Releasing Soon: The official Guide for GMAT Review, 12th Edition: Your insider guide to GMAT

The only OFFICIAL Guide for GMAT from the Creators of the Exam

With over 1, 00, 000 units sold in a market of 1,20,000 annual registrants every year, this year Wiley and Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) have signed a global contract for the next two editions of GMAT Review Guides and its two supplements, GMAT Verbal and Quantitative Review Guides. The 12th edition of The official Guide for GMAT Review is slated to release in March in the US and will be available in India in the first week of May. While there are many books available on the market, this book has a unique value proposition- the questions given in it are Real GMAT Questions from past tests.

Why do you need it?

• Most authentic source for GMAT preparation
• Published by the creators of the exam
• More than 800 past GMAT and 300 never-before published questions with answers and detailed explanations
• Diagnostic Section helps you assess where to focus your test-prep efforts
• Insights into the GMAT exam that debunk test-taking myths
• Strongly recommended book for any MBA applicant who is seriously considering getting a high GMAT score

Closer to the date we will post here information on where books will be available in India.

Book Review: Information Systems Security-Security Management, Metrics, Frameworks and Best Practices

Sunit Belapure, an I.S. Professional working with one of the top three IT Consulting Firms in the world has posted his views on book titled " Information Systems Security: Security Management, Metrics, Frameworks and Best Practices by Nina Godbole.

“I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in” - John Muir

While reading this book, a reader gets engrossed into the subject and cannot be able to leave the book without completing the chapter / domain, till the last word of the book.

Information Security is not a new era now-a-days, but very little awareness is observed in the professionals. One of the reasons could be, there are not many books on Information Security written by Indian authors and published in India, so that the material is available to the IS Practitioners as well to the aspirants at a reasonable price. Although this book is published in India, the efforts are made thinking the global scenario by the author to produce a book for the study of sedimentary successions in the field is commendable.

Although the topic ‘Information Security” a pervasive one, an author is successful to make a fairly comprehensive book interesting with the help of 38 Chapters, divided into 7 domains.
Part 1 – Introduction (6 Chapters) Part 2 – Physical and Environmental Security (4 Chapters) Part 3 – Network Security and Logical Access Control (7 Chapters) Part 4 – Application Security (4 Chapters) Part 5 – Models, Frameworks and Metrics for Security (7 Chapters) Part 6 – Privacy (4 Chapters) Part 7 – Security Best Practices (6 Chapters)

Each chapter in the book is arranged cogently and clearly. The chapter begins with “Learning Objectives” and ends with “Summary” and “Review questions”. “Further Reading” at the beneath of each chapter opens the wealth of knowledge to the reader.

Describing the concepts graphically is one of the strength of this book, with 250(+) figures, along with 50(+) tables and 175(+) vignettes. This makes the book useful to have conceptual understanding for aspirants who are keen to build the career in Information Security Field and also for the speakers / presenters (Teaching Professionals)

Introduction (100 Pages) – Part I begins with the History, Basics and impact of globalization of Information Systems and ends with gaining the understanding about InfoSec Risk Analysis. The reader gets charged and involved in the book while going through Security in Mobile and Wireless Computing at the start (i.e. into the Introduction section). Similarly inclusion of complex topic like LDAP, a topic in itself, has been handled by explaining it in a concise manner from security perspective.

Physical and Environmental Security (65 Pages) – After creating a good background about Information Security, the author took the reader in Part II, about “Overview of Physical Security”. The chapter titled as “Perimeter Security” explains about protecting external boundaries of the organization. The reader will enjoy while going through the last two chapters about Biometrics – One chapter on Controls and the next on Issues and Challenges.
Network Security and Logical Access Control (145 Pages) – The technocrats as well as aspirants will love this section while touring into technology forest. Separate chapters dedicated on Network Fundamentals, Cryptography, Intrusion Detection Systems, Firewalls, Virtual Private Network and Wireless Networks, maintained the flow of the section and have been given full coverage about subject of the book (i.e. Information Security)

Application Security (83 Pages) – Apart from the security perspectives about Business Applications, Databases and Operating Systems, well explained in the separate chapters, awesome efforts found to cover Email Security in a dedicated chapter, a topic which is always ignored and/or given less importance in Information Security domain.

Models, Frameworks and Metrics for Security (135 Pages) – Going through this section is comprehensive education about the various frameworks, models, standards and methodologies like ITIL, IA-CMM, BASEL II, OCTAVE and OSSTMM. An author has devoted separate chapters on ISO 27001, SSE-CMM and COBIT, COSO and SAS 70, which are widely adopted and practiced in the industry. The reader will also get an overview about laws and legal frameworks (IT Act, Sarbanes-Oxley, GLBA, HIPAA and FISMA) in the last chapter of this section.

Privacy (181 Pages) – The Author is clear in the vision while adding a separate section named as Privacy, is nothing but “Data Privacy”. Fundamentals, Business Challenges and Technological Impacts are covered in the separate chapters. Last chapter focuses on Web Services and Privacy from the viewpoint of security and privacy aspects in the Internet and SOA (Service Oriented Architecture) – discussed in detail.

Security Best Practices (217 Pages) – Other than Staffing, BCP/DRP and Asset Management, the reader will get a separate chapter on Privacy Best Practices and Ethical Issues/concerns about Intellectual Property, in this section. “Auditing for Security” chapter explains entire components of an IS Audit domain – Process based Audit as well as Tool based Audit.

The author has given a consideration about the mobility of an individual, which is an integral part of business, encased a CD with the book. Apart from the tradition of including the entire book on the CD which could be redundant effort, the companion CD contains 37 appendices and 17 case illustrations. The appendices contain checklists and guidelines, which will help readers reinforce the understanding the concepts. Appendix E explains ISO 27001 and ISO 17799 vis-à-vis SAS 70 control objectives and controls. The author has also provided an insight for mapping the contents of the book with all the appendices and the details of Training Program which facilitates the reader to conduct workshops and/or seminars on Security and Privacy.

Conclusion – The author has well utilized her entire knowledge base and enriched experience into this book. Including case illustrations and appendices on a CD will be very much appreciated by the readers; especially the practicing professionals in the Information Security domain. This book can be used by the aspirants as a text book for various university courses and certifications (e.g. CISA / CISSP / CIPP and many more) as well as an addition of this book on the bookshelf could be a very good reference for the practitioners.

About reviewer - Sunit Belapure (CISA, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor and CEH) is I.S. Professional working with one of the top three IT Consulting Firms in the world. He is also a member of ISACA and was recognized for his contribution as a CISA coordinator during 2003-2004 in the local chapter situated in Pune, Maharashtra, India

Please visit below mentioned links for more information:
http://wileyindiablog.blogspot.com/2008/12/information-systems-security-security.html

S.M.A.S.H Innovation: Smashing the Hand-Mind-Market Barrier

India: The next superpower

S.M.A.S.H Innovation: Smashing the Hand-Mind-Market Barrier

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Environmental Studies: A balanced approach to the study of environment

This textbook uses a balanced approach to the study of environment adopting operational definitions, broad and realistic classification and focused analyses and discussions that highlight the complexities, importance and scope of environmental studies to a wide array of undergraduate students.

The book categorizes the environment into three general chapters: - Non-Living (or abiotic) Environment; Living (or biotic) Environment; Social (or human) Environment and the fourth chapter, Environmental Conservation, integrates the first three chapters.

The intention of this textbook is to focus on specific topics and headings, appearing in the ‘Core Module Syllabus’ proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for Environmental Studies, which is applicable to Undergraduate Courses of all Branches of Higher Education.
For this purpose, the book has redistributed the proposed topics and headings under the four interlinked chapters and discussed them with well-established examples and case studies.

Highlights

• Syllabus map cross-references the syllabus unit with sections in the book, thereby making the book student-friendly.
• Learning objectives appearing at the beginning of each chapter provide an overview of the specific chapter.
• Case studies appear in form of boxes within the chapter so that they do not disturb the flow of the chapter.
• Topics/themes for practical/field studies and short-term projects are provided at the end of the chapters to impart practical knowledge to students.
• Self-explanatory figures and tabulated format of concepts enhance the ability of the student to grasp and understand concepts in shorter duration than flowing text.
• Concept check questions provided after each major section test the grasping power and reasoning ability of the student after completing the respective section.
• Questions provided at the end of each chapter are divided into Review Questions (comprising long-, short- and concise-answer questions) and Objective-Type Questions (comprising multiple choice, fill in the blanks and state whether true or false questions) with model answers to a few selected questions.
• Model questions and answers to short- and concise-answer questions show how to strategically attempt such questions.
• Frequently asked questions provided at the end of the book comprise a set of questions commonly asked in various university examinations.
• Appendices are also provided at the end of the book to create awareness among readers regarding the conservation of environment through international organizations, such as WWF, IUCN and UNEP; the preservation of animals through animal welfare organizations, such as AWBI, BCI, PfA and SPCA; the concept of Remote Sensing; the Forest Rights Act and the different categories of Protected Areas.
• Glossary is provided to briefly understand the complex terms used in the chapters.
• Bibliography consists of references for further reading.
• Index provides the page references for the different keywords used in chapters.

Throughout the book, the role of the individual in conservation of the environment has been highlighted.

The book also contains:
180+ review questions
200+ objective questions
8 model questions with answers
40 figures
3 short-term projects and 2 term papers

This book is meant for not only utilizing the theoretical implications in examinations but also exercising its practical applications in day-to-day lives.

About the authors

R. J. Ranjit Daniels is currently the Director of Care Earth an organization he founded in June 2000 that is dedicated to biodiversity research and training. He has been a Research Scientist at the Madras Crocodile Bank, an Honorary Secretary at the Chennai Snake Park and also the Principal Scientific Officer (Biodiversity and Biotechnology) and Chair (Biodiversity) at the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. He has been an advisor on the conservation of biodiversity for UNESCO, UNEP, IUCN, NAM Centre for Science and Technology, the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (Government of India), the Tamil Nadu State Government and academic institutions like the IIT (Madras).

As a guest faculty, he has taught in colleges affiliated to Mangalore University, Pondicherry University, State Forest Service College (Coimbatore) and National Centre for Biological Sciences (Bangalore).

Throughout his research career, he has focused on the conservation of biodiversity taking lessons from the ecology of a wide range of organisms including ants, birds, amphibians, fishes, reptiles and mammals in the Western Ghats, the Great Nicobar Island, the Eastern Ghats, the mangroves of Bhitarkanika (Orissa) and in the rainforests of Panama.

He has authored 8 books on biodiversity and nearly 200 articles on the subject in natural history magazines and scientific journals. He has published extensively in national and international journals on diverse topics such as ecology, conservation and taxonomy, and on various groups like birds, frogs, ants and plants.

Ranjit Daniels was awarded a Doctorate from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 1990 for his study of birds of the Western Ghats. He has a Masters degree in Agricultural Entomology from the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University and has completed a Post-doctoral research on amphibians.

Jagdish Krishnaswamy is currently the Convenor of the Suri Sehgal Centre for Conservation Science at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), a conservation and research Non-Government Organization (NGO) in Bangalore, India. He has worked as a scientist and faculty member at institutions such as the Wildlife Institute of India, Centre for Wildlife Studies and Wildlife Conservation Society-India Program, National Centre for Biological Sciences and ATREE. He is also an Affiliate Teaching Faculty at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Bangalore.

He has contributed to many regional, national and international conservation initiatives and campaigns, including the Kudremukh mining impact study, selection and nomination of UNESCO World Heritage Sites from the Western Ghats, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund for the Western Ghats.

His research interests are in the fields of forest soils and hydrology, applied landscape ecology and applied statistics. He has contributed to science-based conservation planning, monitoring and policy in India, especially in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot. He has used remote sensing data in his efforts to develop effective surrogates for biodiversity and ecosystem services for large landscapes.

He has authored and edited book and numerous scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals. He is also on the editorial board of the international journal, Biotropica.

Jagdish Krishnaswamy has a PhD in soil and hydrologic science from the Department of Environment of the Graduate School, Duke University; a Masters in Statistics from the Institute of Statistics and Decision Sciences, Duke University and is a Bachelor of Technology in Civil Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

To buy this book please visit: http://www.wileyindia.com/

ISBN: 978-81-265-1943-9

Pub Date: February 2009

Price: 249/-

Pages: 296

Linear Integrated Circuits: Analysis, Design and Applications

The new precise text from Wiley India, deals with the theory, analysis, practical design, and applications of Bipolar and CMOS linear integrated circuits. The book is written for students of engineering, specifically in the areas of Electronics and Communication, Applied Electronics, Instrumentation, Biomedical, Electrical, Computer Science and Engineering, and Information Technology.

It can also be referred by students of undergraduate and graduate programs in the Applied-Sciences category, especially, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology, and Physics. It is a good resource for teachers and practicing engineers.

Key features

• Theories for each case are explained in a simple and clear manner.
• Explanations are based on fundamental circuit theories.
• Theories are followed by analysis.
• Step-by-step practical designs are given where necessary.
• Practical solutions are provided for problems.
• Numerical problems and solutions are included in all cases.
• Good study text for beginners and experienced engineers.
• Three-dimensional illustrations are included.
• An important feature of the text is the step-by-step design procedure of opamp circuits which supports practical design problems.
• Two appendices are also part of this book. Appendix A (Linear ICs) provides the classification of integration levels, types of linear-IC packages, basic temperature grades in which ICs are manufactured, designation of operational amplifiers, representation of IC manufacturing companies, identification of the devices and manufacturing company. Generalized impedance converter, negative-impedance converter (NIC), precision full-wave rectifier, absolute-value output circuit, analog multiplier, applications of phase-locked loop (PLL) are covered in Appendix B (Some Special Circuits).
• Major Highlights
  260+ illustrations
  160+ multiple-choice questions
  400+ summary and review questions
  150+ solved and unsolved problems

About the author
Professor B. Somanathan Nair is currently a visiting professor in the Department of Optoelectronics, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram. Professor Nair has a teaching experience of more than 38 years and has held the post of a Principal at the Government Engineering Colleges at Idukki and Kottayam; has been a Professor and Head of Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering in the Government Engineering Colleges at Thiruvanthapuram and Kannur. He was the Joint Director of Technical Education, Kerala and the first Controller of Examinations at Kannur University. He was also a member of the Faculty in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Idaho, USA. He was a member of the Syndicate, Senate, and Academic Council of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Professor Nair has authored 14 textbooks in the area of Electronics and Communication Engineering.

To order please visit: www.wileyindia.com
Linear Integrated Circuit: Analysis, Design & Applications B. Somanathan Nair Rs. 299/- 340 pages ISBN 978812658968

Digital Signal Processing: A precise text for undergraduate students

Digital Signal Processing (DSP) is presented in the precise format for undergraduate students and is designed to provide solid foundation for specialized courses in DSP, while assuming that the student has a preliminary knowledge of linear systems and Lapace transform.

While MATLAB has emerged as a powerful tool for experimental study of DSP, MATLAB programs and a lab manual have been included in the text and appendix. While the book includes concrete examples to illustrate concepts, a number of well designed problems help the reader master the subject.
Salient features

• The basic concepts in Digital Signal Processing are explained in detail by giving appropriate examples and line diagrams at every stage.
• The book also has lab manuals with 16 experiments, which helps the reader experiment and explore concepts in detail.
• No prior knowledge of the subject is assumed, and the text preserves the precision of conceptual details.
• Concepts in other areas such as communication systems, control systems are repeated here for reference where required.
• Inter-relationship between topics covered under DSP and those covered under Control /Communication Systems are highlighted.
• Results of MATLAB programs in the form of graphs are added for reference that can aid laboratory experiments that are conducted in DSP.
• Visual aids like diagrams and graphs are included to explain experiments for signals like speech, thus increasing visualization of DSP applications in real world.
• Inter-relationship amongst various transformation techniques like FT, ZT and LT and their mapping with each other are explored.
• Lab manual and Table of Z transform pairs form part of the book.
• Many research projects in the defence area require in-depth knowledge of DSP. The book will also be useful for students preparing for competitive examinations like GATE.

Highlights

• 130+ figures
• 100+ solved problems and examples
• 17 experiments explained in detail
• Numerous practice problems

About the author

Dr. Shaila Dinkar Apte is currently a professor in Rajarshi Shahu College of Engineering, Pune. She has been teaching at Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli, Maharashtra for the past 27 years where she has taught both under graduate and post graduates DSP and Advanced DSP and related subjects such as Digital Communication, Communication Systems, Mobile Communication, Random Signals, Processes, etc. She has been a guide to several Ph.D. students pursuing this field.
Dr. Apte got her Masters degree in Electronics and Ph.D. from Shivaji University and Walchand College of Engineering, Sangli, Maharashtra, respectively. Her Ph.D. thesis delved into the field of speech processing. Dr. Apte has to her credit several research papers published in International Journals and Conferences .

ISBN: 978-81-265-1908-8 Digital Signal Processing Dr. Shaila D. Apte Price: 299 Pages: 308 Paperback

One sure way for India to become the next Innovation Superpower!

Will the search for a new Search Engine end with an Indian innovation?

Will an Indian Innovation drive the energy engines of the future?

“If India is the IT capital of the world, why was YouTube not invented in India?” Or, for that matter “Why are the richest Indian corporations not taking the risks to set the nation on path to top of the value chain?”

What’s holding us back - despite the fact that country has a rich tradition of path-breaking scientific achievements, from Aryabhatta’s discoveries in astronomy, use of rocket-fire by Tipu Sultan’s forces to the invention of carbon-steel originally by Indian scientists?

Smashing the Hand-Mind-Market barrier!

According to the author the reason is the hand-mind barrier in India, probably a legacy of the Indian caste system, which divided the population into distinct categories. People who work with hands do not have the education, and those that have education do not work with hands. This dichotomy is not conducive to innovation, as innovation happens when theory is translated into practical application (Think of a dentist creating a new tooth-material, or a surgeon attempting a new surgical technique!).

History of Innovations

SMASH Innovation: Smashing the Hand-Mind-Market Barrier attempts to guide the Indian scientific community on the path of major next-generation innovations – with real-life examples from how stage was set by Thomas Newcomen and others for James Watt’s steam engine, or Dr. P.K. Sethi’s collaboration with the sculptor Ram Chandra Sharma to produce the revolutionary prosthetic Jaipur-foot. Additionally, the book covers the entire history of innovations starting from Newton, Edison and Einstein, and finally going on to today’s areas like healthcare, energy, automotive sector, water management and lighting and appliances that will drive the innovations of future!

Creating a century of Indian Innovation

On the whole, this new book from Wiley India, describes individual and organizational approaches to developing a strategy and a culture tuned to innovation - including processes to manage innovation with case studies for creating an idea-rich environment, besides a model covering three aspects of individual innovation - create with freedom, nurture with passion, and transcend with detachment. While the approaches described in the book are general, the special focus is on creating a century of Indian Innovation.

About the Author

Gopichand Katragadda, Ph.D., is the General Manager – India Engineering Operations for GE Energy Infrastructure comprising 1600 engineers in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai. The team produces next-generation designs for higher efficiency and environment-friendly energy solutions. Previously as the Operations Manager for GE Global Research Bangalore (GEGR-B), Gopi worked with the GEGR-B technology team of 400 researchers to deliver growth through innovation. The team filed over 225 US patents in just three years. Gopi is a certified GE Six-Sigma Master Black Belt.

S.M.A.S.H
Innovation: Smashing the Hand-Mind-Market Barrier
By Gopichand Katragadda
Published by Wiley India
978-81-265-1906-4
INR 299/-

Read latest review of this book:
http://www.indiainfoline.com/Bschool/innernews.asp?storyId=90943&lmn=13&cat=10

Read recent interview of the author:
http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/Books/Breaking-The-Barriers.html