Organizations Books

This was a great book. I loved all the extended eyewitness accounts to what was happening during certai revivals. You learn about the Reformed revivalists Samuel Davies, Archibald Alexander, and Timothy Dwight at Yale University.

You learn about the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky, both the good and the emotional excesses. You will also learn about the years of the 2nd Great Awakening.

Murray seems to be skeptical of the reliability of Charles' Finney's memoirs. He also is quick to point out that Finney departed from Reformed theology early on and that he denied original sin. He points out that Finney viewed revivals as manmade productions rather than as miraculous manifestations of the Spirit.

There is also an appendix where Murray decries the lack of information about revivals in the deep south of the United States.

I also liked the discussion of the 1857-1858 New York revivals. I did feel that there could have been more coverage given to this particular revival, and how it affected many urban centers in the nation prior to the Civil War.

But this book should definitely be in the shelf of Christians interested in American church history.

Dr. Iain Murray is one of my favorite authors. His writings are engaging and enlightening. I have not found a work of his yet that was not well researched and documented. This work is no different.

In this work Dr. Murray takes a look at modern revival movements and modern evangelism through an historical analysis of where the revival movement begin in the United States in the early 1800's. Dr. Murray leaves no stone unturned in his examine. He marks his tracks well as he dives into the lives of men who did not know that their methods of "revival" would alter American Christianity for the worst. Today, we who stand for the truth of Scripture are still having to deal with their incorrect revival methods.

For those interested in studying revivals and why modern American evangelism is not working without a the truth of Scripture, this is a classic work to study.

Murray writes in his conclusion, "In the end, while evangelicalism was seeking to guard faith in Scripture, it was her readiness to be impressed by pragmatic arguments, and by alleged success, by quantity rather than quality, that did so much to deprive her of true, authority and strength" (p 383). Murray, in his book Revival and Revivalism: The Making and Marring of American Evangelicalism, reviews the history of evangelical Christianity between 1750 and 1858. This book is a must read for contemporary Christian leaders. Books on self-help, life coaching/coaches, ten-steps to church growth, and leadership styles are pushed upon pastors to read by those in church leadership, as well as promoted by our consumeric Christian marketers. But now of these books will help the minister to think theologically about their place in history. Nor, will such populist books that promote our well-being expose the flaws and fallibility of current market-driven church growth and church life. Murray helps us to think logically and reasonably about how we have come to the place in the Christian ministry where pragmatism and utilitarian thinking is the foundation for church life and ministry. He does not cover the period between 1859 and 2007, but Revival & Revivalism will portray the foundation for much of contemporary evangelicalism. Murray writes, "Our understanding of God's ways in history is far too fallible to make providence the test of what is truth." As Church life here in America is becoming more and more a shadow of American life, promoted through American entrepreneurialism and capitalisms, and gained through marketing and business praxis, it would be good for the American evangelical pastor to understand his or her roots in the history of evangelicalism. Shedding light on our past might help us to see why we are exchanging the foundation of Scripture to determine the life of the church for Americanism and self-help. If church life and thinking theologically matters to you--and it should as a pastor--read this book.



By Chip Anderson, author of Destroying Our Private Cities, Building Our Spiritual Life

This book addresses the good and bad of the awakenings and revivals that have shaped the Christian culture, as well as the culture of the US in general. Murray does a great job of laying out the history of the revivals (both genuine and false) and shows us principles to avoid false revivals in the future.

One of the most startling observations is found in the discussions of the results of false revivals on the New England colonies (he calls them "the Burned Over region." The sad part is that as you read you see that the modern church is making some of the same mistakes.

This is an important book, and I believe every church leader needs to read it.
To God All Glory!

I came across this book providentually on my Pastors coffee table waiting for a ride to a Church we were to visit. The title has caught my eye since I had done some study in American religious history. I was familiar with the split Charles Finney had caused in American Evangelism...but not on the details. When I started the book...I knew I had to get my own copy.
It is the best treatment of the subject...focusing on the Old Method....the cultural changes in America..the rise of New Divinity and the development of the New Method's.
The weakness of the book is with not dealing with how "unionism"... the cooperation of Calvinist Presbyterians and Baptist with Arminian Episcopalians, Free-will Baptist and Methodist in their Churches...he calls "catholicity of spirit" lead to the overthrow of Calvinism that was effective in bringing in true revival by focusing on preaching the Word and letting the Holy Spirit do His work upon the hearts of the unregenerated. This opened the door for Revivalism.
Finney was not the fountain of the New Methods....but he was the most influentual to implement them and to assume any questioning of the methods as "quenching the Holy Spirit."

It will get you started on studying more on American Christian History

A Excellent Book witht a lot of examples and mathematical models that will help to found the correct way to implant a dot com business, Every IT must read it

This book is an excellent application of formal methodologies for e-business cases. The examples are useful according to the explanations. I was expecting more emphasis on cost of IT resources or methods in order to calculate. But, the authors guide the book in the resource and performance chapters showing an approach on how to measure from regular sites not from new e-business projects which begin from nothing, without any data from logs or similar metrics. However, the estrict compliance with the methodology presented and the explanation about security provided me with a good reason to have it.

I think it is the only book that deals with the e-business implementation methodocally and lays down a formal procedure. It is very well written and contains appropriate examples. It is recommendable not only for designers but also for managers.

There's not much else I can add to the string of reviews before mine, which ALL give full marks. The words in this review's title are the only that might add value.

This is one of those rare works which does not care to have one eye for the wannabe market. Suitable for both technicians & those folk needing to see the "big picture" (e.g. Managers)

This is one of a series of books about performance and capacity metrics by the authors. Each of their books covers a specific environment (client/server, mainframes, web services), and each explains the theory, quantitative methods and practical approaches using common tools like Microsoft Excel.

This book's focus is on performance and capacity of applications in the e-commerce infrastructure, and like the other books by the authors, it covers every facet while explaining the what's and why's. More importantly, this book will not overwhelm readers who are rusty in math because the authors weave in refresher material as they go along.

What makes this book valuable is the blend of business and technical topics, particularly in Part I where business models are thoroughly discussed. I personally believe that this material is as important as the more technically focused material in subsequent chapters because it wakes up the technical reader as to why their job of developing scalable solutions is important by linking the technical aspects to business imperatives.

Parts II (Evaluating E-Business Infrastructure and Services) and III (Capacity Planning for E-Business) are the heart of the technical matter, and the chapters systematically dissect each aspect of an e-commerce infrastructure from the application layer point of view. This is where quantitative methods are introduced and where the value of the spreadsheets on the CD ROM increase. Note that there are more up-to-date versions of these spreadsheets on the book's associated website, as well as errata for the book.

Practical considerations that blend the business and technical perspectives are presented in Part IV (Models of Specific E-Business Segments). This chapter consists of case studies that tie together all of the preceding material using real world examples.

Because this book is more focused on performance and capacity at the application and business model layer, you should read the authors' newest book, "Capacity Planning for Web Services: Metrics, Models, and Methods". That book covers the lower level details of the infrastructure
to round out the picture of an end-to-end view of performance and capacity management.

Kathleen's work carries the seed for change and hope for Corporate America. Thanks for taking the courage for returning the power back to the people where it belongs. A must read for anyone holding a job.

Neerja Arora Bhatia
Author & Inspirational Speaker

I read Staying Healthy during a 2 1/2 hour flight from Minneapolis to Houston. I was going to take a nap since it was an early morning flight. However the book engaged me so much before I knew it we were landing and I was finishing the book. The book was very insightful and provides real tools for helping improve one's positive participation in their work life.

We spend a large portion of our waking hours at our jobs. This book can help any employee make the most of their time in the workplace. With ideas and tips about living and acting in healthier ways, there is something here for everyone!

The book is written in a friendly, upbeat and encouraging manner. The beauty (and bonus) of this book is that everything Dr. Paris discusses relates to how we can improve our personal lives as well.

In a world awash with quick fixes, this book is a welcome change. The Clover Practice is so simple. You can remember it without getting the book off the shelf, but don't be lulled into thinking it's simplistic. Anyone who really tells the truth, speaks from their own point of view and realizes how interdependent everything is is someone who has achieved a lot.

The minute your boss tells you to tell someone they're not in or that they just left, you know from that point on that you can't trust that person to be square with you. People shoot themselves in the foot by not being honest even in small things.

Also, it's the perfect book to come out during the most important election in the history of this country. I would like to see all the candidates' actions and words held up against the Clover Practice and have people cast their votes accordingly.

I manage a large administrative unit in a large organization and we just ordered ten copies of Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations: The Clover Practice for my staff (I may order more!). If everyone really followed The Clover Practice, workplaces would be very different. I am totally committed to openness and transparency, so the clover leaf Tell the Truth, Always grabbed my attention. It's not as easy as it sounds! The book provides good advice on the "how" of being honest.

There's a lot that goes along with Declaring Your Interdependence. It can be really difficult to convince employees that it's in our best interest personally to help other people be successful. The author shares some personal stories about how our destinies are interlocked as employees of the same organization. As she says, the connections can be hard to see.

I found the section on doing your adult homework very interesting. Anyone who fills out the questionnaire on their experiences growing up will have a lot to think about. This is a book you can read on a weekend and carry it with you (literally and figuratively) to the office on Monday. If you've ever worked a day in your life, you'll find yourself somewhere in the book. I highly recommend it!

Morison is the place to start for learning what happened on and around Guadalcanal. The atmosphere of inevitable Japanese defeat is not present, unlike the later volumes that describe island garrisons, cut off from any air and sea resupply, who simply await annihilation by U.S. forces.

The eventual logistical, technological, air and naval supremacy of the United States, combined with the excellent strategy of the pincer movements of Macarthur on one hand, and Nimitz on the other, led to the inexorable rolling up of the Japanese Empire. What makes studying the campaign for Guadalcanal so interesting is that it occurred before this supremacy was achieved, where U.S. and Japanese forces were on more or less equal footing. The Japanese garrison on Guadalcanal, unlike their later island garrisons were not cut off from air and sea support and were able throughout much of the campaign to bring in reinforcements via the "Tokyo Express."

What started out quite incidentally, after Japanese troops were observed building an airstrip, grew into a six month ordeal where Marines and Japanese troops squared off on the island, while U.S. air power ruled the day and the Japanese navy ruled the night. The most poignant of Morison's accounts are of the nighttime surface engagements in and around Savo Island and Iron Bottom Sound.

I haven't read the other books in this series, but was recommended this volume by a friend who is a WWII Navel battle fan. I wanted a good overview of the battle, why it was important and just what the heck went on here. So to start I'm aghast at my poor knowledge of this battle. It was nearly as critical to the history of the USA as Gettysburg. Two giant navies met here, neither really wanting this island but both unwilling to let the other side have it. Yet again it shows what crap the USA had for torpedoes. I can't tell you the number of fish fired vs how many actually found their target and did any damage. It was pitiful. The Japanese navy had superior tactics, better torpedoes but didn't fully grasp the significance of the island to the USA and so let the Marines dig in and own the place. Granted holding it was incredibly tough but it was possible and the imperial army was stretched to it's limits to keep it supplied thanks to the US navy. But it came at a huge cost in ships and sailors.

If you don't know anything about Guadalcanal this book is a great place to start.

This is the 5th book of a 15 book series and is the best one so far. Any serious student of WWII should read this series as a primer to prepare him or her for further readings from newer sources as it becomes notable on how light in detail these books are but then again consider that they were first written in 1948 and many of the sources were still classified or unknown then. One case in point is the chapter on the Battle of the Eastern Solomon's where Mr. Morris describes the attack on the American carriers and states that Shokaku sent some torpedo bombers along with a foot note saying that the numbers sent was not yet available yet I obtained the number along with the name of the lead pilot from John Lundstrom' s "The First Team and the Guadalcanal campaign"book which made for some fun research. Now that I have read this book I will take a break from the series in order to learn more details of the Guadalcanal campaign and read "Guadalcanal: The definitive account of the landmark battle." by Richard B. Frank.

Morison' works are priceless.

The maps are Very good. This is a wonderfull lead in to Frank's work, "Guadalcanal".

Morison's books are perfect for entrees into more specific books regarding the landings and land action of the island campaigns.

Highly recommended.

The volumes in this entire series are all highly readable and present a picture of our nation starting from a dismal reality in the Pacific to ultimate victory by virtue of the courage and sacrifice of men of the US Navy, as well as of the British and Dutch. The Naval battles of Coral Sea and Midway and the subsequent invasion of Guadalcanal and establishment of the "Cactus Air Force" made up of whatever American planes that were available to fly on any given day turned the tide in the Pacific, though with 3 more years of fighting to come. The loss of the Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes on the night following the invasion hastened departure of much of the supply train and of the carrier covering group which left 2 days earlier than planned due to the loss of Cruiser protection, those 3 of the Northern Group as well as the Australian Navy Canberra of the Southern group. Our 2 radar pickett destroyers, Talbot and Blue, were positioned in their cross channel watch so as to miss seeing the Japanese Cruiser fleet enter the harbor and surprise was complete. The IJN suffered no losses during the action, but I believe they subsequently lost the Furutaka on their return to Rabaul. This bears historical checking for accuracy.

The remaining 6 month struggle for Guadalcanal is inspiring and very tragic for the conditions and imminent threat of death endured by those brave men. I was deeply moved by the courage and sacrifices of the US Navy and US Marines. 59 years after the fact I also feel (grudging) admiration for the men and weapons of the IJN.

The "Arsenal of Democracy" had agreed with the European allies that European victory was the priority issue, and that men and materiels for the Pacific war were scant for the first year or so and in many instances outmoded.

The entire series is excellent reading for those interested in history and their American heritage. I have had the entire series for about 50 years. The current pricing scheme at Amazon is a true bargain, and I recommend the series without reservation. The sadness is that such an event ever occured to generate this excellent historical writing.

After reading "Don't Ever Tell"-Kathy's Story by Kathy O'Beirne and "The God Squad" by Paddy Doyle, I felt the need to inform myself further on the subject of absolute corruption and power in the Industrial Schools in Ireland. "Suffer the Little Children" gave me all the information, and more, on the shocking, shameful, collective sadism practiced in Industrial Schools, orphanages, convents and reformatory schools where different religious orders carried out dehumanising brutality and savagery on innocent little children who were placed in the institutions either through the Courts or the parents themselves to be looked after by the religious and to receive an education.
This book gives us the history of such institutions in the UK and Eire but concentrates on the Irish scene where they continued to exist up to the 1970's. It is well written and a most revealing exposé of a very dark, sick side of Irish history. It also includes personal testimonies which make the book even more gripping as they exemplify and confirm vividly the revelations of such an appaling system.
It also discloses the indifference and conspiracy of silence on an official level which brings to mind Molière's words "It's not what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable". And for bad history not to repeat itself, we must keep informed. This book is a must read.

Ever since the movie .."The Magdalene Sisters" and Frank McCourt's book..."Angela's Ashes", Plus the fact that I am a quarter Irish and love Ireland and her people, I find I want to know more and more about her people and the TRUTH of how they have suffered yet have remained strong and vital and are proud and have given much to our world today!(England should be ashamed of what they have done for far too long, too!)
This book tells an awful story about the horrors of little children treated so badly for years and years. I know sadly that these wrongs can never really be righted for these victims or the words, "I am sorry" will erase the pain in their hearts, but I do hope eyes are open now and this cannot happen ever again to anyone....especially to children...no matter what country they come from and no matter what their color or race. Bless the children and keep them safe!! God bless Ireland...
Linda Steffey

This book is one of true meaning an excellent written book, which show's the through Ireland. This books explains the mentality of the religious and states minds. Truly deeply sad book but very much worth the read. This book is excellent in the sense of giving true awareness to the Irish state.
Highly recommended.

This book presents a portrait of 20th century Ireland that will debunk any nostalgic or sentimental view of the so called 'Emerald Isle'. No shamrocks and leprecauns in this book, but a history of cruelty, abuse and power. It tells the story of how Irish children were incarcerated in huge numbers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries in reformatory and industrial schools which were managed by the Catholic Church. Based on detailed historical research and interspersed with gut-wrenching first hand accounts of survivors of these institutions, it shows how an alliance between a power hungry Catholic Church and an indifferent Irish State resulted in the incarceration of the children of the poor. Rather than helping poor families, Church and State removed these children to bleak institutions where large numbers were sexually and physically abused and tortured by their Christian carers. I don't think that I will ever think about the Catholic Church and Ireland in the same way ever again. Anger, saddness, frustration, disbelief, but above all anger - why did this happen? I experienced all these emotions when reading this book. If you want to really understand Irish society, this book is essential and harrowing reading.

This book is comprehensive and deeply moving. I could not put it down. I was disgusted and angry by the end of it. I am ashamed to be Irish and ashamed to be Catholic. How this could have gone on for so long with no help for these children is beyond words. If there is a hell, then open arms to all those sick and sadistic Brothers and Nuns, all of whom were operating in the name of God....! How dare they call themselves charitable and merciful. They are some of the most vile human beings in existence. Between that and the sex scandal in America, the Catholic Church owes many people an apology and some sort of restitution. For shame the Church still chooses to cover up it's misuse of power. If the Nuns and Priests and Brothers were not so sexually frustrated, maybe they wouldn't be so evil. Sorry to vent so strongly. After reading this book, you will feel the same way. Also read Do Penance or Perish, but not as good as this book. Thank you.

if you have ever been frustated because your life seem devoid of purpose, then this is the book for you! Bishop Long clearly outlines the role that the Church should be playing as Ambassadors for the KIngdom of God, and declare in no uncertain terms that God indeed has a purpose for all of our lives that is connected to his agenda for these times. this book will serve as a motivating tool to move you from the position of being "overtaken", to the position of "taking over". A must read for people of all faiths".

Thanks be unto God for anointing Bishop Long to go where no preacher of God's word has dared to go to lift and expose the veil of christian mediocrity. He writes in the spirit of Martin Luther King,Jr. by challenging the Church to change. This book brings conviction and challenge to ensure that our children and grand-children can live the optimum Christian life. The "Great Commission" comes alive in the book. Bishop Long's book transcends all faiths.

Most churches are not operating based on biblical principals but on mans principles. That is not what God intended. Read this book and discover how to get your church and your personal christian walk in order before the next millennium. God isnt playing games with us anymore. It's time for us saints to come from behind the four walls of the church and do what God has called us to do. True ministry. Satan has had his way with our children, the generations to come, for too long. I cannot urge you enough, this is a MUST READ.

Bishop Eddie Long really came to the forefront when he wrote this book. God's anointing was all in this book. I thank God that there are still real men of God on the Battlefield. We need the unadultreated truth. God's word has been sugar-coated too long! Thank you Bishop for letting God lead you in the way he did regarding his church or lack of it.

"Taking Over" challenges the body of Christ to move forward with God into the next millennium, or get left behind in erroneous traditions.

Praise God for Bishop Long's boldness, transparency, and obedience to pen what thus said the Lord.

I got it with an excellent price (down from the level I had seen it a couple of weeks ago) and it arrived very fast.

Tirole's book remains a classic IO reference for graduate-level IO courses even though it was published in 1988. The strength of the book is in its style of exposition - crisp mathematical models written in a style that is commonly found in journal articles. Therefore, reading the book prepares oneself for reading theoretical IO journal or working papers. This also implies that appreciation of the book requires that the reader is comfortable with mathematics and has some patience in working out the models (intermediate steps are sometimes omitted). However, those who persevere will reap the benefits.

I received the book in a few days eventhough I had selected the standard shipping option. The book was packaged well and etc.

This book is absolutely the "classic" in IO. The author amazingly provided very clear and coherent exposition to this huge, but diverse field. But, this book is not for everyone as some reviews below implied. First, consultants or managers may not find this book useful for the real-life application, because this is a (rather serious) "theory" book. It has no detailed cases, no practical managerial implications, and so on. For that purpose, there are many other good books like Schere, or Carlton & Perloff, etc. The virtue of this book lies in the author's capability to make accessible otherwise very complicated and abstruse models, which would be mainly the concern of grad students in econ, not consultants. Therefore, econ students who are interested in theory development in IO would quickly grasp the essence of important IO models with a simple algebra. I don't understand what part of the book some people think is useful as a reference for the consultants or even everyone.

Second, simple algebra in the book does not mean it is accessible to "everyone." At the introductory grad level, game thoery and information economics use only basic algebra, but it is still not easy at all. Of course, this book introduces almost all important topics usually taught in the first-year micro sequence at graduate school, like repeated game (Ch 6), basic mechanism design technique (non-linear pricing in Ch 3), principal-agent problem (Ch 1), and so on. It would be misleading if one says these topics are accessible to everyone because of "minimal use of math." Even chapter 1, the theory of firm, is a very deep discussion, introducing the concept of "incomplete contract."

In my opinion, this book will be ideal for econ grad students, who would want to quickly review relevant chapters before moving into more recent IO literature (of course, now with full rigor).

This book covers the main subjects in this field, with very clear and readable expositions and solid formalizations. Mathematics is not difficult (basic notions of calculus and optimization are required) and some exercises have been included at the end of the chapters "...to help the reader become familiar with the subjects and to broaden his or her knowledge..."

A bonus track: the book is also an excellent bibliographical guide to those who want to expand their reading.

Rawlings does a first-rate job of conveying elegant solutions to very arduous problems. If you find yourself in the trenches trying to bridge the technology gap between modern tools and older EDI or flat file based systems - this is your book. Those without the budget for a commercial product will especially appreciate do-it-yourself practical code and easy to follow examples.

This book provides practical advice and examples on integrating XML into existing business systems. The book is easy to read and follow. The approach of the book is to break the problem down into a chain of simple problems, addressing each as a data 'filter'. The end result is to connect the input/output of a legacy system with the input/output of an XML parser.

I recommend this book to anyone faced with the problem of using XML to extend the reach of existing applications.

Mike Rawlin's book deals with the reality that legacy business applications are not readily converted to processing XML-formatted information. While XML works fine as the interchange format, you need to convert between that interchange format and the format your applications understand. Mike covers all of the minor nuances that you need to consider, presents a wealth of knowledge in an easily-understood format, and provides examples to boot.

A lot of IT people are busy making different applications running on different platforms "talk" to each other. XML was invented as the "Esperanto" of the IT world to get these systems to understand each other. In practice however it just isn't that simple, as most of these applications don't talk XML yet, until this book.

This book is a real do itbook. It does not teach you XML or XSLT but shows you how to use it. What I especially liked is that he discusses his design considerations, he wants you to understand the whys. Once he thinks you know the basics he goes back to his basic design and improves it to make it make it fully reusable and modular, making it even beter.

Mr. Rawlins gives you toolbox of utilities, with the source code, that can become the building blocks for your own application integration system.

I have not come across a book with as much usable code in my IT career. We have already redesigned quite a few of our systems because of it. If you are into connectivityyou cant be without this book.

Ps. The word Legacy in the title does not imply big mainframes.

Easy to read, in a refreshing unpretentious style, Rawlins explains numerous complicated concepts associated with using XML. Especially useful are the chapters covering the conversion of EDI formatted data into and out of XML and the converting of one XML format to another XML format. The inclusion of Java and C++ considerations in appropriate chapters provides excellent practical advice.

This book is built on the premise that a lot of companies have, metaphorically speaking, the head of a dead elephant sitting in their boardrooms. The dead elephant's head represents conflict, disagreement and rivalry between the executives themselves. No one wants to talk about the dead elephant's head, because no one wants to admit that it's there. Unfortunately, it's a big, ugly reality that must be addressed sooner or later, and everyone knows it. Author and consultant Howard M. Guttman maps out a process companies can use to deal more openly and honestly with internal conflicts. He begins with the premise that conflict isn't inherently bad and can even serve a productive purpose, if it's properly managed and conducted according to the rules. We strongly recommend this book to corporate executives - and to the worker bees who have to duck when those Goliaths in the corner offices start slinging rocks.

When Goliaths Clash is full of great advice for managing confilict at the most senior levels of an organization. Since conflict is abundant at all levels in today's organization the same ideas can be applied to manage conflict at all levels. Gutman's advice to confront conflict, not avoid it, is valuable for all managers who want to move their organizations forward.

Great book! A structured insight into human behavior, different management styles and interactions in organizations. Describes real life situations and - more importantly - how to deal with them. Some very thought-full suggestions on how to interact with others at work as well as privately. A practical guide on organizational development and it's role to become more successful. Is easy to read and digest.

I'll certainly keep it close for reference when "Goliats clashes" in my company.

When Goliaths Clash was a practical and grounded guide to addressing issues prevalent in most leadership teams. Unlike other books of this nature, it was not academic or theoretical, but provided common sense advise on how leaders can identify and resolve problems that could be derailing their organization and preventing them from maximizing their effectiveness. I particularly liked the chapter on e mail; a new area of communication landmines and one that has actually exagerated the issues described in the book.

This book provides insight and understanding into the powerful dynamics of executive teams. The methodology, frameworks and practical tools are highly useful in creating a higher level of functioning for teams, starting at the top of the organization. Specific examples and case scenarios illustrate how these techniques have contributed to more fulfilling and productive work dynamics in several reknowned organizations. Focusing on the core skills of influencing and conflict resolution, as well as situational leadership, the book outlines a 'road map' for improving the effectiveness of senior teams and their individual players.

"Whole Scale Change: Unleashing the Magic in Organizations" and "Whole Scale Change Toolkit" introduce straightforward, systematic, and applicable approaches to successfully achieving effective change in human organizations. While most people acknowledge that changes are necessary and also recognize that changes are often resisted, based on the low success rate of effective change, few people appear to understand the dynamics of achieving progressive change. In the context of human organizations as functioning systems, Dannemiller Tyson Associates: define the dynamics of organization al change, acknowledge to forces for and against change, recommend constitutes whose collaboration and support must be earned, and describe practical processes for planning, executing, and institutionalizing organizational changes. To earn the reader's confidence, the authors use real world examples that demonstrate how "whole scale change" has worked in everyday organizations.
I highly recommended "Whole Scale Change: Unleashing the Magic in Organizations" and "Whole Scale Change Toolkit" for everyone working to achieve change in their organizations.

This is an excellent book! It pulls it all together. Answers many questions people often ask when involved with "Whole Scale Change" and thereby helps put our fears aside. Easy to read and well thought out. Bubbles with practical processes all can use. Shows why change can be very difficult if not done "Whole Scale". I really liked the phrase "Unleashing The Magic..." - it is so true. This book is definitely on my "A" list!

Lean Business Development Consultant

How can you think positively, involve (litterally) everybody, and make sure that the process is well managed? This book shows the way! I met Kathleen Dannemiller at the first World Congres on Systemic Thinking (May 1-6 2001, Vienna), and I really apreciated the message she had for the public. Probing further, I discovered that the method has generated impressive results as well! One of the examples has been a Whole-Scae process with the people involved in making the Mustang IV a success. At the moment Dannemiller was called in (around 1991), Ford was thinking about dropping the Mustang. In stead of asking what the problems where, people from throughout the organization were asked to dream about the "new" Mustang and how to make this dream come true. that car was developped in about 2 year's time, costed 22% less to build than a Mustang III and had limited problems at introduction. Some people at Ford even quote this car's introduction as "scary", because everything went almost as planned. One would wonder why Murphy's law didn't apply. The answer is simple: all people felt involved and they felt had to make this car a success. If you ask me what's missing? Well, dannemillers knowledge op people skills is "unconcious": her techniques do not cover the emotiunal intelligence one needs to make all this work. But that's where a book such as "7 Steps to Emotional Intelligence" will give you the answers.

If ever there was a book that sounded like it was written by a bunch of consultants it's this one. And - surprise - a look at the cover reveals that the author is none other than Dannemiller Tyson Associates, with about 15 people connected with the firm credited as contributors. With origins like these, it's no wonder that the book is chock full of phrases like, "If you facilitate a paradigm shift among enough microcosms, the entire organization will share the experience." But don't let the lame language scare you off. If you want to learn change management strategies, sooner or later you're going to have to pick up consultant-ese. Once you do, you'll be intrigued by the concepts set down in this book about whole-scale change and the use of microcosms in bringing about organizational change. In fact, we [...] strongly recommend this book for its innovative ideas, in spite of its tortured prose.

Relevant to my review is the fact that I was fortunate enough to intern with the late Kathie Dannemiller 20 years ago, when she was developing and applying her processes to improving student services at the University of Michigan. With this perspective, I can really appreciate the value of Whole-Scale Change, and attest to the reader about its worth, as I have personally experienced it.

The book is full of the authors' collective wisdom, and rich material that walks the reader through their model for changing the whole organization. Their concept of "One Mind, One Heart" is a great metaphor for getting everyone in an organization aligned with Purpose, and is really the "magic" behind Whole Scale Change. When everyone is aligned, the entire organization pulls together in support of each other to achieve its purpose.

Another huge benefit of Whole Scale Change is that the organization automatically achieves team building at the same time it is re-creating itself.

Organizational development practitioners and human resources professionals should be very interested in this book. Add to that any management consultants who are trying to effect a "culture change."

For those who would like to apply this process -- your own personal style & integrity are so fundamental to success that unless you can "walk the talk," don't even try it. Loving the work more than the money is a fundamental concept that a practitioner would have to have. Kathie Dannemiller especially was so real with clients that it helped them overcome barriers to openness, and enabled the magic to happen.

A few other key concepts that resonate throughout the book:
"Action Learning" is another way of saying you have to "trust the process" to get the right results, even though the steps to get there might change along the way. Life is like that.

Remember that in large-scale organization change, none of this has been done with these people, under these conditions, which means you will have to also make adjustments in real-time (also known as "improvisation") to deal with realities and learnings from the group events. Whole Scale Change does an excellent job by allowing for this, and cites many examples to show what it looks like. Also, "Everyone's truth is the truth" - to believe this you have to have a sincere & abiding respect for people - that may not be possible for every organization's leaders, which will limit the results.

The book includes excellent references for further reading, and also great discussions on how Whole Scale was influenced by other practitioners (a thinking bibliography) that were very valuable.