Organizations Books

Positive thinking, teamwork, relationship-building and creativity are all ideals of the workplace; but just how to problem workplaces become turned around so these ideals can be fostered and encouraged to develop? Turn to Tasos Sioukas' The Solution Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Turning Your Workplace Problems Into Opportunities for insights into just how: chapters provide a step-by-step guide to common workplace problems which may be viewed as opportunities for positive change. A `vision statement' is advocated throughout the process.

This book has done wonders for me. I was having a very difficult time with my boss and after having read the book my relationship with him changed 180 degrees! Not only do I no longer take his actions personally, but I have acquired very effective skills in communicating with him that have produced win-win results for the two of us. I highly recommend THE SOLUTION PATH

A user-friendly, must-have manual

The Solution Path offers a concise manual on identifying and resolving problems that arise in the workplace and everyday life. The book offers a unique approach to problem solving by presenting practical methods with an emphasis on positive thinking, teamwork, and creativity.

I find the organization of the book extremely helpful. Each chapter includes real-life cases as well as several easy to use exercises that provide readers the opportunity to work on their problems.

Another unique feature of the book is its emphasis on facilitation and teamwork. The Solution Path showed me how to use facilitation and capitalize on the power of my team at every step of the problem solving process. As a result, my team members not only generate many more ideas but also combine them into solutions that are feasible and easier to implement. Facilitation also enabled us to resolve employee conflicts within the team environment. Some of these conflicts were due to personality traits. By utilizing the personality test and exercises, we have started to value our innate personality differences, which resulted in a higher level of productivity.

In addition, unlike other books written on the subject, the author offers spiritual principles that fuel readers with optimism. Readers are inspired to tap into their higher power, view the world as a place filled with abundance rather than scarcity of resources, and approach all their problems in a positive, action-oriented manner. By applying these principles, it almost feels that there are no problems but only solutions.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to maximize managerial skills. The Solution Path is a must-have reference source that I will utilize again and again in my professional and personal life.

The two most precious advantages of this book are its user-friendliness and its effective utilization of "hands on" resources for creating solutions. Sioukas' book will help you reformulate the way you view, deal with, and resolve problems at your workplace and, as I found, within your own personal life.

Throughout my twenty plus years of experience as a corporate executive, I have been exposed to numerous approaches dealing with problem solving. "The Solution Path," not only offers one of the most easy to read and comprehensible tools I have encountered, it also breaks new ground in helping individuals use their inner strengths in harmony with those of their workplace. This book will help you demystify the often complicated processes of effectively working with teams, of envisioning outcomes and developing ideas, and finally, it will empower you to formulate and deliver a strategically sound solution to your problem. It does so by using solid, graspable concepts, and creative, hands-on tools. This book delivers!

The Solution Path helped me resolve my company's organizational problems. Instead of hiring an expensive consultant, I used the principles outlined in the book and resolved all of my problems. It was the best money spent. I would recommend this book to other executives trying to resolve turmoil and find viable solutions.

Who among us, often serving simultaneously in both roles of nonprofit executive and board member, would not relate in a heartbeat to Light's seven "realities" and four "questions of great governance?" The importance and usefullness of Mark's insights and tested plan are immeasurable to all of us who wrestle daily with this #1, always-in-your-face management challenge. Check it out!

What are the characteristics of an effective and powerful board? For Mark Light, it is a board that is "visionary about the future, explicit in delegating that future into the present, clear about the tasks that must be executed today, and disciplined about monitoring performance." It "...focuses its energy on making sure that the organization achieves its chosen destiny."

The process for creating such a board is the focus of The Strategic Board. In Light's view, the ideal board builds its agenda around the creation and implementation of a governance plan consisting of four sub-plans:

1. a leadership plan, articulating vision, mission, strategies, critical issues (he calls these "imperatives"), and success indicators;

2. a delegation plan, defining the responsibilities and performance standards of the board (including its members, officers, and committees) and executive director;

3. a twelve-month management plan for the board and for each functional area of the organization stating annual objectives, challenges to be addressed, and budget;

4. a "vigilance plan," that serves as a monitoring schedule and provides the main agenda items the board's meetings for the coming year.

The book includes examples of each type of plan, drawn from the theatre company where the author serves as executive director and from a Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization. The examples are very helpful in following the logic of each planning process.

In an interesting introduction, Light suggests that any effort to improve nonprofit governance must take into account seven realities of nonprofit organizations:

1. part-time volunteer directors are able to give only limited time to the tasks of governance;

2. boards operate with something less than perfect knowledge, creating a dilemma for the both the board and executive director as they must each be both servant and leader to the other;

3. boards tend to be fairly large, making decision-making a lengthy and complicated process;

4. for many boards, the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for effective governance are not seen as a prerequisite for recruitment;

5. there are few consequences for poor performance, and little recognition for excellent board performance;

6. consistency and continuity are problems for many boards from year-to-year and even from meeting-to-meeting due to poor attendance and turnover of members and officers;

7. nonprofit organizations are led by relatively inexperienced executive directors. (based on an article from Board Member which is available online at [URL]

The author draws upon a number of sources in nonprofit literature to support his thesis, making the endnotes a useful link to follow-up reading. He also sprinkles the text with the wisdom of motivational writers and speakers. This will be enjoyed by readers who are inspired by such writing. Personally, I think these oversimplified inspirational messages detract from the otherwise strong and thoughtful text.

Overall, there is much in this book to stimulate creative thinking. The concepts are well-explained and illustrated with good examples. On the negative side, it suffers from too much jargon (e.g. "high-impact governance") and like so many "how-to" books, tends to underestimate the time and effort necessary to transform intentions into action. Still, it is a serious and thoughtful effort to build boards capable of the leadership needed by strong and effective organizations. Most executive directors and board members will find some new and challenging ideas to consider.

Literally dozens of books about boards have come out in the past few years. This one stands out from the crowd because it's written by a seasoned and successful nonprofit executive with a pragmatic and reality-based approach to governance. If you're a nonprofit executive, this book acknowledges the limitations and frustrations of nonprofit governance, then gives concrete suggestions for turning your board into a high-impact team. If you serve on a nonprofit board, you'll be informed and inspired by the author's concept of strategic governance. The Strategic Board should be in every nonprofit executive's briefcase!

From Light's, "Seven Realities of NonProfit Boards to, "Closing Thoughts," this step by step guide is loaded with both practical and cutting edge strategies for organizational success. As a direct result of the principles contained in this guide to high impact governance, our nonprofit fund raising agency is posting stunning gains in a highly competitive community investment arena where everything is measured and outcomes count. The breadth, depth and scope of the information is exceptionally well written and follows a logical progression from case statement, vision and values to governance, delegation and management plus everything in between! Like that jar of pasta sauce, it's in there! Whether you are new to nonprofits or a seasoned pro, The Strategic Board contains the tools for transformational leadership. One of the closing quotes in the Guide is from James Barksdale who states, "The main thing is to make sure the main thing is still the main thing." Light accomplishes this masterfully in this extraordinary work.

If you are a nonprofit board member or an executive staff person in a nonprofit . . . buy this book today . . .put it into action by tomorrow . . .it is the answer to your most pressing issues.

Nonprofit governance is one of the most interesting creatures alive. Board members, though caring and committed, have limited time and energy to devote to the pressing issues facing nonprofits. Executive Directors of Nonprofits are always trying to figure out just what it is that their board members want from them.

The Strategic Board gives Boards and Executive Staff a proven model to overcome the obstacles and challenges inherent in nonprofits. And, it gives it a way to keep it alive and to check your progress . . . and fits in with the limited staff time and board time available.

Don't miss a chance with this book.

This is a great reference resource for those interested in Fund Raising. Simone does a wonderful job pulling resources from all over the development world together in this text. Then she critically questions their impact and ramifications. Finally, she takes fund development beyond the practices of raising money and into relationships and leadership. It is a well rounded text and worth the purchase.

I have been building my professional library and count Simone's book as a "must have" and "most often consulted" on a wide range of topics. This book is in my top 5 list and on any reading list that I prepare as an adjunct to presentations. The theoretical concepts supported by practical examples makes this book a most useful resource for the new and seasoned development professional. As the number of fundraising resources grow there are numerous books on special topics. For this reason and due to the caliber of this book, I hope that it remains widely available. Pearl Veenema (Toronto, Canada)

As someone who has been a subscriber to Simone Joyaux's newsletter over the last two years, I knew that her book would offer me many valuable insights into how to do my job as the Chairman of a non-profit cultural institution better. Indeed, Ms. Joyaux's book took the goal of building long term, profitable relationships-the lifeline for any non-profit-and broke it down into a step-by-step road map that our instituion was able to put into effective use immediately. All that non-profits need to know to become more financially sound is contained in this straightforward, comprehensive guide. The real life illustrations make the advice and guidance extremely compelling. An indespensible tool for serious fund-raisers!

If you are a development director, a board member, or an Executive Director of a nonprofit organization (or someone just interested in learning more about development), you should waste no time and purchase this book. It is very comprehensive and has lots of practical tools you can use. I find myself grabbing for this book over and over. It is a wonderful, must have resource!

An important work if we are to be serious about positioning our institutions for the future. Joyaux has captured the essence of what we as development professionals should understand and be prepared to address as we look to the 21st century.

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!

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.

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 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.

If you are a therapist needing help to develop a therapy practice, this is the book for you. It's tough building a practice these days. Things are way more competitive than they have ever been. Larina Kase's book is a good step-by-step analysis of what works. I recommend it highly and am going to use it with those therapists that I coach around practice development.

This is a comprehensive guide to starting a private practice that does an exceptional job combining the broader concepts of successful practice building with ample details and user-friendly examples. I found it simple to implement Dr. Kase's recommendations and quickly saw positive results in my own practice.

I am part of a consultation group of early career psychologists and we regularly discuss issues related to starting and building a practice, marketing, developing a niche area, and issues related to the business of owning one's practice. This has book has been referenced numerous times by our group and has been so helpful and informative to us, particularly b/c these issues have not been taught in graduate school or in our training. I would not forge ahead in the field of psychology and in your career as a psychologist without looking at this book first.

I have a private practice as well as a coaching business. I found this book full of excellent information and resources. I am now pursuing other business options as a result of reading this book. I have also purchased a number of Dr. Kase's ebooks, and have found them extremely helpful. She consistently gives you more than you pay for.

I have been practicing a few years and was wondering how to increase my income. After reading this book, I am filled with new ideas and am redoubling my efforts to build my practice. I am very happy to say that it is already starting to pay off. I highly recommend The Sucessful Therapist.

Dan Sullivan, Psy.D., JD

This book is a great addition to the original Blooms Taxonomy. I found it very informative and the explanations were very clear and helpful.

Until the 1950's the educational system within the United States had no consensus or continuity in its approach to learning. "Knowledge" by interpretation meant different things to different people and professional educators had no basis by which to tie together the cornucopia of theories. By definition, taxonomy is in its widest sense, the classification of any group of likened things to include principles and ideas. Benjamin Bloom designed a hierarchical taxonomy of cognitive skills for the educator who is designing curriculum and formatting educational standards and objectives. This cognitive domain is laid out in six areas now quite familiar to teachers: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Knowledge is memorization, the ability of the student to recall information. The concept can be found in lesson plans that require the student to define, recall, or label. Examples of knowledge as a cognitive skill include learning the alphabet or memorizing important dates in history. Once the ability to gather information at the knowledge stage is mastered the student proceeds to comprehension. At this stage the student begins to see word clues such as "estimate", "explain", and "summarize". The student is not generating anything new but is putting learned knowledge into his / her own words. At the application stage the student learns to use the knowledge. Key words appear such as "apply", "compute", or "demonstrate". At the analysis stage the student begins to generalize information to new or different situations. The student has yet to create anything wholly new, however, the cognitive process has sequenced from basic recognition and memory skills to those tools needed for abstract thought and creation. In the next stage, synthesis, the student begins to see key words such as "compose", "create", and "modify". The pre-schooler has gone from recognizing a Lego toy to using the toys to create something new. In the final cognitive stage, evaluation, the student gains the ability to judge or critique. He / she can now compare the creations of others and validly support, explain, or defend the work.
The educator could now function in agreement with his / her fellows in designing curriculum in an environment of consensus. Why then did Drs. Anderson and Krathlwohl feel the need to revise Blooms work? The authors answered this question in the book's Preface by stating that there were two primary reasons: first, to refocus the attention of educators on the original Bloom's Taxonomy as a document not only historical in nature but valid in context of today's standards, and, secondly, to incorporate new knowledge and thought into Bloom's framework. Though it is not so stated in the Preface, much of this new knowledge and thought is in dealing with an ever-growing populace of divergent learners and likewise with an eye toward the population of children in low socio economic situations.
The revised Bloom's Taxonomy incorporates a framework that is no longer simply linear but a grid. In Anderson & Krathwohl's revision the original six components are renamed so that they still relate directly to the original taxonomy but in terms that are both more relevant to today and simplified. "Knowledge" becomes "remember", "comprehension" becomes "understand", "application" is simplified to "apply", "analysis" to "analyze", and "synthesis" becomes somewhat confusingly "evaluate" as "evaluation" changes to the more descriptive "create". This revision allows for the discrimination of higher order thinking even within the lower cognitive levels of Bloom's. For the teacher of special needs or struggling learners, this is especially useful. Simply put, you can go more places on a grid than you can on a straight line.
Anderson and Krathwohl subdivide the x-axis consisting of the renamed Bloom cognitive dimensions into a y-axis of four knowledge dimensions. These four dimensions are, like the cognitive dimensions, hierarchical. At the base is found factual knowledge; knowledge of terms, details, symbols, etc. Conceptual knowledge; classification, categorization, structures, etc follow this. From there the hierarchy advances to application with the dimension of procedural knowledge. At this level the student applies the facts and concepts. Here, for example, the student learns not only to recognize math symbols but also to apply them to an equation. The peak of this hierarchy is meta-cognitive knowledge. At this level the student applies strategies and self-awareness of his or her skills to the lesson.
This revision ranges then from remembering factual knowledge as the lowest cognitive function to creating something new with the application of meta-cognition to truly understand what has been created. The teacher can put this taxonomy to its fullest advantage by dissecting his / her exams and lesson plans to fully realize the potential of the student. It is the opinion of this reviewer that the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy is of particular use when dealing with the two extremes of the learning spectrum, the mentally disabled or struggling student and the student who excels academically. In the case of the student with cognitive deficits, the instructor who recognizes that his / her students may never pass beyond the lower processes of "remember" and "understand" in Bloom may still challenge and properly assess those students in both academic and adaptive areas by progressing from the factual knowledge dimension to procedural and meta-cognitive knowledge. With the latter, the student who is excelling and most likely placed in the school's gifted and talented program, the instructor may use Anderson and Krathwohl's revised taxonomy to insure that the student is not evaluating and creating based on memorization of facts and concepts but on using appropriate procedures and meta-cognitive skills to create something that is unique to that student's abilities.
This text is complete with examples of the taxonomy in practical application with the standards and objectives the teacher is familiar with. I am confident that once the basics of this revision are understood by the educational professional, the book will become a well-used tool in the real world of teaching today's students.

I found it is very easy to understand the two dimensions of revised taxonomy. Basically, this book is a pratical reference while conducting research and seeting instrutional objectives.

In an era of state-mandated standards, this book is an essential tool for teachers. Anderson et. al. show how to cut through the jargon and get down to what your students really need to learn. Finally someone has created a book that connects theory and practice, expectations and reality! This book is definitely worth reading.

Anderson and Kratwohl (eds.) describe a taxonomy of learning and therefore teaching and assessing. Based on the original work of Bloom (1956) they develop further his ideas. Whereas Bloom described a taxonomy of the cognitive process, the new book introduces a 2nd dimension, and classifies the knowledge as such. The concepts are well described, in correct terms. Anyone teaching may easily follow the argumentation. It is shown why and how the two-dimensional taxonomy will be useful in planning, preparing and assessing curricula and lectures or "teaching events". Practical examples illustrate the well presented theory. The clear structure allows one to read the book as a whole as well as to pick out issues of special interest. It was useful for me as a Prof. at a University of Applied Sciences as a framework in order to better and quicker plan and organize a new curriculum. The book is recommended for both, new teachers at any level, as well as for experienced profs revising their lectures.

Fantastic Book! Makes a revolutionary concept seem simple and obvious. As an education student, I plan to take from this book for the rest of my life.

This text was recommended reading and as a teacher myself, I find it confounding that it was not required reading during my teaching education. She certainly was ahead of her time, but Sylvia Ashton-Warner might still be distancing herself from those standard based minds determined to put children into the molds we have decided are necessary for their own good. How do we get children to see the power of language so that writing and reading have personal meaning that piques a lifelong journey into the love of learning--this book has some incredible seeds that a willing and curious mind might take, study, and find itself using to change the world, and at the very least the landscape of education as we see it today. Read this book if you want children to come alive to learning.

I am a teacher of 18 years who had to read this book in 1977 as part of my college teacher training and would like to share this book with all teachers. It is as relevant for me today with our scripted phonics and literature-rich reading programs as it was then. Sylia Ashton-Warner does more than portray a method and philosophy to teach reading to New Zealand's Maori children--she paints a vivid, dramatic picture of any classroom. The reader can see the combination of her daily, organized lesson plan superimposed with the actual unpredictable, spontaneous, and social nature of children. Sylvia writes in such a perceptive, humorous way that our sympathy goes out to the Maori children who are expected to learn reading, but are expertly led, not forced.
One of her main points was that the contemporary "Dick and Jane" method of teaching reading was too imposing, stagnant, and foreign to inspire success and a love of learning for her Maori students. She created a new system to do the job of bridging the old, illiterate civilization of the Maoris to contemporary New Zealand. Her method became famous. It is fairly simple and has been used since in a multitude of kindergarten and 1st grade classrooms. Children were allowed to give Ms. Ashton-Warner, their teacher, a new word every day. The word was traced, written, practiced, shared, and reviewed the next day. If the word was important enough to the child, it was remembered and therefore called an "organic" word since it came from an important part of the individual child. Children had word cards and every day would locate their own personal word cards amidst the class' collection.
As Ms. Ashton-Warner used this method over time, she was able to categorize important words, and thereby came across universal truths regarding words that made reading easier for her students. The two widest categories she called "sex" and "fear" words, and if a word was easily learned then it fit into one of these categories. Although I personally don't like her use of the word "sex," she explains her conception of it as referring to the human needs of love, acceptance, and survival.
As students became proficient with this first introduction to words, they were "graduated" to more advanced classes in reading and writing, using their own personal word banks, until at last the traditional school books could be used successfully. In addition, Ms. Ashton-Warner wrote and illustrated her own version of basal readers for Maoris, using their own interests and lingo, as another part of transitioning them from their own culture to the literate and modern New Zealand. It is tragic that most of her original works are gone.
In actuality, the book "Teacher" is much more than a description of a pedagogical method. It is a work of art, describing the talent needed to teach. It is a work in psychology, showing one how to cope with the enormous diversity and constant problems of the real classroom. It is a work of teaching methodology, inspiring a teacher to value and inspire the inner thoughts and feelings of a child, and to take those raw materials and create real learning experiences for that child.
I actually read this book once a year. It has become a part of me that allows me to take each day as it comes, to see special inspired moments in a child's day as being a huge, poignant step in their education.

In generally straightforward prose, Sylvia Ashton-Warner describes the success of her "organic" teaching method for five-year-old Maoris, a native people of New Zealand. The idea is as brilliant as it is simple: young children will best remember words that are nearest their hearts.

For young Maoris at the time of Ashton-Warner's writing, these words were not always positive, as many of her students were from troubled backgrounds. Words such as "fear" and "kill" were as popular among them as "kiss" and "love." Ms. Ashton-Warner's infant reading texts were hand-crafted by her for each student's particular needs and interests. After developing an "organic" vocabulary, the Maoris were better able to tackle traditional English elementary texts.

I found a sixth edition of this book in my late father's library. It was required reading for my father's Masters in Education program at Hunter College in New York City during the late 1960s and early 1970s. "Teacher" was first published in 1963.

Contemporary readers, especially Americans, may find the style somewhat dated. Towards the end of the book, Ms. Ashton-Warner changes from a conversational format to a diary-like, almost stream-of-consciousness style which is rather confusing. She also uses New Zealand terms such as "pa" and "haka" whose meanings have to be determined with some difficulty from context.

All that said, the message of "Teacher" is as vibrant today as it was when this work was first published. It is as relevant to building cross-cultural bridges as it is to enhancing learning among students of all backgrounds. My father drew upon it in getting reluctant older students to write and read about things that they were truly interested in. "Teacher" provides an important caveat to today's world of standardized testing and rigid pedagogical criteria.

Hard for me to write a short review of this book since I've written a book about Ashton-Warner's contributions to teaching young children.

The point is, Ashton-Warner was a careful observer of the young Maori children she taught. She knew that what she had been trained to do in a college teacher-training program wasn't working, so she really looked to see what the children cared about, and invented ways to teach them based upon their deep interests and respecting their culture, different from her own. She, a left-handed artist, was different from the mainstream, and wanted to be appreciated...and she carried this and other knowledge from her personal life into her teaching. Ashton-Warner wasn't a woman of perfection, but she made a contribution that lasts...This book has changed the lives of many, many teachers -- I know because they have told me.

I ordered my book and received excellent service. Got it in perfect time as well! Thank you Amazon ~ keep up the good work!

It was required for a class, but it turns out it very good.

The Pocket Guide is an excellent, affordable resource for all administrators as well as teachers. It is easy to use and offers guidelines to stay out legal difficulties. The price is right and content parallels his textbook "School Law and the Public Schools".

Nathan Essex has written a succinct, easy-to-understand guide that all teachers need to read to become "legalese savvy" in today's litigious educational climate. From understanding the procedures required for a legal search and seizure to knowing teachers' rights, "A Teacher's Pocket Guide to School Law" is a must read for educators at all grade levels. The book is exceptionally readable and covers the areas of school law that teachers find themselves mired in most. After reading Essex's book, I know that being apprised of the legal ramifications of what I do in the classroom is critical for my own safety as well as the safety of my students.

As others have said, this is an excellent book. I picked it as a quick reference/study guide for my Education Law class. Law has always been interesting for me, but I don't get much use out of books that say things like 'X decision rendered in (year) was a landmark, upholding X principle (insert legal jargon). A couple of my roommates in college were were law students, and I understand that junk, because I helped them study sometimes, and we talked about interesting cases they were studying, etc.
BUT, when I sit down to read about it, that's not what I want to know. I want to know what the court fight was about, what the court decision was, what it means, and how it affects my school and the classroom. That's exactly what Essex does in this book.
The chapters are mostly 10-15 pages long, cover approximately 5 essential concepts or factors, including all the major cases or a description of the key ideas, identify which law is relevant (usually state or federal, though district or school board policies often come into play), a summary of the key players, roles, principles, or components of the concept being discussed. If an actual court case is discussed, it ends with a summary of the argument, the courts' decisions, and the final result. And each 1-3 pages section finishes with a section called 'Guides' which provides a list of important things to consider, when addressing the policy or issue covered (Essex is usually very conservative with his recommendations, but at least you have an idea what needs to be considered).
It also includes handy things like a good index, a separate list of all the court cases discussed, appendices that include relevant sections of the Constitution, selected federal statutes, and descriptions of major organizations and how they can impact a teacher.
And finally, Essex is a good writer who makes the topics interesting by minimizing the jargon and focusing on why things are important. Several times, I've found myself reading for a while, after I looked something up, just because he makes stuff interesting.

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.

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.