Organizations Books

This book is an excellent account of real life as an assistant principal, mainly on the secondary level. As a HS teacher in an urban school district all of the accounts in this book are, (in my opinion) true and factual experiences. In my few years as a teacher I have witnessed and experienced, many of the everyday challenges these administrators face. The book pulls no punches and gives it to you "raw"! If you wanna know what the job really entails you will pick this up. Excellent read, great resouce.

The book is well organized and well written. It presents real life stories, issues, and feelings of first-year assistant principals. The book presents the stories and quotes within a research context and utilizes triangulation of data sources for a more solid "research" basis. It is an excellent book for a real look inside the administrative offices of assistant principals.

The neat thing about this book is that it has tons of quotes from 1st year assistant principals. It is very easy for school administrators to mock or make fun of authors who have never been where we are; however, this book is nothing like that. The authors give the landscape and REAL AP's fill in the paint. Excellent book.

This is the kind of book that makes you say 'I wish I had read this before....' The book is very practical and very helpful for young pastors and/or pastors-to-be (semianry students). I wish I had read this before I became pastor of my first church. I bought copies to give to young pastors in our area. Small places have great value in the maturing and development of young pastors!

The authors of this book say that while in some ways seminary trained them for pastoring small-town churches, in other ways it did not. Why not? Because their seminaries assumed a suburban model of doing church. Those models, when transplanted to the small-town environment, just don't work.

The authors both gave into the temptation to treat the small-town church as a smaller version of the suburban church before figuring out that the small-town church isn't just a miniature version of the suburban church. It has its own characteristics and will thrive only when it focuses on being itself, on doing what it does best--intimacy and involvement.

I like the way the authors learned to approach pastoring in the small town as cross-cultural ministry, realizing they had to become students of the local culture, just as missionaries to other countries do. An eye-opener for me was the challenge of pastoring in the "rurban" community, a traditional farm community that is now becoming a bedroom community for commuting professionals. How can a church reach out to include these professionals while also remaining relevant to the farm community? It's a challenge, but a doable challenge. This book also has a good chapter on how to lead the decision-making process in the small-town church. (It's a lot different from in the larger church.) There's plenty of practical wisdom in this one to make it worth a read. As a church consultant, whenever I do a consultation with a small-town church, I almost always give the pastor a copy of this one.

If you are a pastor of a big or small church you must read this book. Very sound biblicaly.

This book was fantastic. Our organization really needed to make upgrades to our board but did not know where to begin. This book gave us excellent ideas to the many questions we had plus many excellent ideas that we did not even think of. I highly recommend this book to every organization with a board to utilize as a tool.

Excellent book for all board members, including paid staff. Everything you need to know is in there. Many practical ideas.

I really liked this book a lot. It includes sound theory and is practical. And it was an easy read. It has 80 chapters broken into 7 sections as follows:

1. Basic board functions (1-12)
2. Board structure (13-22)
3. Selection and development of board members (23-36)
4. Board and committee meetings (37-46
5. The board's role as a fiduciary (47-58)
6. Board-staff relations (59-70)
7. Organizational change (71-80)

Each "chapter" ended with suggested action steps. And I found them to be very informative. It was very well written, but I thought there were too many chapters. I felt kind of like I was reading an online blog.

This is a VERY practical guide or handbook for board members and executives of nonprofit organizations. It is totally consistent with how things at well-run nonprofits work and/or should work. If you are responsible for running a nonprofit organization and and want to know how to do things the right way, then get a copy of this book and take advantage of what it has to offer. It will definitely prove to be helpful unless you are already an expert on the subject matter. 5 stars!

This is an excellent edited book on the non-profit sector. It is one of the few sociological treatments on the subject As a sociologist it has the full set of critical perspectives I have been searching for.

This volume is meant primarily to be a textbook for master's or Ph.D. level students. Nonprofit theory and cutting edge research is covered by the known academics in the field. The reference section is superb, leading one to further articles to explore an area in more depth. Yet the practioner will also find this book helpful in many ways, trends in funding and volunteering, up-to-date research brought to the practioner's world, etc. Even if you are not a student, if you work in the nonprofit sector you will find this book to be extraordinarily helpful.

Handbooks tend to be daunting reading. So you can imagine my surprise when, after reading it through the first time, I found myself wanting to read it through again! This is a very rich book that will be useful to a wide range of readers from experts to beginners in nonprofit sector research.



Beginners will benefit from the comprehensive nature of the collection. The broad coverage will serve as a fine map to guide those who are looking for paths to follow into nonprofit sector practice and research. Like an MRI scan, the depth of each chapter will serve as a map of the ever expanding theoretical and practical knowledge base of the contemporary nonprofit sector.



Readers who have some nonprofit sector experience will find themselves turning again and again to the chapters related to their area of research and practice. The experience of re-reading some of the chapters three and four times each allowed me to appreciate the depth of scholarship embedded in the theories and empirical evidence presented on each page. This is the kind of book you'll want to keep nearby, because something of value will be there to meet you at each read.



Experts in the field are going to find a lot here to their liking as well. The scope of the subject matter covers research from so many disciplines that, no matter what your interests are, you'll find something here that relates to your particular field of research. The volume also presents scholars with many well documented glimpses into the state of the art research on the full gamut of nonprofit sector issues.



The creation of a handbook that is broad in scope, deep in research detail, and useful to both beginners and scholars is something to be celebrated by all those involved in the nonprofit sector. Congratulations to those who worked on this project. You have pulled off a most difficult of tasks for the second time.

Having lived near Northwestern all my life, I thought I knew the history. However, 'little did I know!' This is an extremely well done book, the pictures are priceless as are the narratives. A must have for history buffs and university supporters.

I have this book displayed on my shelf right next to my Northwestern yearbooks because it is prepared in a simlar format. This book methodically and beautifully details the history of Northwestern University through illustrations, historic photographs, and memorable accounts that will keep you interested from start to finish. I particularly appreciated the aerial maps of the campus that appear at the beginning of each chapter. This shows the layout of the campus for the time period covered by the chapter, and truly shows the progress that has been made over the years.

My only complaint is that there were not more pictures of the building of the landfill section of campus. This, to me, is the most fascinating part of Northwestern's history and is now one of the most beautiful parts of campus. In summary, I would like to have seen a few more 'old vs new' photographs. The way it is, there are just enough to tempt the palette. So, it is only natural that, after reading this book, you will be thirsty for more. I hope a next edition will be written to answer that call.

As it is, this is a well-executed account of a terrific university. Happy birthday NU! And thank you, Mr. Pridmore, for this wonderful gift.

I have very fond memories of the time I myself spent at NU, and this book never ceases to bring them back to mind! This sesquicentennial tribute does it all -- from detailing the history of the school as well as of longstanding Wildcat traditions (i.e., Waa-Mu, Mee-Ow, painting The Rock) to showcasing some of the Evanston campus' most "photogenic" spots. This is definitely a must-have for any NU-loving alum.

I know Juanita Doyon through the Assement Reform Network. I boycotted my state standerdized TAKS test. Juanita Doyon in her book "Not With Our Kids You Don't" gives a unique and witty portrayal of what is happening to schools across the country with a fresh and interesting perspective. Through the eyes of a mother on the front lines of education reform she shows her opinon on the maddness associated with standerdized testing. This book had me laughing and rolling over on the floor. I finally felt as though I'm not the only one out there who thinks these tests are doing more harm than good. Juanita does a good job of presenting her arguements against high-stakes testing and does a good job of using "common-sense" something, we Texans don't see much of when it comes to our state politics- especially concerning our public schools. Although, I recieved a free copy of this book after reading it I gave it to my mom who supported me through-out my boycott expierience for I felt it was a must for any mother with a child in a public school. She too enjoyed it and the book gave her more insight into why I made the decision to boycott. All in all if you have a child in public than read this book- trust me when No Child Left Behind gets in full gear your going to have wished you had!
You go Juanita your speaking for all of us!

It seems as though 'Not With Our Kids You Don't' was written just for me. I laughed out loud and my husband rolled his eyes and nodded in agreement when I read him this home-hitting excerpt ... "When I say I'm a 'full-time activist,' I actually mean I'm obsessed. My family is extremely understanding; my husband hardly ever throws a fit about the cluttered house or the lack of a decent meal." (Pg. 48) I am one of the lucky ones -early on in my foray into activism, I received an email of welcome from Juanita Doyon (a.k.a. the Button Lady; the Room Mother of the Resistance Movement). She's the one that broke the news to me -- "Oh you've got it bad" she wrote with a "giggle, giggle" thrown in for good humor. Now I use Juanita's book as a special gift to break the news to new activists I meet along the resistance trail - on the inside cover I write "Welcome to the obsession." Behind every successful education activist there is a lot of friendship, great advice, and good natured ribbing -- this indispensable book is a great way to spead it around.

In this delightful, easy to read book, Juanita Doyon tells why she has made it her personal agenda to make sure no child is really left behind. With passion, focus, and humor she gives us lessons on how to become actively involved in education by relating her own experiences as a parent in schools. Doyon's book should be used as a manual for PTA's and PTO's nationwide, both for her cookie recipes and her wisdom.

This is a must own for any new or seasoned OD professional. I require it in my OD graduate courses. These days, to ask a student to pay this kind of money for a book, that book must be worth it... this one is.

An excellent compendium from the leaders in the field of Organizational Development. A fine reference.

Edited collections at this price point can be a problem. But compared to its competitors, this NTL Handbook is an outstanding volume, written by some of the biggest names in OD for practitioners at all levels. Great value after you get over the sticker shock.

As a skimmed the book I was amazed by the new insights that leapt out at me, by the clear, jargon-free writing (relatively, after all it's a professional book) and by the generous references and citations. History, ethics, techniques, it's all there. While the formatting of tables is sometimes inconvenient (I found myself turning the book sideways more than I should have had to), it's a small price to pay for the comprehensiveness of the treatment.

My only disappointments were the two chapters on large group interventions. One covers the familiar territory the familiar way (refer to the books you already own). The other gives a partial account of the newest, technology-enabled 'town meetings' without grounding the story in the theory of why they work (or should) and how cost-effective they are as OD interventions, as opposed to political rallys. The rest of the book is fresh and new, even of topics that we practitioners think we know like the back of our hand. I marvelled at the new life some chapters breathed into traditional material.

This book from NTL Institute should be in every consultant's library, as a refresher and, more important, as a source of new inspiration as you work with organizations and the people in them.

very happy with purchase as I collect many things associated with nuns. It was accurately described and delivered quickly.

I loved this calendar so much I bought two- one to use and one to frame the best of the images. These pictures are wonderful- beautiful black and whites of nuns in casinos, looking at nude art, on the beach, drinking beer, etc. These are real women having the time of their lives, in full habit no less. Looking at the calendar every morning is a reminder to have a great day and not to take life too seriously. As a practical matter, the squares are large enough to put a lot of info on, so even people with busy schedules can keep it all in one place.

Ideal for people who like knowing what the date is and seeing nuns having fun, or for people who wish to win an argument with a sceptical friend who claims that nuns don't ever have fun.

This was a wonderful book in provoking ideas how we can change the most segregated hour in America...the hour we are in our churches. However, it can be used to consider diversity in all of its shapes and sizes. Learning styles, gender, and ethnicity could be cracked open by a considered and dedicated attempt to become "multiracial." As a lay person, my challenge is how to gently prompt leadership into consideration of these ideas.

George Yancey opens his book by reminding the reader that multiracial churches have existed throughout our countries history, and he proposes 7 principles of successful multiracial church leadership, which can alleviate "race fatigue" and lead to healthy sustainable churches in the future. The bulk of the book, chapters 5-12, is taken up with the proposing of 7 great principles of successful churches and unpacking the same. The principles are inclusive worship, diverse leadership, overarching goal, intentionality, location, personal skills, and adaptability. Yancey tackles the question of whether multiracial churches should exist by dispelling two formidable arguments from the church growth and cultural pluralism paradigms. As one author interviewed explains, "there are a lot of people in (urban cities) who will not believe in a message that is spiritual if it does not express itself in a global, holistic way." Despite the overwhelming biblical evidence presented for the planting and revitalization of churches to be multiracial, Yancey makes it clear that monoracial churches are not a "sin", in and of itself, saying, "Some churches do not have an opportunity to create racial diversity because there is not racial diversity in the community around the church." Yancey makes a marvelous point that the tendency of some to accept colorblindness as an aspect of anti-racism, are in effect discounting the very real racial alienation that exists in our society; hence, are injuring people of color similarily to how white flight injures by insult. That is "colorblindness" as an ideology implies ethnicity and culture do not matter, which is an insult. Yancey names another ideology that most are not even aware of - "the dirty little secret that we are a racially segregated society and we are comfortable with this segregation. Many people feel that to admit to this comfort is to admit to being comfortable with racism, and we do not want to be perceived as racist." Yancey has this advice for leaders of multiracial churches - one can continue to believe perspectives from their own racial culture but to be successful in a multiracial setting one must intentionally pursue a fusion of horizons with the perspectives of the other, not just accommodate but value the perspective of the other. One Body, One Spirit is a compelling must have resource for any one serious about the journey to a successful multiracial church. Yancey also supplies a rich appendix including the questions from his Lilly funded research.

Although almost intuitive, Dr. Yancey's study of multiracial churches confirms the nature of racially (and culturally) inclusive congregations. I have taken his 7 Principles and used a slightly modified version to describe multicultural churches in the Episcopal Diocese of Texas, as well as to set goals for churches aspiring to be be multicultural. Dr. Yancey is also a good presenter. Very practical, very concrete, highly readable.

I've tried other processes, but this book made sense to me. It is a very powerful resource for getting focused on your business. The step by step process gave me insight into how I can grow my business. The best part of the whole process is that my entire plan will be on one page so that it is easy to review and keep focused.

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I was privileged enough to review an advanced copy. What a great book! Jim Horan is getting better. This is his fourth book in the series and I believe the best one. It differs from his other books, spending more time on evaluating your present practice through a self-assessment section. It also includes a "sage-advice" section from other financial planners. Both were valued additions. The last book, One Page Business Plan for Non-Profits had 117 pages. This one has 100 pages. At first, I felt it was short sample plans, therefore lacking in content. However, in true "Horan" fashion, he has forced you to write your plan, not copy others. His accompanying CD has several great tools for you to use and of course, The One Business Plan template. The highest compliment I can give though is that this book makes YOU write the plan.