Success in the technology industry requires walking a fine line between management skill and technical knowledge. For every Microsoft and Google, there is a WorldCom, where innovations in accounting outpaced those in technology, or a failed Internet start-up, where the business plans and technologies failed to meet the needs of customers.
Addressing the specific problems facing organizations that deal with modern technology, "Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat: How to Win in the Information Age" (Wiley-IEEE Press; April 2006; $24.95; 171 Pages; Cloth; 0-471-71422-4; http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471714224.html) offers a life preserver to any technocrat who wants to avoid career oblivion and get ahead. The book is much more than a humorous satire. Ambitious technocrats who study and follow the lessons contained in this book will laugh often--especially on the way to the bank!
Putt illustrates how his laws can be applied to the work force through two opposing models: Dr. I.M. Sharp and Roger Proofsworthy. Dr. I.M. Sharp, a man of limited technical ability, lands a job in industry, where he quickly transforms his corporate failures into personal successes. When his unworkable blue-sky project nearly bankrupts the firm, he deftly applies some of the most sophisticated techniques described by Putt and emerges a hero. A less fortunate member of the technical community is Roger Proofsworthy, who handles all assignments with such perfection that he requires neither help nor guidance from management. This proves a fatal error. Not only does he fail to receive the rewards he deserves, he labors for years at the lowest level.
Bright, lively, and very funny, "Putt's Law and the Successful Technocrat: How to Win in the Information Age" is an insightful book that reflects the author's deep understanding of the real world of technology.
About the Author:
Archibald Putt, Ph.D., is the pseudonym of a man whose contributions in science, engineering, and R&D management are well known. His first publications about "The Successful Technocrat" and "Putt's Law" were heralded by the editor of "Research/Development" magazine as the work of the "leading (and possibly sole) analyst of the hierarchical intricacies of that [R&D] world." He has served on government advisory committees, managed basic and applied research, and held executive positions in a large multinational corporation. He received his Ph.D. degree from a leading institute of technology and has served as president of an international technical society. He is the author of numerous patents, books, and scholarly articles.
About Wiley-IEEE Press:
Since their agreement in April 2001, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and the IEEE Press have jointly developed and published books in the fields of electrical and computer engineering under the Wiley-IEEE Press imprint. All IEEE Press backlist titles are distributed by Wiley. Wiley-IEEE Press authors come from all areas of electrical engineering and computer science. Experts in their respective fields, our authors share a commitment to providing timely and effective information to meet the professional and educational needs of electrical and computer engineers.