Organizations Books

Larry Dressler has produced a mighty punch in a small package. I've used his Consensus through Conversation with college students wanting strategies to make inclusive decisions in a public arena, to work teams wanting to suspend judgment while viewing conflict as creativity. Don't be fooled by thinking this is an old topic that you already know. Larry's brilliance helps us illuminate the critical conversations that lead to major breakthroughs in thought and action.

Marge Mohoric, Ph.D.
The Evergreen State College

This book offers both a thoughtful and pragmatic approach to consensus decision making. Dressler is particularly adept at inviting leaders to explore their goals, values, and beliefs with regard to a given issue while then guiding them through a clear methodology. He is careful to describe consensus decision making as one of many choices, not a one size fits all approach. The brevity of the book, his depth of knowledge, and the icons he uses (key point, tool, case examples, and sounds like) all add up to a clear and crisp reading experience--not unlike a great wine.

Effective, collaborative decision making practices are key in supporting organization effectiveness. Larry Dressler is an expert facilitator. He has successfully translated his art into clearly articulated strategy, highlighting the dimension of consensus decision making. This book is focused, clearly written, and a very quick read. It will be a great resource as facilitators refer back to the book for assistance. Wonderful work communicating the balance of art and science in group process!

As a consultant who works with coalitions and partnerships of people from different organizations and community sectors, I am very appreciative of the systematic approach Dressler provides for achieving consensus in decision-making. It is important that groups feel that the process they engage in to think through problems and make decisions is inclusive of the diversity of perspectives in the room, and is also effective at achieving results that facilitate progress. This book provides the framework and methodology to produce both those outcomes.

I began this book with a healthy dose of skepticism. On more than one occasion I've been involved in "consensus" decision-making processes that were less than stellar. (As an employee, a board member, a community member and business owner.) In the hands of an unskilled, or manipulative, or misguided (or worse, downright deceitful) facilitator a so-called consensus decision-making process can leave you feeling like your pocket has been picked. You know exactly what I mean. When you finish the "process" and feel like you've been hoodwinked into agreeing to something because:

- You didn't fully understand the scope of the issue you are supposed to be dealing with.
- People with important information about the issue weren't in the room.
- A manager who is worried about his ox getting gored has set the whole thing up to "share the blame" for some no-win problem he doesn't know how to solve.
- You could never get a word in edgewise after your first stated concern stamped you as "not a team player."
- And it was clear the boss wasn't going to go along with the decision the group made anyway!

Well, the author not only educated me about what real consensus looks like, I feel like I've been inoculated against the toxic variety. The book, as mentioned in another review, is lean and mean. But there is plenty of substance to chew on, including:

- A useful comparison of different decision making methods, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
- A clear explanation of the considerable power of a consensus process. (Not the least of which is accelerated implementation of a decision.)
- Succinct guidelines on how to start a consensus meeting off on the right foot.
- Clear suggestions on how a multi-stage consensus process can be organized.
- Specific strategies for dealing with people who engage in unproductive behavior. You know them as obstructionists, grandstanders, and those who sit silently waiting to strike with critical comments just when it seems the group is making progress.

Perhaps the greatest value I found in this book is that it will steer me away from making the same mistakes I have seen other well-intentioned decision facilitators make time and again. Like not paying attention to simple and obvious things such as laying down ground rules for how people will communicate as they work toward a consensus. The author even puts words in your mouth by giving you on-point language to use just for this and other such occasions you will encounter while leading or participating in a consensus process.

The information is so accessible and useful beyond the topic of consensus that I have no doubt that I will wear this book out in no time. The pages are already dog-eared and the spine is creased. Thankfully I haven't dropped it in the tub yet.

This is the third in the Moosepath series of books by Van Reid and it maintains his exemplary standard of good writing and is a delight. The story makes a great winter read as it uses all the atmosphere of the season - winter snowstorms, crackling log fires, spooky deserted houses. It follows on from the previous novel Mollie Peer although this story is complete and can stand on its own; but if I you intend to read Mollie Peer (and I recommend it most hightly) it would be best to read this novel after Mollie Peer or you will know what happens in Mollie Peer. This really is good wholesome storytelling at its best - not a watered-down-to-not-offend wholesomeness; but a rich, life-affirming novel of loveable characters in a rollicking laughter-filled old-fashioned tale that will bring tears of joy and sadness. READ THESE BOOKS!

if, like me, you're a bit plugged up from reading irvine welsh, noam chomsky, dave eggers, etc. van reid's "daniel plainway" might just do the trick.

i picked this up on a whim and afterward was scared i had gotten myself into something that was going to be a bit "precious and old-people-y", though i held on to a glimmer of hope due to the fact that "the onion" had read and liked the book.

in the end i couldn't put the thing down -- partly due to the author's way of jumping from storyline to storyline on a chapter by chapter basis, but mainly due to the fact that it was a delightful read. it reminded me more than a little bit of a rural american sherlock holmes adventure (the story is set in 1890s maine), but with tongue planted firmly in cheek (never irritatingly so though).

i won't divulge any details of the storyline, but i will say that i thought the book peaked about 2/3 in (when all the various threads finally came together) and after that it slowed down a bit. not bad, but perhaps mildly disappointing after such a fantastic build-up. one other point of note: if like me, you find yourself wanting to read the first two books in the series after finishing this one, you'll realise you've been given too many spoilers about book 2. will this affect your enjoyment of book 2? dunno. i haven't started that one yet... but i know how it ends.

i don't think you can go wrong with this one. regardless of your age or interests, a bit of good clean old-time book reading fun is coming your way.

Van Reid is just a great story teller. This is the best (so far) in his Moosepath trilogy.

Hurray for the Moosepath League!! Maine novelist Van Reid now has published a series of his comic, sweet novels, each more pleasurable than the last, featuring Tobias Walton and his companions Ephram, Eagleton and Thump. His most recent offering, Daniel Plainway: Or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League, is the perfect Christmastime or winter fireside book. Woven with so many pleasurable amiable asides and subplots, the main story about a kidnaped boy and ancient Norse writings seems almost an afterthought. To take one example, Walton, whom Reid describes as "himself a pearl, and good things did seem to surround him", starts the novel losing his hat in a sudden wind; the peregrinations of that topper itself, and the goodwill it seems to bear from its owner, flow delightfully through the story. In another delightful scene, Reid waxes rhapsodically on the perfect qualities of snow for snowballs, leading to a delightful snowfall fight involving the novel's heros, villains, and local youngsters. A particularly pleasurable turn for me, a former classicist, is that the interpretation of the writings depends on hearing the Greek spoken in a seemingly nonsensical English phrase, "she'll bust her feeding." Although always lighthearted, Reid's novel is not without serious purpose, as expressed in the dialogue as to whether "there are so many people in the world willing to drive tragedy" or whether "there are as many, more, really, who are willing to put things right." In Reid's world, those who good-heartedly "put things right" - most especially the comical Moosepath League - predominate. I finished his book with a fair certainty that the same prevailed in my own place and time.

'Daniel Plainway' is the third foray into the adventures of The Moosepath League for Van Reid, following 'Cordelia Underwood' and 'Mollie Peer'. If you have not read those volumes, do so now.

In this episode, the charter members of The Mossepath League encounter their alter egos in the form of the Dash-it-All Boys, while the other members of the league match themselves against a secret society, obsessed with discovering lost Viking riches, known as the Broumnage Club.

These adventures, however, are once again woven into the fabric of the continuing story of Bird, a small boy whose story has been heretofore a mystery, in great Van Reid style. That is to say brilliantly. Reid's talent for intertwining story threads is unmatched by any author in my eclectic library, and it is a singular pleasure to find recurring, peripheral characters scattered about the pages of 'Daniel Plainway', as well as 'Mollie Peer'. When these characters appear, it is sometimes to deliver a funny anecdote or story, or to be merely a small participant in an ongoing conversation; and whether identified by name, or left for me to surmise their identity myself, I always feel like a participant in an inside joke.

I would love to apprise you as to the identity of Daniel Plainway, or hint at how he is connected to young Bird, but I feel I would be diminishing your reading pleasure, not enhancing it. The best turn I could do for you, in regards to this review, is stress upon you the joy you will have in reading Van Reid's chronicles of The Moosepath League, starting with 'Cordelia Underwood', then 'Mollie Peer' and ending with 'Daniel Plainway'.

I feel confident when you are finished with this trio, you will be anticipating the fourth installment in this saga as eagerly as I am.

In this new supplement, the authors have identified four essential educational components that educators must process when addressing the issues of using technology within the educational setting. These emerging issues of cyber standards include (a) developing a compressive, site-based technology plan that focuses on the improvement of student learning (b) developing policies for cyber security that protects the school from potential liability and student endangerment (c) developing appropriate and factual communication strategies that support positive marketing of the school mission to the public and (d) how teachers can engage the use of technology for improving the teaching and learning process.

Today more than ever, American schools are facing a national dilemma on how to improve education. A new era of transformation is evolving from the traditional Industrial Age school to the school of the Information Age. To accomplish the reform of public education, a new way of thinking about old practices needs to be regenerated to create world class schools. In the book Developing School Programs and Policies, I discovered new ideas, methods, and programs that will help individual schools to regenerate the traditional into the practical. Many time in the history of school reform we have become bogged down by the theoretical and not the practical. This manual is purely practical and provides a step-by-step model for application, something that has not been commonly available in most education resources. The authors have addressed many of the complex issues of public schools by defining policies and programs that are ready to use and applicable to most school settings. The topics range from curriculum improvement, at-risk programs, the expansion of the school day, discipline, safety at school, teacher responsibilities, to the establishment of a vision and goals for school improvement. The book is truly an anthology of pactical ideas that can be used by school board members, superintendents, principals, teachers, and community task forces responsible for regenerating public schools. As a graduate student, I found the book very useful in helping me to understand how schools and school programs are designed.

The first supplement, Observing and Assessing Teacher Performance, is an invaluable tool for principals looking for an evaluation system based on improving instructional performance. The performance data that is collected is both productive and supportive because the process itself involves the teachers in their own instructional improvement. Helping teachers teach better is the ultimate goal of this evauation system.

What a novel idea!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reforming the educational practices within their local schools or to anyone who is a student of educational reform. This book truly weaves together the best practices and standards for school improvement and takes a hard look at policies, practices, and attitudes that are in need of fundamental changes as we stand on the threshold of the 21st Century.

If you are striving for a world-class school, you need this manual.

Sandy

Public schools are now discovering that they cannot prepare students to succeed in tomorrow's world unless they reinvent themselves today. The schools that will thrive in the future are those schools that embrace reform and take control over their own destinies. In many cases throughout the nation, today's schools are not in control of their own destinies because of the loss of local control and the inability to initiate an open agenda for public engagement in the school renewal process. Despite this, policy makers (state agencies and legislators) continue to establish mandates for holding educators accountable for student improvement. Designed in non-collaborative environments, these mandates are based on high-end accountability policies that regulate school reform. However, rarely are these reform mandates based upon the wisdom of school effectiveness research. Additionally, the local school communities are not consulted about how the new regulations will influence the education of their particular school populations. Five years ago, during the course of our crystal ball gazing, we missed several important concepts when developing this manual. We did not recognize that policy development would have such an influence on school reform measures, nor did we fully understand the extent to which effective schools research could have on the impact of policy development. To support communities in building stronger schools and regaining ownership, this manual provides a guide for supporting effective school practices through polices and programs based upon effective school research.

The authors are very detailed and descriptive with the information needed to administer the daily task of leading an effective and successful school. It is a definite hands on resource that you will want to keep handy and review and use daily. The authors are very knowledgeable and have studied all angles of organizational procedures and implemented suggestions for different sites that may be modified to adjust to your situation. It is a book that a new principal would find quite useful in setting up a building that would run successfully from day one and effectively limit major crisis from ill thought out planning. The chapter on safety is, in this time of major concern, a vital guide to helping protect a school from later regrets of irresponsible behavior to the safety and concern of all within its confinds. I as an administrator of an elementary school found it very useful and highly recommend it to others as a very useful guide and resource to keep on hand when reviewing or changing procedures within your building.

The days for public school security have arrived, and we, as educators, must take every precaution to protect the health, security, and wellbeing of every member who enters the school's environment. In the new supplement to be released in December of 1999, authors Michael King and Linda Harrison give you a comprehensive look at school security and crisis management. The new supplement entitled Programs and Policies for Developing A Safe, Secure, and Healthy Environment will provide expert advice on how to plan and develop a school crisis prevention plan.

The new supplement is divided into three major Chapters. Chapter 8-1, "School Building Security," provides administrators with an overall program for securing their school facilities. Chapter 8-1 concludes with a valuable assessment tool that administrators and security officials can use to evaluate the present level of building security and provides a reference point for future security planning.

Chapter 8-2, "Developing a Crisis Management Plan" provides policies and procedures necessary to prevent and react to school threats, emergencies, and evacuations. The Chapter is divided into two parts: those crisis situations that require evacuation and those crisis situations that require taking shelter.

Chapter 8-3, "School Health Services," provides policies and procedures for dealing with a variety of health issues. Its major purpose is to help school staff members recognize and react appropriately to those medical situations that occur within the school setting. It includes policies and procedures for reacting to student injuries, handling contagious and chronic illnesses, recognizing social and psychological issues, and administering medications.

All three Chapters of this new supplement are important parts of a comprehensive crisis management plan in any school.

This book contains a lot of information on ways you can make a difference. It is great for parents to consider if they are looking for family activities that teach their children about the world around them. As a single person, this has given me some great ideas of ways I can help others and feel like I am making more of an impact in the world.

For some, compassionate feelings can overwhelm spare time and energy: readers with such a problem should consider The Difference a Day Makes : 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours a kind of recipe collection for doing good. Turn good intentions into powerful action with a guide which provides vast lists of good things which can be done in a few simple minutes or hours; from providing a resource list for a neighborhood to encouraging workplace and home use of the arts, and assisting an elder who has a pet.

What a refreshing read - both thought provoking and resourceful, In today's "information overload" society, it's nice to have a handy resource to help me accomplish many of my personal volunteer goals without it being so much work. In fact, I'm going to buy copies for all my nieces and nephews as they are all charged with doing community service projects and, in my opinion, need to experience that "giving back," among other things, makes you feel good about yourself!

This is a nice book. It shows how simple everyday deeds can have a positive impact upon the world. Too often people who genuinely want to do something good for society honestly don't know how to go about achieving anything. This book gives great suggestions and points would-be philanthropists in the right direction.

"The Difference a Day Makes" is a terrific book. Karen has done a great job in communicating the importance of giving back every day. There were several new ways to give that I learned through reading this book. It is easy to read, understand and implement in your daily life. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to make a difference (and that should be everyone).

Do you feel that marriage should be one of the most wonderful things in life? Do you feel sad about the divorce rating? This wonderful book explains how to live a meaningful and warm relationship. It explains what modesty is and why we need it. It discovers intimacy. A must read!

I recommend this book to all my friends and am actually buying it now for a friend who recently became engaged.

There are some books that defy definition, Doesn't Anyone Blush Anymore by Manis Friedman is one of them. This sweet book addresses many issues involved in relationships, love, and intimacy. It examines how interpersonal barriers that were once seen as sacred, that ensured the integrity of emotional health of individuals and families have been ripped away. The consequence of modern society shedding a traditional lifestyle that appeared superficial, to those living a rote existence according to these age-old practices, is a state of confusion and pain rather than emancipation. While this book appears to be about modesty, it truly deals with innocence, the end result of modesty. Manis Friedman argues that we as a society need to reclaim our innocence by setting personal and familial boundaries through implementing modesty in dress, speech, thought, and action if individuals and families are to become healthy and whole once again.

While comparisons to Return to Modesty and Kosher Sex are expected, this book differs in several ways. First, Manis Friedman never had a doubt that a modest lifestyle is better for someone's mental and spiritual health and second, he's not just talking about sex. The third difference is that he's not so much talking about a broad sweeping movement as much as a method of helping individuals get their lives on track.

Manis Friedman is one of the celebrities of the Lubavitcher movement and his writing and lectures exemplify why the Lubavitch movement is one of the most successful in reaching out to Jews unimpressed with observance. The operating procedure seems to imply "you think it's all going to be too hard for you? It doesn't fit your personality? Well, let's start small and see what you do feel comfortable with".

In this book Manis Friedman doesn't talk about the sexual mores at first. He knows that people see them as hopelessly outdated and Victorian. Instead he talks about modesty as an all encompassing part of the relationship. In his sermons, he helps to sensitize the reader to avoid little things that couples do all the time like arguing in public, making snide remarks when their partner argues with the clerk at the grocery store, etc. Through these stories and examples he gives a very intriguing and real picture of what a marriage could be and how it can be still romantic and fresh forever instead of for the first decade.

By the time he starts talking about the sexual rules of modesty, you are with him. You want the kind of relationship that he describes and if that means you wait until you get married to even touch a woman, so be it. And since this is Judaism, not Catholicism, there is no condemnation of sexuality. It's all about refinining sexuality and making it better than it could ever be in the so-called "swinging single" scene. When Manis Friedman describes a young man who isn't interested in dating or getting married just yet, he even hints at the popular "repressed guy just waiting to release all that pent up energy" fantasy with apparent approval. And just in case, you think that Friedman's ideas based on Halackic Jewish law are terribly repressive and limiting in sexuality, the guy's got 14 kids. He must be doing something right.

Read it. You might not agree with it. You might disagree with 90% of what's in this book, but that 10% that you agree with will make you think and make you feel and help you make healthier decisions in your life.

Years ago I heard Paul Harvey say that every American should go out and buy this book. I ignored him. Recently, while staying with a friend, I began reading her copy and couldn't put it down. I am now buying myself a copy.

What seems to be a passe perspective on life turns out to be brilliant and understanding. Manis Friedman has a remarkable grasp on the "places" inside us that we try to ignore. His advice for living and loving is unusually sound and his gentle delivery is among the finest.

I can't wait to see Manis' next book.

A MUST!!! Creswell organizes the book into three parts: 1. Introduction to research, 2. Steps in Research and 3. Research Designs. Within each category are simplistic reviews and explanations for designing and writing a research project.

Many research books are on the market, this is my favorite and has become my "bible" in designing a research project and writing papers due to the reader easy style Creswell laid the book out and the language he used to write and explain.

Alexandra B. Kealey

I am in the process of completing my exit project for my Master's degree. This text has been an excellent guide for me as I am completing my degree through distance education. I purchased the text at the end of my degree, after my coursework was completed, however, I think it would have been a great help for me if I had it from the beginning. I'm sure it's on the "recommended reading" list for most graduate courses, but I feel it should be "required reading" for anyone who is engaged in formal, academic research.

As a grad student returning to the classroom after more than 25 years I was a bit reticent about taking up the subject of academic research. The excellence of this text informed me, gave me a comprehensive view of the subject matter and left me wanting to learn more. I highly recommend it. This is one of the text books I will keep for future reference.

A very complete view on Research metholodigies. An essential book for Dissertation preparation. Examples given are clear and concise.

I bought this book as a required text for one of my on-line classes. I am in my second graduate class which is about quantitative and qualitative research and I am very impressed with the quality of this text. If you are a researcher, this book is a must have. If you are a reader of research, this book is also a must have. It is very well written and provides numerous examples of how to properly organize and write effective quantitative and qualitative research papers.

This book was an asset. I used it instead of my assigned text when working to pass the TExES Principal exam. This book was much better and more reader friendly than anything else I had used. The special ed section is a Must Read as is the part on employee rights! I highly recomment this book!

The title doesn't sound overly interesting but it actually is an interesting book. Teaching is an important job but there are a lot of things that a teacher could do to get in trouble (such as breaking privacy laws). The book also covers the law regarding starting a job contract, which I found to be particularly enlightening. It also covers some of the changes to Texas law since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and laws regarding English language learners and illegal immigrants (they have the right to public education like anyone else). These are all important issues for the Texas teacher.

This book arrived quickly and has proved to be everything I needed it to be. Thank you very much

This book was used for a school law class. This is a great cheat sheet for educators in Texas, including teachers.

We have been using this text in our Texas Public School Law class in a chort of SFA in Mabank, and it has proven to be a wonderful resource book, sparking interesting discussion and debate.

This book made me discover knowledge management. It is very well documented, very thougthful, easy to read... An excellent starting point.

Dust off those liberal arts degrees before opening this challenging treatise on knowledge management, written by a trio of academics who call themselves "constructionists," quote Sartre and speak passionately of "post-modernism." Their work explains how to gain initiative and constructive input from workers by modifying traditional command structures - a grounded approach that is much more realistic than the revolutionary conversions called for by other experts. Managers who balk at the thought of granting autonomy or increased access to their employees may well be converted away from their hierarchical dogma here. We at getAbstract particularly recommend the lively knowledge-creation case histories and the wonderful section explaining how companies can create valid, imaginative futures. (What if IBM had imagined a world in which software was more important than mainframes?)

I had a pleasant surprise when a friend of mine decided to gift me "Enabling Knowledge Creation" by Georg Von Krogh, Kazuo Ichijo and Ikujiro Nonaka. It forms a sequel to "the Knowledge Creating Company" co-authored by Nonaka and Takeuchi published in 1995 . The first book was a seminal work which has profoundly influenced my views on Knowledge Creation (Nonaka refuses to entertain the concept of KM , resolutely denying that Knowledge
can ever be managed!) along with writers like Tom Davenport and Larry Prusak. However, the first book was open to a lot of criticism saying that it was just too "theoretic", "vague" and "generalised" ...Nonaka et al try and get more hands on, and tool bookish with this book.

However, this book is likely to disturb people who have read and formed ideas about KM by reading works of the American thought leaders.

In the start of the book the authors try and make the difference explicit.

In a passage titled "what's wrong with knowledge management?" they spell it out :

Pitfall I: KM relies on easily detectable, quantifiable information.
Pitfall II: KM is devoted to the manufacture of tools.
Pitfall III: KM depends on a Knowledge Officer.

While the premises of Knowledge Enabling and Creation are:

Premise I: Knowledge is justified true belief, individual and social, tacit and explicit.
Premise II: Knowledge depends on your perspective.
Premise III: Knowledge Creation is a craft , not a science.

The authors reiterate that organizational Knowledge Creation involves five main steps :

1. Sharing tacit knowledge
2. Creating concepts
3. Justifying concepts
4. Building a prototype
5. Cross-leveling knowledge.

To facilitate this the following 5 enablers need to be in place :

1. instill a knowledge vision
2. manage conversations
3. mobilize knowledge activits
4. Create the right context
5. Globalize local knowledge

The book is rich in case studies which show how different companies that follow these concepts are growing in leaps and bounds and innovating over others who remain stuck in the KM paradigm.

The authors note that in the Knowledge journey companies can be mapped in 3 phases, which might or might not be sequential.

1. The Risk Minimisers , whose focus is capturing and locating knowledge. The tools they use are data warehousing, datamining, Yellow pages, IC-Navigator, Balanced Scorecard, Knowledge Audits, IC-Index, Business Information Systems, Rule-based systems [these firms still view knowledge as a resource that needs to be collected and managed]

2. The Efficiency Seekers, who focus on transferring and sharing knowledge. The tools they use are internets, intranets, Lotus Notes/Groupware, Networked organization, knowledge workshops, knowledge workbench, Best Practice Transfer, Benchmarking, Knowledge-gap analysis, Knowledge sharing culture, Technology transfer units, Knowledge transfer units, Systems Thinking

3. The Innovators who enable Knowledge creation are typically those who embrace a knowledge vision, managing conversations, creating the right context, mobilize knowledge activists, globalize local knowledge, professional innovation networks, new organizational forms, New HRM-systems, new corporate values, project management systems, corporate universities, communities and storyboards.

In the many publications on Knowledge Management, the writings by Von Krogh and Nonaka (and, in this case, Ichijo) stand out in a number of aspects: 1) their emphasis of knowledge "management" as an essentially human and social process 2) their emphasis on linking knowledge management with strategic focus and business results 3) the inspiring examples and writing style.

This book is a clear showcase of these elements. It provides a profound yet pragmatic guidance on the road to becoming a learning organisation. Where capturing & locating, and transferring & sharing knowledge are essential in achieving competitive advantage through knowledge, the real source of sustainable advantage is, as the authors claim, the continuous creation of new knowledge, as a result of developing a strategic vision and an enabling organisation and culture to realise that (evolving) vision.

Being involved in implementing a number of the concepts in our organisation, I am convinced this book provides many ideas and tools that will help today's corporate world in reshaping our business for the knowledge economy.

Highly recommended!

The author's of this book are leading thinkers in the KM field. Perhaps the best way to describe this book is as a sequel to Nonaka's earlier 1995 book. But, we all remember what happened to Scarlett, again a much touted sequel. Although this book was a slight disappointment since Nonaka has set reader's expectations a little too high with his earlier groundbreaking title "The Knowledge Creating ompany" that, for the most part, defined KM as we know it. An academic reader will appreciate they theoretical insights provided and extensive references to supporting literature. But there are some aspects that this book underplays: 1. Knowledge creation is fine, but knowledge integration is perhaps as important---an issue to which the authors pay little attention. 2. Excellent ideas aside, this book underplays the significance of empirical evidence and most cases tend to be descriptive qualitative analyses. 3. The role of technology is highly underplayed. 4. The book has "sufficient" overlap with the authors' research papers in the uropean Management Journal. For academic readers who have read those, this might be a little disappointing. 5. The concept of KM and it's relationship with innovation at architectural and component levels is not described in much detail.

On the positive side, you will find that: 1) Lots of issues that were barely touched upon in Nonaka's preceding book are described in further detail. 2) The book is very well written and the tone is accsible to both academic and non-academic readers. 3) the concept of BA is elucidated in further detail Readers who do not follow academic research journals might find that an interesting extension. 4) A link between strategy and KM is well illustrated. For businesses, KM is of little value if there are no results. The authors describe how to look for those results (or in lay terms, ROI). Academic readers will also find Nonaka's recent paper in a recent issue of Organization Science (2000) to be of much interest. Academic readers must also realize that the approach here seems to be "post modern," and indeed quite qualitative in the European research tradition.

To sum my opinion, this book is a worthy addition to the bookshelves; but, it is not to be read without reading Nonaka's preceding book "The Knowledge Creating Company." A word of warning is in order: Academic readers will enjoy this title however, managerial readers might find it a little heavy and abstract. Indeed, this book stands out of the crowd with three authors who are well respected in the American research circles---consequently, its high overall quality comes as no surprise. Recommended.

Similar to a few other reviewers, I loved this book when I was a kid. This is a book I would recommend to any parent or child. I have nothing but fond memories of this book. I hadn't seen this book in years and I still remember being introduced to many fascinating subjects from this book.

Ah, EMS sold these for a short stint in the early 90s (1992 or so). This was such a great book for the beginning experimenter, in fact some topics have stuck in my mind and helped me on science topics i'll tackle later in life...e.g. noone in my AP chem class knew what 'agar' was!

I am 20 years old now and I still remember when I got this book and read it for the first time. It made science so cool and was a great way to show kids how science can be cool. I actually just found this book in a big stack and decided to look it up on Amazon. GREAT to hear they still sell it. I recommend this book to every kid!

Good experiments and examples. Amazing gadgets inside. Very well written for kids. Lot of real fun and educative time. A must for kids interesting on science.

Like another reviewer, I recently found this on my shelf and was curious to see whether it was in print. I'm 22 now and must've been around 8 when I got it.

I'm in University now, studying software engineering, and I have to say that this book really spurred my interest in science. It comes with so many cool things, a magnet, agar, diffraction grating, and a fresnel lens.

Highly recommend this to parents, aunts, and uncles looking for an awesome gift for a youngster in the family. The kid won't be disappointed once they get into it after expecting an action figure or video game.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as an educating experience. He demonstrates by example an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

This is a warm, comforting book with gently taught lessons on how to manage with a rare cancer. The importance of finding expert doctors is gently but unforgettably remarked upon. The man has a generosity of character and spirit that makes reading this book a calming as well as a learning experience. He demonstrates an exemplary way of dealing with cancer, its many setbacks, and its many frustrations. WELL WORTH READING. Beg, borrow or steal a copy.

This book is a page turner. The author's story is one of courage and determination. Not only is he told he is seriously ill, but he finds his HMO offers no help. As his battle with his illness and insurance company unfolds with the pages, the reader is drawn into its intensity and overwhelming obstacles. I was amazed at the bravery of this man. He accomplished a feat few people in his situation would be willing to face. In my opinion, he is a hero. Read this book! You will find it fascinating.

I highly recommend this book this book to all readers, whether ill or healthy. Mr. Scribner's true story will touch you deeply. He has the ability to draw you into his life with the written word. I actually felt I was present in many of the situations. The book is excellent and extremely informative. His factual account is awe-inspiring and offers encouragement to those who are battling their health insurance carrier as well as a lifethreatening disease. His courage in the face of overwhelming odds literally does give one "hope" when it seems there is none.

Scribner's "Finding Hope" is a descriptive narrative which begins as the author is diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. The reader climbs aboard an emotional roller coaster ride which makes this book difficult to put down; you'll find yourself reading it at every opportunity. Throughout the narrative, Scribner shares the difficult lessons he learned in his fight with HMO Medicine, even explicitly labeling some valuable lessons as "advice". Scribner battles the disease on any and all fronts. By "getting it together" on the physical, psychological, and spiritual fronts, Eric discovers a better way to live each day. We can all benefit from his learning and the joy he discovers in this amazing journey.