Organizations Books

Like many of the people taking a retreat to the Abbey of Gethsemani, I went in search of finding the "Heart of Thomas Merton [Father Louis O.C.S.O.]" and I found so much more than I ever imagined. I spent part of the retreat reading this wonderful book and I found more. This is a book about the Heart of Gethsemani, the Heart of Peace and the Heart of God. An excellent read which will be read again and again and again ......

This coffeetable book about the history of the Abbey of Gethsemani, the nation's largest and oldest Trappist monastery, is a marvelous resource for anyone interested in the monastery's history. Aprile puts a human face on that history, looking at the human people who built and loved the Abbey from its inception. We hear tales of tremendous courage and faith, but also read about some of the all-too-human flaws of Gethsemani's leaders, including a turn-of-the-century sex scandal involving the Abbey school (now defunct).

The photographs and illustrations are wonderful, stretching back to the monastery's earliest days in the 1840s. These photos give readers access to areas of the Abbey that are off-limits to visitors and retreatants.

I very much liked the way Aprile weaves her own experiences with the Abbey into the book. It's obvious that she is not only a researcher but also a pilgrim who loves the place and its people. She writes with a journalist's eye for detail and a historian's careful depiction of change over time. (In the case of this monastery, the changes over the last 150 years are astonishing.)

Another thing I liked about the book is that while Thomas Merton is certainly discussed, it's not the all-Merton-all-the-time approach that some other authors have taken to Gethsemani. She puts Merton in historical context as part of the postwar Catholic boom, discusses his writings and his complex relationship with his abbot, and leaves it at that. Merton would have liked this: to be one among the many monks who is billed as making a contribution to Gethsemani, but who is not singled out as a lone star.

A terrific book for those who love this place.

History of the 150-year-old Trappist Monastery in Kentucky, just 40 miles south of Louisville. Made world-famous by its most famous monk, Thomas Merton, who died in Bangkok. Full of archival pictures. Beautiful, coffee table type book, but not too well-written. Confusing at times. Aprile tended to not always be cohesive; she rather jumped around a lot. Am so sorry they did away with the farm. Poignant remark by its current abbot, that the celibate life needs something to care for. It did propell me to spend a week there last summer, and what a wonderful place it is. I need not worry about its survival; you must call four months in advance to go there on retreat.

A great book! Not at all a "book about Thomas Merton", as the person casually acquainted with Merton and Gethsemani might expect. Rather, this book tells the history of Gethsemani, of which Merton was just a part. This book works well as a coffeetable book, a bedtime read, or a material for quiet contemplation. All in all, a beautiful book, well made, well written, and fun to browse or read.

About a month ago, I visited The Abbey of Gethsemani for what I officially said was a retreat, but like so many people who have visited the abbey, I loved THE SEVEN STOREY MOUNTAIN and wanted to see where Thomas Merton lived and wrote. The tourist in me wanted to see Merton's hermitage, which I did not see. It was in use at the time-the nerve of those monks for actually using it for the intended purpose. Well, I didn't have to see the hermitage to experience the special qualities that make Gethsemani a place like no other. History, tradition, beauty, simplicity and complexity all combine to create the spiritual life at Gethsemani where God's presence is found.

Dianne Aprile's book is a coffee table sized book that tells the story of Gethsemani, the good as well as the not so good. We see a monastery that survived against the odds, hit its peak during the years of Thomas Merton, and still has a mission and purpose today. The book is somewhat sanitized in comparison with other works available, but unlike many of the other works which tell of visits to Gethsemani, the author was writing an official history of the Abbey for its one hundred and fiftieth had unprecedented access to photographs and documents which makes this book indispensable for anyone interested in Trappist life in general and especially to people interested in the Abbey itself. The book begins with a general introduction to the Trappist life and then tells the history of Gethsemani during each abbot's governance of the abbey. We see how the life in the abbey in many ways reflects life in the United Stets and the fabric of Catholicism in America.

I read most of the book while I was at Gethsemani so I could ask questions and discover the behind the scenes story. I finished it when I got back home and since that time I've reread passages as a means of revisiting the monastery, if not in person, at least vicariously. I'm sure I'll treasure this book in years to come and encourage anyone with even a remote interest in Trappist life to consider this book.

This book is challenging and provocative. It's not one you can breeze through because it has this unsettling knack for holding up a mirror and saying, "Hey look. There's something here I want you to see." The something it wants us to understand is how deeply our everyday conversations at work are riddled with a lack of authenticity and how that lack stifles engagement and personal accountability. As a result, business results are less than they could be.

At the heart of this problem is an enormous collusion--a pattern of parent-child conversations that have become undiscussible in daily life. These norms in turn create organizational culture. The Showkeirs' fundamental premise is if you want to change a culture you have to change the conversations--difficult and, in their view, dangerous work. To change those conversations we have to accept our complicity in them.

The book is broken into two broad sections. First the Showkeir's lay out their case for change. Then, the offer a set protocols for shifting those conversations.

The case for change starts with an identification of "relationships that don't work at work ". Specifically, they point out how the following conversations--holding others accountable, caretaking, coping with disappointment and colluding with cynicism--are so deeply engrained that we take them for granted. "In all cases, these types of conversations have a detrimental impact on the culture and the business", they argue.

The conversations rest on a set of "old" management assumptions that see people as objects, ignore individual freedom and will, use policies and procedures that ensure compliance and emphasize leaders and experts while ignoring those who work in the system.

Leaders who see their role as "holding people accountable (as opposed to them being accountable) and who seek to protect their organizations from the rough and tumble vicissitudes of the market place (as opposed to helping them understand those realities) are operating from an implicit parent child model. This model puts unreasonable expectations on the leader and creates dependency in those led. [Although the Showkeirs chose not to venture into a discussion of contemporary American politics, it was hard for me to avoid looking at their arguments in the light of how self interest seems to be trumping service on the public stage.]

The Showkeirs explore the power of cynics to sap organizational change efforts of vitality and momentum. They become, in effect, a black hole into which hopes for a better future disappear. Leaders who seek to protect people from disappointment by promising safe landings in all difficult circumstances create cynics.

The antidote to all of this is to promote an "adult to adult culture" in which each individual in the organization:
* Becomes the eyes and voice of the business
* Brings an independent point of view
* Is expected to raise difficult issues
* Extends a spirit of goodwill to the endeavor
* Creates business literacy in others
* Choose accountability for the success of the whole business
* Manages his own morale, motivation and commitment

These qualities propel an organization from manipulation to engagement. People in the organization are enabled, ennobled and empowered--by their own choice. Manipulative conversational practices like name dropping, hidden agendas, over promising, sarcasm and exaggerated optimism or pessimism are replaced by authentic ones. All of this requires that we remain vigilant to three levels that operate in any conversation: the content, others' emotional responses and our own emotional responses. To business that operate on the belief that "business is about logic and fact based decisions", these three realities are radical in their own right.

Having laid out their case, the last portion of the book is a "practical guides to conversations like:
* Facing a difficult issue
* Seeking an exception (a radical reversal of the common organizational practice that it's easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission)
* Proposing change
* Introducing a mandate
* Renegotiating an established relationship
* Initiating endings
* Dealing with individual performance

These types of conversations, done in a manipulative parent-child environment, tie people in knots. Done authentically, they create clear, clean communication which, in turn, drives business performance to higher and higher levels.

According to Rodd Wagner and James K. Harter of the Gallup polling organization, "The evidence is clear that creation and maintenance of high employee engagement, as one of the few determinants of profitability largely within a company's control, is one of the most crucial imperatives of any successful organization." Their research contained in this book (pp. 18-19) identifies companies with engaged workers have significantly less turnover, less employee theft, fewer accidents, less absenteeism, higher customer service scores, higher productivity and profitability, and earnings per share.
Authentic Conversations is about developing engaging relationships. Trust, engagement, and personal accountability grow out of the conversations we have within the workplace and elsewhere. This book provides an array of ideas and pathways to authentic, engaging conversations.
As a CPA, I enjoyed the insights provided in Chapter 3 "The Myth of Holding Others Accountable." It identifies as much as managers want to control and hold others accountable, their success is one-sided and failures abound. Understanding and true accountability flows from honest, meaningful dialogue that Jamie and Maren Showkeir demystify in this book.
In my opinion, leaders and followers who aspire to be future leaders should read this book. It provides a breath of fresh insights and strategies for success.

It's no secret that the best business books drive positive change in the workplace with admonitions about taking control by managing your boss, or using a positive mental attitude as a path to success at work or perhaps more directly, stop complaining and do something. Authentic Conversation is certainly a great business book. Clearly, if organizations would simply have adult relationships and conversations with their employees, HR departments might have more time to plan company picnics or catch up on their reading. After all, how much HR time is spent on boarding and off boarding employees who likely would not have left in the first place if they just knew how to talk to each other like adults and have authentic conversations routed in individual responsibility and self-awareness? How many conversations with our spouses, children, family, and friends skirt the real issues, avoid taking responsibility for our action, and without intent hurt those we love by simply not having the courage or wisdom to have a authentic conversation? This is a book that will show you how have these conversations in simple, well-constructed, measured language that is a pleasure to read. Take this book to work and let its message make working a whole lot more fun. Take it home and see how it changes your life. And in the end, that's the change we're all looking for.

Mark Morrow,
Alexandria, VA

This is a wonderful book. It is utterly straightforward and practical. In a thoughtful way, Jamie and Maren practice what they preach, articulating their message with graciousness, high integrity and clarity.

This is not so much a book of advice as a book of examples, organized in a way that helps us understand where we commonly stumble. In every chapter, there is a little gem that makes one wonder--"Now why didn't I think of that?" But that's the magic: they see through the fog of convoluted, sugar-coated, and manipulative communication. Then they articulate and demonstrate how to to do it better. I have already shared it with friends and each of us has already put the ideas to good use. It's a lovely piece of work.

Authentic Conversations is a refreshing attestation of the power of authenticity in both work and personal relationships. It is not a typical book on how to get what you want from others.

Authors Jamie and Maren Showkeir provide alternative conversations that enable personal choice and commitment, rejecting manipulative conversations, parent-child relationships in the workplace, and holding people accountable--techniques that stifle engagement.

Thankfully, the book includes a section with guidelines and examples of how to apply the concepts of Authentic Conversations to everyday challenges such as how to confront a difficult issue, propose a new way of doing things, and create new possibilities for a relationship. Though not in the final section, a nice bonus is the practical model described in Chapter 11 for dealing with resistance, something we all experience in relationships whether at work or home.

The examples used in the book resonate so well as to make us wonder why we couldn't figure out these principles on our own. Likewise, the tools included are so sensible you'll find yourself itching to apply them immediately to improve your leadership abilities or strengthen your relationships with others. Leader or not, everyone will find this book a compelling guide for effectively interacting and working with others.

I had the honor of working with Ole Carlson at a recent workshop. At first I didn't really connect Carlson with the book I had just finished reading prior to the workshop. About an hour into the meeting I realized that the speaker was advocating some of the very principles from the book that I had so heavily marked up and reread several times.

What a delight! And what hard work - Carlson walks the talk, and he definitely put us through our paces. And this book will do the same for those who take the time to read it. Beneath the Armor is filled with straight forward talk about the leaders at the top of Business. At the end of each chapter is a review and a list of actions to take based on the information we just read. It is a practical, put it to work book for CEOs.

Chapter titles give us an idea of the clarity this book will bring to the serious leader: 1. Be Authentic - it is easier to Remember; 2. Take Care of Yourself First - then others; 3. Lead the Organization - Let Other Manage it; 4. Value Resiliency over Brilliancy; 5. It is All About the People; 6. Understanding Your Numbers is Not Optional; and 7. Have a Well-Lubricated Reverse Gear. Written in deceptively easy and conversational style, each chapter turns out to be chock full of solid strategy and finishes with a call to action. Reading this book did in fact change the direction of my consultancy.

More importantly, this book in conjunction with spending four days in a workshop with Ole Carlson changed my life - for the better. This is a must read for leaders and those who coach and/or consult with business leaders. To quote Mr. Carlson, "The message in this book comes from you and your peers and I am simply paying it forward."

This is a great book, and it is a must read for all CEO's of small to mid-size companies. The author is at home with the subject, and the reader will feel as though Ole is writng directly to you. His message is simple, but the simplicity is its magic. This book made me laugh, think more deeply about my role, and shed tears of joys and struggles as I reflected upon my own journey.

I will read this book annually to keep myself fresh and to remember my role as a CEO.

Ole's book really underscored, for me, the primary lessons of leadership. I especially appreciated his writing style and approach that actually made these seven strategies seem do-able for once. The stories about how these played out in real life companies has the recommendations really hit home. I plan to give Ole's book as a gift to my clients and busines associates. I feel certain this will be one book gift they will actually read and put into action!

A very credible and practicle book which is fortunately based on real experience with multiple CEOs of medium size companies throughout the world. I learned a great deal, enjoyed reading it and bought several copies as gifts for my friends.

Very much recommend it!

Ole Carlson's `Beneath The Armor' makes running a business visible. Finished reading the book about 5 weeks ago- started putting to work the sage perspective, real world experience and relevant challenges for life, leadership and making a difference. Seems to me this is an owner or CEO handbook for the new and tenured- however it readily applies to any person seeking to become more effective in life, business, in the role of leading. Make sure each of your key reports reads a copy and start transforming your organization by putting the key points that resonant to work in your culutre and behavior. Each of the seven chapters clearly presents the focus, the key points, supports with 'believable examples and stories', and concludes with a key point summary and specific steps to put the points to work. `Armor' is like having seven 1 to 1's with a skilled, experienced mentor. Read it to learn, to remember, to set the bar higher, to refresh, to put into action. Clearly written- like having a conversation that really matters.

"Typically a top management team goes off for three days," writes the author Quinn. "They hole up in a room with lots of flip charts and go to work." Then he says that when they're through they typically write words on small cards and pass them out to employees. Sadly, he observes these cards are "ignored and things go on as before." The premise underlying this book is that Quinn would have us care enough to change this way of thinking. The key, he says, is to stop doing things out of self-interest and start identifying and going after the shared goals of the group. He does a nice job of working good examples into his text. He also points out how risky it is to be a true leader since it involves overcoming a fear of failure when trying something new. He also does a nice job of making clear that hierarchy in itself is not a bad thing; it's only bad when they're perceived as mechanisms that result in getting nothing done. "Hierarchies become frozen bureaucracies due to the failure of human courage." He makes a compelling case for why it's crucial to skip the hollow words and dare to lead toward change. Only then can organizations hope for real change.

Hopefully, you have already read some (if not all) of Quinn's earlier books, especially Deep Change which serves as an excellent introduction to this one. In the Preface, he explains that this book "is about changing the world. It is about coming to a deep understanding of human beings and human relationships." He then adds, "The book focuses on vision, unconditional confidence, and profound impact. It is about the mastery of human influence, transformational power, and the capacity to accomplish extraordinary things. It argues that everyone of us is a change agent." It is important to add, that Quinn advocates "deep change" as opposed to "incremental change." Moreover, no organization can achieve deep change unless and until those within that organization achieve deep change. So as I understand it, each of us must assume full authority as well as responsibility for (and have control of) our personal development. "There is a language of transformation. Yet most of us are cut off from that language. All our lives we have been explicitly taught to see human influence as an exercise in domination." Even the most sensitive among us is shaped by this paradigm or worldview. But this outlook prevents us from seeing more deeply into the actual workings of human systems. This book demonstrates an alternative system."

Quinn recalls the remark by Oliver Wendell Holmes that he placed little value in simplicity that lay on this side of complexity but a great deal of value on simplicity that lay on the other side. The framework within which Quinn presents his material comes from the "seed thoughts" of people who have mastered "the language of transformation." By "seed thoughts" Quinn means some of the "core notions that masters of transformation hold in common, the simplicity they send us from the other side of complexity." Specifically, Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Quinn focuses on eight (8) "seed thoughts" (eg Envision the Productive Community, First Look Within, Embrace the Hypocritical Self), providing brief quotations from each of the three "masters of transformation" which he correlates with each of the eight "seed thoughts." His objective is to explain how Advanced Change Theory (ACT) can enable individuals to achieve deep change in their own lives and then within their organizations. The title of this book (Change the World) may be somewhat misleading. I wholeheartedly agree with Quinn that "ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary results", both individually and as members of a group. I also agree that Jesus, Gandhi, and King were "masters of transformation" within their respective spheres of influence as were Carnegie, Edison, Ford, Morgan, and Rockefeller within their own. Quinn's basic idea is sound. He and I may differ only when defining terms such as "change" and "world."

I urge you to read this book, to consider very carefully what ACT offers to you (personally) and to your organization, and then to select whatever is most appropriate. Quinn provides an eloquent and convincing argument in support of his concept of deep change; better yet, he suggests all manner of strategies and tactics to achieve and sustain it; even better yet, almost anyone who reads this book already has the resources required. If you need help to organize and allocate those resources, and truly powerful encouragement to support your efforts in process, look no further.

This, more than any book, has had a profound influence on my life. Quinn helps us understand why our lives are so frustrating. The basic notion is that we are hypocrites. We believe or think one thing but we act differently. This integrity gap is what causes us to continue to accept the ordinary, or transactional, world as it is. He challenges us to reduce our integrity gap, and thus transform ourselves from ordinary to extraordinary human beings.

Quinn uses three historical figures to illustrate the power of transformation - Gandhi, Christ, and King, Jr. He also gives examples from his personal life and from his work as an organizational consultant of moving from the transactional to the transformational world. If you are willing to do the work Quinn challenges us to do, you will find yourself much more in tune with your highest ideals. By transforming yourself, Quinn argues, you can change (or transform) the world around you - your family, office, organization, and ultimately, the larger world.

Please read this book. Give it to friends and family. We (and they) are all hypocrites. Let us close our integrity gaps together.

If you want to be effective at influencing others, study this book. This is one of my favorites. It also has many lots of valuable references and a great bibliography.

Bob Quinn is definitely one of the most profound writers on change in this era. But his work is not for the faint of heart because he challenges each of us to start change initiatives in the place we'd least like to go -- inside ourselves. I found this an incredibly powerful book. I've used sections of it with my "change management" classes for several years and I know it has a tremendous impact on students, who like most managers have grown up unconsciously believing that change always needs to start with the other guy. If you want a simple formula for change, don't buy this book. Although it is full of practical, actionable ideas, "Change the World" addresses change at a profound level that asks readers to reflect seriously on what they stand for. It's a very difficult but rewarding assignment.

This book is a must have because it gives the minister ideas for almost every situation a minister can face. If you can find a copy, it will be priceless addition to your ministry library.

This is the perfect handbook for wedding, funerals, and so much more. It's exactly what I needed and for an affordable price.

Out of all the service manuals that have passed across my desk this is by far one of the best all inclusive book's for Ministers around. For 255 p.p. this manual covers every topic relevent today.

Ministers both starting out and having been around for a while, will find this easy to use and handy for many situations.The quality of appearance is very satisfactory.

This little book is a great tool for any minister. The book is very attractive. There are a great number of helps for weddings, funerals, prayers for the sick, and the memorial helps are a good fast reference for appropriate scriptures, poems, and readings. I highly recommend this tool.

This product was great. The book was almost new, with only minor highlightings inside that you can't even notice. It arrived in almost no time. I admit that I didn't expect it to be that good.

This is one of the most helpful texts that I have purchased in the past year. It is easy to read and gives lots of examples as well as many points to ponder. HOWEVER, (if it matters to you)- make sure that you do not get the BOOK ALONE version. There is an online component that you need an access code to, which doesn't come with the book unless you buy the other version (I believe it said "with myeducationlab" in the item description). As a matter of fact, it's cheaper that way by about $8.00 believe it or not. I had to buy access separately because I waited too long to return the one that I bought which was book alone. I guess you have to live and learn... I hope someone benefits from my mistake!

I got this book for a class. It worked great. The book was clean and brand new. Thanks!

Very good reference on how to handle an elementary classroom. Children's environment and temperament were considered. Sample lay-outs included.

Smooth and speedy transaction. Updated emails on the tracking of my purchase were much appreciated. Great buy. Recommended.

Even after thirteen years as faculty member and five as a college administrator in Upstate New York; this was a reminder of the basics. I found this to be an easy read. I read it in a matter of two evenings. I have decided to take it upon myself to purchase this book for many of my friends who are new administrators.

This would be a great book for all new hires.

This is a book that pinpoints specific issues in Higher Education and how to handle them properly as an administrator.

Each chapter of this book discusses a particular difficult issue in higher education administration. Examples include specific "hot-shot" faculty asking for unfair favors, the handling of controversial issues between faculty members and students, negotiation for shared resources across departments, and handling adult bullies, etc. Each chapter begins with a mini-case to illustrate the difficult problem involved. Then it discusses the related issues and how to handle every detail. At the end of each chapter, it presents the solution for the mini-case.

Reading this book enhanced my understanding of academic issues from an administrator's point of view. I had always thought that managing a higher education institution was less challenging than managing a Fortune-500 company. On the surface, it seemed that everything would just go by the book. Now I know that, it is far more complex than going by the book, though knowing "the book" is crucial. Being a college administrator has its own set of challenges: managing faculty members who do not want to be managed. Due to the employment structure (with tenured faculty, faculty who can bring in a vast amount of resources: publication and research grants, etc.), it is not entirely a direct command-and-control situation. In addition, since a university environment is quite decentralized, there are a lot of complicated interpersonal power issues among faculty, graduate assistants, and students. According to the author, one leverage administrators should use is the established mission and goals of the university. If someone's behavior or performance is against these established statements, this would be a valid means for handling the issues properly.

I think that, explicitly communicating the mission, goals, policies, and expected proper professional behavior to all new employees and new students in detail and in writing ahead of time is equally important. This way, at least every party would have the proper information before problems happen. In addition, this book also implicitly tells job seekers what to look for when applying for an administrative position in Higher Education. To me, it is well-articulated mission and goals, as well as well-established policies that are fair to all parties.

Overall, this book shows that the author is knowledgeable and familiar with the subject matter. It should be very helpful to higher education administrators or administrators-to-be.

Gunsalus' work is a realistic and credible portrayal of office politics in higher education. Written primarily for the new administrator who comes out of the ranks of the faculty at a university, the guiding principles are useful for anyone in a higher education mangement role. Gunsalus focuses on topics related to interpersonal relationships, legal issues, academic freedom, and related challenges in the academic workplace. This is a useful, relevant resource for the newcomer to college and university administration.

I've attended a number of chair and dean conferences and read the literature, but this is tops for practical and political advice. It has relevant case studies (a la Harvard Business Review) that are derived from real time war stories.

If you're in a difficult situation or need an outside perspective, this book will help you sort it out, and keep you entertained as well.
For more on my work; see,
New Playwriting Strategies: A Language-Based Approach to Playwriting (A Theatre Arts Book)

Just bought several copies to distribute to my former Ph.D. students, now professor themselves, and my current grad students. Experienced administrators will ask "where was this book x years ago?" and everyone else will benefit now and in the future.

The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency is just that, how to get the best from a small garden, or a large farm, and everything in between. It is all covered, raising crops, and livestock, cure a ham, pickle onions, keep bees, generate power,and sink a well. The book is well written and I find myself refering to it constantly, it also makes a darn good read. The book is available in soft cover from Amazon.co.uk

The Complete Book of Self-Sufficiency is just that, how to get the best from a small garden, or a large farm, and everything in between. It is all covered, raising crops, and livestock, cure a ham, pickle onions, keep bees, generate power,and sink a well. The book is well written and I find myself refering to it constantly, it also makes a darn good read. The book is available in soft cover from Amazon.co.uk

First read this book while working on an organic farm in New Zealand,it changed my way of thinking completely.10 out of 10.

It would be difficult to improve or even to add much to a book which covers so many aspects of not just self-seffiency but the basic tenents of good land husbandry. Every aspect of what you may require to manage a 5 acre or 1 acre property with the minimum of outside influence is here. Managing your own small holding is a life-time affair with the land. All the advice on how to go about it is written in this book. I live on seven acres and it is indeed my bible for the land. It also makes very interesting reading even if you cannot be self suffient.

I first ran across this book in, of all places, a small bookshop in Florence, Italy during a "backpack tour" of Europe in the late '70's. As I paged through the book in that stuffy little store I began to sense that I was on to something very important. I ended up carrying that book all over Europe for 2 months and reading it over and over again and memorizing everything. Prior to the purchase of this book, I was a confirmed techno-geek, with the conviction that high technology would save the world. John Seymour changed all that. His step-by-step descriptions of everything from growing food to understanding traditional crafts and skills convinced me that there was a better way to live your life than what my professors were telling me. It's safe to say that almost every aspect of my life has been influenced by Seymour's book. It occupies a special place on my bookshelves, and I still take it down regularly and refer to its detailed drawings and lively text for inspiration in my gardening and woodworking. It's been a wonderful guide to "the big picture" of my life, and I believe its timeless message of sane and rational living belongs in every home.

Larry Dressler has produced a mighty punch in a small package. I've used his Consensus through Conversation with college students wanting strategies to make inclusive decisions in a public arena, to work teams wanting to suspend judgment while viewing conflict as creativity. Don't be fooled by thinking this is an old topic that you already know. Larry's brilliance helps us illuminate the critical conversations that lead to major breakthroughs in thought and action.

Marge Mohoric, Ph.D.
The Evergreen State College

This book offers both a thoughtful and pragmatic approach to consensus decision making. Dressler is particularly adept at inviting leaders to explore their goals, values, and beliefs with regard to a given issue while then guiding them through a clear methodology. He is careful to describe consensus decision making as one of many choices, not a one size fits all approach. The brevity of the book, his depth of knowledge, and the icons he uses (key point, tool, case examples, and sounds like) all add up to a clear and crisp reading experience--not unlike a great wine.

Effective, collaborative decision making practices are key in supporting organization effectiveness. Larry Dressler is an expert facilitator. He has successfully translated his art into clearly articulated strategy, highlighting the dimension of consensus decision making. This book is focused, clearly written, and a very quick read. It will be a great resource as facilitators refer back to the book for assistance. Wonderful work communicating the balance of art and science in group process!

As a consultant who works with coalitions and partnerships of people from different organizations and community sectors, I am very appreciative of the systematic approach Dressler provides for achieving consensus in decision-making. It is important that groups feel that the process they engage in to think through problems and make decisions is inclusive of the diversity of perspectives in the room, and is also effective at achieving results that facilitate progress. This book provides the framework and methodology to produce both those outcomes.

I began this book with a healthy dose of skepticism. On more than one occasion I've been involved in "consensus" decision-making processes that were less than stellar. (As an employee, a board member, a community member and business owner.) In the hands of an unskilled, or manipulative, or misguided (or worse, downright deceitful) facilitator a so-called consensus decision-making process can leave you feeling like your pocket has been picked. You know exactly what I mean. When you finish the "process" and feel like you've been hoodwinked into agreeing to something because:

- You didn't fully understand the scope of the issue you are supposed to be dealing with.
- People with important information about the issue weren't in the room.
- A manager who is worried about his ox getting gored has set the whole thing up to "share the blame" for some no-win problem he doesn't know how to solve.
- You could never get a word in edgewise after your first stated concern stamped you as "not a team player."
- And it was clear the boss wasn't going to go along with the decision the group made anyway!

Well, the author not only educated me about what real consensus looks like, I feel like I've been inoculated against the toxic variety. The book, as mentioned in another review, is lean and mean. But there is plenty of substance to chew on, including:

- A useful comparison of different decision making methods, along with their strengths and weaknesses.
- A clear explanation of the considerable power of a consensus process. (Not the least of which is accelerated implementation of a decision.)
- Succinct guidelines on how to start a consensus meeting off on the right foot.
- Clear suggestions on how a multi-stage consensus process can be organized.
- Specific strategies for dealing with people who engage in unproductive behavior. You know them as obstructionists, grandstanders, and those who sit silently waiting to strike with critical comments just when it seems the group is making progress.

Perhaps the greatest value I found in this book is that it will steer me away from making the same mistakes I have seen other well-intentioned decision facilitators make time and again. Like not paying attention to simple and obvious things such as laying down ground rules for how people will communicate as they work toward a consensus. The author even puts words in your mouth by giving you on-point language to use just for this and other such occasions you will encounter while leading or participating in a consensus process.

The information is so accessible and useful beyond the topic of consensus that I have no doubt that I will wear this book out in no time. The pages are already dog-eared and the spine is creased. Thankfully I haven't dropped it in the tub yet.

This is the third in the Moosepath series of books by Van Reid and it maintains his exemplary standard of good writing and is a delight. The story makes a great winter read as it uses all the atmosphere of the season - winter snowstorms, crackling log fires, spooky deserted houses. It follows on from the previous novel Mollie Peer although this story is complete and can stand on its own; but if I you intend to read Mollie Peer (and I recommend it most hightly) it would be best to read this novel after Mollie Peer or you will know what happens in Mollie Peer. This really is good wholesome storytelling at its best - not a watered-down-to-not-offend wholesomeness; but a rich, life-affirming novel of loveable characters in a rollicking laughter-filled old-fashioned tale that will bring tears of joy and sadness. READ THESE BOOKS!

if, like me, you're a bit plugged up from reading irvine welsh, noam chomsky, dave eggers, etc. van reid's "daniel plainway" might just do the trick.

i picked this up on a whim and afterward was scared i had gotten myself into something that was going to be a bit "precious and old-people-y", though i held on to a glimmer of hope due to the fact that "the onion" had read and liked the book.

in the end i couldn't put the thing down -- partly due to the author's way of jumping from storyline to storyline on a chapter by chapter basis, but mainly due to the fact that it was a delightful read. it reminded me more than a little bit of a rural american sherlock holmes adventure (the story is set in 1890s maine), but with tongue planted firmly in cheek (never irritatingly so though).

i won't divulge any details of the storyline, but i will say that i thought the book peaked about 2/3 in (when all the various threads finally came together) and after that it slowed down a bit. not bad, but perhaps mildly disappointing after such a fantastic build-up. one other point of note: if like me, you find yourself wanting to read the first two books in the series after finishing this one, you'll realise you've been given too many spoilers about book 2. will this affect your enjoyment of book 2? dunno. i haven't started that one yet... but i know how it ends.

i don't think you can go wrong with this one. regardless of your age or interests, a bit of good clean old-time book reading fun is coming your way.

Van Reid is just a great story teller. This is the best (so far) in his Moosepath trilogy.

Hurray for the Moosepath League!! Maine novelist Van Reid now has published a series of his comic, sweet novels, each more pleasurable than the last, featuring Tobias Walton and his companions Ephram, Eagleton and Thump. His most recent offering, Daniel Plainway: Or the Holiday Haunting of the Moosepath League, is the perfect Christmastime or winter fireside book. Woven with so many pleasurable amiable asides and subplots, the main story about a kidnaped boy and ancient Norse writings seems almost an afterthought. To take one example, Walton, whom Reid describes as "himself a pearl, and good things did seem to surround him", starts the novel losing his hat in a sudden wind; the peregrinations of that topper itself, and the goodwill it seems to bear from its owner, flow delightfully through the story. In another delightful scene, Reid waxes rhapsodically on the perfect qualities of snow for snowballs, leading to a delightful snowfall fight involving the novel's heros, villains, and local youngsters. A particularly pleasurable turn for me, a former classicist, is that the interpretation of the writings depends on hearing the Greek spoken in a seemingly nonsensical English phrase, "she'll bust her feeding." Although always lighthearted, Reid's novel is not without serious purpose, as expressed in the dialogue as to whether "there are so many people in the world willing to drive tragedy" or whether "there are as many, more, really, who are willing to put things right." In Reid's world, those who good-heartedly "put things right" - most especially the comical Moosepath League - predominate. I finished his book with a fair certainty that the same prevailed in my own place and time.

'Daniel Plainway' is the third foray into the adventures of The Moosepath League for Van Reid, following 'Cordelia Underwood' and 'Mollie Peer'. If you have not read those volumes, do so now.

In this episode, the charter members of The Mossepath League encounter their alter egos in the form of the Dash-it-All Boys, while the other members of the league match themselves against a secret society, obsessed with discovering lost Viking riches, known as the Broumnage Club.

These adventures, however, are once again woven into the fabric of the continuing story of Bird, a small boy whose story has been heretofore a mystery, in great Van Reid style. That is to say brilliantly. Reid's talent for intertwining story threads is unmatched by any author in my eclectic library, and it is a singular pleasure to find recurring, peripheral characters scattered about the pages of 'Daniel Plainway', as well as 'Mollie Peer'. When these characters appear, it is sometimes to deliver a funny anecdote or story, or to be merely a small participant in an ongoing conversation; and whether identified by name, or left for me to surmise their identity myself, I always feel like a participant in an inside joke.

I would love to apprise you as to the identity of Daniel Plainway, or hint at how he is connected to young Bird, but I feel I would be diminishing your reading pleasure, not enhancing it. The best turn I could do for you, in regards to this review, is stress upon you the joy you will have in reading Van Reid's chronicles of The Moosepath League, starting with 'Cordelia Underwood', then 'Mollie Peer' and ending with 'Daniel Plainway'.

I feel confident when you are finished with this trio, you will be anticipating the fourth installment in this saga as eagerly as I am.