Organizations Books

Truly one of the most inspirational books I have read in awhile.

The beginning of this book is a little slow, focusing on Greg Mortenson's climbing expeditions that eventually leads him to find the people of Korphe, and promising them a school. After coming back to the states and scrounging up funds from philanthropists, Mortenson goes back and builds many schools in various regions through Pakistan/Afghanistan/Waziristan. And the story of his determination and the struggles he goes through are extremely inspirational. There is no other words for it other than that. It is no wonder this book has been sitting at the top of the best sellers list for awhile. You will walk away feeling like any struggles you encounter can be overcome, the same way Dr. Greg overcame his.

Great book, highly recommended to anybody looking for something well-written and uplifiting.

After reading this book, I purchased 10 more and passed them to friends upon the condition that they pass it on as well. When considering bringing destruction in another country, it would be important to be able to look the citizens of that nation in the eye. This book may be the closest any of us come to doing that in Afghanistan. It is about compassion, respect for differences, autonomy, and ultimately a passion for learning innate in all children. It is a fascinating and necessary read. Mortensen's drive is contagious.

Sadly, I recommended this title for our book club to read. I went off all the rave reviews and thought it would be great. I really wanted to love it. But ended up closer to hating it. Here's a few thoughts on why I don't like this book or the story that's boringly told in it:

- Greg Mortenson is made out to be some kind of hero in this book. In my opinion he is not at all. The only "hero" here if there is one would be Jean Hoerni, who donated over a million dollars to build all the schools. Greg is a man who loved climbing, the mountains, and traveling. He didn't like to settle down and commit to anything, so going back to Pakistan over and over fueled those passions.

- Reading this book I feel like Greg hates America. I don't understand why he kept coming back to sleep in the hallway floor and struggle so much. Why didn't he stay living in Pakistan, where he seemed to like it so much better?

- He cared/cares more about those people in Pakistan than he does his own family. He spends months on end with those children, all the while abandoning his own. He leaves his wife and kids alone to make other people's lives "better" while not giving of himself to his family, that really matter. They ask nothing in return, while the Pakistani's prove greedy in asking for more, more, more. How good of a father and husband is he to his family considering he's gone for months on end and to top it off half the time doesn't haven the decency to even call to keep in touch.

- Throughout the book he badmouths rich people, yet his very existence of what he is doing relies upon them. He is literally biting the hand that feeds him.

- He was SO irresponsible with the money! Case in point: Hoerni left a million dollars for the foundation. Each school costs $12,000 to build. At one point in the book he had built 22 schools and they said he was financially struggling and down to $100k! The numbers don't add up. What was he doing with all the money? Case in point number two: Jean Hoerni's wife left the foundation board because she felt he was so irresponsible. That said A LOT because it was her husband's money. She saw what I see and what so many other people who give this book five star reviews don't see! He wanted to be on "Greg time" and not account for his time. That's because he was probably off spending foundation money on traveling! He was irresponsible.

- Another waste of money is one point when one of his library assistants hops a plane to drive with him to a destination in Pakistan. Huh? How much was that? I can't see that was needed. Someone wanted to take a trip!

- It took three years to build the first school (and almost that long to read the first half of the book it's so drawn out and boring). Three years? Give me a break! I'm not buying it. There's no way it takes three years to build a five-room school house - even in Pakistan!

- His belief that you build schools to end terrorism is faulty. Unless you can control what is being taught behind those walls it does not tackle the problem. Hate and terrorism could be taught in there, just because they have a building doesn't mean they are teaching love and respect. Plus, it's bribery if you ask me. Back in grade school do you remember the big kid that would want your desert to not pick on you or be your friend? Same concept. You don't buy off bullies so they like you - whether it's with cookies or by building schools.

- He built more than schools, he build women's sewing centers (calling them vocational centers), places for men, etc. The Pakistani's took advantage of the kindness of building one school and then pestered for everything else. Greed!

- People do not need a school house to learn. This book makes it seem as though you put up a building and all problems are solved. Not true. You don't need a building to learn. You could meet indoors/outdoors each day somewhere, even alternating the place each day and still get a good education. The school does not make for an education. What teaches people are having people willing to provide an education and students willing to learn, the building is a secondary item that does not make or break an education.

- I got sick of the "especially for girls" part. Whenever they talk about building schools they like to say they build them for children, "especially for girls." Nonsense. He says that to play on people's heart strings and get them to open their wallets. It's gender bias as well. The schools were for all children. Don't play into the sales pitch designed to get wallets open faster by saying "especially for girls."

- Which brings me to my next point. He respects girls/women so much that on page 290 he makes a "run of the mill" Republican comment about Ms. Bono and how her looks have helped her along. What was that? Totally uncalled for and degrading.

- Is there nothing we could do in America to make it a better place? Why is it that when people want to help they always want to help other countries and not America? Just a thought...

- Guess what was at the end of the book? You got it - a plea for money! Of course, Greg needs to keep taking trips over to Pakistan. He probably plans to re-build their entire country and at our expense, the country he seems to not care for. Needless to say, he won't be getting a check from me. My only regret is having purchased the book, which will give him money.

So for all those reasons I get this book a big thumbs down. I really wanted to like it, but wound up not liking it at all. I think people have a follow the herd mentality giving it five star feedback. I can't see why so many people have rated it so highly. They probably haven't even read it or thought about it.

This book changed so many of my views on the middle east.

Greg Morrenson should win the Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

I just finished this beautiful book. I found this book to be inspiring and touching. Sometimes there is a feeling that just one person can't make a difference, that all the world's problems are just too great but Greg Mortensen challenges that idea. With just a small idea that grew into a huge project that has helped so many, Greg has inspired so many. I love also that he doesn't just show all the positive aspects of his projects but shares realistic accounts of his failures and achievements. He is not someone whom he thought could be doing this but the path just kept unfolding in front of him. Also, the photographs in the book really bring humanity to the story. I found myself choked up while reading this book sometimes. I wonder if sometime we may hear this man's name again when it comes time to award the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope so because I know he will use the prize money well.

I thought this book would explain all the Spiritual Symbols of Revelation mystically in the mass. I thought by not being Catholic I had missed some huge chunk of Spiritual understanding and that's why the Revelation of Jesus Christ was still pretty crytpic to me.

So I took a chance on buying this book and actually read it even.

There's one good point that was wonderful about the "It is Finished" and what that means.

But as for the book of Revelation being explained in the mass -- that's not what this book is about.

It basically says that because Catholic "Priests" dress kind of like Levitical priests the mass is "explaining" Revelation.

That because Catholic "Priests" are celibate -- in theory anyways -- like the 144,000 that is "explaining" Revelation.

That because Catholic priests lift the phsyical symbols of "bread and wine" it actually becomes the "lamb of God."

And on and on.

It explains nothing but instead assumes that a cheap "flesh" copy of what's written spiritually in the book of Revelation (the Mass) somehow explains the book of Revelation.

Don't even baby Christians know that the bread and the wine are symbols of eating the pure word of God and drinking "spiritual understanding" with it?

The letter kills but the spirit gives life. I thought that meant not to read the bible literally but "spiritually".

A literal copy of imitating the book of Revelation is exactly how you're NOT supposed to read it.

This book reminded me why I quit being a Catholic.

Spirit has no Mass only the Material does.

This is an excellent book to understand what we celebrate in Holy Mass and book of Revelation in Holy Bible.

Regards,
Manoj Devassy

This was a very informative, yet readable book. I would recommend this to all Christians!

As is usual with Scott Hahn, we "cradle Catholics" benefit from his "new eyes" when taking a closeer look at who we are as Catholics and why we do what we have been doing for, well, 2,000 years. This book was very enjoyable. It made many things "click" and I recommend it to any Catholic looking for ways to enrich their communion in Christ and the Church.

I had an immediate paradigm-shift when I read about the relationship between Revelation and the celebration of the Liturgy - The incense, the garbs, the altar, and more importantly the words we sometimes echo without feeling or thinking of the real meaning of it all... "Holy, Holy, Holy,", and the "LAMB of GOD" now echos in my heart during mass. The Liturgy for me is now Heaven on Earth for I place myself in the book of Revelation and am connected to an altered state I can't explain. If you are a Catholic and are going "through the motions" at mass. Please read this book. You will never look at mass the same way again.
I would like to recommend "Reasons to Believe: How to Understand, Explain, and Defend the Catholic Faith". Believe it or not it's also a good start in educating the lay Catholic person. PEACE!!

To 'stall' is human, to measure divine, is the key message from this book that highlights the tendency of us humans to resist change and thus accept less than perfection from our selves or our organizations. By naming `stalled' performance drivers - tradition holds you back, disbelief of new possibilities based on past experience stops you, misconception of actual facts, perceived unattractiveness of other options, poor communications, bureaucracy or just plain procrastination stalls things - the authors supply motivational materials so the reader will consider their eight-step process for 'stall-busting'.

1. Understand the importance of measuring performance
2. Choose an important process to measure
3. Find best practice for that process
4. Move beyond best practice
5. Imagine the world if perfection of the practice were possible
6. Act on this perfection now
7. Match people and rewards to induce perfection
8. Repeat steps 1 thru 7

As the authors say, most everyone talks about continuous improvement, but talk is not action. If it gets measured, it gets done, the saying goes. For the authors, if it gets measured, it gets improved. I should measure the time taken to read books and write reviews; well, maybe tomorrow.

Dennis DeWilde, author of
"The Performance Connection"

The 2000 Percent Solution is not merely a strategic business thinking book but something more. It is a book that can lead you to find your personal stalls and eliminate them so that free from them, it will be easier to discover and eliminate the organizational stalls. These steps are essential in the effort to apply the author's suggestions for obtaining the 2000 percent solution and finally achieve exponential business success. The book is very comprehensive, it contains sixteen chapters. In the 1-8 chapters the authors explain the various kinds of personal and organizational stalls and propose an effective busting method, while in the rest chapters, there are various techniques for achieving the 2000 percent solution. It a great book!

How fast? Lots of tools to retread wheels of enterprise to increase productivity are in The 2000% Solution. This is not a one read book, but a series of valuable clear disciplines to habituate. Thank God for humor- the spoon full of sugar.

Don Mitchell makes a point, illustration from a wide range of business vignettes threaded with the funny sides of life. The flow of information is linear to me, one point connecting to the next. Some business reads are jumpy and harder for me to follow. I became self employed in 1973, (not knowing the term!) by 1979 hired my first employee. When recognizing I was in `business' I joined the local Chamber of Commerce and began reading business books. Some helped me sleep, not this one!

The 2000% Solution is the first book that has given me a quantum leap thinking process, to think in big significant moves forward. Dr. Mitchell gives simple methods to `do' these processes. One action I took was to chart my actions by the hour for several days to review what I am doing and what actions move me forward. This uncomfortable process is powerful.

Most traditional reads are usually from one person's view of one business or industry. The 2000% Solution malleable big leap `thinking process' alone is worth the read. The value of real stories of real people in real company activities- well - that makes it real to me.

The best thing reading this is FUN- the humor! Some are deliberate jokes and cartoons strengthening points made- then there are the funny real stories happening in business. Many times I laughed out loud. Humor is the no-calorie whipped cream on this delight!

I found this book a great help and have read it several times. It defines in simple terms how to unstall your life and business. It sets out a plan to find and eliminate various types of obstacles or stalls that impede the success in your business or personal life. The book has helped me reorient and remove the obstacles that are a hindress to the exponential growth that is possible within any business. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a way to get out of a rut and start moving forward and upward again

I first read "The 2000 Percent Solution" as part of a course for a Rushmore University doctoral program. It sparked in me the desire and determination to get more "bang for the buck" from my efforts, and provided a clear 8-step guide for doing so.

The guide to creating 2000 Percent solutions essentially helps you to see differently, and acknowledge the reality of your personal and organisational biases. It helps you undertake a wider search than you normally would in the quest for a solution. And it doesn't leave you content with the best solution you may have found, but has you project into the future to "see" what the future best practice is likely to be, and then begin now to implement it.

Applying the authors' ideas to my personal circumstances helped free my mind (an ongoing, never ending process) of a number of personal stalls and led directly to the creation of a management training and consulting company. And in spite of limited capital, the momentum of my take-off amazes acquaintances.

I keep my copy of "The 2000 Percent Solution" in my office, within easy reach, because I intend to read it over and over, to create an upward spiral of exponential gains in my life and work.

The skill of creating 2000 Percent solutions is a valuable one. Combined with the ability to engage in continual business model innovation (as taught in "The Ultimate Competitive Advantage" by Mitchell and Coles), it will guarantee business success long into the future.

The House that Love Built by Bettie Youngs is one splendid book, which should be required reading in all secondary schools and colleges. For me, Linda and Millard Fuller are truly the heroine and hero for the 21st Century. Once I started reading, I couldn't put the book down--suddenly it was 2:00 a.m. in the morning. I feel the board which fired Millard should be ashamed of themselves--such stupidity is beyond comprehension. I thank God for inspiring the Fullers to keep going. Bettie Youngs is one marvelous writer.


Posted on behalf of
Mary Dunbar Strandness

We were really enlightened by the book, The House that Love Built. We kept expecting some information to appear in the Habitat for Humanity newsletters, but as you know, nothing ever appeared. Reading the book was very informative, but it really made us sick to our stomach for what they did to you and Linda. I must say you and Linda did not let it destroy you. You all most certainly have the Lord backing you to overcome this tragedy and accomplish what you have done.

Curtis and Jean Wilkinson
New Mexico

This is the story of an incredible couple. If it was fiction you would say, "ah, this is unbelievable." Since it's real life, you say to yourself, "how is it possible?" One incredible event after the other. I'm sure when people heard their story in person, they would say, "you should write a book about this." Well, here it is. I noticed as life happened to them, each time they turned within. Their faith is so powerful that it made me take a good look at mine and do some upgrading. If they could accomplish great works like this, then so can I. I now think bigger. I now trust more. I recently was honored with an award after seeing the list, pages of them, of awards that Millard and Linda have received. I know the secret of awards, they inspire you to do greater things. May you read this book and be moved, inspired and become such a gift to the world that you two shall be awarded.
Ursula Lentine

What a tender love story between Millard and Linda! I looked up their two websites and enjoyed the great photo galleries and wonderful articles about new projects. The Fullers have made such a difference in the world for so many years. Their energy astounds me. Bettie did a superb job of telling their story and making it intriguing. Now, I truly understand the greedy mentality of the people who ousted Millard from his position at the Habitat for Humanity. What shysters! Sounds like Millard and Linda are much better off doing their own thing and having more control. All's well that ends well.

"The House that Love Built" is a testament to what God can do through open and willing minds and hearts. Bettie B. Youngs takes Millard and Linda Fuller from their childhood years through college and huge financial success to a crisis that led eventually to a radical new way of living.

In 1968 the Fullers, working closely with Clarence Jordan, co-founder of the Christian community Koinonia outside Americus, GA, laid the foundations for what would become Habitat for Humanity. The world-wide success of Habitat for Humanity under the Fullers' leadership is legendary, but in 2005 the Fullers were fired by the Board of Habitat for Humanity International, who wanted the organization to look more like big business than a Christian ministry. Youngs is able to relate the facts behind this shameful ouster without bitterness or recrimination--and to tell of the Fullers' faithfulness to God's call to eliminate poverty housing throug the newly organized Fuller Center for Housing. An inspiring story of faith at work and of the power of God to transform lives.

I first saw this book at an airport bookstore. After reading the summary I instantly purchased this book to read on the plane. The moment I start reading it kept me moving to the next page, next page, next page.
The story is moving! Great book. Another suggestion is The Dream - a self-made entreprenur who made millions during his teenage life. Very inspiring! Refreshing to mind too.

Enjoy reading.

Sarala
email: sarala1jan@yahoo.com

As another reviewer said, this is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. If you are in a job that is not that fulfilling, but you're afraid of making the leap, Wood's journey from Microsoft to the non-profit sector will be educational. If you are happy with your job, but just want to make your job inspiring, Wood's lessons from Microsoft that he applied to Room To Read will show you ways to do that, too. Thank you, John, for writing such a heartfelt memoir of your emotional journey.

This book is a must have, I have recommended to all my friends and family. Kudos to the Author for publishing such a wonderful book.

Namaste John. Kasto Cha??

You have made all Nepalese indebted with your incomparable deeds. You are true hero in our hearts. Yes, we salute you from the core of our heart.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. John Wood does what all of us dreamers out there imagine we could do: quits his excellent job at Microsoft to do his part in saving the world. Wood's style of writing is so smooth and easy to read, he never bores you. If you're at all familiar with the inside workings of the Microsoft company (my boyfriend interned there, so I am), you'll get a good laugh here and there when he talks about someone like Steve Ballmer and some other inside jokes. I highly recommend you read this book if you have any interests at all in poverty alleviation and humanitarian aid.

Overall, I was pleased with Chuck Pfarrer's autobiography. I felt this is a good book which focused on the man rather than a high profile SEAL. Chuck takes us through his childhood to his combat tour at Beirut and the tragic bombing of the Marines barrack to his short time at Team Six. I felt he explained everything quite well.

I felt some parts were left blank. For example, he cheated on his wife several times, and even more so I wonder why Chuck did what he did. He explained several times how bad he felt about his cheating, but I didn't felt like he explained it well enough. Also, the part with Sam (I don't think I got that name right) in Beirut and how scared Sam was and how Chuck called him a chicken and how no one liked him. I was surprised by this and even more so, later on after the bombing, Sam actually volunteered to go on the mission to spot for the French fighters who bombed the terrorist's bases. Why did Chuck left out many of the details on him?

I recommend this book to anyone interested in just Military stuff, not only SEAL stuff. I think the book is well written enough so that you understand the person behind the SEAL, instead of just the SEAL.

On a side note, about the cover, I thought I recognized it from somewhere and I think I found it. It was the cover used for a early 1990s computer game called SEAL Teams. I felt that was kind of cool and I believe the front cover is a man during the Vietnam era.

Although this book provides a glimpse inside the Navy Seals from an team leader's perspective, it was generally dry and drawn out ,spending a lot of time on Beruit and providing a lot of background information and editorials on the politics etc of that event that I am not interested in. This guy is a stud- no doubt, but I found myself skipping through the pages to find something interesting.

A crisp and informative account of one SEAL's career. Authentic and written by a (now) professional writer and screenplay author. So much written about the SpecOps community has been pumped up, selfserving ego tripping (Rogue Warrior et al) that it is refreshing to read an interesting and factual (I believe) account of SEAL operations and training. This book is more than sensational glorification of a violent and dangerous profession; it emphasizes the dedication and self discipline needed to endure physical and mental hardships almost beyond belief. The Kindle edition was well formatted with only a few minor hyphenation mistakes and the included photographs were pretty good. One thing that comes across loud and clear in this account is that SEAL operators are usually intelligent and resourceful, not just tough. We are blessed as Americans to have such men standing between us and evil.

Seriously, this was an AWESOME BOOK. Reading the stories I was amazed at what kind of sh.. Mr. Pfarrer got himself into. From BUD/S to Beirut to Banana Republics to Cancer.. he's been at the front row of many key world events, as well as personal ones. (And I'm sure there's a few more that haven't been reported)

The book was very compelling. And he did a great job writing. I really had a tough time putting it down. I always wanted to read "just one more story".

I also enjoyed how it didn't glamorize, but also wasn't falsely modest. Chuck seems like a solid human being--and certainly went above and beyond in his service and in life. And he shares much of his experiences through the book.

Anyhow, thank you Mr. Pfarrer!

ps: and remember, it's "air-BORNE!!"

An excellent account of SEAL training and operations. Chuck Pfarrer is a veteran of the Beirut war and a witness to the car bombing called the first act of terrorism by our current enemies. He is a combat veteran and a former Naval officer. His Navy experience is important because he recalls the beginning of the war on terror , namely the situation in Beirut. This is an important book.

This book is awesome! It is so easy to understand and really explains the mass. It gives history of the mass, the "why" of traditions,and the "how" to really encounter Christ in the mass. This is a must read for all Catholics and converts. I am so glad I made this purchase...well worth the money.

I converted to Catholicism 4 years ago and still found many things clarified and/or pointed out in this book. It is well done and I highly recommend. In fact, I've shared with our Deacon and RCIA director for their use.

This is a very good book for the lapsed catholic, or the catholic adult who only went to catholic grade school and can't remember third grade religion class anymore. It's also for someone who really wonders why everyone else seems to be paying attention and "getting it" and that doesn't always happen for you. This book even tells you how to handle distractions at mass which, believe it or not, can be helpful outside of church as well. I'm so glad I thought of googling this subject and it brought me to this little honey of a purchase at Amazon here. This is such a refreshing, renewing, powerful, honest, educational document to ENJOY and UNDERSTAND the mass at a level you think is for everyone else. By far worth every penny. Run, don't walk, to get this thoughtful and wonderfully written book. You'll be surprised what you don't know and what you're missing.

I purchased this book to help answer questions my young grandson has asked about the mass. It is very helpful to myself and him and we are finding many answers to our questions.

Very good - Would love to have all my confirmation students read this. It really stops you and makes you think about all the stuff you do automatically and the meaning behind it.

This was a pretty decent read -- we practice a lot of these at my workplace but I think what this book really shows is the attitude of an entrepreneur.

Ricardo Semler calls himself a maverick, but he's actually a visionary. Semler, now 49, was way ahead of the curve 25 years ago when he radically altered the structure and philosophy of his father's company, Semco. Long before most businesses acknowledged that employees were thinking, feeling human beings and not timecard-punching robots, Semler rebuilt the infrastructure at Semco, eliminating layers of bureaucracy and allowing employees to decide their own fates. They determined their own schedules, pay scales and dress codes. Semler drastically reduced paperwork; he restricted memos, for example, to a single page. He believed that empowered employees, freed of their corporate shackles, would be motivated, creative and productive. You may find some aspects of that approach unrealistic or totally impractical for your organization. You may even think Semler is crazy. At the very least though, getAbstract believes executives should give careful consideration to his approach. His innovations are still relevant, even a quarter of a century later.

Great book. Amazing story.
Lot's of good lessons to be learned here. I read it all the way through and enjoyed the writing style a great deal. A quick read with fascinating stories and good information.

I think this book gives In Search of Excellence a run for its money as the all time great. This book really promotes a different way of thinking about the workplace in a much more collaborative way. I can't wait to start his other book the Seven-Day Weekend.

I have been strugling about how to have an organization or a corporation that are at the same time efficient and humanistic/democratic. Although people normally receives these types of ideas with reserve, the feeling is that it is almost impossible (take out the "almost" if you wish).

After reading Maverick everything changes. We have heard histories before, for example, ancient Athenas, Robert Owen cooperative success in 19th Century England, Mahatmas Ghandi, and so forth. However, rarely a 20th Century corporation has gone so far as Semco, at least to the best of my knowledge.

If you are interested in "real" humanistic-democratic management, you must have this book in your reading list.

It doesn't take a genius to know this is a great read! If you are curious about finding the genius in yourself and others, then this is the book for you. It is clear, concise and uses stories and situations that we can all relate to.

Alan Gregerman's book Surrounded by Geniuses was a great read! Not only did it pertain to my work life, but also to my personal life. I would recommend this book at everyone.

A fun read. Delivering compelling value is key and Dr. Gregerman has hit the nail on the head with his observations about products and services in our own neighborhood that do it daily.

A delightful and thoughtful book that reminds us to take time to look at our surroundings. The best ideas in business need not be the most complicated. A little bit of "back to basics" plus a little "thinking outside the box" can take one a long way.

Gregerman has put together a unique array of narratives from the cheetah to Lockheed's rocket science program to delineate key attitudes and mindsets toward maximizing both the potential of your business and value to your customer. I see value in this book for both non-profit and for-profit entities/professionals. Highly recommended.

This slim volume is a great alternative if you're just starting out in parliamentary procedure, without having to thumb through the whole of Robert's Rules. I found it useful and informative, and it gives you a great general idea of how exactly meetings and organizations should be run. Reading the whole of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised would be a great undertaking and it's great that the same authors of that book wrote this condensed version, complete with in depth cross references to the actual text in case you need to dig a little deeper.

Robert's Rules Of Order Newly Revised In Brief (Roberts Rules of Order (in Brief))

This is an excellent brief version for holding a meeting.

An extremely helpful short book on the important concepts and specific details of Robert's Rules. Authoritative, yet easy to understand. Points you in the direction of the 600 plus full edition if you need more info. We've bought it for all our committee chairs.

I found this book to be a little too basic...it's perfect for someone who knows nothing about Robert's Rules of Order...but if you have a little knowledge, then the book is simplistic.

This book was good as a way to get started in becoming familiar with Robert's Rules. However, a better introductory guide is Robert's Rules in Plain English. If you are new to Robert's Rules, my suggestion is get the Plain English book and read it cover to cover. It's short and will tell you 95% of what you'll probably need to know. If you need any further details, then you should move on to the full version of Robert's Rules. In my opinion, this book (...In Brief) is a little more dry and with lower quality examples than "Plain English."