Organizations Reviews

Marvels of Charity: History of American Sisters and Nuns

Published in Hardcover by Our Sunday Visitor (1994-09)

Author: George C. Stewart

List price: $29.95

New price: $41.75
Used price: $3.90
Collectible price: $34.95

Average review score:

Interesting book with lots of information.

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-18

This book gives quite a bit of history as far as religious orders in the U.S. and the kind of work that they have done over the years. I also enjoyed the photos because I feel that they helped me to understand the history better. And it's interesting to see how the nuns and sisters have dressed over the years.

Excellent photos of the distinct dresss/habit of many orders

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-08

This book was excellent in explaining the history of the many different religious orders of sisters that came to america to educate and heal. Many fine pictures of the different religious habits worn by the sisters. A complete list of colleges and hospitals, and the year they were founded here in the United States. It is the most complete history book representing a sample of the many different orders of sisters, and their good works.

Excellent photos of the distinct dresss/habit of many orders

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-08

This book was excellent in explaining the history of the many different religious orders of sisters that came to america to educate and heal. Many fine pictures of the different religious habits worn by the sisters. A complete list of colleges and hospitals, and the year they were founded here in the United States. It is the most complete history book representing a sample of the many different orders of sisters, and their good works.

Marvels of Charity- Excellent Nun research material

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-02

This book has excellent pictures on the nuns in the full traditional habit thru out the book, with quick accounts of the various religious orders. In the back of the book is a dateline of all the religious orders of Sisters and the institutions they founded in the United States such as catholic hospitals, and colleges. Its an wonderful resource on any person researching the history and traditions of the Catholic Sisters (nuns) who have served our country as educators and health care professionals.

Wonderful history

Helpful Votes: 8 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2001-09-17

A few years ago I took a college course on the history of health care in the US. I noticed that there was a strange neglect to mention all the work that sisters have done in hospital/nursing. It is good to see a book that gives us a good description of this and other work. It is amazing to see these women working against such adversity, and achieving so much. Our usual image of 19th century women does not include administrators and CEOs, but that is what these women were. They served God and their fellow humans in remarkable ways. It made me nastalgic for the days of plentiful vocations.

Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate: A Facilitator's Guide: A Mentors Handbook for Successfully Coaching the NBPTS Candidate Through the Certification Process

Published in Paperback by Weekly Reader Teacher's Press (2006-07-23)

Author: Jerry L. Parks

List price: $10.95

New price: $6.81
Used price: $6.76

Average review score:

"Information new NBPTS mentors have been unable to find until now!"

Helpful Votes: 13 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-21

I was pleasantly surprised to find Dr. Parks' little book online, but quite disappointed that it (I assume) was not available last year when I really could have used it.

Unlike many of the large (and expensive) tomes written to help National Board candidates, this very small book cuts to the chase with succinct and helpful instructions for mentors. Two features which definitely make it an improvement over Parks' book for candidates are the Suggested Activities and the excellent Questioning Techniques, which mentors can utilize with their candidates.

What I really appreciated was the inclusion of some of the finest research available on accomplished teaching (Einhorn), Cognitive Coaching (Costa & Garmston), and Bacal's 'Rules for Facilitating'. These add a depth to this work, which I feel, was lacking in "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?"

Less helpful, but nevertheless nice, are the Mentoring Ethics, the list of websites, and the suggested forms for mentors to use while facilitating their candidates in each of the four entries. I only wish the book had been published in a larger format, since there is a lot of (small print) detailed information on those forms. Oh yes, the Ten Commandments of Mentoring are a nice touch too.

There is no 'fluff' in this book. It is brief, but all in all, very helpful. It presents much of what experienced NBPTS mentors already know, but still helps us fine-tune the process. To new mentors, it will be a Godsend, and is exactly what they've been hoping to find in getting started, but up to now, was not available. Highly recommended.

"I'm not a mentor, but this book made me feel better about my candidacy"

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-27

I will confess I am not a mentor, and although I am a teacher, I am not NB certified, so you may want to stop reading now. But I am in the process of achieving my certification and, needing all the help I can afford (literally), I purchased as much helpful material as I could.

You might ask why I'd want this book, then. Well, I met the author at the 2005 NMSA Conference, and he was very encouraging. So, I wanted to give this, and his book for candidates, a try. Sometime back, after reading the other book, I decided I was NOT ready (you can read that review). Now I am.

Since I haven't passed NB certification, my comments might not exactly be valid. But I found this book sort of 'helpful in reverse'. In other words, I learned what the mentor would teach me if I had one. I appreciated the tips on writing, compiling my portfolio, and as someone else mentioned, the chapter on 'Accomplished teaching' might be the best. Unlike the other book, this one has sample handouts for mentors, but they weren't really helpful in my case.

Maybe I'm just afraid of the process, and need every help I can find, but this book at least made me feel more comfortable. I feel really out of place writing this review, but at least I know what most mentors know, and hopefully, this will enable me to pass.

Good luck to everyone else going through this!

"The only book of its type, and indispensable for setting up a new NBPTS mentorship"

Helpful Votes: 15 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-20

Having read this author's previous work "So, You Want to Become a National Board Certified Teacher?", I was curious to see how different a book geared specifically to mentors could actually be. To be honest, there was some overlap. However, considering that Weekly Reader Press has kept the price low, and the fact that the book contains (far) more research than the first work, I found "Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" to be one handy little gem.

Especially helpful were the chapters on "How Adults Learn", and "Mentoring Forms". The first appears thoroughly researched, and the information, I found to be especially relevant to any mentor--not just one working with NBPTS candidates. The latter chapter provides information that only an experienced mentor would think of, and will certainly streamline the process for any mentor starting from scratch. I also found the chapter dealing with the unique concerns of 'Advanced Candidates' (those who did not pass) quite helpful.

The premier chapter however, is "What is Accomplished Teaching?". This chapter alone provides cogent information and helpful suggestions for all teachers--not just NBPTS mentors and candidates. While much of this information is not new, it's nicely synthesized into an easy-to-reference format.

Like the author's first work, included is a self-test, this one on the appropriate and inappropriate aspects of mentoring. While a few statements seem subjective, more than a few were specific guidelines from the NBPTS which (I hate to admit) I was honestly not aware of. This test should prove to be an excellent eye-opener to the novice mentor.

In summary, I think "Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" will be more indispensable to the new mentor than the author's previous work might be to the new candidate. Not because the first book isn't helpful, but because I've seen no other work specifically geared to NBPTS mentors. The two books are quick reads and conversationally written. Considering their inexpensive price, I would recommend putting both on your short list of 'must haves' regarding NBPTS candidacy and mentorship.

"Kudos on a work long needed!"

Helpful Votes: 16 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2006-08-20

Simply put, there are very few pickings when it comes to help for NBPTS mentors. Perhaps because of the need for such, Dr. Parks wrote this book. I don't know, but until something better comes along--and this one's pretty darn good--this book will be the standard.

Let's face it, books on mentoring are not too interesting, but good ones should at least be helpful. As a mentor, I appreciate the author's the low-key 'talk to me' writing style as opposed to pedantic works which read more like Holy writ! But even more, I appreciate the practical and--dare I say it--usable information contained in the suggested activities which make up every chapter. I'm up to here with books long on theory, and short on application!

"Mentoring the NBPTS Candidate" is a 'from the ground up' guide for aspiring mentors, with websites, sample handouts, and checklists for mentors to use in the tutoring process. I heard the author speak at the NMSA Conference last year, and was not aware that this book was in the works. I can say Dr. Parks writes the way he speaks, and I found both his presentation and the contents of this book enjoyable, constructive, and helpful.

I suspect there will be more than a few candidates who will scope out this book, since many of the helps to mentors could also be used by candidates. Whatever the reason to use it, this book is the best thing on NBPTS mentoring out there, and I can't imagine what more information on the subject could be contained in one book.

"If you are mentoring the candidate or beginning the NBPTS process, put this book on your short list."

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-03

As a (former) mentor trainer for the NBPTS, I found this work the finest in the field. It is simple, well-organized, and comprises everything a mentorship for the prospective NBCT might need (including a few sample handouts). I would highly recommend this book to candidates also. Adds a third dimension to learning the process that can only prove helpful. Heck--every teacher could benefit from this book.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

The Moderates' Dilemma: Massive Resistance to School Desegregation in Virginia

Published in Hardcover by University of Virginia Press (1998-10)

Author:

List price: $59.50

New price: $24.87
Used price: $24.80

Average review score:

TKE-- THE UNTOLD STORIES

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-02

WHAT A CHARMING PIECE ON THE ANTEBELLUM SOUTH. CRAFTED WITH PURE GENIOUS AND A PEN FOR DETAIL, "THE MODERATES' DILEMMA" BRINGS TO LIGHT THE UNDENIABLE OBSTINANCE OF THE SOUTH'S PREMIERE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.THIS WORK IS A MUST READ FOR HISTORY GRADS OF ANY BACKGROUND.

Perfect!

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 1999-01-08

I read the book, it is brilliant collection of writings. The editors offer an interesting, sophisticated analysis of the white response to busing. Being a former student of his, I can attest that Matthew D. Lassiter is an incredibly intelligent, dynamic individual. I highly recommend this book, and anxiously await his upcoming works.

A book whose magnitude is monumental.

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-01

Matthew Lassiter, editor-in-chief of this seminal collection, sets forth, once again, a fresh standard of scholarly excellence and eloquence. His essay, "A 'Fighting Moderate,'" illustrates one of his innumerable intellectual virtues, the ability to electrify his arduously acquired historian's sobriety with an innate psychological acuity.

A supremely relevant work of scholarship

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1999-03-23

Matthew D. Lassiter, perhaps the world's pre-eminent scholar of the American South, co-edited this penetrating and resonant collection of essays, to which he has contributed a characteristically elegant and astute study of Benjamin Muse, who figured prominently in the turbulent early years of desegregation in Virginia.

Great Resource

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-10

For my senior seminar, I wrote a paper on desegregation/busing in the South. While I was doing research, a librarian found this book for me. I had to wait 2 weeks to get it through interlibrary loan, but it was worth it!! The essays really bring home the complexity of Southern desegregation when viewed through the lens of class issues. I can only aspire to produce such insightful scholarship!

Music of Silence 2 Ed: A Sacred Journey through the Hours of the Day

Published in Paperback by Ulysses Press (2001-11-09)

Authors: Brother David Steindl-Rast and Sharon Lebell

List price: $12.00

New price: $6.78
Used price: $3.58

Average review score:

Quotidian Contemplation

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-07

I found "Music of Silence" a perfect book to accompany me on a week's retreat to a contemplative Benedictine monastery, where the life of a day is built around the offices, or hours, from Matins through Compline. David Steindl-Rast is a Benedictine monk who has written this companion of reflective essays for each of the monastic hours, to take the reader though the day, as it were. The essays are surprisingly wide-ranging, delving down many paths, from the Zen Buddhism of Thich Nhat Hanh to Rilke. They open up the meaning of such little hours as Terce and Sext, and in doing so they illuminate the various spiritual stages of every passing hour of the day, from night to night. Returning to my secular life I found myself still pondering the hours we pass through daily, as the stages of each passing day really do illuminate a whole life lived.

Excellent Intro to Gregorian Chant

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2001-04-19

I purchased this complete with a copy of "Chant" by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.

The beauty and stillness of this is enchanting and refreshing to the mind. We truly enter the world of sacred monastary in this way.

Just beautiful! Pax Domini!

Grounding-Thought Provoking

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2001-02-14

While walking the reader through the daily life of a monk's spiritual journey, this author also inspires the lay person to listen to the "Music of Silence".

Every chapter deserves contemplation. The book gives everyone a direction to follow, as the hours of the day flow.

I found it even more inspirational to listen to Gregorian Chant while reading. I especially like "CHANT" by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo De Silos.

If you truly need a break from the hectic pace of today's life then this book is a must read.

It has become a permanent part of my library and look forward to reading more from this author.

The listened appreciation of time

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-06

The author discusses how time can be a deeply sacred part of the hours of our lives, and why an appreciation of time has been developed by the experts of the monastic orders. Nothing is as ordinary, or as sacred, as time. Far from being an infinitesimally small unit of measurement or a means of separating one event from another, time provides the means by which the still, small, silent voice of God may be heard. This is a book to take on a sabbatical journey.

Music of Silence A Sacred Journey Through the Hours of the

Helpful Votes: 52 out of 52 total.
Review Date: 2000-03-11

Steindl-Rast examines the moods implied in the canonical hours of the day. I have purchased both the book and the audio tapes of the book. The ideas expressed by Steindl-Rast are positive, valuable, and applicable to daily life. Prime, for example, occurring early in the day, according to Steindl-Rast, might be considered too early and simply an oh-no-here-we-go-again complaint. (my word, not his!) Or, it can be considered an opportunity, kind of a drumroll to our work of the day, preparing us to go ahead with energy and commitment.

Steindl-Rast uses a picture by Fra Angelico, which includes angels for each of the canonical hours, to explain many ideas. He also quotes the poets Robert Frost and Rainer Maria Rilke in his explanations of ideas. The excerpts of poetry are excellent and have led me to read more of each of these poets.

The music of which the author speaks is Gregorian Chant. And the words of the chants are the prayers and meditations that express the hours.

A high school music teacher, I have found the author's defining of the roots of words to describe their applications to be an excellent way to share vocabulary with my students. I have also found many ideas about music and a positive approach to life, all of which my students seem to appreciate.

This is an excellent book.

M C Papadolias

Naked Idealism: Expose Your Authentic Side and Create a Sustainable Life and World, or How to Find Happiness, Direction and Success in Career, Fun, and Relationships While Inspiring Progressive Change

Published in Paperback by Wheitner Authentic Living (2008-09-27)

Author: Dave Wheitner

List price: $19.95

New price: $17.95
Used price: $15.84

Average review score:

An authentic book about being authentic

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-10-05

This book makes so much sense! The author brings you back to basics and what really matters by explaining very complex ideas in a simple, interesting and fun manner. "Naked Idealism" helped me put my life and goals in perspective. Mr. Wheitner's personal examples made it so easy to relate and make connections. I "saw" things more clearly while reading this book. I will likely read it once a year. It was a nice retreat for my thoughts! It is chock full of great resources as well.

A 'must read' for anyone seeking to improve their emotional well-being

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-03

Life is not something that is meant to take with stone cold seriousness. "Naked Idealism: Expose Your Authentic Side and Create a Sustainable Life and World" is a thoroughly 'user friendly' guide to being oneself and taking life how it should be taken - with a grain of salt and a dash of humor. Getting in touch with oneself is clearly the key to being content with one's existence. With a fresh touch of humor in his lectures, Dave Wheitner's "Naked Idealism" is a highly recommended addition to community library Self-Help reference collections, and a 'must read' for anyone seeking to improve their emotional well-being and enjoyment of life.

Pure Metanoia

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-12

Here Dave Wheitner has created a rather offbeat combination of a fairly typical self-help manual with a much stronger treatment of what it takes to be a truly committed sustainability activist. And that's "sustainability" at both the personal and community levels. One of the strengths of the book is that Wheitner certainly practices what he preaches, with plenty of experience to offer thanks to his accomplished counseling career and his own sustainable lifestyle. He's got exceptional advice on improving one's own self-image and inner sincerity in order to become a successful activist, and how an activist can overcome occupational hazards like compassion fatigue, self-righteousness, and unyielding political correctness. Wheitner also has some unique and insightful things to say about escaping the power of money and high-consumption lifestyles.

The only real problem with this book is that much of the text in its middle sections is based on very typical self-help trends and buzzwords, which mostly operate as predictable filler here and which could be applied to any old undeveloped personal philosophy. Wheitner's writing style also relies too much on sentimentality and awkward humor, and watch out for the overused exclamation points. The beginning and concluding portions of the book are much stronger, because this is where Wheitner focuses on the fundamental goal of his philosophy - sustainable lifestyles that will help one's community and the planet while also providing personal fulfillment for the unselfconscious and focused activist. And most importantly, Wheitner provides a useful new conception of idealism, an oft-misunderstood line of thought that can be made more powerful when activists most effectively internalize and externalize their personal ideals. [~doomsdayer520~]

Fulfillment & Fun Can Share the Same Page

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-30

Whether you are looking to switch careers (or jump-start your current one), inspire healthy change in the world, or freshen up your relationships with family and friends, this is a book you should check out. It provides easy-to-follow processes that can be applied to many situations and is jam-packed with activities that are not only effective, but dare I say fun. Dave Wheitner shows us that although change can be scary - it doesn't have to be - and this book shows you how to begin taking steps toward a more fulfilling life.

An excellent intro for new or struggling idealists

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-19

Do you want to live a better life? Do you want to make the world a better place? Are you a frustrated activist? Do you ever feel conflict between what you want to do and what you feel you should do? If any of these apply to you, this book is for you.

Naked Idealism is an excellent book for fledgling or struggling idealists. Dave Wheitner helps you figure out how to balance your external goals with your internal desires, and how to take your wishful thinking and bring it out into the world. His material is drawn from many useful and informative sources, and he provides a bibliography so the interested reader can find more.

As I read Naked Idealism, I marked up the margins on the parts I found particularly good. I ended up with 124 "Cool!" marks, 61 "WOW!" marks, and 6 new books on my to-read list.

The New Global Leaders: Richard Branson, Percy Barnevik, David Simon and the Remaking of International Business

Published in Kindle Edition by Jossey-Bass (1999-03-19)

Authors: Manfred F. R. Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy

List price: $28.50

New price: $22.80

Average review score:

Inspiring vignettes of innovative leaders

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 1999-06-16

Growth on a global stage is the only way to sustainable success. It is an enormous challenge to grow let alone accomplish it globally. This book provides tangible object lessons on how these leaders have done it. If first-hand learning is best, then these stories approximate that construct.

This is an engaging and usefull guide to a difficult act.

A brillant leadership study.

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 17 total.
Review Date: 1999-05-09

A brillant leadership study from M.F.R. Kets de Vries and E. Florent-Treacy. The New Global Leaders is the success stories of three global leaders : " Richard Branson (founder and head of the Virgin Group), Percy Barnevik (mastermind behind the merger of ASEA and Brown Boveri to form ABB), and David Simon (former CEO of British Petroleum) all looked for ways to create a greater sense of purpose for their employees while putting in place the structure necessary for a global organization."

With case studies and interviews, this book has been built around the personal development of these world-class global leaders and the evolution of their companies.

As stated by Kets de Vries and Florent-Treacy," we first discuss the values that provide a foundation for excellence and a new psychological contract in vanguard companies such as Virgin, ABB, and BP and then show how these values can be translated into practice in any organization."

I highly recommend this brillant study.

A detailed and succesful study about ABB and Percy Barnevik see "ABB the Dancing Giant/K. Barham & C. Heimer".

A Good Read!

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-06-03

Authors Manfred F.R. Kets de Vries and Elizabeth Florent-Treacy idealistically foresee a new era where visionary, innovative CEO's will lead a new type of employee. Through insightful interviews, they position Richard Branson of Virgin, Percy Barnevik of ABB and David Simon of British Petroleum as icons of the modern, improved CEO. Certainly, Branson and Simon seem to be valid role models and their leadership of European global companies presents interesting alternatives. Although it is not reflected in this 1999 book, today Barnevik's reputation is tarnished in the wake of a 2002 severance pay scandal and problems that BusinessWeek refers to as "the mess at ABB." For good or ill, this book will provoke you to ask if emphasizing a leader's charismatic ability to motivate distracts attention from critical core business issues. Despite their varied outcomes, these charismatic visionaries created family-like corporate cultures and inspired their employees. Thus, they demonstrated that the new economic era requires a new type of leader. Whether they together constitute a composite of that leader is another question. We recommend this solid book to management students and to upcoming executives.

Delivering shareholder value is not enough

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2000-06-29

Well written, easy to read. Hard acts to follow. You will get to know three successful business leaders. What are their background, childhood, education and career? What happened to their companies when they were leading them? Interviews with each one of them in which many questions are answered that you probably would have asked. The companies are large, global and successful. There is a lot to learn. It is not a cookbook. The authors make a useful summary but when you reflect about what the three persons have done there are not only many things they all did but also many things they did differently. I bought the book because it was listed under the heading "business ethics" in an Amazon search. The book is not directly about ethics. It is useful in that context as it shows that these three leaders through their actions demonstrate having moral convictions. Part of that conviction is to deliver shareholder value but also strong feelings of responsibility for the environment and social issues. Furthermore they have been able, with a lot of hard work, to impart this concept on all of the employees. All three believe that employees become much more motivated and loyal to the organisation when they feel that they are working towards goals in addition to shareholder value. One also becomes convinced that they do not set these wider goals as a public relations exercise or a clever way to motivate people to work harder. These leaders are totally sincere in what they say and what they do.

A great study of leadership and business philosophy

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 1999-08-05

The book gives valuable insight into the way these three ground-breaking European leaders think about business, and how they successfully manage global organizations. The book clearly illustrate the different personal traits of the subjects (the builder, the transformer, and the integrator), and ecourages the reader to challange the pros and cons of the different philosophies. The book reads very much like a case study, and provides an excellent but basic overview over the global marketplace and on how to be able to draw on the ideas implemented by these great leaders.

The Open-book Experience: Lessons From Over 100 Companies That Have Transformed Themselves

Published in Hardcover by Basic Books (1997-11-27)

Author: John Case

List price: $25.00

New price: $3.29
Used price: $0.44

Average review score:

OPENING YOUR ORGANIZATION TO THE OPEN-BOOK PHILOSOPHY.

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 1999-04-13

Opening and reading this book is extremely worthwhile. It is a practical guide showing how to IMPLEMENT the open-book philosophy.

This work provides a new model of business management that bridges the people- versus profit-orientation approaches. Discusses and presents features of ten open-book bonus plans. Some key topics are participation, communication, and empowerment. Filled with lots of detailed information and insights. Reviewed by Gerry Stern, founder, Stern & Associates, author of Stern's Sourcefinder: The Master Directory to HR and Business Management Information & Resources, Stern's CyberSpace SourceFinder, and Stern's Compensation and Benefits SourceFinder.

Excellent insight in to the practical side of OBM

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 1999-02-05

Great practical information on actual open book practices from several companies.

The next step for Open-Book Management

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-22

In his first book on Open-Book Management (OBM), the author builds the case for why a change in management practice is necessary, and why OBM in particular uniquely best addresses the issues needed for successful management today. Once one has read that book and is either interested enough to want to learn more or sold to the point he or she wants to implement it, then this book is the perfect follow-up.

This book focuses on the details, and they say the devil is always in the details. You could say the authors first book dealt more with the "WHY" and this deals more with the "HOW", though there is some crossover. By drawing experiences (both good and bad) from 100 companies, the reader can benefit enormously by not having to deal with as much trial-and-error personally. I highly recommend this book to those who are likely to implement OBM.

A must read book for any interested in Open-book Management

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1999-10-04

One of the best books yet on Open Book Management. Full of practical advice for anyone trying to use Open Book Management in their business. As anyone involved in implementing OBM will tell you, you need all the help you can get. This book has given us a host of new ideas and lots of hands on stuff to help us to make OBM a reality in our business. We hope the next book isn't far away.

"A New Way of Thinking": Macro and Micro Perspectives

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-25

I recently re-read Case's Open-Book Management: The Coming Business Revolution (1996) and then this book (1999). Both are even more important now than when originally published. In this volume, Case develops his key ideas in much greater depth while examining more than 100 companies which -- to varying extent -- have implemented open-book principles. Perhaps without intending to, some reviewers have incorrectly suggested that these principles have relevance only to publicly-traded companies. In fact, I think they can also be of substantial value to non-profits as well as to privately-owned companies. Consider the over-used phrase "taking ownership" in the context of assuming responsibility for helping to reduce costs by completing more and better work in less time or in the context of assuming responsibility for making certain that a customer's problem has been solved. Heaven knows, what Case advocates will increase "business literacy" among everyone involved in a given enterprise but it can and should accomplish more, much more.

For example, effective application of open-book principles will create a "transparent" organization. That is, one in which everyone is kept fully informed of what is most important to the success of that enterprise. Such knowledge includes but is by no means is limited to financial information which explains, for example, how much it costs to open the door each business day or how much money is spent on training, overtime, postage, shipping, etc. According to Case, "Really the only way for a company to boost performance consistently over the long terms is to have employees who work enthusiastically and effectively and who take responsibility for their own work. Good systems -- meaning good procedures and equipment -- are indispensable. But what makes the difference in the end is whether the employees doing the job think about doing it just a little bit better and care whether they do or don't." At a time when competition is more ferocious than ever before, "battles" will be won or lost within what Case characterizes as "the human dimension of business -- the wanting, the caring, the enthusiasm, the problem solving and initiative taking." Open-book principles offer a new approach to management, one which starts from scratch with a new set of assumptions "about how people in an organization work together." In this volume, citing countless real-world applications of those principles, Case explains HOW...and, of equal importance, WHY.

If possible, read Open-Book Management first. You may also wish to check out Kaplan and Norton's The Balanced Scorecard: Translating Strategy into Action and then its sequel, The Strategy-Focused Organization: How Balanced Scorecard Companies Thrive in the New Business Environment. Perhaps the Lone Ranger could prevail armed only with a silver bullet but the rest of us need a full arsenal of weapons. Many of them are provided by Case, Kaplan, and Norton.

Organizations Evolving

Published in Paperback by Sage Publications Ltd (2006-03-03)

Authors: Howard Aldrich and Martin Ruef

List price: $55.95

New price: $44.59
Used price: $39.69

Average review score:

Review on "Organizations Evolving"

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-31

It is a well-written (text)book outlining and discussing, in an accessible and at the same time scholarly manner, the organizational patterns uncovered by organizational theorists studying the emergence and co-evolution of organizations and their socio-politico-economic environments.

There are three features of the presentation of material I especially like:
1) The organizational phenomena/patterns discussed are often considered from the different perspectives of different schools of organizational theorists, each emphasizing very different aspects/interpretations of the same organizational phenomena. This ensures an unusually rich, multi-faceted perspective on and thus a clear understanding of the organizational phenomena/patterns under consideration. You may consider/interpret a red rose, for example, as a geometrical object, as a biochemical system, as a botanic variety, as an object of esthetics, as a symbol of love and passion and in many other ways. Neither perspective alone will give you, however, an adequate understanding of what red rose actually is. Only together, when coordinated within an overarching conceptual context/framework of life, they will provide you with an understanding of the red rose phenomenon. In "Organizations Evolving", the overarching conceptual framework coordinating different interpretations of and perspectives on organizations is the evolutionary framework built on the four conceptual patterns common to all living systems - variation, selection, retention/inheritance and struggle. Notwithstanding the limitations of Darwinian framework for adequate description/understanding of living systems, it is currently by far the best one as compared to any of existing alternatives, and its use as an overarching framework of the organizational theory is a brilliant advance.
2) The organizational dynamics is presented as inherently contextual, i.e. defined by the environment and defining the environment at the same time.
3) The organizational patterns/phenomena are considered across several levels of organizational hierarchy, from intra-organizational dynamics through inter-organizational relationships to the dynamics of organizational populations.
All of these features together with a broad coverage of topics in organizational theory and a well-structured, clear and scholarly presentation of material, make this book a must-to-have resource for any intellectual.

Please keep in mind that everything around you and inside you are organizations. Your thoughts (if they are organized, of course), the organization of your psyche, your cells and tissues, your family, your social network, your organization, your country and your planet are all, in their essence, organizational phenomena. Therefore, if you would like to gain a better understanding of any of those phenomena, and of all of them together, buy and study this book. It is one of those rare texts, the value of which is so overwhelming that any critical comments you may have in mind while reading it eventually fade into insignificance.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Alexei, you have captured the spirit in which I wrote the book! Maybe you could log on & amend your review to include this? (I know that it is allowed).

best,
howard

Must Read

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-12

This book is a must read for organizational scholars in any discipline. This book not only summarizes and synthesizes decades of research in organizations but also provides new insights and understandings of the evolving organization and its environment. Selection, Retention, and Variation are key oncepts that make sense for understanding organizations from their creation and disbanding to innovation and stagnation within organizations. The book has created and encourages news ways to think about organizations by combining what was thought of as opposing theories in the past.

It is imperative that students, scholars, and anyone who interacts with organizations (that is all of us!) should read this book.

Organizations Evolving

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-08

Indicative of the North Carolina Sociology tradition of serving as an incubator for ecological-sociological perspectives, the book opens by quickly stating its goal to apply ecological principles to the study of formal organizations. Aldrich and Ruef define evolution as occurring via four major principles: variation, selection, retention and struggle for scarce resources. Environments shape and select heterogeneous organizations competing for market share, legitimacy and survival. Since Herbert Spencer and his eventual fall from theoretical prominence in sociology, the imposition of scientific analogies to explain social science phenomena has been controversial. However, the evolutionary metaphors presented are lucid and intuitive, and may be especially compelling to newcomers to the field, who are immediately presented with a clear heuristic to understand markets and organizations.

Aldrich and Ruef adroitly apply the evolutionary perspective to all main organizational theories, including population ecology, institutional theory and resource dependency theory. However, regardless if one accepts or prefers the ecological rubric that is sketched out in the early chapters, I believe the book's prime contribution is serving as a comprehensive and contemporary review of the literature in organizations, markets and networks. The standard chapters on organizational forms, boundaries and populations are included, but the book also stands out for its emphasis on the dynamic and fluid nature of markets, institutions, networks, organizations and other relevant social entities. Numerous chapters focus on the emergence of new organizations and populations, showing how the dynamic and static states of organizations and social phenomena in general are intertwined and how organizations often serve as harbingers of social change and development.

The chapter on entrepreneurship and the emergence of new organizations emphasizes the author's emphasis on the dynamic processes that underlie organizational creation. Entrepreneurship and the decisions entrepreneurs make serve as the precursors for the development of organizations in addition the environments they are situated in. Forming (or at least strategizing) one's organizations and networks is an integral part of commerce and economic behavior, and may be one of many areas where economic sociology and formal organizations overlap. As was the case with the book's 1999 edition, the emphasis on nascent and dynamic organizations and entrepreneurs provides valuable perspectives on the struggles of individuals and organizations for survival and legitimacy, and driving forces of innovation and change within populations and industries.

A question the book left me pondering was to what degree formal organizations can be treated analogously to markets and other institutions. While the broad ecological principles Aldrich and Ruef sketch out may provide such an analogy, neoclassical and evolutionary economists have also used similar analogies to evidence their own theories. When an evolutionary perspective is applied to formal organizations or economic phenomena, how does it differ (and should it differ?), if at all, from the Darwinian/Smithian notion of "the survival of the fittest" often invoked by many economists. Some sociologists argue that contemporary economic life is characterized by much adverse selection, with insufficient or undesirable variation, unfair struggle and the retention of undesirable firms and behaviors, which may or may not be uniquely human/social issues and problems that transcend evolutionary theories and phenomena. At the very least, an evolutionary perspective provides an interesting metaphor to explore these macro-level questions.

In short, the second edition of Organizations Evolving can serve as a textbook for introducing undergraduates to organizational, market and network phenomena, in addition to providing a clear, comprehensive and up-to-date review of a vast array of relevant literature that more experienced scholars will also appreciate.

(A similar version of this review appeared in Accounts, the Economic Sociology Newsletter of the ASA, Summer 2006.)

Welcome improvement to a classic

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-09

I bought this book despite having the first edition. It is a welcome addition, and is really well executed. There's a new section on organizational forms that examines organizational cognition, organizational knowledge/culture, and knowledge/cultural diffusion. Addressing culture was a particularly important improvement to a classic work, which now cites more recent literature. For the classroom, it also includes "student friendly" questions at the end of each chapter, although it would be well worth buying regardless.

BROAD RANGE OF INTERDISCIPLINARY INSIGHTS INTO HOW ORGANIZATIONS EMERGE AND EVOLVE.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-22

Focusing primarily on businesses, and using a multidisciplinary approach, the book examines organization from three standpoints: the challenge of studying organization; the genesis of organizations, organizational populations, and communities; and the evolutionary processes through which new organizations, populations and communities emerge.

The book is organized into five sections:
1) introduction to the evolutionary approach;
2) a discussion of the role of individuals and groups in the creation and maintenance of organizations;
3) an examination of organizational transformation by exploring the historical context and social change;
4) the emergence of new and established populations; and
5) an assessment of organization evolution at the community level.

The book offers many insights and an extensive discussion of each topic. Each chapter ends with study questions and exercises. Includes an extensvie list of references. For scholars seeking to understand organizations from an evolutionary standpoint, this book is very highly recommended.

Outgrowing the Ingrown Church

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

Author: C. John Miller

List price: $12.99

New price: $7.00
Used price: $0.09

Average review score:

excellent study for new church plants

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-09-11

This is a great book to use as a study for new church plants. Insightful, well researched, bibilical. Including genuine personal experiences, Jack Miller shares important insights regarding how to identify the self-serving ingrown church, and how leaders can help their churches break free to become God serving and outward reaching, through the merits of Christ.

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: 5 out of 5 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.

Outlook 2000 VBA Programmers Reference

Published in Paperback by Peer Information Inc. (1999-04)

Author: Dwayne Gifford

List price: $24.99

New price: $20.00
Used price: $2.45

Average review score:

Still a must have title for VBA programmers

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-29

Since there doesn't seem to be any plan to update this book for XP, 2003 or 2007, this is still the definitive tome on programming with Outlook VBA. An excellent desktop reference, although it reads more like a dictionary than a true book, but for a straight up list of Outlook constants, it cannot be beat. If you program in Office VBA you must own this book.

Get This Book

Helpful Votes: 29 out of 30 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-02

This is the best book I've seen on the subject. Very well organized and clear. If you're programming Outlook you need this book.

Here's a tip. Use VBA whenever possible, rather than the VB Script available on the Outlook forms. The book shows you how to program for events such as the addition of a new item or changing an item. You can avoid VB Script programming on the forms this way.

Excellent Reference

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 15 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-01

Very Informative. I highly recommend this book. I was able to get the information I needed very easily.

WROX has another winner!!!

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2000-09-17

This book was awesome! I used it to help me write VBA code to connect our SQL 7 database to the Outlook Calendar. As staff members update the SQL database, the information will show in individual calendars as soon as Outlook is started up!!! I also plan to use it generate Task Lists from the database. There aren't many books written on Outlook VBA so if you are looking for some answers start here first!!!

A "must-have" desk reference for Outlook 2000 developers

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 1999-09-07

Before this book was available, I used the Outlook Help files as a reference for objects, methods, properties and events. Anyone who has used the Outlook Help files knows how prone they are to errors, so this book was a welcome edition to my collection. I use it so regularly, that the spine on my copy has already has a crease.

Organizations Books