The book is billed as a stand-alone publication as well as a supplement to a previous work [1]. Since I have not read [1], I will judge the workbook on its own merits as a stand-alone volume.

A full array of topics is presented for the entrepreneur’s consideration: business entities, defining a product, marketing, sales, support, and, finally, how to get follow-on business. In addition, some useful sample forms are included, e.g., the employee-employer and sample license agreements. The workbook contains 16 chapters and 114 pages plus a short index within its large 81-2- by 11-inch size. Each chapter is comprised mostly of questions which invite the reader to participate by pondering the business ramifications of the answers. The questions are thought provoking ones with which the software entrepreneur can contend.

Unfortunately, 16 broad topics of the nature of those addressed in this book cannot be adequately covered in 114 pages. While the questions are excellent, we are given no answers. In the chapter on sales, for example, within the topic of closing a sale, one question asked is “What are several major closing techniques?” In the section on “style,” the question posed is, “Should structured programming techniques be utilized?” Both are extremely important questions, but we are not given a clue about the answers or their impact. If the answers are to be researched on our own hook, then we would expect a large number of current references, but there are only a meager number of dated ones.

The book has the look of being hastily assembled. It contains a few spelling and formatting errors, a cited reference is incomplete, and when you scan the Table of Contents you notice that it contains two Introductions. Actually, Chapter 11 is found to be mislabeled.

In short, if this is intended as a reference book it is not satisfactory; it does not accomplish at least one of its stated objectives--that of being a stand-alone volume.