Organizations Books

I was born in Assisi, in Italy 800 years ago. And eight centuries later I still remember a thing or two.

You can tell from that opening sentence of Carretto's book on St.Francis that you are going to enjoy it and find it easy reading. it. Francis is an imaginary dialogue between the reader and the saint of Assisi.

The book outlines Francis' life in a chatty and breezy style, and as he tells the bare details of his story, he makes provocative comments on modern issues with a singular simplicity and clarity. Who else but one speaking in the voice of Francis could describe the parodox of the Church with such direct insight?

"Until now I had not properly understood what the ministry of the Church consisted of: sinfulness and infallibility; bad example and safety on the march along the road; fearful blindness in the shepherds, and .the certainty "of reaching the Promised Land with them.
Now I saw, and was glad to . . . have had Rome's approval.
I felt a peace.
I felt myself to be on solid rock.
I felt myself to be in God's design."

There's real comfort to be gleaned from that brutal honesty.

I found the book gave great enjoyment by combining the narrative of Francis' life with the comment. The account of Francis' wealthy upbringing and bourgeois aspirations to knighthood, his conversion, the beginnings of his little band is accurate. How the 800-year-old Francis now feels about his young manhood is told with the perspective and amusement of old age.

As is usual in Lives of St. Francis, the rest of his life takes less space in the book, but at least Carretto takes the middle years seriously and sees in them more depth and struggle than some other writters have done.

The author makes much use of the charming legends in the "Little Flowers of Saint Francis". He takes them with an uncompromising literalness which helped me see greater strength in Francis' spirituality.

"Are you astonished if the wood of St Mary of the Angels seems to catch fire at night while we are praying.

Does it seem strange to you that roses should bloom in winter?

And that wolves grew tame?

And that fish would listen to us?

No, brothers and sisters, rather be surprised if the opposite occurs,' be astonished if you see the sky unmoved and indifferent to your joy."

In an original and entertaining way, Carlo Carretto has given a lot of food for thought on issues as diverse as Christian feminism, non-violence (which he calls the twentieth century expression of true poverty), death and . suffering, and the signs that really speak of the Church's love.

"Every Christian house . . . should keep a door open to welcome those in trouble. And if possible, the door should be easy to find and not too frightening for the poorest, with halls not too brilliant, staircases not too mammoth - signs rather of might and grandeur than of humility and truth."

An underlying theme in this book deserves mention. Carretto sees in Francis part of the madness of being a saint - a follower of Jesus.

"Look at what Peter of Bernadone's boy has got into his head!
He has certainly gone mad.
Yes, my friends of Assisi, I have gone mad.
But if you only knew my madness!
I am mad with love.
I can no longer help it.
I can no longer resist.
If I but look Jesus in the eye, I am on fire right down to my insides.
Don't you know that my Most High Lord is God's Son?"

My criticism of "I, Francis" is that Carretto doesn't explore the dark side of this madness, certainly present in Francis of Assisi - the ruthlessness and the irresistible urge sometimes to bully the brothers under his authority, and the irritating inconsistencies within the company of brothers caused by Francis' violently wavering temperament.

Using the device of speaking as Francis, Carrretto has given us an entertaining, provocative and inspiring book, but one which is strangely unsatisfying. Perhaps, as Francis himself would, Carretto is forcing on us the conclusion that the obsessive study of Jesus, not of Francis of any other saint, brings true satisfaction.

© Ted Witham, 1983. First published in the Anglican Messenger, July 1983.
.Published in "Span", the journal of the Society of St Francis, Australian Province, August 1983..

This book describes the life of Francis of Assisi, his humanness and his deep spirituality, told through the eyes of Francis in modern times. You truly come to know Francis, and are inspired by his actions to lead a more simple and spiritual existance and to draw yourself completely into the arms of a loving God. This is one of the best short books that I've read in a long time. I'd read it again in a heartbeat and refer to it whenever I need to be rejeuvenated in my faith.

This book is simply wonderful, written by a man who knew very well and loved the places where Francis lived his life, and knew so much of His spiritualty. This book is a way to discover the life and beliefs of the man of Assisi, to make it nearer to us, to refer his culture to the culture of our days. After having read this Carretto's book you couldn't love Francesco D'Assisi, no matter what your faith or belief is.

This book has been one of the more practical and realistic books I have read while an education administration student. It is a very easy read for very busy people. The book is well organized and offers some valuable commentary by practicing school administrators. I would recommend it for someone who is beginning a school leadership role as a new administrator, or if you are still early in your career and starting at a new school.

Dr. Alvy was indeed the best Principal I ever had. If anyone is qualified to write a book on this topic he is. May others be inspired to be as great a Principal as he is.

This book is packed with information pertaining to the principalship. There are scenarios and information throughout the book that gives readers a glimpse of their future expectations in the Educational Leadership profession.

This book offers a valuable insight into the attitudes of military personnel who were stationed in Bosnia to implement the Dayton Accord. I have read many books on Bosnia which have fuelled my indignation at how the international community stood by and let the Serbs mount what is tantamount to a genocidal war against Bosnian Muslims. This book gives an idea of how military people felt about the Bosnian issue. Their attitudes range from the idealistic and noble to short-sighted and complacent ( in fact some will fill you with rage at their indifference). It is rare that one encounters a book dealing with a major historical issue which allows the ordinary person, albeit a soldier, to articulate their views so openly. The photographs are excellent and Mr Wolfe Murray's introduction is very insightful. It would, however, have been even more interesting to have a similar book which gives voice to those UN troops who were there at the height of the conflict.

The book was given to me by the author himself with dedication and as soon as I read it it became my absolute favourite. IFOR on IFOR has the largest accumulation of reviews, interviews and facts as well as interesting thoughts not only by the author himself but by the interviewed soldiers as well. As the author is in Bosnia from 1993, he knows the situation so if you need a close-up look on our rugged country check this book out.

Bosnia has pretty much faded into the background of American concern. When the American Division of the NATO Implementation Force (IFOR) rolled in on December 1995, the spotlight was on Bosnia and Americans became aware of the military role that their forces would play in the Balkans. Out of the tragedy and confusion of war came a book entitled "Cry Bosnia" by Paul Harris which chronicled the war in Bosnia itself through words and pictures.

Inspired by the success of Cry Bosnia, Ruppert Murray decided to write a similar book which would focus on the peacekeepers themselves rather than the political elements of Bosnia. His idea was merely to write minimal text with pictures but as he began to interview the soldiers and have them share their opinions, backgrounds and experiences the book began to take a life of its own. IFOR on IFOR is the soldiers' stories of their perceptions of why and how they came to Bosnia and what they feel their presence will accomplish.

The book is divided into three sectors representing the United States of America Division, the British Division and the French Division. He interviews the men and women of the armed forces who candidly share their views with him. Listen to these young warriors as they share their apathy, hope, and naivite in sharing their views of their deployment. The voices are diverse within each division and you can see the differences of opinions that run from nation to nation. The insights you get are extraordinary.

On a personal note, I was deployed to Bosnia and stayed there for a year. Everything that you have read, heard and seen in these interviews are what I experienced with this group of international soldiers. I highly recommend this book to you in getting the story of the soldier. Six copies returned home with me and many more were purchased for friends and relatives. This is an excellent chronicle in pictures and words.

I'm an American based in Japan and working all over Asia. I found this book to be an outstanding analysis of the relationships between Americans and their foreign colleagues or customers.

It's written from a business perspective more so than an academic perspective. Although the style is a bit heavy, I still found many of the anecdotes entertaining.

In the past four years, I have used Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace with over 500 community college students interested in cultural differences from a business perspective. This book provides a useful structure for thinking and talking about both the theoretical foundations of global diversity as well as the practical implications of working cross culturally - - whether from a desk in the USA or traveling and working abroad. The book is well-organized and includes thoughtfully selected, real-life examples of cultural differences (which I, as an overseas expatriate of 20 years can verify). The real value of the book is in these multiple examples which give readers a sense of the rich diversity of our globalized world and the importance of encountering business people from other cultures (both within the USA and abroad) with an awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural priorities. The case study in the chapter on negotiations with other cultures is particularly well-conceived and useful.

In the past four years, I have used Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace with over 500 community college students interested in cultural differences from a business perspective. This book provides a useful structure for thinking and talking about both the theoretical foundations of global diversity as well as the practical implications of working cross culturally - - whether from a desk in the USA or traveling and working abroad. The book is well-organized and includes thoughtfully selected, real-life examples of cultural differences (which I, as an overseas expatriate of 20 years can verify). The real value of the book is in these multiple examples which give readers a sense of the rich diversity of our globalized world and the importance of encountering business people from other cultures (both within the USA and abroad) with an awareness of, and sensitivity to, their cultural priorities. The case study in the chapter on negotiations with other cultures is particularly well-conceived and useful.

There are a great many very good psychological thrillers out there, but this is the only one that satisfactorily explains how a person becomes a psychotic killer. All the others just expect you to accept that a person is a psychotic killer. I've always been fascinated by psychotics but never understood how someone becomes psychotic. Now that I understand it, I'm going back to re-read all my favorites. All you other novelists beware, Rick Lacey has just raised the bar. If you don't really understand psychosis and the psychotic transformatic experience, find another career because readers won't just blindly accept your characters anymore.

Involuntary Separation: Corporate Downsizing Gone Fatally Wrong by Rick Lacey is a compelx and deftly written novel about murder in the upper management of an international oil company. Revenge, suicide, and one man's single-minded obsession to halt corporate downsizing make for an exciting and savage unfolding drama that will compell the reader's total attention from first page to last. Also highly recommended is Rick Lacey's early novel Cat Fever.

John McCall finds his boss murdered, still seated at his desk with a bullet through his head. The letters ISP have been carefully written in marker with the P around the bullet wound. ISP, involuntary separation seems to be a powerful motive, but with hundreds of past employees laid off and hundreds more potentially threatened, suspects abound. Oddly, the victim was not that heavily involved in the previous downsizing and would not have been involved in the next one either.

John has already worked with the police on a previous case. Two years ago his wife Alicia and her best friend were brutally raped and murdered. While investigating Alicia's murder, police received so many calls from John's office phone late at night that they labeled him a workaholic with extreme dedication to Moon Oil. John is equally dedicated to ending corporate layoffs targeted to artificially inflate quarter reports. His dedication proves to be his downfall when Moon Oil uses his financial computer model to justify downsizing.

With rumors flying regarding another downsizing, John intends to find a way to stop it. His long-term financial forecasting models predict dire consequences for the economy if corporations continue to downsize, but John has not as yet been able to predict short-term negative results. When a second board member is murdered and ISP is found be brutally slashed on his belly, every employee of Moon Oil, past and present, becomes suspect. Meanwhile, the chairman of the board assigns John to keep an eye on Beatrice Winter because she has "the eyes of a killer".

Author Rick Lacey makes restitution for his own participation in a sever corporate downsizing at BP Oil by drawing upon his personal experiences as a Senior Financial Analyst in INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION. Lacey admits that INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION was written to start a national dialogue regarding corporate abuse in general and corporate downsizing in particular. The novel's psychotic killer seek revenge even while exposing the dangerous power plays that occur behind fancy boardroom doors. While the primary murder plot will hold readers riveted, it is the exposure of big business that will make readers indignant and angry with the abuses corporations perpetrate on their employees. Indeed, corporate abuses abound with an eye only for the next quarter: never mind the devastation to America's families and workforce, not to mention to the long term health of the company. Consequently, the novel succeeds with a powerful tale that affects every citizen of America. In addition, Lacey's sophisticated prose will appeal to literature lovers who enjoy a touch of metafiction, irony, and satire. Note: Some discerning readers will be ethically challenged by John's evolving personal relationship with his psychiatrist. INVOLUNTARY SEPARATION comes very highly recommended.

Fr. Byron is the pastor of my church, Holy Trinity, in Georgetown, DC. In this artfully written work, he explores the essence of Ignatian spirtuality applied to education and being an educator, or simply day to day living and being part of the wonderful circle of friends who try, as well as each of them can, to live by the principles of Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits.

Jesuit Saturdays reads easily and I was anxious to keep turning to the next page to learn another gem of wisdom from Fr. Byron. I overwhelmingly recommend this book to anyone who wants to plant the first seed or nourish his or her on-going spirituality and perhaps learn better what God's will for her/him is.

Am not in the habit of reading "religious" books. But, someone had given this book to me - and noticed that coincidentally, it was by the same author as this one spiritual book I had picked up several years back while visiting Georgetown University. Really can relate to the language and practical philosophy that Fr. Byron uses to convey his points - true to Jesuit form. Even more impressive is how well-read Fr. Byron seems to be - from philosophy, to politics and business. Would highly recommend to everyone, but particularly to those who are interested or working in politics and business.

These days Jesuits and their co-workers, particularly in the educational apostolate, are trying to elaborate together their shared mission in common awareness of the centuries-old Jesuit tradition. Fr. William Byron here makes his own valuable and informed contribution to the cause, drawing on fifty years of experience, much of it in key administrative positions, summing up some of his recent keynote speeches, and citing extensively individuals and institutions involved in the world-wide Jesuit apostolate. He writes of the founder of the Jesuits, the reasons they are in education, the kind of alumni they seek to form, discernment and choice, service of others, celibacy, being a responsible individual in community, proper use of talents, the value of the cross, and the question of vocations to the Jesuit order. He shares with us as within a family everything from the highest ideals of the order to the difficulties of using community cars. Anyone who wants to know about the Jesuits could profit from this book, but it's particularly aimed at those who work in the Jesuit schools, and its individual chapters would be especially useful as topics for their common discussion. A correction: the book has 112 pages, not 260.

A 'must have' for any feminist's library. I would have liked to have it in hardback though.

Those going to this book for traditional feminist theology may come away disappointed. It can perhaps be understood more as a critique of feminism than an endorsement. Observe how Bynum, perhaps the most respected medievalist in the United States, sheds considerable doubt on some standard Seminary mythology:

"It was not women who originated female images of God.... such language is in no way the special preserve of female writers... There is no reason to assert, as some have done, that the theme of the motherhood of God is a 'feminine insight.' Moreover it is not at all clear, although many scholars assume it, that women are particularly drawn to feminine imagery" (140).

Bynum goes on to explain that in the Middle Ages, feminine God images were occasionally employed by men, specifically abbots, "because they needed to supplement their image of authority with that for which the maternal stood" (154). Interestingly enough, women writers used such imagery much more rarely, if at all. "Jesus as Mother" can therefore be contextually explained as a response to leadership challenges in medieval monasteries, not as a long-suppressed feminine ethos:

"The theme of God's motherhood is a minor one in all writers of the high Middle Ages except Julian of Norwich. Too long neglected or even repressed by editors and translators, it is perhaps now in danger of receiving more emphasis than it deserves" (168).

Instead, what stands out in the writings of twelfth and thirteenth century nuns of Helfta is their theological orthodoxy:

"Unlike the God of the fourteenth-century mystics (Julian of Norwich or Eckhart , for example), the God of [Gertrude's] visions is tough... There appears to have been a moment in the thirteenth century at which the growing sense of man's likeness to God - expressed not only in the later medieval emphasis on Christ's humanness and the rich variety of homey and natural metaphors for the divine but also in the new confidence about man's capacity for intimate union with God - was still balanced by older images of an awesome God, totally unlike man, who rules a universe... This thirteenth-century combination of likeness and unlikeness underlay the optimism and strength of the piety of Helfta" (255).

Bynum's book, then, is in agreement with another medieval historian, Barbara Newman, who in another misleadingly titled book, "From Virile Woman to WomanChrist," wrote:

"It was not because of their commitment to feminism, self-empowerment, subversion, sexuality, or 'the body' that [medieval woman] struggled and won their voices; it was because of their commitment to God" (p. 246).

Shortly after Katharine Jefferts Schori was elected Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in 2006, she gave a sermon in which she referred to "our mother Jesus." This caused gnashing of teeth in some Anglican circles, whose members accused her of appealing to "radical feminist theology." But in fact, as historian Caroline Walker Bynum demonstrated twenty-five years earlier in this wonderful and ground-breaking collection of essays, the feminization of Jesus (and occasionally of God the Father) wasn't unknown in 12th century Cistercian monastic writings. And no one can accuse these high middle age monks of radical feminist theology.

Bynum's Jesus as Mother actually contains five erudite but enjoyably readable essays. They deal in one way or another with spirituality in the 12th and 13th centuries. The final essay, "Women Mystics in the Thirteenth Century: The Case of the Nuns of Helfta," is especially fine, and is long enough to be a short book in its own right. But the essay that's attracted the most attention is the fourth: "Jesus as Mother and Abbot as Mother: Some Themes in Twenfth-Century Cistercian Writing."

In this carefully crafted and utterly nonpolemical essay, Bynum demonstrates that Cistercian models of community and leadership were frequently thought of in maternal terms, and these in turn were adapted from maternal metaphors to describe the nurturing and loving qualities of Jesus. The relationship between monk and abbot was often spoken of in mother-child terms, just as was the relationship between Christian and Christ. No 12th-century Cistercian would've thought the expression "our mother Jesus" unusual or heretical. On the contrary, he would've thought it nicely captured the essence of the Christian story.

How marvelous that an all-male environment in a time too often referred to by us as the "dark ages" should've so enriched discourse about Jesus and God. Surely the "dark ages" have things to teach us.

Readers who enjoy Jesus as Mother may want to take a look at more of Bynum's work. A particular favorite of mine is Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women. I look forward to reading her recently released (2007) Wonderful Blood.

This book not only contains a profusion of photos but also is quite informative. The reader gets a brief biography of the former Cardinal Wojtyla. One learns of the horrors of the Nazi German occupation, "Lolek's" forced labor in a stone quarry, his study for the priesthood, his lifelong interest in ethics, his love of the outdoors (hiking, skiing, canoeing, etc.). He was a quintessential Pole. After assuming the papacy, Pope John Paul II had Christmas dinner at Krakow with old friends.

It is ironic that the Communist authorities underrated him. He was an advocate of all, not just Catholics. He took a lead in ecumenism, becoming a pioneer of Christian unity. He forgave Mehmet Agca, the Turk who shot him. He revived the office of the deacon. He met with countless world leaders, including Fidel Castro. He believed that universities should be places of encounter with Christ. He reached out to people of all ages, and was an active participant in World Youth Days. It is no exaggeration to say that he "always had the personal touch".

This book is candid about controversial issues. It mentions such things as birth control and the death penalty.

There is a list of canonizations and beautifications performed by Pope John Paul II. The best-known saint canonized by this Pope was Father Maxilian Kolbe, canonized October 10, 1982. Father Kolbe had given his life in free exchange for another prisoner at the German death camp of Auschwitz.

Published to coincide with John Paul II's 25th Papal anniversary in 2003, John Paul II: A Light for the World, is a stunningly beautiful tribute to the late pontiff. Rich with gorgeous photography, this beautifully designed book provides an intimate look at John Paul II and a view of the Vatican that is rarely seen outside its walls. The text (masterfully edited by Sr. Mary Ann Walsh) includes selections from the Pope's writings and speeches, essays by friends, scholars, and church leaders, as well as personal recollections that give us a glimpse of the humanity and humor of the man who led the Catholic Church for 27 years.

No doubt that with the passing of John Paul II, publishers will be rushing to slap together "tribute" books. However, I can't imagine a more thorough, beautifully-produced, or inspiring a volume as this. It is the ultimate commemoration of one of the world's great spiritual leaders.

This is perhaps the best picture book of John Paul 11 there is. It was a picture book of the countries that he has visited, and was published just before his twenty-fifth anniversary of his being a pope. This was worth the money. It is wonderful.

With the vigorous probing of a truly accomplished explorer, Schonfeld unearths the story behind the story of JSTOR. An exciting find that will leave you wanting more. A must read for anybody who, like Schonfeld himself, is exceedingly passionate about research and archival systems beyond library walls.

An amazing book--one that unfolds (in an entertaining way) the history of a crucial academic resource. Schonfeld is an admirable scholar who bids fair to become a leader in the rethinking of academic library resources.

This book tells it all: JSTOR CEO Rudy "J" Sanchez's ascent from an undereducated but determined delivery man to a savage corporate sociopath who would stop at nothing to get the academic journals he wanted, once infamously strangling an up-and-coming VP in the back of his DeLorean. The plot thickens when Sanchez realizes that nobody reads the articles on JSTOR and begins digitizing HUMAN ORGANS. Drugs, blackmail, lust, illegal immigrants, cataloguers who whisper "F*ck it!" and place everything in reverse alphabetical order--you name it, and the scholarly journal digitization world has seen it. Includes the famous, formerly-banned passage that describes Sanchez sauteeing a sedated man's brains. Read it if you can stomach it. FIVE STARS.

This book is well grounded and strategically linked to the very existance of organizations in the future. The authors discribe a dynamic process based on values to move any bureaucracy toward cutomer focused success. Read any chapter and reap the benefits, read the whole and fly

This book is the first to explain how information flow and the management of corporate knowledge changes the nature of business. Unlike business process reengineering and other management fads which treats individuals as cogs in the business machine, this book advances the notion that the intelligence and expertise of the people in an organization define success--and that such intelligence and expertise can be amplified by information technology.

I'm a technologist, and this book is the first to adequately explain the relationship between information technology and business organization--David M. Kalman