Organizations Books

A must read for any activists. Easy to understand and yet effective.

This is the how-to book I wish I had written. It's perfect for activists, charities, government agencies, even PTAs! No one can sell an idea or cause better than the person who believes in it--this book gives you the basics and more on how to get your campaign or event in the news.

The most difficult task for any activist or organization is getting noticed. With an influx of so many news agencies and mediums it's hard getting noticed by reporters and editors.

This book shows you how to make your cause 'interesting' to those who matter in getting your message across: the Media.

You'll learn how to do several things like give speeches, create an identity, use props & mascots and more.

Although it could have probablly included more in-depth detail and 'how-to' it was certainly worth the investment.

Bottom Line: Worthwhile addition for any activist or their organization. Invaluable for the person in charge of making causes and campaigns noticed!

Outstanding on all fronts. No jargon - all facts. Salzman shares his secrets and tells you how to figure out making your work into news. In this image-crazed age, this book is a must.

Gearing up a new issues education/activist organization, I read this invaluable tome. Then I called its author (Jason Salzman) to find proteges of his whom I might hire on the East Coast. After talking with him over a couple weeks, I hired him and have tremendously benefitted from his experience, wisdom and creativity. Not often we can hire the guy "who wrote the book." If you can't hire him yourself (try though), his book lays out the science and art of garnering media for you to tout your cause.

In deceptively simple prose, the author paints a picture of St. Benedict and the Middle Ages that stands as a mirror for our time. Each chapter is short and often organized around a theme (eg. my favorite, a chapter on prideful careerism leading to demonic possession) and makes for a good meditation before going to sleep. In spite of the book's simplicity--or because of it--Benedict stands out as a truly important figure in European history.

This lovely, charming book gives us the life of St. Benedict in the format used by ancient biographers to tell the life of a saint. Each chapter is a small story, an episode in his life, that has a lesson for us embedded into it. And like all ancient saint biographies, there is an air of "magical realism" in that whether or not the miracle actually happened as recorded doesn't really matter. A lesson is imparted to us that holds a higher truth. It is strange that this man, Benedict, who lived 1500 years ago can seem so contemporary in ways. His rule of life has certainly remained meaningful and is lived by many people today, both monastics and lay people. The author well describes Benedict's sense of spiritual and psychological balance, his kindness, and gifts as a spiritual father. I recommend this fine book to anyone who practices lectio, or just wants to learn more about Benedict.

Butcher describes Benedict's Rule, writing, "Its honest voice and kind simplicity draw the reader in completely." However, this does not only describe Benedict's Rule, but also characterizes Carmen Butcher's book, Man of Blessing. I thoroughly enjoyed every word, right down to the appendix where Butcher summarizes the 73 chapters of the Rule. She makes this ancient text accessible to anyone lucky enough to pick up her book. Butcher's investigation into who Benedict was and how he got that way is intriguing and enlightening. The constant delving into word history brings us closer to the heart of Benedict and the words he would have used to communicate with those he loved: his followers and his Leader. By defining Benedict's rule as "...a spiritual guide designed- not for mystics or superhumans- but for the average person wanting to commune with God and enjoy a more meaningful life," Butcher gives a picture of Benedict's Rule, while at the same time defining her own book as well.

As a Catholic law student currently taking a course on Western Legal Tradition, I found this book to provide a wonderful supplement to my course. St. Benedict's compilation of the Rule is an admirable life endeavor and an incredible process of perfecting "laws" applicable to living a faith-filled life. His life story written with an eye to the academic reader, as well as those readers seeking knowledge of his life given our current Pope's namesake, is an easy, informative, and inspirational read.

MAN OF BLESSING is a delightful account of the inspiring life of St. Benedict. Carmen Butcher's gift for language and love for etymology shine through this book and make it both enjoyable and informative. The dramatic story of the transformation of Benedict from the humble hermit of Subiaco to the gentle abbot of Monte Cassino offers a unique glimpse into the often secluded world of Benedictine monastic orders. This book also details the context in which Benedict develops his continuously refined "Rule", which becomes the definitive guidebook for future monastic societies. The value of charity, humility, and poverty personified in this saint of old, still has relevance today. Once again one is reminded that less is always more in the Kingdom of God, and that there is no limit to what God can do with a life that is totally yielded to Him. The impact of such a man of blessing truly is incalculable. Butcher makes this quiet figure of history sing praises once more!!

This was a very helpful book. I consider this book more as a manual on ministry to be referred to again and again. This is not a book that you read once, say "I got it", and never pick up gain. I highly recommend it for leaders and future leaders of churches so as to pattern ministry after the Bible, rather than the shifting sand of culture's preferences.

The introductory title says it all "Shepherds and Construction Workers." Right from the start, MacArthur sets his paradigm against the popular opinion of what church leaders should be doing. Church leadership is not management and is not glamorous. Rather, it is spiritual ministry (Jn 13:3-17) and spiritual construction with God to build the church (1 Cor 3:9-11).

This book is divided up into 3 parts not including the appendix.
Part 1. The Anatomy of a Church: MacArthur walks through the scriptural analogy of the Church being Christ's body with Himself as the Head (Col 2:19, Col 1:18).
a. The skeletal structure. The "skeletal" structure of the church is the critical components to being a church; if it yields, it is no longer a church: A high view of God, absolute authority of scripture, sound doctrine, personal holiness, and spiritual authority.
b. The internal systems. The spiritual attitudes necessary for church vitality: Obedience (he writes, "the all-pervasive attitude that makes all other attitudes possible"), humility, love, unity, willingness to serve, joy, peace, thankfulness, self discipline, accountability, forgiveness, dependence, flexibility, desire for growth, faithfulness, and hope.
c. The muscles. That which enables the body to function: Preaching and teaching, evangelism and missions, worship, prayer, discipleship, shepherding, building up families, training, giving, and fellowship.
d. The Head. The most important part. The Head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. Without Him we can do nothing (Jn 15:5). Then, he points to Christ the Head as Savior, Shepherd, Sovereign, and Sanctifier.

Part 2: The Dynamic Church
a. The Pattern of the early church. He discusses the founding of the church, the ministry of the church, and the leadership of the church.
b. Elders, deacons, and other church members.
c. The Thessalonian model. A surrendered, soul-winning, second coming, steadfast, and submissive church.
d. The Marks of an Effective church: Godly leaders, discipleship, an emphasis on penetrating the community, active church members, concern for one another, devotion to the family, bible teaching and preaching, willingness to change, great faith, sacrifice, and worship.
e. The calling of the church: Called BEFORE: Election, Called OUT: Redemption, Called TO: Sanctification, Called TO: Identification, Called UNDER: Revelation, Called WITH: Unification, Called UNTO: Glorification, and Called FOR: proclamation.
f. The Lord's work in the Lord's way: vision for the future, sense of flexibility, commitment to thoroughness, commitment to present service, acceptance of opposition as a challenge, a team spirit, and a sensitivity to the Spirit's leading in others.

Part 3: Qualities of an Excellent Servant
a. Understanding the seducing spirit
b. Understanding the duties of ministry
c. Shepherding the flock of God

The book also has a huge appendix of 150 pages. It answers:
1. Answering the Key Questions about Elders
2. Answering the Key Questions about Deacons
3. Qualifications for Spiritual Leadership
4. Elements of Church Discipline
5. Restoring a Sinning Brother or Sister
6. Should Fallen Leaders be Restored?
7. The Danger of False Teaching
8. Why I still Preach the Bible
9. Why Personal Integrity is Crucial for the Church
10. Why I love the Church
11. Why Doctrine is practical

MacArthur's plan for the "church" is extremely sound. His preceptions are based on origional language of the Bible and will work for anyone committed to establishing a God honoring body of believers.

John MacArthur has done an excellent job explaining from the Scriptures the plan that God has ordained for the local church. He teaches what the Bible says about elders, deacons, women's roles, church discipline, preaching, etc. Very scholarly without being dry. Excellent exegesis.

Although the "Master's Plan for the Church" (MPftC) came out before "Ashamed of the Gospel" (AotG), I recommend reading AotG before MPftC. AotG presents a broader base for what problems exist (e.g., watering down the gospel) and why they exist. MPftC is more of a practical application -- now that AotG has shown what to avoid, MPftC shows a better way to implement things in your church. Our denomination (CRC - Christian Reformed Church) has most of those things in place and does a pretty good job of staying true to how a church should be run. MPftC helps keep our minds in line with doing the right things and not just things because "we've always done it that way". Most of the chapters and appendixes are taken from sermons at the author's church. The format is easy to read and well organized. The appendixes fill the final one-third of the book and are required reading. I recommend getting both books for your church library (we have AotG and probably will get MPftC soon).

Very thorough and to the point in so many aspects of the church. From backing up why a plurality of elders to church discipline. A very good read that will point the reader of what God truly wants from His church based on the biblical model set forth in the New Testament. I extremely liked the area describing the elder; his qualifications and disqualifications based on what the Greek text provides.

In the back of the book in the appendixes he then tackles questions regarding different aspects of the church, such as major questions regarding elders and deacons. He defends many topics including having one of the elders being the lead (teaching pastor) to why the elders can, but not as a rule, be paid.

I would recommend this to anyone wanting to reconfirm what the Bible teaches on the church and not our traditions passed on generation upon generation. Very big help!

Leaders have to be competent, or the whole thing won't work. "Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business Or Nonprofit" is a crash course in leadership skills for those who want to learn everything they need to know about company management. With nearly one hundred pieces of invaluable advice, as well as an index and bibliography, "Mastering the Management Buckets" is an excellent choice for prospective leaders and for community library business collections.

I'm often daunted by how much there is to master in running a nonprofit organisation. What should I be an expert in? What niche publications should I be reading? What training do I need?

The thing I love about John's book is that if I didn't read anything else, but just mastered each of the 20 buckets he talks about, then I'd be in the top few percentile of my game. I can't think of anything of substance that is missing from the book, it covers such a wide range of practical topics. But it somehow covers them in enough depth to be really helpful.

I wish I had come across this earlier - but since I'm still relatively young, there's hope for me yet that I'll have time to integrate the good common sense that John outlines! The book is easy to read in its style, bite-sized and practical in its format, and one of the very best books I've come across for nonprofit leaders.

After starting to read this book my reaction was WOW! I've never seen so many practical ideas for leaders in one book. John Pearson draws on a vast array of sources that he came across over his long career including time he spent with Peter Drucker. The book describes 20 critical competencies are broad and include topics you don't usually find in books on leadership such as systems, board, budget, operations and crisis.

The competencies are what Pearson calls "management buckets." Some people will like this description, others may be tempted to dismiss the bucket metaphor as lite. That would be a mistake. The book is jam-packed with substantive ideas and insights. I was glad to see that Pearson covers the "hard" issues such as being results oriented to the "soft" issues such as caring for employees. I'm recommending this book to leaders as one to take their leadership team through. It will surely stimulate a list of actions that will benefit their team and organization.

The book does have a lot of references to Christianity because John is a Christian and he has primarily worked for and with Christian organizations. If you work for a Christian organization, this is a must read. If not, or if you are not a Christian, you will still benefit from the ideas and practices described in the book. Because social sector organizations rely so much on volunteers they have learned much about motivating them and for-profit organizations can learn a lot from effective social sector leaders such as Pearson.

I also want to point out that the book is well-organized into short sections so it's ideal for most leaders who prefer bite-sized readings. Too many books these days fail to include end notes and I was glad to see that Pearson provided extensive endnotes that will allow readers to dig even deeper into the many sources he drew upon to write the book.

Bottom line: I highly recommend this book!

Only John Pearson could pour the insights gleaned from twenty five years in chief executive roles at three different associations into twenty management buckets: six buckets focused on The Cause, seven buckets for The Community, and seven buckets for The Corporation. The language of The Cause is purpose driven. The language of the Community is warm affirmation. The language of The Corporation focuses on operations, systems and fiduciary responsibilities.
Chapter by chapter each of Pearson's twenty buckets gets filled with "strategic balls" that leaders can utilize to enhance their management of each bucket theme. The chapters are filled with anecdotes about real life experiences in the workplace.
My favorite is The Hoopla! Bucket. Spring-boarding from Dennis Bakke's Joy at Work, Pearson articulates a value proposition for Hoopla as a way to relieve stress and build team spirit in the workplace. This is a critical concept for the great number of nonprofit organizations that have squeezed the pennies so tightly that they have made their workplaces blatantly undesirable and unhealthy.
Mastering the Management Buckets is a straightforward refresher course in critical competencies critical for successful leadership in organizations of all kinds. The book serves it up straight, consistent with Pearson's persona as a straight shooting leader, a man of integrity and a follower of Jesus. If you're looking for ways to enhance your management skills, built on a Biblical platform that views leadership as a spiritual exercise, this book is for you.

Mastering the Management Buckets provides invaluable guidelines, profound insight, and clear direction. There's more solid, practical advice for managers and leaders than can be received in many of the books I've read in my forty-years of ministry. I'm a visual guy. So the illustrations of the 20 buckets concept really rivots my attention. This book is a hands-on resource, it transforms my leadership thinking. I only wish I had this resource in my hands ten years ago!

The Newark Teacher Strike was an exhilarating book and it actually made me feel the
emotions that the teachers were going through. It astonished me to see that over 200
people were imprisoned due to this strike; although after reading further other actions
were more astounding. This book should be read by every teacher and soon-to-be
teacher to truly understand the command these teachers took upon themselves.
This book portrays the struggles of the teachers not only against the Board of
Education, but also against one another. There are powerful excerpts pertaining to
equality and differences. There is a lot to learn from this book, and some parts I found
so interesting that I actually read them again to make sure I was taking everything in.
This book transcends the ultimate message that no matter how difficult something may
be you should stand up for what you believe in.

Steve Golin takes great care as a historian to report the perspectives of the teachers who went on strike in 1970 and 1971 in his narrative "The Newark Teacher Strikes: Hopes on the Line." Emergent is the fact that what started the strikes is not what ended them and what teachers had begun fighting together for ended in their battling against each other because of their differences.

The first strike was almost inspiring. Teachers of different backgrounds banded together under the brotherhood of the union and fought for its say in decision making for schools. In his reporting, Golin uncovers the underpinnings of the teacher's tensions by the time of the second strike, which ended in nearly two hundred people arrested or placed in jail. Black, Jewish and Italian teachers were all seeking betterment for themselves and/or the quality of education, however, they grew to feel differently about the union. The ubiquitous issues of race, gender and class snuck up on the strikers. The equality of men and women as professionals in the workplace became a contributing factor to the increased tensions between teachers. Adding insult to injury were the pay differences between elementary and secondary teachers. Race, however, was one of the most powerful and destructive factors affecting the second strike. Golin also retells accounts of those sentenced to jail after the second strike and how their experience has changed their lives.
For the novice urban school teacher this book is an invaluable reality check revealing the extent to which our predecessors were willing to go to fighting for what they believe in. It made me question to what extent I would fight for what I believe in, should I be called upon to do so.

Steve Golin's The Newark Teacher Strikes is a thought provoking book which allows people from all walks of American life to get into the minds of the men and women who shaped the evolution of Newark Teacher's Union through the strikes that occurred. This book was not only about the efforts of Newark teachers trying to improve the educational system, but about teachers, men and women, "Blacks," Jews, and Italians alike, developing their own self identity and self importance in their career as educators in the public school system. Teachers tried to identify themselves as professionals yet were asked to join a Union which was typically organizations for non-professional.

The book also focuses on teachers in Newark in the midst of civil rights movements while trying to better the educational system for America's youth. In some cases, the changes the NTU desired were tied to the civil rights movement. Newark was a great example of how teacher unions developed during these times. The "Black" population grew from 11 percent in 1940 to 54 percent in 1970. Minority teachers were fighting for a place in society and for power and representation in governing, while at the same time working to improve education.

The concept of isolation is also addressed in this book: "Probably the worst thing in any strike is for the strikers to feel isolated." One of the biggest benefits of being part of a Union is the easing of the mind that a person is not alone in their feelings and thoughts. People can feed off each other's energy. People can listen to each other's stories and realize that they are not so different. Unions also validate the feelings and concerns in the minds of people.

Golin's approach to understanding the psychological aspect of people involved in the Union development in Newark was successful. Throughout the reading I found myself pondering the thoughts of the individuals who were brave enough in uncertain times to stand up for the principles of their convictions. Their thoughts and perspectives enlightened me. It made me prouder to be in education and realize that our work as educators is not yet done. Furthermore, I have concluded that our work does not have to take place just in our classrooms, but efforts outside the classroom in non-curricula arenas.

Brian R. Currie

Steve Gotlin's book, "The Newark Teacher Strikes, Hopes on the Line" explores the avenues and dilemmas placed on teachers within an urban school system. Fifty enticing and emotionally twisting teacher interviews touch all aspects of society. These enlightening dialogues pave the way for insights into the inner emotions and characteristics that create and symbolize a "teacher". The author delves into the many conflicts that arise between teachers and administration compounded by race, gender, class differences and other human characteristics that are prevalent within the once school district. Gotlin explores the feelings that churn up among educators during strikes and actions not only about higher wages or improved education for the students but also an instructors' concern for a say in the decision-making process. In the midst of two weeks of strikes, during 1970 and 1971, the Newark school system completely shut down and the consequences that filtered down to the children. Explore how all these quandaries were overcome within this astonishing book. With encapsulating scenarios and emotions running wild, I highly recommend this wonderful book to any person, teacher or non-teacher, to understand what teachers strive to accomplish everyday in school.

Steve Golin's "The Newark Teacher Strikes: Hopes on the Line" is an enthralling account of a paralyzing situation that landed close to two hundred teachers in jail. This book reveals the great effort of a Union trying to better the educational system in Newark, New Jersey in the early seventies. The author touches on issues that go deeper than politics, and teachers against administrators. He illuminates the great characteristics that the members of the Newark Teachers Union possessed. Golin uses interviews from over fifty teachers to capture the true reasoning behind the strikes - fighting for the rights of both teachers and students. The book reveals the humanity of the teachers in Newark. Struggling with an unfair monetary advantage for the teachers at the secondary level, those teachers fight to relinquish raises in order to equalize the pay scale for teachers at all levels. The ties that bind are delivered in an incredible account of an unwillingness to concede. I recommend this book to all who are in or interested in the education field as well as anyone who wants to learn about real life struggles and the uphill battles that the teachers in Newark would not give in to.

From its very beginning, the Church has always worshipped. Building on its Jewish roots and through its meditation on the mysteries of the Christian faith, the worship of the Church developed rich liturgical traditions in different locales that even through the variations of custom maintained a core similarity built upon the legacy of the Apostles. The Protestant Reformation gave impetus to removing perceived excesses (in the case of the magisterial Reformers) and complete overhauls (in the case of the radical Reformers) and this led to an even greater amount of variation to the basic pattern of worship to the point now where local churches in the same offer a bewildering menu of worship styles.

Geoffrey Wainwright and Karen B. Westerfield Tucker have brought together contributions from various authors to outline the liturgical diversity of the Church in The Oxford History of Christian Worship. Beginning with the earliest days of the Church, the articles details the rich history of Christian worship over two millennia followed bv additional articles covering a specific facet of worship (i.e., the role of women, the use of art) rather than a particular tradition or period. Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern traditions are all covered and, umlike many more academic surveys of Christian worship, recent free church developments such as the growing acceptance of Christianity in Asia and Africa are included.

The quality of the articles is very high and they are generally self-contained and need not be read in order. Both the early articles on liturgical history and the later one bringing together much of the fruit of the scholarship of the liturgical movement are written in a form suitable for scholar and educated layman alike. As a reference source for understanding the diverse traditions of Christian worship, The Oxford History of Christian Worship is indispensible.

The Oxford History of Christian Worship is 860 pages of wonderfully perceptive and accessible historical scholarship in the service of Christian theology. The book is sympathetic to every strand of Christian worship: there is nothing dry or patronizing here. The masterly Introduction by Geoffrey Wainwright is not only theological, it is positively evangelical: if we do not worship the true God we worship false ones.

The book starts with the apostolic tradition, the ancient oriental churches, and goes on to Orthodoxy. I was most impressed by Alexander Rentel's fifty pages on Eastern Orthodoxy, by André Haquin on changes in Catholic worship in the twentieth century, and by Karen Westfield Tucker's forty page chapter on North America. Other chapters deal with different ecclesiologies (Mennonite, Charismatic), territories (Africa, Asia) and themes (Music, the Spatial Setting, Women), and there are seven chapters on church and worship in the global south. The chapters lay out the theological logic of each form of worship: the content and structures of worship services are discussed, with some information laid out in boxes, and lots of illustrations.

Several chapters discuss the twentieth century, in which worship underwent rapid changes in every church. The Roman Catholic recovery of the idea that whole church is the people of God, communion ecclesiology (an unnoticed reformation?), meant that Vatican II was not simply the Catholic church `catching up' with change outside it; it has also been the impetus to liturgical revision in every other (Protestant) denomination. Revision of lectionaries, service books and hymn books shows an increasing Evangelical understanding of the role of the lectionary in cementing the unity of the Church, and thus a growing Protestant realisation of the catholicity of Church. There is an intelligent discussion of Pentecostal and charismatic worship and a tentative look forward, perhaps to a church led by the charismatic churchmanship of the global south. The Oxford History of Christian Worship is a compelling read, and I was gripped even by subjects that I thought I had no interest in. It is the best purchase I have made this year.

Nice solid binding, great illustrations, 900+ pp., really an amazing work.

IDEOLOGY
All mainline Protestants (liberals and neo-orthodox, for lack of a better generalization), progressive Ro. Catholics, or Eastern Orthodox, plus one charismatic from Westmont. The Methodists are the most numerous, but the writers span the Xian family tree (Lutherans, Mennonites, etc.). The only ones left out are Evangelicals (with the exception of the Westmont author). A big group to leave out, but not surprising.

SCOPE: Global, historic (AD 30-present), ecumenical (see above), detailed (34 chapters, over 900 pp.)

Some random thoughts:
Chap. 1 Xian Worship: Scriptural BASIS AND THEO. Frame by Wainwright is exactly what you'd expect from anyone who has read his wonderful book Doxology (1980; systemtics written from a relentlessly LITURGICAL perspective. All theological concepts are related to worship). Wainwright does a very fine job of introducing a topic as large as worship. He does this by opening with a beautiful plea for Xian worship being founded on the particularity of the Biblical God and as opposed to all idols and so-called gods. This comes off, frankly, as a very Reformed section of the book. About a helpful as anything i have read by others with whom I share more theological opinions (Hughes O. Old, John Frame, etc).

For example, he pulls out of the book of Romans all these familiar passages, showing them to be shot through with liturgical language and cultic terms. I will never see Romans the same way again. Then moves on like it was nothing to a brilliant discussion of Imago Dei and how this means we were made for communion with God and then, of course, made for life in society.

BTW -- this wouldn't be a modern mainline book if, after brilliantly demonstrating Xian particularity and exclusive claims to God, he didn't turn around and undermine this with a short but unfortunate nod to universalism (through the benevolent lens of von Balthasar).

Chap. 2 -- Maxwell Johnson. He shows something we all want to fight against -- there was not ONE EARLY CHURCH way to do worship, but several. Some, no doubt, had direct Apostolic roots and others did not. We get ahold of a book like The Apostolic Tradition and we all feel safe -- we can at least hang our hats on it, being right from the pen of Hippolytus of Rome and early 3rd century. So THIS is how the Early Church did liturgy! Well, not really. Lately scholars seem to think its not by Hippolytus (it was anonymous after all), maybe not Roman, and maybe not even 3rd cent. (earliest copies we have are 5th cent.). I am not up on the latest here, but the general point is a muddy one -- there isn't one ideal liturgy of the Early chucrh out there to be recovered and replicated. Of course, we wouldn't want to anyway. There's a Holy Spirit and all. But we CAN find some common phrases, elements, themes, to shape and inform our current worship. This chapter is long-winded and a little too detailed, but great.

Chap. 13 on Reformed Tradition in NETHERLANDS was the most surprising to me. I expected alot better liturgy from this tradition. 1553 Micron liturgy has the most bizarre order of worship imaginable. Sermon comes early, announcements after it, then confession of sin, ends with intercession. Only highlight -- very last item before benediction is an exhortation for the poor.

In the exile Dutch church (French speaking) no member could refuse to partake in the Lord's Supper without good reason (very interesting).

But now things go way down hill. A nat'l synod produces a 1574 liturgy that was much simpler (Puritan) and had no confession of sin. This order remained the same, we are told, into the 21st century, except that teh confession of faith was replaced with Ten Commendments. Uggh! and the Lord's Supper was celebrated only 6 times a year.

This same 1574 nat'l synod also decreed no funeral liturgiess, just preaching, since the dead might be honored instea d of God. And before each celebration of the meal a censura morum (moral investigation) of members was held by a joint group of pastors, elders, deacons (well, do note at least they were three office, not two). Later synods like Middleburg (1581) did not allow Xmas celebation. Eventually it was allowed with soberness to prevent idleness. No explicit absolution or declaration of pardon was allowed becuase the preaching of the Gospel contains enough forgiveness!

In the 17th cent. the very few 'liturgical' elements -- creeds, ten commandments, etc. -- all took place sadly in a sort of pre-service. After them, THEN the pastor would enter the church say a prayer and go right into the sermon! The eucharist was supposed to be celebrated 6 times a year but in many cases only happened annually (p. 467). The Reformers would have died. People wore only black. Maundy Thrus and Good Fri were NOT observed in Dutch Reformed chucrhes, and Easter was explicitly to be a sober emphasis on Christ's DEATH!?

An 1817 synod gave complete liturgical freedom. Freedom from the mess cataloged above would be great, but this also meant freedom from doing any recognizable liturgy. Set forms of prayer, we are told, were viewed as spiritual weakness. A schism occured in 1834 over this stuff.

20th cent. saw some improvements. Kuyper wrote Our Liturgy in 1911 (Is it avaialble in English?). In 1973 several Protestant denominations (Lutherans, Mennonites, Reformed) came together to write a joint hymnal. (Good idea! How about PCA/OPC link up with AMiA, Missour Synod, EPC and some others to do the same? Each could still keep their separate ones, but congregations could elect to use teh ecumencial one insteda of the parachurch ones many use.) Liturgies are reproduced here. Supper finally is celebrated 8-10 times a year (though just 4 times in more orthodox congregations).

After that, chap. 14 on SCOTTISH Reformed makes the Scots look more liturgical and rich. The author here is Ducan Forrester, who was Dean of New College, Edinburgh.

Lots of good insights. Some tragic, some helpful and lovely. The irnonic spectacle -- mobs going way beyond Knox and the Reformers in rioting to destroy every imagined vestige of 'idolatrie" while the very same people jealously guarded all kinds of old practices the Reformers sought to end (saints' days fairs, certain funeral rituals, etc.). The strong influence of German Lutheran liturgies on Wishart and Geo. Buchanan is interesting.

Knox's 1564 liturgy calls for communion once a month (that's about 40 times too few a year, but better than Holland). Sadly it over-fences, of course. But communion is enveloped in wonderful prayers of 'thanksgiving".

Essay is concise and balanced.

Chap. 15 on KOREAN worship is another surprise. They hit two of the three big early missionaroes (Horace Allen and Underwood, but why not Samuel Austin Moffett?). Tell how Nevius' principles and pragmatic concerns (pragmatism ALWAYS messes us up in ways we don't anticipate at the time!) led to a 'temporary' low church, revivalist, simple liturgy, which sadly endured despite all efforts at liturgical renewal that began in the 1920s. Not til the 1980s did any of the liturgical impulse get any foothold at all, the authors claim. Only silver lining -- the non-liturgical, seeker-sensitive "open worship" spreading through much of Korean has been resisted by most 21st cent. Presbyterians, we are told. Small consoluation.

Chap. 16 on ANGLICANS. The author Bryan Spinks is Yale prof., with an interest in music. This is a long chapter, but (unlike chap. 2) needed to be.

Chap. 21 on PENTECOSTALS written by a Westmont prof differed, to me, from the others I read in tone and quality. It seems to be something of an apologetic.

Chap. 26 on Inculturation in AFRICA was wildly educational to me, prob. only because I know so little on this. (Shaw's hist of Xianity in Africa was good, but it does not talk much about liturgy). The author is a native African Nwaka Chris Egbulem who teaches in New Orleans. He's Catholic and makes great points about the need to have an authentically local liturgy that is still somehow Catholic and historic. The case study of the Congo (Zaire) is VERY interesting. P. 689 is where it comes to a head. Obviously, he's right that the Vatican needs to lighten up on the ban against palm wine and millet bread. Reminds me of the Vatican's decision that the kid in NJ who was allergic to wheat couldn't commune with a rice wafer instead.

But he does go too far I think toward syncretism. For example, he wants to incorporate the rich (PAGAN!) prayer traditions into the liturgy mass, etc.

Getting too long here. All pastors need to buy this book.

THE OXFORD HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP should be an essential part of the library of any serious student of Church history and liturgy. Beautifully written and illustrated, it is a comprehensive look at Christian worship and certainly serves well as an authoritative text for those committed to the study of the Church and its divergent denominations and practices over the centuries. It should be required reading for all seminary students, Christian educators, and lay persons interested in peeling away the layers of liturgical practice and focusing upon the real core of Christian worship. In addition, it is an excellent volume to reference in any ecumenical discussion.

This work is quite ambitious, but I think it lives up to its ambition. The book is over 900 pages of Church history geared toward the practice of Christian worship. It is organized in a "somewhat" historical chronological fashion. What I mean by this is it moves the reader through Church history touching on time periods such as the Apostolic Tradition, Ancient Oriental Churches, Byzantine and Slavic Churches, Reformation Churches in all areas of the world from Europe to Korea, Mennonites, Baptists in Britain, and then to North American Churches, the Pentecostal and Charismatic worship, and every other form or style in between.

There are 34 chapters in all covering the entire span of Church history and issues within each time period. The book also covers ecumenical movements, Liturgical styles, music I worship, how visual arts are and can be used in worship, Women in worship, Missions, etc. Simply put, this work is massive and quite exhaustive. This is definitely a reference text to continue to turn back to time and time again. It is both topical and historical and that makes for a very well rounded work.

The contributors come from every imaginable background such as Methodist, Roman Catholic, Swiss Reformed, Baptist, Presbyterian, etc. So every topic gets attention from someone whose central focus in their research field in that very topic. This makes for a nice authoritative text which is able to cover a lot of territory. If you have an interest in Church History, Ecclesiology, Theology, studies in worship style and content, etc. then you will not want to be without this text. I can certainly see this text becoming a standard text book in colleges and seminaries for classes on Ecclesiology and worship.

This is a text for everyone from any tradition and/or background. Even if you disagree with certain worship styles, practices, forms, modes, etc. it will certainly benefit you, the reader, to read about all the various different traditions and styles presented in this text. I recommend this book.

The Performance Connection offers concrete approaches to growing any organization into a leadership and value-driven entity. I have worked with the author, Mr. DeWilde, and the insights I received mirrored the suggested concepts in the book. After working for several years with middle managers, I incorporated many of the book's concepts into my daily interactions with these managers. I can reflect back three years and honestly marvel at how much more responsibility these managers were able to handle, increases in creativity as well as productivity, and true ownership of final products. I am also a less stressed leader, and I can credit The Performance Connection for setting me on a new path.

The Performance Connection accounts itself well with pragmatic advice and examples for improving individual engagement and organization performance. The theme of accountablity is threaded through the chapters and provides straight forward methods for targeting and driving success. Perhaps the greatest value of the book is its application to a wide varity of situations from corporate to small business and from for-profit to non-profit organizations

The Performance Connection describes a philosophy and practice of performance management which readers of Jim Collins will recognise, and many of the themes of the book have been covered at greater length in books on organisational design, performance management, strategic planning and high performance teams. The five main sections of the book take the reader from the individual relationships of people within an organisation - with particular emphasis on how leaders relate - through questions of purpose, vision and alignment of objectives to organisational design, accountability and rewards and finally the business planning cycle.

Underpinning all this is the performance connection - the need for people to connect with each other and the organisation at both an intellectual and emotional level, within a dynamic management system and flexible organisational structure, with true alignment of purpose to achieve extraordinary results.

The strength of The Performance Connection is how it brings together these quite diverse threads of management science- subjects like individual identity within the organisation and its teams, contribution versus position or role, empowerment of individuals and teams, individual development, selection, rewards and motivation, alignment of purpose, strategic planning - into a coherent and internally consistent performance management system.

For me the book demands a second reading. It is quite concise and there's a lot packed onto each page and although not a light read it is practical, with plenty of ideas and guidance how to put The Performance Connection to work. Aspiring leaders and managers who want to transform the performance of their enterprise and are looking for a whole new approach will find a lot to think about in this book.

The Performance Connection offers a new, yet practical model for businesses to engage their most important product..........their employees. DeWilde and Anderson provide a format to inject this philosophy within key areas of a business or a top to bottom revamp of an organization. Read it and reap the rewards. David Johnston President JIC, Inc.

I am a counselor and many of my clients have been employed in various positions in the business world. This book addresses with effectiveness and empathy how to create a successful environment for the individual and the business to thrive while underscoring an employee's happiness and self efficacy. A must read for anyone in the business world or academia striving to create the best atmosphere possible for their work setting. Teaching these principals to business students would provide a needed bridge to ethical and successful companies.

From TQM to Balanced Score Cards - this is the book that provides a practical synthesis. Focus on cause and effect relationships and away from abstractions. Must have book.

There aren't a lot of really good books about performance management, and performance measurement specifically, available yet. Too many of them are overly prescriptive in what to measure and very light on the details of how to measure (properly).

Because I specialise in performance measurement (and have done for over 14 years now), I've read quite a bit in this field and expected that Gary's book was going to be another one I'd refuse to recommend to my clients and subscribers.

But that's not what happened. I actually really enjoyed Gary's book, and support a lot of his philosophy about performance management. It's got to have strong alignment to strategy, it's got to be well thought through, it's not really about scorecards and technology, it's about making it easier to execute strategy, and it's about reliable and objective data.

It's a great book to give people that really need to take performance management more seriously, particularly senior managers and executives. It's not a book for the operational manager that is new to performance measurement (in this case try "Performance Scorecards" by Chang and Morgan).

I met Gary at a SAS conference the other day and we had a discussion on various issues. One of them being the query of why so many strategies to improve performance fail. Is it in the design or the execution of strategy? Gary popped the commonly accepted view that it is failure to execute otherwise sound strategies. And I replied, being a Strategy Consultant for over 16 years, that I haven't seen a sound strategy yet. After some debat we agreed that design and execution are equaly important.

This book is about execution of sound strategies using a series of quantifiable performance management methods. These are most popular in the Anglo-Saxon (US/UK) world and have been exported to the European mainland as well where they compete with qualifiable performance management systems. What is the difference? Quantifiable PMS' are based on measurement and consequences as strategy and tactics are imposed top-down. Qualifiable PMS' however are based upon a 'meeting-in-between' strategy process where productivity is boosted by inspiration, motivation and creativity. Employee involvement is the key. Instead of using fixed targets and bandwiths, one would use waypoints and scenario's, leaving the control of execution to operational teamleaders. (In W.W.II the Germans were 1.7 times more effective than the Allied forces using qualifiable techniques, even though they were outnumbered 3 to 1 by allied forces using quantifiable techniques). Qualifiable techniques are based on the assumption that operational conditions and short term objectives change all too rapidly for a rigid approach of planning & control. But if operational teamleaders understand the strategic and tactical objectives they can easily adapt to new conditions.

However Gary's latest book is the best book on quantifiable PMS' since Maximum Performance Management by Boyett & Conn (that actually tries to combine qualifiable and quantifiable techniques).

Don't just buy it, read it!

If execution is the goal these days, then this book brings an interesting perspective -- it's both big picture AND 'how to do it' at the same time. Cokins does a great job of putting the execution imperative into the larger context of "why." A good read for a reminder of basic performance management tools and for exploring how they work best in the context of today's tough business environment.

Gary's book, on Performance Management published by Wiley, does an excellent job of pointing out there are no "Silver Bullets" or management tools that solve all problems. Combinations of the right techniques is an art. Bold graphics and flow charts in the book do much to stimulate the thought process. Business failure is often a result of inadequate performance management systems. Survival in today's global economy requires many of the better performance management techniques described in Gary's new book. A great addition to any business library. Bill Hass, Certified Turnaround Professional, wjhass@aol.com

I first read this book in 1975 and have read a couple of times, since.

This book tells the facinating story of behind-the-scenes building of the Isreali military. Not only is this book an enjoyable read, but it is a true story that provides details of this building.

A must read.

There are only a few people who can qualify for nomination as "the person most responsible for the State of Israel being". One of those people is Rudolph G.Sonneborn. The only place you will ever read about him and his unique group, "the Sonneborn Institute", is in The Pledge. Leonard Slater "found" him and tells us of his importance in the creation of The State of Israel in this most important, most unbelievable, but absolutely true story. Everyone interested in Israel should read this book and know not only the facinating story, but learn about Rudolf G.Sonnnborn, one of the most important, yet most private of men, in Jewish history.

I just finished this book after having it on my bookshelf for years. I'm glad I did because it was well worth reading --- not because it was a perfect book, but because it fills in important gaps in understanding the reaction of Jews and the world to the Holocaust. In doing my own research for a book, I remembered the Pledge and read the cover. While Joseph Heller might have pointed out the humorous aspects of the book, these paled in comparison to the seriousness of the effort by Americans to support the nascent idea of Israel. It was the serious side that attracted me. What I took from the book was the evolution from the meek, quiet, compliant European Jew to the bold, brash and surviving Israeli. While Hitler unleashed a social plague, from that plague came a people hardened by the fire of war and extermination. These people became survivors in every sense of the word. Israelis remain survivors. But the survival of these people initially rested in large part on the American spirit of innovation and adaptability. And this, to me, fused the encapsulated history of the Jews to the modern world. The most ironic part of the book --- and the most fascinating (because I am a pilot) --- was the use of Nazi Me-109's to win control of the skies during the war of independence. Who could imagine the irony of history --- that the tools of war laid down by a people's killer would become their necessary tools of freedom? This is the real story underlying Slater's book. The book sometimes becomes long on detail --- lists and lists of equipment and parts. It's hard to keep straight all of the various people. Although the Sonnenborn Institute was important, the real heroes were the men and women who actually gave their time, money and lives for their ideal. Despite its minor flaws, the book is well worth reading and excellent as a background resource.

I cannot possibly put into words how much I think anyone with even a passing interest in Israel should read this book. I would suspect that even the average politically active Zionist, even Israelis or Americans, has never heard of Rudolph Sonnenborn, the operation that this book describes, or most of the people in it. And frankly, that's pathetic. Not only is this a great and well-written story, real-life smuggling and covert operations at their very best, but it illuminates a lot of the dry facts that are found in basic histories of the War of Independence. Afterwards I was reading Howard Sachar's massive and bone-dry A History of Israel, and it was great to see mention of smuggled planes or illicit factories now that I actually knew the story behind them. This is quite seriously a must-read; quick, tense, well-written, and fascinating both as a story and as history.

There are only a few people who can qualify for nomination as "the person most responsible for the State of Israel being". One of those people is Rudolph G.Sonneborn. The only place you will ever read about him and his unique group, "the Sonneborn Institute", is in The Pledge. Leonard Slater "found" him and tells us of his importance in the creation of The State of Israel in this most important, most unbelievable, but absolutely true story. Everyone interested in Israel should read this book and know not only the facinating story, but learn about Rudolf G.Sonnnborn, one of the most important, yet most private of men, in Jewish history.

I knew most companies were listening to someone. This Book mentions who and adds to that body of literature called process improvement. After reading this book I was able to contribute to the on-going process and become a more valuable employee.

Great Book!!! The book is written interestingly and in a very well wording way. The standpoint of the writer integrating naturally into the real life of the reader needs accompanied with a blaze of practical examples which the writer has taken from the real life of his experience. Personally I have done a fascinating use the book to redesign software related process, and I can certainly say that from background in engineering, one can do a tremendously use of this book in any related technical \ business areas and probably more. Recommended!

I must admit that I felt a bit uneasy when I found out that this book, which was recommended to me by a friend, had been written by someone with a PhD. In my experience, books written by PhDs are often very academic, difficult to read, and end up telling me what I already know in a very convoluted way.

This book, however, dares to enter "dangerous academic territory" by, for example, defining "knowledge" and measuring it in different instances of business communication. Even in doing so, its ideas make sense and are logically consistent. It also wraps everything up nicely by proposing a methodology (MetaProi) to put the ideas in the book into practice and showing the results of the use of that methodology.

I think this book might get a "thumbs down" from academic ivory tower dwellers. From me (what do I know?), it gets two thumbs up!

Ned's book is great! I used his nine-step system (MetaProi) to facilitate four Business Process Improvement Teams in a local audio visual supply company. All four teams modeled, redesigned, and developed an implementation plan for at least one business process. Three of the four teams went on to successful implementation of their plans. One dynamo team solved several problems. Other than the kickoff, there were no face-to-face meetings. The widely distributed teams used collaborative technologies for nearly all interactions, resulting in minimal impact to daily operations. Participants were excited about growing with new methodologies and technologies.

Phoenixville, PA

This book will be essential reading for those wishing to develop insight into process improvement methodologies, which span popular business process reengineering and total quality improvement movements, and the use of computer mediated communication (groupware) to support these process improvement efforts. In particular, the marriage of the Metaproi methodology and groupware techniques, presented and illustrated with field experience, will be invaluable for those researching or undertaking process improvement projects.