IBISWorld Industry Intelligence. New York: IbisWorld. www.ibisworld.com (accessed July 19, 2006). Pricing available upon request.The IBISWorld product is an ambitious new entrant into the library market. The product covers public companies and is organized into four main components: “Industry and Market Reports,” “Company Research,” “Industry Risk Ratings,” and “Economic and Demographic Data.” Seven hundred industries are covered down to the five-digit level North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code. Users will uncover hitherto hard-to-find information for such industries as car-rental services, golf courses, and landscape-architecture services. Future product expansion will include international industries from China and elsewhere, as well as more popular U.S. industries, such as biotechnology and video games. The industry and market reports include key statistics, market segmentation, and market characteristics including supply and demand links, demand determinants, and basis for competition. In-depth industry conditions include taxation, cost structure, capital and labor intensity, and the use of technology. “Industry Performance,” “Key Competitors,” “Key Factors for Success,” and “Forecasts” round out these rich twenty-five to thirty-page reports. “Industry Risk Ratings” complement industry reports by analyzing risk trends, examining barriers to entry, the life-cycle state, volatility, and revenue growth. These reports include societal changes, macro and microeconomic factors, and geopolitical risks. The “Company Research” section contains eight thousand U.S. and globally traded companies complete with income statements and balance-sheet data, names of directors, and directory information.–Chris LeBeau, University of Missouri/University of Missouri-Kansas City
International Directory of Business Biographies. Ed. by Neil Schlager. Detroit: St. James Press, 2005. 4 vols. alkaline $499 (ISBN 1-55862-554-2).The directory presents six hundred well-written biographies of contemporary business leaders, 40 percent of whom are from countries other than the United States. Most of the biographies cover recent CEOs of Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies. Some retired and recently deceased executives are included. Other entries cover prominent business figures and entrepreneurs from private companies such as Oprah Winfrey of Harpo Productions, and rising business leaders, such as the sons of Rupert Murdoch. The directory includes the famous (George Soros), the infamous (Bernie Ebbers), and the unfamiliar (Calude Bébéar). Each entry consists of a “Fact Box” giving birth and death dates, education, and other career details. The main text is an extended biographical essay on the business executive’s career. Bibliographies list books, articles, and Web sites where one can find more information about the person. Cross references to company histories in the International Directory of Company Histories are included. There are four indexes: Nationality, Geographic, Company and Industry, and Name. This is an impressive business reference work well worth considering for all business reference collections.–Peter McKay, University of Florida, Gainesville
The Secrets of Economic Indicators: Hidden Clues to Future Economic Trends and Investment Opportunities. By Bernard Baumohl. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Wharton School Pubs., 2005. 366p. $27.95 (ISBN 0-13-145501-X).Barnard Baumohl, an economist and former award-winning economics reporter for Time, has done a good job on making economic indicators interesting and easy to understand so that average investors can apply them to predicting the future course of the financial market and economic performance.
Having equipped readers with an overview of economic indicators and terminology, the book then lists fifty-six U.S. economic indicators, the top ten international economic indicators, and the best Web sites to locate U.S. and international economic data. Each description of U.S. economic indicators contains the following information: market sensitivity, Web address, release time, frequency, source, revisions, why this indicator is important, how each indicator is computed, how to interpret the data in terms of the future of the economy and its expected effect on the stock market, interest rates, and the dollar. A discussion of international economic indicators and why they are important follows, but in much less detail.
Secrets of Economic Indicators is the latest book on the subject of economic indicators. It covers a complete set of conventional economic indicators in greater detail. What separates it from other similar titles is the discussion of international economic indicators. This book belongs on the shelves of public and academic libraries that deal with business and economics subjects.–Jian Bai, Princeton University, New Jersey
This Business of Television. 3d. ed. By Howard J. Blumenthal and Oliver R. Goodenough. New York: Billboard Bks., 2006. 568 p. $35 (ISBN 0-8230-7763-2).
Digital broadcasting, media mergers, and new regulations warrant coverage of the third edition of this reference source for the television industry. The latest edition has four new chapters and updated information on new technologies and the changing business model of television.
Marketers, producers, broadcasters, and other television professionals will find quick answers in the eleven sections that cover all aspects of the industry including: distribution, regulation, advertising, programming, production, and legal affairs. Additional readings would have added value to this volume, particularly for the college student considering a career in television and for the novice researcher.
Howard J. Blumenthal produced game shows, dramas, and children’s programming and has authored more than twenty books. Oliver R. Goodenough, a Vermont Law School professor, is a lawyer specializing in entertainment and communications law, as well as business and corporate law.
Of particular interest in the appendixes are the contract forms for various deals that an independent producer, actor, or other television professional will need. Each section has a checklist that highlights key issues to remember during negotiations.
Al Jazeera commenced operations in 1996, but there is no mention of this station that has greatly impacted the television world. Hopefully, the next edition of this significant source will expand its geographic coverage.–Lee Pasackow, Emory University, Atlanta
The Value of a Dollar: Colonial Era to the Civil War, 1600-1865. By Scott Derks and Tony Smith. Millerton, N.Y.: Grey House Publishing, 2005. 436p. $145 (ISBN 1-59237-094-2).With pricing data ranging from incomes to fees to household wares, The Value of a Dollar: The Colonial Era to the Civil War, 1600-1865 is a fascinating and unique look at the early days of the United States through what its citizens earned, bought, and used. Chapter introductions and overviews of each time period add to the understanding of the historical context of the pricing.
Using such sources as probate records, land-sale documents, governmental publications, product catalogs, sales fliers, and advertisements, the authors have mined a wealth of information–the salary of a ship’s captain in 1805 ($40), the price of a gallon of brandy in 1816 ($3), and the cost of a canoe ($4). The data source is listed with each cost, and a complete bibliography of sources is also included. Conversion charts, available throughout the book, are invaluable.
The Value of a Dollar is an absorbing and real look at the everyday life of early Americans. It is an ideal resource for researchers, historians, and students and belongs in every public and academic library.–Elizabeth Malafi, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, New York
Pages: 1 2