Organizations Books

1. Self-managing organizations are dynamic and capable of continuous organizational learning. The basic principles of self-managing organizations are as follows a. employees have all knowledge, information, and skills to make all decisions that concern them b. Control and coordination authority is located as close to the people actually in contact with the work process or customers. C. Authority is based on expertise and competence d. management and leadership is shared functions widely distributed across levels and departments e. access to information and feedback is instantaneous and transparent. F. Support systems are congruent and synergistic g. the role of management is redesigned to focus on value creation for customers, shareholders, and employees.

2. In complex adaptive system there exists a redundancy function. Redundancy function has a variety increasing effect on the organism's potential for responding adaptively to environmental demands. Complex adaptive systems are capable of a high degree of cooperative behavior, where self-managing groups of agents can produce higher-order behaviors that no single agent could accomplish on its own.

3. Self-managing organizations have a superior competitive advantage because they build redundancy by extending the skills and functions of their people and by relocating responsibility for control and coordination of work to the level at which the work is actually performed.

4. Why does TQM almost always fail? TQM fails because: a. long drawn out projects lose energy, momentum, and relevance in a fast-changing business environment b. the rehashing of competitor ideas versus creating capabilities that can't be copied easily, practices that are embedded within, and growth out of the uniqueness of the company culture. C. Senior management often think they are exempt from the transformational focus and divert change to middle and lower levels of the organization d. many consulting firms specialize in reengineering focus on implementing new technology or redesigning the work process.

5. When employees are engaged in creating a vision or mission, the statements are much broader to why they are doing their work than any leader would give them.

6. Participation transforms a bureaucratic organization into an empowered workforce aligned for high performance. The cardinal rule of the participative design method is that no designs are ever imposed. Organizational change and transformation is smoother and changes are sustained because employees are truly architects of the design process.

"We soon realized that many companies which adopted such methods were caught in the middle between two competing organizational paradigms: the bureaucratic and democratic. In our analysis, these methods failed to transform the DNA, or fundamental design principle, that informs how organizations are structured and managed...When we understood that these two diamectrically opposed traditions for designing and managing organizations were competng for dominance, it became clear to us why managrs and employees were often being bombarded by mixed messages and a confusing mishmash of structures, management styles, and techniques. The bureaucratic and democratic design principles are based on different logics; each constitutes a distinct class with a specific genetic order...When these logics are mixed together in efforts to shore up the failings of bureaucracy, empowerment and reengineering efforts often fizzle because the basic tenets of a traditional hierarchy have not been uprooted...This book describes the principles and methods for designing the self-managing organization. We show how companies in any industry can change and evolve to become fully self-managing organizations"(from the Preface).

In this context, Ronald E. Purser and Steven Cabana, in Chapter 8, outline fundamental choices of two competing organizational design paradigms as following:

I- Bureaucratic Structure: Coordination and control of work tasks is done by supervisor.

1. Mind Set...*People have specialized skills and are easily replaced. *The work (technical system) is designed first. The people (social system) must adopt and fit in. *Workers are cogs in the machine of the enterprise, a commodity. *Total specialization of everything. *Within a complex organization, simple jobs are created. *Tthe building block of the organization is one person- one task. *Competitive structures, processes and reward systems are the best way to produce high performance.

2. People Act As If...*The environment our enterprise exists in is stable and unchanging. *There is little to learn at work; success comes from reacting resourcefully to problems. *Procedures are sufficient to guide behavior. Change interferes with productivity and can often be postponed. *Responsibility, and blame can be shifted to others; we are separate and therefore I can win at your expense. *We don't need to coordinate work closely with other functions. Their problems are their problems. *Unspoken assumptions need not to be explored. Simple solutions to problems are adequate.

II- Democratic Structure: Coordination and control of work is done by those doing the work.

1. Mind Set...*People possess many skill sets and can do many jobs/functions. *The needs of the work (technical system) are balanced with the needs of the doers of the work (social system). *People are learners. Machines and information systems can extend the skill set of employees to many functions. *As little as possible is specified, leaving the rest to the skill and discreation of the workers. *Complex jobs are created within a simple organizational structure. *The building block of organization is the self-managed work team. *Cooperative structures and reward systems are the best way to produce high performance.

2. People Act As If...*The environment our enterprise exists in is constantly changing. *Skepticism and doubt are valuable and enable continuous learning. *Outcomes are best reached with flexibility built into the approach. *I am fully responsible for any work I agree to perform. *Every task is part of some larger whole. I can't win at your expense. *Everyone's ideas are taken seriously. Cooperation is essential for our mutual survival. *Making our assumptions explicit and exploring them is worth the temporary discomfort.

Hence, in order to transform an entire enterprise to self-management, they discuss these choices within the context of Participative Design method. And they argue that "Dmocratic business organizations won't solve all the world's problems, but they will be places where people can find meaning in their work. Work becomes meaningful when people have attained real membership status, when work is restored to its rightful place, which adds value to both the customer and to the worker, and when people are shapers and creators of the organization's future."

Highly recommended.

This book contains a number practical nuggets for executives and middle managers who are seeking to move from a command and control management style to a style that systematically enlists the participation of employees at every level of the organization. Purser and Cabana provide insightful analyses of how some of the world's most successful organizations have initiated efforts toward higher employee participation that have resulted in superior organizational performance.

This is an easy to read book that blends practical theory with best practices. This book will satisfy the interests of bottom-line focused executives, human resource professionals, and academics who are looking for actual implementations of sound theory about self-managing organizations.

The book introduces a set of organizing principles that are valid across a variety of industries. These principles are introduced in the context of case studies of distinctly different companies such as Motorola, Microsoft, and Charles Schwab. The authors shed light on age-old management dilemmas such as, "How can I give people more autonomy, but still ensure that we have order and productivity in the organization?" and "How can I accelerate people's learning that I know will be critical to our future, but still have them accomplish their business tasks that need to be finished today?" The authors present solid self-management principles that I have seen work in small and large-sized firms, and for industries as diverse as professional services and hi tech manufacturing. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in improving organizational performance by creating opportunities for higher employee participation.

-- Tom Devane (tdevane@iex.net)

If you are struggling with questions related to your business strategy, how work is designed, and the way your organization ought to be managed - READ THIS BOOK. "The Self Managing Organization" (by Ronald E. Purser and Steven Cabana) explains why we have been on a merry-go-round of quick fixes and false promises, and what to do about it. The concepts and real applications in this book move everyone back to ground zero. By the time you finish reading, your thinking will have changed about what it takes to produce effective change, and how self-organization can be facilitated.

It will take a while to read the book. Take the time. The first half analyzes the key management methods of the recent past and dissects what went wrong. You'll understand the principles which facilitate organizational learning, put in place a team-based system of shared responsibility, and re-energize the workforce and management at all levels of the business. You'll also understand why we continue to make costly mistakes when we go about changing organizations and what it takes to be successful right now.

In the second half of the book, Purser and Cabana describe the "how" of moving from today's inadequate practices, to a lean, non-bureaucratic, and powerful future. You'll learn how to develop an urgency for change, get the right people involved, develop common, tangible goals and accelerate their implementation. One benefit of the approaches described is a results-oriented future built from a shared understanding of the business environment. Another is an energized leadership with a shared vision, and a workforce whose local knowledge is translated into effective work designs. Swift deployment throughout the organization occurs.

You might see alignment of the practical concepts in "The Self Managing Organization" with those of John P. Kotter. The alignment is, in fact, perfect with Kotter's Eight-Stage Process of Creating Major Change, as written in his "Leading Change" book. Kotter beautifully frames the steps that EVERY successful organization goes through when making fundamental change. What Purser and Cabana do is describe HOW to rapidly and effectively move your organization through those major changes. There are only two books on my recommended list. "The Self Managing Organization" pushed Kotter's book out of the number one slot. If you need permanent, pervasive change in your business, don't miss it!

Rob McClusky, Baldrige Manager, Picker International, Cleveland, Ohio

In Separate by Degree, Prof. Miller-Bernal brings to life the history of women's higher education at different institutions. The various approaches to educating women and the changes along the way are presented in a well-rounded manner and make for interesting reading. A lot of ground is covered here and some hallowed halls of learning receive tough scrutiny. Insightful, well-written and pertinent for many different kinds of readers, I recommend this book. As a Wells College graduate who took part in the four-year study, the second half of the book was of special interest to me. There were a couple of surprises when I got to review how my fellow students had responded to questions posed to us over ten years ago and a bit of regret that I can't exactly remember how I responded myself! The actual data from the survey may not be for everyone, but Prof. Miller-Bernal presents it clearly and draws some thoughtful conclusions that are relevant to the endangered status of women's single-sex education today.

In Separate by Degree, Prof. Miller-Bernal brings to life the history of women's higher education at different institutions. The various approaches to educating women and the changes along the way are presented in a well-rounded manner and make for interesting reading. A lot of ground is covered here and some hallowed halls of learning get tough scrutiny. Insightful, well-written and pertinent for many different kinds of readers, I recommend this book. As a Wells graduate who took part in the four-year study, the second half of the book was of special interest to me. There were a couple of surprises when I got to review how my fellow students had responded to questions posed to us over ten years ago and a bit of regret that I can't exactly remember how I responded myself! The actual data from the four year survey may not be for everyone, but Prof. Miller-Bernal presents it clearly and draws some thoughtful conclusions that are relevant to the endangered status of women's single-sex education today.

Choosing the right college is a difficult decision. For many it is based upon reasons that may not be totally valid. For some, the choice is not given much thought at all. For this reason, Professor Miller-Bernal's new book, Separate by Degree, should be on the reference shelves of our libraries and in the guidance offices of our high schools, for Professor Miller-Bernal gives some cogent reasons why single-sexed education might be a more suitable option for many of our young women.

Professor Miller-Bernal has done extensive and well-documented research on the treatment of women in four different kinds of colleges. She takes us to Wells (a small single-sexed institution), Middlebury, (a long-time coeducational college), Hobart and William Smith ( a coordinate school), and Kirkland/Hamilton (once a coordinate school and now a coeducational institution). She is totally honest about the good and bad points of all four colleges and has thoroughly researched what is happening to the women who graduated in the class of '88. She also tells us about the academic and social opportunities for women at these different institutions and how women fared in positions of leadership and responsibility in campus life. She shares suggestions on how all four colleges might better serve their female populations.

Professor Miller-Bernal has also done extensive research into the history of women's colleges. The cliche, "You've come a long way, baby," really does say it all in this case. Fortunately, society's reasons for educating women have changed, and truly it is only in recent years that women are finally receiving some sort of equitable treatment in higher education. Anyone interested in learning about women's struggle for rights will find this book enlightening and informative.

Madeline Nelson Teacher West Islip Public School System

Leslie Miller-Bernal's Separate By Degree is a timely, engaging and accessible book about the important differences in the educational experiences of women who attend women's colleges compared to those who attend coeducational institutions. The book is timely because it calls on the reader to reconsider the value of single-sex education at a critical moment of decline in the history of women's colleges. The book is engaging because Miller-Bernal tells an exciting and frustrating story of the struggle of women for gender equity in higher education. And the book is accessible, thanks to the easily understood manner in which the author writes.

Professor Miller-Bernal argues that single-sex education still has advantages for women. Those advantages include: a high proportion of women faculty who can act as role models for students; more opportunities for young women to develop leadership skills; and a supportive atmosphere where women do not have to defer to men. Her argument is based on quality research, including longitudinal surveys of women students at four Northeastern colleges: Wells, Middlebury, William Smith and Hamilton. The histories of the colleges are described in rich detail, the differences in the experiences of women students at the four institutions are carefully compared and contrasted, and the most recent literature on single-sex education is well presented and thoughtfully critiqued.

Although Professor Miller-Bernal asks the reader to reconsider the value of single-sex education for women, she does not fall into the nostalgia trap. She recognizes some of the past and current limitations of women's colleges, and she details the many factors that have made coeducational institutions more viable than women's colleges. She ends Separate By Degree with a set of recommendations for applying the beneficial aspects of women's colleges to coeducational institutions and a caveat--If colleges are really concerned about women and equality, they will have to attend carefully to meeting the needs of all women students and never waiver from the goal of achieving gender equity.

What a wonderful resource! I'm a mother of 9 year old twin boys, and I've had a hard time figuring out good sports and activities for them to join, and which ones to avoid. I feel like everyday the boys come home with a different sport they want to join and it's so hard to pick. This book was a GREAT way to help us all figure out what would be the best for them to do. It's so easy to use and so easy to find what you are looking for right away. It has outlined notes and information about each sport that is extremely helpful in selecting the right sport for your kids. Both my boys are in baseball, but one of my sons has talked a lot lately about karate. After reading the section on Karate I talked to him about it, so he would know more about what to expect. Overall, I think this book is a helpful tool for parents to have, and I am sure I will use it over and over again in the next few years as the boys try out new activities and sports.

This book is a marvelous reference for any parent who is going through the activity/sports craze with their children. As a teacher and a parent of two boys I am well aware of the increased amount of activities and sports kids are getting involved with at a young age. With my boys, I have gone through the sign up process, only to find my house filled with moans and complaints when practices and game days come along. Not only is this book a helpful reference to finding out more about specific sports and activities, but it has useful information about dealing with kids wanting to quit and positive ways to get to the bottom of it. This book has been a great help to me in dealing with both my sons, finding out what they like best, and what I can expect as a parent.

Sign Me Up! is a great guide for parents for looking to find out more about after-school sports and activities. As a mother of three it is not always easy to balance everyone�s schedules. My 10 year old daughter as already joined two different sports and quit because the physical demands where too much for her, and she was clearly not having fun. With her I have realized she needs more one on one time, and I have been looking for sports and activities that could offer her this. This kind of information is exactly what I have been finding in Sign Me Up! Not only do I feel like I know more about what each sport and activity will entail, but I can tell my kids more about what they can expect and help them make their decision before signing up. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone! It�s wonderful for parents with kids of all ages!

In today's busy world, how do parents know when they should cut back on their child's extra-curricular activities? Not wanting to disappoint their children, many parents sign them up for more activities than they can handle. How can parents choose which activities are best suited for their children, and how can they find out more about each one?

The book, "Sign Me Up!" by Stacy DeBroff, is a wonderful place for parents to begin familiarizing themselves with all the programs that exist today. This book is more than a guide -- it's a bible! Parents should refer to this book often before making a decision to sign their children up for any activity. From this book readers will learn what an activity is about, what costs are usually involved, what to look for in a good coach or teacher, and many more answers to other important questions.

MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book -- parents will feel like they are getting advice from a good friend...important advice that will enable them to set up a healthy activity schedule for their children.

A great read and a great reference source, and beautifully illustrated as well. But, "Signs and Mysteries" is more than that: it takes us on a pilgrimage of sorts, delivering "urgent messages" from our ancient brothers and sisters in Christ, because, as Mike Aquilina tells us of the symbols he explicates:

"The first Christians traced those lines because they wanted them to stand forever as a perpetual prayer, for remembrance of the dead, for the perseverance of the living, and for deliverance in times of trial."


Exploring these ancient (but still relevant) symbols is far more than an archaeological exercise. "Signs and Mysteries" is a fascinating read and a valuable reference, as well as a visual feast, but just as importantly, it's about connections to our Christian family. It is a personal book in the best sense of the word -- a book that connects us, through the shared and vital language of symbols, to the person of Jesus Christ.

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is a book that brings our ancient Christian past to light. Any book by Mike Aquilina will edify and entertain in equal parts, but this book also adds an emotional connection to the mix. The systematic explication of the ancient symbols of our Christian faith somehow shortens the distance between then and now. The introduction describes the spiritual renewal of minority Christians in Aleppo, Syria through visits to local ancient ruins. An archaeologist explained to the Syrians the meaning of the Christian symbols in the ruins, showing the long history of Christianity there and how the meaning of the symbols continued to resonate down through the centuries. This book will do the same for you. The illustrations by Lea Mari Ravotti are beautifully clear and simple and full of life. The phoenix and the dolphin, the peacock and the anchor will have new meaning for you after reading Signs and Mysteries. This book would also make a beautiful gift.

Signs and Mysteries: Revealing Ancient Christian Symbols is the latest book by patristic scholar Mike Aquilina and a book I was looking forward to reading. In most cases we have some idea as to the root of some of the symbols that have been associated with Christianity, though we might not have the details of how this came to be and their significance in the early Church. Mike Aquilina looks the the symbols that came about in the first four centuries of the Church and does a chapter on each ones that explains their meanings and what historical information we have on them and where they were used. Included are plenty of drawings of these symbols throughout the book that show precisely how they were used.

When early uses of some symbols are more clouded in history he nicely gives some of the theories explaining their meanings. Often we also get references to writings of the Fathers of the Church along with others when it helps to illuminate how these symbols were used in liturgy or devotional practice. I really learned a lot from this book and while I had a general idea of meaning of many symbols I found a wealth of details. For example I will never look at the Ichthys when I see it on someone's bumper the same way. I knew how it came about and that it was a Greek acronym and often used in the early Church, but I had no idea about the Eucharistic overtones and some of the other theological depths involved. Being an ex-Navy Chief I was also pleasantly surprised to see how the anchor was another common symbol used and it's meaning.

This book is not meant to be an exhaustive reference of symbols used within the Church, but just the first four centuries. I enjoyed this book so much I would love to see another book in the same style that explains the symbols the Church used in later years and especially in the Middle Ages.

My one caveat about the book is not the content, but the color of the font used. The text is a dark brown color with a light font weight that I found more difficult to read. The color makes drawings turn out beautifully, but I would have much preferred they have had black text with the drawings being the color they used. Our Sunday Visitor has published books in recent years with multiple colors that made the book quite effective and I wish the same was done here. Though this is no real reason not to get this book.

This book is a delight that many will both enjoy and profit from. Mike Aquilina writes simply yet clearly in explaining where many of Christianity's oldest symbols originated and their many-layered meanings within Judaism and Christianity. If you ever wondered why your church has symbols of a dolphin, a peacock, or an anchor, this is the book for you. And you'll be surprised at just how many "new" symbols you might discover once you have read about it in this fine book.

Sing a New Song: Portraits of Canada's Crusading Bishops is a captivating blend of history, biography, and religion told through the lives of four charismatic B.C. Anglican bishops; men who fought (and are still fighting) for change not only within the church, but in society. As someone without a religious background, I found Julie Ferguson's story of the Anglican church, and those who've made a difference, an easy-to-follow, compelling read. This book changed my perception of religion as an institution permanently stuck in the past and oblivious to current social concerns. It was encouraging to learn that there are clergy who welcome all people to the Anglican church, and who want to make the world a better place without attaching blame or judgement in their quest. Thanks to Julie Ferguson's knowledge and passion for this topic, I enjoyed an informative and thought-provoking read.

Julie's book is everything one might think church history shouldn't be: exciting, thought-provoking, invigorating, heart-wrenching, beautiful, and true. One needn't be Anglican or even religious to come to a deep understanding and appreciation of the fight for human rights represented between the covers of this book.

Julie Ferguson's Sing a New Song is a great read. It is carefully researched and written in an entertaining and fast-paced style that pulls you along. For anyone interested in Canadian history, this book is a must. The issues tackled head-on by the four bishops are among the central social issues of our time, and the way they were handled by the bishops and their church helps to define us as Canadians. Ferguson has handled some controversial material with care and consideration for her readers, while remaining rigorous to the history. Strongly recommended!

As readable as it is exhaustively researched, Julie Ferguson's Sing a New Song: Portraits of Canada's Crusading Bishops gives us intimate portraits of four courageous church leaders who faced dissent and open opposition, even risking their careers, as they fought for equal rights and social justice. These are four men who were prepared to push the envelope, within their own Anglican faith, and in the wider society of their time. Sing a New Song is a book not just for Anglicans, but for people of all faiths, or for anyone who enjoys a lively and absorbing biography.

One of the main goals of this powerful book was/is to enable technical professionals (promoted into management positions)through the use of a well researched, pragmatic, highly effective and elegant communication model to systematically increase mutual understanding in the workplace.

It turns out, Lucy Freedman and Lisa Marshall have created an extremely comprehensive communication model which weaves together some of the best thought relating to communication modeling, applicable to *all* business relationships and all relationships for that matter.

The world of knowledge based work continues to change dramatically, and new skills, new capabilities, and new frames of reference are required to manage and lead. The authors reveal through the Syntax Model (Plan, Link, Balance, Inform, Learn) the underlying behavioral structure of people who are effective, and includes all of the ingredients included in the formula for dramatically successful interactions.

The focus is on effectiveness... I personally have enjoyed many workshops facilitated by Ms. Freedman, and can share with you that knowledge and practical application of the Syntax Model has transformed my life as well as my personal and business relationships.

I have had many wake up calls as a result of studying this book, including the realization that "the meaning of your communication is the response you get". This alone, for me, has been invaluable. Ms. Freedman gets into mental models, frameworks, patterns, perceptions, interpretations, listening, matching, leading, requests and agreements and many other areas in such a masterful way, I get a major rush of energy every time I read even a page of the book. This is a *powerful* book for anyone committed to excellence through mastering the art of communication.

If you are the kind of person who believes in "sharpening the saw", this could very well be the most powerful book in your library.

Imagine an entire team, group or organization sharing the same communication model. Imagine the possibilities you could achieve.

Do you believe the empirical evidence indicating that companies choosing to invest more dollars in employee development training enjoy higher revenue as a result? If so, I recommend you get a copy for every employee in your company. If not, I recommend you get a copy for every employee in your company.

This is the most valuable resource in my library of over 600 books, and I'm a corporate coach and trainer with an enviable library of related titles. My challenge to you regarding Smart Work? Get it. Read it. Study it. Practice it. Learn it. Live it.

One of the main goals of this powerful book was/is to enable technical professionals (promoted into management positions) through the use of a well researched, pragmatic, highly effective and elegant communication model to systematically increase mutual understanding in the workplace.

It turns out, Lucy Freedman and Lisa Marshall have created an extremely comprehensive communication model which weaves together some of the best thought relating to communication modeling, applicable to *all* business relationships and all relationships for that matter.

The world of knowledge based work continues to change dramatically, and new skills, new capabilities, and new frames of reference are required to manage and lead. The authors reveal through the Syntax Model (Plan, Link, Balance, Inform, Learn) the underlying behavioral structure of people who are effective, and includes all of the ingredients included in the formula for dramatically successful interactions.

The focus is on effectiveness... I personally have enjoyed many workshops facilitated by Ms. Freedman, and can share with you that knowledge and practical application of the Syntax Model has transformed my life as well as my personal and business relationships.

I have had many wake up calls as a result of studying this book, including the realization that "the meaning of your communication is the response you get". This alone, for me, has been invaluable.

Ms. Freedman elegantly explains and explores many intrapersonal and interpersonal dynamics including mental models, frameworks, patterns, perceptions, interpretations, listening, matching, leading, requests and agreements and many other areas. This is a *powerful* book for anyone committed to excellence through mastering the art of communication.

For those of us committed to "sharpening the saw", this book is a valuable addition to our repertoire.

Imagine an entire team, group or organization sharing the same communication model. Imagine the possibilities you could achieve.

Do you believe the empirical evidence indicating that companies choosing to invest more dollars in employee development training enjoy higher revenue as a result? If so, I recommend you invest in a copy for every employee in your company. If not, I recommend you invest in a copy for every employee in your company.

As an experienced corporate coach and trainer with an enviable library of over 600 related titles, know that I personally consider Smart Work to be among the most valuable resources in my library. My challenge to you regarding Smart Work? Get it. Read it. Study it. Practice it. Learn it. Live it.

One of the best books I've read on communications and influence in the workplace. I've recommended it to many colleagues. Learn how to ensure that you and others are working towards the same goal, reduce resistance, and help people moved past self-imposed limits. The book is clear and well-written, and I think it is especially helpful for technical professionals who would like to communicate better.

What a valuable book! Reading Smart Work is a very smart investment of time for anyone who works in an organization today. It provides a clear guide to how individuals can learn to more quickly and easily create clear mutual understanding with their co-workers. For individual readers this can translate into greater effectiveness in their jobs, less stress, and more time to do the work they enjoy. For the organizations that employ them it can mean everything from shorter product development cycles, to superior products, to better customer support, and ultimately to higher sales. Although examples used in the book are drawn primarily from the work of technical professionals such as engineers, the lessons are universal. I can highly recommend Smart Work!

I'd read Michael Strong's "Habit of Thought" book, and was looking for more help in bringing socratic learning methods into my classes at my university. Despite coming from a high school english literature context, I found this book enormously helpful. I've been using the ideas in my graduate computer science class for over a month, with adaptations (e.g., using long research articles), and it has been very successful. The rubrics and forms included with the book are excellent as well. My students have become much better discussants and seem to be really enjoying the experience.

I read this book over the summer on a whim and really enjoyed Matt's writing, his suggestions, and his format for socratic seminars. I have been to training on socratic seminars, but this book helped me more than anything. He gives you little steps to take on your way to a full blown successful seminar. His ideas help get your kids asking questions, discussing, thinking, and writing at a higher level. My discussions have improved in class, and even the kids who usually don't participate have gotten involved in discussing and sharing their thoughts.

This is an excellent book! Loved the easy style in which it is written, practical/useful content, step-by-step examples... It has been a great source of inspiration which is already helping me make a difference in my jr. high classroom. My students are catching on to the concept and are showing great enthusiasm for Socratic Circles.

A teacher friend of mine recommended this book to help with creating Socratic Circles/Seminars. It's fabulous! The author writes smoothly and easily for anyone to understand and follow. He has terrific examples and gives worksheets and reproducibles to help teachers. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who's new at conducting Socratic Seminars. It definitely helped me better than anything else.

SPEECHLESS: THE EROSION OF FREE EXPRESSION IN THE AMERICAN WORKPLACE is a top pick for college-level business libraries, addressing issues of freedom of speech from legal, managerial and ethical perspectives and examining how the legal system affects employee speech rights and employer workplace management alike. From office politics and political correctness to protection for expression and how and why free speech works, SPEECHLESS is a key acquisition not just for business holdings, but for libraries strong in American politics and civil rights issues.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is very well researched and scholarly but also written in a very readable format -- even with a respectful sense of humor in places. As a human resources professional, I find the subject of this work of particular interest. Not only does it cover the subject of free speech in the workplace in a very authoritative manner, but it also provides some excellent legal context on topics such as 'employment at will' in an easily understand fashion for the reader who may not have any formal legal experience. Overall, it was a very worthwhile read which both informed and captivated me on a topic of significant import in today's workplace. A respectable piece of writing on a complex and potentially controversial topic! Well done Professor Barry.

This is an important book, and I read it with a growing sense of its value and force. It is in the American dialogue - the great national debate that takes place at the water cooler as well as the blogosphere; the church picnic as surely as the corner bar - that the warp and hue of our nation's culture take shape - finally forming through policy, legislation and influence the environment that we, and those who follow us, will inhabit.

If this is correct, as Vanderbilt University professor Bruce Barry makes a solid case for in his timely, lucid and meticulously researched "Speechless - the Erosion of Free Expression" in the American Workplace (swerving neither left nor right as he goes) then certainly, if we are to have a true democracy, this dialogue must carry forward the beliefs of all Americans. Nor are these beliefs merely intended for the ballot box; indeed, they are the essence of what Dr. Barry refers to as the marketplace of ideas. For it is in this marketplace (as Dr. Barry makes plain) with its tension, its push and pull of competing voices, that arises the most vital and important element of a functioning democracy: Truth.

This notion of a marketplace of ideas and the necessity of its vitality is not new. In Chapter 6 ("Why Free Speech Works"), Dr. Barry quotes Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' famous dissent in the 1919 Abrams v. United States, in which Holmes describes "the best test of truth" as "the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market."

A marketplace for ideas, from which truth is sometimes "roughly" (mostly roughly, it seems) constructed - this very truth which informs our laws and policies and national conversation - we have this very marketplace now, right? And it's protected by the First Amendment, right? In fact, in the Internet age, this marketplace for ideas is bigger and better than ever, right? So why write a book called "Speechless - the Erosion of Free Expression in the American Workplace"? Ok, so maybe we can't always say what we want in the workplace, but doesn't that still give us weekends and evenings for speaking our mind?

Wrong. And this is where "Speechless" especially shines - as a compelling, sometimes unnerving study of the vast patchwork quilt of law and policy that many of us confidently suppose is there to cover our back.

In "Speechless," Barry shows us how that quilt is doing an increasingly uneven job of protecting us (us mainly being employees but by extension here, all Americans) as it inevitably, along the way degrades our national dialogue. Building his case that our backs are either not covered, or not covered very well (nor with any kind of predictability), Barry travels the country, producing case after case of this employee and that employee losing his or her job for reasons complex and simple, large and small. Drawing out guidelines based on state action (i.e., the right that congress will not curtail our speech), differences in public vs. private employment, and exceptions like whistleblower protection (including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), and others, we are left with a certain cold clarity: as a public-sector employee, "you have rights to free speech except where you don't," and rather worse for private-sector employees: "you have no right to free speech except when you do."

But it's not even that simple. Shoring up many of these free speech (or lack thereof) terminations (with, in these cases, their attendant litigation) is the rule of "at will" employment - basically meaning that both employee and employer either may be fired - or may quit - without "cause, notice or severance." In other words, if as an employer I decide I don't like your blog about, say, undocumented workers (regardless of what it says), and even though it has nothing to do with my company and you wrote it on your own computer, on your own time, I can fire you when you next walk in the door, and not hand over a penny in severance pay. (If as an employee, I don't like my boss's blog, I am free to quit my job without notice, etc, but I am the one without the paycheck.)

And as Barry points out, at-will employment is the "dominant employee relations policy in the United States."

Combine "at-will" employment with such additional conditions as (among others) a significant decline in union employees, judges increasingly likely to tilt toward management, an increase toward company political partisanship, and longer work hours w/the Internet at hand, and the net result is that our glorious marketplace of ideas is lately more often the kind of place where if you value your job, you'll want to watch what you say, and to whom you say it. Of course, anyone may contest a termination and push it toward settlement or courtroom - but the individual (possibly still minus a paycheck) will be squaring off against Goliath, and Goliath's well-paid lawyers.

Dr. Barry has performed a much needed job in rounding up so concisely the many loose strands that circumscribe America's environment for free speech. But he also done something else: in Speechless, he broadly and brightly illuminates areas of our lives as Americans that have slipped deeper into the shadows, where essential protections have begun to drop off and in some cases, no longer even exist. And it is only with this knowledge that we can begin to reclaim what we are losing.

As a business ethicist, I expected to find in Speechless a detailed discussion of the implications of voice and silence for ethics in organizations, with references to topics like whistle-blowing, groupthink, and moral imagination. I found that discussion in Chapter 9, which is about the right length for it, because those topics have been covered well elsewhere, and Chapter 9 is a good introduction to many of the important works in that area.

The rest of the book treats the restriction of expression in the workplace as an ethical problem of a different order, with implications both for the quality of life of individual employees, and for the quality of participation in political and cultural institutions outside the firm. But despite clear advocacy for greater freedom of expression in the workplace, Speechless also explores the risks that such freedom poses: a hostile working environment, partiality in public bureaucracies, employees driven to distraction by each other, or the legal and reputational threats that can arise when someone says something thoughtless. The result is a thorough, evenhanded, and entertaining study of a perennial problem: with liberty comes liability, both for those who grant them and for those who take them.

Speechless's readable discussions of the relevant legal frameworks and cases are particularly helpful. They facilitate not only understanding the tensions between goods at stake, but also identifying remedies that can be taken at both the public policy and the enlightened-management levels. For scholars interested in exploring the implications of speech and its restriction in the workplace, this book is a useful introduction to the perspectives of law and management on the problem. Managers trying to ascertain what they have a responsibility to control and what they have the freedom to permit will also find Speechless to be a valuable resource . . . as will employees who are curious or nervous about the risk posed to their careers by the scope of their convictions or their recreations.

For anyone interested in understanding the cultural phenomenom that is Bob Jones University, this book is a must. There is no substitute for this detailed, documented history of the school.

As a former student, I can better appreciate Bob Jones University after reading this excellent history book. I was not aware of all the struggles that this institution went through. BJU is still a working miracle.

This book is an answer to the questions and rumors that circulate in today's world! It is an accurate history of Bob Jones University founded by Dr. Bob Jones in 1927. It explains its beginnings, struggles and unwavering Biblical stands that has made it what it is today.

There are several BJU histories on the market. Satnding Without Apology is by far the best. While written by an insider it gives a balanced and thorough history of the school. It does an excellent job of allowing the reader to understand the cultural and spiritual forces which lead to the establishment of this unique University and which molded the school. Further, it gives a real feel of the Personalities (Bob Jones Sr., Bob Jones Jr. and Bob Jones III) which have lead the school for almost 80 years. Unlike, some other histories on the market Standing Without Apology gives the information and allows the reader to draw their own conclusions.

Given the critical importance of social change today, it is stunning that most of the recent books on community organizing focus on personal reflections and sociological analyses instead of giving us the whole package. In "Stir It Up," Rinku Sen manages to squeeze a powerful vision, racial and social justice analysis, profiles of organizing groups, a detailed contact list of organizations and networks, and tools for creating real change into two hundred pages. This is a watershed book for the social justice organizing movement, illuminating the principles and practices that ground multi-racial, social justice, racial justice, and direct action organizations that have developed in the past twenty-five years.

If you are serious about systemic change that addresses the root causes of racism, classism, sexism, homophobia, and xenophobia, then this book offers you a framework and process for creating real change. Sections of the book go through the identification and selection of issues using a social justic lens, working with emerging constituencies, running campaigns and taking action, research, and, most critically, framing our struggles and organizations to address systemic oppression. Readers will get a clear sense of the unrelenting human movement toward freedom through profiles of extraordinary groups that continue to win both concrete change and a reordering of power in our society. Kudos to Rinku Sen for taking the time to describe the growth, development, and work of the racial and social justice movement to the world!

I really found this book both inspiring and realistic. Sen acknowledges the challenges (especially in today's political climate) but lays out what it takes to get the job done. Her practical, real-world guidance walks you through organizing your local community to help achieve change and get results on the issues you care about.

Passion & pragmatism don't always come together in community organzing -- kudos to Ms. Sen for showing us how to balance the two! I'm so glad that someone has finally written a comprehensive book on the strategy & practice of organizing...considering where our nation is headed, this comes not a moment too soon.

This book, full of anecdotes from successful community organizations, is chockful of helpful advice, whether you're part of an organization seeking social change, or you are an individual interested in how people are effecting change in today's political climate. The worksheets on campaign planning and the chapter on media are particularly helpful. I highly recommend it.