Locals live life off the grid.The story takes an unexpected twist when Christian falls for a beautiful girl named Danielle and discovers she is the leader of The Locals. In his blind pursuit of Danielle, Christian falls deeper and deeper into the underground life. His efforts to juggle two lives begin to take a toll on him and unknowingly start to unravel the secret life The Locals have worked so hard to protect. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Easy Read
This is a very fast an easy read.It has everything to keep your interest.Sex, abuse, adventure, love triangles etc... I like a book that's not predictable and can hold my interest, as well as shed light on darker area's of life. ... Read more

Product Description


For an exciting ten year period Johnston College at the University of Redlands was a locus of innovative education in the United States.Along with institutions such as hampshire, UC Santa Cruz and Fair haven, Johnston College pioneered work in student-centered learning using academic contracts, affective education, narrative evaluations rather than letter grades, and a host of other innovations.Our narrative history chronicles the rise, fall, and rebirth of this academic community's journey.The book concentrates on the founding and the closing of the College, and its transformation into the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies, which continues to prosper at the University.It explores the educational practices, alternative teaching and learning, instructive failures, cultural complexity, and rites of passage that made it so successful, and so difficult to sustain. ... Read more

Product Description
Using the often chaotic quality of modern relationships as a foundation, 'My Three Bitches: The Personal Diary of a Fool' presents Kevin McDonald’s perspective on a trio of encounters as each contributed in meaningful ways to his personal development.

Several years his junior, Dorna becomes McDonald’s first wife and celebrates with him at a lavish reception, only to request a divorce on their first wedding anniversary.After a period of soul searching and career dedication, McDonald meets Michelle, a French woman visiting Chicago for her 21st birthday, but their romance subsequentlyends in a dramatic scene atop the Eiffel Tower.A second marriage to a longtime friend and sometimes girlfriend,Samantha, also culminates in divorce, despite McDonald’s efforts to exhibit patience and understanding when he learns the true aspects of her personality.

As he recounts details of passion and disillusionment, McDonald analyzes the motivations and assumptions directing each event while working to comprehend the specific ingredients (whose combination might yield a more positive result for his future).In its candid and satirical approach to love’s ups and downs, 'My Three Bitches' portrays the layers of emotion underscoring a quest for companionship, offering insight for the male or female reader who may have had similar experiences with heartbreak. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Great Book
This is a great book for reading when you just need a quick respite from life. It's 69 page or so tale of the author's three "bitches" is indeed a fun and insightful ride into the realm of relationships.

The author was a coworker of mine, and he mentioned that he had written this. I had been skeptical of it for a while, but after reading it, I was delighted beyond my wildest expectations, as was anyone with whom I lent this book.

1 star is too high, but Amazon doesn't have a 0 star selection
This title I found to be rather self serving and a thinly veiled attempt for the author to make himself out to be something of a romantic.The reader would have been better served with a title such as "My Three Failures: Or How I Am The Real Bitch".Much in the way "Big Al" welcomes a new cellmate, his "Bitches" have shown him who was the real man in the relationship, but who is to blame for that?

I would have been more interested in this title if it had come on a roll, such as Charmin or Angel Soft. Do not misunderstand my intent, this by no means can replace the gold leaf toilet paper I have grown fond of, but the literary content of this work would be greatly improved in the process.

Kudos to the publisher for limiting this to 1 printing.Shame on them for printing it in the first place (unless the author is the printer, and each of these is a handwritten volume, in which case...caveat emptor)

Three Bad Relationships
Everbody knows the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover"...That saying is true.I was a little lire at first.Once I started reading my whole prospective about the aurthorchanged. This book has taught me a lot.I look forward to his next book.

WOW!
This book was great. All though it was short it had great meaning. I really felt bad for the guy. I could really get into the book and I read it all in a couple hours. I learned a lot to. This book is funny, sad, smart and detailed. Definatly recommed it!!!

Daaaaaang (giggle)
Okay, okay here goes...I can understand Dorna maybe being a little too young for marriage and maybe the long distance relationship with Michelle was a little to much for her but, Samantha is a whole different story...how dare her.

It seems you choose these women because they are well rounded, and maybe you felt your good looks and your wallet was enough to have the fairy tale life you seem so engrossed in persuing.However, slow down, enjoy yourself, and don't be so quick to give your precious heart away so freely and so fast.

You have the idea life and present yourself as a romantic. Those three ladies just wasn't right for you.I just hope when Miss Right do appear in your life you are not too scarred from your past relationships that you will not recognize her or be overly paranoid that she will do the same to you as the other three did.

A relationship is a two-way street. Stop being the one that's doing all the giving. ... Read more

Product Description
Interested in ways to make your business more efficient? Then Cloud Computing may be just what you have been looking for. Cloud Computing can enable you to drive down the costs of your IT function and gives you the ability to focus on your core business, whilst saving energy. The concept of shifting computing to a shared service provider is not new. What is new is that the cost of Cloud Computing is falling so dramatically that considering outsourcing to the Cloud is no longer rare. And, in an era of tight budgets, the opportunity to make financial savings means that Cloud Computing looks especially attractive. "Above the Clouds: Managing Risk in the World of Cloud Computing" acts as a primer and strategic guide to identify Cloud Computing best practices and associated risks, and reduce the latter to acceptable levels. From software as a service (SaaP) to replacing the entire IT infrastructure, the author serves as an educator, guide and strategist, from runway to getting the organization above the clouds. Valuable tips on how to choose your provider of Cloud Services are also offered. The author, Kevin T. McDonald is a Senior Information Technology Analyst and Cloud Strategist for ICF International Inc, a consulting firm in Washington, DC. A member of the Tech America Cloud Computing Committee and the Cloud Security Alliance, Kevin has over 25 years' experience in IT, choosing to specialize in cyber security, infrastructure protection and business continuity. Buy this book and take your business on a journey above the Clouds! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Good Overview of the Cloud Environment
For a book entitled Above the Clouds, Kevin McDonald had written a very down to earth and practical introduction to cloud computing.This book is well organized and offers a quick way to get up to speed on a very expansive topic.I found this book very helpful in dispelling a few misconceptions I had about cloud computing. My organization is moving toward a Cloud environment and I have recommended this book to work collogues who would like to learn more about it.

Comprehensive Overview
Above the Clouds provides a comprehensive introduction to the benefits and risks associated with transitioning to cloud computing.The text is written in a clear, easy-to-read manner and is perfect for anyone interested in gaining a basic, relatively non-technical understanding of the issues.An important feature of the book is that it provides readers with specific issues to consider and questions to ask when considering transitioning their businesses to the clouds.

A must read for your C-level team
I will be giving copies of Above the Clouds to my clients that need a baseline understanding of all-things-cloud.The book is a good source for executives who are not 'into' the technology but need to understand it so they can be part of the discussions and decision making process as cloud issues relate to business objectives.

Thoughtful review of cloud computing
Kevin McDonald's discussion of the benefits of cloud computing is lively and comprehensive. His language is straightforward and geared to managers who are looking into the merits of cloud computing. This book covers several aspects of cloud computing, including a definition and its advantages over traditional methods of handling IT demands. It focuses especially well on issues for small to medium organizations and agencies, such as the usual strains on IT staff who are balancing training in new technology with "putting out fires".Very useful book for evaluating this type of data management. ... Read more

Product Description
Shifting Out of Park: Moving Auto Safety from Recalls to Reason is an in-depth look at the automobile recall process. Vehicle safety and reliability is considered to be better than it has ever been, yet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continues to issue as many as 30 million vehicle recalls per year. A paradox perhaps. This book discusses the history of the recall process and the reasons NHTSA devotes a high percentage of its attention to this matter, with more vehicles recalled than sold each year.Yet it administers this program in a costly and rather ineffective manner for all parties involved. First of all, compliance is difficult to enforce since up to a quarter of the recall notices, on vehicles, are not attended to by the owners. Second, the cost of recalls is very high in terms of cost per vehicle. NHTSA estimates that recalls cost automakers about $100 per vehicle per recall. But that's only part of the costs, namely, parts and labor. This estimate fails to consider costs such as engineering, tooling, and producing the replacement parts. Worse, it ignores indirect costs, which dwarf direct costs and include the loss of market capitalization, market share, and brand damage as a result of a recall. Third, there is a cost to those who do take their vehicles in to fix the recall. Having to fix the recall causes extra risk of accidents due to additional travel, loss of time and productivity due to bringing the vehicle to the dealer, and cost of fuel needed to make the additional trips.

It is possible that the recalls may risk more lives than they save.It is estimated that the additional travel, caused by owners fixing the recalls, causes three to four deaths a year, let alone many injury and non-injury causing accidents.The program is expensive in more ways than just monetarily, and the question of whether or not the safety benefits of the recall program outweigh the costs has been asked, but remains unanswered. The Federal Government refuses to study the issue and claims that the small number of actual facts and the large number of unknown factors make it next to impossible to evaluate the program.

With this book Dr. Kevin McDonald evaluates the recall process and starts a discussion on how it might be changed for the better. He discusses the three components of traffic safety in order of importance and how they contribute to automobile accidents: driver safety, roadway safety, and vehicle safety. He also discusses automobile regulation and the three steps that must occur for regulation to take place: public awareness and demand for action, legislation, and continuing administration. He unravels the legislation and litigation that started in 1966 with the creation of NHTSA and continues today, including an exhaustive analysis of the TREAD Act, passed in the wake of the Ford-Firestone recall. Separate chapters are devoted to how the courts have handled recall orders and the recent trend to have courts, not NHTSA, order recalls and how they affect the recall process. Dr. McDonald then compares the current American recall process and its history with the recall processes of several foreign countries with excellent auto safety histories. He gives suggestions for improvement that will allow the recall process to save money and better serve the American public.The book is clear and to the point and will serve as a descriptive resource for all parties, from judges and lawyers to auto designers and mechanics to concerned citizens, interested in traffic safety in America and the auto recall process. ... Read more

Product Description
Populated by wildflowers and roses, water lilies and cacti, the public gardens of Texas offer some of the most diverse designs and varieties of plant specimens found in the United States. In this lushly photographed volume, Elvin McDonald, one of the country's finest horticultural experts, provides an intimate tour of the breathtaking Texas gardens.

From the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham to the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, the tropical conservatory and rainforest in the Amarillo Botanical Gardens, and the Bayou Bend Gardens in Houston, McDonald details more than thirty public gardens throughout Texas, examining the histories, layouts, designs, and plantings unique to each. Each garden visited in this volume is open to the public, inviting readers to venture out and experience the grandeur and beauty of these natural spaces for themselves. Containing more than one hundred color photos and thirty color illustrations, this gorgeous collection is perfect for all seasons. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

GARDENS..TEXAS STYLE
This is a very good niche book on a subject close to most Texans heart.The book is surprisingly comprehensive and well researched, I only noticed one glaring error and that was on the subject of Griffith Park in L.A..Griffith Park is 4000!! acres not 100, it's one of largest parks in the nation.Texas is blessed with some world class public gardens and this book does a fantastic job of highlighting not just the spectacular, like the Ft. Worth and Dallas Botanical Gardens, but also beautiful smaller gardens, like the one in Beaumont and the singular Bayou Bend in River Oaks.I appreciate that he included major parks as well, such as Hermann in Houston and Breckenridge in San Antonio.Overall, wonderful book, with insightful text and vivid images, highly recommended.

Beautiful!
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (2/09)

"Texas Public Gardens" by Elvin McDonald and photography by Kevin Vandivier and Earl Nottingham is a perfect coffee table book or one to have on the bedside table in the guest room - especially if you live in Texas.It will give you a wonderful armchair experience of all the delightful gardens in Texas without having to visit physically. The photography is suburb and colorful, capturing the true beauty of this southern state.

Living in Austin, Texas I have always been enamored with The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and was delighted to see the photographers capture the best of the gardens themselves - the vast field of bluebonnets, the state flower.The Moody Gardens in Galveston photos captured my interest also.Obviously taken before Hurricane Ike hit in September 2008, the grounds look beautiful and it is my hope they will be restored.

Also showcased are gardens such as Mercer Arboretum in Humble, Bayou Bend Gardens and Houston, Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham, Texas Discover Gardens in Dallas as well as many other beautiful places in Texas.My favorite, however, is the Zilker Botanical Garden in Austin.I have wandered through the gardens many times, enjoying the water-lilies and Redbud trees in full bloom.

Saying "Texas Public Gardens" by Elvin McDonald is a beautiful book would be an understatement.It is more than a beautiful book; it is a depiction of the true beauty in the Texas landscape, whether they are man-made gardens or the natural landscape that is so prevalent throughout the State.

super reading and photogaphy
Texas Public Gardens
A super, well illustrated book describing the gardens of Texas. Great to use when traveling the state. It introduces one to the many gardens we don't know about. This just adds one more excellent book to the collection on gardens Elvin McDonald has written for the garden world.
M.Wilson

Highly recommended, especially for anyone who loves the beauty of nature
Texas Public Gardens is a captivatingly beautiful coffee table book, filled with lavish color photography of public gardens in Texas. A handful of brief essays educate readers about the histories of each garden, but the real draw here is the exceptional imagery - from close-ups of flowers to panoramic scenes of trees and natural byways, to a perfect shot of a frog in mid-jump. Highly recommended, especially for anyone who loves the beauty of nature.
... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Business North Carolina, published by Business North Carolina on March 1, 2010. The length of the article is 2042 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Working to stay clean: with a workforce of felons and addicts, Kevin McDonald is building businesses--and rebuilding lives--in Durham.(FEATURE)(Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers Inc.)(Occupation overview)
Author: Robert K. Otterbourg
Publication: Business North Carolina (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2010
Publisher: Business North Carolina
Volume: 30Issue: 3Page: 52(6)

Article Type: Occupation overview

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Ian Mcdiarmid, Macdonald Smith, Alex Smith, Kevin Mcdonald, Fred Martin, Don Pottinger, Willie Smith, John Slavin, Stephen Scobie, George Mckenzie Samson. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 46. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Ian McDiarmid (pronounced ; born 11 August 1944) is a Tony Award-winning Scottish theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television. He has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others. Although McDiarmid has appeared mostly in theatrical productions, he has also accepted roles in theatrical films and TV movies. Worldwide, he is most famous for his role as Palpatine in both the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies. McDiarmid was born in Carnoustie. He became a theatre aficionado when he was five years old, when his father took him to see an act by the name of Tommy Morgan in a theatre located in Dundee. In 2004 he stated, "It sort of fascinated me, and it also scared me. All those lights, all that make-up. I said to myself, 'I don't know what this is, but I want it.'" However, fearing his father's disapproval, McDiarmid attended the University of St Andrews, where he received an M.A. in psychology. Soon after, he decided to pursue a career in the theatre instead, and took acting training courses at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow. In 1968, McDiarmid received a gold medal for his work. This would later prove to be the first of many recognitions given to him for his work in the theatre. McDiarmid claimed he became its recipient "by doing all the boring jobs you have to do when you are young, to eke out an existence." McDiarmid is renowned for his work in British theatre, having won plaudits as an actor and director from a wid...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=18581372 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Regulation, published by Cato Institute on June 22, 2009. The length of the article is 4288 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Do auto recalls benefit the public? More attention should be given to improving the driver.(PRODUCT SAFETY)(National Highway Traffic Safety Administration )
Author: Kevin M. McDonald
Publication: Regulation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2009
Publisher: Cato Institute
Volume: 32Issue: 2Page: 12(6)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
School was out and I was on my way to San Diego for a family vacation. I was sure the learning was over and the fun was just starting. That was when I met Susie, a homeless girl who seemed to be everything that I was not. Little did I know we had so much in common.Susie taught me about life, love, and how to think for myself. Most of all, she taught me that sometimes, you have to get in trouble to really live. ... Read more

Product Description
Billy Wirth is a normal high school student who lives to play football, but shies from the spotlight. Like his classmates, he is struggling for answers in the wake of the tragic deaths of two of his best friends. As Billy begins to question his priorities, values, and future, he encounters an interesting old friend, Noah Lively. At Noah's urging, Billy and his new girlfriend, Shelby Cooper, join him to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding the deaths of their friends, picking up where the police left off. As the three begin to uncover more and more details, they realize the shocking truth: their friends were murdered, in cold blood. But the most frightening discovery of all is that one of them is destined to be next. As the three race to find answers that could save lives, they find themselves trying to avoid their own fate. The intense search may be just what Billy needs to help him learn what is really important in life, but will it be too late? ... Read more

Product Description
8 Units from The Anglo-Saxons to the Twentieth Century. ... Read more