Organizations Books

This book was recommended to me by our Lead Pastor for the ministry internship that I am doing with him. We are working through the book, chapter-by-chapter. I have been in church leadership for over 20 years and could have greatly benefited from this book if it were available back then. I'm thankful that it is available now for us. It's a must read for seminary students and professors and anyone currently in church leadership or aspiring to church leadership.

I have read this excellent book by Anderson, Personally I want to say that this book is excellent and extraordinary. Because of his insight and scholars background plus his background of practical ministry that make this book became awesome. Beautiful insight and the richess of his experience make this book easy to read and nice. I encourage to all Christian leader to read and apply this principle in this book, this is a book for the future leader in this generation and to the next generation. Thanks and God bless you.

This was a great book. I thought of many mistakes I've made in the ministry.

This book is a steal! Where [can] you get in one place such practical wisdom from a successful, significant, and sacrifical pastor like Leith Anderson. He successfully combines an understand of character and comptence, with a conviction that great leaders have both.

He successfully juggles the practice of pastoral ministry with the ability to write and speak about the broad spectrum of pastoral ministry. Leith is one of the top five communciators about pastoral ministry in North American today.

One quote sums up the book: "Leadership is figuring out what needs to be done and then doing it." [51]

When you read Leadership That Works you are not hearing primarily about the success story of Wooddale Church, you are hearing about the principles of leadership that actually will work for you in your place of ministry.

I can personally testify to the validity of Leith's ministry having heard him speak, engaged him in dialogue, visited with him in his own church for worship, and seen his authentic ministry at work.

I found this book fit well within my companies culture(Prosper) Many points from the book could and should be used to inspire employees, in every department and level, to take ownership of innovation.

Jeff has a seven-step process to help you "creativize" yourself, your teams and your organization. Many Case studies and assessments will help a company find a way to engage all of their people demonstrate ownership for innovation in all aspects of their responsibilities.

We use many of these ideas in our company currently, however it never hurts to reinforce the principles.

It was worth the money by 10 fold!

Devin Willis

This is a comprehensive guide to assessing the strengths and weakness of organizations, and how that analysis is critical to utilizing the strengths to create innovative products and business practices. I found the case studies, of GM, Pixar, and Time Inc.'s Real Simple magazine, to be particularly valuable. Jeff DeGraff and Shawn E. Quinn present a seven point plan that is scalable to any size organization, and that can be used in part or in whole.

The fact is that innovative leaders are lurking in every organization, doing their magic by flying under the radar and need to be elevated into prominence and acceptability. The world is littered with the ghosts of companies that were incapable of change. Innovation only pays in the future, and this book is chock full of charts, exercises and checkpoints to take your company there!

With its variety of insightful cases and stories, 'Leading Innovation'
delivers on its promise of helping readers understand the tensions
within organizations that hinder growth and change. A number of useful tools are included which can be readily applied to most organizations.

As a physician and administrative leader within a major health system, DeGraff and Quinn's words are on point with the demands we face regularly as we continue to grow as an innovative health care organization.

This book gives resourceful, stimulating, and yet practical and attainable possibities to an often problematic issue. The artful solutions proposed are set in a nice paradigm to illustrate the seven steps in a condensed version, the reader can see the quantum result prior to the detailed interpreation of the process. A delightful read for anyone looking to stretch their creative legs.

This book was surprisely quick and easy to read yet very thorough. Any church or small business would benefit from reading this book. It's model is similiar to great world class companies, but is unique with it's theological links. It also recognizes the problems that happen in any small company...even churches....! It recognizes too everyone's desire to work in a place and do things we are passionate about!...Worthwhile for the entire staff to read!

George Cladis has written a great book--the best I have found on team-building in the church. It is an easy read, very practical, filled with a lot of good ideas. I found his chapters on team covenants and on creating a visionary culture particularly helpful.

Cladis has learned a lot in his pastorates about teamwork--and teaches those principles well. He motivates me to want to build a strong team--not be a lone ranger in the pastorate. And he gives lots of ideas on how to do so.

What a breath of fresh air to see one with such an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit coming from a traditional mainline denomination. This book does more than just exhort you to form teams, it tells you how to create a culture of teams that will make your church more effective for the Kingdom of God. This one has definitely made my top-ten list!

In Leading the Team-Based Church, George Cladis weaved together principles from theology, ecclesiology, sociology, and business to create a rubric for applying a team-based model for doing ministry in the church. Cladis's thesis is that the historic hierarchical organizational model of top-down, leader-directed ministry is inconsistent with the nature of God, the New Testament pattern of church ministry, and the needs of a postmodern culture. The cornerstone of Cladis's paradigm is his premise that the persons of the Trinity exist in perichoresis, that is, as a team comprising perfect unity, fellowship, harmony, love, and purpose. The perichoretic Trinity thus becomes the exemplar for team-based ministry in the church. Part 1 explored the theological underpinnings of God as perichoresis and outlined nine characteristics of postmodern society. The seven chapters of part 2 examined the seven forms of leadership reflected in the attributes of God's perichoretic nature in juxtaposition with the characteristics of post-modernism and how these lend credence to team-based ministry in the church.

Review and Reaction
Cladis's interpretation of the Trinity as perichoresis forged the basis of his understanding of team-based ministry in the local church. While not appearing in the New Testament, perichoresis is a compound Greek word literally meaning "circle of dance" (4). To Cladis the Trinity is a perfect team. For him, the perichoretic image of the triune Godhead provides a helpful way of viewing the church and its organizational structure. Specifically, the church should work in perfect harmony, equality, and purpose, thus reflecting the image of God.
Cladis further asserted that the perichoretic model of the Godhead most accurately reflects the demands of a postmodern society for flatten hierarchical organizational structures that value individual giftedness, equality, and collaborative efforts. Cladis suggested that modernism promotes rugged individualism to the exclusion of community. Church structures that reflect a modernistic mindset are less inviting to postmodern people who value participation in decision making, inclusiveness in action, and personal fulfillment. Perichoretic team-based ministry, therefore, provides a more appealing model for postmodern people.
Cladis overreaches his thesis by insisting that team-based ministries are "the most theologically and culturally appropriate method for church leadership today" (17). His premise is specious at best and arrogant at worst. Such an assertion casts immediate aspersions upon centuries of church history. If one accepts Cladis at this point, then any form of church organization not based on teams is not just inefficient, but incongruent with the very nature of God.
One can make the point that scripture does not provide a definitive model for church organization. Allusions to church organizational patterns in scripture are more descriptive than prescriptive. Even the language of church leadership varies within the New Testament--pastor versus elder versus overseer. First century Christians initially adopted the Jewish synagogue model because it was the one most familiar to them, but later developed organizational models that more adequately met their evolving needs. The early church organized its ministry efforts around the needs of its constituency (such as the addition of an incipient deacon ministry in Acts 6:1-6). Their efforts were more pragmatic than theologically informed. They simply acted to meet the needs of the day.
Cladis makes a better point that a team-based ministry more effectively meets the needs of contemporary postmodern believers. The seven team attributes of covenanting, visioning, culture creating, collaborating, trusting, empowering, and learning, detailed in part 2, forms the book's core strengths. Cladis discussed each attribute biblically and then related each to his perichoretic model. Occasionally, he provided insights from the business world and fictionalized church settings to illustrate the efficacy of a particular attribute. Cladis's frequent references to his perichoresis model and to Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity were distracting and thoroughly unhelpful. One draws the impression that Cladis is attempting to baptize the business model of teams into the language of the church--an unnecessary effort to spiritualize the secular to make it more appealing to the sacred. If a team-based model for ministry works, and does not violate scripture, then employ the best of what the business world has to offer for the advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Application
Cladis's seven characteristics of team-based ministry can fit well into today's church. Many are intuitively self-evident. The church exists in covenant with God and with one another. This covenant identity does not cease in staff meetings or in church council meetings. What healthy church does not want to have a unifying vision from God that creates a sense of purpose and provides meaning to its efforts? By in large, churches want to develop a cultural ethos reflecting it uniqueness as the people of God. Maturing church members want to contribute their gifts and talents toward a collaborative, trusting, empowering, and spiritually fulfilling mission. Many of Cladis's seven characteristics have an ethereal quality to them. They are better identified by the effect they achieve than the effort needed to achieve them. Nonetheless, they represent biblical ideals church leaders should strive to achieve in their ministry settings.
This reviewer has sought to apply these characteristics to a new preschool ministry team. The team of four mothers of preschool-aged children organized themselves around the mission to create a safe, secure, and satisfying nursery and preschool experience for children from birth through age three. The members have complementary skills and are highly motivated. The initial organizational meeting was unfocused because the members did not know how to work as a team. This pastor introduced the members to Cladis's seven characterizes for healthy teams. Some of the characteristics will take time to formulate, however the team was excited about the characteristics of vision, collaboration, empowerment, trust, and learning. The members embraced their vision of creating a top-notch preschool environment. They made a mutual commitment to work together to fulfill this vision. Only time will tell how well this new team can develop Cladis's characteristics.

Conclusion
Leading the Team-Based Church does what it needs to do. It provides a beneficial contemporary model for ministry leadership in a postmodern world. The old-style hierarchical pyramidal leadership model served the church well for more than one hundred years because it was how people were used to the world operating. It was sociologically consistent, fitting the prevailing worldview. The Medieval monarchical bishopric model worked a thousand years ago for the same reason--it reflected how people related to one another in a feudal society. Through the Renaissance, Reformation, and the Industrial Revolution, the way people viewed leadership changed. Each time this happened the church accommodated these sociological shifts and found the necessary theological support. Cladis does no differently. Sociological shifts notwithstanding, Cladis's seven attributes of team-based leadership are worthy characteristics for any church.

De Pree presents a philosophy that while in many ways is timeless, is never a cliche. His emphasis upon people, their potential, and the elements present in strong, enduring organizations, will appeal to leaders working in any industry. De Pree offers the reader refreshing thoughts about the importance of service to others in an era of forgotten virtues. It is one of the most elegant and inspiring books I have come across lately.

This book is among the best books on leadership ever written. I keep a copy next to my computer at the office and I also have one next to my laptop in the study -- the book is a reference guide for me almost daily. Although written with non-profits in mind, the book speaks to universal truths and eternal concepts -- things that bring fulfillment and meaning to any kind of work. I believe chapter two (What's a Movement?) is the best business book chapter of content I've ever read. It speaks to the importance of higher purpose thinking. Buy it. You'll be glad you did. Buy a bunch and hand them out. They'll be glad you did.

After having read "Leadership is an Art", and "Leadership Jazz", I didn't have an idea that this book would have such a significant impact on my thoughts. Working for a non-profit, this book is such a wonderful guide about what it takes to lead an organization that is more concerned about people and less about profit. This doesn't mean that profit is not important, but what the author does say is that there is a considerable amount of heart and soul that goes into the non-profit sector. I especially recommend the section entitled "What shall we measure." DePree looks at key indicators from a perspective that should be imitated by any company that really wants to captivate its customers and employees. The explanation about the difference between a "movement" and "organization" is also spectacular. A great guide for the future.

Max De Pree continues to bless us with his insightful books on leadership. In this book he helps us to realize that leading without power works best when it is a movement that is being led, and when leaders focus not on success, but on building a legacy. When we are trying to build a legacy we become competent in establishing and maintaining relationships. A true legacy establishes and sustains an enduring direction.

Leading without power includes a vision that is based on morale purpose and active virtue. Nonprofit organizations without the clear insight they received through empowering vision, fail to realize their potential.

When leading people without power, helping them see their spiritual calling in life is mandatory. Many people are not clear about this essential resource.

I enjoyed this book because I am a highly task-oriented person who prefers to begin my thinking from a left-brain prspective. This book challenged me to think about relationships, and to think from a right-brained perspective. Whether your preferences are tasks or relationships, left brain or right brain, you will find great hope in serving community as you allow the message of this book to transform your leadership style.

Some of the highlights of the book I enjoyed:

-- "Followership means we rely on each other, set aside personal agendas, and collaborate for the good of the organization." Before we can be good leaders, we have to be good followers first.

-- Leadership moments do not require much time.

-- Nkosi Johnson's challenge (very effective).

-- Leadership legacy. Important part of this book as we often times don't realize the impact we have on an organization when we leave.

A random walk through the aisles of any major bookstore will reveal literally hundreds of both old and new books on Leadership. "A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership" is a well considered presentation and certainly among the better books on the subject to have recently come out. When combined with "Stewardship - Choosing Service Over Self-Interest" by Peter Block the reader is provided an rock solid foundation to avoid the current fetish of self-honoring that is at the core of the Cult of Legacy, a cult whose members mask grotesque meglomania and passive-aggressive hostility under the guise of meaningful sound leadership principles, practices, and performance.

If the climate of your organization is such that your upper and mid-level leaders and employees wouldn't follow you through the gates of Hell (for all those good and honorable reasons to exhibit this degree of loyalty and determination), then your legacy as a leader may indeed require self-promotion and a blurring of the lines accuracy wise.

Fine book - good touchstone when melded to Peter Block's most excellent work as noted. A sound compass bearing for the credible leader at any level or in any environment.

Greg Walker, co-author
"The Verbal Judo Way of Leadership - Empowering the Thin Blue Line from the Inside Up!" - LooseLeaf Law Publishing

I read this book last year and knew I was going to blend this into my teaching this year. I teach for Concordia University in their MBA program and Les Wallace and Jim Trinka have given us a gift. I used this text in a Seminar in January on "The Power of Personal Leadership" and the students were as one at the end of the seminar in saying this book was a text they would keep for life. It is now being used in the next core course of "Ethical Leadership and Organizational Behavior".

This book blends in many of the best writers on the topic of leadership and then takes the topic to one higher level. I remain amazed these authors were able to pack so much pertinent information into this text. It is a must read for anyone interested in leading any organization in the 21st Century.

Having served 32 years in the law-enforcement profession both as a Police Chief and an elected Sheriff for two terms, I can assure you this is a book that should be at the top of the list for all law-enforecment agency heads and those who aspire to serve in that capacity.

Good job Les and Jim. When is the next one?

Les Stiles
Legacy Leadership,LLC
Bend, OR

This is a great book. A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership synthesizes much of the most compelling research on how leaders learn to lead and provides many useful insights about the importance of leaving a leadership legacy. Jim Trinka and Les Wallace argue that leaders need to make a conscious decision to lead, learn constantly, model effective leadership for the next generation, and focus on developing others. They also advocate developing leaders at all levels across the organization (rather than focusing on a "favored few") and using varied and challenging assignments as a key leadership development tool.

Trinka and Wallace also suggest 10 high-impact leadership legacies to help readers decide on their personal legacy focus. These include Integrity, Adaptability, Developing Leaders at All Levels, Leveraging Diversity, Commitment to Learning, Thinking Differently, Innovation, Transparency, Balance, and Giving Back.

In training courses, I see many managers nod their heads and say "Yes, yes, I understand this leadership stuff is important." What they often lack, however, is a clear commitment to doing the hard work of becoming a more effective leader. Trinka and Wallace actually included a whole chapter on "Choosing to Lead," and make the point that: "Not one single leadership principle requires permission from anyone other than you. No excuses, you're not a victim. What are you waiting for?"

In this book we encounter the biographies and personal photos of numerous nuns or ex-nuns who have "come out" as lesbians. they talk about how they came into convent life, how they discovered their sexuality, and how that altered their religious life. Very fascinating study.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

This is weird, but good..They weren't all a short time in convents like other reviewer says..They look hippie now some of 'em...(.Healthy photos.. ) Look better..(and Happier!...) than when they were nuns... I like the revealing of Catholic nuns..initiation rituals (gotcha!) and nun life.. This was one of the first big books in the gay movement I read somewhere. Don't much care for theiR LesbO descriPtions, but description of Church (..and I'm glad their hippies..) rites is cool. Interesting like married women (like a suspense novel..) who love women. Pimpl women with good stories.

I have seen this book on countless discount tables. I finally bought it and read it. This is not a tell all for lesbian nuns who reveal their sexual escapades while cloistered in a convent. This is a collection of stories told by ex nuns about their short stay in convents all across America. It is their story. Their life. Each of these women left for various reasons and all are now fullfilled in their life on the outside as out lesbians. There is nothing cheekie about this book. It is well written and well told. I am glad I finally picked it up and actually read it.

I felt compelled to write a review, especially after reading the review by [...]. I was shocked and horrified that she wrote the these women entered religious life for romantic reasons. If you read this book, you will realize the love and commitment these women carried in their hearts for God as they entered their vocations. I think it is sad that just because [...] didn't experience her religious experience like they did, she can't believe their stories. There are too many stories in this book to just write these women off. If anything I think it is a sad but accurate portrayal of how often institionalized religion hurts and controls the people it is called to love. I never aspired to be a nun, but I have experienced both goodness and harm done in the name of religion. This is a must read for critics of the Church who have issue with the religious right as well as the Catholic church. This is also a must read for women everywhere in regards to the effects of patriarchy in society.

Although this is somewhat irrelevant to the book itself, I'm amazed that David Brower was able to write such an articulate, evocative ecological eye-opener at the age of 82...which is not to say I applied a lower set of standards to the judging of "Let the Mountains Talk, Let the Rivers run". Such a bias wouldn't be necessary for the book to be praised and revered by all environmentally-conscious readers who happen upon it; in this, the era of unfettered desecration and destruction of the Earth, the former president of the Sierra Club provides a much needed argument on behalf of all those who enjoy nature and, also, all those who merely want their descendants to be able to breathe . In the gentlemanly prose he maintains throughout the book, Brower explains the necessity of wildlife preservation, what the restoration of the planet would entail, and the political factors involved in the environmentalist movement; he recounts pass successes of the Sierra Club and other environmental groups, encounters with prominent individuals such as FDR and John Muir, and, when he was a boy, describing the beauty of the pristine bay area locale he grew up in to his blind mother. Aside from issuing an eloquent "call to arms to those who would save the Earth", Brower also seems to attempt to convert those who have not yet recognized how nature can enrich their lives tenfold; from dramatic descriptions of his mountaineering exploits to waxing poetic about

the simple enjoyment one derives from observing creatures in the wild, he tries valiantly to convey the euphoria one attains from cherishing and truly experiencing the wonders of the Earth to the unenlightened. All in all, a fantastic book that ranks as one of my all-time non-fiction favorites, and required reading for all the indolent armchair environmentalists like myself who desperately need a motivational boost to start working at saving the planet.

I'm about 180 pages through the book and have been marking it up extensively for future reference. Brower does an excellent job of summarizing a lot of current and older but useful thinking on environmentalism. Each time I go back to my reading, I keep wanting to refer to earlier passages, so I look for an index. In fact that's why I'm writing this brief review. I hope that the publisher sees it and actually produces one for a future edition or printing. It would be very helpful, since I'm sure I'll want to come back to the book.

Over the last several months, I've hit upon the topic of saving the earth from another author, Daniel Quinn, the author of Ishmael. The goal is the same, but Quinn offers an alternative way of thinking that I find quite interesting. I'd like to ask both Brower and Quinn what they think of one anothers approaches, but, of course, that is now impossible in the case of Brower. If anyone knows whether they have ever met or read about one another, I'd be interested in knowing their reactions to the other's work. Since Quinn's approach is not an environmentalist's approach, I doubt that they have knowledge of one another. However, Quinn is pretty savy on all aspects of saving the earth.

I don't know if I specified it was OK to show my e-mail address, but here it is if someone wants to respond: mtn_view@sirius.com.

This novel was great. It was innovative and original. Unlike a lot of environmental books, this one wasn't dull or scientific. Instead, it reached out at you with it's practicality and simplicity. Brower uses real life examples to make his ideas tangible to the reader. This book was well written and is a modern Must Read. Get Inspired!... Read this book.

The Late David Brower takes us through the journey that was his life. With explicit detail, david brower shows us the world in his eyes. His deep passion to inspire everyone with CPR ( conservation preservation restoration) and respect for the environment in which we live in is truly written with heartfelt words, and continues to move me. Founder of Friends of the Earth and Earth Island Insitute, Browers Legacy will indeed never be forgotten. Being so involved in some of the most important national monuments to be made such as dinosaur national park, his spirit and love will forever shine through in his life work to both serve and protect mother nature in all of her natural glory. Told by Brower he takes you on the path of his life, both past and to the present, giving such details of an exciting and meaningful life, such as his times with the wonderfully talented photographer the late ansel adams, work with JFK, and much more! From start to finish this book is indeed a classic, and a wonderful tribute to the late archdruid himself.

If you are a business executive interested in serving on a board, read Korngold for guidance. If you are a business leader serving on a board and seeking to rise to a leadership role, read Korngold. If you head a corporation and want your company to have a SERIOUS and visible impact in strengthening the nonprofit sector, read Korngold. If you are nonprofit executive and you want to access valuable business expertise and resources, read Korngold. There is no better national expert on this subject matter! She is THE ONE!

This book will be particularly helpful to business leaders who want to get involved with service to society and with philanthropy. Nonprofit executives and board members will also find Korngold's guidance highly useful in accessing business resources and strengthening organizations. Anyone and everyone who is interested in making the community better should read this book!

Navigating the boardroom experience is tough, and every board experience is unique. It is especially challenging to be responsible to chair and lead a board,and it is equally important to be an active and participatory board member. Korngold provides wise counsel based on her vast experience. I encourage board members and nonprofit executives to read " "Leveraging Good Will" in order to lean how to add value and help make boards and organizations better and stronger in serving our communities.

As someone who is engaged in service in New York City, I encourage business people to read this book to learn how to make a meaningful contribution in strengthening our community. Korngold's "Leveraging Good Will" is an outstanding guide, with practical, innovative, and real-world approaches to helping nonprofits to gain financial and organizational might to address serious needs for health and human services as well as education and the arts. A must read!!

The book is still the most comprehensive resource on Managed Care. Covers all its elements and increased my understanding of why managed care worked in the past to its extent and the challenges it faces. Helpful for professionals and policy makers in this field.

This book, in its latest edition, continues to be the most complete resource for all who work in or who are associated with the managed health care industry. It can be used by the novice as an introduction to the vary complex nature of managed health care, or it can be used by the more experienced managed health care warrior as a reference book when one needs a refresher on a particular aspect of managed health care operations.

I am a consultant working with health plans, providers, employers and regulators, and The Managed Health Care Handbook never fails to provide me with the information I need to be successful.

This book is a definite must-have for the new and experienced Managed Care Professional. I found the chapters on compensation and reimbursement to most helpful. The author has successfully captured every element of managed care including, but not limited to, employer groups, networks, reimbursement, and quality.

Thoughtfully edited and written by the nation's leading managed care experts, the Managed Health Care Handbook is an excellent, highly practical reference on every key aspect of American managed health care. Highly recommended to practitioners, consultants, and students wishing a thorough, up-to-date, and objective understanding of managed care strategy and operations.

Editor Laura Empson has collected papers that present the latest research on the evolution of the modern law practice. Although the writers here are academics, their papers are not overly technical. In straightforward language, they discuss the various challenges new international, corporate structures present to legal traditions, from public service to the "partnership ethos" to billing. getAbstract recommends this book to strategically minded legal executives who want to map out new directions while retaining the best of the old values and ethics.

What makes one modern law firm successful--and another less so? This compilation of chapters analyzes today's multi-national firms and clarifies why some succeed and others fail.

The authors delve into a wide variety of topics--from law firm mergers across cultures, to the morphing of traditional partnership arrangements. As Bruce MacEwen correctly points out in his detailed review, the book thoroughly explores--and challenges-- the concepts of traditional partnership and the partnership "ethos".

Lawyers working for US-based law firms will particularly enjoy the critical analysis of 200 or so large U.S. firms. Some of the results may be surprising, such as that U.S. firms with limited international presences have the highest per partner profits. In addition, the book explains why the firms that internationalized later are usually more profitable. These firms took careful note of the early internationalizers--and learned from their mistakes.

One chapter reveals strategies for successfully launching new practice areas, including giving such attorneys lots of internal support (tangible and intangible). Perhaps surprisingly, hiring a "heroic founding partner" to launch a new practice area does not correlate to the practice's success.

Lawyers at global forms will particularly enjoy the comments about the "Magic Circle" firms and their ability to cultivate a sense of teamwork and partnership despite cultural divides.

This book ranks as one of my favorites of 2007. Any lawyer working at a global firm--or aspiring to do so--will really benefit from this book's insights.

This valuable and multi-faceted collection of essays jointly comprises one of the most sophisticated and nuanced views of how 21st Century law firms are trying to cope with growing pressure on the "partnership ethos" which largely sustained them for a century or more.

The primary source of that pressure is simple: Today's global US- and UK-based law firms have become substantial enterprises in their own right. (Nearly 20 have gross revenues in excess of US$1-billion/year.) Firms such as these can no longer be managed by untutored amateurs, nor can they be governed as Athenian democracies. But if the "Quaker town meeting" style of consensus governance is no longer feasible, firms are equally loathe--rightly so--to turn to pure command-and-control corporate models.

The struggle to reconcile the high-minded and intrinsically precious values embodied in the partnership ethos, with the need to be supple and economically powerful global institutions, is what this book is all about.

While many of the contributors are academics, the approach is by no means "academic." And the final chapter, by Tony Angel, global managing partner of the UK "Magic Circle" firm, Linklaters, is alone worth the price of the book.

Finally, Dr. Empson herself is aware that not all aspects of the partnership ethos are per se good.

* While partnership can form cohesive bonds, it can also work to exclude those outside the blessed fold, such as non-equity partners and extremely high-quality C-level executives.
* Are partners who view themselves as owners entitled to exercise "extreme and inappropriate behaviors"?
* Do clients and potential recruits (your firm's two key aspirational constituencies) understand and value the partnership ethos?
* If the "socialization process" that indoctrinates one for membership in the partnership is too effective, it can "represent a potentially serious block to change more generally...[the] partnership risks becoming a self-perpetuating collection of clones."
* Finally, the partnership ethos can be strengthened not just by preferentially selecting those candidates who embody it but by dealing decisively with those who belong to the partnership but who, for whatever reason, no longer embody its principles.

Incidentally, Dr. Empson just moved (mid-June 2007) from the Said Centre at the University of Oxford to a newly created chair as Professor in the Management of Professional Service Firms at Cass Business School in the City of London.

This book is for those involved with managing law firms, especially those impacted by the move of legal practices from partnerships to corporations and from local firms to behemoths that span the globe. The papers collected here represent recent research on current topics in the legal industry. Their goal seems to be to keep the best features of the traditional firm while accepting the efficiencies and realities of the global corporate legal firm.

The book's ten chapters cover the range of topics in the book in a paper by the Laura Empson, the editor, and Stuart Popham. Chapter 2 looks the decline of partnership and the implications of the rise of the corporate structure in legal practice. Chapter 3 looks at the issues surrounding Diversity in Europe and compares them to the lessons learned from the American experience. Chapter 4 provides a recipe for successfully adding new initiatives to your practice and why failure follows efforts that vary too much from the formula their research revealed.

Chapter 5 covers the issues involved with customers and why marketing is necessary to not on create new customers, but to hold onto your existing base. Chapter 6 looks at the different kinds of value a legal practice has and what that implies about income. In a related area, Chapter 7 looks at the kinds of capital your legal practice has and how you can manage each. Chapter 8 explores the issues of competition in the modern legal practice and the evaporation of the old gentleman's agreements among firms. Ethics and the failure of preserving traditional ethics in some modern corporate law firms is reported in chapter 9. The book concludes with a plea for the preservation of the partnership ethos in chapter 10.

While the book has a definite focus on Europe, there is value for American firms and their managers if they deal in the practice of supporting global clients. You will know more about how your European competitors think and work, if nothing else.

Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI