Organizations Books

Probably one of the definitive treatments of this subject. Excellent translation and the commentary is quite helpful to those looking for a more acedemic approach to this classic. Recommended!

The godliness of living a Gospel life when it comes to The Rule of St. Benedict, the nature of the author's intentions and set of mind, the understandings of The Rule itself, are a few of the rewards one gets from Terrence G. Kardong's, "Benedict's Rule: A Translation and Commentary." One thesis of Father Kardong's is, "...the Rule teaches a dynamic spirituality." A book for those interested in living a Gospel life, some areas touched upon by this book include, "progress and growth" in the religious and spiritual life, what's referred to as ongoing conversion in the life of faith, and humility.

The book suggests looking towards continued reading of "...the teaching of the Bible and Fathers." This last a recommendation of the Rule, and the book "Benedict's Rule" an endorsement and recommendation of St. Benedict's little book for beginners.

A reader interested in St. Benedict's Rule will find this 600 plus page work, published by The Liturgical Press a scholarly work. It can be used as a text for reading, as in study, or as a reference work (so I think). The book speaks of St. Benedict's sense of moderation, and his humility, an earmark of the book about the Rule itself, and a hallmark of the author who is a monk and priest.

Father Kardong writes at the very beginning of the book in a dedication that the work is, "To my brothers of Assumption Abbey who taught me how to be a monk and who freed me for the work of writing this commentary on the Rule of Benedict." This is a book for monks in the monastery, and also for lay people and Oblates of St. Benedict. This is a book for church goers. This is a book for people who practice the work of God, the daily office.

One needs to have patience and perseverance to read it. One needs to take this book as it comes, not hurry it along, and in many places reread both the Rule as translated by Father Kardong, and his commentary. A retired Episcopal priest, who used to give retreats for the laity introducing The Rule of St. Benedict, suggested that I read the book without a sense of time or looking towards the end of it. He thought the work a book to be savored.

Father Kardong has many good thoughts and suggestions; certainly his commentary is beneficial for the interested reader. That is not a statement too obvious to be made, for this is a worthy book by a wise and educated monk.

I will find a good quote from Terrence G. Kardong's writings, but first this description of the book from the preface by Father Kardong says he has produced "...a double-deck commentary with detailed philological material in notes and discursive material in the overviews." This is his interpretation of the Rule. He notes that much is experiential. For me, this added merit to the book. His commentary is part of his life experience and work. An attribute that adds to the authenticity and authority of, "The Rule: A Translation and Commentary."

The famous words of the Rule begin, "Listen, O my son, to the teachings of your master, and turn to them with the ear of your heart." After all, the Rule is a religious book, and religion is for the heart. These words for the heart have been around 1,500 years. What is meant by these few words of the Rule is made commentary in another quotation: "Let us open our eyes...is a possible allusion to the Transfiguration, where the drowsy disciples are startled by the shining forth of Christ, and instructed by the voice from heaven (Luke 9:32)."

At a preached retreat in Big Sur, California USA, at Immaculate Heart Hermitage, Brother Bede explained that the Rule is a holy book, an illuminated work that keeps on giving, like the Bible. I remembered his instruction when approaching "Benedict's Rule" and considered that the writer Father Kardong also approached it as such. This itself is an important point, for the work presented is exemplary.

In his commentary on the last part of the Rule, he writes, "...that observance of the Rule [Biblical theme of the Rule] itself is not enough; the Rule, like the Law, is to be `fulfilled.'" Though many believe the Rule is a way to perfection, and asks for that perfection, a serious consideration is that the Rule is also a book of love. Kardong believes it is mainly a book about love.

A major theme of the last chapter, love is described in the commentary: "...for the love that is preached in the penultimate chapter is essentially communal and public...selfless love for the other is a better way to end the Rule than the theme of `perfection.'"

It is the love in community; love for and of one another, the love that God offers and gives, that is central to living the Rule of St. Benedict. This alone is worth the price of admission. For as the monastery is a school for living, so the Rule offers a school for living the Gospel in ongoing conversion in one's life. "The Rule of St. Benedict" is a book inspired by the Gospel and written by a great holy man, Benedict of Nursia (St. Benedict).

--Peter Menkin, Easter 2007

The Rule of St. Benedict itself is a fairly short book - it can be done as a pocket-sized edition. It is a good example of the statement, 'good things come in small packages'. The rule is a guide of life, but not 'a rigid, brutal structure imposed legalistically'. Benedict was fully aware of human frailty, as true 1500 years ago as it is today. This frailty requires much to be done to give the person strength, and so Benedict's Rule is designed for an ever-increasing self-discipline which is supported by community worship and practice.

Benedict's Rule for life includes worship, work, study, prayer, and relaxation. Benedict's Rule requires community -- even for those who become hermits or solitaries, there is a link to the community through worship and through the Rule. No one is alone. This is an important part of the relationship of God to the world, so it is an integral part of the Rule.

Benedict's Rule was set out first in a world that was torn with warfare, economic and political upheaval, and a generally harsh physical environment. This Rule was set out to bring order to a general chaos in which people lived. This is still true today, and men and women all over the world use Benedict's 'little rule for beginners' as a basic structure for their lives.

The first word of the rule is Listen. This is perhaps the best advice for anyone looking for any guidance or rule of life. While Benedict's Rule is decidedly Christocentric and hierarchical (though not as hierarchical as much popular ideas about monastic practice would have one think), it nonetheless can give value to any reader who is looking to construct a practice for oneself.

Benedict's establishment of a monastery was in fact the establishment of a school for spirituality. In his prologue to the Rule, Benedict even states this as his intention. 'In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.' He sets forth in this brief rule a guide to individual life within community that will bring one ever closer to the divine.

Benedict explores the issues of charity, personality, integrity, and spirituality in all of his rules. From the clothing to the prayer cycle to the reception of guests, all have a purpose that fits into a larger whole, and all have positive charges and negative warnings. Benedict is especially mindful of the sin of pride, be it pride of possession, pride of person, pride of place -- he strives for equality in the community (as a recognition that all are equal before God).

Hundreds of thousands of pages have been written over the last millenium and a half on the Rule of St. Benedict, but it all comes down to this brief collection, which can be read easily in an hour, yet takes a lifetime (or perhaps more!) to master.

Open it for yourself to see what riches it may hold for you.

This particular version by Kardong includes the original Latin text (with minor editing and updating) as well as extensive translation notes and commentary. The Rule itself is very short, and can be (and has been) printed in 80 small pages; the fact that this volume is over 600 pages should give an good indication of the richness of the commentary. Good things do come in small packages, but the notes and additional material here is not to be missed, not to mention the interesting aspect of reading the text in the original language.

Over the past 16 years, I've become personally involved with Benedictine spirituality through regular retreats to the monastic cloister. Kardong's book has given me the historical perspective and linguistic insight into that deep well, "The Rule of St. Benedict", the life source of Benedictine monasticism. Through his scholarly exegesis of "The Rule", I've gained understanding of this way of life, and thus have better lived my own life and faith. I have referred again and again to "Benedict's Rule: A Translation and Commentary" in the writing of my own commentary on "The Rule" for parents, "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home". I am currently working on a companion volume, "The Family Cloister Workbook: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home", and have continually opened the pages of Kardong's book to better understand certain chapters and phrases in "The Rule". Besides the monks themselves who daily live the Rule, Kardong's commentary is one of the most complete expositions of Benedict's Rule I've found.

As I read through this book I kept thinking to myself, "That's a GREAT idea, why didn't I think of that!". It's full of ideas for people at all levels of experience with Auction-planning. Even if you've been involved in many auction fundraisers, I'd almost guarantee you'll find a few fresh ideas in this book! Great resource, easy read.

I wanted to drop you a note to tell you how extraordinarily impressed I am with "Benefit Auctions: A Fresh Formula for Grassroots Fundraising" by Sandy Bradley.

In the past, I've had occasion to run auctions for several non-profit organizations, both church and professional. I did okay winging it, but it wasn't easy. I had a problem collecting donations, getting the auction publicized, and keeping things running smoothly. It worked, but I always felt that it'd be a lot smoother if I knew what I was doing.

Then I read "Benefit Auctions: A Fresh Formula for Grassroots Fundraising." Within the first few chapters, I saw that one of my biggest problems with meeting my expected goals was that I hadn't set my goals correctly. The "times 2" rule explained it all. I also learned how to do much better solicitation of goods and services from donors (and how to find new donors!). The suggestions for how to set up processes also eliminated a major headache for the volunteers and--best of all--showed me how to speed up the payment and checkout procedures, which had been a real bottleneck in the past.

I haven't yet had a chance to try all of these techniques yet, but I am confident that I'm going to be able to double the income through increased donations while spending slightly less effort to publicize and run the auction. On behalf of my customers and my volunteers, thank you!

Benefit Auctions: A Fresh Formula For Grassroots Fundraising by musician, author, and licensed auctioneer Sandy Bradley who draws upon her years of experience and expertise as an auctioneering fundraiser for nonprofits and arts organizations. Benefit Auctions is an invaluable step-by-step guide for determine the kind of even best for a particular organization; finding an ideal location; hiring an effective auctioneer; developing a strategy for attracting attendees and bidders; soliciting donations of goods and services to sell; generating a catalog and bid sheets; training volunteers; setting up the event for maximum financial revenues; concluding an auction successfully while laying the groundwork of the next one. If you are responsible for developing a fundraising auction for your group or organization, then give a careful reading to Sandy Bradley's Benefit Auctions.

I'm just getting started in fundraising auctions and I've read everything I can get my hands on. I should have started and stopped with this book. I've bought extra copies to give to the nonprofits I'm working with so they'll know how to do it right.

I have used this book as a text book in many Change Agent classes I have taught and have found it to be a very pragmatic and useful guide. It is a shame that it is out of print now. In fact, the last class I tought, I had to go scrounging around the office to find copies on bookshelves to use. I wish they would republish it.

The list of consequences "when bad things happen to good projects" or What-NOT-To-Do is worth the price of the book. I wish I had read this book before starting my 6+ years as a consultant helping organizations to improve. This book presents most of the lessons that I've learned during those years and gives quite a few additional ideas on organization change.

Don't let the garish cover art distract you. This is a solidly good book, which I regularly recommend to my clients. Of course, I can't vouch for the Price Waterhouse consulting group's ability to get clients to change successfully or whether they even follow their own advice. I just know that I do apply the best ideas in this book (plus some of my own) in my consulting practice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Easy to read and it truly made sense. We are just beginning an effort to change our organization and this book has helped us plot our course. I am encouraged that this book will help us achieve positive change for our company and employees.

If you're trying to figure out why a project isn't going well, this book just may solve your problem. It takes you through the basics of change mangement, and makes you aware of just what you're dealing with. Good, practical advice that made me wear out a highlighter. When I showed it to other IS people on our Oracle software implementation project, they said "that's us"!!! We didn't realize we were in the middle of a change project - now we can try to take a step back and regroup.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

"Beyond Earth Day" gives an amazingly thorough look at the state of our planet, then and now. Discussions of issues are well-referenced and Gaylord Nelson courageously presents honest solutions to problems that many people take pains to ignore. He offers history, wisdom, and guidance in an age when "environment" is an important issue to Americans, yet many are unaware of the seriousness of the issues our water, air, soils and biodiversity face. An America united by the knowledge offered by Senator Nelson has the capability to change the course of catastrophic events involving the very elements needed for life. Share the intelligence of this important book with everyone you know.

This book covers what should be the most important Issue to all people in the human-rat race. It's an attempt to make people realize how fast we are using up our natural resourses.
I can only hope that this book makes it to the top 10 best sellers list, so that it gets read by a large segment of the population. It's a vary important message and it's easy to read in a short amount of time, and once you read it it would be wise to give it to a friend and have them read it and pass it on to someone else.
Why can't an American president stand up, and run on smaller population and less consumption? Humans will gain less and less with over-population.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson holds no punches in this book. He brings the question of the ability of the planet to sustain today's consumption-driven American lifestyle into clear focus in "Beyond Earth Day". His report card on the planet is dire but believable.

The book provides a strong case that more dire consequences are up ahead for all of us, unless the current political leadership in Washington abandons its "business as usual" mentality regarding the environment and begins to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation we are getting into with regard to air, water, land and climate.

"It is time for the president and Congress to reach an agreement that sustainability is the challenge of our time and design a plan of action for the future... There is no room, nor time, for partisanship. The president and Congress should face this issue in a unified and cooperative way and should persist until we reach the goal", laments Nelson.

Nelson recommends that the president of the United States deliver a "State of the Environment" speech to the American public and the world which outlines environmental challenges meriting the nation and the world's immediate attention, and the challenges that lay on the horizon. Such an address, Nelson says, is what is needed "to start public dialogue on the serious environmental problems facing the country and world today". People everywhere need to realize that maintaining the environmental sustainability of the planet is the most important responsibility we all have, because all life on Earth is interrelated, and because our economy is inherently dependent on the environment's "underlying resource base of forests, water, air, soil, and minerals".

Many fundraising books show you the mechanics of fundraising. Ms. Sprinkel does that, but more importantly, she shows the reader how to approach fundraising with the proper mindset. Gone it the "tin cup" mentality. Instead, she advocates that we approach fundraising with an investment mindset.

Having set the stage with her philosophical approach to fundraising, Ms. Grace proceeds to walk the reader through the different stages of fundraising, including annual and capital campaigns.

I used the information in this book to assist the development team at my children's school with a capital campaign. We trained a number of people in the art of fundraising and went on to raise the money needed for a new building. While I won't give Ms. Grace all the credit, I can say with confidence that the advice she dispenses in clearly written and very effective.

This book provides non-profit executives with a very practical approach to making their organizations more successful financially and more relevant to their audiences. I have advised many non-profits on a range of issues, and I am envious of Grace's admonition to "put away the tin cup." That's one of the truest, most important things that today's non-profit leaders could hear.

Many fundraising books show you the mechanics of fundraising. Ms. Sprinkel does that, but more importantly, she shows the reader how to approach fundraising with the proper mindset. Gone is the "tin cup" mentality. Instead, she advocates that we approach fundraising with an investment mindset.

Having set the stage with her philosophical approach to fundraising, Ms. Grace proceeds to walk the reader through the different stages of fundraising, including annual and capital campaigns.

I used the information in this book to assist the development team at my children's school with a capital campaign. We trained a number of people in the art of fundraising and went on to raise the money needed for a new building. While I won't give Ms. Grace all the credit, I can say with confidence that the advice she dispenses is clearly written and very effective.

Defining the difference between fund-raising and donor development was an eye-opener. In a non-profit world that is increasingly competitive for the donor dollar, Ms. Grace offers a powerfully different approach. Of particular interest was reference to values-based mission statements. Something from which every fund-raising organization can learn

Barbara Singerman is an EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN OF FAITH, and she is one of the few women on this earth that I truly look up to and desire to be like. I picked up this book shortly after my graduation from college, and God really used it in my life to show me more of His awesome Kingdom work through missions, but most of all, what one life surrendered to Him truly looks like. Jesus shines through the Singerman family, and you will not be the same person after you have spent time in the pages of this book. The book leaves you feeling as if you have made a new dear friend, not only with the Singermans and their amazing stories about missions and Christ, but ultimately, with the One Who inspires their entire lives. If you are longing to know more of Christ, I give this book my highest recommendation.

Beyond Surrender has me wanting to explore missions. It is an extrodinary look into the life of a missionary family, their toils and triumphs. What an outstanding look into the front lines of GOD's work in the mission field. I am inspired to pursue missions as well after reading this book. GOD's hand is on this family and the work they have done. I highly recommend this to anyone considering any missions project, or anyone interested in a deeper understanding of GOD's work abroad. GOD bless.

I'm a retired general surgeon who has been to Benin, Africa on two medical mission trips with the Singermans and experienced the toils and labor of love they have for the people of Benin, in particularly the Ayizo people.
This is an excellent book which describes the daily activities, be it good or bad, and all the trials and tribulations a missionary family has to face to answer the call to surrender to be a foreign missionary. This book truly shows the true picture of missionaries at work, and many of the accomplishments God has blessed them with by being surrendered servants of Jesus Christ.

Barbara Singerman's book is compelling, heart-wrenching, exciting and most importantly Christ honoring. I am an emergency physician and have just returned from Benin where I had the awesome priviledge of working with the Singerman's as they minister to the Ayizo people. Her book perfectly describes the toils, dangers, and amazing people they see on a daily basis in some of the most challenging places one can imagine. Their love for these people is so clearly reflected in these pages. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially if you feel God's call on your life to work in any capacity in His kingdom.

This should be a must-read for everyone who claims to be a Christian and also supports the death penalty in the United States. I'm guessing that because the writer is a lawyer and wants to make his point bullet-proof, he repeats himself frequently, and that becomes tedious. However, the meat of the book is incredibly challenging. It is a wake-up call to use the entirety of Scripture in our approach to criminal law, rather than thoughtlessly picking and choosing sound bites to support an only marginally thought-out point of view.

This is an excellent review of the death penalty and its application in the U.S. today. Given the vociferous nature of the claim that the Bible supports the death penalty, the focus of the book is a legal analysis of what that standard is and whether the death penalty in the U.S. actually meets that standard. The author, an attorney himself, has done his research and has provided extensive citations to the authorities he relies upon, so that the reader, if interested, can check those authorities for him or her self.

The interesting thing I found about the book was that, despite its focus on the biblical standards for death and the U.S. death penalty's (lack of) compliance with those standards, it also provided a thought-provoking and, to me, scary insight into how our death penalty is administered and applied today. I hope that every person who is involved in the application and administration of the death penalty, from the legislator who votes for it, to the governor who signed the bill, to the prosecutor who prosecutes the cases, to the parol or pardon board member which decides clemency issues, reads this book.

The author involves you in the journey and you become part of the process of discovery on the truth of the death penalty in America. Very well written.

The Biblical Truth about America's Death Penalty is a must-read. It deals with Biblical standards of Capital Punishment and then compares them to the system used in America today. It is the best-researched, most faithful to scripture, and most evenhanded analysis I have ever read concerning the Death Penalty. Whatever your persuasion on the issue, this book will teach you a great deal. Recinella is a trained lawyer and committed Christian who now volunteers full-time on Florida's death row. He thus understands law, the Bible, and the system of execution in America. I challenge anyone who supports the Death Penalty to read this book.

This book had a unique attraction for me, since I worked with Mike and Bob on one of the transformations they discuss in the book (it was called "Taking Charge" and is referred to at various points throughout the book, but specifically summarized on page 118 & 119).

Mike and Bob have worked together on a number of corporate transformations, and they share their experiences to help us minimize the chances that we'll run the "typical" course: some lame, corporate feelgood program that achieves nothing. I've been there and it is not a fun fate.

Beware of zombies

The authors do a nice job of keeping things interesting by telling colorful stories to illustrate their points. One I enjoyed is Michael Kanazawa's discussion of "Zombie Projects" which he encountered, ironically, while working in the same area as Dilbert's creator Scott Adams.

"Zombie projects" are those projects that refuse to admit they're dead - which means they suck resources and motivation from the rest of the organization, causing "drag" on the business. The authors discuss the reasons these projects are allowed to exist and most of the book deals with how to ferret out and get rid of these kinds of useless activities.

Set the right drumbeat

Another interesting topic covered in the book deals with how leaders can make or break their team's success through the "drumbeat" they establish. Examples of leaders who to force too much "sense of urgency," which often has the opposite effect; rather than getting people to work harder or faster, their "urgency" shuts down debate and makes people feel anxious or frustrated.

They offer some powerful tips for how to manage your team's "sense of time" so that people use their times productively, without panic, and without feeling like they'll slow down progress by injecting their opinions or challenging things that are happening.

Engage the masses

One of the things that comes out strongly in the book (and one of the most memorable aspects of the Taking Charge project I was part of) is that the authors have developed a true methodology for engaging people across a company and focusing them on a specific set of outcomes. Their construct called "Tablework" is a big part of encouraging innovative thinking and microcollaboration among small teams, which is then reconnected back into the company's larger objectives.

Perhaps the most powerful aspect of their approach is the drive to create "leaders at all levels" - crucial in creating a self-sustaining, effective business that can scale. A big part of that is letting people throughout the organization own various aspects of strategy and execution - and holding them accountable.

But one other vital aspect of this is making sure people feel recognized for their part in the company's success, and helping them discern the difference between things they must do and things they must strive for. They present the latter using a concept I really love - the distinction between "promises" (absolute goals) and "declarations" (a statement of intent when the means to get there are unknown).

Get big

This book is jam packed with information and techniques, but is fun to read. I also believe it can be a handy recipe book to help managers and leaders deal with specific problem areas, even if you don't go through the whole transformation process form end-to-end.

If you're a leader looking to drive your business out of the "same old same old" then I highly recommend Big Ideas to Big Results.

-- Dwayne Melancon, genuinecuriosity.com

Today's global competitive landscape is characterized by speed-of-change and increasing complexity. Organizations to survive must adapt or die. Authors Michael Kanazawa and Robert Miles, PH.D., in "Big Ideas to Big Results," have given us a proven, scripted game plan for managing an organization through a needed transformation or a shift its strategic direction.

In the book, Kanazawa contributes a blend of operating and consulting experience from Silicon Valley start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, while Miles adds his academic (Yale and Harvard) and consulting experience as a thought and practice leader in the fields of corporate transformation and executive leadership.

The book is the result of the authors' collaboration in the development of ACT, Accelerated Corporate Transformation, a streamlined approach ("Launch, Execution, and Renewal") to transformation. The program centers on the development of the "big idea," the clarification of strategy for clear communication, the identification of "Quick Start" initiatives to build momentum, the development of checkpoints allowing for accountability and adjustments, and a "Renew" phase to stretch an organization beyond its initial one-year timeline.

"Big Ideas to Big Results" offers an integrated approach including elements often ignored when using common reengineering tools - TQM, Six Sigma, Process Reengineering, et al - that result in over-engineering and gridlock:

* The reality of the current business environment
* Focus on THE few, critical priorities
* Alignment of the entire organization into a single set of initiatives
* Engagement of the full organization which becomes responsible for the translation of the initiatives into operational tactics and job-level objectives
* Rigorous follow-through providing for feedback
* Leadership development at all levels

"Big Ideas to Big Results" was written for all managers of organizations who must address the demands of a global economy, demands that require constant re-invention and transformation. The book includes a framework any one can follow, cases, and, most importantly, the time-tested wisdom of the authors.

First some background. More than 25 years ago, C-level executives from major corporations (individuals as well as members of a management team) gathered for two weeks at the Harvard Business School, met with members of its faculty, and helped each other to formulate a game plan to respond effectively to their respective organization's most formidable business challenge. Within a year, they reconvened to share what happened, after the game plan had been implemented. What worked? What didn't? Why? How could the game plan be improved? During the years that followed, as other C-level executives convened at Harvard, "a clear pattern emerged. The biggest and most common problem facing executives was in leading different types of corporate transformations. They had trouble getting their organizations to execute on their stated strategies quickly." Co-author Robert H. Miles, who chaired the Harvard. "Managing Organizational Effectiveness" Program, distilled a wealth of real-world information and began to devise what he eventually called the Accelerated Corporate Transformation, or ACT process."



What we have in this single volume is a rigorous and comprehensive explanation of what the ACT process is...and isn't. Co-authors Michael Kanazawa and Miles briefly examine the typical stages of a cycle of failure, then shift their attention to the ten stages of a business success cycle and devote a separate chapter to each, providing at its conclusion a checklist of "Tips" that summarize key points. Keep in mind that ACT is a process rather than a project, best viewed as a journey rather than a destination. However, for a variety of compelling reasons that Kanazawa and Miles acknowledge, ACT requires a timeframe if the desired results (whatever they may be) are to be achieved. Appropriately, they share this caveat with their reader: "Unfortunately, there is not one `silver bullet' that will unlock success. There are a lot of moving parts. However, [ACT] is a surprisingly simple architecture and process that you can put in place to bring all of the critical principles into play."

In this context, change agents would be well-advised to keep in mind advice from two other sources. Charles Darwin's made three basic declarations: Species always breed beyond available resources; those with favorable variations have a greater chance of survival and pass along their variations to their offspring; and, adapted species force out weaker ones, producing whole new species. In other words, given the process of natural selection in the business world, companies must adapt or perish. Peter Ducker is the other source, stressing the importance of knowing where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there. In 1963, Ducker also observed "There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency what should not be done at all."

Presumably at least a few of those who read this review would appreciate having a representative selection of brief excerpts. I have selected three:

"In the ACT process map in [Figure 3.2], you see the steps of Confront Reality, Focus, Align and Engage, and Execute in the streamlined process architecture. These items are essential design elements, which characterize the significant difference between cookie-cutter, fixed processes that either serve as an overlay to the existing business or seek to change everything being done already just to fit the new process. The right approach to process architecture is to leverage all of the best existing elements of the management process that are currently working well, make adjustments for any missing elements, adjust the sequence of steps for impact, and then streamline the full process for speed, simplicity, and high engagement. Fixed cookie-cutter processes often require changing too much at once (even things that were working) and are rightly rejected by organizations in most cases." (Page 31)

"A word of caution on going overboard with sparking innovation across a large system is to be careful about maintaining focus. Some people have misinterpreted and misapplied the concepts around full-system change. Their concept is to `light 1,000 fires' all around the lower levels of the organization and let all of that energy boil up to the top. In their eyes, isn't that `real' full engagement? Actually, it is just anarchy. Like a wildfire, this process is out of control, lacks direction, and ultimately just creates havoc." (Page 110)

"If the organization is under-powered [i.e. `the top leaders tell their underlings what to do and make all the decisions'], the challenge is then to shift the Power Curve `up' to look more like the High-Powered curve. In this case, the senior executives engage the full organization by releasing accountability of day-to-day tactics to middle managers to create time for strategic thinking at the top, and structure time and forums to effectively vet their strategic plans with lower levels in the organization. This results in a cascading of power to all levels, which leads to breakthrough results." (Pages 137-138)

Kanazawa and Miles duly acknowledge "nobody really ever learned how to lead a transformation by reading about it." What they offer is a complete set of tools and explain how to use each. It remains for those who read this book to determine (as Ducker suggests) where their organization is now, where it wants to be, and how to get there. They can then collaborate with their associates on the selection of the tools needed to complete accurate measurements, chart a proper course, and then communicate effectively once embarked on their shared journey to transform not only their organization but also themselves.

Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Jim Champy's Outsmart! How to Do What Your Competitors Can't as well as Jason Jennings' Think Big, Act Small: How America's Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-Up Spirit Alive, two books by Henry Cherbourg (Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating And Profiting from Technology and his more recent Open Business Models: How to Thrive in the New Innovation Landscape), and Corporate Agility: A Revolutionary Model for Competing in a Flat World co-authored by Charles E. Grantham, James P. Ware, and Cory Williamson. Also Kevan Hall's Speed Lead: Faster, Simpler Ways to Manage People, Projects and Teams in Complex Companies, Dean R. Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement: Rethinking the Way We Measure and Drive Organizational Success, and Enterprise Architecture as Strategy: Creating a Foundation for Business Execution co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Well, and David Robertson.

Leaders of organizations would be wise to follow the advice of Michael Kanazawa and Robert Miles in their excellent new book entitled Big Ideas to Big Results. The book lays out their ACT process for organizations that want to implement three to four major initiatives each year. The authors developed the process to combat corporate ADD and employee disengagement when it comes to executing organizational initiatives.

Based on my more than 25 years experience in business as well as my expertise in employee engagement, I completely agree that these are major problems in organizations today and the solution the authors propose will go a long way toward solving them. The ACT process is also entirely consistent with the employee engagement research we have conducted at E Pluribus Partners and presented in Fired Up or Burned Out: How to Reignite Your Team's Passion, Creativity, and Productivity. Kanazawa and Mile's ACT process works in part because it helps meet universal human needs for respect, recognition, belonging, autonomy, personal growth and meaning. When these needs are met, people thrive, individually and collectively.

Strong leaders will recognize many of the best practice steps that are a part of ACT. What makes this book valuable is the way the authors integrate the best practices into a step-by-step process and add ideas of their own. I especially liked their descriptions of annual high employee engagement cascades with tablework and quarterly mini-cascades. It's worth buying the book just to learn more about these practices alone.

Big Ideas to Big Results will be popular with corporate leaders. It's a quick and easy read with a process that is practical to implement and will help move organizations from identifying big ideas to producing big results. Congratulations to Kanazawa and Miles for developing an important new contribution to process innovation and describing it in an accessible way.

"Years ago I got into the habit of trying to read one book on the topic of the Lord's Supper as part of my preparation for Communion. Since the church I attended at the time only celebrated quarterly it wasn't too difficult to dig up titles on the subject. Anyway, in preparing for Communion I picked up Peter Leithart's 'Blessed are the hungry' which is mostly a collection of 3-5 page meditations. I give the book my highest recommendation. I would not hesitate to put it in the top 10 books I've ever read, not for its profundity, but for its perspective. You might not agree with everything he says, but I doubt that anyone could walk away from reading this little paperback book of meditations without having a perspective adjustment and a greater appreciation for God's revelation of Himself and the means of grace He has blessed."

For those interested in the broader theological implications of the Lord's Supper, Blessed are the Hungry offers a feast of biblical insight. Leithart reminds us of the integral links between word and sacrament, kingdom and sacrament, and covenant and sacrament--links which have been largely ignored or denied among many evangelicals in the 20th and 21st centuries. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to reflect further on the Lord's Supper and the unity of Scripture.

Let's say that you ran into a group of people who had formed a club dedicated to reading and publishing stories about King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Then let's say you asked how you would join a member and you were told that if you joined you would have to dedicate yourself to living like a noble person being brave and chivalrous, etc. Furthermore, they insisted on describing the good deeds you would do in this club in terms such as "jousting" and "dragon-slaying."

Now, if you joined that club, and the ceremony involved someone in charge touching your shoulder with a sword, just like men used to become knights in the Middle Ages, you would understand exactly what is going on. Somehow this group is viewing itself as a continuation of the Knights of the Round Table. You would be joining by being "knighted." The ceremony would have meaning from the stories and by means of the ceremony you would be making your own story a continuation of those stories.

Peter Leithart has written the best possible book on Eucharistic theology by refusing to write a book on Eucharistic theology (well, except for the closing essay, "The Way Things Really Ought to Be: Eucharist, Eschatology, and Culture," which is quite good in it's own right). Instead, he has written expositions of the stories in the Bible that involve the centrality of table fellowship with God. To read these sermonic expositions is to have one's "vision" (an overused metaphor according to Leithart) re-focused so that the familiar suddenly seems new. When you participate in the Lord's Supper, you are being fed the fruit of the Tree of Life, participating in the sacrifice of the altar as a priest, entering the land of milk and honey.... it goes on and on.

In other words, by reading this book you will be greatly helped in a process that is often disfigured in modern Evangelical life. Reading some of the many stories of the Bible that describe eating and drinking will immerse you in a new interpretation of what you are doing when you partake of the Lord's Supper. And, conversely, when you participate in the Lord's Supper, you will be continuing in what you have read so that it is reinforced for you as you embody what you have read. The Lord's Supper is truly the application, the sign and seal of the Gospel message. Peter's book shows how, by eating and drinking, you are continuing a culture that once involved Abraham eating and drinking with Melchizedek, Jesus starting a dinner club to which all sorts of undesirables were invited, and Paul publicly rebuking Peter for refusing to eat with uncircumcised Christians.

The final essay deserves special mention. Leithart argues that the emphasis on a "zoom lens" metaphor has deformed discussion of the Lord's Supper. By a "zoom lens" he refers to 1. an emphasis on the elements as "visible words" when the plain emphasis of the Bible is on eating and doing not on seeing, 2. a narrow focus on what happens "in" the elements, and 3. a narrow focus on what happens to an individual participant. Peter offers a "wide-angle" perspective that brings to our attention what happens in the congregation and to the congregation when they participate in the Lord's Supper. That essay alone is worth the price of the book. --Mark

Wow! This book was good. It was intended to be read as a meditation before each of the Lord's Suppers celebrated in the church; however, I couldn't put it down.

The purpose of the book is to eventually show how the celebration of the Lord's Supper leads to eschatological renewal and subsequently, the transformation of culture. This is the Epilogue of the book. The chapter (each about five pages or so) build up to this theme.

Following Frame and Poythress's multi-perspectival approach to the Eucharist. It is impossible to exhaust the meaning of the Supper in one proposition. Leithart doesn't mention this explicitly, but the point is there nonetheless. This is a crucial point to make. Without it, the book fails in its purpose.

Leithart examines the many facets of the Supper in biblical history, starting with Adam and ending in The New Jerusalem. Leithart looks for the feasting theme in Scripture (Adam delighting and communing with God in Paradise--The Second Adam inagurating the Feast that will bring about the New Paradise. Daniel and his friends refuse the King's food and so reconstitute the New Israel who will return from Captivity. The disciples eat the Supper as symbolic of the massive forgiveness that is about to come to the world via cross and resurrection; this forgiveness entailing the reversal of the Curse of the First Adam. In taking the Feast the disciples become the New Israel.).

As an example of Leithart's excellent writing, consider the value of being drunk with Yahweh's wine:

Zechariah 9:15, "The Lord of hosts will protect them,
and they shall devour, and tread down the sling stones,
and they shall drink and roar as if drunk with wine,
and be full like a bowl,
drenched like the corners of the altar.

"But the passage pictures Israel drunk with another kind of wine: filled with the wine of Yahweh's Spirit, Israel would be bold, wild, untamed, boisterous in battle. This suggests one dimension of the symbolism of wine in the Lord's Supper: it loosens our inhibitions so that we wil fight the Lord's battles in a kind of drunken frenzy. If this sounds impious, how much more Psalm 78:65, where the Divine Warrior himself is described as a mighty man overcome with wine? Yahweh fights like Samson, but far more ferociously than Samson: He fights like a drunken Samson!"

Exciting as this may be, we must face up to one aspect of the biblical witness. This is where Perspectivalism saves the day. 1 Corinthians 11 warns against treating the Lord's Supper casually, yet throughout the Old Testament (and hints in the New) we are to delight in the Lord through feasting. So, what gives? I will try to reconcile it in one statement (irony, I know. I previously warned against doing this):

We are to be contrite over our sins but at the same time we are to rejoice that our sins are forgiven and the New Age--the Messianic Age, the Age to Come--has broken into the present evil age. Christ is becoming King over the World! Yes, from one perspective we are to mourn over our sins but at the same time, we are to take heart that our sins are forgiven. Weeping may tarry the night, but joy comes in the morning!

This book consists of 50 very real-world situations that any board using Carver Policy Governance ® might encounter, with a single worksheet to be used by the board members to logically think through what should be done in this instance. The book calls them "rehearsal scenarios."

I used a few of these scenarios with my board, and they thought it was great! It took the policies from dry words on paper to useable skills. They immediately decided to add time to every meeting's agenda to do one of these rehearsal scenarios.

As the facilitator of our board, I love it because each scenario comes with proposed solutions that I can use to help guide the discussion. It really cuts down on my prep time. It's a great tool for continuing to build board capability of governance.

"The Board Member's Playbook..." is an indispensible resource for board members and those interested in policy govenance. The writing is very intelligent, clear, concise; a pleasure to read. A separate section provides a thorough overview of the Carver model for those unfamiliar with policy governance, as well as those needing a refresher. An accompanying CD-ROM is another excellent resource for helping board members with implementation.

This book is a roadmap to success for anyone who uses it. The real world examples and worksheets offer a practical, hands-on exercise in policy govenance. After reading and completing the exercises on my own, I felt well-prepared and energized to take on a board-related challenge using the model.

While this book brings everything a board member needs to effectively use the Carver model, it is the board members themselves who are ultimately responsible for their success. Board members must commit to being honest with themselves and one another, and be dedicated to the rigors of the process to properly implement the Carver model.

This wonderful resource also raises a very important question in my mind - why is the Carver model used predominantly in the non-profit sector? Why isn't the Carver model de rigeur for the for-profit sector? I can only see great benefits and progress ahead should this actually occur.

This is an incredibly useful addition to Carver's Policy Governance Model because it provides practical structure to "rehearsing" common Board-Staff-Owner scenarios with concrete examples. There are hundreds of books on non-profit governance but the vast majority just seem to dabble in detail and pop-psychology (unworkable concepts of "shared governance", etc); but the Carver model provides a unique, practical, and internally consistent method of governance. I'd certainly recommend highly all of his books. This one, written by Miriam Carver and Bill Charney, provides practical exercises demonstrating how the Carver model would handle problems Boards face regularly such as: Do Board members have authority over employees?; Should Board members with expertise oversee programs?; Does the Board job include fundraising?; We like and trust our CEO - isn't that governance?; What if the CEO lies?

It's amazing to me that "rehearsal" plays a role in virtually every profession (musicians, lawyers - in mock trials during law school, teachers - with student teaching, MD's - with simulated emergencies, etc), yet Board members don't rehearse. No wonder performance isn't always optimal. This book is invaluable. It not only suggests that Board's spend time, preferrably at each meeting, rehearsing governance issues but it also provides a practical approach loaded with wonderful examples. Worksheets are included as are the author's suggested "generic" solutions.

Every Board using the Carver Policy Governance Model should have this volume. I can't recommend it highly enough!

A welcomed addition to the "Policy Governance" corpus, "A Board Member's Playbook" provides a clear, concise and easily useable framework for Board practice. Complete with worksheets and an CD Rom, the book helps policy governance Boards work through simulated issues, forming a bridge between the theory of policy governance and its practical application.