Resources Books

The Pastoral Companion

Plain but useful, like a pair of sensible shoes

There's nothing sexy or exciting about "The Pastoral Companion." It's everything that most Roman Catholic parish workers -- from pastors to pastoral assistants -- might need to answers typical questions involving Canon Law. As might be expected, law involving the sacraments is treated most heavily. But other parish concerns -- the ecumenism, sacramentals, the liturgy of the hours and the role of parish administrators -- are given their share of space.

The book is written in sturdy, accessible prose that refers to the canons by number, but without necessarily quoting them. The book also quotes from other helpful Church documents -- the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), documents of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the Book of Blessings and many others.

A handy guide for those who aren't canonists and whose ministry is on the parish level, "The Pastoral Companion" was assigned as a main reference in a Canon Law class for lay people that I took at a mainstream Catholic seminary in the Northeast.

Intellectually, Fr. Huels is among the leading and most gifted canon lawyers currently living in North America. In this book, Fr Huels applies his canonical genius to the pastoral application of canon law. This book is not so much for the canonist, but for the non-canonist engaged in pastoral ministry. It teaches the basics of canon law, provides a handy glossary of canonical terms, and tells you when you are facing a canonical situation over your head and need to phone a canonist.

In particular, the non-Canonist will find Fr. Huels' treatment of marriage law handy. It outlines in what situations a dispensation is necessary, as well as in what circumstances a proposed marriage is invalid. It also provides a handy canonical reference to other common questions that arise around the celebration of the sacraments -- such as who can be a sponsor for baptism and confirmation.

I highly recommend this book to non-canonists engaged in pastoral ministry who are seeking a handy reference concerning how canon law applies in common pastoral situations.

This is a very fine book, indeed. Spiritual leaders and priests are obligated to know the answers and explain them well. However, aren't priests and spiritual leaders obligated to not just know and explain the answers, but to live them, model them? May I suggest that the true spiritual leaders do not wear Roman collars. Lay people, who are striving to live the life the Church prescribes are the true spiritual models and leaders. They, not just the clergy, would greatly benefit from this book. We, the laity, are not shy or afraid to ask questions and educate ourselves. Buy this book! It is well worth every penny to all practicing Catholics.

This indeed is a tool for the pastors and all incharge in leadership in our churches. Rev. Huels breaks down the doctrine and liturgy, sacraments and explains them abviously from the Canon Law perspective. We live in a times when people are not shy or afraid to ask questions. As priests and spiritual leaders we are obligated to know the answers and explain them well. To have this book on the top of your desk is very handy and helpfull.

This is actually the third edition of this excellent book. It is now available directly from the publisher.

This was a wonderful read. For anyone in management (particularly human resources) this book is easy/quick to read and provides some very interesting information and practical information. I highly recommend it.

This book was refered to me by a professor at my college. I think this is the most accurate book i have ever read. It is a must read for all managers and supervisors. Job well done.

Here is a practical guide for managers that provides key insights and action steps for managers to diagnose, evaluate and effectively guide people to success in their jobs. It is easy to read and even easier to implement these best practices for setting goals, empowering people, enhancing and achieving personal and team performace, and dealing with the borderline or ineffective performers. As a management consultant and coach, I highly recommend this book to managers at all levels in the organization.

The Performance Advantage Method provides an effective guide for leaders in coaching and developing team members to greater performance and personal success. The Method is easy to understand and apply with specific leadership actions recommended for each performance challenge diagnosis. This book is a great leadership guidebook for supervisors and executives alike.

This is a "must read" for managers at all levels. It truly provides the best method for diagnosis of employee performance issues and powerful tools for appropriate corrective action.The stories drive home the key points and make it an enjoyable book to read.

Very well-written book. It could use more historical information about the topic addressed. For example, the early Pledge of Allegiance was the origin of the stiff-arm salute. The Pledge was written (1892) by Francis Bellamy, cousin to an infamous author of the time, Edward Bellamy, and they were both self-proclaimed socialists in the Nationalism movement and promoted military socialism. They wanted government to take over all schools and impose robotic chanting to flags. The Pledge was the origin of the salute of the National Socialist German Workers Party. American socialists (Edward Bellamy teamed with the Theosophical Society) also bear some blame for German socialism's notorious flag symbol, which evolved into overlapping S-letters for socialism under the National Socialist German Workers Party. The Pledge's early salute was not an ancient Roman salute, and the 'ancient Roman salute' myth came from the Pledge Of Allegiance. It is amazing that books don't examine the issue of whether the pledge should be dropped entirely, especially for young children in government schools. The socialist dogma led to the socialist Wholecost: 60 million dead under the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; 50 million under the Peoples' Republic of China; 20 million under the National Socialist German Workers Party. It might be the most tragic part of world history.

This picture book has very colorful photos of our country and our fellow citizens. The pages are spread by the breaks in text that we know from reciting the pledge orally at school. Children are from different races. Scenes from all over America and even an astronaut on the moon holding the American flag are depicted.

In the back there are small photos that were depicted in the book with explanations about where they are and other factual information to explain the contents of the photographs. The entire pledge is rewritten in the back pages and an explanation of who wrote it, why, and when. The meaning of why we recite the pledge is given. Facts about the American flag's changes over the years and facts about the proper way to display a flag, and on what days, are included.

A beautiful book with great information that every child should be exposed to.

This bright and colorful book is a great way to introduce your young American reader to the Pledge of Allegiance. The clauses of the Pledge are presented one to each two pages - printed large and accompanied by several large and highly entertaining pictures that accompany the thought behind the words. Great!

After the Pledge, there are pages explaining it line-by-line, and then some great information on the American flag. This is a very nice book, one that you will be proud to share with your young reader. My family highly recommends it to yours!

My students are immigrants or children of immigrants learning English. They have to say the pledge every day but may get the words wrong and certainly don't comprehend it. This book takes out some of the guess work and helps them understand what is going on and what people are saying. It brings them comfort and relief.

This book is beautifully illustrated with photographs that are sure to spark discussion. The text (the Pledge of Allegiance) is broken into meaningful phrases that make the reader reflect on the words that we sometimes rush through or take for granted. I highly recommend purchasing the big book version for lower grade classroom use. A gem!

The process of bringing new talent into an organization is essential and vital for an organizations success. Too often we think we're asking the right questions when hiring employees. We dig deep during the interview process to learn what the person has done in the past, and whey they are right for this position. We use our best judgment to sort through the contrast between our perceptions and reality - hoping to find the truth - and most of all hoping to unearth the best candidates to fill positions.

Yet this seemingly simple task of asking questions and listening to the answer is actually riddled with more challenges than meets the eye. Peter Gray and John Carroll, in this easy to read and use book, get at the heart of what it's all about.

Our "dictionaries for performance" are often limited and therefore what we go after during our assessment process is often limited to what we know from our own experience. The Pocket Idiots Guide to Performance Appraisal Phrases is a great book to expand "our dictionary on performance" and there for give us a whole new palette for seeing potential candidates and employees in a new and fresh way. This tool applies to all phases of the employment process. I highly recommend it!

I have managed people in the military and business world for over 10 years, couseling over 100 people, numerous times. Yet this book contains smart advice and techniques that I have not used in the past that I will definitely reference for my next round of evals. Additionally, the compact size makes it an easy reference to tote around so you can pick phrases /page numbers for employees while at lunch, on the train or on the go. This book will definitely save me time.

Review time comes with mixed emotions, you want to be able to give your employees feedback, but you don't want to take them away from the things they are receving feedback. This book gives you many of the tools to help make performance reviews quick and easy. I was amazed by how many of the thoughts I had were already written out for me in this handbook. A must have for those looking to make reviews easier.

Peter Gray and John H. Carroll's "Pocket Idiot's Guide to Performance Appraisal Phrases" is much more than you might expect from the title. It isn't just a listing of phrases, although it certainly includes quite a few of those. It includes information on understanding what the root of a performance problem is. For instance, if an employee is failing at a task because you didn't give him enough information to figure out exactly what you wanted, or enough resources to achieve the task, then berating him for failing isn't going to result in much improvement. The book provides a very balanced look at figuring out where a breakdown in communications might lie, or how to make the best use of a given employee.

The authors also include plenty of information on planning and holding your meeting--from scheduling it to planning the length to setting it up in order to achieve the effect you want. Included is some particularly helpful information on figuring out the major communication styles of your employees, and using this information to decide how best to tell them what you want them to know.

Even the phrases themselves are more than just empty lists. They're listed alphabetically by trait (things like Communication--Oral, Giving and Receiving Feedback, Problem-Solving, etc.), with a list of both positive and negative phrases accompanying each, as well as a description of the relevant skill. A wide variety of phrases are included so that they can apply to an equally wide variety of personality types, situations, and jobs. For instance, there are phrases to apply to everything from assembly-line factory jobs to management positions. Skills addressed include "soft" skills such as relationship-building, as well as sensitive issues such as personal hygiene.

There are just a couple of minor inconsistencies and typos, but nothing more than momentary confusion. Overall this is a very useful book.

Sometimes it is really hard to come up with the right phrase, especially when giving negative feedback. This book offered some great advice and sample phrases which worked for me. While doing performance appraisals is never a pleasure, I got through mine this year much faster than I have in past years.

Utterly absorbing!! Someone actually DISCARDED this book!! I was the lucky person who found it on the discards pile.

Written from the point of view of a "You Were There" journalist, the author keeps the subject matter and the tone of writing IN the 18th century and draws the reader in.

I was utterly amazed at the way the in-fighting, bickering, arguing and rhetoric that tended to demolish all efforts to reach a reasonable meeting of the minds in constructing the Constitution finally came together to (almost) everyone's satisfaction.Jeffrey St John's style of writing is de-personalized in the BEST sense-- the actions come through loud and clear as though the reader was actually watching a live broadcast of events.

The book kept me on the edge of my seat in some places.

WELL DONE!!!!

The 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution resulted in a series of columns by J St. John. These 1787 meetings were secret, no official records were kept. But the notes of James Madison and others survived to reconstruct daily events. The original intent of this meeting was to revise the Articles of Confederation (Appendix 1), but a new Constitution resulted (Appendix 2). There is no index.

Many of the basics were the subject of debate and controversy. Some called the result a "miracle" (p.x), but it shows the power of a committee whose members work to the same ends. This book attempts to portray the meetings as an evolving news story, as it was happening. Most Americans do not understand the Constitution, because it is poorly taught in schools from unclear text books (p.xiv). Deliberate obfuscation? These 230 pages are a remedy. This book will give a short introduction into the daily operations of this historically important event.

The Constitution has endured for over 200 years because it is a framework (p.131), not a detailed plan that can't be adapted to changing situations. The Constitution has endured as long as it is in the interest of "We the People" to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity. The hidden agenda of the convention was to create a strong national government that had veto power over all state laws (5-20-1787). The most important reason was the question of domestic and foreign commerce. Rivalries between the bankers and merchants of the North against the planters of the South prevented Congress from regulating trade (5-23-1787). Both forces would unite against farmers and the common people, and the danger of too much democracy (5-29-1787). The Convention wanted to avoid the failures of the Articles of Confederation. The Confederacy owed [money amount]in debt and needed to find a way to pay off their debts (p.139).

The unlimited powers of the Royal Governors made the delegates fearful of a single executive. The consequences of consolidating power was fatal to ancient republics (6-2-1787). Experience rather than abstract arguments shaped the Convention (6-4-1787). Neither the executive nor the legislature should have absolute power. The big problem was to create a national government that would provide balance between the large and the small states. States would be equally represented in the Senate, the lower House would be directly elected by the people, based on proportion to population. This was the key to creating a new national government (p.110). The Southern states were more numerous and wealthy than the Northern states; their method of computing political representatives won (7-12-1787). The Convention unanimously rejected "wealth" as the basis for representation; they should not fear the growth of population (7-13-1787). The new government would be a compound of national and federal government (7-17-1787). A Supreme Court was established, with lower courts (7-18-1787). A single powerful executive would be elected by the people to control the legislature (7-19-1787). The importance of impeachment was discussed and adopted (7-20-1787). The executive was given a veto (7-21-1787). The Constitution would be ratified by the people, not State Legislatures (7-23-1787). The office of President did not exist under the Confederation (p.133).

Each year in September is a little known holiday known as Constitution Day - timed to be around the close of the Constitutional Convention in September 1787, this day is honoured at the college where I teach by speakers in a special forum, and the gift of pocket versions of the Constitution for all interested students.

However, the Constitution is heavily in the news, more than we often realise. When the election of 2000 was contested, the Constitution became primarily important; it is always in the background of Presidential elections, but this time it came to the forefront. In the current situation between Chief Justices (a relatively rare occurrence in American history), once again the Constitution is big news. We the people are interested, and we the people should be interested. However, we the people often have little concept of how this formative and foundational document came into being. Jeffrey St. John provides an answer to this situation, in very engaging and accessible style.

This is a journal, a day-by-day account, done in a sort of combination of journalistic and court-reporting styles. Of course, we have no direct journal of this sort, as the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention were strictly secret (not the kind of thing that would play out well in our media-saturated world - CSPAN and CNN among others would certainly expect to be there!). Indeed, those who went to the Constitutional Convention in May 1787 were charged with a reformation of the Articles of Confederation, not the drafting of a new Constitution. History had a surprise in store.

This is not the only area of interest. St. John's documentation shows the different influences into the formation of the Constitution - while it is common to look to classical times and contemporary European governments for influences and inspiration, in fact the most memorable words of the Constitution come from the constitution of the Iroquois League, drawn up in 1520, which began with the words 'We the people, in order to form a union...'.

The various federal structures, the separation of state and federal powers and responsibilities, the debates over how representation is carried out (and who gets represented; the issue of slavery was contentious from the start, and one can clearly see the seeds of the Civil War being planted even at the Constitutional Convention) - these are all portrayed with clarity and candour.

The Constitution was not a document that was intended to be from the outset, nor was it passed unanimously (indeed, not all states were represented at all times of the Convention, not all delegates appointed attended, and one state never participated at all). Some of the founding fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, made references to divine intervention being key in the process; Franklin at the end made the warning about the government being a Republic, 'if you can keep it' - no doubt recalling the fall of other great republics in the history of the world.

This is a fun and exciting book to read, a real page turner. It was published in 1987 as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the Constitution; former Chief Justice Warren Burger provides a foreword for this text.

This is a great and inspiring story, one that should be of concern to Americans of all types and walks of life. We are all 'we the people'.

I'm a nerd. 95% of my books are computer-related. This book will gave me an appreciation of what an extraordinary event the convention was. Several times it shows how it could have so easily fallen apart or gone off in a different direction (and Lord knows what kind of land this would be if it had). This book and another great book called 'Voices of 1776' will give you an awesome sense of how lucky we are to be what we are today. I cannot recommend this book more highly. (BTW, did you know that the only two signers of the Declaration of Independence who went on to become presidents, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, died within two hours of each other on July 4, 1826 - 50 years to the day the Declaration was signed?)

Fantastic series! Read all three.

I've enjoyed this book so much. It has helped me to determine which rascals are at work in my spending habits and which ones need a little more attention.

It's an easy to understand explanation of how to help yourself change old patterns.

Kudos to Susan Zimmerman, the Fiscal Therapist!!

I love this book!! Susan helps you understand an emotionally difficult subject in a light hearted, non-threatening way. Not only has this book helped me in my personal quest to better understand the connection between the behavioral and the pshychological components of money, but I also use the information in my money managment classes. It is straight forward and easy to grasp. A great read!

For many, her humor will take the edge off of our "money hassles in relationships".Yet this book is not fluff. Susan has done her homework around our money behaviors. She understands the financial issues and she has tied them to our personalities. Any couple having a tough time dealing with each other when it comes to money should read this book.

I just have to rave about Susan's book, The Power in Your Money Personality. I am a professional financial planner with a CPA and a law background. Not once in may career have I come across such a powerful message. Susan's book opened my eyes to many of the misconceptions that my clients and I myself hold with respect to money and personal finances. Her words and humor have disolved years of anxiety that I have been carrying around. Thank you, Susan!

Since I live Minnesota, I had the pleasure of hearing Susan speak at a conference. As I sat in the chair, I was taken aback at how she seemed to know my spending habits without knowing me. I bought the book and now all the corners are turned and words are underlined. I have an urge to splurge...period. The book looks at how we look at money and use it, or abuse it, in our every days lives. I recommend this for anyone who would like to take an honest look at where their paycheck goes each month. I'm back on Amazon today to order a copy for a friend of mine who is getting married. Solid information presented in a light-hearted way. No matter what your personality, you'll find yourself in the pages of this book. It's awesome.

One of the reasons Ms Gupta's first book was so good was the simplicity with which she presented the whole system of needs assessment. Dr's Sleezer and Russ-Eft in this second edition have added considerably to the information and maintained the simplicity and systems approach. Things that work well for me are:
* Systems diagrams
* Applications orientation--lots of how-to's for each step of the way
* Clear pros and cons for each approach
* Check-lists, models and examples
* CD which includes forms and formats and web links

As a trainer of instructional design, this book is one I recommend for my classes and for anyone who does needs assessment.
A Practical Guide to Needs Assessment (Essential Knowledge Resource)

I rely on this resource a lot to get started on organizational needs assessment. No information about cost/benefit analysis, etc. but lots of other great information!

Having attended a book review with Dr.'s Sleezer and Russ-Eft in Indianapolis recently, I was intrigued with the book and thought I would give it a go.

This work is very well-organized! My favorite part is that the authors make it easy to use the book as a reference to the Needs Assessment process by providing an index of what you're looking for and where to find it. Additionally, a CD is provided with a host of needs assessment tools that, so far, appear very useful!

Kavita Gupta wrote a book that is a must-have for anyone desiring an overview of the multiple ways needs assessment can occur. Gupta begins by setting the context of needs assessment, attending first to what needs assessment is and where it fits into the training or performance improvement scheme. By overviewing the works of Gilbert, Kaufman, Rossett, and others, the author creates a very usable comparison. Persons trying to decide what type of needs assessments are best for their situation can quickly narrow their focuses. (Not all needs analyses are built alike, after all, and they start from somewhat different places.) A review of data gathering fundamentals is concise (just over 20 pages) but helpful.

In "Part II, Getting Down to Brass Tacks" Gupta examines and provides very helpful models for conducting four types of needs analyses: Strategic Needs Assessment, Competency-Based Assessment, Job and Task Analysis, and Training Needs Assessment.

The Toolkit in Part III is invaluable--samples of 21 different forms. By itself, this section makes the book worth every penny. The diskette provided, though, provides each of these forms in MSWord--ready to be opened, customized, and used in real applications.

There is great value in this book--enough description of the models that one can begin using them, references to dig deeper into the models if desired, and charts, tables, and job aids that allow anyone to get started quickly on effective needs analysis.

I am a technical trainer of 10 years, and manage a group of four.

This is a great book for anyone looking for best practice approaches to a variety of needs assessment situations. Gupta's chapters are organized by the common type(s) of needs assessments, and each chapter breaks down the component steps that need to be taken to complete the assessment.

I think one of the real gems of the book is that she provides lots of examples of needs assessment interview questions, surveys, training plans, etc. on a floppy disk attached to the back of the book, which you can save to computer and work from to build your own stuff. It saved me some design time, and gave my assessment a "kick start" in the right direction.

The Prayer Saturated Church: A Comprehensive Handbook for Prayer Leaders This is an outstanding book on organizing the church to pray. The author thought of everything. I have finally come to see the "How to's" of an effectual frevent prayer life that yields awesome results for myself as well as the corporate body of Christ.

Adeline Braun
Christian Worship Center
Manteca, CA

I praise GOD for giving Cheryl Sacks the knowledge to do a book like this. Prayer is so important in our daily lifes and in our church. We have just started the book and are enjoying what GOD is teaching us through the book.

The Prayer Saturated Church is Divinely outfitted with inspiring and faith building insights regarding many aspects of prayer for today both individually and for the church. The clarity and simplicity by which the author, Cheryl Sacks, thoroughly covers such a broad spectrum of prayer with depth and practicality evidences the fruit of pray in her life and that of the Church experiences of today.

Effective prayer is our mandate in these pivotal days. The Prayer Saturated Church accompanied by a CD inventory of helpful prayer tools and guides is an answer to pray for the equipping of the Church. This book and associated materials is an essential arsenal for the beginning and committed prayer warrior in the pursuit of personal development or corporate development as an instructional resource for praying groups, Church Sunday schools, prayer networks and Christian academic institutions.

Cheryl Sacks is the co-founder of the Church Prayer Leaders Network. In her book Cheryl has provided us with a template to centralize and expand prayer ministries in the church. A church of any size, any denomination, with any level of resources could benefit from implementing Cheryl's suggestions.

I became our church's prayer coordinator just a few months ago. Using The Prayer Saturated Church as a map, we have already strengthened our vibrant ministry, encouraged our pastors, improved communication, engaged more members in prayer and have begun to teach everyone how to pray more effectively.

The CD is very helpful for organizing the ministry and saves time by providing useful handouts. What a blessing!!

This is, without question, the best book I've ever read on how to evolve a church prayer ministry into a true "House of Prayer." The book is easy to read, with a helpful CD included, and every page and chapter is pertinent in some way, so that you can pick and choose whatever is the best mix for your church prayer initiatives as time and resources become available.

Harry Ness, Director of Prayer Ministries
Springs Community Church, Colorado Springs, CO

The information in this book is so concise. The first two chapters are good for measure and integration theory.

This book deal with the whole picture of probability. One learns the very first roots of rigurous probability. And when I say rigurous I am not regarding it as "engineers rigour = nothing" but as "mathematicians rigour". The book is self-contained, the exposition is clear and is organized in the mathematic classical fashion: definition, lema, proof, theorem, proof.

That rigour, when it comes to probability beyond "number of successful cases / total number of cases", can only be achieved when the theory is developed in the most general background: measure theory. This gives general tools (theorems) which are applied to measures in general, a particular case of which is probability. Measure theory and general abstract Lebesgue integration go together, so the book defines and deepens in Lebesgue theory: integration, convergence theorems, Fubini's theorem, etc.

Once you feel confident and capable of deal with almost anything regarding Lebesgue integration the books moves on relations between integrals and measures: the Radon-Nikodym theorem which is perhaps one of the most important results of the book and whose proof is outstanding. It provides the reader with the tools to tackle Lebesgue almost everywhere differentiation theorem and absolutely continuous measures and functions.
Finally, before starting with probability as special case, there is a functional analysis chapter which gives proof of the three most important theorems of functional analisys in Hilbert and Banach spaces.

From chapter 4 on, everything about probability is covered. From basic distributions to martingales, ergodicity or central limit theoroem. But instead of making up ad-hoc theorems, theorems proved for measures in first chapters renders the proofs in this stage simply colloralies.

Once you read the book you will feel confident about anything touching probability, measure theory and Lebesgue integration and equipped with the most fundamental tools of functional analysis which are used widespread.

I couldn't recommend the book more.

The book very nicely develops the basics of measure theory from a probability perspective (e.g. includes Caratheodory extension theorem, Lebesgue-Stieltjes measures, weak convergence and Kolmogorov extension theorem). It then gives a brief introduction to functional analysis and proceeds to probability theory, martingales and concludes with brownian motion and stochastic integration.

All standard results are given and the book is self-contained. It is a concise, yet readable introduction to this area (less concise then Rudin, Williams but more than Billingsly). An excellent feature of this book is that full solutions to some of the exercises are provided at the end. This makes this book ideal for self-study. The only prerequisite for this book is elementary real analysis (say chapters 1-7 of Rudin's principles of mathematical analysis).

There are other excellent books on measure theory (Rudin, Royden), but if you are interested in measure theory from a probabilistic view this is the book to choose.
As far as a probability textbook, it is clearer and more readable than Billingsly, Chung, Williams and Durrett.

I first used this text in the earlier version, which comprises the first half of the book, in a one-year course in Hilbert Spaces and Lebesgue Measure theory when in the first year of grad school. The material is presented in a clearly written manner and the exposition is some of the clearest mathematical writing I've seen in a subject which is replete with textbooks.

Anyone who wants to be inaugurated into the "mysteries" of measure theory and the fine points of the rigorous theory of stochastic processes and the Ito integral, will do himself or herself a favor by using this text. If it is not assigned to your class and you have the extra cash, order it anyway. It is also well-suited for self-study.

This was my textbook for a course in Probability Theory that I did in my third year at college. I had course work in Probability, but this course took a measure theoretic approach to probability. This book does the same. I found that the book is written for an audience that already understands some measure theory. That notwithstaning, I still think the book is an excellent introduction to Probability through measure, and is one of the most comprehensive books on the topic. Almost everything one might want to talk about in the subject are dealth with thoroughly. For first timers, the book is a little difficult to follow, but a little perseverance should pay off. This book is something every grad student of mathematics should have on his bookshelf. This also happens to be one of those rare math books that have a selection of the exercises solved at the end. Cant ask for more, can you?

I also recommend K L Chung's book on advanced probability. Sometimes when I was stuck with Ash, I referred to Chung.

This book describes the way to assess a project management improvement initiative following the concept of the balanced scorecard. It uses a change stage approach that leads to a real ROI: from reaction/satisfaction (acceptance), learning, application/implementation, business impact and quantified ROI. It also provides advice on how to measure each of these stages. I have found the project follow-up questionnaire especially insightful.
At first, I found this book a bit confusing about whether it was trying to assess projects themselves or the project management initiative, but after a second look at it, I see it as is really useful if you need to show the benefits of implementing/developing project management in your organization.

Having read and then reviewed three books co-authored by Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton (The Balanced Scorecard, The Strategy-Focused Organization, and Strategy Maps) as well as Paul R. Niven's Balanced Scorecard Step-by-Step, all of which I highly regard, I was especially interested in reading this book which the authors explain how to measure the success of project management solutions.

In the Preface, they assert that, currently, "there is no book that offers a comprehensive, practical presentation on a project management scorecard, using a process that meets the demands of [project managers, clients and senior managers who must approve project budgets, and evaluation researchers who develop, explore, and analyze new processes and techniques]. Most models and representations of the scorecard process ignore, or provide very little insight into, the two key elements essential to developing the scorecard: isolating the effects of project management solutions and converting data to monetary values." Others (notably Kaplan, Norton, and Niven) are far better qualified than I am to verify or dispute that claim. Of greater interest to me is how well organized and written this book is, and, how helpful I believe it will be, at least to project managers as well as to those who must approve project budgets. My Five Star rating speaks for itself.

Phillips, Bothell, and Snead present their material within four Parts: Setting the Stage (e.g. "Project Management Issues and Challenges), The Seven Measures (e.g. "How to Capture Business Impact Data"), Key Issues with the Measures (e.g. "How to Convert Business Measures to Monetary Values"), and Challenges (e.g. "Overcoming Resistance and Barriers to the Project Management Scorecard"). They conclude with an Appendix in which they suggest how to establish an effective project management culture. In it, they identify 16 "Best Practices" and include a brief case study example for each.

What I especially appreciate about this volume is the fact that the authors devote the bulk of their attention to explaining how to implement effectively the various concepts, strategies, and tactics they present. They are also to be commended for concluding each of the 16 chapters with a "Final Thoughts" section. This facilitates a convenient review when a reader wishes to review key points. In fact, I strongly recommend to project managers that they complete such a review at least every 90 days but, preferably, every 30 days throughout their project's duration.

As the authors correctly point out, "One of the greatest challenges is deciding which costs should be included in the project solution cost calculation. For some projects, certain costs are hidden and never included in the cost calculation. Our preference is a conservative one: Account for all costs, both direct and indirect."

There are several major cost categories:

Initial analysis and assessment
Development of solutions
Acquisition of solutions
Implementation and application
Maintenance and monitoring
Administrative support and overhead
Evaluation and reporting

For most projects, the authors recommend this sequence by which to convert data to monetary values:

1. First, define a unit of measure
2. Determine the monetary value of each unit
3. Calculate the change in performance data
4. Determine the annual rate (and amount) of change
5. Calculate the annual value of the improvement

"Costs are important and should be fully loaded in the ROI calculation. From a practical standpoint, some costs may be optional based on an organization's guidelines and philosophy. However, because of the scrutiny involved in the ROI calculations, it is recommended that all costs be included, even if this goes beyond the requirements of the policy."

In this volume, Phillips, Bothell, and Snead offer a wealth of information and counsel which can help achieve the ultimate success of almost any project in almost any organization. That success can then inform and guide efforts to create throughout the same organization a "project management culture."

I love this book! Why?
1. It is written in easy to read style, simple and direct; anyone with minimal PM expertise, culture will understand it
2. It is covering a wide range of tools and possibilities
3. Anyone can start design, or adjust her/his own tools immediately
4. A great refference for future, to come and review it from time to time
5. It is obvious the author has experience in practicing what he is preaching

Begginer PM practitioner will find a lot of good points, easy to catch and study for future.
Experienced PM experts will have an useful guide to improve or design their own PM tools and ideas to adjust their appeoaches and processes. Highly recommended!

This book is ROI-focused and integrates the people and process elements of project management with a balanced scorecard approach. One of the authors, Jack J. Phillips, has extensive experience and a large published body of knowledge in the domains of HR, ROI and scorecard development. This book has his touch, and covers the essentials of a mature project organization, what to measure and how to measure it.

The approach is as follows:
1. Measure:
* reaction and satisfaction
* skill and knowledge churn during the project
* implementation and progress metrics throughout the project
2. From the metrics capture:
* business impact data
* ROI
3. Identify both tangible and intangible benefits and apply them to an aggregate 'true cost'.

The book also shows how to translate business metrics to dollar values, build a business case, and communicate status, based on the scorecard, to clients and stakeholders. This is essential for anyone who is setting up or managing a program management office or who wants to improve internal project managment processes. It also provides one of the best methods for communicating status to clients and upper management.

This book has a mundane title but could be titled "Everything you ever wanted to know about project success and then some". The Project Management Scorecard focuses on how to evaluate and measure the success of project management solutions. Given that failed projects are far more common than successful projects, executives are investing more time and money in developing project managers. This book recognizes the challenges in measuring the return on project management investment and provides clarity and techniques on how to overcome this obstacle.

The book is very thorough in its examination of the problems, process, and solutions to measuring project management success. First the authors break down the problem into its component parts, then they take a look at the project management process steps, and finally they present multiple approaches on how to create an effective scorecard and to use it to achieve desired results. The book includes not only straight-forward steps to follow, but also questionnaires and forms that can be easily used. Success stories and case studies are also included to illustrate major points.

Some of the topics include the following:
o Project management issues and challenges
o Changing corporate cultures
o Measuring reaction and satisfaction
o How to calculate and interpret and ROI
o Capturing business impact data
o Measuring skill and knowledge changes during the project
o Monitoring the true costs of the project
o Converting business measure to monetary values
o Forecasting ROI

This book provides a straight-forward approach to setting up and measuring project success. The authors have taken an onerous topic and provided clarity through simple techniques that can be easily adopted. If implemented, the solutions presented should siginificantly contribute to overall organizational success.