Analyzing information and acting accordingly is a key strategic goal of every business. But vast quantities of data are of little use if they are not structured and kept in such a way as to be readily accessible and applicable. Only optimally organized information can drive maximum productivity. Blissful Data is a reader-friendly book that reveals what it takes to achieve a state of perfect organization within the environment of a successful data warehouse. This timely book will help the reader: * understand how data evolves into information that drives better decision making * recognize the pitfalls, caused by people and politics, that lead to short-sighted solutions and long-term problems * manage data warehousing costs, performance, and expectations effectively * apply project management fundamentals to data warehouse endeavors. Blissful Data includes dozens of examples, as well as case studies illustrating successful, unsuccessful, and disastrous data warehouse strategies.

“This book is a splendid and valuable addition to this subject. The whole book is well written and I have no hesitation to recommend that this can be adapted as a textbook for graduate courses in Business Intelligence and Data Mining.” Dr. Edi Shivaji, Des Moines, Iowa “As a complete novice to this area just starting out on a MBA course I found the book incredibly useful and very easy to follow and understand. The concepts are clearly explained and make it an easy task to gain an understanding of the subject matter.” -- Mr. Craig Domoney, South Africa. Business Intelligence and Data Mining is a conversational and informative book in the exploding area of Business Analytics. Using this book, one can easily gain the intuition about the area, along with a solid toolset of major data mining techniques and platforms. This book can thus be gainfully used as a textbook for a college course. It is also short and accessible enough for a busy executive to become a quasi-expert in this area in a couple of hours. Every chapter begins with a case-let from the real world, and ends with a case study that runs across the chapters.

For more than 40 years, Computerworld has been the leading source of technology news and information for IT influencers worldwide. Computerworld's award-winning Web site (Computerworld.com), twice-monthly publication, focused conference series and custom research form the hub of the world's largest global IT media network.

There are few life experiences more joyful than becoming a parent, but caring for a newborn can be daunting, particularly when you're not sure whose advice to follow or what your baby really needs. In The Blissful Baby Expert, Lisa Clegg draws on her own experience of motherhood and her professional life as a nanny and maternity nurse to share her essential, trusted advice. Gentle, reassuring and practical, her book guides you every step of the way from birth to two years. It includes: - Equipment – what is essential and what is helpful - Coming home – how to cope and bond in the early days - Sleep – flexible plans to help your baby settle and sleep - Feeding – guilt-free breast- and bottlefeeding - Weaning – when to start and how to do it - Q&As – common worries and what to do - Development – what to expect and advice on toys Every baby is different and this is why Lisa's book isn't a restrictive one-size-fits-all plan. Instead, she gives you the knowledge you need to trust your own instincts, build your confidence and learn to recognise what is best for your baby. With this knowledge, you'll enjoy calm, happy parenting and a blissful, settled baby.

The universe will be explored like never before in this collection of all-new, world-expanding stories.

The original Halo: Evolutions, split into two volumes. This volume contains stories by: Tessa Kum & Jeff VanderMeer Kevin Grace Robt McLees Karen Traviss Fred Van Lente When humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, they never dreamed what dangers they would encounter there. When the alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared holy war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost-but, millions of heroes rose to the challenge. In such a far-reaching conflict, not many of the stories of these heroes, both human and alien, have a chance to become legend. This collection holds eleven stories that dive into the depths of the vast Halo universe, not only from the perspective of those who fought and died to save humanity, but also those who vowed to wipe humanity out of existence. Included in this volume you'll find the stories of: * A high-ranking prophet musing on the catastrophic last days of the Covenant Spartan: Team Black, who discover that the Covenant's politics might be more deadly than their military might * The terrors of survival in the aftermath of a Flood infection * The Master Chief struggling with his own humanity as he battles through war-torn New Mombassa * The insatiable appetite of the Gravemind as it claws its way through Cortana's tortured consciousness * An existential Elite, in the aftermath of the Human-Covenant War, returning to the site of his greatest victory as he deals with his worst defeat * And new to this volume, the last confessions of a Prophet in "Wages of Sin" At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The thrilling short story collection featuring Jeff VanderMeer, Karen Traviss, and Eric Nylund—part of the expanded universe based on the New York Times bestselling video game series Halo! When humanity expanded beyond the safety of Earth to new stars and horizons, it never dreamed what dangers would be encounter there. When the theocratic alien juggernaut known as the Covenant declared war upon the fragile human empire, millions of lives were lost—but millions of heroes also rose to the challenge. In such a far-reaching conflict, not many tales of the brave have a chance to become legend. This collection of eleven stories dives into the depths of the vast Halo universe, not only from the perspective of those who fought and died to save humanity, but also from those who vowed to wipe it out of existence.