Organizations Books

"Like Marko Polo discovering a new world of trade, organizations today are exploring vast new markets throughout the globe. The process is nothing less than a revolution, breaking down once sacrosanct boundaries of space, time, and nationality...In today's world, there is no longer a dichotomy between domestic and foreign. Global boundaries between companies, markets, and people have become irrevocably blurred...For companies such as Unilever, ABB, and SmithKline Beecham, globalization has become a natural part of their business, an integral part of their culture. For most companies, however, the goal to become truly global in mindset, staff, and market seems a stretch. Although the oportunities are tempting, the effort, knowledge, and skill required are much greater than for running a domestic operation, and the risks-once you probe beneath the surface-are equally enormous"(pp.261-262).

In this context, the authors, in Chapter 8, first put forward the following ten reasons why organizations might want to become more global: competitive survival, cost spreading, trailblazing, rule of three, domino effect, evolutionary forces, technological revolution, search for innovation, ripple effect, and benchmarking against other companies. Then, they discuss seven challenges companies face in making the global leap: (1)Establishing a workable global structure, (2)Hiring global supermanagers, (3)Managing people for a global environment, (4)Learning to love cultural differences, (5)Avoiding parochialism and arrogance, (6)Designing unifying mechanisms and a global mindset, (7)Overcoming complexity.

In Chapter 9, to overcome these challenges, they show action plans, and suggest ways of moving forward, from learner to launcher and from launcher to leader into the global arena as summarized as below:

I- From Global Learner to Global Launcher

1. Human Resources Practices

* Supply language/cultural sensitivity training.

* Standardize forms and procedures.

* Set up an overseas presence via joint venture, modest acquisition, or establishment of a headquarters.

* Engage in extensive cross-border relationship building.

2. Organizational Structures

* Arrange short-term visits and international assignments.

* Staff for more diversity in management and board of directors.

* Use e-mail and videoconferencing to maintain day-to-day contact.

3. Organizational Processes and Systems

* Establish worldwide shared values, language, and operating principles.

* Conduct fact-finding missions.

* Design ad hoc transnational teams.

* Hold global town meetings and best-practice exchanges of information.

II- From Global Launcher to Global Leader

1. Human Resources Practices

* Seek complete liquidity of human resources: recruit outside the domestic base; place foreign recruits within the domestic base; promote the best people to global assignments; rotate people internationally; use twinning.

* Aim for a global structure.

* Map global processes.

2. Organizational Structure

* Provide continuing global leadership trining and regular transnational training to reinforce the global mindset.

* Remove/minimize country managers and replace with global managers and focus on global customers.

* Routinize real-time global communications.

3. Organizational Processes and Systems

* Use global reward systems.

* Multiply ongoing transnational project teams.

* Work for global integration (for example, total global sourcing, global design, global engineering, and global purchasing).

Finally, they write that "Many tools are available to organizations, and we have described a good number of them here (as summarized above). But senior management must have the skill and foresight to use the right tools in the right way, at the right time, and in the right sequence...Each stage requires structures that enable the crossing of boundaries, systems and procedures that drive global behavior, and people who can learn to extend their thinking beyond their present outlook."

Highly recommended.

This is a forward-looking discussion of the paradigm shift from traditional pyramidal organizations to organic, dynamic enterprises that feature permeable boundaries. The book is a triumphant crusade against fiefdoms and boundaries of all types, and for freedom in inter- and intra-organizational life. It demonstrates how "boundaryless" organizations can increase the ability to respond quickly, creatively, flexibly, and in an integrated fashion to market demands. Case studies of change efforts bring the main points alive. Adding to the value of this work are self-diagnostic instruments, charts, and tables. This book is a rich source of insights about organization plus savvy guidelines for taking action. I highly recommend it.

Checklist can be used to help a manager transition an organization to overcome institutional barriers

The title is a misnomer: Although the authors do indeed suggest how to "break through the chains of organizational structure", they provide an enlightening explanation of four different types of boundaries (vertical, horizontal, external, and geographic) which give definition to any organization. They do not advocate the total elimination of these boundaries (which is impossible, anyway); rather, they suggest how to rearrange them so that an organization can thrive. For the authors, there is what they call "A New World Order":

"In living organisms, membranes exist to give the organization shape and definition. They have sufficient structural strength to prevent the organism from dissolving into an amorphous mess....Like a living organism, the boundaryless organization also evolves and grows, and the placement of boundaries may shift....Because the boundaryless organization is a living continuum, not a fixed state, the ongoing management challenge is to find the right balance of boundaryless behavior, to determine how permeable to make boundaries, and where to place them."

This brief excerpt from the first chapter correctly suggests the purpose of this remarkable book: To explain HOW to meet that challenge.

The material is presented within four parts plus a conclusion. The first explains how to achieve "free movement up and down" by crossing vertical boundaries; the second explains how to achieve "free movement side to side" by crossing horizontal boundaries; the third explains how to achieve "free movement along the value chain" by crossing external boundaries; and in the fourth part, they explain how to achieve "free global movement" by crossing geographic boundaries." Then in the Conclusion, the authors discuss "Making It Happen: Leading Toward the Boundaryless Organization."

The authors also include a series of six questionnaires. By completing each in sequence, the reader is able to determine (a) where her or his organization is now located relative to "the boundaryless paradigm", and (b), what is needed to eliminate the "gap" between where it is now and where it should be. Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read The Boundaryless Organization Field Guide. It contains a a hands-on set of diagnostic instruments as well as exercises and tools, and a disk with presentation slides in Powerpoint format.

I agree with the authors: The most restrictive organizational boundaries are in the minds of those within an organization. Organizational as well as personal wounds are usually self-inflicted.

This is a forward-looking discussion of the paradigm shift from traditional pyramidal organizations to organic, dynamic enterprises that feature permeable boundaries. The book is a triumphant crusade against fiefdoms and for freedom in inter- and intra-organizational life. It demonstrates how "boundaryless" organizations can increase the ability to respond quickly, creatively, flexibly, and in an integrated fashion to market demands. Case studies of change efforts bring the main points alive. Adding to the value of this work are self-diagnostic instruments, charts, and tables. This book is a rich source of insights about organization plus savvy guidelines for taking action. We highly recommend it.

This book discusses the shift in American education from "values-neutral" and "strictly content" education toward a different and necessary ideal: educating youngsters to live a "good life." (This is the goal that movie watchers saw in the final scene of "Saving Pvt. Ryan," where the older Ryan asks his wife and children, "Did I lead a good life?") Both authors are from the Center for the Advancement of Ethics and Character at Boston University. They write primarily for educators and have teachers in mind. They promote the idea that education is in "its fullest sense is inescapably a moral enterprise" (p. 190).

I found the book to be well writeen and filled with many good examples. I particularly liked the Appendices (76 pages), filled with good advice. Ryan and Bohlin also discuss how character education is different from "values clarification" and "teaching a viewpoint." In character education, students discover the importance of (or lack of) virtues; that there are multiple answers to moral questions; that characters in literature and history "grow into" their moral positions, and that character education wishes to inculcate the importance of "knowing good, seeing good, and doing good."

This is the coming age in U.S. education. This book along with some others (William Damon, The Moral Child; Bringing in a New Era in Character Education; Thomas Lickona, Educating for Character) will provide a good theoretical background. Ryan and Bohlin warn us away from pre-packaged character education activities, and, as a result, I am not quite sure where to go from here (which is why I took off one star).

I hope you enjoy the book.

Few are the resources that leave parents and teachers both inspired and eager to continue in their task as educators. Engaging, practical and easy to read, 'Building Character in Schools' provides an uplifting view on how our children and young can become the great persons that they can be. A must read for anyone who cares about the young and our future society.

This is a wonderful, easy-to-read book about character education. It provides coherent, *non-religious* arguments in favor of character education, and then provides some practical guidelines and resources for implementation. In the wake of Columbine, how can anybody question the need for character education, particularly in the public schools?

This excellent book shows teachers and school officials how to create a character-building educational program and make it work.

Timely and on target, Building Character in Schools reads quickly and provides practical insights for today's educators and parents as they struggle to help children develop integral personalities. It is a must read for teachers who see their students as the future of our society, who need to develop habits and a vision that empower them to become honest, upright and noble citizens.

Great book! The exercises really force you to think and clarify the who, what, why and how of yourself and the group you are creating or trying to improve. I highly recomend this one.

With great insight and honesty Michael Jacoby Brown has drawn on his extensive experience to produce a practical and inspiring resource. This book is a must for anyone wishing to organize a group to work for social change or anyone who is part of a community organization which needs to rejuvenate or rediscover its purpose. It is beautiful in its simplicity, addressing its issues in a way everyone can understand, and broad in its scope, addressing every aspect involved in successful community organizing. "Building Powerful Community Organizations" demands engagement by the reader. It contains exercises and the reader gains best value from the book by engaging in the exercises at the point they are presented.

This book should be required reading for hospitals, foundations, public health agencies and people working on any form of community improvement. Michael has documented his learnings with stories and tools that can equip those willing to learn to build powerful community organization, as the title says. There are lots of various community organizing guides but this one mixes stories and tools in an easy to read, nicely laid out style. His wisdom comes from years of community organizing and translates here into practical, easy to access advice. This is the best handbook I have seen in a long time! The author makes himself available with info on how to reach him as well as a website with blog that makes him more than a distant author; he is approachable and willing to extend his teachings beyond the pages of his book. Not may authors do this.

Written by Michael Jacoby Brown, who has more than thirty years' experience in building community organizations, Building Powerful Community Organizations: A Personal Guide to Creating Groups that Can Solve Problems and Change the World is a handy step-by-step guide to creating, strengthening, and revitalizing grass-roots organizations for bringing about social change to solve problems in the community or workplace. From how to effectively recruit (learning to "listen not sell", when short or long visits are appropriate, and how to turn success into momentum) to how to mobilize resources and raise money to the steps for setting change into motion and more, Building Powerful Community Organizations walks the reader through the necessary skills and processes while warning against common obstacles and pitfalls. Enthusiastically recommended for anyone looking to harness communal effort and make a lasting difference.

Author Michael Jacoby Brown has created a book with very detailed information on how to organize, create, and lead a community organization. In it he clearly explains all the steps necessary to create an effective organization that can resolve problems. The various areas discussed include the theory of how a group should work, the chemistry involved, the seven basic steps for building an organization, developing a mission statement, goals, and objectives, designing the organization to last, recruiting others, mobilizing, raising money and taking action. Throughout the book are case studies and exercises to help you not only understand how it all works but also to help you work through developing your organization correctly. If you want to change the world and know you need help to do it then you will appreciate this book. Building Powerful Community Organizations is easily the best book on the market today on this subject.

Once again you have written a wonderful book for us to understand what our children are going though. The title of your book should cause adults everywhere to stop and listen to their children. You have captured the voice of the youth and for this I thank you. Just MOM Connie

The authors' focus on the witnesses and how to empower them makes for a powerful handbook for parents and educators. Strategies presented can become important ingredients in a strong school-wide character education program. Build courage while you're building skills. There are appropriate methods for reporting, confronting, helping, and supporting. Positive changes begin by reading this tremendously valuable resource. Find out how to help children "break the pain chain!"

A grass roots, comprehensive look at a pervasive problem, spanning the childhood spectrum and moving into the adult world! SuEllen and Paula have stumbled onto an issue which permeates society. They define bullying, give specific examples and cast the human interest approach to finding solutions! A must read for parents and educators...

As a School Health Educator working with children of all ages, my emphasis is violence prevention. In fact, bullying programs make up 90% of my work throughout Missouri. In this book, SuEllen and Paula have crystalized my ideas about what is essential to teach people of all ages about peer abuse.

I was particularly impressed with the extensive references to research, and the countless stories that support the ideas in their book. If we are to help children take their place in society as adults, we must equip them with appropriate skills and information. These ideas are neatly laid out for readers in Bullies, Targets & Witnesses. I gained a greater understanding of the underlying complexities of each role in a variety of bullying situations, and ways to handle them.

Parents, educators and counselors who truly care about creating a kinder generation to follow in our footsteps will find Bullies, Targets & Witnesses a very useful resource.

For parents desperate to protect their child from being bullied or stop him from being a bully, this book has tactics to improve the situation. I discovered the book from a review in Ladies Home Journal. The author also founded a nationwide educational program BullySafeUSA.
Your child may not tell you about all that happens to him, but if you see problems with mental health, self-esteem, thoughts about suicide, and slipping school work, then it may be bullying.

Very insightful---eventhough I only have a 3 1/2 year old, I was anxious to read this book. It was helpful in defining the characteristics of both bully and victim. It speaks to both child AND parent with helpful tips in a workbook format. This will be one that I keep handy when my son starts elem. school!

Accessible, informative, and full of practical advice about solutions to a problem that is of the utmost importance to parents, teachers and students. This volume would be an asset to any library. As a parent and a former teacher I highly recommend it.

How refreshing that someone finally wrote a book to help with the problems of bullying. My sons Jesse, Benny, and Jack are all benefiting from the valuable lessons put forth by Ms. Rankin.

BRAVO!!

The practical advice offered in this book is extremely helpful. I love being able to help my son help himself with his problems. I would recommend this book to anyone who has a child who is being bullied or a child who bullies.

The Bully Problem Solver, gave me and my children such realistic help! The worksheet guided my children (age 10) through identifying real solutions to pesky bullies at their school. As well as, advising them to put their emotions down on paper. I loved how it gave me as a parent ways to help my children...instead of trying to handle their problems for them! It has proven to be a valuble tool for them and myself!

I bought this book for an overall understanding of BI without wanting a deep dive into the technicality of the technology. This book hit the spot nicely. Explained clearly the evolution of BI, the uses and some real-life solutions. In the final section it then went into the technology at a perfectly pitched depth. If you are looking for a BI reference guide, this is the wrong book for you. However, if you just want a clearly written book on the concepts behind BI and it's real life applications, this is the book for you.

I chose this book, because I needed to get some background on BI fairly quickly. It satisfied that need very well. It is quite well-written and some parts read more like a story, which is quite the opposite of the "just the facts, ma'am" approach of Kimball and his associates. (That is not a stab at Kimball. I am a big fan and I believe they have so much to say that they don't really have the space to make it story-like. Kimball has a completely different goal with his books -- but this is not a Kimball-review.)

At the start, the book introduces us to the Director of Imports at a gift and novelty wholesale company. Her initiative of selling a certain item didn't work so well, and we get to know the steps she has taken to analyze the data to find out what happened. Along the way, we are introduced to many Data Warehousing / Business Intelligence (DW/BI) concepts.

After the story, some basic DW/BI terms are explained in more detail. The authors explain quite well where they fit in the process of getting from mounds of static data, to a useable set of data for analytical purposes, which they call the BI Roadmap.

The book contains five case studies of a few pages each, which help fix the process of implementation.

If you know nothing about DW/BI and you quickly need a framework on which to hang whatever knowledge you gain elsewhere, I'd say this is a great start. Also, if you've implemented a DW/BI system and failed, this may help get you back to your roots. However, if you've read a lot of in-depth material and maybe have an implementation or two (successful) under your belt, this will only serve as a relaxing read; you won't gain much new knowledge from it.

I give it 5 stars, because it does what I think it attempts to do. It gives you background knowledge and a framework; it does not attempt to be an encyclopaedic work and desk reference, like Kimball's books are. Therefore it reads in a fraction of the time it would take to read Kimball. If background is what you're looking for, enjoy.

The book was a very easy read. Finised it in one afternoon. Definitely recommended for a novice. However, if you have an understanding of BI, then this book is not for you.

I like the cover. Its orange !!!

First of all, I will have to admit that I am a Microsoft advocate. I like their solutions and I think very highly of what they have to offer with SQL Server and Analysis Services.

This book lays down a good foundation for anyone to follow. It explains the concept of BI, the uses of BI, and the payback of BI. What more do you want.

I have been in charge of an SAP/BW group for a large consumer electronics company for the past 4 years. SAP's architecture for BI is very expensive, inflexible, and limited. Using Microsoft's concepts of BI would be cheaper, very flexible, with much more capabilities.

So, grab this book, read it, then read it again. Install SQL Server 2k. Install Analysis Services (comes with SQL Server 2k) and install SQL Servers Service Packs 1-3).

Then experiement with what they are telling you in this book and you will be amazed at what you can do....and cheaply!!!

Good Luck!

Techies will enjoy learning from real world examples of business intelligence technologies. Business leaders will appreciate how complex technical and business topics are tackled from various perspectives - what is BI, how BI will help your organization, and the most helpful chapter, how to actually identify, start and implement a BI solution.

Only wish the authors had spent a little more time identifying pitfalls, but that is why you hire experts to help you out.

I really enjoyed reading about Dr. Pellicer's quest for leadership. I was inspired by his witty stories and reflective questions. Through this journey I realized that leadership is who we are.

Leonard Pellicer's Caring Enough to Lead contains many interesting and thoughtful reflections to become a successful leader. He uses reflections at the end of each chapter to let the reader think about how they lead or how they can become a good leader. The reflections were very useful to me to see what kind of a leader I hope to become.

I particularly enjoyed his anecdotes about various happenings in his life. They give the book the feeling of someone who actually cares about what he is righting about rather than just someone who is writing just to get a paycheck. He stresses that caring is the most important thing to becoming a successful leader and it shows in the book.

However, if you are looking for a book that tells you exactly how to become a good and moral leader, this may not be the book for you. This book gives you the tools you will need to find out what kind of a leader you are and at the same time steers the reader in the direction he or she would need to go to become a good leader.

I am currently studying to be a teacher and I feel that this book is a good resource for any future or current teacher or administrator. It gives the reader a chance to critically look at how he or she leads and can become a better leader by making the right questions are being asked. By asking yourself a few key questions and knowing what those answers mean to being a good leader can help the reader become a much better and more caring leader.

Pellicer's personal experiences are what make this book work. His extensive experience in the education field shows that he knows what it takes to be a caring leader. I that Pellicer's reflective thought process will help me to become a better leader in the education field and ultimately make me a better teacher in the long run.

This book provides the reader with anecdotes, stories, and reflections on the qualities and traits of effective leadership. Rather than boring the reader with staid theories and lectures, Mr. Pellicer provides an interesting insight through entertaining stories and thought-provoking questions. This book will definitely inspire you!

Dr. Pellicer's book compels the reader to reflect on his or her practice in a format that is easy to read and enjoyable. The stories will make the reader laugh and cry and, most important, examine her own behavior and motivations at school. The author's expertise in education is obvious, but his message is not dogmatic. He encourages the reader to think through the use of his education-based stories and gently prods the teacher or administrator to think about his/her own strengths and weaknesses. Some of the stories will stay with an educator for a long time, and I fully believe that this was the author's intended purpose.

I am not writing this review to seek favors or to boost the book sales of one of my colleagues. I just happen to be blessed with the profound honor and pleasure of having worked under the author's guiding hand for the past two years. I can tell you from firsthand experience that Leonard Pellicer "walks his talk". He is a touching, masterful, giving, caring person, and far and away the most wonderful leader with whom I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. He has created an academic workplace completely committed to the full realization of its vision statement. The result is that I work with the most caring and loving group of people imaginable. It just doesn't get any better than this.

"Caring Enough to Lead" is a fantastic book. I love how he illustrates the path of the heart with simple yet profound personal life examples. Such a technique can easily go sideways with self-absorption, but not in this case. One of the most delightful features of the book is my certainty that the chapters which speak the loudest to me today (among them: "some of the questions", "what I believe about people", "water buffalo", "to be a teacher", "successful schools", "sharing power", and "professional educator") will no doubt change along with my need to respond to a given difficulty or circumstance in the future. To wit, some of its struck me as a gem that I need to realize at this time, and other sections will no doubt simmer for a while and then resurface when I most need their wisdom.

Overall, the book rings in my heart very much the way "The Holy Man" by Susan Trotter (my favorite book of all time) did. Exactly the opposite of technical and boring, it is a refreshingly delightful and interesting read. I have never before stopped to actually DO the suggested exercises in books, but I found myself actually doing that with this one, because what I gleaned from each chapter was simply too valuable to let pass by without trying to apply its lessons to my life.

This book is a treasure find in a field of tired and rehashed ideas. I realize that it's dangerous to wish for things other than they are, but I believe it would be a much better world if more leaders had Leonard's heartfelt leadership style. Reading this book provides a solid step in that direction.

It is one of the best books that I never read in my life. Well structured, clear, direct to the point. It is the perfect book if you are looking for frames in order to analyze your business. I strongly suggest to all the MBAs.

How do you begin to look at your business "on the horizon"? The company's management team must create a "map" which will lead the organization to it's objectives. Eric will ask you "by the way, do you know what your objectives are?" He really helps you clarify and organize. As Yogi Berra once said "If you don't know where you're going, you're probably going to get there"!

This book is extremely useful for general managers. It has had a profound impact on the way I think about organizations. As authors, Flamholtz and Randle are clear, logical, and practical. As professors, their years of experience as successful strategy consultants translated into one of the best classes I have taken during my MBA years. I highly recommend this book, and will buy it for my friends who are passionate about management.

Not only is this book written in a clear and crisp manner, but the tools described in the book are practical to use and the results easy to interpret.

"In its broadest sense, a game involves procedures or strategies for gaining certain ends. The game of business is to use resources (people, money, ideas, equipment, and tools) to gain certain ends desired by the organization. For a corporation, the objectives of the game are to increase profitability and shareholder value...Whether it is recognized or not, all organizations operate under a 'game plan'. The 'organizational game plan' consists of the basic concept of the game being played as well as the fundamental strategy for playing the game...No matter what game an organization chooses to play or how it chooses to play it, there are certain periods in an organization's life when 'the game' (either the game itself or how it is played) needs to be changed. This occurs when there have been major changes in the economic environment, or some kind of revolution in technology or the nature of competition. It can also happen simply as the result of significant, rapid organizational growth...As used in this book, the phrase, 'changing the game' has a dual meaning. First, it refers to changes in the game being played by an organization. This involves changes in the business an organization is actually in. In addition, the phrase also refers to changes in the way the game is being played (i.e., how a firm operates). Both are major aspects of a business and both can require major transformations, either at different points or even at the same time. These transformations are the focus of this book and define what we mean by 'changing the game'...During the past few years, there has been increasing use of the terms 'transformation' and 'change' in business literature. Some people unfortunatelly use these terms synonymously. That is not the way we will use these terms in this book...Our focus in Changing the Game is on transformation rather than merely incremental changes" (pp.4-9).

In this context, Eric G. Flamholtz and Yvonne Randle:

* describe 'pure' types of transformations, including what they have termed Transformations of the First, Second, and Third Kinds:

1. Entrepreneurial transformations to professional management including the special case of family business transformations - First Kind (more detailed discussion and examples of this kind see Chapter 3).

2. Revitalization transformations of established companies - Second Kind (more detailed discussion and examples of this kind see Chapter 4).

3. Business vision transformations - Third Kind (more detailed discussion and examples of this kind see Chapters 5-6).

and note that actual organizations sometimes engage in compound transformations, consisting of more than one type of transformation simultaneously.

* present a framework that managers can use to understand and plan what must be done to build an organization with a high probability of long-term success, and examine four critical factors that influence the design of a successful business enterprise:

1. The 'business concept' that defines the business a company is in.

2. Six key 'building blocks' of organizational success.

3. The 'size' of the enterprise.

4. The 'environment' (markets, competition, and trends) in which the enterprise will exist.

* focus on the strategic transformational planning process in order to provide a tool for assisting in the process of managing transformations.

* examine how to design an organizational structure that will support a firm's transformation.

* examine the issues involved in transforming an organization's structure after a strategic transformational plan has been developed, and show that the choice of the form of organization to help implement a transformational plan is a strategic issue in itself.

* focus on the behavioral aspects of organizational transformations, and describe the important role leadership plays in not only helping to transform the behavior of individuals within an organization, but in changing the overall game that the organization is playing.

* discuss two additional, powerful tools -performance management systems and corporate culture management- that can be used to transform the behavior of all employees within an organization.

* present ten key lessons for Managing Transformations and Changing the Game.

Finally, they argue that "unlike chess and the NCAA basketball tournament, business is a game without an end. There is no national championship tournament for business. The game goes on and on. In a sense, a basketball program is like a business. A given team may win a championship one year, but there is always the next year and the next and the next, just as in business. As soon as one profitable year is completed, the next emerges. There is, however, one constant in the business game year after year: the need to understand the process of managing organizational transformations. Accordingly, the final lesson is: adapt and increase the probability of future success; or remain fixed in the existing paradigm and risk failure. The game is there for the taking".

I highly recommend.

Doug White's look at the state of charities and fundraising in our country is insightful and well-thought out. This book, which is easy to read, does an outstanding job of enlightening all of us on what happens behind the scenes of charities. Even experienced fundraisers, dedicated board members and long-time donors can benefit from the wisdom and observations in its pages. As entertaining as it is informative, it is a breath of fresh air in the non-profit world.

Doug offers an excellent look at the real issues faced by non profit organizations. Administration and fund-raising are reasonable functions with real expenses. However those costs are rarely an indicator of effectiveness. There is no practical standard to measure efficiency or success comparable to "for profit" organizations. His book is helpful to the discerning donor to attempt to identify those who will take your money and hopefully use it to help those we cannot help directly. To make to biggest difference you can.

As a donor to a number of charities, I found this book to be enlightening. After reading it, I understood better how to look at charities with a more critical eye. In so doing, I can make certain my money is best spent. This book is a must for anyone interested in being a more focused donor.

As an Executive Director of a large inner city Social Service Agency this is a great book. Most of us all agree you have to have a vision where you want to be, and how you want to get there. Mr. White clearly has a vision that all charities should strive for the highest ETHICAL and not just legal standards. His book has a lot to offer in helping us keep our minds on that job, while we also try to keep our eyes on the prize. Donor Accountability is not to be taken lightly and this book is right on target for today's post Enron Era. Every CEO, CFO and ED's should read this book.
It should be required reading in any MBA field and certainly for anyone involved in the Fundraising Profession. Stephen Providence RI

As a baby boomer who writes lots of checks to charities, I found this book to be enlightening and enormously helpful. The author clearly has the information donors need to ensure that the money they give is used for the purposes they intend. Although he pulls no punches, Mr. White's heart is firmly in the world of charities. He wants to weed out the bad ones so the good ones succeed.

As a teacher, and one who is sensitive and well aware of Native American lives and cultures, all I can say is BUY THIS BOOK!

A good survey of native kids' lives, activities that emphasizes their ongoing cultural contributions to life in the multicultural climate of today's America. Great color photos, text at about third grade level, this ought to shatter stereotypes right and left. Glossary, resource guide included.

The collaborative effort of Yvonne Wakim Dennis and Arlene Hirschfelder, Children Of Native America Today introduces young readers to the lives and cultures of Native Americans all across the nation. Ranging from the Ojibway and Cherokee peoples, to the Pueblo and native Hawaiians, Children Of Native America Today is enhanced with color photographs illustrating an outstanding survey which broadly touches upon a variety of different Native American tribes and cultures -- rather than going for an in-depth on any particular one. Careful attention to what life is really like, and emphasizing the importance of not allowing stereotypes to cloud one's judgement, make Children Of Native America Today a highly recommended addition to school and community library Native American Studies collections for young readers.

As the authors explain in their preface, the goal of this book is to break stereotypes about Native Americans -- and it does this very well. All too often we think of Native Americans only in terms of powwows and costumes, and then only the "war bonnets" or beaded buckskin dresses of the Plains tribes. Some of the children in this book are wearing native dress (in many different styles) for traditional occasions, but they also wear modern clothes for everyday activities like sports, hiking, fun on the playground, etc.

In the Forward by folksinger Buffy St. Marie (whose music first raised my awareness of Native issues back in the 1970s), she correctly points out that every child belongs to at least one culture, but that children are not ONLY their cultures. "Even kids from the most traditional Native backgrounds have much in common with other children," she writes. "They have families, they grow and change every day, they love and work and play."

There are over 500 Native tribes in the United States, each of which has its own language and customs. This book covers 25 tribes representative of the various geographical areas, from Maine to Hawaii, with a map showing their locations. There's also a section on urban communities. (Which city has the largest Native population? New York!)

The authors describe their photo essay as "a book of few words and many pictures." The bright, colorful photos are indeed fabulous, and the "few words" are well-chosen. Each tribe gets a two-page spread, with child-friendly facts about history and daily activities that range from sports (Lacrosse is originally a Native game) to harvesting clams, making maple syrup, riding horses or carving totem poles. Sidebars give the total population of each group, its geogrphical location(s), and names of some famous people. Throught the bookj, the focus is always on things that children do, with lessons about about diversity, respect, tolerance, ecology, and other issues gently woven in and not at all preachy. I myself learned a lot myself from reading this book, and the photo on page 11 finally cleared up the mystery about an odd old tool I found on my hobby farm -- it's a "comb" for harvesting cranberries!

There is also a teacher's activity and resource guide (sold separately) that goes with this book. The Guide has biographies of contemporary members of various Native groups, with suggested investigative activities focusing on that person's accomplishments and/or expertise. For example, the page on Lori Aviso Alvord, the first Navajo woman surgeon, has a discussion of traditional forms of holistic healing, and suggestions for investigating different healing approaches used in the world today. Taken together, the activities in the Guide cover the whole gamut of contributions that Native Americans have made in all areas of society and life.

The authors are currently working on another diversity book about children's ceremonies around the world. (In fact, that's how I learned about this book. Author Yvonne Dennis queried me for details about a traditional hair-cutting ceremony for Hasidic boys. I was very impressed that she actively sought to include Jewish children, because so many diversity projects do not see Jews as a culture.) The goal of their new book will be to help children relate to each other through learning about the ways that children are special in each culture. I look forward to reading it when it comes out.

As a teacher I have always been interested in exploring the diverse history of Native Americans with my students but have been unable to locate a book that is both educational and fun...until now. Children of Native America today is a book that engages young people while showing them how Native American children are as diverse and heterogeneous as any other group. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in teaching young students about Native Americans.