Practice Management Books

Collaboratively compiled and edited by John A. Bissonette (Research Scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey; Professor in the College of Natural Resources, Utah State University; and head of the Utah Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) and Ilse Storch (Research Scientist and Lecturer, Weilhenstephan Center of Life Sciences, Techniische Universitat Munchen, Munich Germany; Research Associate, Max Planck Research Center for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany; and Chair, IUCN Grouse Specialist Group), Landscape, Ecology And Resource Management: Linking Theory With Practice is a scholarly collection of informed and informative essays by a variety of learned authors and contributors considering scientific environmental conservation matters ranging from landscape theory and population dynamics; to problems with linking scales in the use of indicator species; to the implications of body mass patterns; to connecting landscape management with conservation of Wisconsin grassland birds, and much, much more. Landscape, Ecology And Resource Management is strongly recommended as an invaluable, core addition to Environmental Studies and Resource Management Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Mr. Wigan is an excellent writer (see his The Highland Estate) who is concerned for the natural resources of the sea. He researched many situations about fishing and overfishing including the decline of the Gulf Coast Redfish (Red Drum) due to overfishing by commercial fishermen and how this sad situation was changed by forward looking men and laws that have now led to a resergence of this game fish. He has many other examples, but this is the one with which the Americans should be most familiar. The book is well written and deserves a reading by those who are interested in the sea and its riches.

"Law & Ethics in Coaching" is a compilation of 10 chapters by professional coaches and coach trainers. Each chapter takes up a different aspect: background on ethics, developing and maintaining client trust, developing coaching competence, ethical use of assessments, legal issue, culture & ethics, and a few other topics. Not the most riveting of topics, but well written and very practical!

Despite the title, there's not a lot in the book about coaching and specific laws, which is good since all laws are localized. Ethics on the other hand, have a broader scope. The various authors appear to be based in the USA, but also purport a lot of international expertise. One chapter speaks to the intersection of ethics and culture.

Although most coaches would benefit from reading this book, it's a great resource for supervisors/mentors of coaches, coach trainers, or someone developing internal coaching guidelines and policies for an organization.

In my opinion, Dr. Burton R. Pollack has put together a first rate book to help dentists navigate the often difficult matters of everyday practice risk management. The topics are well presented in a clear understandable fashion. A must read for serious practitioners who wish to educate and guard themselves against potential litigation and other consequences.
John O. Winter, DDS, President
High Volume Dental Consulting, Inc.
Dentalconsulting@earthlink.net

Now in an newly updated and expanded second edition, George W. Kaufman's "The Lawyer's Guide To Balancing Life & Work" is designed and written to help attorneys to achieve both personal and professional satisfaction and success in their chosen careers. An experienced lawyer himself, Kaufman describes and comments on how the legal profession has evolved over the last five years, then provides the reader with philosophical and practical advice, examples, and exercises that will substantially assist attorneys to reconcile their goals and expectations with the realities and demands of the legal profession including private practice, law firms, courts, and clientele. "The Lawyer's Guide To Balancing Life & Work" is a 'must' for anyone aspiring to or newly enrolled in the legal profession, and a core addition to law school and university library reference collections.

The Lawyer's Guide to Records Management and Retention, by George C. Cunningham and John C. Montana published by the ABA Law Practice Management Section, is long overdue and perhaps one of the best written books on the subject. With the prolific increase in the number of cases involving electronic discovery, this book helps to serve those law firms and law departments in understanding records management in a non-boring way. Chapters include both paper records as well as electronic records; developing (and sticking to) a records retention schedule; and how to get lawyers and staff involved in the process. You'll learn so much by reading this book and, best of all, it is extremely well organized so that you can quickly and easily find detailed answers to your questions. The book comes with an accompanying CD with plenty of helpful worksheets. I don't think anyone will be disappointed with this book - it's very informative and extremely educational to lawyers, legal assistants, and records managers.

Leadership and Change is a fascinating book that dares to say that something may be wrong with many of our leaders today. In a world where global warming grows at an alarming rate (according to most scientists), where are the leaders we need to tackle the major local, national, and global issues we face?

Based on the theory, research, and practice of modern leadership and change, this book presents a solution to the leadership crisis in the form of a new leadership model, or paradigm, based on four core principles that emerge from a synthesis of the ideas of some of our most respected scholars.

Leadership and Change also provides practical suggestions for anyone who chooses to apply this new leadership style based on proven principles and practices of change management.

Make no mistake about it. This book is for intelligent readers who want to know what some of our greatest scholars have said on the subject, not for people who want simple answers and quick fixes. Nevertheless, the straightforward writing in this book makes it a must read for anyone interested in the future of the planet. I highly recommend it.

I got it just when they said it and just like they said it. PERFECT!!

From back cover:

"Leadership is no longer a complete mystery. The 2nd Edition of the best-selling 'Leadership Practices Inventory" (LPI) instrument package approaches leadership as a learnable set of behaviors. LPI makes leadership comprehensible for everyone. Evaluate and significantly improve your leadership skills.

Obtain complete 360 degree feedback with this easy-to-use instrument.

You can gain feedback from:
* Yourself
* Direct reports
* Managers
* Coworkers/peers
* Colleagues from outside your organization

You will get in-depth, precise results with the ten-point scoring scale. The LPI Participant Workbook has expanded significantly to include more than 140 steps you can take to get results.

You will gain the skills to improve in the five essential areas of leadership:

* Challenging the process
* Inspiring a shared vision
* Enabling others to act
* Modeling the way
* Encouraging the heart

*****

What You'll Find in this workbook:

* a brief explanation of the development of the LPI
* Descriptions of the five practices of exemplary leadership
* An explanation of how to analyze and interpret LPI feedbacks
* Questions that guide you through a detailed analysis of your own feedback
* More than 130 ways to improve your day-to-day use of the leadership practices
* Action-planning forms to complete so that you can direct your efforts to improve
* A suggested design for conducting a meeting with the people who gave you the gift of this feedback, so that you can learn even more from them
* A list of recommended reading that you can use to further your leadership development

Current research shows a positive relationship between successful professional learning communities and student achievement, and Shirley M. Hord and William A. Sommers's Leading Professional Learning Communities is directed to educators who wish to develop a PLC program to enhance both. Chapters include quotes, common obstacles, and learning activities to reinforce lessons in leadership and school culture for students and educators alike. An excellent guide highly recommended for working professional educators.