Eddie Rabinovitch is a long-time correspondent and a valued colleague. Here's another of his occasional book reviews. Everything that follows is Eddie's own work with minor edits.
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Last year I called Professor Bidgoli's MIS 2010 college textbook "the missing link in college education" preparing students for real life applications of computer science and information systems. Professor Bidgoli released the second edition of his text book as MIS2.
Like the first edition of this book, MIS2 includes access to a variety of auxiliary teaching aids, case studies, videos, quizzes and interactive online study tools. And since safety, security, and privacy continue to grow in importance, recent information about privacy and information protection, including examples and case studies, have been added to Chapters 4 and 5.
Here's a summary of new materials added to the second edition.
Chapter 1 – "Information Systems: An Overview" focuses on gaining competitive advantage using IS. The new topics covered in this edition are:
• A New Era of Marketing: YouTube
• Social Networking and Vulnerability of Personal Information
• The IT Job Market.
Chapter 2 – "Computers: The Machines Behind Computing", which is dedicated to upcoming I/O and memory devices as well as operating systems. New topics include Popular iPad Business Applications.
Chapter 3 – "Database Systems, Data Warehouses, and Data Marts"
Readers are getting a taste of business intelligence. New case studies in this chapter include:
• Data Warehouse Applications at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)
• Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing at Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc.
Chapter 4 – "Personal, Legal, Ethical, & Organizational Issues of Information Systems"
The author discusses reduction of organizational and personal risks; new topics include:
• Internet fraud
• Green computing.
Chapter 5 – "Protecting Information Resources"
This chapter highlights awareness, safeguards and protection of information resources. New topics include:
• Stolen Facebook IDs up for Sale
• Biometrics at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital.
Chapter 6 – "Data Communications: Delivering Information Anywhere and Anytime"
The chapter looks at modern data communications, cost saving, and collaboration. New topics include:
• Mobile Computing in Action: The Apple iPhone
• Wireless Security.
Chapter 7 – "The Internet, Intranets, and Extranets"
The chapter focuses on connectivity, Web2.0/Web 3.0, and social networking. Here Professor Bidgoli quotes some experts, predicting the state of the Internet in 2020. An interesting exercise could be looking back to this prediction nine years from now. A new topic discussed in this chapter is the Semantic Web.
Chapter 8 – "Electronic Commerce"
The chapter highlights successful E-commerce business models and technologies. A new topic in this chapter is about how Twitter is helping businesses to find customers.
Chapter 9 – "Global Information Systems"Chapter 10 – "Building Successful Information Systems"Chapter 11 – "Enterprise Systems"
New case studies here include:
• The Internet and Globalization in Action
• Multinational Companies could break the Language Barriers on the Web.
Covers modern systems analysis and design. New topics and case studies include:
• Agile Methodology at Overstock.Com
• Crowdsourcing
• Service Oriented Architecture.
This chapter reviews how to increase productivity and improve customer service in modern enterprises. A new case study presents how ERP Streamlines Operations at Naghi Group.
Chapter 12 – "Management Support Systems"
Improving and expediting decision making process. The new and hot topic here is groupware and health IT.
Chapter 13 – "Intelligent Information Systems"
Dedicated to intelligent Computing and Beyond. It gives a concise, excellent overview of artificial intelligence (AI), robots, expert systems, case-based reasoning, fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms and natural language processing systems. New case studies include:
• Neural networks at Microsoft and The Chicago Police Department
• Genetic Algorithm at Staples
Chapter 14 – "Emerging Trends, Technologies, and Applications"
Highlights cloud computing and virtual worlds. New topics and cases studies describe
• Coca-Cola Company Uses of RFID-Based Dispensers for Generating BI
• Cloud Categories and Cloud Players
• Cloud Computing Helps Universities to Cut Costs.
Four valuable Appendices are available online:
• Appendix A - Modeling Analysis with Excel
• Appendix B - Graphics Analysis with Excel
• Appendix C - Database Management with Excel
• Appendix D - Web Development Literacy and Microsoft Expression Web 4.
MIS2 is a valuable teaching tool for any school of business, science or engineering. It will encourage students to relate the theoretical aspects of different subjects in computer science and information systems to real life implementations of these topics. I also believe that this book can be used as a reference guide for popularization and demystification of MIS in any modern business and even at home.Congratulations to Professor Bidgoli – again!
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Eddie Rabinovitch is an independent consultant with more than 25 years of experience in IT, networking and security. He is a senior member of the IEEE and an Editorial Review Board member for z/Journal. He has authored more than 120 papers which have appeared in numerous technical and trade publications.