Organizations Books

This is a superbly executed book on the famous Chartres cathedral, a gothic masterpiece which sits some 50 miles to the south west of Paris. Its reputation and geographic proximity to Paris assure its place as a frequent "day trip" for visitors and tourists to Paris who wish to see one of the apogees of gothic development. If you have the opportunity to visit Chartres, you most certainly will find Miller's text right in Chartres' own bookstore, as the book is truly a work worthy to be sold "on site." That fact alone speaks to the quality of this volume.

Miller's text provides a short introduction to the gothic movement, as well as the background of Chartres cathedral itself. But the focus on this book is the stained glass found in the cathedral, with a window-by-window detail of the glass, its date, and the allusions each window makes to the outside world. As such, this makes the book a valuable reference work, because one can follow the story from window to window in a way that would be difficult on-site without many days of time to do so (and using binoculars to help out!). The choice of focusing on the stained glass, rather than other features present in gothic cathedrals is justified: Chartres has some of the oldest and most-intact original stained glass of any cathedral in France, and is perhaps the single item among many others for which the structure is famous. Chartres is what is called a "dark cathedral," meaning that the available light inside the edifice is relatively low, making the interior a difficult place to see the architectural elements. But in such a setting, the stained glass takes on a "glowing" characteristic that is visually dramatic. To have a book so carefully lay out the windows for review is quite an achievement.

This is a paperback book done on large-size paper, but the covers and individual pages are of extremely high quality, durable, and glossy finish. The photographic reproductions are first-rate, and the graphic artwork used to present the material is also professionally developed. One flip through the volume and you'll be glad you added it to your library.

No one in the world (and I state that with full confidence) knows more about Chartres Cathedral than Malcolm Miller. What more needs to be said?

No visit to Chartres is complete without taking the tour of the Cathedral's walking encyclopedia Malcolm Miller. Miller's books are fantastic and give a tremendous insight into the history of Chartres and its Cathedral.

Malcolm Miller is the foremost English authority on the cathedral of Chartres. He divides his time between the town of Chartres, where he personally conducts tours, and the rest of the world where he lectures and makes films and videos of the subject. He opens his tours and lectures by commenting that the cathedral is like a library--and we don't just say, "We're going to go to the library today and read all the books". Each tour or lecture consists of a general introduction and focuses on a small part of the stained glass and statuary. The core of the book is a review of the iconography of a selection of the windows and sculpture. In this manner, you learn how to "read the books" in the cathedral, and gain an understanding of the world that produced them. Once you have toured Chartres, either in person or through that other medieval miracle, printing, you will want to return again and again.

I recommend this book because it is Biblical in content, Basic in communication, and Believable in character restoration and reconcilation. Pastors, Denominational leaders, and Christian Education workers alike, can benefit from the inspired guidelines the author gives, along with his own victory over personal "giants" that he himself overcame; giving him the experience to write about this all important subject matter.

My relationship with Jesus has made an impact in my life, and it's brought me renewal and healing. This is the same thing that I want to see in the church today -- people finding healing and restoration. Unfortuntately the church is often a "toxic" environment without acceptance of each other and without real intimate sharing of love and true heart-felt fellowship. But, that's what the gospel is all about! Bringing people forgiveness and reconcilation to their heavenly father and to each other. This is what God wants the church to become!

Pastor Murren's book gives excellent guidelines on how to change the local body to become a church that can make an impact on people. He points out the messy problems that bringing true healing to people entails, and helps you to sight on the long-term goals, rather than the short-term problems. He also brings a lot of real-world examples (both positive and negative) that show how powerfully the Spirit can move in the church as well as bad-examples to avoid. Pastor Murren is transparent and talks about his own problems and short-comings, and his advice helps you to see your own problems, but how God can still work and use you and your church for His work. I found his book very useful and see it as a great resource for doing ministry in the 21st century

In a down-to-earth and honest manner, Murren reminds us of the Church's purpose and call to those in need. His stories and personal experiences, when matched with biblical truths, are a genuine reminder of how churches should operate. This book not only initiated my own introspection into how I deal with others, but offered biblical direction into how I should deal with others. Overall a very valuable read.

Many churches are struggling to find a way to reach the people of their community. This book reminds us that the focus should be on ministering to the broken. Doug provides practical advice on how to accomplish this. Our local church is in disarray and searching for a new pastor. I found this book to provide some practical insight as to the characteristics that we should strive for in rebuilding our church and selecting a pastor. It should be prayfully read by every pastor and deacon. It describes the focus that the local church needs to be relevant to the 21st century.

An excellent book on how to coach others in the work place. The book explains what coaching is (not just a buzz word) and gives you the 8 Skill Coaching Model - a process for coaching discussions. Chapter 5 talks about versatile coaching and dealing with the differences that exists between people. Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin is a newer publication by the authors. It provides much of the same information and more.

I've have used this book with my entire management team and recommend other books from Dr. Steven Stowell on communication, coaching, and performance improvement. Most notably the book Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin covers much of the same content, but in a newer format. This however, is a classic that should be in your library if you're interested in Coaching in the workplace. Most of the Coaching books I've purchase are soft and weak in their content. Many of these don't really offer a process on "how to coach" or even explain what coaching is. Other books seem to be a "make you feel good" style of book, but don't offer hard skills to coach others for performance. I guess this is why the term "coaching" seems to be misused and abused which I find frustrating. This book offers tangible content and more. This is why it is so respected in the corporate environment and is often required reading in many educational institutions. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have used this book and a previous book of the authors to assist me in teaching their 3day course in a large company. The book is practical and presents the coaching process as a story the reader gets involved in as he/she is getting involved in the 8 Step Process in the classroom. A number 1 learning tool. It also serves as excellent independent reading as a how-to book which captures the reader's interest.

Short - easy to read and filled with concrete "how-to" information on a collaborative process for facilitating change in someone's performance. The author's 8-step model is based on 20 years research into the "best practices" of successful business performance managers. Very common sense and practical.

I have read this phenomenal work three times and still get something new with each read. What amazes me, as a former Roman Catholic, is the fact that this 14th century commentary is still relevant to the Liturgy to which all Orthodox Christians are familiar. This would not be so for a 14th century commentary of any western liturgy, since they have changed so radically since then. The debth and profundity of this reading are astounding. Any Orthodox Christian who is serious about his faith and wants a fuller appreciation of the the rich liturgical tradition which is the hallmark of the Orthodox Church should read this book.

St. Nicholas Cabasilas (really Kavasilas) is one of the outstanding Orthodox Theologians, who fortunately has been translated into English. This book takes the reader through the most awsome Mysterion of the Church - the Divine Liturgy, and the Holy Eucharist. The Orthodox Theology cannot be seperated from Liturgical Worship, and if you read this book, you will understand why. "Life in Christ" by St. Nicholas is also in English, and a primer on the Orthodox Life in Christ, with its clear, and yet very deep teachings of Purification, Illumination and Theosis. Both vols should be in every home library.

This is probably the best book available on Orthodox worship. It might not match the current liturgy exactly, and it might not be as extensive in it's treatment as some more modern liturgical texts, but whatever is lacking in this book is more than made up for in it's depth and profundity. St. Nicholas goes through the liturgy part by part to give a commentary on the fixed portions, compare and contrast western and east liturgical practices, and generally give a sense of what an Orthodox worship service *should* be like. This is required reading for just about all Orthodox Christians, but especially for those who struggle to pay attention during services and even find them boring. I am not saying that this book is going to make the liturgy seem like heaven on earth if you don't already get that feeling; but at the very least, this book shows you the rhyme and reason for all the various things going on during a liturgy.

This is a valuable book from the point of view of the theory and practice of worship in the Byzantine Church. For a student of Divine Liturgy this is a must read. The text of the Byzantine liturgy itself is not included in the book and the introduction provided by R M French helps in this direction. The book is outlined in six chapters explaining the meaning of every part of the liturgy. After reading this book the participation in the liturgy will no more be the same.

Cabasilas was a layman who lived in the 13th century. He never attained high ecclesiastical office. Though he wrote a number of books including homilies and lives of saints, his fame rests on his 'Commentary on the Divine Liturgy'.

This is a long book, but well worth the time dedicated to reading it, especially if one is interested in understanding the real causes behind the adoption of mass slavery by Christian Nations as a basis for the economic development of the Americas. Mr. Blackburn is writing about an emotionally charged issue but never falls into the trap of emotion and sentiment. Quite the contrary: in the best tradition of historic studies, he seeks to explain and understand; as the author tells us it would have been theoretically possible to build the plantation economies of the new world upon free labour - but how much more convenient for the European colonizers to use an available (African) pool of slave labour right across the ocean. This was reinforced by the fact that not enough whites were willing to emigrate to the Americas in order to work under the harsh conditions predominant in the plantations.

Ideology also came to the rescue of the European nations; from the 15th to the 18th centuries the churches - either Catholic or Protestant - chose to legitimize black (as opposed to Indian) slavery with complicated, Bible-based theological arguments. That helped monarchs and colonizers maintain a clear conscience while enslaving millions; and Mr. Blackburn underlines the key distinction between ancient world slavery, as practised for instance by the Romans, and its modern era "Christian" version. While the former was intimately connected to the capture of POWs and was rarely perpetuated throughout the generations (manumission being a widespread practice), the latter - being a system geared for economic exploitation - was generally hostile to manumission and condemned for centuries a race QUA race to the horrors of enslavement (something that never happened in the ancient world).

This book should be mandatory reading for European" intellectuals": it would help them put in perspective the achievements of the civilisation they so much admire.

The rise of the modern world is beset by a contradiction: even as the institutions of a new freedom were emerging in a core area the cancer of slavery began to recur its periphery. We should conclude that we have a laboratory study of the nature of economic man in relation to the genuine self-consciousness able to create a new culture, and determined to be finished with the curse of history. This book contains some graphic portraiture of this faultline in modernity, and opens with a gripping depiction of the slavers arriving in the ancient Congo.
Superb work.

"The Making of New World Slavery" by Robin Blackburn. This is an incredibly rich book and for the casual reader, very academic on first glance, but it contains a superbly well researched and written examination of the early roots of chattel slavery which anyone studying the Caribbean or the development of the colonial Atlantic Community should read.

This is not a book you are likely to sit down to and read cover to cover on a long winter's night, but I find myself reading sections and then putting it down, then going back to study some facet or another, and noone would be wasting money to have it in their library if they have any serious interest in understanding Slavery, the "development" of the Americas,or the world we share in the Americas today. As the other reviews have so well stated, this work is delightfully free of ideology or cant and integrates a wealth of information on the subject. We can only hope that future work on the History of the Americas will be done with such impartiality.

This book although by by a writer from the left is a well researched well-written survey of slavery. Without emotion it explains how slavery, something which had practically ceased to exist following the collapse of the Roman World was re-created to provide labour in colonies of the new world.

It describes the setting up of the trade occurred and how it operated in practice. The brutality, the mechanics of how slaves were obtained how they were sold, what they did as slaves.

The absence of passion makes the book an even more powerful indictment of the institution of slavery. It describes how in most of the colonies slaves were over time worked to death. In Brazil, the usual life expectancy was seven years.

The book is challenging as it raises questions about the origin of our societies and seriously challenges the notions that European Society was either civilized or Christian.

Fekete hits the nail on the head with this one. Her premise is that like people, companies have distinct personalities. And, like people, companies have definite preferences for gathering information and communicating it, for making decisions and structuring work, for dealing with difficult times, behaving during conflict, and seeking their source of energy and strength. Their collective preferences regarding these essential acts provide the basic components of company personality.

This is an extremely valuable new book that can be helpful to CEOs, senior management and marketing executives, enabling them to recognize their company as a distinct personality and use this understanding to translate self-awareness into sound business practices and attitude.

I am someone who has spent about 20 years working in several organizations with different management flavors, in different gegraphies and I have always wondered why some companies thrive and the others simply survive, if not worse.

Companies are People, Too (CAP2) is an amazing "Finger on the Pulse" that any organization MUST undertake in order to Thrive.

CAP2 - both as in inward looking excercise (introspection) and an forward /upward looking (growth, long term plans) excercise that companies with an eye on the bottom line, value add to customers and shareholders must undertake.

CAP2 is not the usual "run of the mill" I've been there, seen it, did it and here is my account kinda book that seemingly fills up the cases of most bookstores. CAP2 is a factual documentary - almost a Bible for Managers / Owners / Aspiring Entrepreneurs and just about anyone who wants his or her or their business to thrive. CAP2 is the bottom line of Management Truth Seekers and I believe it should be included as a mandatory part of good management school curriculum.

CAP2 comes cheap for the richness that it contains within. CAP2 is the harvest of a great deal of thought, observation, uncanny instinct and utlimately Divine Wisdom.

CAP2 is for those that are born to suceed, who will themselves to suceed.

CAP2 is and will be a hall mark book, a once in a lifetime effort. Sandra Fekete needs to be honored, congratulated and thanked for such a wonderful and timely contribution for people who strive to make better organizations.

This book offers an in-depth description of how personality traits can be used to help understand a company's culture, using the well-known Myers-Briggs system.
What makes this book so interesting is that it provides a system for understanding company personalities and corporate culture in a new way - yet it uses a system that many of us are already familiar with (the MBTI). It's very easy to understand even without understanding the MBTI.
The book contains a sample questionnaire, then covers each of the 16 types in much more detail. For each of the 16 company personality types, the book gives a Snapshot, Characteristic Strengths, Characteristic Weaknesses, Work Environment, Values, Communication Style, Sources of Energy, Signs of Stress, Behavior during Conflict, Approaches to Managing Change, Ideal Clients, Core Values and a Case Study company.
As if that wasn't enough, it goes on to look at leadership styles, again with a sample questionaire and detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use the results be a more effective leader.
The book has a great deal of good information packaged in a way that is useful and well-organized. The information is practical, easy to follow and able to be applied immediately.

In his very influential book, "Emotional Intelligence," Daniel Goleman said that self-awareness is the core emotional competency, but how do you build self-awareness and how do you translate it into action? In "Companies Are People, Too," Sandra Fekete provides us with a clear and highly practical approach to answering those questions.

Most of us think of organizations as "things," not people, but organizations are comprised of people who build its culture, the shared beliefs, values, and norms that define its purpose and operating style. In addition, most of us think of "self-awareness" as applying to individuals; we don't think of organizations as becoming self-aware, but Fekete explains that organizations need to do precisely that if they plan to be successful and fulfill their mission.

The book uses the 16 types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to help an organization build awareness of its unique personality. This is an excellent choice because many people in organizations are familiar with the MBTI and regard it as an effective tool. I happen to like the MBTI, and have used it in executive coaching and team building, but Fekete has taken the approach far beyond these applications by showing how an organization can use what it learns about its personality to shape all facets of its operation, from strategic planning to building brand identity. I especially like the suggestions given for how an organization can leverage its strengths, and identify and overcome its weaknesses. This extremely well written and timely book is must reading for leaders, and for consultants and others working with organizations to build their future.

This useful book gives a short history of most popular hymns that you will encounter in the Protestant churches. The music in not included, but all the words to all the verses are there. It has proven valuable when giving a brief history before singing a hymn. The participants are much more appreciative of the hymn after hearing a story about how it was written.

Most of the histories given are about the author of the words and not about the composers of the hymns.

This book is a hefty volume at almost 700 pages, but, of course, it covers 600 hymns and praise songs. Each entry averages just over 1 page in length. All the old standards are covered, as well as many less commonly-known ones, including many that I do not know. By far, most of the entries are hymns. Off hand, I'd probably say that around 90% or more of the songs referenced were written before 1950. This book is well-organized. The songs are organized by topic, and there are indexes by title, author, and theme.

Here is a sample entry that I opened to randomly: I Need Thee Every Hour. We learn the hymn was written by a 37-year-old Brooklyn housewife while she was busy with her household chores. She could closely feel the nearness of God, and she sat by an open window and wrote out all the verses. When she gave them to her pastor, he wrote the chorus and the music. Evangelist Dwight L. Moody discovered the hymn and began using it in his meetings, which led to it becoming famous. After that background information, we are given several Bible verse references (not the text of the verses themselves) related to the hymn's topic (Psalm 86:1-4, Psalm 109:22, Philippians 4:19), the themes of the hymn (prayer, meditation), and then the lyrics of the hymn.

I have a few small gripes with the book. There are several newer praise songs that do not have lyrics included, presumably because they are under copyright and permission was not granted for their use. And, there are a few of these newer praise songs that are rather short that I would have left out, but that's a small gripe.

Overall, this is a valuable resource for any Christian. This book is nice for looking up a particular hymn, but also for just browsing through. In that sense, it could be a good "coffee table book," while also being of benefit in personal or family devotions, or church music ministry. It might also be a way to find some new hymns of value. You can always look up a hymn at CyberHymnal to hear the accompanying music! I highly recommend this book.

Conducting worship services at a Senior's Care facility, I find that they love to sing especially the old hymns but have short attention spans when it comes to sermons or messages. This book allows me to use a recommended scripture passage and then a little bit about the background and composer of each hymn rather than a long message. The participants are very interested in this information, the feed back has been very positive. As well the themes of the hymn is listed and the words of the hymns are also printed which makes it easy for someone who doesn't read music to read the words and compare to the theme for clarity.

Many book titles are misleading; but not this one. This is a BIG BOOK of Hymn stories. Highly recommended if you need/want this kind of info about the history of the church hymns we sing.

I love cher's concert book becouse i love her and i love her concerts.cher is a GREAT person to be a singer,a acter,and to make her own books. Cher was so luck do be married to Sonny.

The author dispenses a complete and concise guide that can be used by any organization in planning the benefit concert. The arrangement of chapters allows the committee to walk through the process knowing full well what is involved. Hollan's sense of humor is evident throughout the book and it is apparent that he has an uncanny ability to attend to detail without losing sight of the goal. Much of the book can be used by individuals or organizations in planning events other than concerts; his tips for dealing with sponsors and the media are very helpful. A great resource for any event planner!

I'm an aspiring promoter and I found this book simply outstanding. This book gave me a vivid picture on how to put on a fund raising event. It was very easy to read and gives valuable information for organizations to build a fund raising concert. I really don't like to read and I found Mr Hollan's personal experiences very interesting. I was further intrigue by the planning and professionalism outline in each chapter. For anyone wishing to put on a fundraising concert, I highly recommend this book. Thanks Mr. Hollan for writing such a great book!

The concert book is a must read for fund raisers. The author's practical experience and easy to read style will jump start your fund raising campaign to new heights.

The book is well written and presents an organized project plan useful for both the novice and seasoned fund raiser.

I have not read this book, but I listened to an interview on Wall Street Journal This Week (podcast). It is sad that corporate and Wall Street has driven the "front line force/employees" to the ground and view employees as a commodity. However, this corporate greed, arrogance and uncaring attitude has promoted one thing - entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, entrepreneurship takes a good amount of capital, something that many employees do not have. Therefore we are stuck with the mercy of our corporate employers, while we pursue the American Dream - the welfare of our family. But that American Dream could also be that you part of, for example, the Google team.

The author of this book, Dr. Alan Downs, performed corporate downsizings for years and now explains they seldom attain the goals a company wanted.

Dr. Downs explains that, contrary to what we read, life in the workplace is deteriorating for nearly everyone. He explains that greed is the driving force behind company lay-offs and it must be checked. He advocates a new "social contract" between companies and employees.

America's businesses must begin to understand that they are often responsible for the tension in our society that invites the rampant drug use. Top-down, authoritarian, do-it-my way management defies research into human development that has been with us since 1927 when the "halo effect" was discovered. More harmony and less friction is needed between labor and management and this is what Dr. Downs writes about. He states that businesses need "rejuvination, not dismemberment. He is right!!

Many books have been written and studies have been made that show management is not as good as it is cracked up to be and it is time for change. Worker friendly institutions will only be brought about in the 21st Century by managers who know how to inspire workers. Companies who heed this advice, based on sound research will benefit across the board as will communities and the people who work in them.

Dr. Downs book reveals a hidden truth about corporate America that government officials should pay attention to, but they may not as special interest groups are at the very top of these companies that promote this "ugly truth" with large pay checks in the form of political contributions.

If you are a CEO, in high level management, a politician or a union leader, read this book and go to work on correcting this ugly corporate structure sure to play havoc within America sometime in the 21st Century.

Norman Jones, Ed.D author of Performance Management in the 21st Century

In Corporate Executions, Dr. Downs shows how the government and top executives foster top-down management practices that are helping to create unwanted and unneeded tesnion in our country. Years ago it seems that companies had the best interest of communities and employees in mind, but this book dispells that long lost attitude. To his credit, Dr. Down rebukes the downsizing, the re-engineering of companies because he participated in these tragedies and makes recommendations to increase the performance of companies without affecting the morale of people. His book should be read by every politician and every CEO and taken to heart as a measure that would make us a safer, calmer nation. The recommendations of Dr. Downs are even more important than he writes about as I believe he touches upon the attitude of big business that creates tension in our country and delivers a message to young people that the future is going to be a lot rougher on them than the past has been on people in the world of work. Dr. Down's ideas should be put into practice soon, but I fear he is going to be one of many authors who will only be able to set back and say, "See I told you so."

Alan Downs knows whereof he speaks when he details the rationale, strategies, and methodology of corporate downsizing in the 90's. His spellbinding expose is written from the standpoint of a converted "corporate reconstructionist," and he pulls no punches. He takes you behind the scenes, into boardrooms, managerial conferences, and strategy meetings, in which employees are little more than pieces of play on a game board, manipulated by corporate henchmen in an attempt to drain every last drop of profit from an undervalued workforce. Mr. Downs' insightful, caring treatment of the workers' modern day employment dillemma both comforts and informs. If nothing else, the reader leaves with a greater understanding of why he or she has been buffeted about in the economic storm that has characterized the greedy 90's. Such understanding allows the victim of a layoff to salvage an othewrwise devistated sense of self worth, knowing that they are not alone -- that the fruits of "profits before people" ideology are widespread. Corporate Executions is also recommended to the thoughtful exec who realizes that short-term profits derived from a decimated workforce are over-shadowed by negative factors engendered by trimming the sinew with the fat. Low worker morale, lost job knowledge, confusion as to job responsibilities, a general lowering of work accuracy, etc. plague workers to the detriment of the stated corporate mission and precious bottom line. Alan Downs' suggestions on how to structure a kinder, gentler, and, yes, more profitable company are well worth the read

This book provides an up-to date review of the structures and characteristics of the various financial and corporate governance systems that exist in eleven industrialized countries around the globe. It also informs the reader as to why and how some companies take advantage of these differences, while others fail, in the finance and management of their long-term investment decisions such as Research and Development.

IT IS A PERFECT GUIDE TO FIND OUT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL PROBLEMS

This is an excellent review of international corporate governance practice and short-termism Essential reading for Internatioanl Business

Previous work on Corporate Governance has often produced a rough view of Corporate Governance practices and their influnce on investment decisions. This book examines different national models of Corproate Governance,how they operate, and how they affect investment decisions in Research and Development. The implications of differing Coporate Governance practices for other intangible investment decisions, company policies, and for Financial Reporting is also examined.