Resources Books

This title was recommended to me by a friend, and am glad as a pastor I read it. The author is right on target with his remarks aimed at over-worked ministers who struggle with finding energy to meet all the demands placed upon them. Jones is emphatic about clergy needing to have intentional, regular periods of rest and renewal. Drawing heavily upon the analogy of Jesus sleeping in the back of the boat during a storm, he insists that as disciples of Jesus we too need to find our way often to the back of the "boat."

This book is a great investment -- it's well worth the money and time spent!

Dr. Jones has given professional caregivers permission to take the personal rest needed in order to help others find renewal and healing. He offers wisdom from personal experience combined with practical tools that offers relief from relational and institutional responsibilities. "Rest in the Storm" is a book that should become a requirement in seminaries and other universities that train people to be professional caregivers.

Kirk's book has been a refreshing breeze of support, in the midst of a hot, busy summer. His words, images, and sharing of his own personal journey and struggles have so affirmed my own experiences. I recently have put down deep roots in practicing self-care. But this is an issue I will always be managing in my life. I will return to Kirk's book many times in the months ahead.

Dr. Jones offers wisdom from personal experience combined in a book that is both practical and clear. The strategies for finding daily rest from professional caregiving is the key to avoiding burnout. He offers the spiritual, physical and emotional tools needed to rest while being present to the demands of relational and institutional responsibilities. "Rest in the Storm" is sure to be a requirement in seminaries and universities who are training professionals to care for others. It is a book that will keep professionals healthy and happy in their lives and work.

Rest in the Storm is a great reminder that I need to hug, hold, embrace my Self. The need to relax is something we all feel. The reason to relax is something, I think, many of us miss. Some of us don't relax at all. There are others of us, (myself included) who do relaxing things and then feel guilty for taking the time. This book gives reasons for relaxing. It tells me that it is alright, indeed sanctified to acknowledge this need for respite. And then, it is healing to satisfy this fundamental need. I am not presented with what to do to put back, but why it is necessary that I replenish the well-spring from which I draw to give to others, my students in particular.

Kirk's book is full of simply profound observations, presented through a rhetoric that is clever and clear, pointed and yet not burdensome. With some introspection, I saw the truths of the message in my life. I get the message.

One observation that captured me is that planning respite time makes you more appreciative of the surprise relaxed times. Another observation is that we deny our Selves any value in life. Therefore we do not embrace in our Selves, our worth. Kirk reminds me that I have an obligation to me. And that obligation is a pleasurable task to fulfill. Take time to joy in life! Take time to appreciate me. Make time to hang up my porductivity hat. Embracing relaxation returns joy to productivity.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is drained from giving of him/herself, not replenishing or not recognizing that it is not a sign of inferior being to need rest.

To the best of my knowledge, this book offers the single best source for information and counsel on how to design a high-impact learning program that can be implemented and then sustained (with continuous improvement) at all levels and within all areas of the given organization. Better yet, as the contributors to this book (members of Accenture's Capability Development team) explain, the ROI of such a program can be both quantified and verified.

In 2001, Accenture faced a number of major challenges that are best revealed and discussed within the narrative, in context. The fact remains that, led by Donald Vanthournout, Accenture's Capability Development team began a "journey" that had to take those challenges into full account. What they learned provides the most valuable material in this book. The story of their journey is a business story: about how one company - Accenture - advanced toward high performance through learning, knowledge management and the transformation of its workforce. By extension, however, it is about how other organizations can do the same."

In recent years, senior-level executives have been much more interested in knowing how to increase and improve the nature and extent of employee engagement: "how can they best tap into the collective intelligence of their people and engage them in their work, for their benefit and the benefit of he entire enterprise?" Vanthournout and the members of his team shared a business-centric perspective. They were determined to link human capital investments to business benefits, both for Accenture and for each of its clients; to put in place the governance and leadership structures that increase a learning program's chances of success; to ensure that the actual classroom and electrinic training create what the team characterized as "phenomenal" learning experiences; and to maximize the operational efficiency of learning. According to Vanthournout, he selected members to comprise a team that "was more of a team focused more on corporate education than it was an education team trying to have a business impact."

Here are some of the key lessons that members of the Accenture team learned during their "journey,"each of which is supported by hard data rather than by firm (albeit sincere) convictions:

1. Enterprise learning must be driven with the end in mind: the business results to be achieved.

2. An enterprise should build a learning strategy founded on the core values of the organization, as well as its primary leadership values.

3. Through metrics and ROI analysis, learning investments can be linked to business performance outcomes.

4. When conducting an ROI analysis, organizations should focus on how learning improved a person's performance on the job.

5. According to Kurt Olson, a team member, "Although it may be an overused phrase now, phenomenal earning was truly the `secret sauce' for many of the outcomes we have accomplished with the learning transformation initiative at Accenture. Phenomenal learning was how all good planning and design came to life. It's how the `thinking' and the `doing' all came together to produce phenomenal results."

6. To address the increasing emphasis on business outcomes, today's learning professionals must have strong business skills.

7. Because the lifespan of learning content is shrinking as the marketplace changes more rapidly, Accenture must develop the means for faster, continuous, and more efficient content production or revision.

8. A global learning infrastructure can integrate vital decision-support functionalities that help increase the impact of learning and keep it aligned with the most important business needs.

9. Companies should focus on differentiating their workforces, creating deep skills in people that can be brought to bear anywhere around the organization.

10. Increasing the engagement of employees is important not only to retaining them and improving productivity. It is important to growth and innovation by tapping into the collective intelligence of value workers.

It is worth noting that, as a result of the efforts of the Capability Development team, working closely with senior management and countless other associates throughout the firm, "for every dollar Accenture invests in learning, the company receives that dollar back plus an additional $3.25 in measurable value to its bottom line. - in other words, a 353 percent return on learning." Literally, ROL = ROI. To repeat, Return on Learning is also about "how other organizations can do the same." Or how they can at least "use learning programs for major business impact, and can run learning as a business."

Those who share my high regard for it are urged to check out any book written by Peter Senge (notably The Fifth Discipline The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization and The Dance of Change: The Challenges to Sustaining Momentum in Learning Organizations (co-authored with Art Kleiner, Charlotte Roberts, and George Roth as well as James O'Toole's Leading Change: The Argument for Values-Based Leadership, Corporate Agility: A Revolutionary Model for Competing in a Flat World co-authored by Charles E. Grantham, James P. Ware, and Cory Williamson, Dean R. Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success, and Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

This concise, clearly written book describes how Accenture went from being a company that put its entire workforce through a standard suite of courses to becoming a company with a knowledge-sharing culture. Accenture's employees now embody its knowledge and service capability. Even though your company is probably different from Accenture, your workforce is still the engine that allows it to grow and compete. A company can thrive only if its people have the opportunity to constantly renew their skills. If that level of knowledge management is part of your goals, getAbstract recommends this case study of how to create a high-performance learning culture.

A great book. I'm sorry that I haven't seen it reviewed in major publications. There's a real wisdom at the heart of this book. Lots of ideas about how to deliver great training that has an impact on the business. Personal reflections from the people who work for the training organization at Accenture, all spun as a story. And then some really provocative, forward-looking ideas. Reading the book is like bringing a Trojan horse of ideas into your company.

I'm guessing that "Ed" and I (see other review) might have been at the same conference together where we received a copy of this book. I can second much of what he says, and also add that when it comes to one of my personal measures of a book's value--"number of significant ideas per page"--this book scores very high. I liked the "phenomenal learning" stuff in particular, and I also liked the discussion of Accenture's decision support capabilities that it developed as part of its learning management system.

I'd have to classify myself as one of those getting somewhat disillusioned by the big discrepancy between what a company's leaders say about their workforce ("People are our most important asset, yadda yadda yadda") and where they really invest their money. (Guess what budgets get cut first when things get tight?) I don't know enough about Accenture's inner workings from an employee's perspective to know if it's business really rises above that, but it is clear they are wrestling with it, and that certain core leaders really do "get" it.

There are practical ideas in this book and there are some "big vision" kinds of ideas -- something for about everyone.

I finished this book on a cross-country flight this week (the book is admirably short and punchy) and I'm still shaking my head over it. The book is incredibly honest about how business change and a down economy had apparently temporarily weakened Accenture's commitment to its workforce to provide training and development opportunities. (Actual quote from the book, when Accenture's Chief Learning Officer is trying to convince his executives that something had to be done: "The deal we have made with our people has been broken.")

But then the book proceeds to tell an entirely believable story of how they turned things around. Sure, there is the ocasional bit of consulting-speak in here, but most of what you get are practical ideas about how to plan, how to get your executives on board (please give this book to your local CEO/COO/CFO), how to use outsourcing in a smart way, how to use technology, ect., ect. And its not filled with theory but practical experiences of real people. For those with the background/interest, there is also a chapter on the number-crunching. Doubt it if you want to, but these guys proved that Accenture gets a 353 percent return on every dollar it spends on training. From what I can tell by reading that chapter, the real number probably is even higher since the ROI model they created only used a few parameters that they were absolutely sure they could quantify.

The book is really targeted at executives, but there is also a lot of good stuff for learning and HR professionals. One thing I really liked: Accenture's admission that in previous years they're training people had gotten lots of awards for training courses but weren't as good when it came to delivering projects on time and on budget. This new team got the respect of senior executives by saying, "Yeah, we're still going to deliver great training, but we're also going to do it by being good stewards of your investment dollars."

Not everyone is going to have the money Accenture has to throw at problems like this, but they, too, learned to do a lot with a much smaller budget -- and I can't think of a single thing here that another CEO or HR/learning executive like myself couldn't apply in some way to his or her organization.

On top of it all, the book is written in a totally compelling way. Other writers of business books, take note: it's written such that the authors are actually characters in a story. As a reader, your brought along as if you were reading a novel. Even if learning or HR isn't your thing, take a read to see how you can plan any kind of reinvention business program.

A really well done book, and worth the time it took for me to write a few words saying, "Way to go."

The best thing about the Rock On books is that they don't *just* cover the hits, like the BillBoard books --- which cost ridiculous amounts of money and don't properly represent alternative music influences in most of the '80s, '90s, and beyond. Only problem..... the data ends in '92 in the second edition and '89 in the first.

NORM, WHERE ARE YOU WHEN WE NEED YOU??????????????????

Norm N. Nite who is or was an employee at New York's FM radio station,WCBS,compiled so much useful information regarding the rock 'n roll era,which continues today. For instance,in July 1940,Billboard magazine began charting popular songs,and back in the era of swing! The first 33 1/3 long play album(microgroove) debuted in 1948,but then there was no stereo. Ten years later,the first stereophonic album debuted. Longtime pop music mogul Dick Clark also contributed to this book. The book begins its listings of hits debuting each month starting with January 1954(earlier years don't list months). This continues through May 1989(this book went to press immediately afterward). There are also lists of musical artists with their debut years and singles. However,some of the photos were taken long after some of the artists' debuts. For instance,the Bee Gees debuted in 1967 in the US,and the photo of the band was taken years later(late 70's or early 80's). This book was updated only once,containing monthly listings from June 1989 to July 1992. There are also lists of the top albums,hits,movies and television shows every year. Music and news highlights also.

An absolutely indispensible reference for anyone trying to build a collection of oldies or just settle trivia questions. My only regret is that the book was published in 1989, so no information on later songs and artists is available. Maybe someone will update it. Meanwhile, this book is a great asset to our library.

This an outstanding reference if you are a fan of rock and roll music. I frequently use it to orient me to popular culture for the period of the sixties and seventies as I do research for a book. It addresses not only music but other areas, such as movies, as well. If you can find a used copy, it is well worth your trouble.

The best reference book on the subject of Rock and Roll Music. The reader or researcher is informed about members of groups, time lines, and record labels without being served up up too much un-necessary knowledge.

When I first saw this book I was amazed that there could be so much information on the subject of rubies & sapphires. This is way beyond Ph D Thesis. If the author has not been awarded a Ph D (H.C.) for this huge book it would be a crime. Amazing creation (with a wise-guy attitude that makes it twice as good). Wow!!!

Ruby & Sapphire by Richard W. Hughes is quite expensive.

If you don't value what you'll get.

As a professional who has been for quite some time now in the gem business (>25 years now. Wow, time goes by...) and who has seen quite some books about ruby and sapphire I would rate "Ruby and Sapphire" the best of its kind.

Written by a ruby/sapphire addict full of high class photo footage and excellent text, you'll love what you get.

Great for professionals and also great for owners. lovers, potential buyers of those little red and blue wonders of nature.

BTW: this book costs a tiny fraction of a single heat treated, coated, crack filled ruby/sapphire. I won't offer my copy for sale not even for the double price I paid for. So you'll have to rip my copy out of my dead, cold hands.

Enjoy!

Wow. What a sparkling mix of erudition and irreverence. Everything you might even begin to wonder about ruby and sapphire is here, in detail, packed with fact, lusciously illustrated, spiced with attitude and wickedly opinionated in the manner that only the truly expert can properly carry off. What's even better, the man can write! Consequently, the knottiest technical subjects are lucidly laid out, while the history, the legends, the myths and the gossip are offered up with all their zest and spice intact. We're talking "encyclopedic," here - but encyclopedic in the 18th Century French Enlightenment sense, before the Germans came along and dried us all up with their only-the-facts-ma'am pedantry. Hughes is omniverously curious about his beloved gems and unashamedly passionate in his devotion to them. Thus, nothing is beyond the scope of his interest or scholarship, from the hardest of hard science to the most romantic of Arabian Nights-type legends. And in the unlikely event that there might be something he's left out, [Hughes] supplies bibliographies of altogether stupefying dimensions, and in several languages to boot. Diderot would approve. There are all sorts of ways to read this book, each of them satisfying. You can of course dutifully do what the White King told Alice: begin at the beginning, continue until you get to the end, then stop. This means commencing with the chapter on History, working your way through the dense scientific chapters (e.g., Chemistry & Crystallography, Inclusions, Treatments, Geology, etc.), and concluding with Hughes' world tour of every known source of ruby and sapphire on the planet, its history, detailed characteristics of its gems, and oh yes, a huge bibliography specific to each one. That is what I did and it is undeniably satisfying. But it is by no means the only available way to enjoy this Gargantuan feast. You could also just cruise your way through the dozens of intriguing, sometimes quirky and often gleefully opinionated sidebars, and you will have a splendid time at that, too. Or you could just page through, looking at the pictures, because the illustrations alone are an education. In addition to everything else, this book is a wonderful history lesson and so, in addition to the dozens of luscious photos of glorious gems you would expect, there are scores of fascinating pictures and photos of long-lost mines, legendary personalities, gem cutters past and present, and my absolute favorite, a be-turbaned, leather-skinned old Burmese gal with a twenty megawatt smile, chomping on a mammoth cigar. Then, again, if you absolutely do not wish to indulge your sense of fun, curiosity and wonder, you can simply station the book on your essential reference shelf and refer to it only when you need a detailed rundown on, say, typical inclusions in rubies of the Thai/Cambodian border. Many of the sidebars are in the form of detailed tables summarizing the facts in the text (example: `Fluorescent Reactions of Untreated Corundums') so if you're in a hurry, you can use the book as a technical handbook without searching through the text for the information you want. I'd say that was rather like eating all the spinach at the buffet and passing up the chocolate eclairs, but there's no accounting for taste. Particularly when you open the book more of less expecting a dry-as-dust, edited-to-death textbook, encountering Hughes' damn-the-torpedoes attitude is gorgeously refreshing. Incidentally, be ready for Hughes' ardent, peppery opinions on the issue of treated vs. untreated gems. He has no objection to heat treating otherwise dim or badly included gems to bring out their potential beauties, but he absolutely and positively insists that such gems are not - repeat not! - to be considered the equal of their natural, untreated sisters. Whether you agree or not, it's hard to resist the verve with which Hughes states his conviction. Indeed, for this reviewer, the book's unapologetic opinionatedness was one of its major delights. So whether you need a complete reference guide, a stroll through history with a lively, expert guide, a survey of sources and markets, or a guide to everything that would ever seem to have been written about either of these two lovely gems, this is your book.

Brenda Forman, GIA Alumni Association, Washington, DC Chapter

EXCELLENT BOOK (both for interest and research)-- Reading this book by Richard Hughes, you can feel the decades that the author spent both in the field at mine sites and in the lab (Hughes was head of AIGS in Bangkok) researching this monograph. Some of the chapters bring the gem business to life, especially the chapter on Burma. The photos are accurate, dramatic or beautiful and go well with the written text. The maps are good, some being quite rare. Perhaps the greatest research went into the extensive bibliography (over 2500 entries!). As president of Pala international, an import-export firm dealing in colored stones for over 30 years, I would rate this book as one of the very best in the gemological field!

This is the most comprensive book ever writtten on rubies and sapphires. It will answer any question you might have about sources, treatments, history, great specimens, cuts, and colors. Seldom can one say that the definitive book has been written on any subject. This one is.

I heartily recommend this book. It gives plenty of tips & tidbits on how time spent with your child on the Internet can be a top-notch experience for you both. Tonight, while exploring sites recommended in this book with my 7-year-old daughter Hannah, we came upon a science site with a geography game. We clicked "Easy" and saw a map of the United States with one state highlighted and 4 clickable possibilities from which to choose. Hannah called, "I'll get the globe!" hopped up out of her seat and retrieved the globe. She delightedly located the correct answer, time after time. I was impressed with how the game on the Internet sparked her interest and, just as author Evelyn Petersen says, inspired the child to connect with the world around her. Plus, it was a fun time for us both! What's more, Petersen organizes the book in a way I gratefully appreciate. Her numerous web site recommendations are listed in the back by chapter for easy reference, a nice touch. This feature alone is well worth the price of the book. In all, a five star report from this family!

What a clever, and important idea to write a book about e-parenting. The Petersens give us enough information and enough resources including important web-sites to find anything we want to know -- from discipline and other parenting issues for parents to stimulating and thought-provoking games and exercizes for their kids. In addition to the wealth of information given, we are helped to sift through and evaluate choice of existing web-sites so we can make responsible and informed choices of our own and help our kids learn how to choose and evaluate from the array of information available to them on the web as well.

I especially like the way the Petersens relate the child's e-world to his or own real world and how, for example e-friends, while important, must not replace school friends; e-homework help should not replace the library, a real book, or personal parent support.

In short, parenting by internet, while a tremendous addition, must not be a substitute for our personal and interpersonal worlds. The Petersens help us do that. Nice touch.

People who write about technology come in two varieties: the technophobes and the technophiles. The t-phobes argue that technology is diminishing the quality of human life. The t-philes assert that technology will bring us a new state-of-the-art paradise on Earth.

The tech-haters include heavyweight social thinkers such as Neil Postman (The Disappearance Of Childhood and Technopoly); Sven Birkerts (The Gutenberg Elegies); and Jane Healey (Endangered Minds and Failure To Connect).

Among the tech-lovers we should name Harley Hahn (Harley Hahn Teaches The Internet); Esther Dyson (Release 2.1); and two authors who I've just discovered, Evelyn Petersen and her daughter Karin. Their new book, Sams Teach Yourself E-Parenting Today, explains how using computers and the Internet can enhance our parenting skills.

Petersen and Petersen have set themselves two difficult goals: to counsel about parenting in general, and to explain how the Internet can help to forge a friendly relationship between parents and kids. In both these areas they have succeeded admirably. The person-to-person sections contain parenting advice which is savvy, compassionate, and sensible. The chapters about computers are clear, balanced, and written expertly.

The book contains excellent sections about many issues, some well-publicized and others little-known. How can children use the Internet to make friends worldwide? What does every parent need to know about the various aspects of Internet safety? How can using computers build family togetherness? Which web sites offer the most pertinent parenting activities and advice? ... I was especially impressed with Petersen's 40-page Appendix titled 'A Brief Guide To Child Development.' This section is eminently useful as a gage for helping us to understand what is "normal" (and abnormal) for children at various ages and stages of growth.

Ready or not, the Internet is here in our schools and homes. Computers are powerful tools, and -- let us not forget -- potentially dangerous ones. Children unsupervised, or children who receive poor computer instruction, will become at best technologically illiterate, and at worst harmed by misuse and over-use of these tremendous tools. Fortunately, for kids are who receive the right training, the Internet offers many remarkable benefits. The great virtue of Sams Teach Yourself E-Parenting Today is the way it teaches us to use technology well, while reminding us that creating a caring and enjoyable relationship with our children is the most important parenting skill of all.

Michael Pastore, Reviewer

The multi-generational authors deliver an insightful, obviously exhaustive work, which introduces the concept of e-Parenting with clarity and sensitivity.

For those of us facing the responsibility of raising children in the new millennium, this book is a treasure trove of helpful guidance. A wonderful combination of information and advice that is concise and practical while at the same time is on the cutting edge of our information age.

Using technology to enhance the parenting experience, while it would probably give our grandparents a coronary, is as practical today as Castor Oil must have been at the turn of the previous century. There is a misconception that e-Parenting means less hands-on involvement and interaction between parents and children. The authors shatter this myth by emphasizing that his brave new e-World is one to be shared, embraced and celebrated together.

The wealth of information and resources included here makes this book an invaluable tool. The care and enthusiasm of the authors makes it a pleasure to experience. It's scary to think of the hours the authors must have spent crawling around the Web for worthwhile sites to include and review. Lucky for us they did! It is their thorough work that makes this book one you'll want to keep handy the next time you log on.

David Katzner, President, The National Parenting Center

What a clever, and important idea to write a book about e-parenting. The Petersens give us enough information and enough resources including important web-sites to find anything we want to know -- from discipline and other parenting issues for parents to stimulating and thought-provoking games and exercizes for their kids. In addition to the wealth of information given, we are helped to sift through and evaluate choice of existing web-sites so we can make responsible and informed choices of our own and help our kids learn how to choose and evaluate from the array of information available to them on the web as well.

I especially like the way the Petersens relate the child's e-world to his or own real world and how, for example e-friends, while important, must not replace school friends; e-homework help should not replace the library, a real book, or personal parent support.

In short, parenting by internet, while a tremendous addition, must not be a substitute for our personal and interpersonal worlds. The Petersens help us do that. Nice touch.

I put this book to use very quickly, saved money and saw more places. Orwoll is a skillful guide, clever and knowledgeable.

This book is the best! It answered so many of my questions that I had about traveling. This is such a great resource for traveling. It also give tons of useful websites.

The book "Sams Teach Yorself e-Travel Today" was a great way for me to search the web for travel tips. I was able to take what the author has suggested and use it to plan a great vacation. I was a novice about online travel until I read this guide book. I suggest anyone be they novice or seasoned web user to read this before they use the web for Travel tips.

This book is the most useful, well-written, easy-to-read book of its type I have ever read. And as the former editor of National Geographic Traveler magazine, I can speak here with a degree of authority. The book is chock full of useful, practical tips on how to get valuable travel planning information via the internet and save money at the same time. A first-rate writer, Mr. Orwoll takes the reader by the hand and navigates through the maze of internet travel information in a way that makes the whole business of electronic travel planning clear and accessible. Not only that, it's also just plain fun to read. This book deserves to make it to the best-seller list. --Richard Busch

The real world is getting smaller but the Internet, we all know, is growing more complex and difficult to navigate. A few years ago we were reading books the size of telephone directories which contained URLs (the addresses of web pages) for the entire Web. Lately a new breed of books has sprouted, which cover one and only one subject in great depth. The difficult part about writing (and reading) many of these books is that the author needs to be a specialist in two fields: not only his own area of expertise, but also his subject in relation to the variegated resources on the Net. Fortunately, Mark Orwoll is a skilled guide in both these realms, and his new book, e-TRAVEL, is as useful and convenient as a credit card. Sams Teach Yourself Today e-Travel: Planning Vacations, Finding Bargains, And Booking Reservations Online is divided into five parts. The first, "Getting Started in e-Travel" is a guided tour of various resources about the Internet, including a savvy section on the essential theme: "Evaluating a Web Site's Accuracy and Validity." Part II, "Planning a Vacation on the Internet", includes a nifty quiz: "What's Your e-Travel type?" Part III explains how to be your own travel agent, and how to use the Internet to find the lowest rates and fares. Part IV discusses your laptop computer, passports, visas, customs, digital photography, organizing your money, and keeping yourself safe. Lastly, you'll find a collection of practical travel-minded websites. Keep in mind, regarding everything related to the Web, that things change quickly. Recently a number of major airlines announced that they would create a super-website for travelers. I couldn't find this site mentioned in the book, but readers who are interested in news like this can keep updated at Orwoll's daily travel advice column. There's an enormous amount of essential information throughout this entertaining guide. Orwoll, the managing editor for "Travel and Leisure Magazine", has been there, done that, and shared the best of his inside tips. And it's all served up in a witty style: Orwoll is as pleasant a traveling companion as you'll encounter anywhere. Sams Teach Yourself Today e-Travel is almost certain to save us time and money, teach us how to explore the world from our computer keyboards, and improve the overall quality and enjoyment of our trips. Paperback, 302 pages,

Michael Pastore, Reviewer

Every book in the Shiloh Legacy series was wonderful. They are full of American cultural and political history and offer a deep spiritual story, weaving in meaningful characters within realistic situations. They bring the early 20th century alive!

This is the third in a series of books beginning post World War I and up to 1929 and the stock market crash. It gives a great perspective on the effects of the manipulations of the bankers and stock brokers on the average family. Typical for Thoene books, it's wonderful historical fiction and a great way to enjoy a book and learn at the same time. I was sorry when it ended.

The book was received on time and in excellent condition. The book was inspirational and well written for the time frame in history that was covered.

THE THOMES HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!! THIS BOOK IS PART OF A SERIES AND YOU WILL WANT THEM ALL!! YOU WILL LOVE THE CHARACTERS AND THE HISTORICAL RESERCH IS EXCELENT!! YOU FEEL AS YOU WERE THERE. FIND YOUR FAVORITE READING SPOT AND GET READY TO ENJOY!!!
EMILY SIMPSON

I love books by the Thoenes, but any book from this series ranks right at the top of the list. *Say to this Mountain* is real. It deals with what was reality in America in 1930. Doctors forced to imagine illnesses in employees of a factory in order to keep their jobs. Black men arrested and losing their property to [...] sherriffs. A man and his son chased by a mafia member who desired nothing more than to execute them both.

I can imagine that some people might read those things and think that it sounds too sad to read for pleasure. Please don't assume that. There is so much beauty to the people and the stories that it is enjoyable reading.

Life can be good to live even when one goes through awful things. The same is true in the books that we read. Even though we may ache for the people in the stories, we love them. We live along with them.

This book, along with the other books in the series, is excellent, because it gets you to live right along side those in the books. You don't just learn about their lives. You participate in them in a very real sense.

Although this book was short in length, it was long in content. The seldom addressed theory of systems was easy to understand. The author takes such seemingly unrelated analyses of golf and symphony orchestras to demonstrate the wholeness of systems theory. The first half of the book was jam-packed with management concepts and ideas that evolved from the theories of the late W. Edwards Deming. The second half was comprised of actual examples of these theories in successful practice. Overall, this was a marvelous learning book.

Dr. Baker's book is an excellent contribution to the Deming legacy of systems thinking. Our mental shift from mechanistic to social, interactive concepts is well served in "Scoring a Whole in One". I strongly recommend that educators as well as managers in business take this book seriously. Systems thinking is essential to re-thinking education. Dr. Baker adds substantially to this task.

Dr. Baker has given us an excellent reflection on the theoretical and practical aspects of systems thinking. Drawing us from a strictly mechanistic view of organizations, he leads us to a deeper understanding of the social, interactive organization, and the differences such thinking will have on our managerial actions. Second, this is an important book for educators. If we are to reform education, we must do so by return ing to a theoretical basis for ensuing dialog. Dr. Baker offers us an invaluable contribution in this task.

Dr. Baker has managed to create a very portable and accessible volume that gets to the heart of management theory. It is no secret that the issues associated with managing the modern enterprise have multiplied in complexity in recent times. Dr. Baker's experience in consulting and with Ford comes through in relevant examples. His examples of short sighted decisions and their impacts will feel familiar to many. The power of the book comes in the discussion of how such problems occur, the theory of how to solve them, and practical solution tools to use. This level of completeness sets this book apart. Dr. Baker's theories on management and systems are aligned with those of the late Dr. W. Edwards Deming. Dr. Baker condenses concepts which have troubled many in Dr. Deming's books into easily readable and practical format. Particularly for those intimidated by Senge's "The Fifth Discipline", Wheatley's "Leadership and the New Science" or Deming's "Out of the Crisis". Scoring a Whole in One is a great place to start.

Like much of the writing of the author's mentor, Dr. W. E. Deming, this book is deceptively simple and straightforward, but contains some basic principles of leadership that have profound implications for the management of any enterprise.

Before proceeding, I have to reveal my bias. I have to good fortune to be friend of the author. Dr. Ed Baler. He and I co-facilitated several Deming 4 day seminars and have kept in touch over the years. It is doubtful that there is much that Ed would say about the subject of Deming's teachings with which I would disagree. This book, however, clarifies and extends those teachings considerably.

A variety of metaphors are used to present the basic concept of systems thinking and the implications of these insights for managers. Of those used, I thought the illustrations using the metaphor of the symphony the most helpful. Ed continually points out that it is the coordination of the talent contained within the orchestra that produces the sound. The interactions of the players produces an effect over and above the sum of each's individual efforts.

It is this concept of interaction that I think is made particularly clear. Some people use the word interaction to mean inter-relationship, but in the sense used here (and by Deming), it means more than that. The interaction is an effect over and above the sum of the parts. This is an important distinction as this book points out clearly, because the interactions must then be considered in any attempt to manage the enterprise as a whole.

The first part of the book is given over to some clarification of the nature of systems generally. They operate over time, they are far-reaching, they are nested within other, larger, systems, and, as pointed out above, a system is more than simply a collection of parts. As someone once pointed out to me, if you divide a pile of sand (not a system) in half, you have two piles of sand. If you divide a cow in half, you are not left with two cows.

The book then draws out the implications of these principles of systems for the human enterprise that operates at the core of any organization. It is disheartening to hear some managers continue to divide organizations into `people problems' and `technical problems'. Surely we know by now that these are all people problems and the technical state of the art at any point in time is usually given.

There is, in Chapter II, a discussion of the interaction between the individual and the enterprise which is right on the money and shows clearly one of the major problems with any policy of pay raises or advances based on individual rating and ranking. Separating the contribution of the individual and the enterprise is virtually impossible. The authors description of the `Enterprise-in-the-Individual' shows clearly how the enterprise molds the activities of those who work in it, and the `Individual-in-the-Enterprise' shows the converse.

More than half the book is taken up with a fairly specific discussions of the requirements of leadership given the foregoing. There are some general points made such as the echoing of Deming's caution about managing by visible figures, and there are some very specific suggestions such as the Interactions Matrix and it's list of "do's and don'ts".

Finally there are some specific examples of enterprises that have operated to one extent or another with these some of the principles as a basis.

All in all, a book well worth reading not only for those who manage enterprises, but also for those who help them. It would be nice to see similar, companion pieces on some of the other aspects of Deming's teachings such as variation and his Theory of Knowledge.

When I read this book, I loved the ideas more than the excecution of them, in the literary sense. I guess I expected it to be more eloquent, with better excegetics, but I realized that it was not needed.

Some times as a painter, I would keep working on a painting too long, and really make it worse than better. What I was looking for was not needed, it would have muddied the colors Michael was trying to communicate to us.

Thanks for giving us your thoughts, and being willing to share those of others with us in the persuit of excellence in our gifts.

I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed with Scribbling in the Sand at first... It's not that there was anything wrong with the book, but it struck me as being longer than it needed to be for what it had to say. The book had many good things to say, but it felt like a light read, and I was hoping for something more deep and incisive.

Then, however, I ran across the chapter with letters from various artists and theologians, and it provided just what I was looking for. They were a great contrast with Michael Card's simpler writing about faith and art, rounding out the content of the book with some insightful and challenging thoughts on art as worship.

All in all, this is a good book for someone new to the topic of the intersection of art and Christian faith, and the letters especially are worth reading and re-reading.

Yes, okay, Michael's book is great and I had quite an eloquent review in mind. Then I got to the letter by Harold Best at the end of the book and forgot all about it: get this book for those pages alone. And for Calvin Seerveld's letter, and for the letter from the art guy from New York, and from the Dutch guy. Mallowcups will of course be credited to Mike's account because he had the--what? generosity? halacious acumen?--to include them.

This book should be a textbook companion in the life of every writer, poet, artist, whatever, who belongs to Jesus and wants a clear slant on the creative responsibility. I haven't read another book of its kind, and didn't know I was wistful for it. There are some books that should never be loaned out, and this has joined those few on my shelf. I'll slobber and rave over it, and will remain cheerfully selfish with my copy. I'll buy it for someone else before I loan it, because it will be taken from my shelf again and again for reference.

Having gushed, I will say I'm not sure how I feel about Mike's take on this "getting together" thing, this accountability thing with other artists. I've seen that side, have been there, and the accountability rap can get icky. Stormy solitude is a more compelling place; but I will say, I'm cautiously checking out his ideas and I'll get back to him on it.

Oh, and Mike: the appendix, which you wrote "reluctantly" on the advice of some friends, wasn't needed. You should have taken a bullet on that one. If someone didn't get it before then, how could a didactic play-by-play stick 'em in the guts? I loved it when you said "For their sake, here, reluctantly, are a few ideas." What cheering honesty.

Mallowcups for Mike, the whole package, points and all.

Why should a doctor who can't carry a tune in a bucket and can't draw a stick figure love a book about the nature of art and creativity written by a musician? But I fell in love with this book from the first chapter, for it beautifully and eloquently puts forth a vision of Christianity that everyone needs to hear and embrace. As Larry Crabb describes the book, "Every Christian needs to meditate on Michael Card's message...the result will be a thrilling release of the Spirit from depths you hadn't before realized were there.." I had the pleasure of hearing Michael discuss the themes of this book in a coffee-house: he is a humble and wise servant of Christ, and his writing reflects it.

Michael Card is well-known for his music, and as a Christian author he reaches down deep into the heart. Scribblng in the Sand will challenge artists of all types to use their gifts as worship to God. This is not a how to book. No advice on getting published or how to write better or how to paint or how to improve your talent.
The middle bogged down a bit for me, but the first few chapters and the last few were excellent. Great teaching. Great reading. He includes letters written to artists from other artists. These provide very good advice and were poignant. If you are an artist of any type, get this book and keep in your library.

Innovation is an overwrought, overused word/topic with many books written about it. You are reading this review because you are seeking thinking tools and techniques to apply to your version of Innovation, whether for an organization, community, or to be used personally. This book provides you, the reader/user, with an excellent and sensible framework to define, understand, develop, and implement processes that empower and support environments where "innovation" can happen (you still need to do the work). Dundon defines innovation as "the profitable implementation of strategic creativity." Whether your "profit" is quantified in money or good will, this book gently instructs you in the finer arts of achieving real innovative results by taking a holistic 3 innovation-dimension views on your challenges. I have purchased 20 copies of this book and given them to professional colleagues, the book is that rewarding. Innovation is not creativity, which is a very common misperception. More information can be found at www dot seedsofinnovation dot com I higly recommend this book as one of the most important books in its field ever written.

Innovate or stagnate. Or, put another way, innovate or stand helplessly and watch your competitors eat your lunch! Wise leaders stimulate, encourage, reinforce, and reward innovation. If you're not doing this in your organization, now is the time to start...and this book will show you the path.

The book is organized into three parts: The Seeds of Creative Thinking, The Seeds of Strategic Thinking, and The Seeds of Transformational Thinking. Dundon, a consultant and speaker on innovation, takes us out of the proverbial box. The process starts with an introductory chapter that delivers an introduction to innovation management. In this presentation, the author sets the stage nicely for the value of the balance of the book.

Each aspect of thinking is essential to making a difference in an organization. Dundon explains the what, the why, the how, and provides examples in a very instructive text. Each chapter addresses skills and strategies to generate creativity, a strategic approach (big picture and visionary), and practical how-to ideas to support innovation in organizational settings. Reading the chapters alone is worthwhile, but we're not done yet. Following the eleven chapters are five appendices, a recommended reading list, and an index.

The appendices provide an explanation of the nine step innovation process, a list of probing questions to energize innovative thinking, 99 innovations and 99 trends. Readers will find it valuable to go through the list of trends and consider their influence on how their organization does business...and will do business in the future. As a futurist by profession, I can vouch for this being a comprehensive and highly usable list. The additional criteria section, while not too long, offers even more thought-provoking insights to check your work, stimulate more discussion, and refine the product of your synergistic thinking.

Readers will find this book valuable as a cover-to-cover read, but then highly effective as a tool to achieve significant results.

The Seeds of Innovation: Cultivating the Synergy that Fosters New Ideas comes at a critical time in the quest for new ideas and breakthrough efficiencies by corporations, small businesses, universities and governments.

It is a tour de force of how to inspire and manage innovation. And this is the great value of Elaine Dundon's work -- she presents "how" to inspire and manage innovation based on real experience and valuable research. I highly recommend this book.

In her book, The Seeds of Innovation, Elaine Dundon shows how companies can foster and grow this innovation. Dundon founded a company called The Innovation Group Consulting, Inc. This is a consulting group that works with individuals and corporations to help them with innovation.
Dundon focuses on three major types of innovations: Efficiency Innovation, Evolutionary Innovation and Revolutionary Innovation. All new innovations within an organization can fall into these three categories. Which type of these three innovations the organization chooses is dependent on what goals the organization seeks. Efficiency Innovations deals with making a product or service faster or more efficient, such as extending service hours of a fast food chain. Evolutionary innovation deals with making an already existing service or product "distinctly new and better," such as the ATM for 24 hour banking. Revolutionary Innovation focuses on introducing a radical new change to the marketplace, such as McDonald's did with fast food. All organizations need to decide on which three of these innovations to focus on.
In The Seeds of Innovation Dundon also focuses on individual innovation as well as organizational innovation. She creates a nine-step method for improving innovation within organizations. In order to implement these steps Dundon first focuses on the ability of the individual to be creative in an organization. This creativity can come from a number of tools Dundon offers, such as mind mapping, brainstorming as well as different ways of thinking and asking questions.
I did not like a few things about the book. I felt it was overall interesting and informative, however I don't think it broke new ground on the subject. A lot of the most powerful ideas found in the book were paraphrased from others, such as Michael Ray's "voice of judgment". It's good to explain such ideas clearly because they are important in innovation, however I didn't feel Dundon brought enough of her own ideas to the table. All her ideas are very intuitive and mundane. She seems to be just saying essentially the same themes from different angles. The book could be easily boiled down to a handful of key points. Moreover, I don't think managers will learn a whole lot from the last two sections of the book. These seem to go over very basic concepts of innovation within an organization.
Anyone who has little backround in the world of buisness will find this book informative. CEO's or other people with buisness experience may find parts of the book simple, however their are a number of techniques all people can benefit from. This is a clear, simple read but i just think there are better books on the subject out there.

Dundon makes it clear that "innovation" is not the same thing as creativity. Importantly, she establishes that the work of innovation requires discipline with an explicit focus on results. Indeed, her book should be required reading by anyone who is serious about personal and organizational performance. In a very practical and readable way, The Seeds of Innovation provides essential guidance for dealing with change while adding value on a sustainable basis. It's about time that someone demonstrated how real innovation can and does work! Now it's time to plant, cultivate, and harvest the "seeds of innovation" by reading and practicing the essential wisdom in Elaine Dundon's book!