Organizations Books

This book has a lot of valuable information for anyone interested in the Templars. It has historical information in the preface and appendix and its content has every single rule the Knights of the Temple followed. It has every single battle rule and the everyday life activities of templars. The sins and the penitence, how to be admitted and the admittance ritual. How to get a counsil toghether, everything they were supposed to do. I suggest that if you are interested either in Templars or in the Dark Ages, you ought to buy this book.

This English translation of the French "Rule" of the Templars is an essential reference for all students of the Templars, and of the history of "related" organizations such as Freemasonry. The "Reception" ritual will be of special interest to Freemason's, as parts of it are hauntingly familiar.

Excellent. No doubt already on the shelves of those interested in this Medieval Catholic military lay religious order.
For the uninitiated reader, first read the Introduction, Primitive Rule, and Appendix. Then, the rest. To a reader for whom the Templars are "knights who fought in the crusades,"
the Rule will seem most unexpectedly profuse in dwelling upon internal monastic disciplines, religious guidelines, and personal observances. Regulations addressing military issues and a Knight's behavior in the field are present.
An appendix, coordinated with references to the Rule, treats some of the military aspect, especially in regards to the use of armed mounted force and the order's rankings.
If unfamiliar with the Military Orders, it will be an eye-opener as to what the Catholic Church proposed for its monks.
If doing extended reading elsewhere, a reader will be startled at the surprise ending of that now supressed Order. I would alert those who do followup, not to confuse "Templar," as properly used for this group, with some current appropriators of that name, used for purposes of having mystique of lore & legend.

J.M. Upton-Ward has earned my eternal respect for the work presented here. The Rule, so vital to understanding the Order is clearly layed out and explained. Additional information is also included making this the one "must own" book for Templar scholars.

The Rule of the Templars: The French Text of the Rule of the Order of the Knights Templar, Judi Upton-Ward (Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 1992)

The myths surrounding the Knights Templar range from tales of great treasure to legends concerning a wealth of wisdom kept secret for a thousand years. Many have tried to discover what this great esoteric wisdom was, but, so far, no one has been able to 'decipher' any of the so-called 'clues' allegedly left behind by the Templars. These references to secret wisdom perhaps arose from the accusations of secrecy brought against the order during their trial. What many failed to recognize, or perhaps ignored, was that as a military order, the Templars had many reasons to keep their Rule, which governed their lives and their behavior in battle, a secret. Fortunately for us living nearly a thousand years later, we now have access to this 'secret knowledge' through Judi Upton-Ward's translation of the French version of the Rule, found in her book, The Rule of the Templars. In this work, Upton-Ward translates not only the Templars' Rule but also the statutes and includes an article by Matthew Bennett that discusses the military side of the Rule. In translating the Templar Rule from the vernacular, Upton-Ward points out that this work is just how the Templars themselves would have read it, straight from their native language, rather than being written in Latin by scholars who may not have know the military implications of what they were writing about. The importance of the French text lies here. This was a work written by and for the military men of the order for the purpose of governing their lives and ordering their behavior. Like any well-oiled military machine, it was necessary for the Rule to contain information on how to act on and off the field, information the Templars would not have wanted to fall into enemy hands.

What Upton-Ward accomplishes with her translation of the Templar Rule is an accessible look at the 'secret knowledge' of the Templars and a detailed look at the lives the Templars led, which, it turns out, actually closely paralleled the lives of other religious orders, which a few changes needed to accommodate the military nature of the Templars. The work is easy to read and geared to both scholars and pleasure readers alike.


Jennifer Regan and Dr. Carl Edwin Lindgren

Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict not only explains the rule in clear terms, it shows how it can be implemented (i.e., lived) by an individual living outside of a monastic community. As a married man with children (now grown) who loves his family oriented vocation, the book gave me both insight into, and a way to live out my calling to a contemplative spirituality in a world that rarely appreciates or acknowledges such a mixed vocation. It's been more than 25 years since I first read the book and while I've only re-read it cover to cover a couple of times over the years, I have frequently picked it up to re-read a few pages or a chapter that seems relevant.

"Seeking God" helped bring "The Rule of St. Benedict" into focus for me, enabling me to see clearly the wisdom of Benedict's vision for our day. For two other books that explore Benedictine wisdom for parents, look for "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home" and "The Christian Family Toolbox: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home", both by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad,2000 and 2001). Benedict still speaks relevantly and prophetically in our day!

This is an amazing book in it ability to provide modern day interpretation to the St. Benedict's teachings. The insights of this saint who lived in the 6th century contain uncanny wisdom and direction for us today, whether as religious, lay person, for family and business leaders. Ms de Waal's style is thoughtful, prayerful, inspiring.
I recommend it to anyone who is interested in personal, and/or societel growth.

I found Esther's book to be very insightful and concise. The only thing that trip me up a bit was the very small print and small fonts. Other than that she has a very clever way of explaining the rule of benedict and what it could mean for ones lay lifestyle. This is an excellent read for anyone wishing to become an Oblate.

Seeking God is an elegant, insightful, and extremely valuable treatment of the spirituality inherent in St. Benedict's Rule. The further into the book I read, the better I realized it was. Again and again I was impressed with the wisdom and psychological astuteness of the Rule as deWaal explained it. Benedict's way of moderation, humility, and balance, as interpreted by deWaal, seems one of the wisest and healthiest examples of Christian thinking that I have encountered. It is an excellent antidote to the regrettable tendency of some to want to separate body from soul and the material world from the spiritual world; Benedictine spirituality instead balances and integrates them!

I bought this book with not much idea of what it has got for me.
As a went through some of the initial chapters I really got interested.The book has numerous examples and case studies. This really helps in understanding the concept and driving an analogy to actual life scenarios.
I strongly recommend reading this book.
Thanks.

Thank you very much for sending me a copy of The Smart Organization. I have completed only two chapters, but find the book to be thoroughly engaging. Especially, the six dimensions of decision quality.

My current job is proving to be a daily "case study." The ideas contained in the book have come to life, helping me to better understand my environment at work and make better decisions along the journey.

Frequently organizations face the challange of what not to do. They tend to believe in the person presenting the idea, rather then creating a rigorous process for evaluating the options before them. Companies adopting best practices in managing their investment options realize substantial gains in their long term bottem line. This book quantifies this performance difference, and what the best practices are across a range of industries.

Why aren't organizations more rigorous in selecting projects? The book outlines several barriers which are extremely relevent:

· It will make a popular champion look bad,

· Organizational resistance to change, or cannibalization of an existing business for a new opportunity,

· We confuse the urgent with the important,

· Its hard to agree on measures and success criteria

· People are afraid of making the wrong prediction, so they don't make any,

· Its hard to normalize results from different contributors,

· Business plans are not integrated with new project activity,

· Power and politics, a methodical evaluation leaves no room for interpretation and "behind the scenes" trade offs between groups and individuals,

· Lack of strategy.

The best practices outlined in this book are backed by substantial research. I would have like to have seen a few additional chapters on application of best practices in real companies ... a case study of a turn around.

The Strategic Decisions Group framework for smart organisation is informative. One reason for this is that the authors are reporting a practical benchmark study of R&D which appears to include every American corporate I've ever heard of. They do readers the great favour of synthesising this into a 9 principle framework for Smart Organisation. 3 principles for achieving purpose: -continual learning -value creation culture -creating alternatives 3 principles for mobilizing resources: -open inforamtion flow -disciplined decision making -alignment and empowerment 3 principles for understaning environment: -systems thinking -embracing uncertainty -outside-in strategic perspective What I especially like is that for each principle 5 How do you knows? are given scaling the difference between an organisation which hasn't got a clue about the principle (not smart) to one that lives it (smart org) For example these are the 5 how-you-knows of alignment & empowerment: 1 Examine the strategies at different levels (eg technology strategy to portfolio strategy to project startegy). In smart org: there are clear strategies at all levels taht provide useful guidance for decision making. Strategies at one level are clearly linked to the next. Lower level strategies interpret and carry out the implementation of higher-level strategies. In not-smart: few strategies or they provide little guidance for decision-making. They are viewed cynically as corporate PR. Links among strategies are absent, unclear or ambiguous 2 Examine the value measures used to evaluate decisions at different levels. In smart org: there are clear measures of value at all levels. Value measures at one strategic level are clearly linked through the strategy to measures at the next level. In non-smart: There may be no value measures. If there are, each level sets its own values or decision criteria, with no special requirement that they be related to values and strategies at other levels. 3 Examine the approvals required to make or carry out important decisions. In smart org: Decisions require few approvals because people understand the strategy and are trusted to carry it out. Meetings with upper management are viewed as adding value. In not-smart: Decisions require many levels of approval. Review meetings are perceived as wasting time. Often meetings with upper management are feared because it may redirect efforts and change priorities without clear reason. Upper management often feels overloaded with the need to check on subordinates. 4 Examine the roles of people involved in an important recent decision. In smart orgs: Many people participated in the decision process,at multiple levels in the organisation. A dialogue was carried out in the process that continually aligned and refined the vertical links. Management at different levels collaborated to build a high quality decision and achieved aligned commitment to action. In non-smart: Either few people participated in the decision or so many did that the process got bogged down. Typically, lower level employees make proposals to upper levels for approval or rejection 5 Examine a recent decision that was controversial. In smart org: People unified around the decisions aand carried it out with little intervention. They understood the reasons for the decision and believe the organisation is carrying out a sensible strategy for creating value. In non-smart: The decision did not stick and was undone or remade over and over again. 100+ of us are discussing frameworks like these in a free e-mail group : Organising Creativity Network. e-mail me, Chris Macrae, at wcbn007@easynet.co.uk if you are passionately interested.

Focusing on large R&D intensive organizations, this book explores nine key principles that make these enterprises effective, such as: open information flow, systems thinking, and continual learning. The author's emphasize the decision making process as a means of changing and improving overall organizational performance. If you are seeking new insights into how strategy is developed, excellence can be achieved in decision making, and organization renewal can be realized, you will find this book enlightening and fascinating reading. The insights offered here are by no means limited to high-technology firms; they apply to any organization seeking to be successful in today's fast-paced markets. This work includes an organizational IQ test (a diagnostic tool) for identifying root causes of the barriers to improving decision processes. There is an impressive amount of knowledge about organization to be gleaned in The Smart Company. Whether you are a technology -based bus! iness or not, you will find many nuggets in this work. We highly recommend it.

Bill McCartney writes of his struggle to balance family with his ferver for God and career. It is a struggle that many Christian men face. McCarney has made me look at my own relationship with God and make some changes. The book is somewhat repetitious on some topics, however, and could get to the point quicker. Overall, the book is worthwhile reading and will help many men search out God on a more personal level and will allow some men to work on their dedication to their wives.

Bill McCartney can only be considered a Christian soldier by anyone's analysis. To learn that a man like him suffers from the same sins and temptations as you is enlightening and empowering. Reading this book has lead me back to the Bible and Christ. Thanks Bill

It was wonderful the way Bill shared his struggles. Though all men's struggles are not exactly the same, we all have them. Bill gives us a reassuring feeling that we are not alone during these times. He also wonderfully displayed how God really does want to help and guide us, but we have to be willing to listen.

Excellent book, wherein the content truly feels "God-breathed". The content of the first half about his life history and that of his family's to this point is well written and necessary. But, WOW, the last one-third of the book is pure, scripture-laden identification of the problems of Christians today; and many of the practical, biblical disciplines we can all engage in that could allow us to feel the power of God in our lives to solve each of those problems. I hate to be trite about it, but, oh well, here goes anyway: it was the catalyst that changed my life, for the better! And, Surprise! I am a woman and I identified with Bill, although, his wife's imput was invaluable to the book. Bravo! Bill McCartney and David Halbrook! Truly modern-day disciples!

What a man! He had everything anyboudy could ever want, and left it to follow the call of Jesus. Bolth his and his wife's stories give a challenging message and depenning perspective. Anyone wanting a good Christian example to follow should read this book. It sure rocked me out of complancency. Bill, if you ever need a someone to help, I'm here.

I haven't read the other books in this series, but was recommended this volume by a friend who is a WWII Navel battle fan. I wanted a good overview of the battle, why it was important and just what the heck went on here. So to start I'm aghast at my poor knowledge of this battle. It was nearly as critical to the history of the USA as Gettysburg. Two giant navies met here, neither really wanting this island but both unwilling to let the other side have it. Yet again it shows what crap the USA had for torpedoes. I can't tell you the number of fish fired vs how many actually found their target and did any damage. It was pitiful. The Japanese navy had superior tactics, better torpedoes but didn't fully grasp the significance of the island to the USA and so let the Marines dig in and own the place. Granted holding it was incredibly tough but it was possible and the imperial army was stretched to it's limits to keep it supplied thanks to the US navy. But it came at a huge cost in ships and sailors.

If you don't know anything about Guadalcanal this book is a great place to start.

This is the 5th book of a 15 book series and is the best one so far. Any serious student of WWII should read this series as a primer to prepare him or her for further readings from newer sources as it becomes notable on how light in detail these books are but then again consider that they were first written in 1948 and many of the sources were still classified or unknown then. One case in point is the chapter on the Battle of the Eastern Solomon's where Mr. Morris describes the attack on the American carriers and states that Shokaku sent some torpedo bombers along with a foot note saying that the numbers sent was not yet available yet I obtained the number along with the name of the lead pilot from John Lundstrom' s "The First Team and the Guadalcanal campaign"book which made for some fun research. Now that I have read this book I will take a break from the series in order to learn more details of the Guadalcanal campaign and read "Guadalcanal: The definitive account of the landmark battle." by Richard B. Frank.

Morison' works are priceless.

The maps are Very good. This is a wonderfull lead in to Frank's work, "Guadalcanal".

Morison's books are perfect for entrees into more specific books regarding the landings and land action of the island campaigns.

Highly recommended.

The Guadalcanal campaign was the most dramatic and at times the most desparate naval campaign of the war. In addition, Morison spent considerable time on board ships in the area, participating in some of the actions he describes. The result, in this volume, is the most personal, the most vivid, and the best of Morison's 15 volume history.

The naval battles in the waters surrounding Guadalcanal were some of the bloodiest and hardest fought actions in World War II. Both sides entered the campaign with strengths and deficits, which were ultimately exploited by the other. The Japanese entered the campaign with superiority in surface craft, torpedoes, and night fighting technique. The Americans had more carriers, better submarines, and air superiority derived from control of Henderson field. During the campaign, American and Japanese naval forces suffered nearly equivalent and horrific losses, which by virtue of its superior resources, the United States was better able overcome and proceed to victory.

The waters around Guadalcanal saw many of the most significant -- and decisive -- surface actions of the war, which resulted in many ships of both combatants giving meaning to the name of "Iron Bottom Sound" which attended the approaching waters to Guadalcanal. The volume begins with the battle of Savo Island, and the resulting disintegration of Allied plans, and proceeds through each of the hard-fought battles which followed. With such epic material, as gifted a historian and writer as Morison absolutely cannot fail, nor does he disappoint.

Among Morison's history, this volume contains the most vivid descriptions of the island terrain, the tropical seascape, and the violent actions to which they were witness. Charts and pictures compliment Morison's descriptions of salvo chasing, and shells slamming into wildly manuevering warships. No other history of the battles surrounding these waters has both the perspective and immediacy which render Morison's history so compelling.

Each of the volumes of Morison's history is well worth reading; this particular volume is worth reading over and over.

The volumes in this entire series are all highly readable and present a picture of our nation starting from a dismal reality in the Pacific to ultimate victory by virtue of the courage and sacrifice of men of the US Navy, as well as of the British and Dutch. The Naval battles of Coral Sea and Midway and the subsequent invasion of Guadalcanal and establishment of the "Cactus Air Force" made up of whatever American planes that were available to fly on any given day turned the tide in the Pacific, though with 3 more years of fighting to come. The loss of the Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes on the night following the invasion hastened departure of much of the supply train and of the carrier covering group which left 2 days earlier than planned due to the loss of Cruiser protection, those 3 of the Northern Group as well as the Australian Navy Canberra of the Southern group. Our 2 radar pickett destroyers, Talbot and Blue, were positioned in their cross channel watch so as to miss seeing the Japanese Cruiser fleet enter the harbor and surprise was complete. The IJN suffered no losses during the action, but I believe they subsequently lost the Furutaka on their return to Rabaul. This bears historical checking for accuracy.

The remaining 6 month struggle for Guadalcanal is inspiring and very tragic for the conditions and imminent threat of death endured by those brave men. I was deeply moved by the courage and sacrifices of the US Navy and US Marines. 59 years after the fact I also feel (grudging) admiration for the men and weapons of the IJN.

The "Arsenal of Democracy" had agreed with the European allies that European victory was the priority issue, and that men and materiels for the Pacific war were scant for the first year or so and in many instances outmoded.

The entire series is excellent reading for those interested in history and their American heritage. I have had the entire series for about 50 years. The current pricing scheme at Amazon is a true bargain, and I recommend the series without reservation. The sadness is that such an event ever occured to generate this excellent historical writing.

A friend of mine gave me this book, and, after reading it, I remarked to him that, if it weren't against Neill's "principles of freedom," Summerhill should be mandatory reading for everyone who wants to become a parent, before they can have children! This was one of the best books I've ever read. I instantly recognized many elements in Neill's teachings, and realized my parents had used some of them in my upbringing. I have bought this book for all of my friends who have or plan to have children, and I plan to read my own copy over and over, as I raise my own. If more people knew about and studied Neill's teachings, the recent violence in schools would not exist, and our current society would be a much healthier and happier place.

I am in college and in the process of reading this book for a book review for my parenting class. My mother recommended it to me because it was the book that she based her methods of child rearing after. I am 20 years old and number 7 out of the 8 children in my family. None of us are psychopaths, all of us are quite happy. My parents did give us a lot of freedom when we were being raised and am grateful to them for it. I love life and I love my family dearly. As I prepare for marraige and raising children, I am sure I will look to this book frequently for inspiration.

I reread Summerhill after a lapse of many years. And the wisdom - and love of life - is as fresh as ever. Summerhill was not just a school, but a philosophy. Honest, sensible, and very much an advocate for life and the living.

Thank you Mr. Neill for your contribution to the Columbine massacre. Your approach to child rearing has spawned such mentality, in my opinion.

This book was given to me by a well meaning friend, who brought up her kids this way. I loved it and think that the titel should be revised "a sensible approach to child rearing". The book might be a little old but has not lost any of its appeal today. It is a valid, reassuring and very helpful guide to viewing child rearing from a new perspective for many - even today. It took me a while to track down some more copies of this book, but the chase was well worth it. I think I will keep this book for another 20 years and will return to it many times over, whilst raising my daughter...

You could stumble into each class paying as much attention as possible, trying very hard to understand how to become a better teacher, reflecting after class upon what you did well and what you did not do well ... or you could read McKeachie's book and take all of his experience and that of his co-authors into your repertoire of teaching tips.

One could dread reading a book that talks too much about the details and administrative issues that may arise in teaching. One could also dread a book that speaks only about philosophical issues in teaching. One does not need to dread this book because it addresses both practical and philosophical matters but not in excruciating details. It is written by an intelligent group for intelligent readers and yet it is simple prose, not the pretentious academic jargon that I so often encounter.

I loved it and highly recommend it to all PhD students, junior faculty, and faculty teaching others how to teach.

On my instructional maiden voyage into the sea of communication, this text was my life vest. In 28 concise chapters, Wilbert McKeachie offers pearls of wisdom on everything from drafting a syllabus to dealing with excuses, and everything in between. His straightforward writing lends itself to quick reading and makes it a handy "flip-to" guide for refreshers.
Whether you're wrestling with a "discussion dominator" or trying to finesse responses from silent students, this book offers proactive approaches and solutions to unforeseen challenges.
Keeping things fresh and interesting for students and yourself makes the learning experience more enjoyable. Reading, attending workshops and talking to experienced faculty are some of the suggestions the author offers. As someone who used to teach natural resource seminars, I was pleased that he acknowledged the energizing power of an effective workshop. In addition, the text also offers tips on applying new changes learned in those courses to classes.
As any instructor worth their salt is aware, teaching is an ever-evolving process, that must be honed and refined to suit both instructor and student. For anyone adrift in some arena of college instruction, grabbing onto this 379 page text will prove a worthwhile undertaking.

This is a book on teaching that can be read straight through with useful information on all areas of teaching. This is a book that can also be used as a reference source. Having read many books on teaching, this is still the best.

This was one of the books I read in a "teaching college history" course I took at Indiana University. Prior to that I had taught two of my own courses and been an associate instructor for two more. I wish I had read this book prior to my teaching because it asks a lot of very good questions and gives suggestions that you can use in the classroom. The variety of courses that can be helped by such tips is endless -- even if you don't think your particular field could use a particular chapter or really has a particular issue I found reading it always helped me devise new strategies for teaching. This is not, however, a model of how to teach (could there ever be such a model?), you'll have to read and evaluate what may work for you for each particular class.

This text provides college faculty with strategies to become a better instructor and to deal with the challenges of the profession.

Creating objectives, test design, learner goals, lecture formats, teaching to a diverse audience, grading, handling suspected cheaters - you name it and it is in there.

I believe it will be beneficial to any college instructor regardless of size of school. I teach at a small school and the text, though maybe slanted a bit toward the experience at the large research university, was tremendously helpful to me.

The book is easy to read. I have incorporated a lot of the strategies into this fall semester.

I received the book in a few days eventhough I had selected the standard shipping option. The book was packaged well and etc.

Tirole's book remains a classic IO reference for graduate-level IO courses even though it was published in 1988. The strength of the book is in its style of exposition - crisp mathematical models written in a style that is commonly found in journal articles. Therefore, reading the book prepares oneself for reading theoretical IO journal or working papers. This also implies that appreciation of the book requires that the reader is comfortable with mathematics and has some patience in working out the models (intermediate steps are sometimes omitted). However, those who persevere will reap the benefits.

This book is absolutely the "classic" in IO. The author amazingly provided very clear and coherent exposition to this huge, but diverse field. But, this book is not for everyone as some reviews below implied. First, consultants or managers may not find this book useful for the real-life application, because this is a (rather serious) "theory" book. It has no detailed cases, no practical managerial implications, and so on. For that purpose, there are many other good books like Schere, or Carlton & Perloff, etc. The virtue of this book lies in the author's capability to make accessible otherwise very complicated and abstruse models, which would be mainly the concern of grad students in econ, not consultants. Therefore, econ students who are interested in theory development in IO would quickly grasp the essence of important IO models with a simple algebra. I don't understand what part of the book some people think is useful as a reference for the consultants or even everyone.

Second, simple algebra in the book does not mean it is accessible to "everyone." At the introductory grad level, game thoery and information economics use only basic algebra, but it is still not easy at all. Of course, this book introduces almost all important topics usually taught in the first-year micro sequence at graduate school, like repeated game (Ch 6), basic mechanism design technique (non-linear pricing in Ch 3), principal-agent problem (Ch 1), and so on. It would be misleading if one says these topics are accessible to everyone because of "minimal use of math." Even chapter 1, the theory of firm, is a very deep discussion, introducing the concept of "incomplete contract."

In my opinion, this book will be ideal for econ grad students, who would want to quickly review relevant chapters before moving into more recent IO literature (of course, now with full rigor).

This book covers the main subjects in this field, with very clear and readable expositions and solid formalizations. Mathematics is not difficult (basic notions of calculus and optimization are required) and some exercises have been included at the end of the chapters "...to help the reader become familiar with the subjects and to broaden his or her knowledge..."

A bonus track: the book is also an excellent bibliographical guide to those who want to expand their reading.

I studied Economics, soon after found myself working as a consultant, and still I keep this book on the shelf as reference in case I need it. IO is the most important branch of Economics with direct applications on the business world. This book is entirely theoretict and contains only the most significant models, along with references to other papers related the subject. The only addition I would make to this book is to incorporate some practical information to see the power of the models explaining the real world.

Before starting to shout that a "New Economy has come!", people should focus more on the intrincate models already developed by economists ranging so different subjects as: differentiation, entry, information, innovation, etc. When I wrote my thesis on e-commerce, ...

A word of advice: You need very good grounding in Game Theory (beyond the initial stuff you learn at intermediate Microeconomic level), if not, try reading the appendix on Game Theory before inmersing on the subject.

This is an incredible book. The author articulates the dynamic of abuse in the most understandable language. Helpful to victims, as well as professionals.

"APPLICABLE TO BOTH JEWISH AND CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES. The coping strategies and intervention techniques that are outlined provide guidance in pinpointing the sickness at its source and restoring felicity and order to religious leadership and the community."

Reviewd by: Adolescence

"Dr. Benyei's perspective expands the conceptualization of clergy sexual misconduct beyond the individual . . . to an occurrence within a community that is affected by a wide range of community issues and dynamics. . . . AN UNFLINCHING LOOK AT A TOPIC THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL AND PAINFUL. Highly recommended reading for both clergy and laity."

Reviewed by: Christine A. Courtois, PhD, Author, Healing the Incest Wound: Adult Survivors in Therapy and Adult Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse; Clinical Director, The CENTER Posttraumatic Disorders Program, The Psychiatric Institute of Washington, Washington, DC

For the last decade or more an item often landing in the news has been the misconduct and abusiveness of clergy. In the late eighties this often had to with scandals surrounding TV evangelists, but lately much attention has been focused on the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. However, clergy abuse and misconduct have no boundaries as far as denominations, and unfortunately there does not seem to be a denomination yet with a good track record for dealing openly and truthfully when these things occur. The web site "Pokrov" for Orthodox victims of clergy abuse and misconduct stated:
"Over the last three years we have received several copies of letters our readers have sent to their churches to tell about their abuse -- letters that never received any response from the hierarchs. Some of our readers have even met with bishops in person. Many of our readers find that their letters and pleas to authorities come to a dead end because the bishop or hierarchs ignores them or discredits them. They end up feeling even worse than they did before. These stories have prompted us to write the Pokrov guidelines which are from a victims' perspective." This web site warns victims not to go alone to their church authorities to report abuse. This is disheartening to say the least.
A significant book that addresses the issue of clergy abuse and misconduct is Understanding Clergy Misconduct in Religious Systems: Scapegoating, Family Secrets, and the Abuse of Power by Candace R. Benyei, PhD. This vital book demythologized spiritual leaders and helps the reader to see the negative effects of placing them on a pedestal. It is an incisive look at the outrage of abuse from the perspective of victim, perpetrator and counselor.
In most churches and religious systems when abuse or misconduct occurs, it is generally covered-up and kept silent. Though there may seem to be good reasons to do this, Benyei documents how this secret keeping is destructive to the victim(s) and the congregation, whether they know it or not: "The keeping of the secret produces more pain to more people than the original insult itself"(Pg 104).
"The secret may be closely held by a few main players; the secret may be vaporous and no one may know anything for sure. . . nonetheless, a great deal of energy is used in keeping the lid on Pandora's box, which includes not only the secret but the resultant rage, anger, loss, fear and shame" (Pg 106).
One of the worst results of abuse or misconduct is the fact that the victim often becomes the scapegoat. Benyei notes, "Because it is unbearable to believe that the beloved spiritual leader could commit such acts, since that would shatter the fantasy that one had at last found the ultimate caregiver, victims are often unforgivable." (Pg 95).
It would be an advance if the clergy and hierarchy and spiritual leaders of churches and religious systems would make it their responsibility to inform people about abuse and misconduct they themselves might commit, but this is highly unlikely. Therefore it is incumbent on lay people to educate themselves and others when it comes to abuse in religious systems. So often we portray the Church as a safe place to come, a sanctuary, a haven. It often is a place of healing. However, it can also be a place of deep wounding and sin. As Mother Gavrilla of blessed memory once said, "The Church is like a huge ship full of sailors, biting each other in the throat, tearing hair, punching, but the wonder is that the ship is coming into port because Christ is at the helm." This side of the Church must also be revealed if it is ever to be healed. For healing to happen, we must understand the illness. I highly recommend Benyei's book as a place to start.
* * *

Using systems theory Dr. Benyei presents a balanced and fair approach to clergy misconduct. She astutely outlines the power dynamics in a church and the difficulty a lay person will have when bringing a complaint against a minister. She challenges us to give up our idealization of ministers and see them as the flawed human beings they are. This will not only help prevent abuse and hold ministers accountable but will also free ministers to be more genuine and receive the help and support they may need. In her final chapter she presents specific proposals to reform our churches and promote safer communities. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone concerned with building better, healthier church communities.

Who would have thought this would be an interesting book? I flew right thru it. I will keep it for reference. This book is needed for anyone conducting meetings on any level. Want to impress your boss? Want to look like you know what you are doing? Want to put others in their place? Read this book. Know the Rules.

The Ladies Auxilliary sought to engage me in a hennish, parliamentarian pissing contest. I won.

Do not be confused. This book is not Robert's Rules of Order (RROO). It is a companion volume designed to explain RROO. It is, however, a very good companion which I found to be very easy to understand and contained some very up-to-date information like how to vote by e-mail.

It has some other nice features like scripts to use in meetings. However, it lacks a simple table of motions, something that is included in most versions of RROO.

Unfortunately, the most up-to-date official version of RROO (the Newly Revised, 10th edition) is a huge book compared to the original volume that Mr. Robert wrote in 1876 as a pocket guide. To me, the large size makes the newest edition virtually useless. If you are interested in parliamentary procedure for a PTO, club, or church business meetings, you are also unlikely to need the most recent edition.

The last edition that Robert himself was personally involved in before his death was the 1915 Revised edition (not to be confused with the Newly Revised versions). This was the official version for many decades and I think is still good enough for most users. I purchased a paperback re-print of this edition from 1970 which also added a new preface by Robert's grandson.

Some supposedly modern editions of RROO are really just re-writes of the original 1876 version. I assume that as the original book is so old, it has long run out of copyright, so anybody can publish their own RROO. This may be a good thing as people looking for a more slimmed-down book may be happier with a modernized version of Robert's original pocket version. However, the 1915 edition, while expanded significantly over the original, is not so huge and I think a reasonable compromise.

So, to make a long story short. I would recommend purchasing some official version of RROO (again, I like the 1915 edition) along with Webster's book.

I am the CEO and CHAIR of my Organization known as the Canadian0-Kurdish Association for Human Rights, INC. and we have our own set of "by-laws", this book, "Robert's Rules of Order is simple to read and very easy to use. I am very please and satisfied with it's contents. Is very easy to understand as well and easy to follow instructions and examples to use. I am glad I have purchased it. Thank-You.

I accepted a position as Board Administrator in a charity organization in Seoul, South Korea. Prior to that, I had heard about Robert's Rules of Order, but had never used the book as a reference. In my time as a Board Administrator, I referred to this book often for a proposed amendment to our Constitution and By-Laws, procedures for notifying members of the Annual General Meeting, and to clarify the motion-making procedure for Board members. Robert McConnell Productions uses sample scripts to give readers can get a sense for how to conduct a board meeting (Chapter 2, "A Business Meeting in Action"), how to debate a motion (Chapter 4, "Rules of Debate"), and how to vote (Chapter 5, "Ways the Vote Can be Taken"). I passed my copy to the next Board Administrator and just ordered a new copy for myself. Board members have a significant advantage in Board negotiations if they are intimately familiar with RRO.