From the Paper
"Publishing is a business dependent on the vagaries of public taste, and the best-seller list is the goal for every book published. Achieving sales sufficient to reach the best-seller list is difficult, and it seems to many people like only certain kinds of books get on that list, books with a broad appeal, certainly, which also might mean books that appeal to the sort of "lowest common denominator" that rules television. Yet, clearly this is not the case, since books of widely divergent types on subjects that might be considered difficult and even esoteric have become major best-sellers. The four books discussed here are all non-fiction books but are also from very different fields, and none of them involves subject matter that can be considered of broad appeal on its face or of immediate interest in the way a book on a current subject might be. Donald R."

Abstract
This document looks at a typical sales pitch made by employees of Best Buy and Circuit City when trying to cross-sell extended warranties on electrical items that are sold in their outlets across North America.

From the Paper
"Further, the case study also looks at factual data related to the profits made by these entities through their extended warranty programs and what the present and future outcomes look like for the organization in this area. Best Buy ..."

Tags:best, buy, warranty

Abstract
The paper reveals that at the center of Best Buy's competitive advantage is its ability to deliver customized and highly personalized service. The paper shows how Best Buy has been able to automate its services and product customization through online-guided selling, sales and product configurators. The paper discusses how automating the quote-to-order process is delivering significant results for Best Buy and makes it possible for customers to shop on a 24/7 basis during the holiday season.

Outline:
Best Buy Automates Guided Selling and Quote-to-Order Processes
Comparing Quote-to-Order and Guided Selling at Best Buy
Summary

From the Paper
"Best Buy relies on a series of distribution centers that are continually managed through the use of their Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems which function as the distributed order management hub that synchronizes customer demand from its stores with incoming supply chain partners' shipments. The ability to synchronize their many supply chain partners with the demands of stores is another of Best Buy's major competitive advantages, and ensures that the store sales persons have the optimal mix of products for the customers who frequent their stores."

Tags:quote-to-order, online, distribution, synchronization

Abstract
This paper compares the prices and presentation of seven popular books, which are not based on the "New York Times Best Seller List", as on amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The author points out that Amazon.com undercuts its competitor by a small percentage, which possibly is large enough to attract customers away from BarnesandNoble.com. The paper relates that the visual display on Amazon.com is easier on the eye and has larger fonts; Amazon.com places their user review ratings near the book titles.

From the Paper
"Tom Wolfe's novel "I Am Charlotte Simmons" is brand new and therefore only available in hardcover. The list price is $28.95 on both sites. Amazon.com sells the book at a remarkable 60% discount, for a sale price of $11.58. BarnesandNoble's sale price is $20.26, only 30% off the publisher's list price. In this case, the price difference between the two vendors is enough so that customers would be more willing to buy the product from Amazon.com."

Tags:prices, presentation, undercut, fonts, discount

Abstract
The paper discusses how Ruby Payne's lecture series and best-selling book, "A Framework for Understanding Poverty", have become popular guides for public educators seeking to bridge the cultural gap between the impoverished and the middle-class. The paper looks at how Payne offers a description of the problem and practical strategies for classroom teachers to use as they seek to understand students in poverty, and strategies to show them the hidden rules of the middle class.

From the Paper
"Ruby Payne's lecture series and best-selling book, "A framework for understanding poverty", have become popular guides for public educators seeking to bridge the cultural gap between the impoverished and the middle-class. Payne offers a description of the problem and practical strategies for classroom teachers to use as they seek to understand students in poverty, and strategies to show them the hidden rules of the middle class."

Tags:ruby, payne, poverty

Abstract
The paper reviews and analyzes specific examples of lawyers' ethical lapses in the film "The Firm," based on John Grisham's best-selling novel, that are blatant violations of the American Bar Association's (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct. The paper then discusses why Grisham and others portray lawyers negatively and why there is an abundance of skepticism about lawyers' ethical behavior.

Outline:
Violations of ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct in The Firm
Background: Why Grisham (and others) Portray Lawyers Negatively
Conclusion

From the Paper
"UCLA Law Professor Michael Asimow ("Embodiment of Evil: Law Firms in The Movies") asserts that lawyers in movies are portrayed as "greedy, heartless, predatory, unethical and often buffoonish or incompetent" (Asimow, 2001, p 2). That having been said, Asimow goes on to explain that "in several respects" the dark treatment lawyers receive in the movies "is generally accurate" (Asimow, p 3). Moreover, the depiction of law firms' "billing improprieties" and "hardball litigation tactics seem "justified" according to Asimow (p. 3).
"On page 16 of his essay, Asimow dips into Grisham's films, saying Grisham (who is also an attorney) "has made a very profitable business of trashing law firms"; about the only "decent human beings and ethical lawyers to be found" in Grisham's books are pro bono lawyers, legal service lawyers, and "young lawyers just entering the profession who have yet to be tainted by it." That last description seems perfect for Mitch McDeere, who is just out of Harvard Law School and is seduced into joining The Firm by a lavish offer that includes a shiny new car, a classy home, a handsome salary and promises of more perks and bonuses if he plays ball with The Firm's many secretive, shadowy guidelines."

Tags:conduct, money, billing

Abstract
As Michael Pollan (2006) points out, humans have "big and intricate brains" (p. 2) - but it doesn't require a very intricate brain to see why his best-selling Omnivore's Dilemma has caused such a sensation. One of the few things all human beings have in common is that food is central to all of our lives. Yet much like the proverbial elephant in the room, there is much about food that we take for granted. We routinely wonder into supermarkets where there is such a cornucopia of food that might have made the big brains of our distant

From the Paper
Book Review: Omnivore's Dilemma Book Review: Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan. London: Penguin Books, 2006. 450 pages. $20.00 p/b. As Michael Pollan points out, humans have "big and intricate brains" (2006, p. 2) - but it doesn't require a very intricate brain to see why his best-selling Omnivore's Dilemma has caused such a sensation. One of the few things all human beings have in common is that food is central to all of our lives. Yet much like the proverbial elephant in the room, there is much about food that we take for granted. We routinely wonder into

Tags:book, review, pollan

Abstract
A review of Francis Ford Coppola's film adaptation of the best selling novel by John Grisham, 'The Rainmaker'. The paper discusses how the film explores several legal and ethical issues primarily associated with the evils of a huge and uncaring insurance company.

From the Paper
"Baylor even comments to Shifflet early in the film about the lack of ethics and loss of dignity that he is experiencing by drumming up business in hospitals from people injured in accidents. Another scene from the hospital continues the commentary on lawyers and their ethics. Baylor meets and hopes to represent a young woman, Kelly Riker, who has been beaten by her husband. As he tries to make her acquaintance and ingratiate himself as a lawyer, she challenges him by reminding him of the types of cases that lawyers sometimes take such as defending murderers, rapist, and child molesters. Baylor pauses a moment to reflect before declaring himself a civil lawyer as if to distance himself from the charges. However, Baylor understands the criticism and it stands to remind the audience of the position of lawyers in the society."

Tags:Baylor, legal, crime, evidence, testimony

Abstract
This paper discusses and reviews Thomas L. Friedman's best-selling book, "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," which completely redefines the concept of globalization and its implications on companies, organizations and societies globally. The paper reviews the content of the book and Friedman's writing style and observations.

From the Paper
"Globalization's effects on economies are much more complex and full of contractions and paradoxes than Mr. Friedman's book portrays. Sacrificing in-depth analysis for a conversational tone, the book presents an accurate analysis at a cursory level of globalization. The effects of globalization are seen in every nation, every city globally. Its effects of economic growth need to be balanced with respect for cultures, norms, religions and values. In having experienced the effects of globalization through travel, I found the book a useful travelogue yet in need of more critical analysis to capture the paradoxes seen during traveling internationally."

Tags:gloablization, growth, investment, infrastructure

Abstract
The fundamental premise of Hammer and Champy's best-selling book Reengineering the corporation: A manifesto for business revolution (2003) is that the world has changed, but business has not. As a result, business is not well placed to cope with the demands of today's business realities. First published in the 1990s, it led to what its authors refer to as "a worldwide movement." Certainly its serious allegations prompted some serious soul searching in business, as well as some concrete changes - even if not quite the revolutionary changes the authors envisaged revolutionary changes.

From the Paper
Assignments for Industrial Relations 317 Assignment 1 A synopsis of Hammer and Champy's Reengineering the corporation The fundamental premise of Hammer and Champy's best-selling book Reengineering the corporation: A manifesto for business revolution (2003) is that the world has changed, but business has not. As a result, business is not well placed to cope with the demands of today's business realities. First published in the 1990s, it led to what its authors refer to as "a worldwide movement." Certainly its serious allegations prompted some serious soul searching in business, as well as some concrete changes -

Tags:reengineering, organization, champy