Professional Resources Books

All About Early Care and Education is written by a handful of field experts in a clean and simple format. Make no mistake, the simplicity of this text has not sacrificed quality or content. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, you will enjoy reading this text because of the practical approach to childcare. The black and white soft cover book is advertised as a self-study text and it would be nice to see a review section for each chapter, which this text does not have.

I would recommend this book for use in a vocational school course or program directed at students seeking early childhood certificates or associate of arts degrees in early care and development.

As the cover tells us, it covers all of the CDA (Child Development Associate) competencies. It's easy to read, yet covers theory and application with integrity.

I would definitely get it!

Biosolids management is a research area fairly unknown for the majority of the public and hence it is really difficult to find a good Biosolids text (if any is hardly present!). Considering this, the Author of the book has done an excellent job. The book starts with an in-depth discussions of all the federal regulations/requirements concerning biosolids. In fact, it has heavily borrowed from the EPA biosolids manual -CFR Part 503 rule. Also, all the current biosolids management practices (including incineration/land filling) have been discussed in detail. In addition, all the treatment process in a wastewater treatment plant are given in depth analysis. This book can act as an operators guide for wastewater treatment operators and also a good text for a student interested in biosolids research.

This book is very applicable to any environmental engineer interested in biosolid engineering. Very applicable to current EPA standards and great field reference.

I found this book insightful and well-written. D'Alessandro speaks in plain English, offering an insiders look at what it takes to get ahead in corporate America. I've read more than 150 business books in the last 2 years and this is one of my favorites. As much as we all hate to admit it, your boss has power over your reputation and there are 2 chapters devoted to managing up and what is important to a boss and what should be important to you in developing a career.

D'Alessandro does write about monitoring what you say at all times, a challenge to say the least. It makes sense to think before you speak or fire off email when he points out that every day people are forming opinions of you and you're defining your brand by what you say and how you handle situations.

He also gives no-nonsense advice about how to know when you've outgrown your current position or when to leave a toxic boss. He gives you perspective on dealing with adversaries and reminds you that the more successful you become, the more people will target you for rumors and bad-mouthing.

One of my favorite chapters is "Try not to be swallowed by the bubble." This chapter reminds you that as you ascend the corporate ladder, don't wall yourself off from outsiders. The tendency is to associate only with those at your level or above and you lose insight that is valuable to your organization when you do so.

There are many memorable personal examples peppered throughout this book that made the lessons more applicable, most of which were easy to relate to. D'Alessandro offers many childhood memories of his grandparents that deal with the balance of power in relationships and well as functioning in crisis etc.

Toward the end of the book there is a chapter about dealing with negative press, meaning the media. This is beyond what many who are reading the book will need to worry about, but everything else in the book is quite relevant to corporate life in general for all levels of employees aspiring to leadership positions. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

If you're looking for personal growth applicable to your career other favorites I have are: You are the message by Roger Ailes; The Secret Handshake by Kathleen Kelley Reardon and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell.

PROS:
(1) Excellent concept (your personal Brand).
(2) Most of the value of the entire book can be received by reading the Introduction and the first Chapter (Disc 1).
CONS:
(1) The writer spends a little TOO much time characterizing one's Brand as a set of responses to certain situations, rather than being substantially a reflection who you are.

VERY GLAD I READ THIS BOOK:
In the past I have thought about my "reputation" in businss, but that concept is very subjective, and now I realize it is also incomplete. Re-framing my business-reputation as a Brand helped me realize that to a small extent the rules of business warrant special treatment, and just doing my job well is not the only issue. To a limited extent I *do* need to wear a well-chosen mask in order to play the business game - not good news, not bad news, just true.

A reader should be careful to balance this book with, say, Stephen Covey books, which reinforce that who you are as a person is a large part of your "Brand". Reading only Career Warfare might convince you that your Brand can be molded any way you want, by just saying the right things at the right time, which will certainly not work in the long term!

Reader's style (for audio version): Good

A great overview of how to get the word out about conservation issues, programs and campaigns. Thorough and in-depth. Recommended for anyone in conservation.

This is a book that every ecologist, botanist, conservation biologist, land manager and other environmental professional should read as they work to improve on the critical skills involved in conveying the importance of a healthy environment to "people" values that matter to Joe and Jane Public. For undergraduate and graduate students in environmental studies, ecology, environmental science, environmental policy, environmental management and other related majors, it should be required reading in at least one of their courses.

Right now too many Americans think of environmentalism and conservation as a threat to our economy and quality of life. That is clearly a major communications failure, because the there are in fact abundant ways that conservation can SAVE money, protect the public health, reduce risk of floods, fires, and other such disasters, reduce cancer risk, improve our energy independence and thus national security, and much more while also protecting the health of our environment. Refer to www.ConservationValue.org for some outstanding examples.

Conservationists just need to do a better job of getting their message out there in a way that will resound positively with the public, and this book is a great starting point for learning how to do so.

Even though this book was written in 1997 and is only 87 pages long, it is one of the best books on assessment for a modern teacher, mathematics teacher or other. If math doesn't scare you and you like to figure out analogous practice, it can be a useful general book on student-involved classroom assessment and observational assessment. The writing is well organized, practical, and literate, no jargon. An appendix contains a continuum of math task prototype items of increasing complexity, very useful for designing assessments. I've owned this book for a long time, and used it for classroom and graduate teaching.

I consider this book a creative resource for teachers to use and look at assessment from a different angle. The ideas and techniques used are good sources for use as portfolio tasks. This book makes assessment interesting and at the same time challenging for pupils and teachers.

I made the mistake of loaning this exceptional book to my immediate supervisor who "inadvertently" took the book with him to Hawaii. Believe me, this book saved me time and effort in writing performance reports for subordinates that ranged between exceptional performer to satisfactory worker. Most of all, the book is divided in job performance setting, descriptive narratives, and similiar words that can either make your subordinate float on water, walk on water, or just prodding in the sands. This is a must-have whether you are writing on a civilian subordinate or a military personnel. Do not loan this out to anyone! Encourage them to get their own book, especially, since I eventually began placing notations on areas that interested me or have caught my attention.

"The Definitive Performance Writing Guide" is a book of key words and 'bullet phrases' for performance appraisals. If I ever get stuck for the perfect phrase to describe an employee's job performance, or if I'm writing my 15th appraisal in a row and the song 'Words, Words, Words! I'm so sick of words...' starts tying up my brain cells, this is the book I go to.

This book isn't quite as well organized as James Neal's "Effective Phrases for Performance Appraisals", but it covers favorable and unfavorable reviews, while Neal's book neglects unfavorable reviews.

I also think Drewry's phrases have a bit more flair, especially in the "Complete the Phrase" section for "Below Average Personal Performance (Chapter 11). Here are some examples: "...Poor planner. Great hindsight."; "...Inclined to berate others when they fail to meet perfectionist standards."; "...Lacking in social grace and courtesy." While not quite as cutting as, say, "one beer short of short of a six pack", Drewry quite wisely reminds us that, "Unfavorable bullets are deadly. Use them carefully."

Dave Ulrich, considered by many to be the leading voice of HR strategy and implementation, compiles a selection of various authors' essays into a wonderfully thoughtful and practical collection.

This book is organized into 4 main sections... 1. Delivering Core Capabilities 2. Creating Strategic Clarity: Becoming a strategic partner 3. Making Change Happen: Becoming a change agent 4. Creating Intellectual Capital: Becoming an employee champion

These four sections summarize Ulrich's views on the ever chaning role of Human Resources in not only today's workplace, but tomorrow's.

I recommend this book to any business professional seeking to better understand how employees can better reach their potential, as well as to any HR professional seeking to expand his or her vision of what the profession is capable of accomplishing.

"This is a great time for those interested in human resources." Dave Ulrich (editor) writes, "Human resource issues have become central to business deliberations, surfacing in boardrooms where executives plan and in conference rooms where managers act. Discussions often seek answers to (some) questions...In many ways, these are not new questions. The difference today lies in the approach taken to answer them: Increasingly, the spotlight is falling on human resource issues. To answer these questions, line managers and HR professionals must rethink and redefine human resources...HR professionals have responded to this increased scrutiny with a major shift in thinking from their previous focus on 'doables' to a new, more proactive focus on 'deliverables.' Doables focus on improving HR practices, upgrading HR professionals, and reengineering HR departments. Doables emphasize actions, activities, and what happens. Deliverables refocus attention on outcomes, results, and value created from doing HR work."

In this context, Dave Ulrich says that while few disagree that HR practices, professionals, and departments should refocus on deliverables or results, discussions have just begun as to what constitutes HR results. And, according to him, emerging questions for HR include the following:

1. What are HR results?

* HR results as firm performance

* HR results as capabilities

2. What capabilities may be defined as HR results?

* Creating strategic clarity: be a strategic partner

* Making change happen: be a change agent

* Creating intellectual capital: be an employee champion

3. How does a results focus shift HR responsibility, practices, departments, and professionals?

Finally, he says that this antology provides readers with a clear point of view on HR results and offers specific definitions and examples of those results.

Highly recommended.

Dr. Stadolnik has done us a favor by summarizing previous research and treatment options. He suggests a solid framework for treatment, but points out that the dearth of research in this area has left us with few treatment plans that will work in every case, which is of course what we would all hope for. This is a solid well written book for clinicians, firemen, insurance agents, foster parents and parents who want clear, well written and easily understood information in this often difficult to understand area. Kyle Lassiter, MA, Licensed Professional Counselor

I found this captivating narration of firesetting evaluation a roller coaster ride for the mind. It was a phantasmal display of writing prowess on behalf of the author. It kept me on the edge of my seat and i was compelled to read on and on...

the more time subjects spent online, the more depressed and lonely they tended to be. The report concluded that one hour a week of Internet use led to an average increase of 1% on the depression scale and 0.04% on the loneliness scale. Researchers think time spent on the Internet may be deducted from contact with real people. Participants in a study reported a decline in interaction with family members and a reduction in numbers of friends. No matter how heartfelt, e-mail, chat rooms, and newsgroups have an ephemeral quality compared to real human relationships. How does Internet communication affect mental health? Why? In terms of mental health, what do you think is the best way to use the Internet?

This in clearly the best book available about the Internet for mental health professionals. The author explains the workings of cyberspace in clear and accessible English that even the most computer-illiterate will be able to understand. He also provides an invaluable list of resources specifically tailored to mental health. Excellent job! Bravo!

Evaluating Human Resources, Programs, and Organizations was written for professionals, involved in adult education, who are looking for new ways or more information about evaluating adult education programs. The purpose of this text is to examine ways to evaluate people, programs, and organizations. The author discusses evaluations that are completed by an outside evaluator, someone who is not a part of the organization, and information is also given about evaluations completed by someone from within the organization.
Currently I am a 4-H Program Associate, or a youth development educator in Wyoming. A major part of my responsibilities is to create, present, and evaluate programs. Throughout my life I have been involved in a variety of program planning situations while a 4-H member myself, in college, and at past jobs; however, looking back I realized that there was only one situation, that I can remember, that an evaluation was given as a part of the program. Due to my lack of knowledge in this area I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at evaluations. The text was very interesting, and very beneficial in my search for understanding the evaluation process.
Evaluating Human Resources, Programs, and Organizations is broken down into three major sections. The introduction gives some basic information about evaluations and organizations and the conclusion helps sum up the text, the meat of this text is broken into three parts two chapters each on evaluating people, programs, and organizations. Burnham has written this text based upon personal experiences and observations in the field of program evaluations. He is a program evaluator; he travels from organization to organization and evaluates people, programs, and organizations. Burnham backs up his personal experiences with scientific facts that he has located through a variety of sources.
The goal of the text is to give the reader some tools needed to successfully evaluate programs, people, and organizations. The text discusses the challenges that might arise when completing an evaluation from the political and leadership perspectives. The author then goes into detail on ways to measure or evaluate programs, people, and organizations. Each section discusses different models used to evaluate these three different sectors, and how to analysis your finding, and make presentations depending on a variety of circumstances described. These circumstances included such things as who the evaluator is, were organization members involved in the evaluation process, who are the stakeholders, and what will the results of the evaluation effect.
Personally, after reading the text I feel that the author did a good job of reaching his goals. He did an outstanding job of providing models to be used during evaluations, and he discussed in detail some problems that evaluators might encounter, and what to do in these situations. The author did a great job of introducing evaluations and I walked away from this book with more knowledge, and more confidence in my abilities to evaluate a program and my organization.
Two major factors influenced my reaction to this text they were. First, the author describes a way to evaluate employees using "job descriptions, work performed, evidence of that work, the assessors, the criteria, and a weighing criteria." (19) This hit home because this is how I am evaluated. The author discusses the importance of stakeholders input, and my organization allows input in the evaluation process as well. After reading about this type of evaluation in the first chapter, the credibility of the author really stuck out. I knew that the author had real world experience and that his examples and ideas were going to be true to life, something useful in my program. Learning about personal evaluations will help me in my job to evaluate volunteers, and I am already brain-storming ways to use this evaluation method to help me to involve my volunteers in the evaluation of the county program as well as their personal clubs.
The second reason that I found this book useful and creditable was it's symmetry to the class text. The first chapter discusses formative and summative evaluations. "Formative is used to guide the implementation and management of an evaluation. Summative is often conducted at the end of the program and is used to make some judgment about how well the program did and how worthwhile it was." (5) The author goes into detail and discusses both types of evaluations thoroughly, helping me to understand the differences.
Another symmetry, between the class text and Evaluating Human Resources, Program, and Organization was the discussion on objectives. The course text discusses at length the importance of aligning the objectives and the evaluation. The purpose of the evaluation is to see if the program was effective, if it was effective then the objectives should have been met. Burnham discusses in the section on evaluating people "The newest age of performance appraisal is based on how well established objectives have been met." (18) In other words even in performance appraisals organizations are moving toward looking at objectives.
The class text discusses evaluations at length, and what to include when evaluating programs. Burnham also discusses the importance of instrument design. The author states "Only gather information that will be used." (75) I think this is the most important aspect of evaluations. Gather data that is useful, that will be beneficial to the program, and will help to move the organization forward.
In conclusion, I am highly involved in program planning and believe that this text would be very beneficial to anyone who is planning programs. This text is also beneficial for those who are asked to do formal performance appraisals because it gives ideas about what the evaluator is looking for. In other words, the text could be beneficial in many different avenues and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is involved in program management, program planning, or human resources. The author does a fantastic job of illustrating the practices of evaluations in ways that are beneficial to professionals in adult education.

Discusses the process of evaluation and issues relating to the role of the evaluator. Chapters discuss: personnel evaluation; evaluating programs, program planning, and human resource development outcomes; and evaluation of organizations in such areas as morale, structure, administration, functions, and strategic planning. Tends to focus on educational environments but has value for application in business.