Organizations Books

There are now more than 1 million nonprofit organizations in the United States. The fundraising industry provides one in every ten jobs and is one of the
fastest-growing segments of the economy. In Successful Fundraising, nationally recognized expert Joan Flanagan gives readers the information they need to capture a
fair share of available fundraising dollars. Community volunteers and professional fundraisers alike will find helpful tips and advice on time-proven fundraising
techniques and the most profitable new ways to successfully raise money.

Are you looking to raise $1,000-or $1,000,000-for a particular cause, group, or charity? Successful Fundraising by Joan Flanagan will arm you with the information you
need to capture your organization's fair share of available fundraising dollars.

Whether you are a community volunteer or a professional fundraiser, expert Joan Flanagan offers helpful tips and advice cm gaining access to funds, building
relationships with donors, raising more money in a shorter period of time, and developing a more productive fundraising organization.

Packed with real-litc examples from the author's extensive fundraising experience, this essential handbook is complete with planning guidelines, sample worksheets and
timetables, and all-new information on using the Internet, F-mail, websites, and on-line auctions as fundraising tools. It also includes expanded sections that cover
working with celebrities to raise funds and winning corporate dollars. All the tools you need to plan, create, and execute a successful fundraising effort are included in
this comprehensive guide.

Successful Fundraising is a great resource for non-profit agencies! It is very easy to read, straightforward, and actually a fun read too! Joan gives great examples and stories to illustrate her points.

I recently had the opportunity to attend one of Joan's courses - and she is just as wonderful and helpful in person. She presents the daunting tasks of fundraising in simple language, common sense and humor.

This book should be the "bible" of every non-profit fundraiser!

This book provides the reader with time tested ideas on how to raise dependable money from a variety of sources. I really liked this book a lot. I don't know that I can say I like it quite as much as Fundraising for Social Change (ISBN: 0787984558), Fundraising Basics (ISBN: 0763734462), or Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits (ISBN: 1413300944). But it comes close. This book is very well written and well organized.

In Chapter 1 at Figure 1.3 we are introduced to the Individual Donor Development (IDD) diagram that includes the following eight levels (level 1 at the bottom and level 8 at the top):

1. Individual prospects - potential donations
2. Clients - fees for service
3. Customers - product sales
4. Guests - special events
5. Annual donors and members - direct mail, email, the Internet, phone calls
6. Pledgers and frequent donors - credit card and payroll deductions
7. Major donors - person-to-person requests, clubs, memorials, and honorary gifts
8. Planned-gift donors - bequests, insurance, and life income plans

The author has written her book around the IDD diagram. As a result, this book flows very well. It has a wonderful introduction, a good start, and moves logically to the end. After reading this book you should have a good grasp of fundamental principles of fundraising. You should be able to design a sound written fundraising plan. And you should be confident to move forward by implementing the plan you have written. A wonderful book I have read that will coach you in your attempt to write a good fundraising plan is "The Fundraising Planner" (ISBN: 0787944351).

Are you wondering if your NPO is on the right track regarding its fundraising efforts? If so, take a look at pages 19 and 20 in this book where you will find the author's Fundraising Strategy Planning worksheet. After plugging and chugging info into this worksheet you will know how your organizaton is doing and how it can improve. Also, for an overview of the fundraising process in general examine page 21. It's also where the author explains her book and what it is about.

There is no mention of capital campaigns in this book. And prospect research and how to do it is not covered very well. But other books do a good job on these topics. See "Capital Campaigns" (ISBN: 0763730505) regarding CC's. And see "Fundraising Basics" referred to above, and "Building a Strong Foundation" (ISBN: 0871012499) regarding prospect research. I haven't read it, but there is a book devoted to prospect research. See "Prospect Research" (ISBN: 0763751030).

I noticed a few times in the book the following concept: The tried-and-true fundraising system that still works the best is to (1) give your own donation, (2) then ask people you know for money face-to-face, and (3) then send a personal Thank-You note. If you read this book you will get the information you need in order to raise money. It will provide you with the know-how to do it. First, build a broad base of small donors, and then build a longterm relationship with the best ones. It's really just that simple. 5 stars!

I'm not a professional fundraiser, but I plan to become involved in nonprofits, and this book was great! I know of some nonprofits that get all of their money from corporate donations and then complain about not having enough money. This isn't the way to do it, according to Ms. Flanagan. In order to be a successful fundraiser, you need to ask, ask, ask, and you need to provide many different ways for different people to give. Flanagan goes into many aspects of the game, including how to send follow up letters, when to ask, how often to ask, and different ways of making it easy to get big gifts. I especially liked the way she talks about the psychology of rich people and poor people, and how both tend to give in different ways. She tells us never to make decisions for givers--just ask, present them with the different options, and let them decide. Great advice.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get involved with charity. The marginal profit from the first day will probably cover the cost of this book many times over.

I felt this book was reasonably priced and offered a wide array of helpful fundraising advice -- especially for the small to mid-sized nonprofit. It covers a lot of the basics in a writing style that is pleasant to read.

I was raised in a family that believed that if we are not part of the solution then we are part of the problem. Yet figuring out how to participate in that solution can sometimes be challenging. Tactics of Hope provides us with these needed suggestions and guideposts as well as support in understanding our gift and then where and how we can bring that gift forward into the world, becoming part of the solution. Wilford Welch reassures us that we really do matter. That as we find our passion and bring it forward, we are in very good company. It is in this context that Welch speaks to the heart of evolving communities around the world. He features stories about others who brought their unique gifts forward in support of that evolution, on a local or global level. Welch's stories of individuals making a difference are uplifting and inspiring. Each story uniquely exemplifies a potential model for governments, corporations, non-profits or individuals in how to move into a dynamically changing world, all becoming parts of the solution. Highest recommendation for all generations as it brings forward the hope so beautifully captured in it's title.

"The Tactics of Hope is a practical avenue through which people can connect with people, institutions, and resources, as well as ideas. Wilford's book is a wonderful contribution to the field! It is clear that he knows in a deep way what social entrepreneurship is. "

-- Bill Drayton, Founder, Ashoka

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, writes of The Tactics of Hope:

"As I travel through my home country of South Africa and around the world, I am awed and humbled by the work that millions of individuals have undertaken to enable those less fortunate to build lives of dignity, security, and hope...the stories of some of these noble individuals and their initiatives are told in these pages...This book is inspiration and guide for those who want to be informed, want to take their first steps, and who truly want to realize the potential we all have to make a difference."

-Desmond Tutu
Cape Town, South Africa

Awesome book on social entrepreneurship with inspiring case studies and excellent perspectives for seasoned practitioners in the field of nonprofits/social change as well as those less experienced who are interested in making a difference in the world and looking for some guidance/advice/opportunities. I used selected parts of the book for a workshop I taught at Stanford University and highly recommend "Tactics of Hope".
Gordon Bloom

An inspiring book chock-full of stories about doing good in the world through entrepreneurship. Should be required reading for all incoming college freshmen!

Tactics of Hope is a great book for those thinking, "... but what can I do" about the global problems going on. I enjoyed reading the stories of many different people on many different levels -- ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the world. This book is inspirational and helpful for anyone interested in making a change on ANY level. I really liked it.

The premise for this book is clearly shown throughout church history and is worth the read.

John W Kennedy does more for a simple and practical explanation of 'true' church history than any other author I have read! He contrasts the 'institutional' church (beginning in Jerusalem) with the 'primitive' church (beginning in Antioch). He shows how hard it is to change, no matter how much the truth is embraced. We would rather interpret truth according to our traditions than according to its source. Jerusalem struggled with the traditions of the past as the church grew. Antioch had little tradition to pass down and so more readily embraced what was happening at the time. This book develops the progress of the church largely unnoticed (primitive) by other historians, and at the same time the author brings in what was happening in the traditional church. What the author does not cover in church history does not take away from his purpose in helping us see what went on in the church that very few (if any) cover elsewhere. This is not just a 'history' book, but also a very practical guide for any serious thinker today who wants to know their 'roots' and desire meaning in what is going on! It also helps in knowing what to look for when seeking to obey God according to His Word, especially as it relates to fellowship among Christians. If I could only have one 'church history' book on my shelf, this would be it!

This is great book for anyone today who still has a pilgrim heart. Many have gone before us who honestly sought out the truth of God in their generation and this book connects the dots. I highly recommend this book as one that will deserve a prominent place both on your library shelf and in your heart!

This book gives a god review, not of organizational Christian history so much, but rather moves of the spirit centering on the word of God. One of the best truths that this book presents is the fact that Christians today (often referred to as evangelicals) are not a new breed. Bible centered, outreach oriented, non-ecclesiastical fellowships have existed since the beginning.
The book seeks not just to convey knowledge, but to help us learn lessons from past successes and failures of the church in a way which we can apply to our lives today. In this, the book has some deep insights. He describes the processes by which moves of the spirit are institutionalized; the pit falls to look out for while combating heresy, an interesting comparison on the life of Peter Waldo with St. Francis and the proper place of creeds and doctrine within the church.
Kennedy takes us all the way up to but not into the 20th century and, as it is only 250 pages, it obviously cannot cover everything. However, I felt it left some significant 17th-19th century things out. Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, Charles Finney and late 19th century Holiness movements (to say nothing of the rise of Pentecostalism) gets no mention. The author seems especially to focus in on "brethren" type groups which had no ecclesiastical structure and hierarchy. In interpreting some events he gives away his opinions on some doctrinal issues such as the cessation of apostles and prophets, the need for a prolonged period before baptism and he seems to think there is no longer any special role for Israel in God's purposes, though I may be just be making assumptions on that point.
All in all, it's a good book. It gives good insights into our spiritual heritage which often are neglected.

Kennedy's succinct overview of the sweep of church history is enlightening to anyone, be they ignorant or knowledgeable of this subject. It is one of the best books I've read on this subject, and really stands out on it's own since the author comments profoundly at every stage of the developing events.

His comments make each page exciting, full of great meaning, and applicable to the present, rather than some books on history which are merely recitations of a boring string of facts. Kennedy brings out the fact of a repeating pattern of resistance against spiritual life, the fresh moves of God's Spirit throughout time----showing how man's attempts to corral this unstoppable force has caused misery, error, and great sin. The illustration of this reality is a great encouragement and source of strength to those persons at present who are being touched by the Living God with a new and vibrant experience---yet are being persecuted, ostracized and mocked by the established order wherever they may be.

Anyone who wants to have a knowledgeable overview of mankind's tendency to be spiritually arrogant or lazy at the expense of continuing maturity/Truth, needs to read this book. None other I have found approaches this topic with the same eloquence and deep insight.

Summary:

This book is mainly about how to switch on the employees and customers become inspired, passionate and alive, so that the organization could earn profits. Thus a question would be raised, how to create such a passion in an organization?

The answer would be regulating employees and customers by the leader in the organization. There are both the internal side and external side.

Internally, a leader should guide the values system, promote leadership in all levels, renew them regularly and care everyone in the organization. In an organization, a strong foundation should be built and a goal should be set. Also, it should simplify the structure of organization and make use of technology to measure and enhance the efficiency of process, so that the organization could run smoothly. The organization should also need to nurture their employees to build a winning team, the head and heart should be hired by the organization, thus the organization should provide resources for them to learn and compensate their contribution. Moreover, the organization should try to make everyone feel special, so that the workforce would able to work hard and loyal to the organization.

Externally, it¡¦s not easy for the organization to tackle with the customers as each customer has their unique emotion, needs and desired. Thus the organization should employ a new rules, present the choices for customer to choose, provide customerized service and develop personal relationship with them.

Comment:

I think this book is really great as it¡¦s easy to understand and I get many feelings after reading the book.

For the leader part, I agree that it¡¦s really a hard job to be a leader as the leader should be a person who is able to energize the team members, able to be divided the job equally according to their strength and wants. There is no ¡§perfect¡¨ person in the world, so a leader should contain both competent, able to deal with personal relationship that include dealing with the conflicts between the team members.

Also, a leader needs to energize the others. Just as Horst Schulze in Ritz-Carlton said, ¡§he said a leader is hardly to find someone to energize himself.¡¨ Thus a leader should energize by renew themselves.

In real life, I have tutorial with a 7 years-old girl and I¡¦m just like a leader whereas she is just like an employee. It¡¦s not easy to control her as she thinks that learning is a difficult and hard job for her. If she finishes two works today, she needs to work three in the other days. Thus, she would not like to finish the work and shows a very slow speed, lack of passionate attitude to me. It¡¦s really annoying to me as I do not know how to deal with her.

Thus, after watching this book, I learn something. I try to let her know that homework is her responsibility as a student. She plays happily in school with her friends and so she also needs to do her homework, happy and homework is together. No matter how difficult, she needs to finish all for everyday. Of course, it is not an easy to let her understand as she is just 7 years-old girl. So I use many examples to illustrate, e.g. I tell her what¡¦s the responsibility for me, her parents, etc. Also, her friends are able to do her homework without the others¡¦ help, so she is lucky that there is somebody helping or accompanying to do the homework. Moreover, I try to increase her interest to do the homework by giving her stickers. I design a table to make record. I hope that these all tools could help me to solve the problem.

One of the most important things in life or business is a sense of optimism and possibility. This book helped me renew mine in a big way. I recommend it highly.

One of the most important things in life or business is a sense of optimism and possibility. This book helped me renew mine in a big way. I recommend it highly.

This is one of the most inspirational, motivating, and empowering management books available. After reading just a few pages, you find yourself picking up other copies to give to coworkers, clients, and friends.

Dow and Cook have found the ingredients to successfully attract, excite, and retain employees focused on customer-centric goals. Having read their insights, I now know why companies such as Marriott and Schwab are so successful. An excellent, must-read.

A great book with stories that exemplify the main ideas contained in the book. Contains an "Insight to Action" after each chapter which helps you apply the concepts. If anyone is interested in finding ways to provide extaordinary service to customers, or become a better leader, read this book.

I like the book. It is very informative. I have started two businesses since reading it. No question it will help in deciding which type of business structure best fits your situation. The Author was very responsive to the fact that mine didn't come with the CDROM of forms it was supposed to. He has emailed me a link to the forms. I would have given the book a 5 but having to get the forms via email and internet along with the fact that there is no index for the forms in the online resource I coulnd't.

Great buy! Walked me through ins and outs of legalaties of forming different companies - pros and cons. Author includes relevant websites within the text and information seems very recent and applicable. Although a great resource, be sure to consult legal experts prior to making any big moves. Enjoy and good luck.

There may be a lot of scattered information available on the Internet, but Michael Spadaccini delivers all you need to form your business into a convenient all-in-one book.

I'm forming an LLC, and without the guidance in this book, it could cost a lot more money (and time I can't spare) for all the research and legalities involved. Use his experience, step-by-step guides and forms to get where you want to be. Well worth the purchase.

It has been great and I have used some of the info to set up my single-member PLLC in Texas for my Real Estate Broker License that I recently reactivated. I also recommended the book to a real estate mentoring/investment group I am involved with. I was struggling with some of the concepts on an LLC until I read this book, it puts it all into perspective. I have corresponded with the author via email, he is very responsive. You will get real "go-by" documents that you can modify on WORD and actully put to use! A definte must if you are taking those first bold steps into your own business venture and want to protect your asssssets!

I recently purchased a copy of Entrepreneur Magazine's "Ultimate Book on Forming: Corporations, LLC's, Sole Proprietorships, and Partnerships." I am currently taking a business planning course in law school. This book is not just helpful; it is an invaluable tool in helping students and practitioners organize and draft their business planning documents.

First, this book contains a number of business planning documents, ranging from general partnership agreements to board meeting minutes to corporate bylaws. More importantly, this book recognizes the growing trend across the country to provide clients with easily readable and understandable documents that are actually written in plain English and not the traditional "legalese" that has bogged legal documents for centuries. While I ultimately had to tailor my projects to the particular state and its law, I used several of these documents as a starting point for class projects this term. As a result, I never felt "in the dark" when organizing or drafting any of my projects because everything I needed to know was right there in the book.

Second, in addition to providing the legal forms, this book does an excellent job of explaining the different types of business organizations, how a person forms and operates these organizations, and the advantages and disadvantages of each. Many students in law school take a general business organizations course, but this book does an excellent job of explaining each to the layperson who may or may not be familiar with the types of entities and their nuances. But both the student and layperson can benefit from the "insider tips" that divulge secrets of the business law trade, which can only be learned through years of experience.

Finally, the last section of this book provides state reference tables that gives detailed summaries of the law for each of the fifty (50) states and the District of Columbia.

In conclusion, I have been scanning the book shelves of my local book stores for a comprehensive, but easy to read, book on drafting legal business planning documents that didn't break the bank, and now I finally found it with Mr. Spadaccini's book. Not since reading the DaVinci Code have I recommended a book so often to my friends and colleagues at school. While not as thrilling as the Code, it is definitely an invaluable resource for the student, the experienced practitioner, and the layperson looking for assistance when forming a business.

-- TBP

It was a great deal. Everyone involved did an outstanding job. I would be happy to do business with everyone involved again!

Fantasic , for any Military History Buff , and especially for any Vietnam Military History.

This book is a must for Vietnam war vetrans and war buffs.The author left nothing out and his presantation was great.He breaks it down on what was assigned to the different divisons and lower.Easy to read and follow.You can tell he did a lot of reserch to compile this book.

Shelby Stanton's book "Vietnam: Order of Battle" is a recent re-issue of a classic reference text that is essential for anyone who is researching America's long, troubled war in Southeast Asia. The book does not have a narrative, or an overview of the war, it is simply a well-researched and comrehensive breakdown of facts, the engagements that the United States and its allies fought, the organization and insignia of the units that serves in Vietnam, the fixed wing aircraft, the ubiquitous helicopters, small arms, heavy weapons, armor that were used, the deployments and casualties, military terms and finally, a very useful series of maps of the conflict. Shelby Stanton is an authority on the War in Vietnam and has authored many books on the subject and this large coffee-table volume is the product of an unusually dedicated and indefatigable researcher.

This is a cornerstone of the collection of anyone doing VN research.

Bob Walsh

If you are looking to lead a sales driven organization, company or team and are more effective in selling when you have a deep understanding of what you are doing and why it makes sense, you will not find a better, more grounded or more solid book than Don McNamara's "Visionary Sales Leadership."

- Mark Goulston
"Leading Edge"
FAST COMPANY magazine
and author, Get Out of Your Own Way at Work... and Help Others Do the Same : Conquering Self-Defeating Behavior on the Job

It is an easy to read insightful book that should remain in your bookshelf for years to come."

He hits the nail on the head! Corporate leaders need to read this book so they can understand and manage their sales operation. The myths he exposes are widely held beliefs that are totally false. Highly recommended.

Don McNamara in Visionary Sales Leadership exposes traditional sales myths. In their place he provides an objective approach to evaluating your sales strategy. This is a book about building a sales leadership team based on integrity, product knowledge, and skilled salesmanship.

Consideration is given to compensation based performance, top-down sales forecasting. The author asks hard questions, such as, what are the consequences of in-house promotions? What safeguards must be taken when hiring from the competition. Who sets the standards for the team leader? What are the by-products of proactive learning?

Two unique features of the book are "The Bottom Line" and the "Observations and Notes" pages. The bottom line sums up the material covered in the chapter in a succinct paragraph. This is followed with a page for the reader to record personal notes and action steps for follow up.

McNamara is a true professional. He has developed innovative insights drawn from personal observations and experience gained from a successful career in sales, sales management, training, and consulting.

I highly recommend this book for company presidents, top line management, CEO's, and all those who make up a part of the team making final decisions relating to the sales organization.

This is a book to be read, reread and studied. The material can then be incorporated in staff training for both the management and sales leadership team members.

Superb!

A colleague afforded me the honor of reviewing his new book prior to publication. Don McNamara and I have gotten to known each other over the past four years through several professional organizations - The Association of Professional Consultants, the Institute of Management Consultants, The Professional Speakers Association, and our own Mastermind Group. My own background includes extensive periods of time in sales leadership positions in some of the world's largest semiconductor companies. Based on my experiences in sales as well as other functions within these organizations, I can heartily endorse the work McNamara has done in this new book.

The subtitle for this book is "How Senior Executives Erase Status Quo Myths and Build Superior Sales Organizations." McNamara then goes on to present ten typical myths surrounding the sales functions in many (if not all) organizations. These myths, if you buy into them, will indeed manage to hold back your organization's growth and evolution. McNamara explains in a clear, straight-from-the-shoulder style exactly how each Myth manifests itself in an organization, what business processes aid and abet the Myth, and how to break out of the destructive pattern.

This book is not a "how to sell" book. Bookstore shelves are filled to overflowing with many such books. Instead, McNamara points to the critical issue of how the sales function is viewed by and integrated into a healthy company. Properly aligning the sales function (or Demand Generation as some companies refer to the sales function) is critical to our success in the new global economy, and this book will provide a good starting point for a comprehensive program of change initiation and management.
It is likely that your company, as a whole, does not suffer from ALL ten of these Myths; yet I am willing to wager that all ten are represented by individual leaders within your company. And some of these Myths are known to many sales leaders who have simply not figured out how to change the status quo. Reading and understanding the ten sales Myths and implementing remedial actions found in Visionary Sales Leadership will better position your company for the hyper-competitive ever changing global market of the new world.

Having being diagnosed with scleroderma 13 months ago, I found the narratives written by other scleroderma patients to be quite informative. I had never heard of scleroderma until diagnosis. Until a few weeks ago, everyone that I learned about that had had scleroderma in my area had died. There was no one to talk to that had a first hand experience with the disease. I've only recently learned about another individual that has scleroderma and we plan to meet for lunch in a few days. Maybe we can start our own little suppport group.

Keep in mind that I'm a tad prejudiced, being a co-editor of the book -- but in my opinion, it is absolutely fabulous, and the very best book that our nonprofit International Scleroderma Network (ISN) has published in this series!

This book series was written by over 100 site visitors to our sclero.org website along with leading world experts in scleroderma, as well.

For patient story content, it features over 100 stories, from people in 16 countries, and in 5 languages!

For medical content, it begins with an outstanding article on Systemic Scleroderma by Dr. Marco Matucci-Cerinic and Dr. Irene Miniati, both from Italy. Dr. Matucci is founder of EUSTAR, the European league of scleroderma centers, and VP of the SCTC (its American/European counterpart of experts), and he serves on our ISN Medical Advisory Board.

There is also a terrific article on Juvenile Sclerodema by Dr. Fernanda Falcini of Italy, complete with wonderful illustrations for children by Sherrill Knaggs. Sherrill is our ISN News Guide. Her inspiring story is in Volume 2, and her mother, Ione Bridgman, who is 89 years old, painted the book covers for this series.

We also drew in a world expert in scleroderma-like illnesses, Dr. Laszlo Czirjak of Hungary, for an overview of the many illnesses that are in the category called "scleroderma-like". Many of us have illnesses that are quite similar to systemic or localized scleroderma, but perhaps with a different underlying trigger or symptoms.

This book series is the best of both worlds -- both patient and medical aspects -- with quality information and top notch support, from people who really know what it is like to live with scleroderma, as well as stories from people who have lost their loved ones to scleroderma or related illnesses.

This book series is not biased, in the sense that the stories are not selected for representing either the best or the worst of scleroderma. Rather, the stories express the full range of possibilities from (comparatively) mild to severe to fatal. It's not just happy stories from people who are doing great in managing their illness, nor is it entirely filled with folks who are down in the dumps about it, either.

Each of the books in this series includes chapters on other autoimmune diseases as well, including those who are still undiagnosed.

Reading this book, or any of the books in this series, should make anyone with scleroderma or similar autoimmune or arthritis diseases (or chronic illnesses) feel like they are truly not alone. And, even if you feel educated and supported enough by being a member of our online website services or support groups -- just imagine the enlightenment a book like this can make for your friends, families, co-workers -- and doctors!

In a few weeks there will be a "Search Inside" feature activated on Amazon for this book.

Don't even hesitate -- Get this book and/or get the whole series! It's an outstanding labor of love and expertise from all your friends at the International Scleroderma Network (ISN) at www.sclero.org, which features over 1200 pages of scleroderma information, in 22 languages, and online support groups 24 hours a day.

You'll be very glad you did!

Love & Warm Hugs,

Shelley Ensz
President
International Scleroderma Network
www.sclero.org

As a scleroderma patient I needed to tell someone and found the International Scleroderma Network. A website that lets one tell their scleroderma/auto-immune stories. I became involved as a volunteer and with suggestions and collaboration with the President and founder of the ISN we started collecting stories. The results are three volumes of personal, heart warming, tragic, amazing personal stories from all over the world.
We gathered medical articles from the most renown scleroderma specialists around the world also. The results speak for themselves- Three terrific books.
Everyone has a story to tell. These are personal scleroderma stories with lots of helpful tips and medical information.
If you have scleroderma or know someone with scleroderma, this book, Voices of Scleroderma Vol 3 (and Vols 1 and 2) are worth the read and/or gift.
Help spread awareness of scleroderma. Buy This Book Today!

This is Dr. Seibold's introduction in Voices of Scleroderma Volume 2. Dr. Seibold is Chair of the ISN Medical Advisory Board. He is Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the University of Michigan Scleroderma Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

We welcome you to Voices of Scleroderma, a major contribution from the International Scleroderma Network (ISN). Scleroderma occurs in only around thirty people per million per year. Therefore, since it is so uncommon, patients have great difficulty finding access to expert care or even another similarly afflicted patient with whom they can share their experience.

Access to high quality reliable modern information is crucial to patient well-being and outcomes. The realization that "you ARE NOT alone" has therapeutic value in its own right.

I am Chair of the ISN Medical Advisory, a scleroderma researcher, and a member of the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium. The SCTC is an international charitable organization of academic centers dedicated to elevating the pace and quality of scleroderma research. The SCTC works closely with the ISN in the education of both patients and caregivers.

I have been interacting with the ISN on a variety of fronts, most notably in our shared goal of providing up to date and accurate information to the scleroderma community on a worldwide basis. Over the past six years, I have watched the amazing development of the site that Shelley Ensz created at www.sclero.org. I have seen it evolve from her personal site of one page to become the ISN site, now encompassing over one thousand pages in eighteen languages.

The ISN site has brought together both the medical and patient communities from throughout the world. According to the recent TrustGauge Report of Internet traffic, it is in the top one hundred thousand of all Web sites, far ahead of all other scleroderma-related sites.

In my view, the primary reason for this stellar success is the high quality of site content, as well as the multilingual, international reach, which is also an important driving force.

Remarkably, the ISN has a small team of committed, dedicated volunteers who have seized the amazing capabilities of the Internet to provide exceptional, worldwide service and assistance to patients with scleroderma.

More notably, from this enterprising site, the ISN has in turn developed into a thriving nonprofit organization. It is really a classic example of reversing the order of development. Rather than an established organization simply developing a Web site, a remarkably effective Web site developed into a full-service charitable organization.

The ISN expands upon its cyberspace outreach by publishing Voices of Scleroderma. Every volume in this book series features articles from esteemed scleroderma researchers as well as over one hundred patient and caregiver stories, from sixteen countries, and in five languages.

The ISN enjoys a well-deserved reputation for top-notch medical and support information and services from both the patient and medical organizations throughout the world. Today, over five dozen dedicated volunteers, including many doctors and translators, operate the ISN.

Our ISN Medical Advisory Board includes illustrious experts in this field, such as Dr. Luis Catoggio of Buenos Aires, Argentina; Dr. Marco Mattucci-Cerinic of Florence, Italy; Dr. C. Stephen Foster of Boston, Massachusetts; Dr. Janet Pope of London, Ontario; Dr. Frank van den Hoogen of The Netherlands; and Dr. Shinichi Sato of Kanazawa, Japan.

Dozens of other renowned leaders in their field also generously lend their expertise to the ISN, primarily as contributing authors, medical editors, scientific advisors, and translators. All of our ISN volunteers met and work only through the Internet. Their efforts have made quality medical and support information on this rare disease available worldwide.

I hope you find this book of value, and that you also consider offering support to the ISN. It is only with a partnership of patients and scientists in a concerted worldwide effort that we will solve the riddle of scleroderma.

My elderly mother and I, have recently received our copies of Voices of Scleroderma: Volume 2. Although my mother had seen the copy I purchased earlier, she didn't borrow it as she said she'd wait for her copy. Now she has it she can't leave it alone! She keeps reading it, and then thinking she'd better go and do her household chores! The latest news was that she'd lost her spectacles and couldn't find them to read some more!

We both appreciate our copies immensely, and see the tremendous amount of work which obviously went into the book! My mother wants to say that she, along with me, realizes the huge amounts of time and effort which were involved in such a book, and we are finding it very interesting.

I personally have scleroderma of the diffuse, systemic type, and although I have told my mother a great deal about scleroderma, it seems to be hitting home more now that she is reading the book. She agrees that she has almost certainly had a limited version of it most of her life, and that her father probably did too! He was never a really well man, and had dreadful Raynaud's Disease, stomach problems, lung problems, migraine headaches etc. Need I say more? I wonder if his father also had it? My mother has similar problems to those her father had, plus a few more. While I am not able to walk due to the scleroderma, have very disabled hands, and am on kidney dialysis, with other issues also, all caused by the scleroderma.

My story, along with many others is in this volume, and I heartily recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about scleroderma, be they patients, relatives, friends, caregivers, or just someone wanting to know what it is! It is a total life changing disease, and everyone who has it, or knows someone with it, hopes fervently a cure will soon be found!

In the arguments about taxation of Internet sales, I am firm in believing that they should be taxed. For some time, I have thought that the only protection that net companies needed was from themselves. Launched without a great deal of forethought, market research or even a viable plan, many of them are now crashing. Business on the Internet is no different that any other business, and since that is the foremost point of this book, it is indeed one that could have made a significant difference if it had been published and read two years ago.
The author, a Professor of Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon, was one of the first professors at a top-ranked school to teach the business uses of the Web. The approach in this book is all business, with Return On Investment (ROI), Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) equations being used to make the points. There is not one word of hype in this entire book. If there is one thing that has been so clearly lacking in the explosion of dot-com companies, it has been this lack of management by equation. Guerrilla marketing and fancy ads will get you noticed, but only a positive balance sheet will keep you alive long enough for it to matter.
The remainder of the book covers the modeling of a business constructed on the web using two that he has created, www.datingexpert.com and www.yesnomaybe.com. Both deal with online dating/meeting services and the models of need, perceived value and potential revenue points are "classic" studies in how to plan and execute a business model based on user-generated information. One of the most valuable pointers which shows how much the author truly manages the sites are the data points about how people find the site. For example, on page 177 there is the caption, "Only 1.3 percent of my Web sites' traffic is due to users guessing the site's address." I did find myself wishing that he had shared more information as to how this data was acquired.
While the business models used on the Web are different in degree from those offline, they are not different in kind. The basic rules of business still apply and as the author repeats so many times, it is what you do offline that matters. Lose sight of the business equations and the points where you add value and your company will be another dot.com Titanic.

Building effective business systems and web applications requires an understanding of not only technology, but also the organization and the processes in which it will be implemented.

Nick Flor, a Professor of Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon's Graduate School of Industrial Administration, argues that to create high-value business web sites requires business as well as technical knowledge. He draws a distinction between a mere web site, which he says, exchanges information and a business web site, which exchanges value - it generates significant revenues and/or drastically pares expenses.

He says three skills are required is proposed for systematically molding the Web to the specific requirements of the specific business.

1. General Business Knowledge.
2. An ability to analyze and diagnose business activities.
3. An ability to design Web treatments to address those activities.

To equip Web entrepreneurs and consultants with these requisite skills, Flor organizes his book into four sections:

1. Web Business 101 - This section covers the first business skill - the big picture. This general business primer includes a discussion of Return on Investment, Net Present Value, Payback, Internal Rate of Return, production, distribution and the effects of competition.
2. Web Business Engineering - Using the knowledge acquired in the first section, the book proposes a methodology that links technical knowledge with business specific knowledge.
3. Case Studies Putting Offline Activities Online
4. Case Studies Applying Web Business Engineering to Online Activities

Stick with the book until you reach the case studies. They add value to the first two sections.

This well-written book sheds important light on web development. By focusing on the author's definition of "value", managers and development teams will avoid aping successful online companies, building instead, systems that address what companies should be doing online based on their offline activities.

Until reading this book I thought I had a good understanding of what it took to design the underlying strategy and processes supporting commercial web sites. After reading this book I clearly saw how wrong I was.

The approach set forth in this incredible book is straightforward and focused solely on business imperatives. I suspect that the author and publisher realized that the title would attract IT professionals and consultants, which accounts for the inclusion of business 101. I almost skipped over this part and am glad I didn't. Even here what I thought I knew about business turned out to be superficial. The education you will receive in Business 101 goes well beyond the basics and I recommend that everyone read this regardless of whether you are an IT professional or have a business background. You might just discover that you've been misapplying common techniques such as NPV, IRR and ROI, or using the results in erroneous ways. In other words, the section titled "Business 101" is much, much more.

I loved the author's approach to value chain analysis, which is straightforward and based on a simple, but effective, notational language. Here, like in every other chapter, I learned techniques that will serve me well in general consulting assignments outside of web business engineering.

The web business engineering methodology itself is one of the leanest, most effective processes that I've ever encountered. I can only describe it as elegant. It's a blueprint for success when success is measured by how well a system is aligned to business strategy and goals. If you follow the method and resist the temptation to take shortcuts you will be rewarded with a system that meets all of your requirements and objectives whatever they may be - and you'll know exactly what the value of that system is to your organization.

A few observations about this book: (1) Give yourself plenty of time to read through this book and work through each example. It took me four times as long as it would for a book of approximate page count and topic complexity. If you're unwilling to make this commitment, perhaps you should pass this book up. (2) I fully agree with the author and a previous reviewer that web systems projects should be managed by business instead of IT. (3) If you're an IT professional get this book and read it from cover to cover - even if you never work on a web project you'll receive an incredible education in business factors and requirements analysis that will serve you well on *any* project. As a fellow IT professional I will assure you that this book will change your outlook.

This book is among the best I've read on any topic or subject and should be required reading for anyone who is assigned to a web project. It's also, in my opinion, one of the most important books published in the past few years.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone interested in creating websites with great business value. As a server-side applications developer, I've been mainly concerned with exploiting the web as a technological medium. This book opened my eyes to the web as an information medium, strategically used to improve a company's bottom line. It truly delivers on its claim -- [serving as] "a bridge from technical understanding to business savvy".

The book is extremely well-organized and has tons of practical knowledge and insight. Furthermore, all the principles are illustrated using easy to follow, real life examples. Excellent throughout -- highly recommended!

The author provides a business-oriented (and technology-free) approach to engineering an on-line presence that is effective and should set the standard for a methodology for how to go about such projects. This is embodied in a framework that is defined by four principles (1) work is a combination of physical and informational activities, (2) informational work is accomplished by propagating content, (3) valuable and innovative content can be found in existing manual methods, and (4) an on-line strategy should be based on off-line advantages. These principles are simple, yet powerful. They are also not as easy to adhere to as they seem, which becomes apparent when you begin mapping activities in subsequent chapters.

There are so many things I like about this book, so I'll stick with the highlights. First, the differences between the way IT/IS and business units approach projects are carefully examined. Understanding these differences will make or break a web project, and as an IT professional I fully agree with the author that IT is the wrong organizational unit to lead and manage web projects. Their role should be relegated to that of support.

Second, the author leads you through the basics of value chain analysis, business factors and financial analysis. This is an excellent refresher for business professionals and is essential reading for IT professionals, especially those who claim to be business analysts. I learned a great deal from the discussion on ROI, NPV and IRR. These are not new knowledge areas for me, but learning about the fallacies and pitfalls inherent in each approach that can trap you or lead you to bad decisions was priceless.

What I learned the most from was the Quick Primer on Diagnosing Problems and Opportunities. As in the rest of the book the author uses case studies to reinforce the concepts and principles. In this case you are led through a mailing cost analysis and some of the results are surprising. For example, after all of the cost drivers are mapped out on a spreadsheet you play with some variables and discover that commonsense properties of the model do not necessarily act in commonsense ways. Doubling productivity (assuming it is possible to coax such a thing from humans) only yielded a 2.5% reduction in costs. Using cheaper labor actually cost more in the particular model. As an aside, the model was not contrived to create these counter-intuitive results - it is a plain vanilla cost model that you would commonly encounter or build. In this chapter you are introduced to a step-by-step process that shows how to effectively perform a cost analysis and find the true drivers that can be changed to reduce or avoid costs.

A caveat about this book: it can be easily read, but is merely interesting unless you take the time to carefully step through each case. If, however, you take your time and work through the problems and trace the value chains--a tedious task--you will find that this book has many chapters that are profound. That's a strong word, but in my opinion an accurate one. I've applied the approach in this book on a real-life project and can attest that it works extraordinarily well - and that's the highest compliment one can pay to an author.

This book caused me great dissatisfaction with the way our church was going. It was the start of our continuing journey from a program based church to a cell church that is Christ centered and peoople oriented. Have you ever read one of those books that had timeless messages? Well like His book the Shepherds guidebool this is the grand daddy of them all.
If you don't want to be pushed from you comfort zone and believe God for greater things don't, please don't read this book. If you must buy one then amazon is the place to do it.

This is an exciting apologetic for cell churches as opposed to the PBC (program based church) approach. Neighbor powerfully argues against models of the church that leave members sitting and soaking, and in favor of real community and ministry for all Christians.

Neighbor is very taken with the Yonggi Cho model, which I am not committed to, but the main point of the book is the need to get back to every member ministry. Unless the church in America makes a conscious committment to restore this central New Testament imperative, we are doomed to ongoing anemia, and self-centered Christianity.
-Dennis McCallum, author Organic Disciplemaking: How to promote Christian leadership development through personal relationships, biblical discipleship, mentoring, and Christian community

Great book that gave me a lot of insight to what the cell group church is doing around the globe. It shared with me some of the differences between a traditional church and a church of cell groups. Having a church with small (cell) groups to being a church of small groups is totally different and Ralph Neighbor helped explain the differences between these two mindsets in his book Where Do We Go From Here? I have a clearer picture of where I need to go from here but God help me in this. It is a drastically different church than what I see around me but I do believe that the church will need to change to be more effective in the future.

Where Do We Go From Here has been an answer to prayer and a confirmation of the vision God has given to me for my ministry. Below are just some of the insights that I have received from this book. You really owe it to yourself to read this book.

I consider this book to be one of my greatest tools in my ministry. I am starting my own Church and this is the model I plan to use. Please email me and let me know if my review has inspired your to purchase the book. CliffEOTC@netscape.net

What are the benefits of a Cell Group Church over that of a Traditional Style Church?

1. Cell Group Churches are more efficient than traditional churches. In the traditional church, only 10% to 15% of the membership are engaged in the tasks required to make the Church function. After the teachers, administrators, musicians, etc., have been pulled out of the total membership, the rest are expected to be faithful members. If an automobile engine were rated at 15% efficiency, it would never see the light of day. The contrast between this misuse of Christians and the New Testament church, where 100% were involved, is scandalous. In the Cell Group Church, everyone is involved ministry, even the children.

2. Cell Group Churches are based on the Scriptural concept of community. The essence of community is a sense of belonging. There is a powerful Christian comaraderie established when people belong to each other in a cell group. This cannot be equaled in a church which assembles people in large groups. People look after one another, and they share the ministry of reachingthe unconverted as a community task.

3. Cell Group Churches focus on the importance of prayer for their ministries. Half nights of prayer are commonplace among cell groups. As much as one third to one half of the time spent in their gatherings is devoted to prayer. Because of this focus on prayer, it is common for many to find Spiritual, Emotional, and Physical healing as a result of a cell group who has a deep commitment to prayer.

4. Cell Group Churches are not limited by the size of a church building. It is obvious that most traditional churches are limited by the size of their buildings. For some, the original building is used for generations. For others, a spurt of growth requires a massive building fund drive and a small addition of space. The success of a church is often measured by how packed the auditorium is, rather than by the number of people who are brought to personal faith. When cell group churches do construct space, it is clearly created for the purpose of equipping, and not for attracting, members.

5. Cell Group Churches are focused on evangelism that includes the powerful witness of Christ working within His body, beyond the traditional presentation of the "plan of salvation." The "ungifted" and the "unbelievers" of 1 Corinthians 14:24-26 are once again, as in the early church, exposed to the amazing power of they body of Christ, where all are involved in the process of edification. Once again it has become commonplace for these seekers to fall on their faces and say, "Surely God is among you!" The form of evangelism that takes place in a Cell Group Church is as old as the book of Acts!

6. Another benefit of a Cell Group Church is that the gospel is offered by non-professional hands, the hands of friends or neighbors, not outsiders. With this being the case, suspicion of the Christian clergy is not present when people in the community are the bearers of the gospel. It is not uncommon for cell groups to see conversions on a weekly basis.

7. Because cell groups are battlefields where people are set free from strongholds, it is commonplace for a cell group meeting to focus on a Biblical teaching related to a life problem. While the Traditional Church will focus on these issues in a sermon, the cell group calls each member to be accountable. Many times a cell group leader will ask, "What is the state of your life concerning this issue?"

There are many more benefits of a Cell Group Church over that of a Traditional Style Church. Please understand that I am not saying that the Traditional Church is completely ineffective. It is just that E.O.T.C. believes that the Cell Group style of ministry is a better means of reaching out to the growing number of people who are lost and need to find eternal life in Jesus Christ.

It has never been, nor will it ever be our desire to take people from other churches to build the size of our Church. While we will never turn down someone who wants to join our church, our primary goal and focus is to reach out to the unchurched, unsaved population with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are not in competition with anyone other church wether it be a cell group based or traditional. There is a place for both styles of churches in our culture and it is our suggestion that each believer find a Church where they will be encouraged to grow in the faith and where they will be taught the Word of God and given a place to worship from the heart. For some that may be a different church than E.O.T.C., but the truth is that we are all ONE CHURCH!!!

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? With updated information on new cell church models, new information on equipping and harvest events and practical teaching on how to begin a transition to a Cell Church. This book will continue to stir hearts to dream about what the church can be! You will find hope for your church in the UK and North America as you read this book and discover new things that Dr. Neighbour has learned over the last 10 years. Share this vision with your pastor or friend . . . buy 2 copies!