Organizations Books

As a college student and aspiring civil servant, I definitely recommend this title to all young people who are interested in the nonprofit world. Dr. Raymond's explanations are clear, understandible, and precise. Even in the community work I do as an extra-curricular activity, I have seen the beginnings of some of the trends Dr. Raymond outlines. A friend even used this book as a reference for a sociology paper.

For any young person who hopes to spend part of their professional life in nonprofits, this book is a great introduction to the field. You really get a sense of the kinds of issues that will be faced by organizations in the next 10 years.

This book should be read by anyone who is interested in the future of philanthropy. The author shows how economic trends will affect donors and recipients alike, and points out the challenges -- from ethics to fiscal responsibility -- that nonprofits will increasingly face. The style is refreshing and the scholarship superb.

As usual, Dr. Raymond excels at asking the tough questions, even if easy or pat answers are not available. She realizes that nonprofit status - that philanthropy itself - is a grant made on the public commons and that therefore, nonprofits and those that support them must hold themselves to a higher standard. I've been reading her newsletters forever. Get this book!

This is a "real" life stirring book. It is present truth, scripturally sound. I found it to be a manual of prevalent information; Christ-centered and prophetic in its content. I found myself praying much of what I was absorbing from its pages - it is actually, to me, a intercessory handbook for this season. I couldn't put it down. Bought copies for friends. It is well written, an eye opener - NEVER boring! I recomment it to anyone who feels desert dry - it is an oasis!

Everyone in the world needs to read this book.

Chuck Pierce is a voice crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord."

There is a prophetic voice emerging out of mainline Christianity today and Chuck Pierce is one of those Prophets. He captures, in one volumn, the heart of God and what Christ is doing in the hearts of this generation in preparation for His soon return.

Chuck Pierce opens a window into the Spiritual realm easily understood by anyone. He speaks of intercessory warfare and explains God's strategy in tearing down strongholds of the enemy.

He talks about and explains the coming Apostolic Church Government and the raising up of Prophets who will and are admonishing us to prepare our hearts before God.

Chuck Pierce has defined in depth what God means in His Commandment to 'Love God first with your whole heart and soul, and your NEIGHBOR as yourself.' Jesus Christ longs to share the fire of His love with us. Embrasing Him intimately is key to our growing up in Him.

Chuck Pierce shows us the way. One small paragraph sums up the whole of his prophetic message here:

"As we learn to operate in our gifts, the Body of Christ will function as it was meant to. No demonic force, including lawlessness, will be able to stand against a fully functioning Body of Christ. Operating properly in the gifts will lead us back to love (1 Cor. 13:1010), where we can work together according to the heart of God." (Page 203-204).

I really enjoyed reading this book. This book is mainly about Galileo's theory of universe and the trial of Galileo which was caused by his conflict with the Catholic Church. This book also talks about Galileo's life briefly. I learned about theories that influenced Galileo's ideas and his opinion toward Copernicus's theory which stated that the all of the planets, including the earth, revolved around the sun.

This is a brief, well balanced account of the conflict between Galileo and the Church. It opens with an insightful look at the world view and astronomy of the late 1500's, including a detailed look at the role of Scripture in these views. This is followed with a thorough description of Galileo's life and how his conflict with the church unfolded. The final chapter is a fascinating overview of the relationships between faith, science and philosophy since Galileo's time. It's not overly difficult reading, though it deals with science, theology and philosophy. The book is a fair account, looking at the strengths and weaknesses of Galileo and some Church officials in how they approached the issues. It also critiques some long held cultural assumptions about the causes, events and meaning of this case (ex: Galileo was never tortured; some lower Church officials who disliked Galileo gave the Pope misleading reports, etc). Definitely worth reading!!

Langford is even-handed and doesn't withhold criticism of academia and the Church for its handling of Galileo and his books.

What I was taught by public school and the popular press:
The Catholic Church persecuted Galileo because he asserted the Earth revolved around the Sun, and was threatened with torture and death. Copernicus delayed publishing his theory for fear of persecution from the Church, finally publishing it on his deathbed.

What Langford convincingly shows from research into primary documents:
The Catholic Church was more receptive to the heliocentric theory than the universities. Pope Clement requested a hearing of Copernicus' theory in the Vatican gardens, and was "quite favorably impressed" with the theory. Copernicus was afraid of persecution from his peers, the universities, not the Catholic Church. His fears were well founded, as Galileo discovered years later. Galileo received the full weight of academic condemnation and ridicule. When professors realized peer pressure wouldn't silence Galileo, they turned to the Church for help. Fortunately, a good portion of the Church was behind Galileo. The head of one Jesuit college wrote to Galileo to say that his astronomers and mathematicians had confirmed his theory, but wanted more proof. Galileo's efforts were further encouraged by Pope Urban. His first trial resulted in being admonished not to teach it as fact, but was welcome to teach it as theory. Unfortunately, by the time of his second trial he had managed to alienate his support, mainly by insisting his theory be taught as fact despite a lack of evidence. One of his proofs was tides--he believed they were cause by the Earth sloshing the oceans. Galileo insisted on circular orbits, and refused to consider Kepler's calculations on elliptical orbits, which would have corrected errors he and others found in his model. He was tried a second time for teaching the theory as fact, not for teaching the theory. He was never tortured or shown a dungeon. His house arrest consisted of a five-room apartment with a servant at his disposal, and was free to roam Rome while awaiting trial. After the trial, he was released. True he was threatened with imprisonment, but at his age, Langford asserts, both he and the court officials knew it would not be carried out; the sentence would have been mitigated.

In short, Galileo and Copernicus were treated by the academia in much the same way they treat new ideas today. For an explanation of why the geo-centric theory isn't Christian in principle or origin, read Sampson's Six Modern Myths.

There is a good reason that Peter Brinckerhoff is the only person to win the McAdam Award for the best nonprofit management book of the year twice: its because he writes the best nonprofit management books. Generations is a must read for anyone who wants a vital, dynamic, forward thinking board for the 21st centuary. Carol Weisman, CSP, MSW

Last week, one of my senior staff members complained because I call too many meetings and am always trying to build consensus when everyone knows that the job of a boss is to tell people what to do. At the same time, another younger staff member came and asked if we could have more meetings because they feel "out of the loop" in the decision making process. Clearly there was a difference in generations talking!

J.B. Priestly once wrote, "There was no respect for youth when I was young, and now that I am old, there is no respect for age - I missed it coming and going." As an aging baby boomer, I have often felt like Priestly, especially when leading my nonprofit organization and dealing with everyday generational issues like the one I cited above.

However, Peter C. Brinkerhoff's book, "Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime for Your Nonprofit", offers some practical ways of looking at the dilemma of generational diversity. Like most of Brinkerhoff's books, this one is a practical guide. He has discussion questions, practical examples and exercises for thinking about this grossly engaging and extremely complex subject. He examines generational differences in the way that staff members interact. In one of the best sections on Board and Volunteers, he talks about the way generational diversity changes the way boards make decisions and the way volunteers are recruited. In the final sections, Brinkerhoff talks about changes that will occur to the people that your nonprofit serves and how you can market your services to them.

Brinkerhoff outlines "Six Big Actions" that are at the core of generational planning. He shows how each of these Actions can be used to look at generational issues with staff, boards and constituents. This is a wonderful framework to examine and to structure change within any nonprofit (or for profit) organization.

Finally, Brinkerhoff builds on the great work of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and talks about what has been referred to as "The Nonprofit Leadership Crisis" - the great turnover in nonprofit executives that will occur in the next ten years. As the Casey Foundation has reminded us, the "Next Shift" in nonprofit leadership will change not only the faces in nonprofit leadership, but also in many ways will change the perceptions of leaders. Leaders with different generational issues and values will occupy seats previously held by the Baby Boom Generation. How these generational shifts change the nature and complexity of our nonprofit organizations will be fascinating to watch. Beyond that, Brinkerhoff gives us some practical ways of evaluating that change yet keeping our nonprofit organizations focused on our true missions.

Hello, I work for the publisher, Fieldstone Alliance. "Generations" is our most popular book this year! Author Peter Brinckerhoff has been requested to speak on the topic of Generational Change by groups all across the nation. Amazon does not currently offer this title for sale. In the meantime you may order it directly from our website as well as use all of our free tools and articles. Search on Fieldstone Alliance to find us easily.

I recently heard Mark Graham Brown speak at a conference and thought he was fantastic. I started reading his new book Get it, Set it, Move it, Prove it and it is a great read. For those of you who are looking into performance management, this book is insightful, humourous and to the point. From hearing Mark speak and reading his book I've come to expect a certain standard and he more than exceeds it in this book. Not only can you relate to the stories and experiences in the book, it makes you think about your organization, what kind of things to avoid and how to better manage your organizations performance.

This book is refreshing for those tired of business jargon. Its a great reference of businesss excellence practices, presented with no nonsense terminology, using time tested principals created by others failures! Marks ability to simplify the Malcomb Baldrige Quality critera really shows through.
Don Hoffert- Director -Continuous Improvement Storaenso NA.

I loved this book. It was easy to read and comprehend. Down to earth examples and to the point. Many I could relate to as having been there. Great summaries of things "to do" and "not do". I also found the index unique and helpful. This book is great and should be a required reading requirement for everyone in an organization especially manager/decision makers. It is a great reference book that I will use before making major decisions and I will keep it handy and refer to it often. I sure have made a lot of mistakes in the past, thanks for pointing them out. A really great and informative book, everyone who works should read it.

At 35 and watching the world in financial crisis I decided to do something about my own financial budget. I needed help getting started and organized. I am just digging my way out of being in deep debt and I don't want to use credit cards any more. I want to be financially able to pay for stuff in cash by saving up for it. I went through high school and missed one very important thing and that was them teaching me life skills. I learned what I needed to to get into college but not how to budget my money. No more living from paycheck to paycheck. Thank you Cheryl Hosking for writing "Get to it! Organizational Solutions For Everyday Life... Budget Book." It has changed my financial future for the better. I recommend this book to everyone young and old to please buy this book and save your financial future. Get on track and you be in control of your money. Quit living from paycheck to paycheck and save for the fun things in life. God Bless.

At 38, I realized I had gone from my father handling my finances, to my husband handling them. I was too overwhelmed and scared to get any control for myself. Ms. Hosking's book helped make me comfortable with being in charge of my own finacial future. The "Get To It Budget Book" is easy to understand, and a great way to help you get ahead of debt. Thanks to it, I am thriving on a part time income! Highly recommended for anyone!

In terms of getting organized and taking control of your financial responsibilities, this is virtually certain to be the most important single book you will ever read. It will literally save you a fortune and zero out financial stress forever. The simple changes I have adopted because of this book have made a world of difference in my family finances.

I am not only making this my personal financial handbook, I am teaching my children Cheryl Hosking's system. She has done all the research and testing. You just have to adopt her system. It not only works like a charm, it is easy to stick with the program. The book includes the exact information, including the tracking forms I needed to get painlessly organized.

This book rates an A+++. It takes the pain out of a normally painful task. There is no fluff or hype here. The book is well designed, concise and eminently practical.

If you only buy one book this year, do yourself or someone you love a huge favor and make this the book. It's that good and it's that valuable.

This book is a unique resource for organizations, employers, and people who care about the diversity in their midst. Melissa Marshall's approach to helping people understand why they should care if they're physically and programatically accessible is...well...accessible. As one of the people she trains says, "You mean it's fair!"
Marshall is funny and creative, and is clear that she isn't interested in having people feel guilty. She talks about her adventures navigating a wheelchair through Chicago's O'Hare airport, hotel fires, offering fabulous prizes (like finger puppets)to button-down corporate types, and using masks to help people "get it" about what it means to be disabled today.
This is a book that should be on the shelf of anyone who trains around issues of diversity, all human resources staff, and executives of for-profit and not-for-profit corporations alike.
Get it!

This book is an exceptional resource for any trainer who needs to learn more about disability,

This book is a unique resource for organizations, employers, and people who care about the diversity in their midst. Melissa Marshall's approach to helping people understand why they should care if they're physically and programatically accessible is...well...accessible. As one of the people she trains says, "You mean it's fair!"
Marshall is funny and creative, and is clear that she isn't interested in having people feel guilty. She talks about her adventures navigating a wheelchair through Chicago's O'Hare airport, hotel fires, offering fabulous prizes (like finger puppets)to button-down corporate types, and using masks to help people "get it" about what it means to be disabled today.
This is a book that should be on the shelf of anyone who trains around issues of diversity, all human resources staff, and executives of for-profit and not-for-profit corporations alike.
Get it!

A very helpful and enjoyable read. The stories really helped to bring the book into the context of our daily lives. It was easy to relate to many of the families in the book...and Bempechat's advice was reasonable and easy to follw. She didn't make the reader feel like there was an absolute "right and wrong" way, but points out some of the pitfalls we, as parents, all find ourselves in when trying to motivate our children in school.

This book is wonderfully informative and entertaining. Bempechat speaks in language accessible to all parents about the struggles we all face trying to do the best for our kids' education. Her anecdotes and suggestions for dealing with everyday problems, such as homework, are right on the mark. Not at all preachy, Bempechat urges that we think about what works best for us and our families, to help us help our kids do well in school. A must read!

A very helpful and enjoyable read. The stories really helped to bring the book into the context of our daily lives. It was easy to relate to many of the families in the book...and Bempechat's advice was reasonable and easy to follw. She didn't make the reader feel like there was an absolute "right and wrong" way, but points out some of the pitfalls we, as parents, all find ourselves in when trying to motivate our children in school.

Absolutely brilliant, absolutely fascinating, absolutely timely,and absolutely of great importance. This is an excellent and extremely informative book for those participating in the upcoming elections. After having read The God Stragegy, the reader will be able to listen to the candidates with a more informed ear and will be able to make more informed choices on their ballots. David Domke and Kevin Coe have done their homework in researching this book. Their ideas aren't just off the tops of their heads; they can back up every statement they make, and do so. The God Strategy is definitely a book for both readers of faith and non-believers alike. For those with religious beliefs who might tend to shy away from the title alone, David Domke is a self-professed Christian. The God Strategy is a must read for those who are concernced about making America a strong and compassionate country.
By Carol White, Tacoma, Washington

If you read David Domke's last book, "God Willing", (a must read for every
one) which exposed the myth of a Free and Independent Press during the
current Bush administration following 9/11, and the calculated steps taken
by Bush and his staff to craft a framework to grow support for the president's
policies and his growing reliance on the ideology of Political Fundamentalism, then you will really enjoy this new book. You will also come to understand how politicians, thru a strategic communication approach grounded in a conservative religious worldview, "The "God Strategy" were able to achieve the two tasks listed above.



This new book traces the growth of the God Strategy in American politics
from the days of President Franklin Roosevelt to the current George Bush and
how both the Republicans and the Democrats have embraced the joining of
religion and politics. Domke and co-author, Kevin Coe lay out in great detail how politics
and religion came together and how both sides, to push agendas and win
elections with results that often threaten the very foundations of American
Democracy, have used this wedding



In reading the" God Strategy" I have come to understand some of the how's,
why's, and so what's involved in the rise of religion in American politics. I
am surely more aware of the subtleties used by both sides in their efforts
to shape a new America. I am even more aware of the misguided and often
angry methods used by the followers of the God Strategy in achieving their
end results and of the price America as a nation might be called on to pay
for those methods

Thanks Domke and Coe for this interesting, insightful and well-researched view of religion in America politics.

"The God Strategy" is a well-written, meticulously researched, and eye-opening examination of how U.S. politicians (particularly our four most recent presidents) use religion to win votes. It's also a genuinely interesting read. If you're at all curious about just how influential religion has become in today's political arena, you need to read this book. David Domke and Kevin Coe provide clear and varied examples that show how campaigns have increasingly capitalized on the use of religious messages (the God strategy) to get their candidates elected. Once you have read this book you will view the current presidential campaign in a whole new light; I have been amazed at how many times in the past couple months I've noticed politicians using this strategy in political ads or during debates. It is as if the authors predicted exactly what is now occurring. Clearly, this is a testament to the strength of the research that informs this book. "The God Strategy" should be a part of every thinking person's library.

Out of all house church books, this is my favorite because of the straightforward and concise dissertation on the hinderances to Biblical community, outreach, service, and fellowship that most Institutional Churches naturally inhibit.

Easy to read yet deeply profound in meaning, Smith gives adequate Scripture and documented research as to the problems hindering true revival in our churches today. Free from bitterness or complaining, the author recognizes that God is still sovereign over all His church, regardless of our flawed platforms, yet advocates the house church model as one that is most Biblically centered on Christ's purpose for believers. He also leaves plenty of freedom to enjoy variety within the house church model, structure, and operation, using language free from a dogmatic and know-it-all pretense.

In all his proposals, most readers will feel quite convicted by their dependence upon being a spoonfed benchwarming puppet on Sunday, their wasted resources on useless building expenditures, their prideful disunifying sectarianism within their denomination, and their lack of concern for the needs of others in their community. Smith admonishes a 24/7 Christianity where EVERYTHING you do is glorifying to God...including your job, family, chores, free time, etc., instead of just doing the usual list of spiritual things proscribed by the church. No wonder we can't feel the power of God or the freedom for the Holy Spirit to move in our hearts and our gatherings!

A MUST HAVE BOOK for any student of the Scriptures or those who feel there has to be more to the Christian life than the usual Sunday morning routine.

I have read many books on church restoration. This is currently the one I am recommending to those who notice the problems, but are unsure of the answers. For those who recognize that the plethora of religious gimicks and more "purpose-driven" products will not do... this book is for you.

There are many authors today that are very elequently able to articulate the problem with the church today, yet... most of them are not able to do what Smith has done in his gentle presentation. The problems in the institutional church are great and the people who support it are very dependent upon it. I submit to you that slamming them with their error is not the most effective means of conversion. Smith presents biblical truth as an invitation. He reveals the problem and invites you to discover the answer. He allows the Holy Spirit to connect the dots!

I appreciated Smith's focus on community from the very start. I also was refreshed by his obvious influence of the Anabaptist tradition. It was a breath of fresh air to hear a "house church" proponent talk about the doctrine of the two kingdoms and radical discipleship.

Christ is the answer to the church's ills today. A return to the person and work of Christ is the foundation of our faith. Ultimately, people must receive a fresh new vision of Christ and his work (life and teachings) before anything of true worth can take place. Then, there must be an undestanding of God's image in us is community. The Trinity enjoys community in eternal love and faithfulness. This is the image in which we were created. We experience this community together in the church once we have seen Jesus (God in the flesh) as he truly is and we gather around him in natural Body life.

If you are noticing the problems and are looking for more than just pop-culture American Christianity... or maybe you are just curious... I encourage you to get this book. So far... Smith's book is the one to start with... in my humble opinion.

After reading Smith, I suggest reading:

The Centrality of Jesus Christ (Works of T. Austin-Sparks)
The Normal Christian Life
The Release of the Spirit
Created for Community,: Connecting Christian Belief with Christian Living
Pagan Christianity: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community

Christian Smith goes to the heart of the problems within the organized Christian church. He does more than just complain about the way things are though ... he offers practical solutions to each problem in easy to understand text.

If you are still in the organized church -- yet, you see that "the emperor has no clothes," this book is for you. It will confirm many things that the Lord has been showing you. It will give you the strength to leave the "dog and pony show" (the performance-based church) and to forge out in the land that the Lord will show you.

If you desire to meet in a simple way with other believers and develop true relationships -- then this book is for you. It will give you the tools you'll need to begin your journey.