A second edition could polish the software and clarify the examples to make this a truly outstanding book.


Interesting Book, Absolutely Lousy Software & Cases   May 1, 1999
 16 out of 19 found this review helpful

This book actually has two parts. The first is a very useful hardback book on marketing models which is probably worth about $50. The second is a newsprint-quality paperback with a CD which contains Microsoft Excel spreadsheets programed by the authors. The software is a complete waste of time. The authors have protected every sheet, preventing users from inputing their own data into the models or from using Excel's auditing features to understand how the models work. The authors also change user's default settings in Excel and make shutting down their spreadsheets difficult by disabling the user's ability close the spreadsheet using Excel's normal commands and forcing users to use the author's menu bar which remains even after the spreadsheets are loaded. The authors are extremely arrogant and treat their readers like children with annoying spreadsheet protection and macros with software virus-like behavior. Don't waste your time or money on this book. I would return it if I could, but the publisher does not provide a money back guarantee.