- Email: [email protected]
Using computers in hospitality
398
Book Reviews
Using Computers in Hospitality, by Peter O'Connor, Cassell, 1996, 224 pp., £14.99, ISBN 0-304-332-992 (pbk). Peter O'Connor's book is advertised as being a clear no-nonsense introduction to the use of hardware, software and the information which can be made available by its use. It is claimed that understanding what computers can do and how they can be used to their full potential is vital to the profitability and efficient management of hospitality businesses of every size. The book was written as the result of the author's frustration in trying to use out of date or American texts when teaching this fast-changing subject. Its aim is to introduce students both to computers in general and to how they are used4n the hospitality industry, and to develop both the computer literacy and practical skills of the reader. At the end of each chapter there are practical review and discussion exercises so that the committed reader should achieve a sound working knowledge of using computers and of their place in the industry. The early chapters concentrate on setting the scene. A substantial chapter on computer hardware looks briefly at the history of the computer and then moves on to talk about the structure and actual operation of various devices. Given that many courses no longer have time to devote to explanations or demonstrations of such equipment, and that it can mean delving into many books to find the information, this is a useful chapter. However, I fear that it will cause the book to appear dated within a few years. A general chapter on software leads into a more specific section on the main business packages. This is a brave attempt to tackle practical use and explanation of the features of wordprocessors, spreadsheets and databases in one chapter, and in the main it succeeds. It covers most essential aspects and includes a variety of appropriate examples for the hospitality industry. It will thus save many fellow lecturers from re-inventing the wheel, and give students some worthwhile exercises to attempt. The main thrust of the book is to look at hotel, catering and back-office systems and this is done admirably. Unusually there is even a small section on Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS), which feature in very few other texts. Case studies are used to illustrate the systems and it is refreshing that these are based on UK establishments. The graphical diagrams and print-outs of reports are a very useful aid in the explanation of systems such as Conference & Banqueting and Nutritional Analysis and will be particularly welcome in establishments which do not have access to such systems. Even an accounts system is reduced to a simple diagram explaining the interaction of ledgers and again printouts are used for further illustration of their real use in the hospitality industry. Practical questions at the end of each section provide a useful check list, although it may well be that translation of these into actual input on the many different systems will be too diffictilt to prove useful. Moving on from the specialist systems, O'Connor then tackles the complex topic of Computer Networks and Communications. Again his no-nonsense style enables the basic points to be communicated clearly, and a UK Case Study helps to illustrate that Data Communications is now essential for the global hospitality industry. The final chapter takes a brief look at Managing Computers in the Industry. Problems are highlighted, and the purchasing process is explained, again with excellent diagrams. Whole books have been written on this topic, and this chapter cannot hope to be comprehensive, but it does provide basic information which readers would then do well to extend by looking at other management texts.
Book Reviews
399
An introduction to MS-DOS and Windows is included as an appendix and the final appendix is a set of practical projects allowing readers to use the computer skills developed in the early chapters. This book claims to be an invaluable text for students of hospitality and catering on GNVQ Advanced, HND and 1st and 2nd year degree courses. It certainly is an excellent first base for them and would also give those working in the industry an initial feel for what Information Technology in the industry is all about. The book's one weakness is also its greatest strength. Trying to put the use of basic packages, together with information about hospitality systems, together with network theory and the management of I.T. into one text was a brave step. So much has been pushed into the book that it cannot be said to delve deeply into any one aspect. However, as a one-stop shop for those starting to look at I.T. within the Hospitality Industry it cannot be faulted. Lecturers and students will welcome this text as being up-to-date and industry focused, and its practical and discussion exercises will save many a furrowed brow. Those working in the industry will also find it a useful source of initial information, both for industry systems and practical use. References are provided for further reading, and no doubt the author will also be moving forward with other texts.
Susan J. Welch School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Leeds Metropolitan University UK
The Gaming Industry: Introduction and Perspectives, by International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Wiley, New York, 1996, 270 pp., ISBN 0-471-12927-5. This book, written by faculty members of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute, describes itself as a beginning in presenting an overview of the gaming industry. It is a well written text and contains some very outstanding chapters. With many different authors, sometimes it is difficult to put together one book with a good flow of information. However, this book overcomes this problem and the chapter information flows quite logically. The reviewer agrees with the authors that it is a good beginning. There is one issue that the reviewer finds in the book to be weak. The book concentrates heavily as an overview of the Las Vegas gaming industry and does not contain much discussion of the twenty-seven other jurisdictions within the United States which have legalized casino gaming. The book is divided into four parts. In Part I, Chapter 1, much time is spent tracing the laws and the history of gaming. Although the chapter may have been written from a historical perspective, the authors did not cover the most important two decades of 1976 to 1996 when gaming exploded across the United States. During this period, a number of important pieces of legislation were passed and the general public also became more aware of the gaming industry. However, the chapter covers these twenty years economically with very little time donated to the changing laws. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and
Book Reviews
Using Computers in Hospitality, by Peter O'Connor, Cassell, 1996, 224 pp., £14.99, ISBN 0-304-332-992 (pbk). Peter O'Connor's book is advertised as being a clear no-nonsense introduction to the use of hardware, software and the information which can be made available by its use. It is claimed that understanding what computers can do and how they can be used to their full potential is vital to the profitability and efficient management of hospitality businesses of every size. The book was written as the result of the author's frustration in trying to use out of date or American texts when teaching this fast-changing subject. Its aim is to introduce students both to computers in general and to how they are used4n the hospitality industry, and to develop both the computer literacy and practical skills of the reader. At the end of each chapter there are practical review and discussion exercises so that the committed reader should achieve a sound working knowledge of using computers and of their place in the industry. The early chapters concentrate on setting the scene. A substantial chapter on computer hardware looks briefly at the history of the computer and then moves on to talk about the structure and actual operation of various devices. Given that many courses no longer have time to devote to explanations or demonstrations of such equipment, and that it can mean delving into many books to find the information, this is a useful chapter. However, I fear that it will cause the book to appear dated within a few years. A general chapter on software leads into a more specific section on the main business packages. This is a brave attempt to tackle practical use and explanation of the features of wordprocessors, spreadsheets and databases in one chapter, and in the main it succeeds. It covers most essential aspects and includes a variety of appropriate examples for the hospitality industry. It will thus save many fellow lecturers from re-inventing the wheel, and give students some worthwhile exercises to attempt. The main thrust of the book is to look at hotel, catering and back-office systems and this is done admirably. Unusually there is even a small section on Central Reservation Systems (CRS) and Global Distribution Systems (GDS), which feature in very few other texts. Case studies are used to illustrate the systems and it is refreshing that these are based on UK establishments. The graphical diagrams and print-outs of reports are a very useful aid in the explanation of systems such as Conference & Banqueting and Nutritional Analysis and will be particularly welcome in establishments which do not have access to such systems. Even an accounts system is reduced to a simple diagram explaining the interaction of ledgers and again printouts are used for further illustration of their real use in the hospitality industry. Practical questions at the end of each section provide a useful check list, although it may well be that translation of these into actual input on the many different systems will be too diffictilt to prove useful. Moving on from the specialist systems, O'Connor then tackles the complex topic of Computer Networks and Communications. Again his no-nonsense style enables the basic points to be communicated clearly, and a UK Case Study helps to illustrate that Data Communications is now essential for the global hospitality industry. The final chapter takes a brief look at Managing Computers in the Industry. Problems are highlighted, and the purchasing process is explained, again with excellent diagrams. Whole books have been written on this topic, and this chapter cannot hope to be comprehensive, but it does provide basic information which readers would then do well to extend by looking at other management texts.
Book Reviews
399
An introduction to MS-DOS and Windows is included as an appendix and the final appendix is a set of practical projects allowing readers to use the computer skills developed in the early chapters. This book claims to be an invaluable text for students of hospitality and catering on GNVQ Advanced, HND and 1st and 2nd year degree courses. It certainly is an excellent first base for them and would also give those working in the industry an initial feel for what Information Technology in the industry is all about. The book's one weakness is also its greatest strength. Trying to put the use of basic packages, together with information about hospitality systems, together with network theory and the management of I.T. into one text was a brave step. So much has been pushed into the book that it cannot be said to delve deeply into any one aspect. However, as a one-stop shop for those starting to look at I.T. within the Hospitality Industry it cannot be faulted. Lecturers and students will welcome this text as being up-to-date and industry focused, and its practical and discussion exercises will save many a furrowed brow. Those working in the industry will also find it a useful source of initial information, both for industry systems and practical use. References are provided for further reading, and no doubt the author will also be moving forward with other texts.
Susan J. Welch School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Leeds Metropolitan University UK
The Gaming Industry: Introduction and Perspectives, by International Gaming Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Wiley, New York, 1996, 270 pp., ISBN 0-471-12927-5. This book, written by faculty members of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas International Gaming Institute, describes itself as a beginning in presenting an overview of the gaming industry. It is a well written text and contains some very outstanding chapters. With many different authors, sometimes it is difficult to put together one book with a good flow of information. However, this book overcomes this problem and the chapter information flows quite logically. The reviewer agrees with the authors that it is a good beginning. There is one issue that the reviewer finds in the book to be weak. The book concentrates heavily as an overview of the Las Vegas gaming industry and does not contain much discussion of the twenty-seven other jurisdictions within the United States which have legalized casino gaming. The book is divided into four parts. In Part I, Chapter 1, much time is spent tracing the laws and the history of gaming. Although the chapter may have been written from a historical perspective, the authors did not cover the most important two decades of 1976 to 1996 when gaming exploded across the United States. During this period, a number of important pieces of legislation were passed and the general public also became more aware of the gaming industry. However, the chapter covers these twenty years economically with very little time donated to the changing laws. The Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and