Organizations Books

We've been inundated with information about business and accounting scandals in the past several years with subsequent calls for obeying all laws, and improving business ethics and accountability. Dr. Hook's new book is about a quite similar and definitely important crisis in our churches in America, with the dominant theme being the unfortunate failures of many clerics and their clerical leaders. Although in his Dedication and Acknowledgments, he stresses that there are many excellent ministers that adhere faithfully to their denomination's various canons, creeds, and regulations, he then proceeds to accurately catalog many clerics whose egregious actions have seriously jeopardized their local parishes, or in some cases their regional or national denominations. His book is thus a clear and compelling wake-up call to all Americans who love their churches, and want their churches to continue their important, vital work of winning souls to Jesus Christ. Dr. Hook's book offers many useful recommendations for improvements in this situation. These are directed toward Seminary students, Parish Ministers, those in supervisory positions within the churches, and importantly all lay leaders like myself. I would sincerely hope that this thoughtful book, and the issues it discusses, would be read and seriously debated in all seminaries across America---it deserves to be. It obviously should be of interest to all clerics and their supervisory leaders who are dedicated to improving the status quo, and preventing future problems as described by Dr. Hook in this well-documented book. Finally, all lay leaders who see the problems that Dr. Hook discusses should move quickly and assertively within their denominations to insure that these problems are addressed and corrected. We owe the author a sincere debt of gratitude for his complete, discerning discussion of these critical issues that our beloved churches must recognize and take serious action on at this time.

Dr. Hook has an extraordinary grasp of the world of contemporary religion, complete with all its warts, wusses, and waffling. He advances the notion, quite correctly in my view, that if religion is to be meaningful in one's life, a return must be made to the concept that divine revelation is the instrument whereby God speaks the truth to humankind. Today's religious observance too often has it the other way around---human beings attempting to con God and each with outrageous political correctness.

Since 1991 Dr. Hook, Professor emeritus at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, has written three books addressing problems in American churches. "Clerical Failure" is the third of his thoughtfully written works. The author cites numerous media sources and adds personal experiences to support his position that "Christians must face up to the realization that clergy have largely become like everybody else - a group interested primarily in itself, intent on living well, acquiring power, and demanding all the individual rights it can acquire." (p22) He addresses such topics as divorce, cohabitation, abortion and homosexuality and warns the reader on the danger of ignoring important beliefs, traditions, morality and precepts.
Although the title suggests this book is written for the clergy, Dr. Hook directs its content to lay people. More importantly, he empowers lay people with answers on effecting change. The author reminds his readers that a church cannot exist without the financial support of its parishioners. He states that, "It is hard to withhold contibutions to an institution that one has belonged to for a lifetime..., but it is the only effective way to get the attention of those in charge." (p63)
Because Dr. Hook was an Episcopalian before converting to Roman Catholicism, many of his examples come from both the Episcopal and Roman Catholic church. However, he includes enough material from other Christian religions that the book should appeal to the 48 million disillusioned Protestants and Roman Catholics in the United States.
"Clerical Failure" should be required reading not only for the laity but also for every seminary student, seminary professor, clergyman, bishop, archbishop, cardinal and the Pope. Dr. Hook, thank you for having the faith and courage to examine the erosion of the standards of Christian belief and reminding the reader that, "We are to imitate Christ, not man." (p48)

This book, and a traveling exhibit due at Yale this fall and The Smithsonian in early next year, captures the feelings and human aspect of what happens when a family owned furniture factory is closed due to a hostile takeover. The pictures and accompaning text document from an historical and extremely personal perspective the lives of workers in a small town in North Carolina, dependant on each other and the factory, and the devastation that occurs when big city, outside forces make an impersonal decision regarding people 1000 miles away.

a reasonably balanced view of a factory closing that doesn't make the owner out to be a devil (although some former workers clearly feel that way). Shows the human side of what happens when decisions are made based on the aseptic "bottom line". If anything, the book is not hard enough on the original family, the 1st generation that admirably built the company and the second generation that let it deteriorate (the book details how the 2 family members at the top didn't even talk to one another and used separate entrances to the building! Is it any wonder the financials deteriorated and they had to sell?)

The only thing missing is an interview with the capitalist that closed the plant. If they tried and he refused the book ought to say so, otherwise it seems that at least a few pages could have been devoted to his side of the story.

All in all, though, a great book to read, as a counterbalance for all of us that invest thru our 401Ks and retirement accounts expecting great returns and divorced from how those returns are obtained (and at what cost to some people).

This book does an excellent job of demonstrating the effects of a factory closing in a small southern town. As a former resident of the town (childhood home) and a former worker in the machine room and rubbing room of White's Furniture Factory, I was amazed at the depth of analysis and truthfulness in this book. This book demonstrated how the closing of a factory not only affects the workers, but prior workers, and the entire population of the town. I was surprised to see the pictures that were included that told a story all to themselves. This book is highly recommended for college professors wishing to pursue the effects of a factory closing and other downsizing efforts on a small town's population. A great story line supplemented by outstanding pictures as the authors take the reader through the last years of a 100+ year factory that the entire town centered their lives around. Highly recommended for those interested in the effects of a closing on the local population.

The pursuit of knowledge that gives us an understanding of factors that determine success in the market place has always considered "the firm" as the unit of analysis. This has been the case with microeconomics, game theory, competitive strategy and many such specialized areas of research. Cartels that manipulate supply and prices are perhaps an exception to this rule. If, instead of considering the firm as the unit, we consider a group of firms teaming together to collectively provide value to the customer and succeed as a unique identity as a unit of analysis, the methodology to understand competition would undergo a paradigm shift. This book is precisely about this concept as applicable to the automobile industry.

In the early half of the last century it was possible to go to the countryside for a picnic in a Ford Model T car, disassemble and reassemble it with a simple wrench and drive back home in the evening. Today we need computers to diagnose even a simple problem under the hood of cars tailor made to suit individual needs. Given the increase in complexity, explosion of technology and customer preferences, it is impossible for a single firm to ever think of manufacturing even half the components. (River Rouge will be remembered in history as the most ambitious plan of an automotive giant to make all parts of the automobile - including steel and timber from within the company. At best a fairy tale for kids of the twenty first century!).

This book is the summary of an excellent research study of the automobile industry in the 1990's with focus on Toyota and Chrysler. These companies have significantly different "governance structure" (the proportion of parts made in-house, procured from partner firms, and from arms'-length suppliers) from their competitors- GM and Ford. The firms that have a higher proportion of parts that are bought from partner suppliers have a clear edge over competitors that use arm's-length suppliers for the same parts. Extensive data has been collected, analyzed and tested to substantiate the statements made in the text.

Three characteristics that distinguish between partner suppliers from arm's length suppliers- Dedicated asset investments, Knowledge sharing routines and Inter-firm trust form the virtuous triangle that make these partnerships succeed. The results of such partnerships show clearly in tangible terms - Higher profitability per vehicle, better quality, faster time to market, and more new models for customers; the key parameters that enable Toyota and Chrysler to drive at top speed. "It 's not the big that eat the small but it's the fast that eat the slow".

Taking lessons from Toyota, Chrysler adopts concrete programs to consolidate its suppliers, integrate and partner with them to deliver higher value at lower cost to the customer.

Though this research is restricted to the automobile industry, the fundamental principles of "extended enterprise" can be extended across industries.

Highly recommended for all managers and a must read for those working in procurement processes. Next time your supplier drops in, think of this book and start a new relationship.

Having followed Dyer's other research, I think that this is a theoretically elegant piece of work. He builds further on his pieces in SMJ (with Singh from Wharton) and AMR and illustrates the concepts of relationship-based assets in firm networks. The running exemplar has he uses (Toyota) illustrates his theoretical arguments quite elonquently. The book also highlights the limitations of his concept of collaborative advantage, and his closing chapter illustrates how cultural differences (here with Benz) can keep this strategy from becoming reality. This book is not for folks looking for cut-out recipies. This book is a MUST for researchers and managers who like to think instead of searching for cookbooks! The concluding chapter is a gem because it highlights our gaps in knowledge. This is an excellent book, and having read Dyer's other works, it's high quality comes as very little surprise. Buy, own, read, reread, and profusely highlight your own copy! VERY highly recommended.

Jeffrey Dyer, an accomplished scholar and management teacher, has developed a cogent and sophisticated theory of extended enterprise management based on a wealth of empirical data from the history of Toyota in Japan and from his six-year study of Chrysler Corp. before its merger with Daimler-Benz. Beyond being a detailed and rigorous case study of the automobile manufacturing industry, Dyer's book presents an extremely valuable model for vertical integration. His model can be applied to other complex product industries, though he is honest about the limits of its applicability. This book provides a clear, effective blueprint for achieving value-chain collaboration. We [...] recommend it to consultants, executives in complex product industries and leaders in firms that supply components or materials. If you always suspected you were part of a greater whole, now you can be sure.

There are other books I list below, but as I make my life transition from being a for-profit at any cost to a non-profit that respects "true cost" and the importance of community, I am finding a number of books that can only be called "essential." This is one of them.

Bottom line from the authors: Collaboration builds social capital.

An edited work, it offers us the view of the best of the best, and while the book does not contain a single "sales" element, over-all, and in the concluding appendices, it makes clear that we can learn a great deal by attending the training sessions offered by the Institute for Civic Leadership, and I have made my own mental note: when we have resources, the Earth Intelligence Network needs these folks as advisors and facilitators when we bring together key minds on each of the ten high-level threats to humanity, etcetera.

The box is organized into Meta (importance of collaboration), Macro (principles & frameworks), Micro (practices), and Examples (stories).

This is a totally impressive and educational volume. I end my notes with:

01 Take their courses
02 Retain them as mentors and facilitators
03 Share this book with others.

A few other books that complement this one:
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All
The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter
Democracy's Edge: Choosing to Save Our Country by Bringing Democracy to Life
Doing Democracy
All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents)
Escaping the Matrix: How We the People can change the world
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
The new craft of intelligence: Achieving asymmetric advantage in the face of nontraditional threats (Studies in asymmetry)
(This last one is free online, there is also a hardcopy on Amazon)

In 2004 a group of 100+ nonprofit, business, and government entities in Rhode Island began collaborating on one goal: to get thousands of new affordable housing units publicly funded and built. It was a long shot at best. Yet, in 2006, the HousingWorks RI (HWRI) coalition could claim a major victory when voters overwhelmingly approved a $50 million bond for affordable housing. A post-game analysis of the HWRI success story discovered that, by accident or design, the coalition, in building itself, had followed every best practice set out in Mr. Chrislip's practical, balanced, authoritative Fieldbook. If you're attempting to move mountains using a civic coalition, skip the trial-and-error phase and read this book before you start.

This book will be the standard for all other books about collaboration to measure themselves. Mr. Chrislip is among the best facilitators of collaborative processes anywhere. The author is also a skilled teacher and is able to convey both his knowledge and lessons of experience in this book. Clearly written, this book is well balanced between intellectual knowledge and practical experience. A step-by-step pathway is presented as well as specific examples of successful collaborations. Anyone interested or involved in collaboration in the public or private sector will benefit from this book. Facilitators of collaborative efforts will find themselves pulling this book off the shelf often as a useful guide and reference.

Everytime I purchase something some Amazon, I am always happy with the prices, my selections of items are always sent in a timely manner. I rather shop online than go out to the department stores.

I have been teaching for thirty three years in an East Coast urban district in schools that all have great variety of people and circumstances. I read Colormute last spring. I was intrigued by the title and the introduction and opening chapter. Though the setting of Colormute is California, I still recognized so much of the race/ethnicity talk. I could easily call up parallel experiences as a life-long teacher and student of race talk. I loved the dichotomous chapter headings each of which lays out a dillemma that usually has two opposing "solutions". She chronicles shifting definitions of personal identity among school people and shifting allegiences and shifting values about the meaning of one's race. I love that Ms. Pollack is a white woman listening hard to student and teacher talk about race and that she is not easily satisfied. She keeps digging deeper with those she is talking to and she does not propose pat or easy conclusions.
This book is real, thoughtful, honest, and useful. I really liked it.

Fascinating book about race talk in the US. The author presents her findings in a very ordered, clear and easy-to-follow way. Interesting for etnographers, teachers, psychologists, and anyone interested on race.

During the past ten years,my focus for reading Christian books has been on studying authors who wrote from 50-300 years ago. It seems that turth was not "what was relevant" back then, but for men who were the true spiritual leaders of the day, it was their life source, and came out their intimate passion for Jesus and love for His saints. The most important thing was true salvation, not building big churches, and sanctification, not self-actualization. In this freat masterpiece, Editor John Armstrong has brought home a hard hitting message to the "Laodician Church" of 2001. We are being greatly deceived, by our World around us, and consequently the Church is conforming to the world instead of to the standards of Jesus Christ and our early forefathers. Dr. Armstrong has assembled leading theologins in critcal areas of Christian wisdom, and compiled a book that should be a warning and a lighthouse for the Body of Christ in the years to come. Sadly, outstanding works like this do not achieve their highest cudos until long after their relevance is most needed. Thank you Dr.Amstrong and team for a truely distrubing( in a good way) book.

The evangelical church in America is dying from the same thing that kills its members: obesity, sloth, overindulgence, and ignorance. Church members are fat-headed, too lazy to read and study for themselves, quick to gorge themselves on pop theology, and don't want to hear the truth. Thus, any book that attempts to point out these failings is often read only by those who are already aware of the problem; the messenger isn't killed for bringing bad news, because no one who would find it offensive is listening. Nonetheless, I hope that "The Compromised Church" gets a wide hearing; its message is vital for today. The book is a compilation volume with contributions by some of the brightest evangelical pastors and scholars around: Al Mohler, David Wells, Sinclair Ferguson, Ed Clowney, etc. The topics covered are at the heart of the current crisis in evangelicalism. Just to whet your appetite, I will list a few: the authority of Scripture, the doctrine of the Trinity, "church-o-rama or corporate worship," baptism, church discipline, and preaching. Each subject is given careful, biblical and sociological treatment. A quote from the chapter by Monte Wilson ("Church-O-Rama or Corporate Worship") should give you the overall flavor of the book:

"Evangelical worship is becoming an oxymoron. Our songs are either belted out in the same mindless intensity with which we ............."

Strong stuff. This book addresses the problems of the church in a compassionate but firm manner, and offers viable solutions, but not a quick fix. If you find yourself appalled at the sorry state of American evangelicalism, take heart: there are influential and intelligent pastors and teachers who share your disgust. They have taken the time to analyze the problems, and they have solid, Bible-based answers to help you address them. Read this book. Share it with your pastor, your Sunday school teacher, your Bible study group. Prayer for revival should always be accompanied by careful thought and analysis of the world around us. "The Compromised Church" will promote just that.

If you want to know what it is happening with the evangelical faith in our days, please read this book. Great truths are analyzed carefully through this. The people of God need to stop and to meditate on everything that is examined in this book.Highly recommended.

Want to know everything and anything of the Confederat navy during the American Civil war?

This book pretty much has it all. Everything about organization, men, ships and equipment and the forces that determined its activities. Well organized and well researched. A must have for anyone interested in the history of the blockade and the civil war.

Dr. Still, the dean of Confederate naval historians, is the proud editor of this tour-de-force overview of the Confederate Navy. His contributors include Bob Holcombe of the Confederate Naval Museum, Dave Sullivan, well-known researcher of the Marine Corps in the Civil War, and virtually every authority on the Confederate Navy and the naval Civil War writing today. Well-coordinated, well-illustrated, well done! Small wonder that it's advanced by the Naval Institute Press, which has a tradition of promoting and publishing fine books.

Although intended as a companion book to Lincoln's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organization, 1861-65 by Donald L. Canney, this book is also very useful in conjunction with A History of the Confederate Navy by Raimondo Luraghi, which is the definitive book on the CS Navy.

The book is organized by topics (such as shipbuilding, types of ships) and presents these topics in more detail that is generally found in Luraghi's book. While I was hoping that it would include a Jane's-like section with drawings or photographs of every ship, this book is well illustrated. (For even more illustrations see The Confederate Navy - A Pictorial History by Philip Van Doren Stern.)

Highly recommended.

Every seminarian and Priest should read and digest this wonderful work. It offers insights and suggestions for more meaningful administration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation [Penance] in a condensed, well-written format.

Often, Catholics avoid Confession out of fear. How sad this is, for it is in this Sacrament that the Mercy of God is so clearly manifested. Christ empowered His Priests to forgive sins in His Name. What an awesome responsibility. What an awesome Sacrament. It doesn't matter what one has done for the Divine Mercy of Our Lord is there ready to clear the soul of all that is sinful. Like an ocean of mercy, our sins drop into a sea from which they cannot be found any longer. Our sins may be numerous but if we are faithful to confess them all with true contrition and a firm purpose of amendment [a resolve not to commit them again], God is faithful to forgive them.

Now is the time for Mercy before Christ comes as the Just Judge. Now is the time before it is too late. If you know a Priest or seminarian, get him a copy of this book. It may be one of the best gifts he has ever received and you yourself one day hopefully can reap the benefits of this wonderful Sacrament. Don't put it off.

Although written to help priests be more effective and gentle, helpful confessors by gaining a deeper understanding of what their people are saying (or trying to say or hide )in confession this book can also help laity confused about the sacramment of reconciliation. It can show you clearer and more precise ways to express yourself, or how to ask your confessor for the kind of guidance this St. Meinrad's professor would have him offer. Confession is difficult for priests, Father Stasiak points out, because it is the only sacrament they can not watch others priests administer.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation seems to be one of the less-attended to in seminary training. Rites of Initiation and Eucharist receive much more attention, which is rightly deserved. A Confessor's Handbook provides good training and assistance for seminarians wishing to learn more about this sacrament, as well as to continuing clergy looking to become better confessors.

The general approach can be summed up as, "Why is this person here?" "From what are they seeking to be freed?" The methodology is valid, as it addresses the pastoral needs of the situation; it is helpful, as it immediately cuts through the nice, but irrelevant conversations; and it's is simple, which makes is easy to implement and follow.

Also included in the back is a helpful bibliography of other books on the subject, for those who wish to do further reading.

This is a great book for anyone, not just consultants. It clearly explains the value and process of personal and organizational change. The material is useful, practical, and immediately applicable. I highly recommend it as a book that you will use again and again.

You don't have to be a consultant to enjoy this book. It's a wonderful explanation about personal change and how it is accomplished. One person told me that it contained everything she had learned through years of therapy, in an elegant, enjoyable style. I will use this book over and over. My business has already expanded because of what I have learned from it.

I have always focused on the client, but this book deftly describes how my own thoughts and process help or impede a positive outcome. It is correctly titled because it truly does bring the "conscious" to the consultant. I highly recomended it.

I loved Eichler's book because it is so well-written - funny and informative, and it has changed the way I negotiate, both in my work and in my personal relationships. This book is not just for community organizers - it's for anyone who is interested in social, organizational or even personal change. It's a wonderful book. You can bet the next time I'm stymied by a situation, I'll be thinking, "What would Eichler do?"

Michael Eichler's book was easy to read, easy to absorb and easy to apply on a day-to-day level in my work and in my relationships. It poses a new method of working to mobilize the community for the purpose of affecting positive social change, and is an extremely valuable read. Highly recommended by people in the social services, environmental and non-profit community.

I have personally slept through more of Mike Eichler's presentations on consensus organizing than the number of people who voted in the last election.

However, Eichler's new book is a very engaging summary of the consensus method of organizing which he pioneered. Not only is the book informative, but it reads like an extended chat over a hot cup of coffee in Mitchell's diner in the Mon Valley.

Eichler's voice in this text is impassioned, analytical, and humorous all at once. He has mastered the art of conveying complicated ideas through the use of memorable and enthralling stories.

Take, or example, his story about how he introduced an audience in Buffalo, New York to the legendary organizer Saul Alinsky. I doubt that anyone can read that passage without finding themselves sitting on the edge of their seat by the time Eichler reaches the story's climax.

Eichler has a story teller's eye for just the right details to make the reader feel as though one is on a journey through the multi-faceted terrain of organizing, yet he never strays far from the lesson he intends to convey.

Eichler also has a passion for social justice, but he does not come off as being preachy or ideological. This has been one of the keys to his success in organizing.

Eichler emphasizes looking for partners with expertise that is relevant to the problem confronting the community; seeking to build relationships with these partners so that the community group and the expert partners have a shared stake in the outcome; and getting everyone involved to frankly articulate their self-interest.

Self-assessment of the diverse assets of the community group and assessments of the assets of potential partners is at the heart of Eichler's approach to neighborhood organizing.

Again and again the organizer must ask: (a) What do we (the community group) have to offer in order to strike a deal? (b) What does our potential expert partner have to offer? (c) How can we cut the deal?

Eichler's passion for community organizing is contagious in an age where there is cynicism and escapist fantasizing in community practice.

If his readers have lost the capacity and the energy to care; if they have lost the ability to believe that good people with sound strategies can still make a difference, then reading Eichler will re-energize them and stimulate their creative juices to go out and become catalysts for social change.

He also provides his readers with opportunities to develop their strategic and analytical skills as he takes them on a tour of US revitalization efforts on the diverse terrain of the urban landscape.

What more can a reader ask for?

Now, about Eichler's take on Madonna...