Resources Books

In Great Leader Great Teacher, Gary Bredfeldt offers great insight regarding the need for pastoral leadership to understand and embrace the importance of teaching in forming mature disciples. Specifically, Bredfeldt is correct in asserting that great teaching is the most important tool in maximizing your leadership, a commitment to biblical authority is the foundation of biblical leadership, and understanding the context of our ministry is vital in exercising good leadership. The main critique I have with the book is that in the chapter on leadership contexts, some ministries are not represented accurately. However, the conclusions reached by Bredfeldt appear solid. Pastors and future pastors need to understand their present leadership style and reform their leadership to the biblical model: that is, being committed to teaching the authority of the Word of God.

Bredfeldt has very susinctly put in print something we all should remember, namely that leadership in the church is not necessarily about management. If you want to have a profound and abiding influence on people, teach them. To balance this book out on the management side, I believe a quick reading of "The Minister's MBA" would suffice. I read both together and saw how functioning as teacher should be my focus, while operating based on solid, ethical, and mission-focused business-type practices, will produce in me a orderly, well-focused, yet discipling ministry.

In a day when many churches use Madison Avenue techniques more than biblical standards, this book is a breath of fresh air. Those who turned the first century world upside down did so by teaching through both life and words. Not only does Dr. Bredfeldt demonstrate the importance of teaching, he briefly examines four basic types of churches in such a way that is helpful to any pastor looking to understand how to better the teaching ministry in his own church. Along the way, he warns of dangers in the Emergent Church movement's drift away from biblical orthodoxy. Many thanks to the author for challenging us to see ministry through biblical eyes.

It is said that actions speak louder than words. I believe Jesus was the great example we can emulate on leading by teaching and living it out. I am a strong believer of the teaching ministry within the church and without the church. The leadership by teaching is one of servanthood.

For me, this is the most effective and efficient type of leadership which, though it takes a long time to develop, it brings everlasting fruit. Those who practice this leadership by teaching others will be spoken of even many years after they die. Great leaders are those who by their passion for their virtuous and for the better good of others teach those things that are necessary for the here and now, and for the world to come. Teaching changes people and sharpens the one who does the teaching.

I highly recommend this book to be part of your library since teaching is a gift which positively impacts those who embrace it and the book so implies it. This book is very informative concerning the types of churches which take a different aim at the teaching ministry. Embrace the teaching ministry and become a great leader by being a great teacher...like Jesus.

I have seen Dr. Sutherlin speak in Europe in different conferences over the past four years. This exceptional work reflects a true dedication to undertanding sustainable development and environmental policy making in Poland and the Czech Republic. There is no work in print that captures the research and analysis of Sutherlin. This work should be required reading for all interested in Central European environmental issues.

As a member of the environmental movement in Central Europe, I was most pleased to find someone from the West that really understands what has happened in Poland and the Czech Republic since 1989. There is no comparison to what Sutherlin has accomplished in this directly written book. I hope that he follows this work with similar efforts. This book is useful for those in classes, in environmental organizations or those wanting to understand policy making in Central Europe.

Despite the work focusing on Poland and Czech, this work is useful regardless of geography. Its premise is simple: States that are both democratic AND have market economies can still have sound environmental policy if they accept the principle of sustainable development. That is a lesson for all of Europe and this hemisphere. The data assembled in this work is fascinating and the interpretation of the very technical by the author (whose background is probably the social sciences) is nothing short of remarkable. He has blended the hard sciences and the social sciences together in a way that marks the best effort to have true environmental analysis.

This work takes the perspective that 'sustainable development' is the desireable way that the transitional nations of Central Europe should travel. Then, using information he obtained in Poland and the Czech Republic along with data from various state agencies and the United Nations, Sutherlin analyzes how well each nation's environmental policy has or hasn't worked. Additionally, he uses Western Europe and the U.S. as examples of other manners for making policy. The result is somewhat surprising: both Poland and the Czech Republic are doing well in different areas due to various factors. This is a well-developed, easy to follow (despite the complexity of the subject) work that will be interesting and useful to anyone interested in the environment, in general, or Central Europe, specifically.

Vladimir Silva's GRID COMPUTING FOR DEVELOPERS tells of a promising new technology, exploring the evolution of Grid computing from early distributed computing ideas to its modern environment. From de facto standards for Grid computing to development guides for Grid services, commodity Grid kits for Java and Perl, and source code samples, A DEVELOPER'S GUIDE TO GRID COMPUTING is perfet for computer scientists who want a head start on the next generation of IT Grid computing.

Grid computing promises to be the next big wave in high performance computing. While the power of today's PC's has gotten relatively huge, easily passing the supercomputers of not so long ago, there are still certain applications in weather, nuclear physics, bioinformatics and other areas where far more computing power is needed.

The first step was to take a bunch of PC's and cluster them together to make a more powerful system. When these large massively parallel systems were built, it then became clear that taking several of these from around the country or even the world could produce 'systems' of considerably more power.

The answer was 'The Grid.' Funded by the US Government, work began several years ago to produce the basic tools needed to make Grid computing work. This book clearly explains, in a practical sense, what Grid computing has become today. It gives some background and description of grid computing. Then it goes into the software that has been written that enables the practical use of such systems.

The book is comprehensive enough that it could be used by students or administrators that are working with or even just considering using a grid architecture.

This book covers a lot of stuff! From installation transcripts for GT 2,3,4, scheduler installation, customization to Grid portal development. The book has little theory but I found some interesting numbers on the potential growth of the grid computing market over the next few years. It has a lot of source code and plenty of images to support it thus it is targeted to software engineers and developers involved on grid computing.

There is some complex math (related to large integer factorization) which is hard to understand for the novice but overall I give it five stars. All major protocols used by the globus toolkit are explained: resource allocation, data management, and security.

P.S: There is also a few chapters dedicated to the Message Passing Interface (MPI) with examples and some integration tips with the Globus Resource Allocation Manager (GRAM) which I found unique.

This book is preety darn good. I covers a broad range of grid topics such as: grid middleware, resource managers, schedulers, parallel computing with MPI, etc.
I specially liked the chapter on grid enabled portal development. It has helped me a lot at work. There is also a comprehensive guide to the Globus toolkit (GT3, GT4, WSRF) that is full of samples, transcripts and troubleshooting tips.

Overall, I think this book is a great tool for the grid engineer and developer.

Cheers.

Excellent book to use with your class when reading the novel Hatchet. Contains extension activities, vocabulary lists, and quizes.

The story was about a boy named Brian, who was trying to survive in the wilderness. One summer, Brian flew to Canada to visit his father. The pilot had a heart attack and died. Brian had to fly the plane. He flew into water and was hurt very badly. The only things he had were the clothes he had on, money, and a hatchet. Now he has to try to survive with the things he has. I liked the book because it was exciting and it had a lot of aciton. My favorite part was when Brian went into the plane to get the first aid kit. I think you should read it because it is about a boy who is trying to survive alone in the wilderness.

Brian is going to be with his dad in Alaska when the pilot of the two person plain has a heart attack brian crash lands the plain in a lake . Brian is forced to survive in the Alaska wilderness with only the hatchit his mom gave him before he left.

After the pilot of the plane has a heart attack, thirteen-year-old Brian is forced into a crashed landing. Alone now, Brian must brave the Canadian wilderness armed with only a hatchet and his survival skills. He struggles with the elements and the knowledge of his mother's secret affair while waiting to be saved. The author, Gary Paulsen goes into great detail when describing Brian's environmnet, yet he never forgets to share his emotions with the reader. This is a great book for middle grade students to enjoy.

I found a lot of good and fun ideas in this book.

Will make a great guide to a unit study on the Holocaust using the book Number the Stars. Gives wonderful ideas for book reports, vocabulary, and extra-curriulium projects!

I believe that Number the Star's is an excellent book, and I hope that Louis Lowry succeeds in other great books.

I really enjoyed this book. I am not a big reader, but when I picked up this book it was REALLY hard to put down! I think it's a grrrreat book!

Reading "Guiding Growth" has been a joy - finally a practical book about vision. Like Lipton, I was suspicious about the whole vision industry, but his book has helped to look at the concept in a different light.
The distinction between the 3 principles - raison d'etre, strategy and values is most insightful (especially since raison d'etre and strategy are often mixed up).
Despite all good intentions, the reality is that the vision process often ends with the communication of a vision statement. Lipton shows how the real impact can go far beyond just an energising event: it is pivotal in guiding and sustaining growth.

In my own experience vision is often treated with more suspicion in Europe than in the US. Lipton's book, however, is as valuable for those who are in charge of building or changing an organisation in the US as in Europe (or any other part of the world) - Guiding Growth goes beyond the hype. It asks some tough questions and invites you to think about how you can unlock the wholehearted commitment of your workforce by providing meaning to the existence of the organization. A must.

I was the founder and CEO of a small software company ..., and was approached by a much larger technology company ... . After making an acquisition offer I could not refuse, I sold my business to them and agreed to run it for four years.

If only we had read this book about using vision to guide growth during our transition. Ultimately, the acquisition failed within two years for the buyer. This book offers three components of a well-developed organizational vision: raison d'etre, strategy and values. The buying company never took the time to go beyond a "bumper sticker" for a vision statement. Although it did seem on track with my company's reason for being, there was never an agreement on the strategy. The tension and disagreement (not to mention the time taken) related to these differences effectively crippled my previously highly motivated and productive staff. The key values of the two companies could not have been more different. The centerpiece of our values before acquisition involved doing whatever it took to make our customers happy-most of which had on-going consulting contracts with us. The executive from the buying company literally told my staff that this philosophy was both unnecessary and an expensive luxury.

This book struck a real chord with me because it made it so clear where the gaps were. It obviously would have taken more than a book to convince the buying company to think more carefully through their plan, but having it all documented could've made the upcoming potholes in the road more obvious. And if we had actually implemented an agreed vision, I am sure the business could have continued on its previous success.

The first half of the book lays out how vision is important and why it is not just another buzzword, but how it is a crucial element to grow a company. The second half gives more guidelines on the details of implementation. It took some patience to pull all the ideas together in Part I-it is much more conceptual than Part II-- but stick with it-its worth it. The anecdotes are great and the corresponding checklists and appendices give it a lot of substance. The second half is an easier read and filled with practical management advice-some related directly to vision and some just good solid management practice guidelines.

As a seller of my business, I was very successful. I would have preferred to make the buyer even more successful and watch my company flourish with their greater resources. This book came four years too late for me. I will certainly recommend it to current clients in my consulting practice and keep it handy for my next venture.

Yippee! No academic psycho-babble, overly complex diagrams, or overly simplistic management fables in this one. "Guiding Growth" is smart, witty, and engaging - a must-read for business leaders concerned about sustainable competitive advantage.

Lipton begins by admitting something few other professor/consultant/authors would ever dare: he was wrong. Convinced that the link between vision and growth was over-rated, that vision statements were just a passing fad, Lipton was surprised when his research proved exactly the opposite. Now, readers can reap the benefits of Lipton's change of heart. In "Guiding Growth," he leads us through the journey of understanding how valuable a clear vision can be when articulated and acted upon in a powerful way.

Mark Lipton's writing voice is passionate and profoundly personal. While this book is well-grounded in research and experience, it is Lipton's use of stories and metaphors that will have a long-lasting effect on you. Yes, he makes you think; more important, he makes you feel something in your heart and in your gut. It is this quality that sets this book apart from other business books.

Be forewarned: the feelings "Guiding Growth" provokes can be very uncomfortable at times. Throughout the early chapters, I stopped often to think and jot down notes about my own vision, my own raison d'etre, as Lipton raised "Why?" questions over and over again. By the end of Chapter 4, I was saying "Yes! Yes! Yes!" as the vision for my work became clearer. Reading Chapter 5 brought tears to my eyes as he described the strong connection between vision and deeply held values based on life experiences.

The second half of the book holds valuable advice for all business leaders: how to put that vision into action, overcome obstacles, and avoid pitfalls. Lipton's Vision Framework has been tried and tested - he proves his points with examples drawn from well-known companies.

Kudos to Mark Lipton for having the guts to publicly concede that he was wrong and for taking the time to share his lessons learned with us in this book. -- Cynthia C. Froggatt, author of "Work Naked: Eight Essential Principles for Peak Performance in the Virtual Workplace" (Jossey-Bass/Wiley, 2001), ...

Ah, corporate vision statements. Before reading Guiding Growth I did not put great faith in them. I, as the author, Mark Lipton, was not convinced of the power of corporate visions at the beginning of his research. Visioning to some extent has been a management fad that has come and gone. However Lipton's research finds that for companies who truly have a vision that helps their companies stretch and grow, and is deeply embedded in their organizations; the market returns are demonstrably better.

Vision, in Lipton's model is composed of three elements: raison d'être, strategy and values. In Guiding Growth Whole Foods Market is quoted as saying `our vision statement reflects the hope and intentions of many people. We do not believe it always accurately portrays the way things currently are at Whole Foods market so much as the way would like things to be. It is our dissatisfaction with the current reality, when compared with what is possible, that spurs us toward excellence and toward creating a better, company and world.' Strong stuff indeed. And in ManyWorlds' experience, for many companies the articulation of a vision is often based on their heritage, not to where they want to grow, and not what differentiates them.

Lipton also examines the role of executive groups (not teams) and the alignment of people processes with vision, to bring the vision alive, real and accountable. The book is as much about leadership and organizational culture as it is about growth and vision, which are of course the fruits and seeds of each other, within the organizational greenhouse. He writes, `Organizations rocketing through extended periods of growth. To succeed, they need a combination of all the right ingredients and they must be in near-perfect alignment. If one element is missing, or out of alignment, then the potential for failure rockets as well...all organization share the same need to have the right ingredients in place and to ensure they are aligned and that is what the executive group accomplishes through the vision framework.'

Peppered with examples from a range of companies and with deeper analysis of high-growth organizations such as Oakley, Lipton has done an excellent job of presenting both a visioning framework and insights into culture and leadership into a practical and usable work. Helpful lists of questions, checklists and exercises bring this already enthusiastic text to a more approachable and actionable level. Highly recommended for executives and managers from a variety of functional areas including business unit heads and `service lines' such as HR.

It's going for this publication, too, the evidence that relevance is not too often linked with the publishing year. One might subject a publication on this topic from the millenium turn rather to the criticism of being outdated than notorious or hidden classics of more distant past (roughly following the proverbial "news of yesterday"). By any means: No, it isn't. On an early stage and in a business where complexity has turned from machinery into extremely mobile abstract code, the authors touched a pivotal point of society which is the written and unwritten expectational concept individuals and corporations operate upon and western governments are amidst in the struggle about (far-easterners apparently are not that concerned, still not or never...), above the professional field addressed. Barley/Kunda deliver broad empirical basis and unlock the findings into considerations open for discussion between many "camps" instead of locking up the results in a ,err, castle of reasoning. A very fertile reading this was (in particular with the furtherly broadening potential together with "le travail en miettes" of georges friedmann, I incidentially ran across by the time, a recommendable experience), certainly a must as well for people involved in politics for that matter. It's an asset. (And, off the record, it's not quite a torture to read!)

David Gehle,
Freiburg, germany

As a contractor, owner of a contracting firm, and publisher this book has found one of the best spots in my library: open, and on the desk. I use it, refer to it, and think it is an excellent book.

If you're a contractor, you'll find yourself nodding your head and realizing that this is a smart piece of work.

I think recruiters should read this book as well.

Some years ago, during the height of the technology stock bubble, a book entitled "Free Agent Nation" made quite a splash by glorifying the phenomenon of independent contracting. Less famously and far less optimistically, a number of economists and anthropologists pointed to this trend as a grave sign of the decay of workers' position in American society. Stephen R. Barley and Gideon Kunda, the authors of this study, steer a careful, meticulously documented middle course. They examined the observable fact of independent contracting in the high technology industry from three viewpoints: the contractors, the headhunters and the client firms. They say that the contractor is a new, different kind of knowledge worker with a unique set of opportunities and constraints. The book is clearly written, based on apparently sound evidence and illustrated with carefully chosen anecdotes. We suggest that its primary appeal will be to academics and other students of labor market trends, but also recommend it to firms that hire contractors and to contractors themselves - both will benefit from the authors' analysis of their market.

Ah the sweet life of a contract programmer... the big bucks, the independence, the freedom from corporate politics! Barley and Kunda are brilliant anthropologists who take you inside the reality of the contractor's life. You hear their stories, learn their secrets, and smell their nervous sweat. The authors' style is captured nicely by the title of the book. They're irreverent and on-target. They allow you to spy with them--mixing voyeur appeal with hard science. Imagine an episode of "The Apprentice" starring characters pulled from Dilbert, and produced by Margaret Mead. I laughed out loud and took notes. If you work with contractors, if you live with a contractor, if you hire contractors, and for sure if you are a contractor, you must get this book.

David Maxfield
Director of Research
VitalSmarts

I have been seeing Guy Shilts off and on since 1989. He has had a profound effect on the way my life has turned out. Throughout the years he has also seen other family members and friends. I have and will continue to recommend anyone to see him because his is one of the best, if not the best therapist around. It seemed only natural to me that he would write a book that combines his own experiences with that of his patients. To be able to offer his caring, nonjudgemental and very down to earth help to those in need via a book is a fantastic idea. I had the honor of being asked to participate in the making of the book, as one of the three patients he asked to play an active role. It was a great experience and one that I will never forget.
The book reads easy enough, it's especially interesting when you are reading other patients experiences. It's possible for the reader to experience many AH HA moments, because it's written for the average person who does not have a degree in counseling. The quotes and other miscellaneous information on the sidebars can be a bit distracting, but they are also very insightful. The artist, Gary Gandy, is a local who did a tremendous job with his drawings.
All in all, I find it to be a great offering from a great therapist who really does know what he's talking about, and would recommend it to anyone who is searching for answers.

Not only was this book very inspirational to read, but also the personal touches that are through out the book, from the notes in the margins, to the illustrations are uplifting as well as humorous. This book makes you look at your life in a way that will make you smile, laugh and cry all at the same time.

I love this book because we are all, at some point in time, looking back at our lives and how it made us who we are today. This book takes you on a step-by-step journey to help you uncover life and relationships, past, present and future. Guy Shilts book is written in such a way that you can't help but wonder what your life would have been like if you didn't pick it up and read it.

Very INSIGHTFUL, POWERFUL and INSPIRATIONAL......... five stars just aren't enough!!! There's no other book like it, where the Author is so committed to helping everyone understand life a little bit easier! Thanks Guy!

I have read and re-read this book. I found it to be very, very theraputic and would recommend it to anyone that is searching within for a healthier being.

I was introduced to this book as an adjunct to my practicum experience while a graduate student in the counseling program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. What resonates for me is the wealth of experience and wisdom that is compiled into an amazing resource for laymen and professionals. I am impressed with the author's straightforward consideration of "facing your own truths," and his ability to successfully weave this concept into a psychotherapeutic framework. I believe this is a wonderful read for anyone, and a "must-have" book for students and clinical repertoires of experienced and 'newly-emerging' therapists.

I started this book in the midst of trying to finish a dreary chick-lit novel. The contrast was stunning! Gypsyworld just draws you right in and doesn't let you go until the end.

The gypsies, Josip and Marina, have purchased or stolen five teenagers to bring to Gypsyworld-- an alternate world that seems to coexist with earth. We don't know why, but we can't help liking jolly Josip and Marina. Eventually we realize that, like the series the 4400 running now on TV, the kids are going to be the ones to try to save the earth-- not because they're special, but precisely because they aren't. If they can be coaxed into caring about the environment, anybody can.

Anyway, it's a fun story of how the five kids bond and learn. I did find the gypsies themselves much more interesting and entertaining than the teens, and would have liked more of them, but this is a really fun and thought-provoking book, with a gentle heart.

This book is wonderful. Its about five teens that are kidnapped and taken to Gypsyworld. Once there, they discover teh wonders of a Utopian world. With help from the king and queen's son, they escape and live in the woods. While there, they discover the point of life while escaping the government officials. Do they escape? What do the discover? You'll have to read to find out, but I recommend this book as a book you can't put down.

I love all of Julian F. Thompson's books, but this is probably my favorite. Unfortunately, like many of his books it is currently out of print. If you are under 20 and can possibly get your hands on it, it 100% worth it. The unlikely premise is beat by the superb characterization and writing. One of my all time favorite books, there aren't enough good things to say about it.

Under normal circumstances I only write reviews for children's books on Amazon.com, leaving my teen reviews for such websites as Epinions.com. But "Gypsyworld" is so much fun that I hate to think that only teens would get something out of it. I know many a wise-cracking 8-year-old who'd like this book just as much as someone about to enter their first year at Yale. Author Julian Thompson creates a delightful mystery involving a peculiar land and the procurement of five curious teenagers. In solving the mystery, the book becomes an eloquent statement about the world and renewable resources. Altogether, it's a book with a lovely message that never gets preachy or self-righteous. A delightful read for a rainy day.

One day, parents everywhere opened their newspapers to an ad that read simply, "SELL YOUR KID TO THE GYPSIES". And so they did. Two gypsies, in fact. Josip and Marina purchase three kids of their very own, steal another 2 away, and then it's off in their clunky RV to take the kids to a place called Gysyworld. When the five teens become aware of their surroundings, Josip and Marina (democratically elected King and Queen of the gypsies, respectively) refuse to tell them which kids were bought and which were simply taken. So all the kids know is this: They've been taken from their homes to a beautiful place where the food is good, the air is clean, and the people get along reasonably well. None of the five are tied up in any way or told what to do with themselves. But it's up to them to solve the mystery of why they've come and what the deal is with Gypsyworld. I mean, where is this place? Why won't anyone in the town make eye contact or speak with any of the kids? And why do mysterious strangers enter the house at night, speaking wildly and angrily in foreign tongues? It all leads to desperate actions, a daring escape, and a final redemption that leaves everyone happy at the end.

Though it may not sound it from that summary, this is a book about caring for the environment and world around us. The more the reader learns about Gypsyworld, the more important it becomes to the kids and to the world itself. In some ways, author Julian Thompson is better as the mysterious parts of the story than the conservation sections. And the opening is wonderful. It consists of a careful retelling of exactly how Josip and Marina went about procuring themselves some children. Now, there is the matter of the whole "gypsy" term. As the characters make clear later on, Josip and Marina aren't gypsies in the capital G sense of the world. They share some, but not all, of the ancestry. I think it fair to say that no one reading this book is going to come away with it thinking that real Gypsies go about kidnapping children. Still, the premise of the story hinges on an old heavily out-of-date stereotype, and that's sometimes a little hard to let go of. It all comes down to just how offensive you personally find an author hijacking the term "gypsy". Personally, since Thompson makes it clear that these gypsies are not Gypsies, I didn't have any qualms. But some readers, I admit, might feel differently.

In any case, if you'd like a lovely pro-Earth, environmentalist, love nature-type book, this is a great bet. It's beautifully written, a lot of fun, and a swell mystery to boot. You also won't find anything quite like it anywhere else. A fine out-of-print story that I hope becomes rediscovered by publishers someday in the future.

At my church we are using this book for a group of 20 year olds. Our generation is provoked by images, and really it is images that we remember.

This book is potent, and not overspiritual. It is raw yet not foul. Bright yet not blinding. Sharp but not deadly. Powerful and peaceful.

Love it.

Dr. Tim Elmore does an amazing job pointing out crucial ideas and topics in a very easy-to-read format. Each lesson focuses on an image that illustrates some point of leadership.

What attracts me most to the Habitudes series is the fact that Elmore focuses mainly on integrity, which is something that the world definitely needs more of.

I recommend this book to anyone and ESPECIALLY if you are leading some sort of group (business group, church group, worship team, college bible study, youth group). It says a lot of things that people need to hear.

This is exactly the way to communicate with students! A memorable visual and a impactful story that illustrates a great principle! I've bought them all and suggest you do to!

This is a great resource for one on one mentoring or group settings. The images and the stories are very worthwhile.