Organizations Books

David D'Alessandro's second "Warfare" book (after Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand) is one of the top career books available. Check out the reviews for the original edition (Career Warfare: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Personal Brand and Fighting to Keep It). This "newly revised" 2008 edition includes little new information, as other reviewers have already pointed out. Still, if you don't own the first edition, put this one on your wishlist immediately--it's the best of D'Allessandro's "Warfare" series.

This book should have been called "How to make people think of you as the best thing that happened to them".

The 10 rules in this book, provided you make a concious effort to follow them, are not only going to change your professional life but also going to make your personality outside work dynamite as well.

THIS IS NOT A SELF HELP BOOK ! This book does not tell you about how the secret of the universe is visible to those who seek it and whatever else these self help authors write to fill pages upon pages in their books.

This is a book which is based on common sense. It talks of the things that you and me probably know are true and have experienced them in our daily lives yet we dont focus on them too much.

This book has collected all those random thoughts into a concrete place. It talks of all the pitfalls that an average working man/woman will encounter during their lives and also gives real life examples on how to make the best of those situations.

The last chapter, for me, was the best. It just summed up so many things in just a few pages.

This is a crucial read for anyone who wants to make sure that his career and personal life are successful and exciting.

Whether you're looking to thrive in a large company or launch a successful start up, David D'Allesandro's book will help you get there sooner. Combining C-level experience with street-smarts, D'Allesandro delivers actionable insights and powerful recommendations on everything from using the power of information to stand out to keeping clients happy.

This review is specifically for this paperback 2008 edition.

Career Warfare was originally published in 2004, and it is one of the best books on personal career strategies and development that one could ever find. It's very straight forward, to the point that sometimes it could be brutally honest, and very realistic. It reminds us that we need to look beyond our own frames of reference, understanding things from our boss' point of views, and most importantly to always be on top of our games, since the higher we go, the more battles we could expect along the way.

Having said that, I've read both the 2004 and 2008 edition and compared the two page by page. The only updates I've seen is in the introduction and on pages 112, 113, and 114 when talking about making sure that one chooses a place of employment where the opportunity of advancement is not controlled by only one "exclusive" group. The content is basically the same between the two editions - it's just a paragraph or two was added in the examples.

If you have not owned/read this book, I highly recommend this masterpiece to you. I think it's a must own book for anybody's library. On the other hand, if you've owned the 2004 edition, I don't see how a couple of paragraph updates would justify spending another $ 16.95 on this book. This is why I only gave it four stars instead of five.

This book was very informative. It was helpful in the understanding of the vast size of the non-profit sector job types. It also gave many helpful ideas on how to get into non-profit job fields from the private sector.

This is a remarkably comprehensive and well-written book. It not only covers everything you need to know as a newcomer to the nonprofit sector -- the different types of nonprofits, their "personalities," their business models, their developmental stages, the issues they address -- but also how to identify the right positions and to best present yourself to a new and quite different audience. Gassner Otting provides informed analysis about cutting edge developments in the nonprofit sector, such as venture philanthropy, social enterprises, and socially-responsible businesses.

The tone is pitch perfect. There's no breathless fluff, no Dr. Phil, no "What Color is Your Parachute?" Gassner Otting knows her audience and treats them like the experienced professionals they are. The content is consistently meaty and extremely well-organized, and her observations are uniformly astute and insightful, never facile or cliched. Consider the following example:

"Nonprofits in transition tend to be three to seven years past their start-up mode. They are often on their second or even third executive director, and they have begun adding senior staff positions, like operations, finance, or administration directors.... Great opportunities exist for corporate career changes in these organizations, as long as you don't try to transition the organization too quickly."

And this:

"Founders can be enormously exciting to work for, especially when they are in their element... However, founder types in nonprofits in transition, at a steady and stable point, or in decline can be phenomenally destructive. As in the for-profit sector, the nonprofit sector recognizes 'founder's syndrome,' even if the founder doesn't. No founder wants to stay past their prime, but most simply don't see that it has passed. In fact, staff and board are often complicit in founder's syndrome, continuing to remain supportive in public even if they have begun snickering in private."

I was particularly impressed with the way Gassner Otting extracts patterns and grouped information in ways that are consistently useful to the reader. Examples include her descriptions of the types of nonprofits (including their personalities), nonprofit trends, nonprofit myths and stereotypes about private-sector expatriates, organizational life cycles, and analysis of job titles and org. charts. Her taxonomies and commentary are comprehensive and richly informative. Also, she provides a number of useful profiles of successful career changers, which, contrary to usual practice, don't sound like they were written for People magazine.

Her advice about job search strategies, networking, informational interviewing, and resumes and cover letters is far above average, with much more sophisticated examples of well-written communications. This is entirely appropriate for her intended audience of job seekers who already have successful careers behind them. She provides excellent advice about how to translate private-sector experience into the language of nonprofits. Her appendix of resources is both comprehensive and selective, including jobs boards by interest area, executive search firms servicing the nonprofit sector, and educational resources by state and online.

As Gassner Otting states, "even in the best of circumstances, job searches are long, arduous, and often lonely processes." I cannot imagine that any successful person thinking about transitioning into the nonprofit world would not benefit enormously from this truly outstanding and definitive text on the subject.

Laura Gassner Otting's new book is a terrific resource for people of all ages who are interested in moving into work in the non-profit sector. She demystifies the process, gives useful hints and fills the reader with tools, energy and hope. Her writing combines energetic idealism with practical ideas for moving forward. Anyone interested in jobs in the non-profit sector would be well-served by this book!

This book is uncanny in its accuracy and surgical in its analysis of the issues those looking to change from the business world to the non-profit world will encounter. It seems at times that the author was there as I discovered the language, disposition, motivational, resource and work-style differences I have encountered in my own effort to transition to non-profit work.

Firstly, it demystifies the non-profit world by categorizing and organizing it for the reader, explaining the many and non-obvious differences between family foundations, advocacy and service groups, founder-led, executive director-guided and board driven organizations. Nowhere is the modern non-profit sector better explained.

Secondly, it is fantastically useful to help business people understand how they and their business accomplishments will be viewed in the non-profit world. Included is advice on the small presentation "tweaks" can turn a hard-nosed business `achievement' into a `contribution' interesting to the non-profit ear. The reader is treated like an interested and intelligent being while being taught these basics. While consistent themes run throughout the book, you are not bludgeoned with the constant repetition characteristic of so many career books. A vast majority of the many examples and war stories are told positively and with clear lessons.

Worth keeping as a reference or passing on to the next one you meet facing the change, I am surprised that Amazon has the book available for resale, but encouraged that resale prices are so close to the new price.....this book is a bargain at twice the price.

Archbishop Sheen's work is an accessible text that provides a set of reflections that can deepen one's spiritual journey and redirect their eyes to the beauty and depth of the Passion narratives. Each chapter suffices to itself as a reflection, expounding on a certain characteristics of the given individual(s) to whom reflection is aimed. From these characteristics, the beloved Archbishop expresses the potential paths for spiritual growth, given the information learned from each individual's actions. This is accomplished in reflecting on both the good actions as well as by means of pointing out the negative actions taken. Although the text is particularly dated by a few references to Communism, the specter of Marxist thought in the present day does not eliminate the applicability of even these points.

In particular, it would be most excellent to read these reflections during Holy Week. They are most timely during that period because of their links to the Passion of Christ. Nonetheless, these reflections are most pertinent to life at all times and can be read with full strength at any point of the year. Archbishop Sheen's work is a most edifying set of reflections that provide depth while remaining very accessible to even the non-theologian.

Bishop Sheen as inspiritional as ever. This book is both a history book and a religion book. For those of us who know the Passion and Death of Our Lord so well (or so we think) this is a real eye opener. Ideal for Lent or anytime of the year. Personal meditation.

At age 82, and having been exposed to the wisdom of Bishop Sheen since I was about age 14, I have missed the voice and person of this wonderful priest. He is nominated for sainthood and his life surely qualifies him for this honor. His "Characters of the Passion" offers an on the scene glimpse of those close to Jesus Christ at His crucifixion, their motives and their actions. Bishop Sheen authored some sixty books. I have read many of them. "Characters of the Passion" is among his best. I hope to have read all that are still available While I'm still able to read.

Joseph L. Taylor
Grafton, WI

Bishop Sheen is an excellent source of wisdom, and he doesn't fail us here. In each chapter, he discusses one of the characters of the passion (Peter, Judas, Pilate, Herod, Claudia and Herodias, Barabbas and the thieves) and shows us what lessons we can draw from each of them--how what the Gospels have to say about them can change the way we live our lives.

A small book, but a powerful book.

No one in the world (and I state that with full confidence) knows more about Chartres Cathedral than Malcolm Miller. What more needs to be said?

No visit to Chartres is complete without taking the tour of the Cathedral's walking encyclopedia Malcolm Miller. Miller's books are fantastic and give a tremendous insight into the history of Chartres and its Cathedral.

This is a superbly executed book on the famous Chartres cathedral, a gothic masterpiece which sits some 50 miles to the south west of Paris. Its reputation and geographic proximity to Paris assure its place as a frequent "day trip" for visitors and tourists to Paris who wish to see one of the apogees of gothic development. If you have the opportunity to visit Chartres, you most certainly will find Miller's text right in Chartres' own bookstore, as the book is truly a work worthy to be sold "on site." That fact alone speaks to the quality of this volume.

Miller's text provides a short introduction to the gothic movement, as well as the background of Chartres cathedral itself. But the focus on this book is the stained glass found in the cathedral, with a window-by-window detail of the glass, its date, and the allusions each window makes to the outside world. As such, this makes the book a valuable reference work, because one can follow the story from window to window in a way that would be difficult on-site without many days of time to do so (and using binoculars to help out!). The choice of focusing on the stained glass, rather than other features present in gothic cathedrals is justified: Chartres has some of the oldest and most-intact original stained glass of any cathedral in France, and is perhaps the single item among many others for which the structure is famous. Chartres is what is called a "dark cathedral," meaning that the available light inside the edifice is relatively low, making the interior a difficult place to see the architectural elements. But in such a setting, the stained glass takes on a "glowing" characteristic that is visually dramatic. To have a book so carefully lay out the windows for review is quite an achievement.

This is a paperback book done on large-size paper, but the covers and individual pages are of extremely high quality, durable, and glossy finish. The photographic reproductions are first-rate, and the graphic artwork used to present the material is also professionally developed. One flip through the volume and you'll be glad you added it to your library.

Malcolm Miller is the foremost English authority on the cathedral of Chartres. He divides his time between the town of Chartres, where he personally conducts tours, and the rest of the world where he lectures and makes films and videos of the subject. He opens his tours and lectures by commenting that the cathedral is like a library--and we don't just say, "We're going to go to the library today and read all the books". Each tour or lecture consists of a general introduction and focuses on a small part of the stained glass and statuary. The core of the book is a review of the iconography of a selection of the windows and sculpture. In this manner, you learn how to "read the books" in the cathedral, and gain an understanding of the world that produced them. Once you have toured Chartres, either in person or through that other medieval miracle, printing, you will want to return again and again.

I recommend this book because it is Biblical in content, Basic in communication, and Believable in character restoration and reconcilation. Pastors, Denominational leaders, and Christian Education workers alike, can benefit from the inspired guidelines the author gives, along with his own victory over personal "giants" that he himself overcame; giving him the experience to write about this all important subject matter.

My relationship with Jesus has made an impact in my life, and it's brought me renewal and healing. This is the same thing that I want to see in the church today -- people finding healing and restoration. Unfortuntately the church is often a "toxic" environment without acceptance of each other and without real intimate sharing of love and true heart-felt fellowship. But, that's what the gospel is all about! Bringing people forgiveness and reconcilation to their heavenly father and to each other. This is what God wants the church to become!

Pastor Murren's book gives excellent guidelines on how to change the local body to become a church that can make an impact on people. He points out the messy problems that bringing true healing to people entails, and helps you to sight on the long-term goals, rather than the short-term problems. He also brings a lot of real-world examples (both positive and negative) that show how powerfully the Spirit can move in the church as well as bad-examples to avoid. Pastor Murren is transparent and talks about his own problems and short-comings, and his advice helps you to see your own problems, but how God can still work and use you and your church for His work. I found his book very useful and see it as a great resource for doing ministry in the 21st century

In a down-to-earth and honest manner, Murren reminds us of the Church's purpose and call to those in need. His stories and personal experiences, when matched with biblical truths, are a genuine reminder of how churches should operate. This book not only initiated my own introspection into how I deal with others, but offered biblical direction into how I should deal with others. Overall a very valuable read.

Many churches are struggling to find a way to reach the people of their community. This book reminds us that the focus should be on ministering to the broken. Doug provides practical advice on how to accomplish this. Our local church is in disarray and searching for a new pastor. I found this book to provide some practical insight as to the characteristics that we should strive for in rebuilding our church and selecting a pastor. It should be prayfully read by every pastor and deacon. It describes the focus that the local church needs to be relevant to the 21st century.

An excellent book on how to coach others in the work place. The book explains what coaching is (not just a buzz word) and gives you the 8 Skill Coaching Model - a process for coaching discussions. Chapter 5 talks about versatile coaching and dealing with the differences that exists between people. Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin is a newer publication by the authors. It provides much of the same information and more.

I've have used this book with my entire management team and recommend other books from Dr. Steven Stowell on communication, coaching, and performance improvement. Most notably the book Win-Win Partnerships: Be on the Leading Edge with Synergistic Coachin covers much of the same content, but in a newer format. This however, is a classic that should be in your library if you're interested in Coaching in the workplace. Most of the Coaching books I've purchase are soft and weak in their content. Many of these don't really offer a process on "how to coach" or even explain what coaching is. Other books seem to be a "make you feel good" style of book, but don't offer hard skills to coach others for performance. I guess this is why the term "coaching" seems to be misused and abused which I find frustrating. This book offers tangible content and more. This is why it is so respected in the corporate environment and is often required reading in many educational institutions. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

I have used this book and a previous book of the authors to assist me in teaching their 3day course in a large company. The book is practical and presents the coaching process as a story the reader gets involved in as he/she is getting involved in the 8 Step Process in the classroom. A number 1 learning tool. It also serves as excellent independent reading as a how-to book which captures the reader's interest.

Short - easy to read and filled with concrete "how-to" information on a collaborative process for facilitating change in someone's performance. The author's 8-step model is based on 20 years research into the "best practices" of successful business performance managers. Very common sense and practical.

I have read this phenomenal work three times and still get something new with each read. What amazes me, as a former Roman Catholic, is the fact that this 14th century commentary is still relevant to the Liturgy to which all Orthodox Christians are familiar. This would not be so for a 14th century commentary of any western liturgy, since they have changed so radically since then. The debth and profundity of this reading are astounding. Any Orthodox Christian who is serious about his faith and wants a fuller appreciation of the the rich liturgical tradition which is the hallmark of the Orthodox Church should read this book.

This is probably the best book available on Orthodox worship. It might not match the current liturgy exactly, and it might not be as extensive in it's treatment as some more modern liturgical texts, but whatever is lacking in this book is more than made up for in it's depth and profundity. St. Nicholas goes through the liturgy part by part to give a commentary on the fixed portions, compare and contrast western and east liturgical practices, and generally give a sense of what an Orthodox worship service *should* be like. This is required reading for just about all Orthodox Christians, but especially for those who struggle to pay attention during services and even find them boring. I am not saying that this book is going to make the liturgy seem like heaven on earth if you don't already get that feeling; but at the very least, this book shows you the rhyme and reason for all the various things going on during a liturgy.

St. Nicholas Cabasilas (really Kavasilas) is one of the outstanding Orthodox Theologians, who fortunately has been translated into English. This book takes the reader through the most awsome Mysterion of the Church - the Divine Liturgy, and the Holy Eucharist. The Orthodox Theology cannot be seperated from Liturgical Worship, and if you read this book, you will understand why. "Life in Christ" by St. Nicholas is also in English, and a primer on the Orthodox Life in Christ, with its clear, and yet very deep teachings of Purification, Illumination and Theosis. Both vols should be in every home library.

This is a valuable book from the point of view of the theory and practice of worship in the Byzantine Church. For a student of Divine Liturgy this is a must read. The text of the Byzantine liturgy itself is not included in the book and the introduction provided by R M French helps in this direction. The book is outlined in six chapters explaining the meaning of every part of the liturgy. After reading this book the participation in the liturgy will no more be the same.

Cabasilas was a layman who lived in the 13th century. He never attained high ecclesiastical office. Though he wrote a number of books including homilies and lives of saints, his fame rests on his 'Commentary on the Divine Liturgy'.

This is a long book, but well worth the time dedicated to reading it, especially if one is interested in understanding the real causes behind the adoption of mass slavery by Christian Nations as a basis for the economic development of the Americas. Mr. Blackburn is writing about an emotionally charged issue but never falls into the trap of emotion and sentiment. Quite the contrary: in the best tradition of historic studies, he seeks to explain and understand; as the author tells us it would have been theoretically possible to build the plantation economies of the new world upon free labour - but how much more convenient for the European colonizers to use an available (African) pool of slave labour right across the ocean. This was reinforced by the fact that not enough whites were willing to emigrate to the Americas in order to work under the harsh conditions predominant in the plantations.

Ideology also came to the rescue of the European nations; from the 15th to the 18th centuries the churches - either Catholic or Protestant - chose to legitimize black (as opposed to Indian) slavery with complicated, Bible-based theological arguments. That helped monarchs and colonizers maintain a clear conscience while enslaving millions; and Mr. Blackburn underlines the key distinction between ancient world slavery, as practised for instance by the Romans, and its modern era "Christian" version. While the former was intimately connected to the capture of POWs and was rarely perpetuated throughout the generations (manumission being a widespread practice), the latter - being a system geared for economic exploitation - was generally hostile to manumission and condemned for centuries a race QUA race to the horrors of enslavement (something that never happened in the ancient world).

This book should be mandatory reading for European" intellectuals": it would help them put in perspective the achievements of the civilisation they so much admire.

The rise of the modern world is beset by a contradiction: even as the institutions of a new freedom were emerging in a core area the cancer of slavery began to recur its periphery. We should conclude that we have a laboratory study of the nature of economic man in relation to the genuine self-consciousness able to create a new culture, and determined to be finished with the curse of history. This book contains some graphic portraiture of this faultline in modernity, and opens with a gripping depiction of the slavers arriving in the ancient Congo.
Superb work.

This book although by by a writer from the left is a well researched well-written survey of slavery. Without emotion it explains how slavery, something which had practically ceased to exist following the collapse of the Roman World was re-created to provide labour in colonies of the new world.

It describes the setting up of the trade occurred and how it operated in practice. The brutality, the mechanics of how slaves were obtained how they were sold, what they did as slaves.

The absence of passion makes the book an even more powerful indictment of the institution of slavery. It describes how in most of the colonies slaves were over time worked to death. In Brazil, the usual life expectancy was seven years.

The book is challenging as it raises questions about the origin of our societies and seriously challenges the notions that European Society was either civilized or Christian.

"The Making of New World Slavery" by Robin Blackburn. This is an incredibly rich book and for the casual reader, very academic on first glance, but it contains a superbly well researched and written examination of the early roots of chattel slavery which anyone studying the Caribbean or the development of the colonial Atlantic Community should read.

This is not a book you are likely to sit down to and read cover to cover on a long winter's night, but I find myself reading sections and then putting it down, then going back to study some facet or another, and noone would be wasting money to have it in their library if they have any serious interest in understanding Slavery, the "development" of the Americas,or the world we share in the Americas today. As the other reviews have so well stated, this work is delightfully free of ideology or cant and integrates a wealth of information on the subject. We can only hope that future work on the History of the Americas will be done with such impartiality.

Fekete hits the nail on the head with this one. Her premise is that like people, companies have distinct personalities. And, like people, companies have definite preferences for gathering information and communicating it, for making decisions and structuring work, for dealing with difficult times, behaving during conflict, and seeking their source of energy and strength. Their collective preferences regarding these essential acts provide the basic components of company personality.

This is an extremely valuable new book that can be helpful to CEOs, senior management and marketing executives, enabling them to recognize their company as a distinct personality and use this understanding to translate self-awareness into sound business practices and attitude.

I am someone who has spent about 20 years working in several organizations with different management flavors, in different gegraphies and I have always wondered why some companies thrive and the others simply survive, if not worse.

Companies are People, Too (CAP2) is an amazing "Finger on the Pulse" that any organization MUST undertake in order to Thrive.

CAP2 - both as in inward looking excercise (introspection) and an forward /upward looking (growth, long term plans) excercise that companies with an eye on the bottom line, value add to customers and shareholders must undertake.

CAP2 is not the usual "run of the mill" I've been there, seen it, did it and here is my account kinda book that seemingly fills up the cases of most bookstores. CAP2 is a factual documentary - almost a Bible for Managers / Owners / Aspiring Entrepreneurs and just about anyone who wants his or her or their business to thrive. CAP2 is the bottom line of Management Truth Seekers and I believe it should be included as a mandatory part of good management school curriculum.

CAP2 comes cheap for the richness that it contains within. CAP2 is the harvest of a great deal of thought, observation, uncanny instinct and utlimately Divine Wisdom.

CAP2 is for those that are born to suceed, who will themselves to suceed.

CAP2 is and will be a hall mark book, a once in a lifetime effort. Sandra Fekete needs to be honored, congratulated and thanked for such a wonderful and timely contribution for people who strive to make better organizations.

This book offers an in-depth description of how personality traits can be used to help understand a company's culture, using the well-known Myers-Briggs system.
What makes this book so interesting is that it provides a system for understanding company personalities and corporate culture in a new way - yet it uses a system that many of us are already familiar with (the MBTI). It's very easy to understand even without understanding the MBTI.
The book contains a sample questionnaire, then covers each of the 16 types in much more detail. For each of the 16 company personality types, the book gives a Snapshot, Characteristic Strengths, Characteristic Weaknesses, Work Environment, Values, Communication Style, Sources of Energy, Signs of Stress, Behavior during Conflict, Approaches to Managing Change, Ideal Clients, Core Values and a Case Study company.
As if that wasn't enough, it goes on to look at leadership styles, again with a sample questionaire and detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use the results be a more effective leader.
The book has a great deal of good information packaged in a way that is useful and well-organized. The information is practical, easy to follow and able to be applied immediately.

In his very influential book, "Emotional Intelligence," Daniel Goleman said that self-awareness is the core emotional competency, but how do you build self-awareness and how do you translate it into action? In "Companies Are People, Too," Sandra Fekete provides us with a clear and highly practical approach to answering those questions.

Most of us think of organizations as "things," not people, but organizations are comprised of people who build its culture, the shared beliefs, values, and norms that define its purpose and operating style. In addition, most of us think of "self-awareness" as applying to individuals; we don't think of organizations as becoming self-aware, but Fekete explains that organizations need to do precisely that if they plan to be successful and fulfill their mission.

The book uses the 16 types identified by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to help an organization build awareness of its unique personality. This is an excellent choice because many people in organizations are familiar with the MBTI and regard it as an effective tool. I happen to like the MBTI, and have used it in executive coaching and team building, but Fekete has taken the approach far beyond these applications by showing how an organization can use what it learns about its personality to shape all facets of its operation, from strategic planning to building brand identity. I especially like the suggestions given for how an organization can leverage its strengths, and identify and overcome its weaknesses. This extremely well written and timely book is must reading for leaders, and for consultants and others working with organizations to build their future.

This useful book gives a short history of most popular hymns that you will encounter in the Protestant churches. The music in not included, but all the words to all the verses are there. It has proven valuable when giving a brief history before singing a hymn. The participants are much more appreciative of the hymn after hearing a story about how it was written.

Most of the histories given are about the author of the words and not about the composers of the hymns.

Conducting worship services at a Senior's Care facility, I find that they love to sing especially the old hymns but have short attention spans when it comes to sermons or messages. This book allows me to use a recommended scripture passage and then a little bit about the background and composer of each hymn rather than a long message. The participants are very interested in this information, the feed back has been very positive. As well the themes of the hymn is listed and the words of the hymns are also printed which makes it easy for someone who doesn't read music to read the words and compare to the theme for clarity.

This book is a hefty volume at almost 700 pages, but, of course, it covers 600 hymns and praise songs. Each entry averages just over 1 page in length. All the old standards are covered, as well as many less commonly-known ones, including many that I do not know. By far, most of the entries are hymns. Off hand, I'd probably say that around 90% or more of the songs referenced were written before 1950. This book is well-organized. The songs are organized by topic, and there are indexes by title, author, and theme.

Here is a sample entry that I opened to randomly: I Need Thee Every Hour. We learn the hymn was written by a 37-year-old Brooklyn housewife while she was busy with her household chores. She could closely feel the nearness of God, and she sat by an open window and wrote out all the verses. When she gave them to her pastor, he wrote the chorus and the music. Evangelist Dwight L. Moody discovered the hymn and began using it in his meetings, which led to it becoming famous. After that background information, we are given several Bible verse references (not the text of the verses themselves) related to the hymn's topic (Psalm 86:1-4, Psalm 109:22, Philippians 4:19), the themes of the hymn (prayer, meditation), and then the lyrics of the hymn.

I have a few small gripes with the book. There are several newer praise songs that do not have lyrics included, presumably because they are under copyright and permission was not granted for their use. And, there are a few of these newer praise songs that are rather short that I would have left out, but that's a small gripe.

Overall, this is a valuable resource for any Christian. This book is nice for looking up a particular hymn, but also for just browsing through. In that sense, it could be a good "coffee table book," while also being of benefit in personal or family devotions, or church music ministry. It might also be a way to find some new hymns of value. You can always look up a hymn at CyberHymnal to hear the accompanying music! I highly recommend this book.

Many book titles are misleading; but not this one. This is a BIG BOOK of Hymn stories. Highly recommended if you need/want this kind of info about the history of the church hymns we sing.