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This the best book on the subject of data and information quality! The authors have provided us we the means to implement a practical and simple way to achieve data and information quality with the notion that data are products. The emphasis of IT is shifted towards supporting the production of data and information products. Data and information as products, also encourages interactions with consumers of these products. The authors illustrate the importance of this with long chapters devoted to consumers surveys about information timeliness, packaging, content, meaning, and packaging. My organization was fortunate enough to have Dr. Wang offer a seminar based on his book. In the seminar, Dr. Wang emphasised the importance of data and information as products whose quality ia judged by access, interpretation, content, and timeliness. The depth of knowledge and pratical use of basic quality principles to achieve consumenr satisfaction is well demonstrated by Dr. Wang and his co-authors. As all of us must live in a world where data, information and knowledge are commodities of trade, this book is a necessary guide for success.

Deming's TQC(Total Quality Control) and Kanban method were the key for Miracle Japan economy growth after World War Two. Japanese economy were struggling during 1990's decade, one of the reason is to ignore the power of the information structure, and depend upon the old paper information system, which speed cannot catch up with the society change speed. This book will help Japanese Society to enter New Era. Last month, Daiwa Bank's ex-board 11 members were ordered 830 million USD indemnity, because of Daiwa Bank New York officer's fraud. Snow Brand, Mitusbishi Moter, Bridgestone/Firestone, many companies are facing trouble by lacking Total data Quality Management. This book is really help for 21 centure enterprize direction.

This book presents the readers with an objective and scientific description of IQ (information quality) and a systematic way of measuring, analyzing and improving IQ. It is valuable for enterprise IQ personnels to read this book before fulfiling DQM (Data Quality Management) tasks.

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This book will help Japanese Society to enter New Era, October 24, 2000 Reviewer: teruo miyagawa (see more about me) from hiratsuka, kanagawa Japan Deming's TQC(Total Quality Control) and Kanban method were the key for Miracle Japan economy growth after World War Two. Japanese economy were struggling during 1990's decade, one of the reason is to ignore the power of the information structure, and depend upon the old paper information system, which speed cannot catch up with the society change speed. This book will help Japanese Society to enter New Era. Last month, Daiwa Bank's ex-board 11 members were ordered 830 million USD indemnity, because of Daiwa Bank New York officer's fraud. Snow Brand, Mitusbishi Moter, Bridgestone/Firestone, many companies are facing trouble by lacking Total data Quality Management. This book is really help for 21 centure enterprize direction.

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WHY MY COMMENT IS NO VOTING BUTTONS? IS MY COMMNET NOT FAIRNESS AND IMPARTIALITY? LET ME KNOW. TERUO MIYAGAWA

IT has often had it backwards, such as when companies seek to automate what already adds little value. If the data are degraded in the process, you fall back instead of forward. The downside risk is real, as is the upside opportunity. While many books talk in abstraction about knowledge management, this book provides a practical process that will vastly improve IT effectiveness. IT managers should read this first, as should their clients. I hope that this book will be but the beginning of an emphasis on first dealing with the problem, then looking for the right way to deliver and use the data while protecting them, then look at the software and hardware choices. I look forward to future books that provide even more examples of what can go right and wrong with the knowledge and data. This is the way that best practices should be spelled out. I also look forward to seeing how best practices will evolve in this field into future best practices. There is a lot of room for improvement.

Finding aides for managers which help make the complex subject of employee supervision, motivation and commitment understandable are rare discoveries. Brayton Bowen's book, "Recognizing and Rewarding Employees" is one of those infrequent finds. This book includes practical, every day examples throughout. I found it could be read quickly, a few sections at a time. It is filled with real world examples throughout which include useful tips as well as insights you will conclude could only have been written by someone who's really "been there". Reading this book would be an excellent investment for all managers responsible for achieving results through others.

Author R. Brayton Bowen takes a thoughtful approach to understanding the new generation of employees who seem to need rewards and recognition to spur their motivation. He attributes their incentive-based work ethic to workplace changes, such as downsizing and a decline in loyalty, which has tainted the work environment. Bowen proposes a variety of recognition systems, including intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and he outlines strategies for using recognition to empower the whole person. His in-depth ideas about building motivation through recognition and rewards will appeal to anyone who manages other people, from supervisors to top executives, though he cautions that true motivation can't be bought, but must come from genuine achievement and internal drive. Since Bowen provides a thoughtful context for the workings of motivational strategies, as well offering some hands-on tactics, we [...] recommend this book to managers and human resource professionals at all levels.

Just as recognizing and rewarding customers lead to loyalty, the same is true for employees. Creating a caring culture is a tall order for employers, but it's exactly what employees want--and value. This book is brimming with ways to create that caring culture. Any business person can realate to the stories and examples. Best of all are the gray boxes sprinkled liberally throughout the book (almost on every page) that provide tips, tactics, and examples. I can randomly open the book and read one of these nuggests -- and within 30 seconds, I have a new insight, idea, or understanding. This book is a must-read for every manager who cares about employees.

The notion of leading from the inside out was refreshing and relevant
in today's world where managers often believe that changing their
behavior is sufficient. I am using the notion of Recognition As A
Whole Person Experience in my graduate management class. It is well
stated and is representative of the book as a whole. The eye-catching
icons, checklists, and sidebars make the book easy to read and apply
to practical situations. The book is very useful to practicing
managers and this is the primary group in our MBA program. I will
recommend the book to them without reservation. John T. Byrd, PhD
Professor of Management Bellarmine University

I have long believed that for the most part your company pay plan is competitive within your industry. Then by definition, you are getting paid what you are worth in your environment. As a manager/supervisor that also means that you can not reward with money. To become successful leader, your had better look in other directions.

My suggestion is using Mr. Brayton's Recognizing and Rewarding Employees as your starting point. He presents you with the tools. We all need to consider our method of using the tools.

Picture the chapter headings as your core principals. Within each principal, the author lays out methods, details, actions or thoughts to support the principals. Take the chapter content to develop your leadership and managerial style. We are all individuals and as such will use different styles. However, the core principals being presented within each chapter remain constant.

I found it helpful and easy to grasp the principals through the side boxes and the manager's check boxes.

Understand the key principals, develop the tools to fit your style and you will improve your managerial results!

In the Introduction to this book, Quint Studer makes the following assertion: "Standardize the right leadership practices and you will find that organizational performance improves across the board...and stays improved." More specifically, results-driven leadership at all levels and in all areas will achieve and then sustain outstanding performance throughout the given enterprise. That's obvious. Here's the challenge: To get the right goals, the right behavior, and the right processes in proper alignment. More specifically:

1. Have stretch goals that everyone understands and supports, then measure performance in terms of progress toward achievement of those goals. At all times, know what is most important and focus on doing it.

2. View behavior from two separate but related perspectives: values and productivity. At companies such as GE and Southwest Airlines, for example, there is zero tolerance of inappropriate behavior no matter how productive the given offender may be. At the same time, people are expected to produce results (Jack Welch calls it "hitting the numbers") or seek career opportunities elsewhere.

Note: I agree with Studer that the behavior of all supervisors must be "standardized," at least to the extent that they have impeccable character, know their stuff, provide constructive criticism whenever it is needed, earn and remain worthy of trust, and do everything humanly possible and appropriate in the best interests of those entrusted to their care. That said, allowances must be made for differences in personality, lifestyle decisions, avocations, etc.

3. Make all processes as simple as possible...but no simpler. Many processes streets that remain essentially unchanged (except for occasional repairs) even as residents of homes, merchants and their customers, and students enrolled in schools come and go. This is especially true of the process by which an organization such as the U.S. Marines develops leadership. "Many are called, a few are chosen" and then all receive rigorous formal training with hands-on daily supervision as they are absorbed by the culture and identify with its values, meanwhile strengthening individual skills, enriching personal knowledge, and - over time - adding increasing value to the organization.

According to Studer, "Evidence-based leadership (EBL) enables us to create results that last. What is EBL? It's a strategy centered on using the current `best practices' in leadership - practices that are proven to redsult in the best possible outcomes. The `evidence,' in this context, is the reams of data collected from study after study that aim to determine what people really want and need from their leaders. When leaders apply these tried-and-true tactics to every corner of our organizations, we achieve consistent excellence. Our organization's success is no longer dependent on individuals. It's hardwired. No matter who leaves, the excellence remains."

Throughout his narrative, Studer explains how EBL enables those who practice it to identify and deal with "High, Middle, and Low Performers," recognize the five critical elements employees want from managers, "manage up" to improve the performance of those they supervise, measure performance fairly and consistently, improve employee selection and retention, "harvest" intellectual capital, take a customer-centric approach, and build a culture around service, and serve as a role model for effective communication, cooperation, and collaboration.

Well-done!

Those who share my regard for this book are urged to check out Hard Facts, Dangerous Half-Truths And Total Nonsense: Profiting From Evidence-Based Management co-authored by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton as well as their earlier book, The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action as well as Edward Lawler's Talent: Making People Your Competitive Advantage, Robert Mittelstaedt's Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal?: Avoiding the Chain of Mistakes Which Can Destroy Your Company, Michael Levine's Broken Windows, Broken Business: How the Smallest Remedies Reap the Biggest Rewards, George S. Day and Paul J.H. Schoemaker's Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Will Make or Break Your Company, and Sydney Finkelstein's Why Smart Executives Fail and What You Can Learn from Their Mistakes.

Results That Last is an excellent companion to the remarkable series of books that Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton about creating and implementing superior strategies (The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action, Alignment: Using the Balanced Scorecard to Create Corporate Synergies, Strategy Maps: Converting Intangible Assets into Tangible Outcomes, and The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment).

Researchers report that only about a third of all strategies are successfully implemented. Many couldn't be implemented because the concept was too difficult to do. Others fail because the management cannot bring the right actions to bear. For this latter group, Results That Last can be quite helpful.

Quint Studer has taken the research literature on best practices in motivation, satisfaction, improvement, coordination, communication, and implementation and spelled out a series of leadership and management processes that will help you apply those findings. Even someone who doesn't think of himself or herself as talented in leadership or management will get a lot more done with these methods. For most, it will be more valuable than an MBA degree.

I have two cautions about the book:

1) If your strategy is a mistaken one, you'll still flop.

2) Mr. Studer's experience seems to be mostly in hospitals and consulting. As such there's a lot of fine-grain application in other industries the book doesn't describe. You'll have to find that on your own. By referring to the source best practice studies, you'll fill in some of that gap.

Quint Studer wrote a masterpiece for modern leaders to follow.
The book has a broad application of thoughts, and fits modern business issues. This book is well worth reading and applying for results that last.

When I can across this book, I noticed that it had relatively few reviews for a book that has hit the Wall Street Journal's Best-selling list. After reading it, I understood why - although an easy read, it is so brimming with various leadership tactics that it is not easy to summarize for a complete review. While most business books are based upon a sound idea which could, and should, have been expressed in a ten page HBR article and not stretched into a 250+ page book, this one is quite the opposite. Even though it is written in plain spoken, dialogue format, with plenty of story examples; this book feels like a condensed compilation of management ideas and leadership tactics organized around the author's very successful career experience in the healthcare industry. The outcome is a page-turner of prescriptive to-do's that offer something for every key leadership issue, with a special emphasis on establishing goals and measurement of results.

The book is dedicated to the development of a culture of performance excellence - an excellent culture is declared more important than an excellent strategy. Each chapter is linked to an "Evidence-based Leadership" graphic and one of its three components - Aligned Goals; Aligned Behavior; Aligned Processes - as the drivers for hardwiring performance.

The book opens with Studer's three most important leadership tactics: Sort employees (called high, middle, and low conversations); Use walk-about-management, but make it purposeful (called rounding for outcomes); look for and speak about the positive & contribution from others (called managing up - rather than talking down, I concluded). Each chapter contains recommended steps for implementing these tactics.

The next section is called "The Core", and introduces Studer's organizational flywheel with the three elements; Passion (Self-Motivation), Principles (Prescriptive To Do's), & Results (Bottom Line) revolving around Peoples Personal Values - purpose, worthwhile work, and making a difference. Taking 'Self-Motivation' at its word, there are no tactics for integrating an individual's passion into organizational performance. And, even for leaders, ME Inc. must give way to Business Inc. thru standardization tactics devoted to reducing leadership variance. Prescriptive to-do's and results measurement are the focus for the author's hardwiring process. Goals and measurement are organized under five performance pillars - Service, Quality, People, Finance, and Growth.

The book then moves thru an Employee Tactics section and a Customer Tactics section. Satisfied employees are at the top of the list - an employee survey to diagnose satisfaction is recommended, perhaps using the Gallup ("First, Break all the Rules") Organization's 12 key questions as a basis. Know 'what' is important to your employees, reward and recognize, and many other tactics for helping employees feel that their job is worthwhile and that they can make a difference are part of the employee tactics section. A service culture underpins the customer tactics section.

I liked the book for its many useful and practical tactics for focusing an organization on its performance goals - almost all of which are applicable outside of the healthcare industry. A word of caution is advised: the book does at times feel like a Studer Group marketing brochure and its 'leader-as-hero' underpinnings give some tactics an inauthentic feel. However, the many useful ideas are worth these distractions.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

Those familiar with the author or The Studer Group's work, may assume that this is another look at how to better manage America's hospitals. Nothing could be further from the truth. The author's direct writing style, supported by many real life examples, and a goodly portion of common sense make this a valuable addition to any manager's bookshelf - or better yet, their briefcase.

The book has several sample instruments that help the reader move from having an interest in the subject of leadership to actually doing it. As a working management consultant, I've ordered copies of this book for the leadership team of my current struggling client - who is not in healthcare.

Quint's recommendations may sound difficult to some and too simple to others, but, in my mind, they are practical and beneficial to any organization, small or large, that wants to step up their achievement.

Much has been written over the past several years about teams and teamwork. For the most part, these books have concentrated on the criteria of effective teams and how to create the high performing team. Of critical concern to many is how to reward the high performing team - - - how to recognize in a meaningfull way the team's outstanding performance. This book - a first - answers that question with examples from a number of companies. If your company is actively involved in teams and teamwork, this is a volume that you need to read. It is a valuable resource.

Rewarding Teams is a helpful and practical book that addresses a topic that is very timely in our "virtual" team business world. The case study format from real organizations adds credibility and makes it very user friendly. The failures, successes and lessons learned approach is a great way to find out invaluable information that can be applied to your organization. It has certainly helped me assist my constituents in the mostly uncharted area of team recognition and rewards versus individual.

Rewarding teams is an excellent book. It offers an easy to understand and powerful reinforcement model as well as a six different types of reward plans. It also has great real life examples to prove the model and illustrate the power of rewarding teams correctly. This book is helpful for both the team leader wanting to establish an effective incentive plan as well as for the professional looking to understand the nature of team rewards. Glen Parker has done it again. This book takes a great deal of complicated information and makes it easy to understand and easy to use. I highly recommend it.

For those of us helping to develop team-based work environments, this book hits the mark. I already know the theories. What I need are some examples of how to make it work in the trenches. It provides the kind of practical, down-to-earth examples that show what really works in the real world.

This book isn't a simplistic, one-dimensional approach to recognition. It reviews all aspects of the development, care and maintenance of strong teams, and provides a clear understanding of the role that recognition and rewards play.

The first chapter is a great primer on the right way to get teams up and running. Parker, et. al. throw in numerous tips for team leaders on how to get the ball rolling, and alert you to potential pitfalls and traps and how to deal with them. Chapter one puts team rewards and recognition in the proper context.

I didn't realize how superficial my understanding of team rewards was until I read the book. For example, the book differentiates incentives from rewards, an important distinction that I have to admit was somewhat muddied in my thinking. It illustrates how rewards and recognition need to fit with the organizational culture, and show how this works in practice in organizations.

The authors use a fictitious team start-up situation in the first two chapters to add another dimension to aid the reader in understanding the principles of team development from the team leader's perspective. I found myself wondering if the authors had worked in some of the companies I was in. They clearly have "been there and done that."

Chapters three through five profile almost twenty companies to provide actual examples of how to implement the various approaches to team reward and recognition to address different situations and challenges. For example, the book goes into the rationale, philosophy, criteria and detailed administration of Chase Manhattan Bank's Service Star Program, as well as the organization's candid assessment of the program's strengths and weaknesses. Some companies are large, some small. Government, non-profit, and associations are also represented. Some use stock options, some cash awards. Some tie in team performance with individual performance reviews. Throughout, "successes and lessons learned" enable the reader to benefit from what others have done.

This is an example of the improvements one company decided to make in its approach after the initial evaluation period: - Give plants more control in choosing and tailoring plan metrics. - Encourage employees to get involved in creating goals - Shift the burden of plan communication from the corporate level to the plants

The final chapter summarizes the key principles and insights from the authors' work.

I would highly recommend this book for executives who are responsible for creating the organization culture, operating managers and human resource staffs. It should be REQUIRED reading for anyone involved in forming, leading and supporting teams because it can prevent so many problems that affect team performance.

"Certainly there are good books for compensation professionals on the technical aspects of designing incentive plans for teams, and handbooks that offer creative laundry lists of recognition ideas of individual contributors. But there are few sources for people on the firing line looking for practical advice coupled with real-life examples of how to design reward and recognition systems for teams, not individuals. This book provides practical advice and detailed examples of effective organizational unit (group) incentives, project team incentives, and recognition plans. It is for managers in organizations that have made a commitment to a collaborative culture and who want to create effective reward systems for teams...At the heart of this book are case studies of reward plans in companies large and small, in many industries, and of many cultures...Whenever organizations try to make teamwork the norm, many supporters become frustrated because the usual reward-and-recognition programs don't support it. In this book, the fictional BIZCOM Corporation and its managers show how frustration about teams can turn into success. BIZCOM's trials and tribulations are based on the authors' years of experience working with organizations" (from the Preface).

In this context, Glenn Parker, Jerry McAdams, and David Zielinski:

* describe BIZCOM, a fictitious company that wants to use a team approach to adress a critical business problem, and discuss team and organizational development issues such as vision, sponsorship, membership, stakeholders, launches, training, coaching, management style, and organizational support.

* discuss reward and recognition systems, communications and performance feedback, and training and development tools for creating a team-based organization.

* introduce an organizing model for rewards, and discuss organizational culture. At this point, they argue that "One general description of the whole organization's culture is possible, although organizations are made up of a number of suborganizational units, each with a slightly different culture. Accounting has a different culture than marketing. Manufacturing has a different culture than customer service. Hopefully, they are aligned with the overreaching organizational culture, with the differences simply reflecting the nature of the work they do". And they also argue that "One of the keys to success in improving organizational performance is to ensure that reward plans reinforce the desired culture, or at least attempt to reduce the gap between the existing and desired culture".

* define six types of reward plans: (1) individual base compensation and benefits, (2) individual capability (competency), (3) individual incentives, (4) recognition, (5) project team incentives, (6) organizational unit incentives. (But throughout the book they mainly focus on the last three plans - more detailed examination of these plans in several companies and review of their experiences see Chapters 3-5).

* summarize how you can best utilize project, recognition, and group incentive plans to improve teamwork and organizational performance as lessons from the trenches (more detailed discussion of these trenches see Chapter 6):

(1). Customize the plan.

(2). Align plans with business objectives.

(3). Send the right message.

- create many winners, few losers

- involve employees in the selection process

- trust the folks

(4). Use noncash as well as cash awards.

- noncash awards are not limited to recognition plans

- give a few big awards and lots of small ones

- pay the taxes on noncash awards

(5). Communicate, communicate, communicate.

- never assume people understand

- tell people how they are doing - all the time

- reinforce the messages

- role modeling works

(6). Create a smorgasbord of plans.

(7). Budget for recognition activities.

(8). Keep administration in mind.

(9). Payoffs are in the eye of the beholder.

(10). How plans are introduced and operated is paramount.

Finally, they argue that "There are no silver bullets. There is a good will, faith in the value of employee contributions, good business judgement, and willingness to act on a strategy of teamwork reinforced by rewards and recognition plans. We've learned how to manage financial, fiscal, and customer capital. Leveraging human capital is the challenge for the next century. Reward and recognition plans designed to encourage teams and teamwork is one way to meet that challenge".

I highly recommend this invaluable study to all executives and HR professionals.

Dr. McCormick helps us get it "right." Servant leadership is all about knowing and living this truth: One leads most effectively when serving.....and one serves best by leading. This is the biblical pattern of leadership and when genuinely lived in one's everyday world it works as long as it is congruent with one's heart. Dr. McCormick also helps us understand that for one to consistently live the pattern of leadership that one must stay very close to the One who is the source of pattern.

Shepherd leadership is not for wimps. It is for leaders who want to be both strong and servant leaders. Both emphasisze vision, teaching, and service, but only servant leadership notes how leaders most have an edge, meaning they must make tough decisions.
This book has a number of practical suggestions for today's leaders who must both listen and direct. Leaders must add new skills to their arsenal, including being more accessible, genuine, and interactive. Many challenges for leaders are included in the book with practical solutions. It is a great approach using wisdom from a popular psalms with practical applications and stories. It is tough love for today's leaders in these tough times.

I understand the aphroism is really "brevity is the soul of wit" - but this small volume demands that the phrase be recast. McCormick and Davenport take the 23rd Psalm apart and suggest some basic principles about leadership that come from the psalm. The book is loaded with examples of each of the styles or main points. But perhaps even more valuable is a series of suggestions to work with the principles established in each chapter.

I found the most interesting issue raised in the book one about Supply Side management. I have been a CEO of an organization for more than a dozen years. McCormick and Davenport suggest that the role of a leader is too often looked at from the demand side of the equation - those inevitable lists. But leaders should also consider the supply side - what excites you about the job? How does one find those niches which make the lists of to dos a bit less demanding. Many leadership jobs seem to be comparable to that of Sisyphus. But with a little attention to the supply side - those inevitable demands become less onerous.

Buy it, read it, use it!

Book Review by Robert Tunmire (from Baylor Business Review, Fall '03)

Many leaders, like me, have highly dominant personalities. We may struggle with the "softer side" of managing. Shepherd Leadership: Wisdom for Leaders from Psalm 23 gives us excellent reasoning and examples of how a "softer" - yet truthful and effective - approach can be a more effective management style.

The analogy of the leader as shepherd is a credible one, and presented in a straightforward manner. The authors clearly lay out, guided by Psalm 23, what a shepherd's responsibilities are and how that applies to a leader's responsibilities in the real world of business. Each chapter ends with two items: "Shepherd Thinking," and "Shepherd Doing," assisting with application of the chapter's concepts.

Read the rest of this review at
http://www.baylor.edu/bbr/index.php?id=10399

In Shepherd Leadership, McCormick and Davenport present a refreshing model of leadership which takes the person as a whole into account. As someone who is young in my career, I found this book valuable in helping to develop my management style and philosophy. I left business school with strategies, theories, and policy, but very little in the way of leadership practices, which left me treading water when first entering a management role.

One section that stood out for me was the shepherd leader's toolkit. The compass and the frame represent two valuable practices for leaders at any level. The compass reminds you to set clear direction to navigate through the maze of information, reports, meetings, and endless action items that you encounter on a daily basis. The frame sets boundaries and expectations for your organization while still allowing your employees room to creatively explore new approaches.

A fantastic read for anyone who's just been thrown in the deep end of management!

This is the news story that the public needs to hear about the Son of Hope(no longer Son of Sam) . It is clear to see that he is the "real deal." Having repented of his sins and experienced forgiveness in Christ 20 years ago, he is now the prison pastor of the Christian Church in his prison. His writing of his prison experiences and life in general, is vibrant and articulate. I would highly recommend this journal.
DAN

David's writing is a ray of sunshine emanating from a place where very little gets in or out. David's love for his prison brothers and their families is shown throughout. Son of Hope will make you cry and fill you with sadness for lives which have been so damaged by sin! But, as David's life has been turned around by his acceptance of Jesus, he shows that the Love of Lord is there for everyone (Isaiah 1:18--"Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow"). David is a humble man who is living an extraordinary life (James 4:10--"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up"). Thank you David for a work so filled with the Love of the Lord.

If you want to know what prison life is like, here is the book. But it's more than that; it is hope within the darkness behind the concrete walls and razor wire of prison--that it is possible to live a productive life, pleasing to God, while incarcerated. You may cry while reading this book, over the wasted lives of men who chose crime, but you may smile at the evidence of God's grace in the lives of other prisoners who have chosen the joy of following Jesus.

I have just finished reading David Berkowitz's book "Son of Hope". I remember the man he was when he was arrested, his face and piercing eyes. And I recently viewed on line the interviews with David aired on CBS in New York City. On May 10th, I saw the segment entitled "bonus footage behind the scenes look at the "Son of Sam" Interviews, which I don't believe was aired on TV. They showed the man who they arrested as Son of Sam and the face of the man who has been transformed, saved and set free in Christ Jesus; now the Son of Hope and they don't even look like the same man.

David's journal on December 21, 2004 said it all. He doesn't even feel as though he is in prison except for the place that it is. He is a minister, a witness, of how a loving Christ can reach a man lost in sin, with no hope and change him into a helper, a servant reaching out to fellow prisoners, giving him a ministry within the prison walls. I am so impressed upon reading that David receives no profit from the sale of his book, that anything received goes to the parents/victims of his past crimes. Thank you David for writing the book. I certainly plan to share mine with others. See you in Heaven.

David is like the "man out of the tombs" in Mark chapter 4, that only the Saviour could make him, "clothed and in his right mind."

I am a homeschooling mom of a 6 year old girl and a 9 year old boy. We just received this wonderful book by Karen Andreola and have only tried it out once so far, but I have flipped through the book and read some of the stories. There are many different kinds of wonderful stories to chose from. I did one with my 6 year old daughter and I actually walked her through the writing process instead of just letting her write, as she is so young, but I think she learned a lot from it. She asked me the very next day if we could "do another one"...and the next day. Karen has a whole section in the front on how to use the book and writing tips that are very helpful. I think this is a wonderful book and look forward to using this with my children.

We're just getting started, but our children ages 9 & 11 love this! And this concept could lead them to other activities, too.

This book was carefully thought out and well written. So far, we are all very impressed and glad we made this purchase.

This book is wonderful! Even my reluctant writer is having fun and producing interesting stories. We get together with 2 other children to read the stories together.

We've been a homeschooling family from the beginning and my kids are 10 and 12 now. Teaching writing has always been a struggle for me, and the kids did not like writing at all. This book has the beginnings of very interesting stories, and the students' job is to write the ending. Each story starter also has guidelines (have the characters speak, describe the scene) suggestions for "vivid verbs", "artful adjectives" and more. My kids, who have NEVER liked writing, got so into it, I had to give them extra time to finish. The book has a section for educators that has a lot of useful information. Before I bought this book, I checked it out from the library to make sure I liked it. I ended up ordering it on Amazon before we started the second story!

I recently purchased and browsed through Story Starters by Karen Andreola. All I can say is fantastic! I could have spent hours just looking over all the fabulous antique illustrations, of which Mrs. Andreola has collected over the years. These in and of themselves would be great story starters, and there is a section of the book set aside for this purpose. But section 2, the beginning stories themselves, are wonderful! Mrs. Andreola has written over 50 stories for the children to expand upon - lively stories of alligators, floods, and shipwrecks, and character building stories of honesty, helpfulness, and patience. There is something for everyone, boy or girl, 6 or 16. These aren't only exercises in creative writing. There are grammar, literary, and narration helps along the way in this 458 page oversized softbound book. My girls and I looked through it, and they are just as excited as I to start. With my 6yo, the stories are a bit beyond her reading level, so I'll be reading her the stories and typing up her narrations of the story conclusions for her to illustrate. My 9yo will be reading the stories herself, and we'll see how she does with writing the conclusions on her own. We may go with narrations for a bit too. We'll see what works. But they are EXCITED about writing, and this is a GOOD thing. :-)

It has been very informative to us in reviewing and re organising our Cell Groups in our church. It gave us very important information thru his journey in informing and make changes as he went. Our Cell Groups were not working so which is why I bought this book to give us advise and help and we have made many changes and praying that it will work this year.. I love the real life examples which we could well relate to and identify in our own journey. It is a book once you read you want to read to the end very powerful and exciting...

Both a devotional and a how to. One may need to be a bit forgiving with Cho's choice of phrases from time to time, but the principles are sound and still after so many years, revolutionary.

"Successful Home Cell Groups" is much more than a formula for church-based small groups. It is an insightful journey into God's building the largest church in the world. Using one broken man, Cho, God has created a formula for all of us to examine, emulate and admire.

So how does a church of more than 800,000 believers grow and work? Small groups, one household at a time. Cho is careful to sharing both his mistakes as well as his successes. One of the prime ingredients for a successful home group program is evangelism. He insists that the cell groups focus on the neighborhoods and communities to reach the lost. Leadership, training, discipline, recognition, focus, and personal involvement by the senior pastor are other critical elements.

There is a careful balance which needs to be struck between control and freedom for each group to strengthen and grow. Great wisdom is shown in relying on the Holy Spirit to strike the right balance. As a senior partner in ministry, The Holy Spirit has grown the body of Christ in a miraculous way.

Recorded in this book are lessons for us all, laymen and clergy, large church and small.

There is no doubt about Dr Cho's influence on our modern day cell group and church movement. He is at the absolute forefront, his insights and heart for ministry are a huge blessing to the church international.

This book is one of the key books to read to help anyone understand the simplicity and necessity of cell groups for church life. The concepts are incredibly helpful and insightful.

This book stands alone on the merits of the principals it teaches. It is not a greatly written book but that is not it's purpose.

Readers that do not live in Korea or asian cultures should carefully apply the principles this book provides. It will work but it is based upon a different mindset that most American church goers don't have. There are other great books by Ralph Neighbor and Carl George that will also give great insight on the american chuches need to move to cell groups and how to do it with out destroying the church or a ministers career.

Dr Cho speaks as a lay person even though he is the pastor of the worlds largest church. I had my reservations about reading the book for fear that the content may be too detailed or uncomprehesible for a young aspiring cell-group leader, but Cho has written a simple to understand and inspiring guide to building, or transitioning to, a cell-based church. This book speaks of the principles of building such a church, which seem to be universal...what does this mean?...you will not be able to use excuses about your culture or your congregation. The priciples and groundwork laid out by Dr. Cho will change your perspective on church growth for ever.

Taking Note is a fascinating wander into the lives of a small but varied group of people bound by their commitment to Christianity. The author's choice of language and structure is at all times accessible and often moving; it serves to bring the reader into personal touch with those who are seeking to share their love of God. Readers who are looking for insights into the workings of home fellowship will find them here. Those who are looking for direction in their own lives will discover that they are not alone in their search. The author's sometimes reserved, often tentative, but always loving interactions with others can serve as a model for those who still seek a place of comfort and warmth.

This book feels and acts like fiction but is non-fiction. It reads like a mainstream collection of personal essays from an author who seems to be well read, but it is paradoxically Christian. Its structure is reminiscent of "The Canterbury Tales" and "Winesburg, Ohio," but it is fundamentally hopeful and 21st century in tone. It's style is modest--reflecting only a partial claim on its subjects. It gets at one of the most important questions--How should we live?--through the presentation of several ordinary people, people like you and me, who are varied and imperfect and genuine and above all interesting. And the result is quite a surprising, good read!

An interesting read -- short, incomplete sentences as thoughts make the reader feel as though she is inside the author's head. The prose is relate-able and down-to-earth. A fast and easy read.

Taking Note lets the reader slip into the lives of a group of Christians who gather for more than just worship. They offer friendship and support and continuously show by their actions what being a Christian really means. You'll enjoy spending time with these people! This is a very well written and insightful book.

Earlier reviews rightly note the refreshing character and uniqueness of this excellent book. Mr. Elkington has a gentle and surprisingly dextrous touch with language. It had the impact on my spirit and intellect that I imagine a newly discovered coffee has to the enthusiastic connoisseur. Found myself moved to tears in several chapters, marveling at God's emerging presence in the love shared by ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Find myself expecting to discover the miraculous clothed in the mundane. Find myself wanting to take more careful note of the people with whom I'm at home.

In the last three years, I have watched 500,000 acres of San Diego county burn. I came to M. Kat Anderson's book after we nearly lost our home, which is neatly tucked between two pieces of reservation land; I got infinitely more understanding than I thought possible. She has given us a timely, well researched work, that gives homage to the people who came long before us.

This book will sit on my shelf, next to "1491" (another must read, Americas before Columbus). The land nourishes all of us, regardless of race, color or creed. We need to learn from the past practices, to better care for the land. Many environmentalists use "pristine" when describing wilderness, and it is a misnomer. Without fire, there are no sprouting redwoods. Controlled burns are necessary. But try and tell your local political leaders that.
Buy this book, read it and understand.

Kat,
its wonderful!!! Long live the Wendell Berry Club.
Miss ya,
Joseph and Linda the cattail botanist!

This book is covering ground not found elsewhere about the way of Native Americans in California interacted with nature to actually improve the health of forests and wild life. I am thrilled to find it.

This book should become required reading for all High School and University students, teachers, and researchers with an interest in North American anthropology, ethnobotany, botany, biology, historical ecology, fire history, forest management, and history. It will be of particular value to readers with an interest in cultural and natural resources management, agricultural sustainability, and federal Wilderness policy, among other topics.

The book is excellently written, organized, and indexed, for both general reading and specific reference uses. It is a wonderful addition to Anderson's other major contribution to science, Forgotten Fires.

This excellent book written about the management of California land by the native people in the past, is also a textbook of what we will need to do in the future to survive. M. Kit Anderson has written a revolutionary book. The wealth of information on how Native peoples managed the California landscape in a sustainable way finally does justice to these people and their way of life - a people who were so cruelly treated by the Spanish and American invaders. The author explores the ecological management skills of California native peoples without romanticizing them or ignoring mistakes that they made.

The modern environmental movement created the myth of the unspoiled wilderness untouched by human hands. Tending the Wild debunks that myth and levels some well earned criticism towards those environmentalists who failed to appreciate how the California native peoples were successfully and actively managing the California landscape, as were other indigenous people around the world.

But the wealth of detail the book provides on how the Native Americans successfully managed the California landscape is also a model of sustainable living that has much to teach all of us. We learn an alternative to the destructive environmental, agricultural and development practices of our time. Practices that are destroying our ability to not only preserve the beauty of the landscape but to use the landscape wisely to provide for our needs in a sustainable way.

Anybody who is interested in sustainable living should also explore books on Permaculture by authors like Bill Mollison, David Holmgren and Toby Hemenway. Permaculture is a modern attempt at designing for sustainable living. Permaculture designers have studied the sustainable methods agriculture, horticulture, building and community of indigenous people from all over the world. As world oil production peaks and as the effects of global warming are felt, we will need all the help we can get to re-learn how to live sustainably on this planet.