Organizations Books

I work as a Communications Specialist... sounds impressive, but really it is all about listening...and this book gives real world examples and steps for improving how you communicate change in your company. Perhaps I enjoy it because it supports my own theory that a chat or memo from the CEO is nice, but who is the guy/woman? really?...the immediate supervisor is the one I interact with everyday... that person is the key to clear communication and the conduit to change.
This is an easy-to-read book, presenting clear practical solutions.

After years of being force-fed communications theories that didn't work, it was a real joy to see reality documented. The solutions presented are too simple to be acceptable to anyone more interested in documenting "quality" than running a business. These "rules" help: they work in practice (when was the last time you heard that about a communications theory?): and they will change your world.

Nearly every CEO of a large corporation believes that words directly from his or her mouth will inspire front-line employees. Five decades of research show just the opposite, explain consultants and authors T.J. and Sandar Larkin. Their investigations emphasize the importance of communicating change through low-level supervisors, a group that has more credibility with front-line workers. They maintain that CEOs must go beyond simply telling supervisors what to do; they must also listen to these key employees and empower them by taking their suggestions seriously. The authors provide plenty of real-world examples to bolster their case. We recommend this clearly constructed argument to CEOs and to anyone charged with communicating with large numbers of employees. This engaging treatise, a classic, is ready to persuade its next crop of managers.

I'm an academic--a professor of corporate communication--and this is one of the few books I recommend to students in this area. Larkin bases every one of his assertions on applied research in organizational communication--very refreshing from the "I did it in my organization, so it must work in your company" perspective of most business authors. Larkin also completely shatters myths around traditional corporate communication practices (e.g. the executive should communicate directly to employees around major change areas), and bases such assertions on research in the area *plus* his own consulting experience (of which he has a great deal). My students also loved this book. If you buy one book on employee/corporate communication, this is the one.

My line of consulting has a lot to do with change management and communicating change so this was a good book to refer to for additional ideas and tools for the toolkit. One of the chapters that sticks out in my mind is the one that talks to how people prefer to hear certain types of messages (e.g. from their direct mananger, through an email, at an all hands meeting etc) The author uses actual data from surveys to back up his ideas which I fpund helpful - not only in helping me recommend certain vehicles for communication but also convincing others. Good resource.

Communication Gaps And How To Close Them by international speaker, seminar leader, author, and consultant Naomi Karten is a straightforward guide especially for businesspeople, but also useful for lay readers, to effective and positive communication. From recognizing and preventing misinterpretations or disassociated definitions, to becoming aware of communication differences, to learning to see things from the other party's perspective, to the value of gathering and analyzing customer feedback, Communication Gaps And How To Close Them offers no-nonsense advice for untangling the confusion between human beings. Black-and-white illustrations and the occasional humorous cartoon add a touch of zest to this highly practical guide especially recommended for anyone in an interpersonal business job, such as management or customer relations.

Naomi Karten's current work focuses on how to "mind the gap" between you and your audience. This advice is helpful whether your audience is one person or many, whether communications are in writing or in speech. Her advice goes deeper than the handy techniques she presents. She gives a wider view in analyzing the relationships, the context, and the internal states each of the participants (you the communicator and the listener or reader).

Her advice on understanding the other's perspective is a prime example of that depth. While making one's own case is necessary, understanding the other person's perspective is perhaps a more subtle requirement of communications.

I found this book not only helpful in my business communications, which the author targets, but also in the range of communications within my own personal life.

I recommend this book to all my business colleagues who struggle with the intention of good communciations and the results of poor communications.

This is a very readable (as it should be) text on communication. Karten does a good job of laying the foundation of communication in the first 4 chapters where she talks about the roles of senders and receivers in communication. Nothing in these chapters is really groundbreaking, but it sets the field for what is to come. Chapters 5-8 relate communication to the building of relationships. There are important ideas about how to build strong foundations, appreciate differences in people, trying to see the other person's point of view, and maintaining relationships. In these first two sections, one of the repeated themes is paying attention to the other person. Other people are different than we are, and we need to allow them to be themselves.

The last two sections of the book deal with customer service and managing change. The customer service section seemed pretty straightforward to me. If you are having problems with your customer interactions, chapters 9-11 have some good ideas for improvement. Chapters 12-13 deal with managing change. Most people have a hard time with change. In chapter 12, Karten presents a few models for explaining change; however, she focuses on the Satir model. The main takeaway for me was that people will struggle with change, and you cannot expect otherwise. Chapter 13 presents some good tips for how to communicate effectively when leading change.

The advice in the book is practical, but it will require discipline to make the changes necessary to improve your communication skills.

Naomi Karten's current work focuses on how to "mind the gap" between you and your audience. This advice is helpful whether your audience is one person or many, whether communications are in writing or in speech. Her advice goes deeper than the handy techniques she presents. She gives a wider view in analyzing the relationships, the context, and the internal states each of the participants (you the communicator and the listener or reader).

Her advice on understanding the other's perspective is a prime example of that depth. While making one's own case is necessary, understanding the other person's perspective is perhaps a more subtle requirement of communications.

I found this book not only helpful in my business communications, which the author targets, but also in the range of communications within my own personal life.

I recommend this book to all my business colleagues who struggle with the intention of good communciations and the results of poor communications.

This book is chock-full of immediately useful advice about making your communications count. It's not about "hurling words to and fro." It's about making your message count without overdoing it. Karten covers a wide range of communication media, from formal presentations, to e-mail, to team conflict.

Some of the advice wasn't new to me, but was a terrific reminder of the thought and effort that effective communication requires up front -- to avoid all the communication gaps that can take even more time later.

I especially enjoyed the antecdotes throughout the book that highlighted each point. I was amazed at how some of the people portrayed behaved and was humbled by how others reminded me of my own foibles.

Karten's advice relies on two basic principles: care that your message gets through and care about the other person's situation. This book gives the reader lots of practical tips on how to get the message across while building the relationship.

I'm recommending it to all my clients and peers who are constantly perplexed by the excessive time they spend communicating and the confusion and distrust that still persists.

I have had the pleasure of actually working with Bob Gilbreath at a very difficult client, and let me be direct: He is the real deal. Bob can dissect, diffuse, and elevate in the most difficult situations. This book conveys perfectly Bob's proven strategies for moving people from where they are to where they need to be. The only way his next book will be better is if it shows us how to figure out what he has discovered before he actually discovers it.

I am typically disappointed by business books that present a theory and some related anecdotes about the theory in 'action'. But, Bob Gilbreath's book provides real world application advice about how to 'compel' others to follow your lead. This book is geared toward people who are faced with the daily challenge of getting people to move in a desired direction, and if you are at all tasked to lead people (large groups or small) - this book is for you.

--Tim Galpin

I think there's something wrong with the Cover Jacket Design, and probably with the Title! This book deserve more that the few review and (probably) sales! The writer is a very successful speaker, but most probably the not a good marketers? i m not sure, but i think this is a GREAT BOOK with GOOD CONTENT.

I came across when opening several books and i was still unsure about this one, but there are no other books i can pick, so i bough this one, and it turn out to be a great book that i like very much.

There are only 201 pages with large fonts and not cramfull of printed letters but the insight and ideas are great. The book is about how to get others to act differently to affect a much better outcomes.

I like the MESSAGE, about how we should use the message in a communication to make other do the way we want them to.

Some biased in how people like to be persuaded, like: Simple over complex, powerful over weak, direct over subtle, predictable over possible, necessary over optimal, scare over abundant, want over need etc will make you a better communicator.

There are 4 chapters: MESSAGE, REACTION, GROUPTHINK and WITNESSING. I found golds scatter around that i can use, even that the whole book is not really that well narrated into one flow. But all in all this is a great book that will help you compel others.

With a title like 'Compel' and a man leading a donkey on the cover I guess I thought I was in for a manual on how to bludgeon my staff into submission or possibly how to hoodwink others into doing my will.

What I got was a rather eccletic but readable and insightful set of how to steps on leading, inspiring, and guiding others to change themselves. How many business books these days can cite the Talmud, Kahil Gibran, Thoreau, Picasso, Camus, Quintus Aurelium Symmanchus, and Dante -- all without seeming pretentious, strained, or misplaced?

Bob's recommendations on how to move others in your direction is both folksy and far-sighted; he interweaves many vignettes from professional experience and historical happenstance to elucidate his points.

I particularly like the analogy of the long distance runner and the effect of personal timepieces - that is one of those interesting factoids that, once learned, seems almost common sense but helps those of us searching for effective means of continuous feedback to search for better metrics.

If you are looking for a primer on how to motivate and lead others in a new direction, this is a must read prior to launching the effort.

One note of quibbling - I am not sure I agree with Bob's discussion of the 'Dark side of simplification' as I think he reduces the argument ad absurdum.

Compel attempts to teach you how to overcome opposition, in the author's own words, through "clarity over complexity, the direct over the subtle." This is an admirable goal and, I must say, this book is among the best that I've read that attempts to teach influence, persuasion or the answer to opposition in a simple way.

The book focuses in on four mechanisms of change:

-Message
-Reaction
-GroupThink
-Witnessing

Each chapter begins by defining the term on which the chapter is focused.

For example the first mechanism chapter, Chapter 1: Message, begins with this definition, "A usually short communication transmitted by words, signals or other means from one person, station or group to another." Certainly a simple definition, but the author's point is to teach you to shape your message so that it becomes a machanism for change. He provides a five step plan for doing this that is easy to remember and implement.


In order to influence reactions, the author suggests shaping the environment and setting or expressing expectations. This appears to be based on the well-known psychological principle that people tend to do what you expect them to do if the enviroment allows for it. This is sound management advice and is well-suited to the author's intentions.

I felt the GroupThink chapter was the least structured and beneficial in the book. I left the chapter feeling like I still wouldn't know how to implement the concepts, if it weren't for other books I had read such as Wikinomics and the The Starfish and the Spider. But then again, my reference to these two books may indicate that I did not fully understand the author's intent. He can certainly correct me, if I'm wrong.

Finally, the chapter on Witnessing - though short - was a nice wrap-up to the book. You leave the chapter feeling that you can indeed start to make a difference in the situations you're involved in and you also come away with some ideas of how to both create your own "witnesses" and apply other ideas in the book.

Overall, it is a good book on shaping people's thoughts and actions and will likely benefit any manager or leader.

CORPORATE AGILITY: A REVOLUTIONARY NEW MODEL FOR COMPETING IN A FLAT WORLD tells of a new business model, one that enables businesses to embrace workworld changes on a global scale. Currently most companies are unable to adapt to new methods of doing business, and become crippled by high fixed costs and new competition. CORPORATE AGILITY tells how to break this destructive cycle, offering tried methods by leaders of the Work Design Collaborative and providing a survey of value to any business library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Finally there is a book for the Facility Manager, I.T. Guy or H.R. professional looking to prove their point. How often have we heard the words; "That may be a great idea, but what is everyone else doing?" When it comes to leading edge ideas for changing the work place and the way we work, this book provides hard data based on what some of America's top companies are doing now.

Corporate Agility gives us a look into companies such as Hewlett Packard, Sun, IBM and others. It provides detailed analysis of how they are addressing the changing work place environment. How are companies staying connected with an increasingly mobile work force? How are they integrating Gen X, Gen Y & the Millennial workers? How are they reducing costs for work space, real estate and I.T. while increasing productivity and worker satisfaction? In depth case studies provide hard data regarding how different programs impact costs savings, worker productivity and employee satisfaction.

The analysis and case studies also let you key into a network of resources to help with your projects. Furniture systems, architects, designers, real estate brokers and I.T. solutions are all discussed. The Future of Work community is a door to a nearly endless supply of thinkers and practitioners dedicated to solving today's work place issues. Regardless of the size organization you are trying to change, Corporate Agility will provide the ammunition you need to get the project designed, approved and completed.

All Real Estate organziations struggle with driving dramatic change in their organizations, whether stemming from the challenges of supporting 4 generations under a single (physical or virtual) roof, dramatically reshaping a portfolio and costs or creating a stragety that aligns with the overall business strategy -- this is THE book for you. It's written with a relevant, direct approach and loaded with practical case studies that can easily be applied to your operations.

The authors do a fantastic job connecting people, technology, and facilities. The intersection of these circles becomes the heart of the new workforce for tomorrow today. The authors offer insights that define the mobile worker; actions to serve this worker; and recommendations to manage this worker. It is an outstanding compilation of ideas with impact.

In the Introduction, Charles Grantham, James Ware, and Cory Williamson explain that they assembled a small group of thought leaders from major corporations and collaborated with them when conducting a survey among decision-makers in both labor and management "to discover how new technologies, the changing workforce, and economic globalization were changing how and where people worked, and what those changes meant to the future of work in the so-called Information Economy." The survey responses confirmed what they had only suspected previously: "most businesses had been unable, or unwilling, to adapt their traditional management styles to the new conditions." Various factors resulted in a crippling loss of corporate agility. "These Industrial-Age behemoths are often referred to as corporate dinosaurs, in an effort to describe just how slow and unwieldy they really are - to say nothing of being nearly extinct - and there may be even more truth and insight contained in that image than anyone ever intended."

Grantham, Ware, and Williamson pose an especially interesting question: How can a business evolve from being a dinosaur to a jaguar, and do so in the space of months, not millennia? In this book, they provide their response to it, what they characterize as "a collaborative, strategic approach to management that acknowledges and leverages the growing interdependence of human resources (HR), corporate real estate (CRE), and information technology (IT), a process we call collaborative strategic management." In this volume, they explain to define, develop, and then implement the CSM process, and thus achieve corporate agility. The co-authors organize and present their material within ten chapters and draw upon a collection of wide-ranging, cutting-edge ideas drawn from pilot programs, case studies, and evolving best practices established by members of the Future of Work community. (The co-authors invite you to visit www.thefutureofwork.net/index.html.)

FYI, the quoted phrase in this review's title was formulated by James O'Toole while identifying major barriers to leading change in a book that bears that name. Grantham, Ware, and Williamson have no illusions whatsoever as to the difficulty of defining, developing, and then implementing the CSM process to achieve corporate agility. They realize that many organizations cannot overcome "the ideology of comfort and the tyranny of custom" and will not survive. These are the "dinosaurs" to which they refer. However, other organizations can become agile and thus adapt to rapid, model-shattering changes in the global economy. These are the "jaguars" to which they refer.

To me, it is especially appropriate that the process of defining, developing, and then implementing collaborative strategic management requires organizations to be actively involved in all manner of alliances and mutually beneficial partnerships between and among members of global communities such as Future of Work. This is precisely what Satish Nambisan and Mohanbir Sawhney also have in mind in Global Brain: Your Roadmap for Innovating Faster and Smarter in a Networked World. They wholeheartedly agree with Grantham, Ware, and Williamson that agility is more, much more than a highly desirable attribute; it is, in fact, a key to organizational survival. Hence the importance of this brilliant book that will be of incalculable value to those planning for or have already embarked upon the perilous and complicated but necessary process of strategically integrating the effective management of real estate, human resources, and technology assets.

And as Charles Grantham, James Ware, and Cory Williamson point out, "It does that in a collaborative fashion that requires a change in decision-making processes and styles from what most organizations rely on today. [Moreover, an agile enterprise organizes itself into three (and only three) levels that center on completion, survival, and renewal." In this context, I assume that "completion" refers to achieving the given objectives, whatever they may be. However, collaborative strategic management is a journey rather than a destination, an on-going process that must be constantly renewed with appropriate modifications. Only then can an organization sustain its agility.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat and Competing in a Flat World co-authored by Victor Fung, William Fung, and Yoram (Jerry) Wind as well as The New American Workplace co-authored by James O'Toole and Edward Lawler, O'Toole's aforementioned Leading Change, Henry Chesbrough's Open Business Models, Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis' Judgment, Richard Ogle's Smart World, Frans Johansson's The Medici Effect, James Kilts's Doing What Matters, Dean Spitzer's Transforming Performance Measurement, and Enterprise Architecture As Strategy co-authored by Jeanne W. Ross, Peter Weill, and David Robertson.

I used to read a lot of the church growth books, but became rather disillusioned with many of them. Too much marketing strategy or this is the way we did it at First Mega Church (which means it probably won't work very well at Small Town USA Stuggling Church). This is among the better ones I have seen. It sounds like the strategies would work. Some good food for thought and some good exercises for church leaders to be involved with to discover their church's identity.

This book was the foundation on which a 'new' (or rather renewed) church is being built. I've had the privilege of working with Richard and Robert and am seeing wonderful changes in our church as a result. We've been able to put into words who we really are and be true to ourselves. As a result we have been able to attract those who have been seeking a church just like us. They have been able to find us now that we can say "This is who we are! Join together in our spiritual journeys toward God!" I look forward to both Book #2 AND Book #3...especially #3!

I've been implementing some of the procedures in Cracking Your Congregation's Code, and I've found it answers many basic needs of busy pastors and lay leaders. I know it helps answer mine. It's a practical book, that's easy to read, and easy to use. It describes how a church can transform itself. The surveys the authors provide for the four congregational systems give a church a way to quickly evaluate and strengthen their work. From my standpoint, as someone looking for how-to's, I'd say the information in chapter seven on how to create a strategic map is worth the price of the book alone.

My congregation worked with Southern and Norton over the course of several months. We found their strategy for church growth and renewal to be easy to follow, highly participatory, and full of wisdom. It has totally transformed our congregation and organizational systems!

"Cracking Your Congregation's Code" is a great contribution to the church growth movement! It not only offers a theoretical framework for congregational health and vitality, but provides easy to use surveys and inventories. Their recommendations for church growth and renewal are not "one size fits all" but are easily tailored for each congregation's unique "DNA". The end result is the development of a "strategic map" that will guide one's congregation to a new place of enthusiasm and growth!

Concise, easy to read, easy to understand. A good read for any pastor or church leader who wants to get some clarity on the strengths and uniqueness of his or her congregation. The REALLY good news is that this is NOT another "How I Did It" book. To be sure, "How I Did It" books are inspiring, and you can pick up a lot of good tips and tricks. The trouble is that most of them probably won't work in YOUR situation! What Southern & Norton have done is given us a method which will help us understand and analyze our own unique settings - to discover our own congregation's values and unique giftedness - so that we can focus on doing the things that are right for us, not for somebody else! Share this one with key leaders in your congregation!

This is an interesting book that shows the potential in the recruiting and training tactics of the communist party. It shows how leaders, particularly Christian leaders, expect too little from their members and get what they expect. The principles in this book match those taught in college courses on education: to set the bar high and people will live up to what you expect; if you expect little, you will get little.

The best book on leadership I've read. Douglas Hyde, a british ex-communist leader, exposes the methodological success of Communism. He doesn't delve into Communism's ideological fallacies (although alluded to). He rather lays out communistic functions that led to it's incredible growth in such a short period of time. Throughout the book he comments on both Communist and Chritian potentials that culminates in the choice between total Communism or total Christianity. One of the most intriguing chapters is "The Story of Jim." Hyde told those in a Communist leader seminar that the Communist party could take anyone willing to be trained in leadership and make a leader. Hyde describes Jim as, 'very short, grotesquely fat, with a flabby white face, a cast in one eye and, to make matters worse, a most destressing stutter.' You'll need to read the book to see what became of Jim.

In the first three quarters of the twentieth century, communism moved from a minority political movement in a few European countries to become a major political force with over a third of the world's population under its sway and signficant intellectual influence even in the countries that remained most opposed to it. Douglas Hyde was one of those who diligently to further its influence. In 1948, he surprised his friends and enemies alike by resigning his position as editor of the London based communist paper the Daily Worker and converting to Roman Catholicism with his family.

This book grew out of a series of lectures he conducted that tried to explain the successes of Communism to a Christian audience and to answer the question "Is there anything in Communist methods that can be adapted to serve nobler causes?". The answer to that question is an emphatic yes. Hyde strips away the preconceptions of how Communists recruited and motivated party workers and how they developed them into leaders capable of developing other communist workers.

The main theme of the book is contained in the title. According to Hyde, dedication is a prerequisite for true leadership. The communists had a well defined purpose that every communist could understand and believe in: the hope of a Communist world. In pursuit of that goal, members were asked to make great sacrifices. Rather than driving people away, this demand draws out the idealistic element in them and inspires the sort of dedication needed.

Hyde develops this theme in a number of ways. He discusses how short term campaigns worked, how party education worked, how members were encouraged to excellence in other areas of their life in order to give the communist message credibility with non-Communists.

Looking at the state of communism today, one might question whether there is any value in this book after all. Indeed, Hyde faced the same question himself in the late 80s and refused a reprint of the book because he thought that communist commitment was no longer what was described in the book. In my opinion, the failure of communism was due to its successes proving its invalidity, not to the methods by which it had enjoyed those earlier successes. Militant Islam seems to be the ascendant ideology of our times, and to the limited degree that I am aware, it seems like the Islamists are employing similar techniques. If we are wise, we will choose to learn from them rather than dismissing them outright.

This is one of those rare books that demands the purchasing of multiple copies. You will want to keep one for yourself with all your underlinings and notes, and keep at least one to lend out. Any sort of organisation could benefit from the lessons to be learned here, but Hyde's message is chiefly to Christians. Any believer distressed about the weak impact his church is having should immediately read this book.

For many years Hyde was a leader of the Communist Party in Great Britain. In 1948, the Communist stalwart shocked all Britain by resigning as editor of the daily paper of the British Communist Party and leaving the Party.

        He became a Christian and wrote Dedication and Leadership as a guide to political skills for anti-communists, particularly Christians. After reading it, you will understand why communism endured for so long. Much of its success, Hyde shows, was due to its use of philosophically neutral techniques of communication, recruitment, training and organization.

This is truly a fascinating book. In it, Mr. Hyde takes us into the inner working of the Communist Party in which he was a member for more than twenty years. With utter clarity, he shows us that the dedication of the average communist worker was not the result of brain washing, but was the result of exceptional leadership. Throughout this excellent book Hyde contrasts the weak and anemic leadership styles of the church with its corresponding weak following, to the strong leadership of the Communist Party and their dedicated following.

I was especially impressed by the first part of the book where Hyde takes the reader step by step though the process by which a young communist recruit is trained to be a leader of men. High expectations (you are joining an elite organization) and high purpose (you are going to make a difference in the lives of men) combine to get to form the foundation of dedication. The only apparent weakness of the book is it's "Britishness." The Brits do write in a style that is difficult for their American cousins to follow.

This book is transformational. Everything I have learned about leadership dove tails right into what Hyde is saying: The need for public witness, ministry before training, life application teaching, strict accountability, high expectations, beginning with felt needs, a commitment o excellence, are all themes common to great leadership.

This book was written in 1955 as a summary of the changes made in the subject of Dianetics up to that time. However, it is far more than that. It is a manual of communication. What are the component parts of communication? How do you integrate these parts so that your communication (verbal, written, artistic) actually gets across. The book helped me a great deal

This book covers communication very thoroughly. Maybe that sounds boring - but really, communication is at the heart of all our dealings with other people. And the material in this book applies to everyone. It's presented in a very readable format, and I highly recommend it!

I decided I ought to write a review to let people know a) this is a great book, and b) they really ought to read Fundamentals of Thought first. But I see that another reviewer has already pointed that out.

What I WOULD like to stress is that this is a book that puts a very powerful tool in the hands of anyone who is honest enough to use it without having some other axe to grind. The communication principles outlined by Mr. Hubbard can be used (easily!) to analyze and improve every area your life, and to remedy many common problems.

Are there areas in which you are waiting anxiously for someone else to communicate something or to do something you want? Are you hoping for some sort of acknowledgement that you're not likely to get? Do you have unanswered letters around, or things you've wanted to do or agreed to do but haven't yet found time for? Is there someone around who keeps talking to you or directing some other communication your way, and it's driving you nuts? Are there people around you who just don't seem to listen?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes" (and this is not by any means a complete list--I just took these off the top of my head), or if you're having any OTHER kind of problem in life, YOU NEED TO READ AND APPLY THIS BOOK.

I would recommend reading The Fundamentals of Thought (ca. 1952) before reading this one (written in 1955). In any case, it answers just so much that some people simply cannot take it. Beware the dogs of the manger. Now, this book is really dynamite, frankly, and equally frankly, I would recommend some of the Basic Dianetics/Scientology books first.

In short I can only say that after reading this book I have understood things and changed conditions in my life in areas that I never dreamed was possible. It has to do with very basic principles in life and existence - I am sure it will touch some basic issues in everybody - if they dare to look at themselves and their surroundings.

I found this book VERY helpful. In fact, I was so fascinated with it, I couldn't put it down. It was like a good novel. I immediately changed some of my thank you letters and re-did my Corporate request for funding letter. I will continue to use it's suggestions. The book is well written and not full of 'filler info', but very solid recommendations that one can put to use right away.

This is an excellent textbook and reference book on fundraising for non-profits. I recently joined the board of a non-profit and knew nothing about fundraising, but this book got me up to speed very quickly. The author treats you like a reasonably intelligent person, in contrast to some other primers that are too cutesy, and she writes in plain English and avoids jargon. It's packed with information, web sites, references, real-world examples, and recommendations. And it's up-to-date. If you're working for or with a non-profit, you need this book.

This guide to fundraising for non profits covers the newest strategy and grand writing plans that are needed in the future.

Just as money is the life-blood of governments and private enterprise corporations, so it is essential to carrying out the mandates of non-profit organizations as well. Now in a fully updated and significantly expanded second edition, Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work" by Ilona Bray draws upon her years of experience and expertise serving a variety of nonprofit agencies in every managerial capacity from development director and staff attorney to department manager and advisory council member to create a 496-page compendium of superbly organized and presented information, jargon-free advice, case examples, and illustrative comments from more than forty experienced and successful fund raisers who work in the non-profit sector. An ideal guide, readers will learn how to work with individual donors, plan special fund raising events, successfully compete in the solicitation of grants from foundations and corporations, obtain and exploit media coverage, utilize the Internet as a fundraising tool, start side businesses to create additional revenue streams, develop effective print materials (brochures, newsletters, annual reports), and a great deal more. Of special note are the eleven appendices offering fundraising worksheets for everything from sample cost analysis to press release templates. "Effective Fundraising For Nonprofits" should be a core reference work and a part of every community library and non-profit agency collection, and is an especially recommended study for non-specialist general readers having a responsibility to raise funds for their particular non-profit group.

Highly recommend reading this book. It has great real-life examples and useful tips. Very easy to read and follow. I love how it allows you to be creative and realistic at the same time.

I read this book while spending a week at a Young Life camp facility, and found it very inspiring and challenging. It is the biography of Jim Rayburn, Jr., written by his son. Mr. Rayburn confronted many obstacles in his life, but pressed on in serving the Lord in spite of the adversity. He was apparently a very winsom, energetic, charismatic individual and the book conveys his personality well. I finished reading this work inspired to let God be greater in me.

This is a must read for any person willing to examine the life he/she leads. What a great way to delve into the questions: "Does God exist?" "How does he work in people's lives today?" and "Is it worth it?" It's not only a first-hand look at Jim and Maxine Rayburn from the inside, but a beautiful glimpse of the workings of Christ in modern times. Whether Christian or not, this book promises to deliver on every level: it will make you laugh, cry, examine your own life, and challenge your thoughts. Jim Rayburn III hit the nail on the head with this amazing story of his father, the founder of Young Life, the legacy he left behind, and the torment he went through due to his humanness. As a former Young Life kid, I owe a lot to his first convictions. You will, too.

This book was one of the more "impacting" pieces of literature I have picked up in a long time. It's the inspirational story of a man's desire for rich intimacy with God, and his burning love affair with The Savior. Throughout the story, miracles unfold one by one before the readers eyes. This book played a significant role in my desire to join the Young Life staff four years ago in Littleton, Colorado. I have been inspired by Jim's love for kids as I continue to invest my life in those at Columbine High School. As I reflect on this story, it makes me regretful-that I have only one life to give for Christ.

Kevin Parker Young Life Area Director South Jefferson County, CO

If the mission of Young Life played a role in your life at any level; whether as a "club kid", camper, committee member, staff, or volunteer, then Bondage to Liberty, Dance Children Dance is essential reading for you. To understand the mission, you must understand the man God chose to initiate it, Jim Rayburn Jr. His son, Jim Rayburn III, provides the means to understand that man in this book. Primary source materials including personal journals, "club talks", and first-hand observations shed light on Jim's character and internal thought processes, personal relationships, incredible prayer life, and personal spiritual highs and lows. Photographs and expanded captions add much to the painting of Jim's portrait. More than a simple biography, Bondage to Liberty honestly examines the lives of Jim and Maxine Rayburn, their human struggles, frailties, shortcomings, and the miraculous work accomplished through them. In the process, it opens a window into Jim's relationship to his Heavenly Father and his God-sized vision for reaching teens with the message of the Christian faith in terms they could relate to. More than just documenting a work with youth, Bondage to Liberty reveals the varied spectrum of Young Life's history from its conceptual beginnings in the rural Southwest, to the anointed growth and impact during its early decades, through its tumultuous social and corporate growing pains, and on to its current condition today. In the context of the story of this man and his work, we are reminded that making an impact with teenagers, or anyone in this world, has more to do with love than it does logistics, requires availability more that it does capability, and demands faith rather than fancy formulas. Just as with the mission it documents, Jesus Christ and knowing real life in Him isn't just one thing Bondage to Liberty is about, its all Bondage to Liberty is about.

Jim Rayburn III has captured the spirit of a great movement that has made the world a better place to live. Jim Rayburn, the author's father and founder of Young Life lived a life committed to sharing God's love with young people. This is an important book for anyone who wishes to know the inside story of a person dedicated to serving God. It is a life high "highs" and low "lows". It is a life of pain, tragedy, disappointment, felt betrayal and a life of joy, faith, love, compassion and humor. It is a life of prayer and close commumion with the Almighty. Jim III has openly shared the inside struggles of his family as well as the inside struggles of the organization of Young Life. This book will be an encouragement to any unafraid to confront a great truth, that great accomplishments can be experienced in the middle of great pain.

I ordered this book because it was required for a graduate class that I was taking, but I found it to be an excellent resource. The author provides numerous examples for how to apply the material, but also provides additional internet resources to access other information in the field of nonprofit management and fundraising.

I would definitely purchase additional resources from this author again.

I also use this book as a textbook in a fundraising class and the students consistently rank this as a great learning tool and resource that they will use in their careers. Excellent real-life examples and practical knowledge on every aspect of non-profit fund development.

Ciconte's book is insightful and thorough. This new edition is especially helpful, especially for the purposes of this reviewer, when it comes to Internet applications and computer programs. A well-written and fairly current fundraising resource guide.

Using this book as "the" textbook for a UCSD Extension class on Fundraising Introduction and Processes; The course is the first required course for a Certificate Program in Fundraising and this is the text book selected. Very in depth, overview of fundraising, annual giving campaigns, special fundraising events, planned giving, grant-writing etc. Covers it all in depth and simple to understand. Great book! Plus its way cheaper thru Amazon than in the UC bookstore ;-)

I liked this book a lot. It's a big book with 8.5xll inch pages with the small text formatted into two columns per page. It covers a broad spectrum of fundraising for nonprofit topics: annual giving programs, board development, sponsorships, special events, major gift solicitation, planned giving, and capital campaigns. I suspect this book will be of tremendous help to anyone trying to develop a successful fundraising program for their nonprofit. Also, the reader is informed that it has been used as a textbook in various classes on fundraising.

My favorite chapters were (1) philanthropy, (2) roles of players, (3) the development office, (8) prospect research, (14) capital campaigns, (15) planned giving, (17) fundraising consultants, and (18) career options. The chapters are purposefully short, but they provide wonderful introductory material on their topics. Bibliographic material is provided so the reader can easily locate material that covers these topics in more depth.

I thought Chapter 4 (technology) was weak. I got the impression from reading it that I was reading a term paper from a high school student. I didn't feel as thought the authors were writing from firsthand experiences. Why were calculators and adding machines added to the list? Anybody who uses MS Office or similar program would know to use a spreadsheet program to do what a calculator or adding machine would do. Bottom line: this chapter could have been greatly improved so a nonprofit can save major bucks. Also, workers today are expected to know how to use a PC and the software that runs on it. If they can't, then don't hire them. NEVER consider paying someone to train them how to use a PC!

I had problems with chapters 5, 6 and 7. I thought Chapter 5 should have been much more detailed as to what a fundraising plan includes and how to design one. This was not done. And I thought Chapter 5 also should have covered direct mail, telemarketing, and the importance of building relationships as elements of a good fundraising plan. Then chapters 6 and 7 could have picked up where Chapter 5 left off. As these chapters are currently written, there really is no connection between the three - and in my humble opinion I think there should be.

I would reorder chapters 8 and 9 so the material on prospect research is covered after the reader is introduced to major gift fundraising. It just seems more logical to me to do it that way.

Chapter 13 could be improved a bit. Nonprofits waste a considerable amount of money on having fancy brochures created. And the authors seem to condone this. Today so much money and volunteer time can be saved by posting online in the form of Web pages what used to be printed. In the old days for-profits used to create fancy brochures. Now they give the prospect a business card with a Web site address on it. The prospect goes online to examine the relevant Web pages. Nonprofits can do the same thing. Why weren't Web sites covered in Chapter 13 (publications)? You try creating the content for a Web site and you will learn real quickly that Web sites are electronic publications.

And then there is Chapter 16. I'm not sure why this one was included. Sounds like membership organizations (trade associations) do their fundraising in a very similar way to church fundraising. It doesn't take rocket science to line up the congregation and hose them down for gifts. The same holds true for trade associations. I think I would have left this one out.

Even though I am somewhat critical of this book, I admit that I am being picayune. I am just rambling the thoughts that flipped off the tip of my tongue. This book is big, heavy, and full of good content. Give it a read. It will probably help you immensely in putting together an annual giving program for your nonprofit. Always remember that successful fundraising begins and depends on a good Board. 5 stars!