Customer Reviews

ActiveBook Essentials of MIS

I read this book in order to find essentials of enterprise information systems (ERP, document management) explained to be useful for under-graduate students. This book however discusses everything related to computers and just covers lots of individual subjects without getting deep enough in any of them. The result is a mess that lacks focus. For university use this book handles things too generally. It also contains inaccuracies of some techniques explained which shouldn't be the case on textbooks. Some problems are certainly due to the fast development in IT industry and this books too large focus to have current facts right. This book is useful only to people with no prior knowledge of computers and information systems as an introduction to what all there is. Then they can buy books with proper focus individual subjects to really learn these things. I'd hate to work as an engineer in a company run by business people with MIS knowledge only according to this book.

I'm using this book as part of a first year information systems course and find that it's just full of useless buzzwords. I have no doubt that both Kenneth and Jane Laudon are very smart in their field (they both hold Phd's) but like most books written by academics it suffers from a largely academic analysis of the IT industry. It looks like they have little or no experience of the REAL world. It shows.

This text book is a good starting place for managers to learn about information systems and how to implement them into their own companies. I bought this book for a class on information systems, and not only did I find the book very thorough, but the web site gives the readers a chance to understand what they read by providing outlines and brief quizzes. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about computer based information systems, or wants to stay up to date on current business practices.

This book is utter tripe. I am forced to use it in an MBA program and now I know less about MIS than I did before. I have a background in MIS fortunately for me, my classmates are not so lucky. Great if you need a definition for a fax machine!

This book is not just expensive, it contains enough misdirection and inaccuracy to make it difficult going. Add to this the extremely busy style and excesive use of graphics, and statements such as (paraphrase) "Look at the diagram at the beginning of each chapter for the answer to all your questions....."
These diagrams are almost incomprehensible and don't attempt to show a logical flow.

I've taught approximately 34 sections of collegiate courses
including MIS, Law, Economics, Accounting, Statistics and
College Algebra. This text is a good general introduction
into the area of MIS. It explains basic definitions and
provides an organizational hierarchy or framework for
strategic systems, MIS, Knowledge-based systems and
artificial intelligence, operational systems etc. It is a
good introduction to MIS because students need an overall
framework to apply the technology. They cannot get this
framework from computer programming alone. The Laudon text
provides many diagrams, system flow charts, CD-ROM
supplements and a plethora of meaningful learning tools.
At the end of the work, the author includes a number of
fairly complicated case studies which provide random
operational facts which students must organize utilizing
the MIS technology taught in the Laudon text. My students
did well in the course and enjoyed the rigorous presentation.
This text is not for the mediocre student. It is geared
for the B or better student.

Text serves as an excellent reference for the IT beginner. Offers enormous insight into the evolving role of IT in the business arena. Interactive options provide opportunities not available in many other texts.

I was forced to purchase this for an undergraduate class I took. I skimmed through it and alot of the information that was taught out of the book was and has been irrelevant to alot of what I do today. I just didn't find it a worthwhile read.

here is a book which progresses from intermediate to the expert levels. an excellent book for any and all students who have started or already started studying and implementing management information systems. the lucidly written chapters and the excellent presentation style means that the readers have not to tax their minds at all but sit back and enjoy along with the author and at the same time become an expert

We thought you guys were supposed to be the cheapest????