Tools for Thinking : Modelling in Management Science
Author: Michael Pidd
List Price: $45.00
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ISBN: 0470847956
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (28 February, 2003)
Sales Rank: 843,209
Average Customer Rating: 3.67 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5
Overview with to many words
The book provides an interesting overview on different models. Unfortunately, even simple aspects are explained very extensively(e.g. what is a system). The book is therefore somewhat boring to people who are looking for help in their business and do not want to read an academic novella.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Promising...on the surface
By giving a sound coverage of many approaches to modelling in a management context, Pidd starts well and teaches a wide range of ideas. However, I was left with the feeling that nothing had been followed through. If you take this as an overview of the field from an experienced practitioner, and are prepared to research for yourself the areas that interest you, then this is a good, eclectic introduction and run through, but there is no finale.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The perfect intersection of OR and Management
Mike Pidd compiled every aspect of Operations Research (OR) in an easy-to-read textbook. Four sections are Modeling, Soft Management Science, Math modeling and Model accessment/validation. The modeling section is the "thinking-work", which you would love it if you like Ackoff's or Simon's works. The soft management science section is the way to "really solve" the problem not using hard-core mathematics. One chapter of soft management science section is dedicated to System Dynamics, which Pidd did really well in the presentation way. The math-modeling section has three chapters, i.e., LP, Simulation (discrete-event), and Heuristics. The LP and discrete-event simulation can be found in most OR books, but not the heuristics. In this book, Pidd summarized three major metaheuristics (i.e., Tabu Search, Simulated Annealing, and Genetic Algorithms) in a simple manner. The forth section is the second-best in this book, since not many OR books talk about the model accessment and validation. While most OR books view validation in terms of sensitivity analysis, Pidd presented the validation in his way and I like it a lot. In short, almost all areas of Operations Research and Management Science are compiled in this book -quite comprehensive. Each issues were addressed from the history and used the simple message with illustrations. It's not easy to find the complete work presented in this way. The missing issues are Artificial Intelligent (AI), Expert System, and Neural Networks, which I didn't see him mentioned in his book. However, this book itself is very well comprehensive -although it's only 350 pages. I strongly recommend this book as the first book in OR or MS, or any reference book for grad students who's interested in this area. It can be used either the first reference or further study after your school life. Pidd is a professor at Lancaster U. in UK so US students may not be familiar with his name. Interest readers may go to www.lancaster.ac.uk and see further information about him and his research on his homepage though. Similar Products
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Book Index