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Organizations Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church

Published in Paperback by Zondervan (1986-11-07)

Author: Zondervan

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A Call to Action

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-27

The late Jack Miller makes his own life and ministry a transparent window to show us strategies and tactics in taking an ingrown church and turning it back into one that has a sense of its kingdom mission. This process begins with recognizing the leader of the church as the pace setter. The repentance required to return a church to that for which it was called must generally start with those who are the leaders. Miller urges such leaders to first repent themselves and then to begin moving their congregations to repentance through a process of asking diagnostic questions.

The church is called to fulfill the missionary mandate by means of the filling of the Spirit as the empowering agency of its call. This mandate is accomplished through deeds of love and empowered through private and corporate prayer. Upholding all of this is an understanding of God's unconditional love toward sinners. By contrast, the problem often faced by the ingrown church is that of "religious cushioning" in which we focus on preserving our own comfort level instead of seeking the filling of the Spirit.

At the end of each chapter, there are "action steps" that take the principles presented and illustrated and put them into practice within specific church situations. These give the book a "how to" quality.

It seems to me that the shotgun approach to dealing with the ingrown church might have differing effects depending upon the size of the church. At the same time, Miller's action steps can find ready application in churches of all shapes and sizes.

Miller makes a call both to personal prayer and to moving the church to a greater sense of community prayer, giving practical action steps to bring this about in a gradual but persistent manner. He reminds me that, in this endeavor, I am "in the toughest battle facing the Christian church."

"People come to a church where they are wanted and they come to a pastor who wants very much to introduce them to Christ" (Page 112).

Challenged to Change

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-09-26

In C. John Miller's book, Outgrowing the Ingrown Church,I found an answer to why the Church seems lacking in vitality and growth. Miller explains this as a failure of an ingrown Church to accept the challenge of living out its missionary purpose. I was amazed to find myself taking on the ingrownness of my own Church, renewing our vision, and leading us through the trials that followed with greater spiritual energy and deeper contentment that I'd ever known. Though I first read this book eight years ago, I continue to go back to soak up Miller's message. I encourage anyone who cares about the Church to read this book. You will find yourself saying "yes, yes!" as Miller renews your passion for the Church's great mission.

Biblical Principles for transformation of Church and members

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-27

This is a fanatastic book written both for the leader and layperson. One comes away zealous to be what Miller calls a "pacesetter": one who leads by example, willing to make every sacrifice to motivate an ingrown church. Miller calls Christians to repent and believe again in the power promised by God through His Holy Spirit. Both leaders and lay people must reorientate their lives to "regular and thorough meditation on the promises of God." Miller outlines many characteristics of an ingrown church and calls us to repentence using biblical principles in a contemporary manner. A suberb book for the spiritual empowerment necessary for becoming the true Chruch of Christ with a missionary character.

A Challenging Book

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-01-27

I finished this book almost ten days ago and have not yet been able to write a satisfactory review of it. I began several times, but each time found I was missing some important aspect of it. I believe the source of my trouble is that I read this book only after reading many others that came after. If I had read this book when it was published (1986) I would seen it as groundbreaking. But today, when we are surrounded by books on the principles of church growth, this book does not seem to have much new to add.

One thing that is unique about this book is that it was written by a Presbyterian pastor who also taught at Westminster Theological Seminary. Though church growth and large churches are generally associated with evangelicalism, this book details the rise of a large Reformed church. Also, this book deals with outgrowing an existing church whereas many newer books that discuss church growth do so from a church-planting perspective.

The book traces John C. Miller's growing awareness of the problem of ingrownness in his calling as a pastor. Naturally his church was only as good as its leader and it also suffered from ingrownness. We see the discoveries the pastor made that led him to outgrowing his ingrown church. The author's journey began with a breakdown as he grew frustrated with his church and with being a pastor, so left the ministry. During a time of searching he came to realize that as pastor he was the source of the problem and to build his church into one motivated to carry out the Great Commission he would need to make changes. He details this journey and in so doing challenges others to discover the power of God rather than attempting to abide in their own power and with their own resources.

Though a good book full of solid teaching, I believe it would best serve as an introduction to church growth and to outgrowing a stagnant church. If you have read other books on the subject this many not excite you very much. Those wary of evangelicalism may also find comfort in the fact that this is written from a Reformed perspective. When it comes to specifics about church growth there have been many books written since this one that will probably prove more useful.

Panzertruppen 2: The Complete Guide to the Creation & Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force ¥ 1943-1945/Formations ¥ Organizations ¥ Tactics Combat Reports ¥ Unit Strengths ¥ Statistics

Published in Hardcover by Schiffer Publishing (2000-01-01)

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Unique look into the combat story of the Panzertruppe

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1997-12-17

Based on German WWII documents Tom Jentz gives the reader a rare look into the organization and combat tactics of German armoured formations in the 1943-1945 period. The tactics of platoon, company and battalion sized units are told by extensive quotes from wardiaries and battle reports. There are statistics on tank-availability in many individual units as well as numerous TO&Es. The book does not cover every unit in every theater of war, but uses examples to tell the story of small unit tank-combat in WWII. All in all it is 300 pages packed with info not available in any other book on the subject. As the author used many WWII German military terms, a certain familiarity with these could be helpfull to the reader.

Great Primary Source Material

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-08

This book uses after-action reports, and war diary entries to describe German armored operations. The material has an immediacy that one just can't find in other, excellent, works of the same subject. As an example, if you want to know what crews really thought of the Panther and Tiger, not what post-war technical analyses say, this is the series for you. You can also follow the evolution of tactics as German and Allied tank and anti-tank weapons evolve throughout the war. As a previous review said, this series assumes a certain familiarity with German WWII military terms and ranks-probably not for the general enthusiast.

Excellent source of reference

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-18

It would be hard not to repeat what was written before by the previous three reviewers. I think they all hit it right on the money. Tom Jentz followed up his previous volume on this subject by finishing it on to the bitter end of the Third Reich. The book shows the continual development, evolution and usage of the Panzer units as they fought on against greater odds and worsting field positions. New panzers with their inherited problems caused considerable hiccups along the line but overall, the book revealed in all clarity, how the Germans developed their panzer units. Using after action reports and selective units, the author is able to traced the unit structure of several individual units.

There is host of detail information inside this book that will hold a mother lode of happiness to anyone who is interested in this subject matter. However, I must used the word of caution since this book was primary geared for readers who are already well read and well schooled in this subject matter. Any novice readers will definitely find this book bit over their heads. All the charts are all done in German style with a lot of German words inserted here and there. On the other hand, there are host of interesting photographs to look at.

Overall, this book comes highly recommended for anyone who wishes to advance their knowledge on the subject matter as long as its understood that material can get pretty dense if you are not familiar with the subject.

Excellent reference

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2004-08-04

This book, along with volume one which covers pre-war development and early war employment of the Panzer divisions, is an excellent reference. Any information you need about German armored divisions from 1943-1945 is likely here. I can not recommend it highly enough.

Jentz picks up in this volume where he left off in the previous book. He provides a wealth of information on force structures (including how platoons, companies, battalions, staff companies, etc.) were organized. All of this is presented in tables and figures for easy reference. Each reorganizaton is accompanied by the translated order which created the change. As in the first volume, Jentz provides unit strengths, as well as listing tank types, for each division at the start of a new operation (or at the end of one).

Also included are numerous translated after-action reports, which reveal a great deal about German armored tactics and the performance of their tanks in the field. These are fascinating, and are not available anywhere else. One final table in particularly interesting: it presents the number of tanks available to each division at the end of the war. Many panzer "divisions" had only a platoon's worth of tanks left.

The end of the book presents a variety of data in a set of appendices. This includes charts showing monthly data on the on-hand strength of each tank type as well as comparative technical data for German and Allied late-war tanks.

Also strongly recommended is volume I of the set; with both, you have a comprehensive set of information on the Panzer divisions in World War II. I constantly refer to both of them, so much that they are usually out on my desk rather than back on the shelf.

Partnering for Performance: Unleashing the Power of Finance in the 21st-Century Organization

Published in Hardcover by AMACOM (2000-07-03)

Authors: Martin G. Mand and William Whipple III

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Powerful Concept

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-12

Mand and Whipple do an excellent job describing how finance, business centers and top management can work together more effectively for optimum performance. The concept is powerful, and the examples from actual events are very stimulating. Best of all, they use a dialog method to make the message really come alive. "Listening" to the CEO and CFO discuss partnering makes the reader realize that the concept is not just another management theory, but can be readily applied to his or her situation as well.

Essential for Business

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-08-06

A very concise and well-written book which appeals to the financial executive and the MBA student. The CFO's role is clearly delineated with the support of actual cases and experiences as noted by the authors. I found this book to be interesting and a "quick-read" and was an excellent summation of the role of the CFO in the 21st corporations.

Clear and Concise

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-27

A very thorough and easy to read book. The experience of the authors is clearly evident. Highly recommend to anyone working in finance or corporations!

Partnering For Performance

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2000-07-22

PARTNERING FOR PERFORMANCE: Unleashing the Power of Finance in the 21st Century Organization, Martin G. Mand and William Whipple III, AMACOM, 2000.

As an attorney practicing corporate law in Delaware, I have been involved in many acquisitions, mergers, divestitures, etc., and have an understanding of the imperative for all companies and businesses to increase shareholder value. "Partnering for Performance" is the first book that I can recall reading which provides a lucid explanation of how a company can do so. The discussion is enlivened by numerous real world examples, as well as by an engaging dialog between the CEO and CFO of a hypothetical company.

The book goes on to sketch the wide range of activities that are conducted under the Finance umbrella, and offer suggestions as to how the value of these activities can be enhanced. There are two key thrusts the author recommends, which in many companies will require a significant culture change:

* Finance people must rethink their roles, and make the transition from functioning as analysts and controllers to "Shareholder Value Enabling."

* The business people and finance people in a company must work together as equal partners, otherwise known as "Partnering for Performance."

Drawing on their considerable experience as financial practitioners, the authors do not merely advocate such changes in principle. They also explain the obstacles to implementation, and offer solid suggestions for achieving the desired changes. The suggested game plan includes new roles and responsibilities for business people and finance people alike, demonstration projects such as overhauling the budget process, the integration of talented finance people into business teams, incentives for change, communications and training, and sample diagnostic tools (such as a corporate troubleshooting guide).

In sum, "Partnering for Performance" offers valuable insights about a low cost, low risk approach to increasing shareholder value. The book should be of considerable interest and value to a broad audience.

The Passion of Therese of Lisieux

Published in Paperback by Crossroad Classic (1998-05-25)

Author: Guy Gaucher

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Therese and Tuberculosis

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-01

Excellent read !! There are many books about Therese. This one stands out because it presents her profound spirituality in light of the progression of her extensive illness of Tuberculosis. There is much to learn about both the effects of illness on the spiritual life and the almost ideal response to illness of one seriously seeking God.

A must-read for devotees of the Little Flower

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-14

This book provides a clinical report of the last agonizing months of Therese of Lisieux's life. The research is meticulous and the medical details are easy to understand. It is a complement to the Saint's writings because the reader can trace in this book her physical trials which help to understand her spiritual trials as well which were plaguing her at the time. My only criticism is that the second part of the book is a bit redundant to the first.

astonishing

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-12

Most books gloss over the last months of St. Therese, possibly because up until the last 40 years TB was so common that nobody really needed to hear an in depth discussion of it. After reading this book you will be deeply moved. St. Therese went through a long dark night of the soul and body and although physically crushed she spiritually soared above it. I would definitely say that this book belongs in your collection of works on the Little Flower.

A splendid enhancement to "Last Conversations"

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-16

Rich in detail of Therese's last months; a powerful framework for Last Conversations.

Pathways to Performance: A Guide to Transforming Yourself, Your Team, and Your Organization

Published in Paperback by Prima Pub (1998-08)

Author: Jim Clemmer

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An inspiring companion to Gil Amelio's ''Profit from Experience: The National Semiconductor Story of Transformation Management'

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-10-17

I highly recommend this wonderful book as an inspiring companion to Gil Amelio's 'Proft for Experience: The National Semi-Conductor Story of Transformation Management', which I have reviewed earlier. Both books were published around the mid-nineties, but the relevancy & practicality of their lessons & insights have not faded.

It draws its intellectual cues from three principal strands of high performance: organisational, leadership & personal effectiveness. In some way, it builds on the author's two earlier books, 'The VIP Strategy: Leadership Skills for Exceptional Performance' & 'Firing on All Six Cylinders'. I have read the latter book, which has a primary focus on service/quality improvement.

What I like about this book is the author's introductory premise: Before you try to change anyone else, you have got to change yourself. Self-leadership is at the heart of effectively leading others. Self-improvement is the beginning point to team or organisational improvement. The author is also candid about his book: Many of the principles & insights are not new. In fact, they have been with us for decades, if not centuries. But we continually need to rediscover them for ourselves; repackage them for our times; & to make them relevant for today. The author is obviously driven by what works. He argues that, when dealing with personal & people issues, the fundamentals of what works have remained fairly constant through the years.

Additionally, I also like the presentation format of the book: each chapter starts with a 'Pathways' section, covering success strategies that really work, but also ends with a 'Pitfalls' section, where the author visits several Do's and Don't's for the individual as well as for the organization.

For readers who are seeking more real-world perspectives in initiating & guide change & improvement in a team, business or organizational setting, this book is definitely worth pursuing.

I have enjoyed reading this book, together with Gil Amelio's book, & I am confident readers will feel likewise!

An Inspirational Guide

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-15

In "Pathways to Performance," Jim Clemmer provides readers with an inspirational guide that will help anyone improve leadership abilities. It is clear that by following these pathways, great personal benefits will follow. And, of course, I loved the humor!

A guide for our Team Leader/Managers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-15

"Pathways to Performance" provides a valued sense of direction and reference for those struggling to behave differently and lead more effectively. Jim pulls together the many facets of leadership and management and shows how they fit to make the whole. It will become a guide for all our Team Leader/Managers.

Very Engaging

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-15

I really enjoyed this book. It helped put leadership into perspective -- the fact that in order to change or influence an organization, I need to change myself. I appreciated Clemmer's ideas around working at becoming a better leader ("leaders are made, not born"), and the importance of continued, continuous learning. It is an easy read, with humor, lots of quotations, examples, and simple suggestions to begin *being* a better leader in all aspects of your life. It has made me stop, reflect, and write notes about what I am going to do to incorporate some of these ideas into my life. The idea of "victimitis" and recognizing the "Catch 22" of the poor-me syndrome was particularly pertinent. This book covers the entire spectrum of home life and career, which is why I find it so helpful -- many management books don't concentrate enough on the improving all aspects of life. It especially hits home the need for the leader to establish his/her own personal values and direction and to lead by example. I've purchased copies for people close to me that I'm sure will find value in this book.

The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard

Published in Hardcover by Naval Institute Press (1993-09)

Author: James G. Burton

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The Old Guard still wants our men to ride in deathtraps!

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-28

The "Old Guard" of out-of-touch and can't-handle-the-truth milicrats still run the Pentagon--even after the 9/11 attacks clearly showed a "house-cleaning" is in order to meet the challenges of 21st Century asymmetric warfare by cunning enemies. Colonel Burton's book outlines how 1980s reformers sought to get reliable, safe and affordable weapons into U.S. military service and how these common sense efforts are opposed by the egotists with other agendas. The point is that the U.S. military culture BREEDS self-seeking, egotistical, vain milicrats not common sense warriors with values of honor and troop welfare and mission accomplishment.

The sad thing is that the 1980s military reformers are now gone and not on duty to stop the current round of Pentagon losers like the lav3stryker, V-22, AAAV and F-22 all stricken with the disease of Tofflerian gadgets while ignoring sound physical robustness, reliability and combat effectiveness at their own level. The current generals runnng DoD have simply transplanted their bureaucratic pass-the-buck mentality to the foot Soldier and pilot by hoping a computer "mouse-click" will deliver some magic firepower to solve the battlefield problem instead of empowering lower ranks to fight and win at their own level.

What makes this book so haunting is that its a true story that is repeating itself before our very eyes with the Army's thin-skinned, air-filled rubber-tired LAV-3 Stryker armored car boondoggle that will get our men killed in combat. The book shows the exact same PR tactics and lying "spin" the Army and DoD use to put people second and their programs/promotions first. The depiction of how the Army will cheat on tests to masquerade that "all is well" with a program is common as seen by the recent efforts to deceive the public by flying overweight lav3strykers a short distance by C-130 aircraft with less fuel inside to compensate--exactly how in the Bradley's fuel tanks were filled just with the minimum fuel to drive in front of the audience grandstands and to the aim point for the test anti-tank weapon to hit it.

The tragedy is that after 2 decades, the Army today is rushing the lav3stryker deathtrap into production without ANY live-fire testing against fully fueled and ammo loaded vehicles fired at by RPGs or 14.5mm heavy machine guns thanks to a loophole in DoD procurement. Too bad Colonel Burton wasn't on duty now in the Pentagon. When they make the movie sequel to this book, "Pentagon Wars II: the lav3stryker" it looks like the ending will not be a happy one with a better vehicle (upgraded M113A3 Gavins) going into service. The horror of hundreds of dead American Soldiers Colonel Burton wanted to prevent will be our "wake-up call".

If we ignored the film and Col Burton's book its based on, what makes us think the Pentagon Old Guard will change after needless deaths?

Right is Might!

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 20 total.
Review Date: 1998-03-30

I read this book after seeing the HBO black comedy film The Pentagon Wars. It is all true!! I was part of the U. S. Army Chemical Research Development Engineering Center at Edgewood Arsonal back in the late 1980's. I assisted with the testing of the xm-22, xm-21, cadnet, nbc recon. vehicle (a m-113 that got its butt kicked by the then west german fuchs vehicle) and other systems. There were times that you just had to shake your head at the way the officers and civilians conducted some of the tests. The Col is right on the money.

Meremising

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 26 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-23

This beast that we creat, "the Military-Industrial Complex," influence in shown in every instiution in this country. This tells the story from inside the Pentagon, and shows how insane it has got. CUT MILITARY SPENDING BY HALF. NO MORE 300 billion a YEAR! Oh Lord, help me. I am clear, for the future now lies in our hands.

Good Reference

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-20

A very interesting book that not only details certain aspects of the defense procurement culture, but also goes into the politics of some of the different services. While the focus is primarily on the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, there are other great bits of information (such as the creation of the F-16) and amusing stories (any involving the "Blitzfighter" aircraft).
The DOD politics that the author experiences are fascinating, and remain relevant today. One example is the discussion of the A-10, its amazing record in the 1991 Gulf War, and how the Air Force really hates it and the close air support role it plays (today the Air Force is moving towards replacing the A-10 with higher flying, faster planes for the close air support missions).
Overall this book is an important read for anyone interested not only in defense procurement, but DOD politics and modern warfare as well. A good book to have as a reference.

Perfecting Corporate Character: Insightful Lessons for 21st Century Organizations

Published in Hardcover by Strategic Publications (1997-07)

Author: Frank J. Sherosky

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Important Message and Worth the Effort

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-11

Sherosky argues that corporations, like people, have a character and a soul and a set of values--and that molding toward humanistic values and away from those driven by greed is a central mandate for our time. Written well before the 2002-03 round of business scandals, it seems eerily prescient, if a bit dated in places.

A brief excerpt:

"...this whole corporate concept is still somewhat of an enigma. Governments do not know how to deal with it because legally there is this illusion of a lack of the human element. We never sat in conversation that the 'people within corporation X' did something. We just say that 'X did this or that'. We point to a collective entity as a singular, impersonal unit despite the fact that living human beings push the buttons... "Profit is not a sin, but it is the real motive and charter of corporate entities. In order to obtain a profit, those within the structure not only produce products and services, but legally hide if improprieties are used to garner the profit. Corporate structures become havens for profiteers with unscrupulous character.

"Since the corporate entity is not traditionally looked upon as a person, there appears a sense of inhumanity that is truly frightening.

"It explains how oil spills, price fixing and product failures can be treated so cold[ly] that human emotions appear missing. This inhuman quality, although a legal safeguard, is also a key ingredient to all business failures and bad press." (pp.67-68)

While the book is somewhat densely written and could have benefited by a good edit, his message is important and worth the effort.

The Bottom Line !

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-22

With the recent bombshell of the Enron failure, it is becoming increasingly apparent that somethings are amiss in Corporate America. Those "somethings" are explored in this revealing expose' by Sherosky, a veteran himself of corporate structures both large and small. Vince Lombardi, legendary football coach of the Green Bay Packers once said, "winning isn't everything, its the only thing". This attitude has permeated the corporate world - nothing else matters except the "bottom line". Whether a company is a good citizen, or a concerned employer, or environmentaly conscientious has no relevance! Greed is god. Sherosky shows how this manageent philosophy is leaving a lot of money on the table. He counsels that attention to character and virtue in the market place and the workplace would result in ever-growing profits for consumer, employer and employee. If we continue the business practices of the past into the 21st century we will continue to reap the same disfunctional results. This book shows how that can be avoided. Must reading for the progressive and enlightened citizen.

Must reading for everyone who works!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 1997-08-01

Character is a quality issue, too. Integral to every business process, human nature is the greatest shaping force of corporate performance. Insightful lessons of this book promotes a deeper understanding of human nature; and teaches how to positively contribute toward perfecting total organizational quality. Audience: * Working Personnel of all levels, Managers, Union Leaders * Self-Help: Individual and Organizational Training Reading Advantanges: * Author's 28 years includes Saturn Corps. Launch Team * Exceptional insight into the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human, organizational character development * Challenges the hot issues of teamwork, diversities of race, gender, position and empowerment

Thought-provoking

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-19

As a Professional Career Coach for women, I can see that the author has obviously spent a great deal of time thinking and researching his work. This is not your usual 'corporate strategy' book -- rather it is a work in progress. Sherosky has brought into focus the main issues between corporate success and spiritual happiness. Does one have to lose one to gain the other -- not according to the author. I agree. You can have both. His chapter on "Tapping the Power of Gender Teamwork" is one of the reasons I recommend his book to my clients. I recommend any professional, seeking a better understanding of the corporate world to read this book.

Positive Peer Culture: Second Edition (Modern Applications of Social Work)

Published in Paperback by Aldine Transaction (1985-12-31)

Authors: Larry Brendtro and Harry Vorrath

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New therapy for young people with social problems

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2005-07-22

I have a teen age grandson who was getting into drugs and dropping out of junior high school but otherwise very bright and into music, piano and guitar, and lots of curosities about social problems and medical problems, a voracious reader. He is now in an alternative school and the methods used are those described in this book, and after six months is appearing to be straightened out and may be able to rejoin the "normal" outside world

Excellent methodology for working with troubled youth

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1998-12-02

This book is the foundation for Positive Peer Culture; a very powerful treatment approach that mobilizes the natural and dynamic potential of adolescent peer groups. Working with delinquent and emotially disturbed youth in residential treatment for over 25 years I have found this to be an outstanding process for staff and youth alike and have utilzed it as our primary treatment approach at the Connecticut Junior Republic.

Caring For Kids & Empowering Kids to Care

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2002-01-07

Positive Peer Culture is an indispensable asset to all those committed to helping young people reach their full potential as individuals and members of their communities. Vorranth's and Brendtro's writing is the result of a fruitful dialectic of theory and praxis; Positive Peer Culture is a model for youth treatment and empowerment grounded in effective practice. I know of no other approach that so effectively challenges young people to assume the task of caring, helping, changing, and living responsibly (and I've experiences several approaches).

The authors include the vital information necessary for both youth workers and adolescents to effectively implement Positive Peer Culture in residential and school-based programs. This volume also contains insights gained from the practice of Positive Peer Culture not available in the first edition, including discussion of common mistakes staff make during the implementation process and a chapter on evaluating programs based on PPC.

I have seen PPC empower many young people to live responsible and meaningful lives-young people who where labeled hopeless and unreachable. I first read the volume, "Positive Peer Culture," at age thirteen while attending a PPC based residential treatment program. At age twenty-three, I find the authors' concepts and methods as inspiring and compelling as when I first discovered them; they are set forth in simple and straightforward terms easily understood by professionals, laymen and youth alike.

Although PPC has been used primarily to empower adolescent offenders, the ideas in this book, if applied, are helpful for working with young people from a variety of backgrounds in a variety of settings-from community based programs, to public schools, to juvenile detention facalities. In addition to professional youth workers, teachers, ministers, parents, and youth themselves can benefit greatly from reading "Positive Peer Culture."

People who believed in empowering young people asked me to read this book and practice the principles it sets forth so that I might understand the power of caring. If you care about kids, I hope you will buy and read this book so that you may be better equipped to empower them to become the great men and women they have the potential to be.

Excellent Training Manual for Youth Workers

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-17

Positive Peer Culture is an excellent resource for youth workers working with young offenders in a residential custody setting. Ten years of using the principals, which are so clearly explained in the manual, to create a climate of caring and trust with young offenders, has convinced me that Brendtro and Vorrath have got it right. There is no better system of behaviour management and cognitive restucturing in existence that I know of!

Powerhouse Partners: A Blueprint for Building Organizational Culture for Breakaway Results

Published in Hardcover by Davies-Black Publishing (2004-09-25)

Author: Stephen M. Dent

List price: $28.95

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A handy guide to structuring a strategic partnership

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-07

The joint project of organizational consultants and human resource experts Stephen M. Dent and James H. Krefft, Powerhouse Partners: A Blueprint For Building Organizational Culture For Breakaway Results is a handy guide to structuring a strategic partnership, whether between businesses, within a project, or with an individual, and applying the Powerhouse Model to smoothly coordinate and maximize efforts. Chapters outline a three-strep process: practicing focused leadership, building a partnering infrastructure to balance competencies, retain high-quality talent, and increase growth, and developing smart partners with creativity, openness, and connectivity to better allow for quick adjustments to unexpected changes. A practical guide for dealing with both individual and collective personalities, and making the most of human resources to focus on optimum goals.

Great book, easy read, lot's of takeaways

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-12-31

I found "Powerhouse Partners" an extremely interesting and valuable book from two perspectives. First, as a trainer helping companies develop leadership skills it is refreshing to see Dent and Krefft focus on the concept of connections and how powerful they are in maximizing the potential of any person and any organization. They not only talk about the concept, but provide a framework any leader or person can use for building quality connections between people and throughout an organization. The specific tools and techniques described should be part of every company's leadership development program.

Second, as a CEO of a small but growing company I have been using connections and partnering since our incorporation in 1988, however after reading "Powerhouse Partners", I will be focusing even more on creating partnerships. I found the real-life examples and clarifying graphics extremely useful in understanding the specific concepts and will be using many of the exercises, forms and assessments provided in the book to help me build successful and productive partnerships for my comany.

A Wonderful, Subversive Book

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-22

This is a subversive book.

On the surface, Powerhouse Partners can be read as a useful guide to advanced managerial and organizational practice and techniques in the business book genre. Authors Stephen Dent and James Krefft share their business culture-building skills gained from years of practice in the corporate trenches. The book is a must-read for managers, but especially for a new generation of CEOs and CEOs-in-waiting.

The authors have written a much more powerful book than the jacket blurbs claim. Powerhouse Partners can be read as a book within a book. It is this text below the surface that interests me.

Althouh Dent and Krefft might not appreciate the comparison, I liken the book to Karl Marx's Das Kapital. Of course Powerhouse Partners has nothing specifically to do with Marx's massive text on political economic theory and his polemical critique of 19th century capitalism. But it may be like Das Kapital in its (understated) critique of outmoded practices and structures of corporate capitalism by means of an easily-read understanding of networking. Powerhouse Partners, despite the business seminar alliteration, is really radical stuff.

A descriptive title might be the more accurate Amplificatory Buiness Networking Theory and Practice, though no publisher's marketing department in their right mind would ever call it that. This book is not just a text on the latest managerial fad-du-jour, but a fundamentally different approach to organizational culture and praxis.

Network theory applied to organizational practice is the next big thing. I recommend reading Powerhouse Partners along with some other texts (this in itself would be "smart partnering," and follow the language and advice of the authors). The key partner text is Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means by Albert-László Barabási (Perseus Books 2002). And why not two powerhouse partners for Powerhouse Partners? Throw in Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software by Steven Johnson (Scribner 2002). Perhaps any other texts on the networking theory and complexity theory bookshelf would also amplify Dent and Krefft's book in ways the authors would approve of.

"Partnering theory," (although it sounds too much like a text on successful gay marriages) would be better described by the as-yet unnamed theory-nexus where complexity, chaos, and network theory overlap. Whatever this emerging field ends up being called, complex network theory is a gateway to deep understanding of how the world works, It also, one hopes and prays, would lead to improved business practice that is not at odds with the real world outside of the dominant corporate commercial cultures overtaking national, cultural, and political life around the world today.

Here are some specifics. Dent and Krefft write: "Smart partners drive creativity by increasing the frequency, frankness, and fruitfulness of interpersonal connections, dialogue, and collaboration" (page 130). I wonder if this is a prescription that the average CEO would actually believe (though to be sure, some lip service might be paid to it in corporate communications or HR contexts.) Yet let's accept it as intuitively correct: it feels like it would work since it uses what seems like a deep, network principle.

Yet paradoxically, Barabási has observed that increased traffic along network pathways has a tendency to create hierarchies though the unexpected development of "supernodes." Is this the opposite of Powerhouse Partners observation that "Hierarchies are being replaced with networks" (page 157)? Networks may have counter-intuitive properties. Increased traffic in interpersonal connections tends to favor the person who is a node--i.e., the person who, through an initial lucky or brilliant state condition, is positioned to become super-connected to many others. This person, whoever she/he is in the imagined hierarchy, becomes powerful, despite what the organizational charts might say. Thus network dynamics create new hierarchies which may or may not include the guy who makes all the money--the CEO.

Powerhouse Partners could be the book that begins to change corporate culture and governance because it is friendly and non-threatening. When read with some other partnering texts, its true beneficially subversive nature is revealed. May corporate culture be changed forever, and may new organic networks develop that include the big world of interconnected nature and bioregional processes, thus both humbling corporate capitalism and yet allowing rightly-scaled, sustainable development and co-evolution.

Powerhouse Partners

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-10-18

This book walks the reader through the steps and benefits of developing partnerships within their organization. I found the book to have a logical flow of ideas and enjoyed reading the anecdotes. All of us would like to work for a company that used this model with their employees and customers.

Practical Religion

Published in Hardcover by Sovereign Grace Publishers Inc. (2001-11-01)

Author: John Charles Ryle

List price: $34.99

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Uncommon Wisdom

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-03

The problem with Christians and their ministers, that I am liable to as well and that Bishop Ryle addresses in this text is summed up in the following statements:

"... we live in a day of weak and feeble statements. The danger of the state of nature is feebly exposed. The privileges of the state of grace are feebly set forth. Hesitating souls are not encouraged. Disciples are not established and confirmed. The man out of Christ is not rightly alarmed. The man in Christ is not rightly built up. The one sleeps on, and seldom has his conscience pricked. The other creeps and crawls all his days and never thoroughly understands the riches of his inheritance." (p. 454)

"But to have religion enough to be saved, and yet not go into extremes, -- to be sufficiently good, and yet not be peculiar, -- to have a quiet, easy-going, moderate kind of Christianity, and go comfortably to heaven after all, -- this is the world's favorite idea. There is a third class, a safe middle class, the world fancies, and in this middle class the majority of men persuade themselves they will be found." (p. 446)

He answers the challenges of the above statements through systematic forceful compassionate stinging offending bold unashamed essays on what the Scriptures say about what Christianity is, and what true Christians are like. The readers will not only find systematic treatments on what the Bible teaches about Jesus Christ, the gospel, zeal, happiness, heaven (under the heading "Our Home") and hell, the church, holiness, charity, formalism, the absolute necessity of spiritual disciplines of prayers, Bible reading and ordinances, the end times (the great gathering and the great separation), but also piercing questions to the point that I feel as if he were forcing you to deal with the questions at hand in often an obnoxious manner which I think is very good, appropriate, and necessary. The readers will find heart-searching, self-examining questions as:

"Is your religion a matter of form, not of heart? Answer this question honestly, and as in the sight of God. And if it is, consider solemnly the immense danger in which you stand.... I earnestly beseech you this day to know your danger, to open your eyes and repent...if you only have a name to live, and a form of godliness without power, awake and repent. Awake, above all, if you are an evangelical formalist... There is no formalism so dangerous as evangelism formalism.... Whatever religion you have, never be content with wearing a cloak." (p.281-282)

There are few indeed, ministers with uncommon wisdom and vision of the signs of the times, the dangerous ones particularly; of whom Ryle is one of them, not only in the 1800's but O how much still and even more applicable today, the sober warnings from the Scriptures of the necessity of earnestness, serious, fight of faith to enter the strait gate and narrow way. "Practical Religion" is a Christian jewel that needs to be in every Christian family's library.

Piercing to the Division of Soul and Spirit, Joints and Marrow

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-10

What does a Christian do? What are the duties of the Christian life? What are the privileges of the Christian person? How does my faith in Christ affect my day-to-day living? My outlook on life and the world around me? J. C. Ryle answers these questions with his characteristic (but uncommon) wisdom, certainty and plainness. It is no mistake that this volume of his practical divinity (the others being `Holiness,' `Knots Untied' and `Old Paths') carries a subtitle that begins `Being Plain.' If Ryle is anything, he is plain. He is straight-forward, sincere, honest and eminently practical. Ryle just plain makes sense. His interpretation and application of the texts are impeccable. He makes Christian theology and the practice of heart-religion seem so simple and obvious and beautiful that I sometimes wonder what Bible I've been reading all these years to have missed so many beautiful truths!

Ryle speaks to both common and uncommon subjects in this volume. Prayer, Bible-reading, and attendance at the Lord's Table are duties which are well-known to every professing believer. His treatment of `Zeal,' `Formality' and `Sickness,' however, are bound to make the nominal Christian more than a little uncomfortable. Ryle speaks to the heart and soul of every man. He wields the sword of the Spirit like a skilful surgeon, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow. His sword strikes true and cuts deep-especially to those whose religion is a matter of practice and not a matter of the heart. It is clear that the title `Practical Religion' does not speak of a formula for mere religious action (nothing was more abhorrent to Ryle than heartless religion), but of those acts which are done by those whose faith is a way of life.

Christian, read J. C. Ryle. You will not regret it. He is a man who first and foremost loves the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the vital center of all his teaching and writing and the sole reason for his great power in ministry. Whether you are an erudite scholar or a hard-laboring farmer, a pastor or a layman, a spiritual elder or a babe in Christ--no matter where you are--Ryle's writings are for you. The love of Christ and the faith of this great 18th century saint cling to every page like an aromatic perfume. He is quickly becoming one of my very favorite writers. I have no doubt he will win a place in your heart (and your bookshelf) as well.

Here is a brief quote from one of my favorite chapters to whet your appetite: `Perhaps you have thought that if a man's religion is correct outwardly, he must be one with whom God is well pleased. You are completely mistaken. You are rejecting the whole tenor of Bible teaching. Outward correctness without a right heart is neither more nor less than Pharisaism. The outward things of Christianity,--baptism, the Lord's Supper, Church-membership, almsgiving, and the like,--will never take any man's soul to heaven, unless his heart is right. There must be inward things as well as outward,--and it is on the inward things that God's eyes are chiefly fixed' (p. 269).

One of the greatest Christian writers of the 20th century

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 1999-06-18

Of all the books I have read in the past few years, no one has influenced my life as Bishop J.C. Ryle has. His writtings give the perfect balance of Law and grace and will help you to better understand the Christian life to a deeper and richer level. I am very thankful for the writings of this man. I would recommend his other works including "Old Paths." His expository commentaries on the Gospels are wonderful, too. Find out why J.C. Ryle has impacted Christians for over 100 years.

Proper Theology = Proper Living

Helpful Votes: 23 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-03

There is quite the movement in today's evangelical circles to the idea of "practical theology." Living what you believe, or 'walking the walk, if you will. What this movement sorely misses however is that to "live what you believe," you must KNOW WHAT YOU BELIEVE! Ryle deftly walks the line between Systematic and Practical theologies, constantly forcing the reader to stop and examine his/her own life. What is the point of theology if it doesn't impact your walk? Ryle challenges the "talk" and the "walk" at the same time. Not recommended for those who do not wish to engage in "Self-Examination," but highly recommended for those who truly wish to make Truth the reflection in the mirror of their lives.