Organizations Books

Book Review:

Capital Campaigns: Strategies That Work
By: Andrea Kihlstedt and Catherine P. Schwartz
Edited by: James P. Gelatt
Aspen Publishers, Inc. Gaithersburg, Maryland 1997

Reviewed by: Norman Olshansky: President
NFP Consulting Resources, Inc.
...

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this "how to" book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a "how to" book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

I loved this book! It does an excellent job of covering A to Z about capital campaigns. The book is large. It's pages are 8.5xll. The type is somewhat small. And the pages are formatted so as to include two columns of text. I read the paperback edition and it's definitely not a light book at 253 pages.

Probably my only complaint about this book is that a good amount of the terminology used between its covers was not defined in the Glossary of Common Campaign Terms (Appendix B). Nor were the terms I wanted defined included in the book's index. For example, Exhibit 1-2 makes reference to a "kitchen cabinet." That term is not defined anywhere that I could see in Chapter 1. But later in the book at page 82 the kitchen cabinet is defined as being the "core committee." Great! But the definition of kitchen cabinet is not included in either Appendix B nor is the term included in the book's index.

The book is so rich in content that having an incomplete Appendix B and less than book index hurts it. One other shortcoming I found (and I didn't find many) was when the number of interviews for a feasibility study was capped at 25-35. I'm used to many more people being interviewed during a feasibility study. And the cost for having a consultant do the study is a bit higher than this book indicates. Such studies usually last between 6 to 8 weeks. At least the ones I am used to.

But what a book. I worked for two years as an associate consultant to nonprofits that provided campaign direction. I would have loved to have had this book at my fingertips when learning the ropes of the trade. Just about everything I learned through observation and experience is written about eloquently in this book.

There are a number of people who can benefit greatly from getting a copy of this book. The first that comes to mind is any executive director of a nonprofit that is considering a capital campaign. If she doesn't know the ins and outs of embarking on a capital campaign, then she better get a copy of this book and study it. By getting this book she will know what she has to do to prepare her organization to be able to successfully have a capital campaign. And she will be an educated consumer when she has to hire a consultant that will provide her organization with campaign direction.

The second person that comes to mind is a successful development director who wants to become self employed as a consultant to nonprofits that provides capital campaign direction. When writing his business plan for his startup consulting practice this book will be instrumental in what and how he will provide his services. This book is truly a goldmine of information regarding capital campaigns in the nonprofit sector.

Other people who should read this book are members of nonprofit Boards. And the campaign chairman of a capital campaign will get a lot out of this book. 5 stars!

PS. Two other books that closely relate to the subject matter of this book are: The Ask (ISBN: 0787978566), and Major Gifts (ISBN: 0471738379). I have written book reviews for both these books and posted them on Amazon.

What a surprise! With over 30 years of non profit fundraising, leadership and capital campaign consulting experience, I expected to gain little from this how to book which I was given to review. Boy, was I wrong.

Step by step, the authors outline and expand upon the key elements of a capital campaign; from determining whether or not your organization is ready for a campaign, to the best ways to celebrate and evaluate its conclusion.

I appreciated the amount of detail the authors included and their emphasis on organization, planning, leadership involvement and communications. They explore the basic process and then give in depth coverage of each step. In addition to sharing their own personal knowledge and expertise, they gathered much of their material by interviewing friends and clients who also had extensive capital campaign experience. They made the book more interesting, and dramatized the points they wanted to make, by the inclusion of short vignettes and quotes by volunteer and professionals, from actual campaign experiences.

Among the important subjects covered by the book are: how to select and use consultants, building the case for support, conducting a feasibility study, creating a campaign management plan, prospecting and prospect research, team building and leadership development, techniques of solicitation, campaign materials and public relations, events, thank yous, recognition, and much more. They even have a trouble shooting guide which focuses on what to do when things go wrong.

I highly recommend this handbook for volunteer leadership and staff alike (whatever their level of previous experience) who are considering a capital campaign. It is a book that should also be part of the libraries of campaign consultants. I have to admit that I picked up several great new ideas and techniques from reading the book.

Keep in mind that this is a how to book and will continue to be of value as a reference tool. The table of contents and index are complete and excellent in their detail.

I felt the authors could have put more emphasis on and expand the section on feasibility studies, or as I like to call them, pre-campaign assessments. Too many organizations try to avoid this important process thinking that they already know they need to know. They feel the pre-campaign study will take unnecessary time and resources. A good study not only sets the stage for a successful capital campaign and determines a realistic goal, but also provides invaluable information about the way the organization is perceived in the community, potential for major support, and extent to which leadership and staff are ready or capable to do what is necessary for success.

Organizational culture, leadership styles, personality management and what is often referred to as organizational politics are other areas which I felt deserved expanded coverage by the authors. Human factors, organizational history, and communication styles are all addressed in the book but are not given as extensive or in depth presentation as is warranted.

In summary, this book not only meets, but exceeds its very appropriate title: Capital Campaigns-Strategies that Work.

The field of cellular automata (CA) is one that appears to be finite, yet unlimited, although it is a point of major debate. Where the ultimate conclusion lands depends on the fundamental origin of complexity, in particular that of intelligence. Some very sound thinkers argue that the universe itself is a complex CA, all of the phenomena we see are fundamentally explainable by a set of simple rules whereby actions are a consequence of state changes based on those rules. The apparent complexity that we perceive is due to the enormous number of objects that are involved and the number of different interactions that take place between them.
Cellular automata became an area of mainstream study when the Game of Life was developed. The fascinating feature of the game is that a small set of such simple rules can lead to what appear to be complex individual and collective behaviors. Schiff begins with the definitions of basic cellular automata, steps through the appearance of complexity and closes with some of the major arguments in favor of the literally universal applicability of CA.
The level of mathematics is fairly low; the most complex areas are the recurrence equations that define the next state and a few partial derivatives. With some additional explanation, the material is within the grasp of the second year math major. Most of the more complex mathematics can be skipped and the reader will still be able to understand and appreciate what CA are and some of the ways they can be used to model complex activities. This is the text I would use if I were to ever teach a special topics class in CA.

This book provides an excellent overview of the field of cellular automata. It brings together a broad range of concepts and ideas which have been percolating over the past 70 years. In many ways the field of cellular automata and its offshoots remind me of the principles and ideas expounded on in Thomas Kuhn's book `The Structure of Scientific Revolutions'. For this field is truly revolutionary in its ability to easily show the power of emergent properties from simple rules.

The flow of the book is easy to understand and the documentation and references are excellent. The prose is well written and the author's ability to clarify basic ideas is exceptional.

I highly recommend this book. The first chapter `Preliminaries' clearly shows the author has brought a rich scope to the presentation of the material.

Although I have been nebulously aware of the term "Cellular Automata" for about 25 years, it was not until I read the book Cellular Automata that I really understood what it entails. As a result, I have become enamored with the field and its mathematical elegance. It is unfortunate for this fascinating field of study, that it is called Cellular Automata -- a marketing disaster if you ask me.

Though Cellular Automata probably has a strict definition, you can think of it as how simple rules governing a cell (or a neuron or an ant or whatever) through time can give rise to complex ordered systems. People often think that there's some intelligent design behind the complexity we see in nature, but as this book demonstrates, all it takes is a few simple rules about what happens in a local neighborhood to give rise to systems that order themselves into amazing complexity.

The book is a comprehensive survey of the history and current state of Cellular Automata. I wish I had the time to follow through on the amazing panoply of interesting paths, papers, web sites and ideas presented to the reader, but this could easily require a lifetime of study (and computer time).

In spite of having no background in Cellular Automata, I found this book to be extremely accessible and clearly written with many illustrative examples. I read the book cover-to-cover and understood it all, which for a textbook is really saying something. For the layman, it helps to have a strong mathematical background as well as a keen interest in number theory, but none of this is necessary. One of the nice things about this book is that if for some reason you don't understand a topic such as say, the Sierpinski Triangle, the rest of the book is not predicated upon it, even if it is called back on occasion.

The only possible issue I had with the text is that complex theoretical concepts were on rare occasion difficult to follow. Such concepts were introduced in order to give readers a complete primer on the current state of CA research, but the reader has to trust that the results are as stated in the book, and that an army of Grad Students carried out all the dirty work. Step-by-step implementation is (and should be) beyond the scope of the text, although for math weenies like myself, it may have clarified certain concepts.

Highly recommended.

Since I have been studying for the priesthood, I have had to find many books and Amazon has been a wonderful way to purchase books from reputable vendors. Mostly all my books were well maintained and many were brand new. Thank you for the manner in which you have maintained a list of vendors we the public can depend on.
Verona
Natick, MA

This is an excellent book of guidelines for the various ceremonies of the liturgical year. Monsignor Elliott explains the special ceremonies (such as those of Advent, Christmas, Lent, and Easter) in a very plain and understandable fashion. A priest can find the information he needs quite readily in these pages. Monsignor Elliott also does an excellent job of explaining how the liturgical year sanctifies all time.

If you want to know how Midnight Mass, the Easter Vigil, or other such special ceremonies are supposed to be celebrated with reverence and dignity, then this is the book for you!

Few priests, deacons or others responsible for preparing the celebration of the Liturgy have time to study in detail the rubrics and instructions found in the liturgical books and interpretative documents issued by the Holy See. This, the second book of ceremonial from the pen of Msgr Peter Elliott (his first, Ceremonies of the Modern Roman Rite: The Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours appeared in 1995), seeks to bring together such directives for the feasts and seasons of the Liturgical Year in one handy volume.

In doing so, Msgr Elliott has performed a great service. What cleric will not reach for this book with gratitude as Holy Week approaches? What liturgical preparation group will not fail to find in it treasures of the Church's liturgical tradition, both old and new, that cannot but enrich the celebration of the Church's feasts and seasons throughout the year? Homilists, too, will find helpful suggestions for the exercise of their ministry.

Helpful tables are given, covering the precedence of liturgical days, movable feasts and cycles of readings, and appendices give suggestions for further enrichment of the liturgical year. The paragraphs of the book are numbered throughout. This undoubtedly makes referencing easier, but can also confuse. The bibliography is somewhat sparse, lacking some of the official sources of the Modern Roman Rite. A small but useful glossary is included.

Of course, writing a ceremonial manual is a precarious task, as there are so many sources to synthesise and practical judgements that need to be made. The Holy See's Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy was published too late to be incorporated in the present volume. Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year also contains one or two errors (the most glaring being the failure to use the new National Calendar for England, published in 2000), and some points regarding which one may disagree with the author. (In a book such as this it is important to distinguish between what the liturgical books require and what legitimate diversity they tolerate.)

On the whole, though, the approach taken is sound and practical. Indeed, this book is a valuable aid for all who seek to celebrate the Liturgy, to borrow the words of Cardinal Hume, "in a manner that is prayerful, dignified and worthy of so great an action."

Author Susan Wells artfully weaves together inspiring stories from three points of view: social change-makers, her role as a mentor, and, for the reader, the power of open space to restore us. Her book is a counterpoint to today's obsession with benchmarks and metrics (in nonprofit and for-profit settings) rather than the people who create change.

While I'm not in the non-profit world, I found this book to be incredibly inspiring. This book is about community, supporting the people on the front lines, retreat and the difference one or two people can make.
The writing is poetic - so much so that I felt transported. I wish I knew of a way to get this book into a wider variety of bookstore subject areas as many more people would benefit from this than just folks in the non-profit world.

What a lovely story - full of simple truths that any one of us can benefit from. It's a pretty fast read (less than 200 pgs), full of heartfelt, revealing portraits of real people and their experiences of renewal. The author and the people profiled provide us with a solution to the always-present problem of burnout - specifically for those who work in the fields of social and environmental justice. I think the story is applicable for anyone who may have 'lost themselves' in their work and now suffers from the various symptoms that so easily creep in.

It's a beautifully written, personal reflection by one of the co-founders of an inventive program they call Windcall. I readily recommend this book to anyone who has a spouse, friend, sibling or coworker that could use an optimistic reminder that we are not simply our work. And that the vital life force and creativity that often gets snatched away if one's identity becomes too locked and identified only with work-related responsibilities can indeed be restored and renewed.

Excellent book. The only thing is about Brazil. I lived in Brazil and only the super rich speak English and even some of the wealthy do not. If you go to Brazil, expect to hear Portuguese.

I use this book in my grade 4 classroom. The pictures and writing help my United State's students better understand the world around them. This book is a favorite in my classroom.

Stunning photographs, concise maps, and simple text that introduces the basics of a culture, a country, and a way of life make this book great "back seat" reading. Kids shouldn't be watching tv in the car anyway. Books like this will make the ride more enjoyable and enriching. It also would be a great addition to a pediatrician's waiting room, or a dentist.

Christianity and the Roman Empire:Background Texts is designed for undergraduates,seminarians, and the general reader in early Christian history. The book contains approximately 250 selections from literary texts and archeological materials dating to the period of 27 B.C. to 416 A.D. These materials were selected to explore (i) the ways in which the early Christians were erceived and treated by the imperial government and the many peoples of the Roman Empire, (ii) the social and political interactions between Christians and the surrounding pagan culture, and (iii) the means the Christian emperors of the 4th century used to consolidate Christian dominance in the social and political life of the Roman Empire. Unlike most source books, however, which merely reproduce the sources or discuss only aspects of the individual sources, in Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts the ancient texts are inserted at the appropriate places in a historical narrative of the history of the rise of Christianity in the Roman World during the first four centuries A.D. The narrative provides both an overall historical context for the sources and specific discussions of the relevance of the sources to the larger narrative history, while the primary sources allow the reader to examine the evidence used to reconstruct this history. The ancient materials presented in Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts are generally reproduced at greater length than commonly found in most source books. A primary goal of the narrative text is to direct the reader along the path of the majority historical consensus without being so intrusive as to obscure the majesty and power of the ancient materials themselves. I have attempted to present the materials in such a way that this book could serve as both a useful adjunct to the work of other scholars in the field and as a stand-alone history for the non-specialist reader. Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts consists of approximately 320pages of text, organized into six chapters and 5 appendices. Chapter One is a brief introduction to basic historical methodology for dealing with literary texts. Chapters Two through Five contain a chronologically organized historical narrative, with ancient sources,describing the rise of Christianity during first four centuries A.D. Chapter Six is a case study of the way in which Christians came to dominate the political life of Alexandria, Egypt during the period of approximately 350-416 A.D. The five appendices examine topics more appropriately examined on a topical rather than a chronological basis, and cover the subjects of Rome's relationship with Judaism during this same period, pagan accusations of Christian immorality, the worship of the Roman emperor, the formulation of the Nicene Creed, and the evidence concerning the dates for the birth and death of Jesus. The book has both primary source and subject indexes.

This is a great resource book for students of the first centuries of Christianity. The selections come from sources with differing points of view (Christian, Jewish, Pagan and secular) and the author gives enough background that you understand the possibility of biases in the ancient authors. Most useful for lay persons who do not have ready access to a good library of religous sources.

Primary sources for the history of the first four centuries of Christianity within the context of the Roman world are difficult to find, widely scattered, and general unknown outside of a specialized cadre of scholarship. Now Ralph Novak interweaves these primary sources with a narrative text in Christianity And The Roman Empire: Background Texts that provides the reader with a single, continuous account of these crucial first centuries of Christianity's development. Through the use of primary sources, Novak shows how the government and people of Rome perceived the treatment of Christians within the empire, as well as the manner in which Christians established their political and religious dominae after Constantine the great came to power. Christianity And The Roman Empire is a superbly researched, written and presented contribution to the study of early Christian history during the first four centuries of the Common Era.

"Many pastors are so close to the pew, they can't see the people. Offers hands-on, practical, and tested solutions. . . . An urgent response to the cries from the multi-generational church that are often ignored. Must reading for every pastor and ministry worker desirous of investigating effective remedies for the needs of their congregation."

Reviewed by: Rev. Wilbur James Antisdale, Pastor Emeritus, Westminster Chapel, Bellevue, Washington

"DELIVERS A FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE for Christian organizations facing today's challenge of change. We are fortunate . . . one of the aerospace industry's top analytical problem solvers addresses the church's epic struggle to keep their ministries relevant in today's age-related cultural diversity."

Reviewed by: Malcolm Stamper, Publisher and CEO, Storytellers Ink, Seattle, Washington; former President and Vice-Chairman of The Boeing Company

As a church lay leader, I have been reading church management books for many years. With a MBA background, I am also leading the strategic planning for our church. Rarely I can find a book with such a combined managerial/bibical strengths. This is the best church management book on ministry planning I came across so far.

As a word of warning, this book focuses primarily on ministry planning, not leadership nor general management. This book provides a useful overview on various generation (gen-X, boomers, etc) issues in the postmodern era. It also provides a very useful, practical and easy-to-use tool for evaluating the church's existing programs to align them with the church mission. It also includes some info on trends and best practices of some sucuessful churches. If you are planning on church ministries, this is the book you should read.

Abbot Louf's book is a succinct, clearly written exposition of all major aspects of Cistercian life and spirituality as it presently exists. Lucid and thoughtful, Louf deliberately and in an orderly fashion imparts the 1,000 year old tradition of the order founded by Saint Bernard in the 11th century, without getting bogged down in historical details or side issues. Absolutely authoritative without being at all polemical, richly informative without being colorful or showy, Louf's writing in itself conveys the root of his order's austere and durable charism. It is an essential guide and the best single volume available on its subject. A short but relevant set of photographs gives his teaching a resonant and striking contemporary dimensionality. If one is visiting the Cistercians for the first time or has visited them for decades, your experience will be solidly enriched and reinforced by this book.

Dom Andre Louf, former Abbot of the Cistercian Abbey of Mont-des-Cats on the Franco-Belgian border, is a well-known spiritual writer, and especially within his own religious order.

The Cistercian Way is a seductive book, as indeed all books that talk of vocation to the religious life should be. "I shall seduce his heart and lead him into the desert" we read in the Old Testament. Movingly evoking the specifically Trappist vocation to follow God, Dom Andre redresses the several false notions that persist, even within the Church, about life as a Trappist. He writes with great truth that 'there is no reason why simplicity should mean ugliness...' Both for the man or woman who is considering life as a Cistercian, and for anyone seeking to understand more about Cistercian spirituality and direction, Dom Andre's book is an excellent starting point, and one to which one will always feel drawn to return.

Thomas Merton is the writer who comes automatically to mind when one thinks of the Cistercian Order, and while his books perhaps show greater spiritual depth than Louf's (which is probably an unfair comparison), it must be remembered that Merton is describing Trappist life as it was before and just after Vatican 2, many years ago. Dom Andre Louf's book is a brilliant, compact and beautiful overview of contemporary Cistercian life and will serve as an outstanding introduction to this way of life and devotion to God. Although each Cistercian monastery has its own character and differences, Louf is a very insightful writer and has a gift for describing what is a rather alien way of life to the modern world in simple, beautiful language. I read it in a Trappist monastery, which only made it better. Highly recommended!

Robert Linthicum has a heart for urban ministry and it shines through in each chapter in this book which is organized in three parts. The first part focuses on the city. The second part focuses on the church's role in the city, and the last part focuses on the role of the individual Christian in the city. Linthicum believes that the Bible is an urban book and in many of the chapters the author exposits a particular book of the Bible such as Jeremiah, Jonah, Nehemiah or Ephesians. Linthicum will then explain the urban context of the Scripture finding applications to that culture as well as contemporary culture.

The city of God and the city of Satan are symbolized in the Scriptures as the cities of Jerusalem and the city of Babylon. Jerusalem was supposed to be the city of God, yet due to the disobedience of the people it became the city of Satan at times.

Linthicum advocates a holistic approach to urban ministry. He talks about the systems in the city that become so easily corrupted by the enemy. This creates a systemic evil in a city that needs to be approached spiritually, economically and politically. The author spends considerable time teaching from the Old Testament regarding the responsibility of the people of God in the city. The exiles who were taken into captivity were told by Jeremiah to "seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper (Jeremiah 29:7)." The word "exile" in the original language can also mean "sent." Many involved in urban ministry feel exiled when in reality they have been sent by God to bear his witness in a particular community.

Robert Linthicum challenges the church regarding urban ministry showing the compassion of God for the city and at times showing the inability of the church to deal with urban problems. One of the most powerful image or thoughts in the book comes in the very last paragraph of chapter five. "For our Lord was not crucified in a gothic cathedral on a golden cross placed upon a marble altar between two silver candlesticks. He was crucified on a rugged cross between two thieves, on the city's garbage heap, at the kind of place where cynics talk smut and thieves curse and soldiers gamble. That is where Christ died." The reader is challenged to take Christ to those who need Christ.

"We enter the city equipped with an urban sociology and urban tools for ministry, but we carry with us the baggage of a theology designed in rural Europe." This is a fantastic analysis of urban culture and the theology necessary to adequately meet the spiritual climate of megacities. Many Christian workers come from rural or small town backgrounds, and find themselvers ill-equipped to deal with the cultural differences in the cities.
Not only theory, but also very practical in its approach, this book lays out a strategy for praying through the ways that God is working in a city, and how the follower of Jesus can join in. An example: "Spend time in silence and in an open, prayerful spirit before that map [of your city]. Ask God to reveal to you seven sites in the city that are particularly precious to Him. Wait for God to show you those places. Those seven sites might come in one sitting; it may take several days. But wait on God with openness and receptivity. When the seven places have been given to you, you are ready for the most exciting part of this spiritual exercise. Visit every one of those sites."
And, ""Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper" (Jer. 29:7). The English words "peace," "prosperity," and "prosper" are all translations of the same Hebrew word, shalom. Shalom is a comprehensive word not easily translated into English, because our word peace is inadequate. The idea encompasses the manifold relationships of daily life, symbolizing Israel's ideal quality of life under the Law. Shalom is a state of wholeness and completeness, possessed by a person or a group that includes good health, prosperity, security, justice, and deep spiritual contentment."
This book is highly recommended for followers of Jesus who live in, work in, or have influence in the cities.

This book should be a must read for every person interested in urban ministry. The title of the book comes from the author's premise that every city includes elements of "Babylon"--"a city totally given over to evil and to the Evil One" and "Jerusalem"--"an idealized city...belonging to God,--a city of peace." What impressed me most about the book is that Bob has spent an hour a day for the past 20+ years studying the city in the Bible. Of the 20-25 books I have read on urban ministry, this work is certainly the most thorough. (Imagine the level of the granularity that one would come to after studying the same topic for over 20 years!) It is the dynamic equivilent of Strong's Concordance. In this 300 page work, Robert addresses the role of prayer, presence and proclamation of the church in the city. He also gives visible signposts that the city is being transformed by the church. It is the epic work of urban ministry.

We've been inundated with information about business and accounting scandals in the past several years with subsequent calls for obeying all laws, and improving business ethics and accountability. Dr. Hook's new book is about a quite similar and definitely important crisis in our churches in America, with the dominant theme being the unfortunate failures of many clerics and their clerical leaders. Although in his Dedication and Acknowledgments, he stresses that there are many excellent ministers that adhere faithfully to their denomination's various canons, creeds, and regulations, he then proceeds to accurately catalog many clerics whose egregious actions have seriously jeopardized their local parishes, or in some cases their regional or national denominations. His book is thus a clear and compelling wake-up call to all Americans who love their churches, and want their churches to continue their important, vital work of winning souls to Jesus Christ. Dr. Hook's book offers many useful recommendations for improvements in this situation. These are directed toward Seminary students, Parish Ministers, those in supervisory positions within the churches, and importantly all lay leaders like myself. I would sincerely hope that this thoughtful book, and the issues it discusses, would be read and seriously debated in all seminaries across America---it deserves to be. It obviously should be of interest to all clerics and their supervisory leaders who are dedicated to improving the status quo, and preventing future problems as described by Dr. Hook in this well-documented book. Finally, all lay leaders who see the problems that Dr. Hook discusses should move quickly and assertively within their denominations to insure that these problems are addressed and corrected. We owe the author a sincere debt of gratitude for his complete, discerning discussion of these critical issues that our beloved churches must recognize and take serious action on at this time.

Dr. Hook has an extraordinary grasp of the world of contemporary religion, complete with all its warts, wusses, and waffling. He advances the notion, quite correctly in my view, that if religion is to be meaningful in one's life, a return must be made to the concept that divine revelation is the instrument whereby God speaks the truth to humankind. Today's religious observance too often has it the other way around---human beings attempting to con God and each with outrageous political correctness.

Since 1991 Dr. Hook, Professor emeritus at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, has written three books addressing problems in American churches. "Clerical Failure" is the third of his thoughtfully written works. The author cites numerous media sources and adds personal experiences to support his position that "Christians must face up to the realization that clergy have largely become like everybody else - a group interested primarily in itself, intent on living well, acquiring power, and demanding all the individual rights it can acquire." (p22) He addresses such topics as divorce, cohabitation, abortion and homosexuality and warns the reader on the danger of ignoring important beliefs, traditions, morality and precepts.
Although the title suggests this book is written for the clergy, Dr. Hook directs its content to lay people. More importantly, he empowers lay people with answers on effecting change. The author reminds his readers that a church cannot exist without the financial support of its parishioners. He states that, "It is hard to withhold contibutions to an institution that one has belonged to for a lifetime..., but it is the only effective way to get the attention of those in charge." (p63)
Because Dr. Hook was an Episcopalian before converting to Roman Catholicism, many of his examples come from both the Episcopal and Roman Catholic church. However, he includes enough material from other Christian religions that the book should appeal to the 48 million disillusioned Protestants and Roman Catholics in the United States.
"Clerical Failure" should be required reading not only for the laity but also for every seminary student, seminary professor, clergyman, bishop, archbishop, cardinal and the Pope. Dr. Hook, thank you for having the faith and courage to examine the erosion of the standards of Christian belief and reminding the reader that, "We are to imitate Christ, not man." (p48)