Organizations Books

Too rarely is a book on the education of children written by a person who has been an effective teacher, a highly successful school administrator, and a scholar. Dr. Lawrence combines all three qualities.

As a former public school teacher, principal, supervisor, professor of educational evaluation and a Fulbright lecturer, I can highly recommend this book to those teachers, principals, and school supervisors (and parents) who wish to learn how to cut through much of the red tape and bureaucracy that, sadly, characterizes too much of public education.

Dr. Lawerence provides specific cases of being confronted with and coping effectively with children whose instructional level is misclassified, the difficulties of unsuitable tests, rigid grading systems, teachers who are in dire need of help and many other areas of concern.

For your information, in retirement, Dr. Lawerence continues to volunteer her time working with children prone to being written off as failures.

William D. Hedges, (...)

I'd like to thank Dr. Lawrence for sharing her experience and wisdom with us through her book. Having insight to the internal workings of the public school system has better prepared me to make sure my child is not "left behind." Dr. Lawrence's emphasis on reading readiness in the early grades, has helped define my goals as a parent.
Thank you so much,
T.F.Ambrosio

It was a pleasure and surprise to see the inside commentary of a modern school principal. I do not think a parent can get a better picture of school administration problems and details. I thought "Boston Public" was a little too violent. My experience with school boards is deciding on how to pay for new water fountain. This book gives a parent a great insight to school problems and solutions.

Dr. Lawrence writes an honest inside view about the nuts and bolts of running an elementary school with the principal as a strong curriculum leader. She recognized reading as the elementary school's primary concern.
This anecdotal, informative and entertaining book explains the significance of identifying correct student instructional levels to effectively impact reading gains. Her ability to recognize the school as a function of its community is a critical factor in a successful education system. Poverty is a serious subject, a powerful distracter, but Dr. Lawrence guides us with humor, and the down and dirty understanding of identifying vital academic needs. She shows how to remain focused throughout the day-to-day crisises of running a school while making positive impacts on the children's academic and social growth.
As someone considering a career in educational leadership, I would recommend reading this valid, often humorous reflection of a principal's journey.

Dr. Lawrence has a simple solution for the education of children. Teach them at their level so that they can achieve success. In the days of over emphasis on test results, children are not only left behind, but they are also taught to fail. This book takes a humane view of the tender loving care that children need. By teaching them at their level, they do achieve success, thus beginning a real education. The gift is in their joy of learning.

This first volume in the set of 6 (I sincerely hope that there will be more to come) is, in my opinion, essential reading for every Christian.

We in the USA need to unlearn everything that we were told about "the big, bad, Red Russians"... This set is a good start in introducing westerners to the amazing and profound depth of Russian spiritualism!

Just read it, you have to, no description can give it justice. All I can say is this, it's comparable to Issac of Nineveh's "On Ascetical Life" in its beauty, depth, and penetrating words of love, peace, and prayer. Just read it, this book will change you forever.

While preparing a lecture on Surat Shabd Yoga, I came across the Philokalia and thought it might be useful in my talk. "Surat" is a Sanskrit word for "Soul", "Shabd" is the Sanskrit word for "Holy Spirit". "Yoga" simply means "To Yoke". Hence, Surat Shabd Yoga is the process of connecting the soul to the Holy Spirit. In the "Little Russian Philokalia", Saint Seraphim of Sarov taught that the main aim of Christian life is to acquire for oneself the Spirit of God. His amazing and supernatural conversation with N.A. Motovilov on "The Acquisition of the Holy Spirit" is included in this volume.

Simple, elegant, uplifting, and profound.

I am glad to see that we now have a Russian companion volume to the traditional Philokalia.

I found that the pictures of St. Seraphim spoke to me too.

I've been really enjoying the Russian Philokalia series, more so, even, than the original Philokalia and the sayings of the Desert Fathers.

From an evangelical perspective the Desert Fathers can often come across as legalists whose religion has less to do with a Christ centered faith, than it does with trying to outdo each other in their rules of piety (ie: the argument about whether a true monk would (a) never lay eyes on a woman or (b) be able to look at a woman and not even recognize her as being of the opposite gender).

The original Philokalia, on the other hand, reads more like a text on Hindu meditation: weird mystical concept and breathing techniques mixed with Christian references and other rules for achieving enlightenment (or seeing the uncreated light of God).

The Russian Philokalia series, on the other hand, especially this volume of the writings of St. Seraphim, are far more "down to earth" or at least more familiar. Seraphim's sayings, for example, are generally rooted in a Spirit-centered faith, and hence, more accessible to evangelicals and others looking at Orthodoxy for the first time. I don't know what makes them more accessible. Perhaps its because these men lived closer to our own time; perhaps its because the Orthodox church in their day had been influenced by Western thinking; or perhaps its because they were simple Russian peasants. In any case, I really enjoyed this series of books and would readily reccommend them to interested readers.

Reading Dr Guillory's book, I found myself looking at a totally new arena in the workplace. Many concepts and thoughts that can improve employees relations at any level in an organization. Much, much more then the trendy books recommended by most of corporate America today. A "must read" book for those looking for the missing connection.

In THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS, Thomas Kuhn suggested that the evolution of science was marked more by epistemological shifts than linear developments over time that reflected unchanging truths and practices. After Kuhn's analysis, scientists would never again be able to do "business as usual." William Guillory's work represents a similar epistemological shift, and like Kuhn's REVOLUTIONS has the potential to change the way that business is envisioned and actualized, literally challenging the business of "business and usual," and introducing an element that has yet to be fully explored in the numerous works that articulate transformative business practices. The future of business, for Guillory, is defined by one idea/practice: spirituality. SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE: A GUIDE FOR ADAPTING TO THE CHAOTICALLY CHANGING WORKPLACE is William Guillory's contribution to the emerging conversation of how to effectively transform business and implement practices that will be responsive to, and inclusive of, empowerment, diversity, and organizational coherence. Guillory challenges some of our most sacred beliefs about difference and division: self and other, individuality and collectivism, and of course, spirituality and materialism. It is a book that offers a new vision of leadership, one that values intuition as much as observation, and the spiritual as much as the material. William Guillory's vision is, indeed, integrative, and reflects his own personal challenges and transformations. Guillory is the CEO and founder of Innovations Consulting International, and a highly sought after authority on facilitating organizational transformation, managing diversity, and creating contexts for individual empowerment. His work with organizational change and diversity led naturally to his own transformative self-reflections, reflections that moved him beyond the material concerns of a career to the spiritual possibilities of exploring his own deeply embedded life interests. He writes in the prologue of SPIRITUALITY of an experience in October of 1985 that changed both his life and his mind. "Words flowed through me at a rate with which I cold hardly keep pace. There were phrases and concepts I had never heard before, pouring into my consciousness." Those words and phrases, he relates, challenged one of our culture's most sacred division, the separation of the spiritual and the material. Guillory believes that this division needs to be understood, addressed, and ultimately healed if organizations are going to be able to adapt to accelerated change and potential crises. The multiple ways of addressing this division are revealed throughout the book, in both the titles and the contents of each chapter. Chapter one discusses "The Living Organization," and offers a biological metaphor for understanding organizational evolution. Chapter two "Spirituality as a source of wisdom," addresses directly the main focus of the book and offers both definitions of spirituality and examples of how it is reflected in specific business practices. Chapter three, "People--The Only Sustainable Competitive Advantage," discusses the difficulties of personal transformation within organizational contexts that privilege material over human resources, and illustrates how individuals can successfully empower themselves to become agents of change. Chapter four, "Service--An Unconditional Commitment to Others," points to the value of challenging and redefining our conception of ourselves in relation to others, and the potential that committing one's self to service can have for both individual and organizational transformation. Chapter five, "Organizational Self-Awareness--Know Thyself," explores the critical connection between communication and culture that defines the problems and possibilities of organizational change and development in an increasingly diverse and global business economy. Chapter six, Wisdom--Your Soul Connection," illustrates the importance intuition and personal self-reflection for overcoming limiting conditions and actualizing performance potential. Chapter seven, "The New Leadership--Spirituality," explores the critical need for visionary, transformative, and spiritual leadership, and how these approaches reflect both normative principles and practical outcomes. In the final chapter, "The Future--A Call for Action," Guillory challenges us to rethink the world of work and our place in it, and the impact of our personal and professional works on the world in which we live. Guillory paradigmatic shift invites us to consider what David Bohm described as the "implicate order" or reality, the many diverse and seemingly divergent principles and practices that implicate us in each other's lives and, ultimately, in the planet itself. Although the titles of Guillory's chapters suggest at first glance an exploration into the realm of the esoteric and the transcendent, the chapters themselves reveal concrete and down to earth discussions and examples of spirituality at work in the work place. The book is very accessibly written, and does an excellent job touching on many of the emerging theoretical discussions of organizational change and development without being "theory laden." The use of personal experiences and narratives also serve to make the book extremely practical in terms of presenting concrete examples of spiritual practices. Each of the chapters also offers exercises and measurement instruments for facilitating self-reflexive explorations of spirituality in the workplace and in our lives. While at first glance this may seem like a strange mixture of science and metaphysics, a kind of "lichert scale spirituality," the exercises if take seriously serve as provocative catalysts for further understanding, and recognizing the necessity of a paradigmatic shift toward the spiritual. Guillory suggests that the economics of self-interest and personal gain have placed the planet in a tenuous position, one requiring radical change and personal transformation. SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE offers an alternative paradigm for re-conceptualizing and re-creating the way we do business with each other, with the planet, and with ourselves. The articulation of a new paradigm is perhaps the most important contribution that this book makes to the literature on organization change and development. Unlike many of the texts in this genre, however, SPIRITUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE forces us to delve deeper into the mechanisms of culture and consciousness that undergird our business organizations and economic institutions. This is an important and provocative book that will makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how organizational change and personal transformation will be the keys to business competitiveness and development in the 21st century.

William Guillory has hit the nail squarely on the head. It is about time that someone has been able to give solid thoughts as to how one can adapt to the ever changing workplace, while maintaining and enhancing spiritual values.

With consolidation being the main focus of companies across North America, the pressures and anxiety are at extreme levels. William Guillory gives employees and executives a fresh insight into dealing with these changes.

This is a must read for anyone who is experiencing change or chaos in the workplace. It is a must read for everyone!

Spirituality in the Workplace is a truly inspirational book that encourages individuals and organizations to incorporate their values and spirituality into their work endeavers. The powerful ideas inside this book show how we can align the spiritual, mental and physical components of our lives to become more fully functional in the workplace. Although the focus is on values and individual development, Bill also makes a strong business case for using these principles to create excellence within an organization. His real life examples and creative insights make this a interesting and motivating read.

With the increasing trend to introspection in Western society and inquiry into sources of personal meaning in all areas of one's life, it is not surprising that the place of spirituality in the workplace is also being examined. The past 5 years have seen a number of books appear on the subject; many of them fall into a couple of categories: they are broad and fuzzy surveys of the topic, or they try to define what spirituality SHOULD look like. This is inherently flawed because spirituality is a manifestation of personal belief and a reflection of corporate culture. Dr. Guillory's book is one of the very few I have seen to take a different, and I feel proper, approach. First, Dr. Guillory is by training a chemist and yet he tackles a nebulous topic like spirituality with ease and familiarity. He effectively applies a scientific rigor to treatment of the subject but never becomes preachy or inaccessable. The volume is clearly written, well organized, and has a VERY strong take-away for the reader, who can complete exercises in the book to the formation and manifestation of a personal belief system and apply that to a work setting. Throughout the process, Dr. Guillory seems to accompany and guide the reader through the exercises. It is as if he is writing from within a spiritual context, rather than standing on the outside looking in. This volume has a wonderful mix of information and applications, as well as illustration of schematic and thought-models, that serve as a springboard for further inquiry. I found this book stayed in my head long after I had closed the cover. The examples of how corporate leaders had developed their own corporate spirituality were inspiring and believable. In conclusion, I loved this book because it was practical, direct, entertaining, and enlightening. It is a roadmap and guidebook that others can use to navigate through a murky topic with ease.

As a Christian, I am constantly pleasantly surpised that the truth can be found in all places and times. This book is a wonderful and refreshing reiteration of basic yet exceedingly profound truths. I am so thankful that I was drawn to it. I give it my highest recommendation. It sits on my self next to my Bible, Dhammapada, Tao Teh Ching, Analects, I Ching, and Bhagavad-Gita. The message trancends time and space: Love, Nurture, and Forgive!

A wonderful book! The three words, Love, Nurture and Forgive, provides the basis to our lives. It is truly fascinating to discover that 'love' contains many different levels to be practiced. And that our relationships with others allows us the opportunities to deeply understand and develop the means to love, nurture and forgive one another.

As a Christian, I suspect that this is the book that Jesus would have written had he been able to find a publisher at the time. The title says it all. Although an essentially Buddhist philosophy, the ideas contained in the book could have been written with the Christian reader in mind. What could be more Christian than living for the sake of others (LOVE), looking after and helping others develop (NURTURE) and recognising that we are all children of Buddha/God no matter what our transgressions (FORGIVE)

As with all his books that I have read, Okawa continues in his unpretentious style, and is therefore very easy to read.

As a Christian, I suspect that this is the book that Jesus would have written had he been able to find a publisher at the time. The title says it all. Although an essentially Buddhist philosophy, the ideas contained in the book could have been written with the Christian reader in mind. What could be more Christian than living for the sake of others (LOVE), looking after and helping others develop (NURTURE) and recognising that we are all children of Buddha/God no matter what our transgressions (FORGIVE)

As with all his books that I have read, Okawa continues in his unpretentious style, and is therefore very easy to read.

This is a shining honest account of the experiences of a true masters' awakening. And lays out a clear description of the starting point to understanding his broad and profound teachings. This is a big step foward for religious thought!

Straight to the piont: This book answers all our questions and much more. I have given it a shot never knowing that its information are so smoothly spread out and are so rich with essential tips.

If anyone plans on a first approach towards sponsors, this book will let these people avoid some unnecessary and costly steps.

Bravo!

Very helpful. I have used the templates already, and the amount of detail provided makes it easy to actually act on the advice. The author is generous with her information on how sponsor's make decisions. I have no background in sponsorship marketing, so it was good to know how deals really get done!
Our annual Harvest Fest has been angling for sponsors for years. This year, we are fully-armed thanks to Made Possible By: Succeeding With Sponsorship.
If I have any beef, I wanted more. There are plenty of practical tips, examples and worksheets that are really useful. But never having gotten a sponsor, I wanted even more.

Cheers for a book that actually tells me what to say, do, even think about in order to get a sponsor. For anyone who is serious about getting into sponsorship, where you will actually talk to sponsors and make deals, I recommend this book. I have already put to use the advice on cold-calling and proposal writing.

This book didn't leave anything out. Before reading it, I had questions about how to put together sponsorship packages. Patricia Martin answered all of my questions in her very thorough book... including the questions I didn't even know I should be asking! Her writing style is direct and complete. It is refreshing to read a "how to" book that actually tells you "how to!"

She uses examples that clearly illustrate the things to do, and not do, during various stages of the sponsorship process. She includes worksheets that take all the guess work out of the process. She doesn't hold anything back. Everything you need to organize effective sponsorship packages and partnerships is in this book.

I was very excited to read this book because it really is an essential tool to help plan a sponsorship strategy, prepare a proposal, get a meeting, gain committment and ultimately bring in dollars. It is laid out in a very easy step-by-step process that everyone can follow and helps you realize the value your organization can give to potential sponsors. Most importantly, it takes the fear out of selling and demonstrates the correct way to speak to and work with potential sponsors for maximum benefit.

I refer to this book constantly during my sponsorship work with the California Pacific Medical Center Foundation and the Junior League in San Francisco and can say that it has significantly helped me achieve my fundraising goals and advance my career.

There are a lot of books on change. It takes a lot for a book about change to stand out from the growing crowd of books on this increasingly important topic. Making Change Irresistible by Ken Hultman stands tall. The book starts right off by focusing on the primary reason why leaders have difficulty in making change happen in organizations-the failure to really understand human beings. He says that leaders who have crunched the numbers, laid out meticulous plans, and positioned organizational resources are often surprised by resistance and tend to see something malevolent or irrational in the resistance, rather than a natural human response that can be addressed in ways that do make change irresistible. My favorite chapter is the one on the practical ways of building trust-a pivotal topic that seems to be left out of most of the other books on change. I also appreciated the liberal sprinkling of self-assessment inventories and checklists because they made the book so specific and practical.

Ken Hultman has written a brilliant and very practical book on dealing with change. His work on motivation updates Maslow and concentrates on ones sense of worth. The change tests and exercises can be used directly and will assist any organization undergoing change. The work on values is also brilliant and gets to the heart of the matter instead of working around the edges.

This book explains in simple language why and how people get their needs met and how that affects change processes. This book is must reading for any organization that truly wants to change and needs to understand the process.

"Making Change Irresistible" is an engaging book with proactive tools and effective strategies that can help executives and managers alike through the murky waters of organizational transition. This book is the most comprehensive work available on the subject of organizational resistance to change. It led me to discover and rethink my assumptions about corporate change resistance. It presents a fresh perspective on a topic of concern to all of today's organizations, and is applicable to both academicians and practitioners. The Change Opinion Survey and The Psychological Need Fulfillment Inventory provide practical methods of preventing, diagnosing, and minimizing the impact of resistance to change in organizations. Both tools are essential for anyone in the process of managing change. Through an in-depth analysis of human behaviour and with techniques that promote personal growth, this book enables readers to become adept at diagnosing resistance to change. The book also helps readers to develop a more positive attitude toward change, while building a concrete plan of action to overcome resistance to change. In short, "Making Change Irresistible" is a must-read for those who study change, and for anyone whose job it is to lead others through the challenge of organizational change.

"This book is intended to serve as a strategic and tactical manual for battling resistance to organizational change." Covers the key concepts in understanding human behaviour and change and provides tools for diagnosing and overcoming resistance. First class. It uses a simple but powerful framework and offers several useful 'instruments' to diagnose core issues in gaining acceptance of change. The book is intended for anyone whose job it is to lead others through change. It is a useful, clear and well-organised resource and the instruments contained in it are also clear and well explained.

Ken's background includes: PhD in Counseling Psychology; staff and line manager; university professor; counselor for individuals, families and groups; and trainer and organizational development consultant to 100 Fortune 500 companies, including major effort with General Electric.

He provides the best analysis of the reasons change is so hard (for most humans), and a fairly good prescription of what can be done to "make change irresistible". The following are a few of the concepts from his book:

Unmet Needs table spans pages 24-27 Unmet Need for Mastery Unmet Need for a Sense of Meaning and Purpose Unmet Need for Acceptance Unmet Need for Respect Each unmet need is followed by 10-20 Symptoms, Consequence, and Potential Solutions

His unmet needs survey encourages a quick assessment of the group and individual attitudes toward change. 60 Statements are assigned a 4, 3, 2, 1, or 0: 4 = strongly disagree down to 0 = Strongly agree People in my organization: Expect too little from themselves Malign each other's character Judge each other on the basis of personal characteristics Disagree about goals/methods Lack opportunities to use their skills Withhold information from each other Discriminate against others Disagree with each other about priorities Lack the necessary knowledge or understanding Try to make each other look bad Subtly make others feel excluded Etc.

He states that there are 4 combinations of Willingness and Ability to Change (pg 97) 1 - Both willing and able to change = best 2 - Able but unwilling to change 3- Willing but unable to change 4 - Both unwilling and unable to change = worst

His strategies for overcoming resistance span pg 171-175 Establishing a positive climate Encourage and interest in improvement Show people how overcoming resistance to change can help them Help people increase their competence Involve people in decisions Cultivate value for teamwork Don't react emotionally Avoid inadvertent mistakes Concentrate on factors within your control

The explanation of his strategies span pages 181-4 15 Strategies aimed at Thinking 10 Strategies aimed at Feelings 12 Strategies aimed at Deciding 10 Strategies aimed at Doing

He has 5-10 strategies for each way of Overcoming the Common Causes of Resistance (pg 188) Which depend on the current their beliefs: They believe their needs are being met already They believe the change will make it harder for them to meet their needs They believe the costs outweigh the benefits They believe the change is unnecessary to avoid or escape a negative situation They believe the change process was handled improperly They believe the change will fail They believe the change is inconsistent with their values

Other books which I have reviewed on change include:

Approaches to Planned Change: orienting perspectives and micro-level interventions R Golembiewski 1993

Champions of Change 1997 Nadler Changing Organizations Raymon Bruce 1998

Competence and Organizational Change - a handbook Shirley Fletcher 1997

Creating Paths of Change - managing issues & resolving problems in organizations Will McWhinney 1997

Getting your Organization to Change - a guide for putting you strategy into action Dennis Jaffe 1999

Harvard Business Review on CHANGE 1998 Lean Transformation: how to change your business into a lean enterprise Bruce Henderson 1999

Leveraging People and Profit: the hard work of soft management Bernard Nagle 1998

Let's Work Smarter, Not Harder: how to engage your entire organization in the execution of change M Caravatta 1998

Managing Changes: exploring the state of the art E. More 1998

Navigating Change: how CEO's, top teams. and boards steer transformations 1998 Edited by Hambrick

Performance-Driven Organizational Change: an organizational portfolio Lex Donaldson 1999

Re-Creating the corporation: a design of organizations for the 21st century R. Ackoff 1999 - great book

Results Based Leadership, David Ulrich et al, 1999 Taking Charge of Change D. Smith

The Challenge of Organizational Change: How Companies Experience It and Leaders Guide It. August 1992

The Change Management Handbook: A roadmap to corporate transformation Lance Berger 1994

The Dance of Change, Senge et al, 1999 - follow up to the fifth discipline

The Leader's Change Handbook: essential guide for setting direction and taking action 1999 J. Conger

The husband and wife team has made another excellent book. I specially liked the way the authors moved the most important (from my viewpoint) topics first. I and probably hundreds of students here in Manila use their book and it's an outstanding source of information.

Used this book with a group of 18 managers on a management course. All acclaimed it as a very easy to understand book, very well written and comprehsive.

For business students this bok may give you an excellent updated view of Information Systems.

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How Information Use The Information System

This book gives quite a bit of history as far as religious orders in the U.S. and the kind of work that they have done over the years. I also enjoyed the photos because I feel that they helped me to understand the history better. And it's interesting to see how the nuns and sisters have dressed over the years.

This book was excellent in explaining the history of the many different religious orders of sisters that came to america to educate and heal. Many fine pictures of the different religious habits worn by the sisters. A complete list of colleges and hospitals, and the year they were founded here in the United States. It is the most complete history book representing a sample of the many different orders of sisters, and their good works.

This book was excellent in explaining the history of the many different religious orders of sisters that came to america to educate and heal. Many fine pictures of the different religious habits worn by the sisters. A complete list of colleges and hospitals, and the year they were founded here in the United States. It is the most complete history book representing a sample of the many different orders of sisters, and their good works.

This book has excellent pictures on the nuns in the full traditional habit thru out the book, with quick accounts of the various religious orders. In the back of the book is a dateline of all the religious orders of Sisters and the institutions they founded in the United States such as catholic hospitals, and colleges. Its an wonderful resource on any person researching the history and traditions of the Catholic Sisters (nuns) who have served our country as educators and health care professionals.

A few years ago I took a college course on the history of health care in the US. I noticed that there was a strange neglect to mention all the work that sisters have done in hospital/nursing. It is good to see a book that gives us a good description of this and other work. It is amazing to see these women working against such adversity, and achieving so much. Our usual image of 19th century women does not include administrators and CEOs, but that is what these women were. They served God and their fellow humans in remarkable ways. It made me nastalgic for the days of plentiful vocations.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Dr. Parks' little book online, but quite disappointed that it (I assume) was not available last year when I really could have used it.

Unlike many of the large (and expensive) tomes written to help National Board candidates, this very small book cuts to the chase with succinct and helpful instructions for mentors. Two features which definitely make it an improvement over Parks' book for candidates are the Suggested Activities and the excellent Questioning Techniques, which mentors can utilize with their candidates.

What I really appreciated was the inclusion of some of the finest research available on accomplished teaching (Einhorn), Cognitive Coaching (Costa & Garmston), and Bacal's 'Rules for Facilitating'. These add a depth to this work, which I feel, was lacking in "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?"

Less helpful, but nevertheless nice, are the Mentoring Ethics, the list of websites, and the suggested forms for mentors to use while facilitating their candidates in each of the four entries. I only wish the book had been published in a larger format, since there is a lot of (small print) detailed information on those forms. Oh yes, the Ten Commandments of Mentoring are a nice touch too.

There is no 'fluff' in this book. It is brief, but all in all, very helpful. It presents much of what experienced NBPTS mentors already know, but still helps us fine-tune the process. To new mentors, it will be a Godsend, and is exactly what they've been hoping to find in getting started, but up to now, was not available. Highly recommended.

I will confess I am not a mentor, and although I am a teacher, I am not NB certified, so you may want to stop reading now. But I am in the process of achieving my certification and, needing all the help I can afford (literally), I purchased as much helpful material as I could.

You might ask why I'd want this book, then. Well, I met the author at the 2005 NMSA Conference, and he was very encouraging. So, I wanted to give this, and his book for candidates, a try. Sometime back, after reading the other book, I decided I was NOT ready (you can read that review). Now I am.

Since I haven't passed NB certification, my comments might not exactly be valid. But I found this book sort of 'helpful in reverse'. In other words, I learned what the mentor would teach me if I had one. I appreciated the tips on writing, compiling my portfolio, and as someone else mentioned, the chapter on 'Accomplished teaching' might be the best. Unlike the other book, this one has sample handouts for mentors, but they weren't really helpful in my case.

Maybe I'm just afraid of the process, and need every help I can find, but this book at least made me feel more comfortable. I feel really out of place writing this review, but at least I know what most mentors know, and hopefully, this will enable me to pass.

Good luck to everyone else going through this!

Having read this author's previous work "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?", I was curious to see how different a book geared specifically to mentors could actually be. To be honest, there was some overlap. However, considering that Weekly Reader Press has kept the price low, and the fact that the book contains (far) more research than the first work, I found "Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" to be one handy little gem.

Especially helpful were the chapters on "How Adults Learn", and "Mentoring Forms". The first appears thoroughly researched, and the information, I found to be especially relevant to any mentor--not just one working with NBPTS candidates. The latter chapter provides information that only an experienced mentor would think of, and will certainly streamline the process for any mentor starting from scratch. I also found the chapter dealing with the unique concerns of 'Advanced Candidates' (those who did not pass) quite helpful.

The premier chapter however, is "What is Accomplished Teaching?". This chapter alone provides cogent information and helpful suggestions for all teachers--not just NBPTS mentors and candidates. While much of this information is not new, it's nicely synthesized into an easy-to-reference format.

Like the author's first work, included is a self-test, this one on the appropriate and inappropriate aspects of mentoring. While a few statements seem subjective, more than a few were specific guidelines from the NBPTS which (I hate to admit) I was honestly not aware of. This test should prove to be an excellent eye-opener to the novice mentor.

In summary, I think "Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" will be more indispensable to the new mentor than the author's previous work might be to the new candidate. Not because the first book isn't helpful, but because I've seen no other work specifically geared to NBPTS mentors. The two books are quick reads and conversationally written. Considering their inexpensive price, I would recommend putting both on your short list of 'must haves' regarding NBPTS candidacy and mentorship.

Simply put, there are very few pickings when it comes to help for NBPTS mentors. Perhaps because of the need for such, Dr. Parks wrote this book. I don't know, but until something better comes along--and this one's pretty darn good--this book will be the standard.

Let's face it, books on mentoring are not too interesting, but good ones should at least be helpful. As a mentor, I appreciate the author's the low-key 'talk to me' writing style as opposed to pedantic works which read more like Holy writ! But even more, I appreciate the practical and--dare I say it--usable information contained in the suggested activities which make up every chapter. I'm up to here with books long on theory, and short on application!

"Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" is a 'from the ground up' guide for aspiring mentors, with websites, sample handouts, and checklists for mentors to use in the tutoring process. I heard the author speak at the NMSA Conference last year, and was not aware that this book was in the works. I can say Dr. Parks writes the way he speaks, and I found both his presentation and the contents of this book enjoyable, constructive, and helpful.

I suspect there will be more than a few candidates who will scope out this book, since many of the helps to mentors could also be used by candidates. Whatever the reason to use it, this book is the best thing on NBPTS mentoring out there, and I can't imagine what more information on the subject could be contained in one book.

As a (former) mentor trainer for the NBPTS, I found this work the finest in the field. It is simple, well-organized, and comprises everything a mentorship for the prospective NBCT might need (including a few sample handouts). I would highly recommend this book to candidates also. Adds a third dimension to learning the process that can only prove helpful. Heck--every teacher could benefit from this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

"Finally! - A book that takes online fundraisers through the uncertainty of measuring their results and efforts. Raising awareness and money on the web requires attention and resources. Madeline shares her valuable experience and observations in her 'mercifully brief guide'. Real life examples of how organizations use the web to raise dollars online." - Nicci Noble, President - Association of Fundraising Professionals Golden Gate Chapter

Whether your nonprofit has dived headlong into email fundraising or is still getting its feet wet, this little book should be in the pool with you.

Written by a fundraising pioneer who has helped nonprofits of all sizes build really strong email programs, really fast (including The Humane Society of the United States, where I work), the book focuses on results. What's the best way to get high-performing email names? What's a good subject line? Is there a "best time" to send emails? What are the key metrics to look at when evaluating how your emails are doing?

Stanionis writes like she talks -- in a fresh, entertaining, and very direct way. She's peppered the book with screen shots of emails from many organizations to illustrate why a series of emails will outperform a single appeal, or how being creative and "speaking from the heart" can drive results, or what an integrated online-offline communications strategy can do to boost membership renewals.

Best of all, you learn all this in about the time it would take you to read an email -- at least, one that doesn't honor Stanionis' advice to keep your copy "simple and short." I'm exaggerating, of course, but just a little bit: This book, so chock full of practical advice, really is mercifully brief. So you can read it during lunch and then, that afternoon, get right to the task of raising thousands of dollars with email.

I've done on-line fundraising for a non-profit for 4 years and I can tell you, if you do what Stanionis says, it'll work for you.

But pay attention. There is a clear path that you need to walk, but at each step you need to make decisions about what will be the best approach for your organization. Stanionis identifies these, gives examples, and stresses their importance. If you skip this extra level of thought, you'll still see results. But if you want real returns, you have to put some energy into it.

I've learned this the hard way, and I'm still learning it. There's something to be said for getting in, getting your feet wet, and treading water until you're really ready to make online fundraising a higher priority in your organization. However, as the field matures, and we learn more about what works and what doesn't, you run the risk that your efforts will look amateurish next to those of other organizations. In addition, if you don't pay attention to the results of your efforts, and don't identify things that don't work with your audience, you run the risk of alienating the very folks you're trying to cultivate. Finally, internet time moves w-a-y faster than most non-profits are equipped to run, and if you're trying tomorrow with techniques that worked yesterday, your audience may be unreceptive.

With that in mind, I look forward to annual updates from Stanionis on "the current state of the art."

Madeline Stanionis' book delivers on its promise: a short, to-the-point, unpretentious, useful and FUN roadmap for online fundraisers.

Online fundraising has been the subject of endless hype, magical thinking, and "sage wisdom" from authors who have never raised a nickel. Stanionis is the real deal -- a pioneer in the field, has the scars to prove it, and speaks from hard-won experience.

Buy it.

The publication of this new book about email fundraising by Madeline Stanionis should be welcome news for nonprofits of all sizes that are trying to harness the Internet to grow their lists, engage constituents and raise money.

The book is written for and about nonprofits though it will be of interest to a wider range of institutions interested in online fundraising such as universities, hospitals, faith-based groups, and political campaigns.

There are several things about this book that make it a standout among recent efforts to cover this topic.

First, it deals unabashedly with what was once the most controversial aspect of online fundraising, namely email appeals. As recently as a few years ago, email fundraising appeals were seen as a type of nonprofit spam, even when supporters and list subscribers had opted in to receive communications. Several pioneering organizations have turned this on its head, and Madeline chronicles the experiences of nonprofits such as Human Rights Campaign, Humane Society of the United States, and Earthjustice, who have used passion, good writing, creative design and opportune timing to conduct successful financial appeals from supporters via email.

Second, Madeline writes as an insider about many email fundraising campaigns that she has personally worked on. Madeline is the President of Donordigital, one of the leading firms that helps U.S. charities raise money online and mobilize constituents for progressive causes. Considering her day job, she really gives away the store in this book. The book is filled with specific nonprofit examples, real-world case studies, email and Website screen shots, strategy ideas, analytical techniques, and other professional insights.

Unlike previous books that were edited compilations of articles from experts in the field, Madeline's book has a cohesive and linear narrative that leaves the reader with a clear roadmap to translate her insights into action.

The one critique that I will permit myself is that all the examples in this book are from multi-million dollar nonprofits with communications staff. To Madeline's credit, she acknowledges this point repeatedly, and goes out of her way in the narrative to offer advice to smaller organizations on more limited budgets.

Third, and most importantly, Madeline offers truly useful material on raising money online, built around real-world examples and screen shots to help illustrate her points.

The chapter entitled "It's all about the list," discusses how much online fundraising is really a numbers game, and covers five different strategies for growing an organization's list. The chapter entitled "It's all about the timing," brings the numbers game into the real world. "If you take no other lesson from this book, remember this one," writes Madeline. "To be successful with email fundraising, you must send the right message to the right person at the right time." With the backdrop of September 11, the Asian tsunami and the Katrina hurricane, Madeline reinforces how important timing is when appealing for funds. Other chapters cover email subject lines, how to get through the clutter of supporter's inboxes, good writing, how to craft email fundraising campaigns, how to coordinate email appeal with direct mail and telemarketing, and how to mine email messaging data. At 100 pages, there's no wasted space, and you'll wonder how she packed it all in.

Finally, the best thing about this book is how easy it is to read. This is not a technical book, it is not boring. It is filled with Madeline's verve and an infectious attitude that says, "here's how we've raised money online for charities across the country."

After you've read Madeline's book, you'll be convinced that you can do it too. What are you waiting for?