| Preface |
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xi | |
| This Book Offers a Plethora of Advice from Experts |
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xiii | |
| Facts You Need to Know Upfront |
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xiv | |
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Chapter 1 Becoming a Virtual Assistant |
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1 | (16) |
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Choose a Pricing Model for Your Work |
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2 | (1) |
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VAs Typically Work from a Home Office |
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2 | (1) |
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Running a VA Business Makes You the Boss |
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3 | (3) |
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The Differences Between a Sole Proprietorship and Limited Liability Company |
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4 | (2) |
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VAs Always Need to Multitask |
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6 | (1) |
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VAs Typically Get to Choose Their Own Clients |
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7 | (1) |
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Additional Startup Considerations |
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7 | (3) |
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8 | (1) |
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Compose Your Company's Mission Statement |
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8 | (1) |
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Your Home Office Is Your Primary Work Space |
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9 | (1) |
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10 | (1) |
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10 | (1) |
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Develop an Understanding of Each Client's Needs |
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11 | (1) |
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12 | (4) |
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Get Ready to Take Control! |
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16 | (1) |
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Chapter 2 Potential Responsibilities of a Virtual Assistant |
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17 | (22) |
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Why Business Leaders and Companies Should Hire Virtual Assistants |
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18 | (1) |
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Define Your Niche as a VA |
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19 | (5) |
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Start Compiling Your Services Menu |
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24 | (3) |
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General Administrative Tasks |
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24 | (1) |
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25 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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26 | (1) |
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Should You Start Your Own VA Business or Work with an Agency? |
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27 | (11) |
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Meet Lauren Gall, Cofounder of VaVa Virtual Assistants |
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28 | (4) |
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Meet Cindy Opong, Founder of Creative Assistants |
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32 | (3) |
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Meet Latrice Prater, Founder of The Digital Solutions Team |
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35 | (3) |
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Establish a Strong Foundation for Your Virtual Assistant Business |
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38 | (1) |
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Chapter 3 Branding Your Virtual Assistant Business |
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39 | (18) |
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Elements of a Company's Brand |
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40 | (15) |
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40 | (1) |
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A Mission Statement and Slogan |
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41 | (1) |
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42 | (3) |
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45 | (1) |
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46 | (4) |
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Use Branded Social Media Content |
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50 | (1) |
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Use Personalized Email Accounts |
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51 | (2) |
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Don't Forget Letterhead and Business Cards |
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53 | (1) |
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Your Business Phone Number |
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54 | (1) |
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It's Time to Set Up Your Work Space |
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55 | (2) |
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Chapter 4 The Equipment You'll Need |
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57 | (14) |
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Establish Your Home Office and Set Up Your Work Space |
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58 | (3) |
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Selecting Your Work Space |
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58 | (2) |
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Choose the Right Office Furniture |
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60 | (1) |
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Gather the Equipment You'll Need |
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61 | (1) |
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The Software Tools You'll Likely Need |
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62 | (1) |
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Take Advantage of Apps Designed Specifically for Virtual Assistants |
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63 | (5) |
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The Next Steps in Launching Your Own Virtual Assistant Business |
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68 | (3) |
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Chapter 5 Setting Your Pricing |
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71 | (18) |
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First Calculate Your Initial Investment and Cost of Doing Business |
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73 | (4) |
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Making an Initial Investment in Your Business |
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74 | (1) |
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Ongoing Fixed and Variable Business Expenses |
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74 | (3) |
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77 | (5) |
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79 | (1) |
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79 | (2) |
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What's in the Financial Forecast? |
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81 | (1) |
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Common Pricing Options Used by Virtual Assistants |
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82 | (2) |
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82 | (1) |
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82 | (2) |
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Charge a Retainer and Then a Discounted Hourly Rate |
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84 | (1) |
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Charge a Pre-Negotiated Flat Fee for Each Project |
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84 | (1) |
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More Strategies for Setting Your Rates |
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84 | (4) |
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You Won't Land Any Clients Without Marketing, Advertising, and Promoting Your Business |
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88 | (1) |
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Chapter 6 Marketing Your Business to Find Clients |
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89 | (24) |
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A Social Media Presence Is a Must |
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91 | (4) |
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Email and/or Direct-Mail Marketing |
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95 | (2) |
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97 | (2) |
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Tap the Power of the Media with a PR Campaign |
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99 | (3) |
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101 | (1) |
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In-Person and Online Networking |
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102 | (1) |
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Volunteer for Causes and Organizations You Care About |
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103 | (1) |
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Word-of-Mouth Promotion and Referrals |
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104 | (1) |
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Join Professional Associations |
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104 | (5) |
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Advice from Melissa Smith, Founder and CEO of the Association of Virtual Assistants |
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105 | (4) |
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109 | (1) |
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Find VA Listings on Job Websites |
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110 | (1) |
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You've Found a New Client---Now What? |
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111 | (2) |
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Chapter 7 Landing and Managing Your Clients |
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113 | (38) |
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114 | (1) |
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The Client Interview Process |
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114 | (2) |
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116 | (1) |
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116 | (1) |
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Spell It All Out in the Contract |
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117 | (2) |
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Sample Employment Contracts Between VAs and Clients |
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119 | (1) |
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Develop and Showcase Your Client Relations Skills |
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119 | (1) |
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Advice from Business Leaders Who Rely on VAs for Their Success |
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120 | (6) |
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Meet John Gotschall, CEO of Coaching Financial Concepts |
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120 | (2) |
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Meet Brad Farris, CEO of Anchor Advisors |
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122 | (2) |
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Meet Meredith Noble, Cofounder and CEO of Seneca Works LLC |
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124 | (2) |
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Learn How to Manage Your Time |
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126 | (25) |
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Chapter 8 Managing Your Time and Work-Related Tools |
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151 | (14) |
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152 | (4) |
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Don't Overextend Yourself |
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154 | (1) |
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Prioritize Your Clients Fairly |
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154 | (1) |
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Sometimes You May Want or Need to Turn Down Work |
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154 | (2) |
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20 Additional Tips for Mastering Time Management |
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156 | (4) |
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Common Collaboration and Productivity Tools That'll Help You Save Time |
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160 | (1) |
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Always Use the Right Tool for the Job |
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160 | (1) |
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Focus on Security Today and Save a Lot of Time Moving Forward |
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161 | (3) |
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Password Security and Management Are a Must |
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161 | (1) |
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Add Security and Privacy Extensions to Your Web Browser |
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162 | (1) |
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Take Advantage of a Virtual Private Network for Added Security |
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163 | (1) |
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Turn On the Password and Security Features in the Applications You Use |
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163 | (1) |
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164 | (1) |
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Chapter 9 Experienced VAs Share Their Thoughts and Advice |
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165 | (18) |
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166 | (4) |
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170 | (3) |
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173 | (3) |
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176 | (3) |
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179 | (2) |
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181 | (2) |
| Glossary |
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183 | (8) |
| About the Author |
|
191 | (2) |
| Index |
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193 | |
