5 comments about Smart Communities: How Citizens and Local Leaders Can Use Strategic Thinking to Build a Brighter Future.

1. Finally, an exceedingly hopeful book about how to effect meaningful change in a community, large or small. Here, Dr. Suzanne Morse, in her characteristic lively and to-the-point style, has given us a guide, repleat with documented examples of how to move the needle on those issues we're all too familiar with: poverty, lack of a board base of leadership, chidren's welfare. Armed with more than 10 years of hands on experience working with groups in communities all across the country, Dr. Morse's book, as well as many of her other supportive pieces such as What Works, guarantees us all that we no longer have to start at square one. If you were depressed by Robert Putnam's novel a few years back, Bowling Alone, which bemoaned the lack of citizen involvement in communities today, this book and the work of Dr. Morse will give you not only hope but the tools to join forces with others where you live to make a difference.
   Read it for the cheer joy of finding out how this is done, and done well.Each chapter ends with, How to Get Started in Your Community, a virtual workbook for action. Her reference section will also help guide you in fruitful directions.Putnam's latest book, Better Together: Restoring the American Community, speaks of a hint that citizens are beginning to "bowl together". Dr. Morse's book is proof that they are and have been doing so effectively for the past decade.Enjoy--an exhilerating read.



2. I was attracted to this book while looking for insights into strategic thinking for work in another arena. I was not disappointed.

   Smart Communities offers many very useable ideas for anyone with responsibilities for thinking and acting strategically to enhance our lives together. And that probably includes most everyone.

   Along with very practical help, the accounts and interpretations of real experiences also offer inspiration and hope.




3. This book is an antidote for the cynicism and sense of helplessness that pervades too many of our communities. We are given actual examples of communities builing on their strengths, talents, histories and values to create new energy and optimism. As an amatuer historian, my favorite chapter was the one on preserving the past as a way to begin building the new. Now I have the language to encourage renewal by honoring the past.



4. I'm sure that you are busy. I've got a lot of things to do myself, more than I can get done today. And then the time comes when you have to stop being busy, some times you just have to sit and let the batteries recharge. As the old saying goes, sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.
   
   And the question has to come up of what can one person, you or me do to make the community we live in a better place. Suzanne Morse's book can't tell you what you can do. But it can tell you what other people like you have done. Will her ideas work in New York City, no. Will they work on the block you live in within New York City, in the neighborhood you live in, yes.
   
   Meanwhile I've got to quit writing about this book. I'm going help the local community theater try to get started. I don't know anything about theater, but I can find some way to help, even if it's just sweeping the floor.



5. I got this book because it is being used as a textbook for a college course I am taking, but once I got into the book, I started enjoying it. Morse is a real excellent writer and she makes the subject matter of creating good communities interesting. Normally, I would dread reading a book for class, but this one is a good read especially for those who wnat to be more involved in making a smart community.

5 comments about Emotional Intelligence at Work.

1. The book is much inferior to it's original and inspiring one. The scientific approach of Goleman's book does not exist here. The author's "tone" is more personal than recommended. It abuses of examples that frequently lack of consistence, and it spends whole paragraphs either saying what is of common sense or repeating what had already been said previously. The consistence of the chapters is questionable, and the sub - items don't consolidate in broader ones. The edition and the revision are poor. (I think there were identing problems in the text revision. If the text was to be compiled, it would accuse "missing parentheses"). The book doesn't present anything new. I think any psychologist-next-door could have written it after reading Goleman's book. It is strange that it has been well recommended by the critics.



2. The attention to "emotional intelligence" started with Daniel Goleman's book "Emotional Intelligence" published in 1995. Although an excellent book, this Weisinger book is a better guide to how to USE emotional intelligence. It is full of practical exercises and real world examples. I have used it when I teach the subject and would recommend it if you really want to change and learn new responses when the going gets tough, not just think about it. Best wishes to all who are trying to develop these difficult skills. It ain't easy, but this book makes it easier. A good guide.



3. Glib, superficial, skinerian: A waste of time.



4. Emotional Intelligence at Work is an excellent book that teaches people to learn how to take step back, take a deep breath, listen to yourself and listen to others. Techniques to difuse volatile situations between you and your work colleagues. Turn an aggressive confontation into a useful fact gathering session to get to the real source of the problem. Do you know what words to use and sentence structure to apply in order to be direct without attacking or creating a threatning situation with your counterpart? Do you want people to listen to you when you talk? All of these fantastic techniques are found here.

   One has to really concentrate and use these techniques daily in order for them to work. I was actually surprised to see the majority of them work "live in action". This text should be mandatory from grade school to the university level.

   The author Ph.D. Hendrie Weisinger is a psychologist who uses many different work place examples from his numerous seminars. In many of these situations it is possible for people to see themselves in the characters and the situations that are being portrayed. It is an excellent book for anybody.




5. I feel that this is a terrific book on a very hard subject. A mentor of mine recently told me that it's the "soft" skills that are the "hardest" to learn. This is a great book on the hard soft skill of emotional intelligence.
   
   When reading the negative reviews I am reminded on my inital reaction to this book. I originally felt that this was all common sense and why should I waste my time on it. That was the key to my problem, it is crucial to understand that we all need to develop our EQ along side our IQ. After all, IQ gets you hired, EQ gets you promoted.
   
   Read it, but not without admitting you need it.

1 comments about Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series).

1. This is the textbook of my class in college student development. This is a must read book for all the people who interest in the student services. It does not contain a lot of student develop theories, but it mentions all the aspects of student services from college student development theories, learning theories, to the function of student affairs and human resources in higher education. Even though you may not have time to read through this book, it can be a good handbook for you. You will find this book as a good reference in your professional life. For people who interest in the theory, I suggest you read this book with the other book "Student development in college: Theory, research, and practice" by Nancy J. Evans, Deanna S. Forney, and Florence Guido-DiBrito.

2 comments about CarverGuide, Basic Principles of Policy Governance (J-B Carver Board Governance Series).

1. This first in a 12-part series of general guides on Policy Governance is a great introduction to author John Carver's new approach to nonprofit board development. Basically, this approach clearly separates the roles of board and staff as they go about their separate but related jobs of organizational governance and management. Policy Governance clarifies these roles through policy development and permits the board---governing as a body---to control the management and direction of the organization in a global policy approach. This guide is a good start in grasping the concepts of the approach.



2. This is the secong not-for-profit organization that I have directed. I have used this guide and the subsequent Carver guides to help with organizing and direction setting. Volunteer board members always respond well to the material. It is easy to understand yet the Carver model is very comprehensive. I would recommend this to any organization that is engaged in charitable work.

5 comments about The Wizard and the Warrior: Leading with Passion and Power.

1. Although not a book specifically about transforming manufacturing operations, the leadership styles described are exactly what are needed for that difficult task. The transformational leader needs to be a "wizard"... creating the magic and inspiring the passion within the organization to reach the tipping point. And he must be a "warrior" to make the difficult decisions and hold strong when long term plans fly in the face of expectations for short term results.



2. As a business owner myself, and friend to many others, I know that it is important for business leaders to, in an obvious sense, lead. But there's more to leading then meets the eye. One must lead with a passion for what they do, with a love for what they do, and that is what this book teaches. Bolman and Deal do an impeccable job at showing us how to lead with "passion and power" through their examples. But the leader cannot always be passionate, he/she must sometimes become a warrior to make the tough choices that some other leaders could not make. I seriously recommend this book to business owners, team leaders, and really, to anyone as I feel that everyone can learn from what this book has to offer.



3. Friends of mine who have read other leadership books by Bolman & Deal tell me that they have a lot of insights into leadership and that their others books are excellent. I'm sure my friends are right. It is clear from this book that leadership is something they have studied extensively and know much about. Unfortunately, I didn't feel this book brought out the best in them.
   
   The metaphors they have chosen for this book, wizard and warrior, are good ones. They bring out how a great leader must not only be able to fight but must also be able to work magic. They talk about the qualities of a great warrior (heart, mind, skill and weapons) and great wizard (wisdom, soul, icons and rituals). They talk about how warriors and wizards can go right and wrong (toxic, relentless and principled warrior; authentic, wannabe and harmful wizard). They give examples of their meaning by examples from history and business. They make their point.
   
   On the other hand, the book has some series flaws. First, they flog their point to death. This 200+ page book could have easily been slashed to a short article and made the same points better. Second, the bulk of this book is anecdotes. As a rule, I enjoy stories about historical figures but here there are so many of them and they are often repetitive. I most enjoyed the stories about business leaders since I was unfamiliar with many of these but I found myself wishing they'd get on with it already. Third, though I found their highlighting of the need for a great leader to be both warrior and wizard, they didn't offer much in the way of practical suggestions for those who need to develop one or the other or both of these qualities. Certainly, becoming conscious of your strengths and weaknesses as a leader is important but, once you learn about your weaknesses depression awaits if you aren't guided to some solutions. Bolman & Deal are a bit short on solutions.
   
   Ultimately, this book is harmless and may be inspirational for some people. It is short enough and fluff-filled enough to get through quickly and easily. It offers some important insights. But, as Bolman & Deal are clearly experts in leadership, I expected their book to lead me forward with something meatier and more useful. Maybe this is to be found in some of their other books, but I didn't find it here.



4. 
   Here is a synthesis of the core concepts in Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal's book: "The wizard and the warrior inhabit two distinct but overlapping worlds. The warrior's world is a place of combat, of allies and antagonists, courage and cowardice, honor and betrayal, strength and weakness...The wizard inhabits a realm of possibility, magic, and mystery. The wizard's strength lies not in arms or physical courage, but in wisdom, foresight, and the ability to see below and beyond appearances. The wizard brings unshakable faith that something new and better really is out there...The greatest leaders move and out of both roles, even if they are more comfortable with one or the other."
   
   Bowman and Deal carefully organize their material in terms of three warrior roles in business, the military, the American presidency, and basketball coaching, respectively: Toxic (e.g. Al Dunlap, Hermann Goering, Richard Nixon, and Bobby Knight), Relentless (e.g. Bill Gates, Ulysses S. Grant, George W. Bush, and Mike Rzewski), and Principled (e.g. Warren Buffett, George Marshall, Abraham, Lincoln, and John Wooden); and in terms of three wizard roles within the aforementioned categories: Authentic (e.g. Liz Claiborne, Norman Schwarzkopf, Ronald Reagan, and Phil Jackson), Wannabe (e.g. Ken Lay, William Westmoreland, Woodrow Wilson, and Rudy Tomjanovich), and Harmful (e.g. Frank Lorenzo, Hermann Goering, Warren Harding, and Dave Bliss). Throughout their narrative, they rigorously examine exemplary warriors and wizards, building a case for their observation that "the greatest leaders move in and out of both roles, even if they are more comfortable with one or the other."
   
   More specifically, the greatest leaders combine the strengths and virtues of Principled Warrior and Authentic Wizard in that they "wield both sword and wand, know how to create as well as defend, accept reality but will challenge it because they see unfulfilled possibilities, learn by sensing and intuiting, are both strategists and visionaries, and combine the power of commander and the courage of a champion with the wisdom of the counselor and the magical powers of the shaman." But they are by no means perfect. However, as Bolman and Deal suggest (and I agree), we admire them because they somehow overcome their human weaknesses to achieve extraordinarily difficult goals. "As is clear from examples like Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela, you need not like war to be a warrior." Bolman and Deal also point out that, the warrior heart "must be found in a cause important enough to justify the costs of combat. For many leaders, heart develops over time through experiences that test their courage and strength in the face of rigorous challenge and worthy competitors."
   
   In this context, I am reminded of the fact that Mohandas Gandhi greatly admired Henry David Thoreau's concept of "civil disobedience" and applied its principles so effectively that India was eventually able to obtain its independence. Gandhi was assassinated. Martin Luther King, Jr. studied the life and work of Gandhi and applied what he learned to his non-violent campaign against racial inequality. He was also assassinated. In certain respects, both he and Gandhi were warrior leaders (i.e. they possessed exceptional intuition, recruit thousands to join their cause, inspired them to persevere rather than be overcome, and skillfully negotiated the alliances needed) but they were also wizard leaders (i.e. they were wise in the ways of the world, recognized the importance of symbols and emblematic events, encouraged a strong link between words and deeds, and were visionaries of what could and should be). Admirable human beings.
   
   In this volume, Bolman and Deal provide dozens of other examples of men and women who also found a balance of the strengths and virtues of both warrior and wizard but it remains for each reader make her or his own determination of which balance is most appropriate. When concluding this brief commentary, I presume to share the fact that there have been times when I have had to be more warrior than wizard; other times when I feel the need to be more wizard than warrior. Such situations are when achieving the right "balance" has been most difficult for me. Thanks to Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal, I now feel better prepared to do that.
   
   Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out any of Warren Bennis' books (notably Geeks & Geezers and the more recently published Leading for a Lifetime, both co-authored with Robert Thomas) as well as Bill George's Authentic Leadership and the more recently published True North, Jean Lipman-Blumen's The Allure of Toxic Leaders, James O'Toole's Leading Change and The Executive's Compass, Martin Linsky and Ronald Heifetz'Leadership on the Line, Heifetz's Leadership Without Easy Answers, and Winning co-authored by Jack Welch and Suzy Welch.



5. The market may be saturated with books about business leadership, but Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal move into fresh territory with this beautifully written, inspirational and practical guide. They impart advice on understanding workplace dynamics and nuances, and emerging as an effective leader. The book offers ample evidence to support the authors' basic assertion: Managers struggle because they have an idealistic approach that fails to account for organizational politics and intangible workplace factors, such as values, creativity and passion. The authors contend that managers who are unwilling to "play the game" will inevitably stumble and never realize their leadership potential. The book's wisdom and insight are built on the real-life lessons and experiences of dynamic leaders. We warmly praise this book and recommend it to any leader or potential leader who is willing to take a good, long look in the mirror.

5 comments about The Last Word and the Word after That: A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity (J-B Leadership Network Series).

1. If you are already convinced that Orthodox Christianity has been fundamentally flawed in its conception of God's justice, in the existence of Hell, in the manner in which Scripture is to be read and interpreted, and the purposes of God in Creation, then this book will affirm your convictions and make you feel warm and fuzzy all over.
   
   If you are grappling with the issues of life and wonder how this notion of God fits in a world which seems to explain everything without regard to a vital spirituality. Then in this book you will find all the right questions being asked and done so in a highly readible, winsome manner. Be Aware! The right questions are asked but the wrong answers provided. (Yep, I believe in certainty & that certainty of doctrine is a good thing!)
   
   If you are seeking insights into how Conservative Evangelical Christians handle these questions and how they have discovered the Scriptural warrant for their answers, then all you will find in this book is a straw man caricature that reduces the highly nuanced, warmly compassionate views of Reformed Theology down to a power monging, insecure soul who just cannot rise to the challenge of critical thinking.
   
   There is no doubt of McLaren's courage nor his willingness to address tough questions. The essential problem is his post-modern convictions about truth. To McLaren, anything that is repugnant to his own sensibilities must be wrong. He, at heart, must be the final judge of what is true (for himself, I am sure he would say, even if not for anyone else). Therefore, if the Scriptures proclaim something which he finds repugnant to his own sensibilities, i.e. God inflicting an eternity of conscious torment on people that McLaren considers "good", then the Scriptures must be interpreted in some way that is more in line with his own thinking. "God is much better than we have ever thought" is his version of the Gospel and on the bare face of it, that idea has much to commend it. But the idea that God is "much better", or "too good" to countenance the idea of Hell comes down to recasting God in McLaren's image, something which I would think God finds highly offensive.
   
   McLaren seeks to elevate our thinking about God. That is good. What is not good is that he is more than willing to read back into Scripture every post-modern literary technique which he has adopted and to presume that Jesus dealt with issues the way that he, McLaren, would deal with them.
   
   If you are asking the questions that McLaren asks, then "you go, girl!" Keep at it. Do not allow yourself to stop with the answers he provides. There are answers "after that."



2. If you have always wondered, "is hell real or not?", or are just curious to what different ways there are of looking at the concept of Hell, Brian McLaren does an excellent job of taking the facts and inserting them into a novel. A novel that is enjoyable and also easy to read.
   
   You may not come away with all the answers, but you will come away with all the questions, lots of answers, and direction on where you can find more answers.
   
   Whatever you do, don't only read the book half-way through just because your feeling your ego hurt and think the author is a heretic. Give the book a chance. Read it in the spirit it is being presented to you. And if you still have unanswered questions when done, then do some homework as the characters in the book did.
   
   Definitely a book I am going to share with anyone struggling with the concept of Hell.



3. Talking about a discovery! I was already going up into the first two books of the trilogy, but this one strikes all! 2000 years of Christianity influences by one of the hottest subject of religion, Hell. Suddenly you're walking along with pastor Dan and Neo to discover the revealing truth about the Gates of Hell. You might wanna leave this book for what it is if you're all too sure about what you believe, but this book gives you something to think about. If this doesn't grab you... The gospel is getting better and better.



4. In my opinion, not quite as interestingly written as his second book in the series, this final book in the trilogy by McLaren does try to answer some of the most serious questions plaguing Christians in the post-modern age. The biggest question, "how can a good God let people burn forever in Hell", is parried and for me convincingly dealt with. McLaren thinks that preoccupation with a formula to keep ourselves and friends out of Hell (and to Hell with the heathen) detracts us from loving God and loving our neighbor, and from trying to make the world better, and therefore basically ignores the teachings of Jesus (the last word by the way is LOVE). McLaren falls back on C.S. Lewis in The Great Divorce to speculate on what "Hell" might really be like - and that is good enough for me. The story of a Church crisis and recovery with reconciliations is timely and heart warming, as is the happy double wedding ending - however, it left me with still a lot of unanswered questions - I suppose as intended.



5. When I read this book, it was as if it was written specifically for me. I couldn't put it down. I have been wrestling with the issue of hell for quite some time (as a lot of us do), and have read a fair amount about it. Mostly, though, I got the most reasonable objections to the prevalent view on hell from non-Christians or Universalists. Although this book doesn't really answer the question, it does a nice job deconstructing mainstream, evangelical Christianity's views through the use of history and just plain old common sense. The Secret Message of Jesus does a nice job continuing with some of these themes as well. With both of these, McClaren argues that heaven (and the Kingdom of God) and hell are more about life on earth than what we are taught in Sunday school. The narrative format makes for a good read as well.

5 comments about Tools for Teaching (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series).

1. This book is written with the assumption that you will be teaching young people in college or below(pedagogy). It is great for that. If you want to get it to learn techniques for teaching adults in the workplace(andragogy), look for another book.



2. This seems to be a good book for begining college instructors looking for the classroom basics plus some ideas on how to modify some basic formulas to make it a bit more interesting. It manages to keep from getting too bogged down with details about specific strategies. Unfortunately, this is also it's weakness, as I did not find support readily available when I wished to know more about a specific strategy. Worth having as a basic reference.



3. This book is a juice of tens of teaching books that will help teachers to improve their way of teaching, get the message across and interact effectively with their students.



4. Tool's for Teaching by Jossey Bass brings the reality down to a lower level of understanding so the beginning instructor can learn about teaching. It assists the veteran teacher as well by refreshing their memories on the different aspects needed to teach and present the material for their students.



5. This book provides a great toolkit for teachers, especially those of us new to the classroom. It has ideas for teaching techniques, including discussion starters, case studies, and grading methods. As a quick reference for those looking for additional ideas, its purpose is to provide a toolkit of ideas to jumpstart learning in the classroom. It is an easy read meant for quick reference, not a manual to guide you step by step to learn the art of teaching.

5 comments about When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parents Guide to Healing and Recovery.

1. This is an excellent book to help parents, friends, teachers, everyone and anyone interested in helping a child following a disclosure of sexual abuse.



2. This book offered many worthwhile suggestions for dealing with a difficult subject.



3. I wish this book had been given to me the first time we started to uncover this mystery with my 4 1/2 year old daughter. Once we entered the "system" the experts seem to forget that the parents are starting at "ground zero" and have a lot to learn. Even after begining counceling, working with Children Services etc... there were so many unanswered questions and our personal struggle with denial - ("it can't be what she is describing".) This booked helped me so much, expecially the list of "signs". Thanks to this book, we were finally able to understand that many of the behaviors that our daughter was showing at the time stemed from her trauma, and helped us move through the process of healing. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK if you are going through this with your child. The most important aspects of the book for me were 1) the list of "signs" 2) reassurance that children don't usually make these stories up unless it was real and 3) that children don't tell the complete story at first - so they don't hurt the parents / and their own fear. Which is why it is so important to listen to your child and give them the love and assurance they need. ( and take the information your child is telling you seriously) In the end - this book helped us put most of the pieces together and helped more than the councelors to bring "peace" to us as we moved through the healing process, and reassured us that what we were feeling and the family process were actually normal. (and we were not alone)



4. I was unprepared to hear my 5 yr. old disclose that our neighbor had molested her. The Sheriff's department focused on her and as a parent I needed to understand what to do for her and for me. This book helps teach you how to respond to your child when they disclose. With so many children being molested, the likelihood is greater than you think. If you are not prepared, your emotions get in the way of supporting your child when they need it most. If I'd have read this book before, I would have responded differently. I recommend reading it even if your child hasn't been molested.....yet.



5. This book had some great practical guidance for the family going through the trauma of child abuse. I highly recommend it!!

5 comments about Power Mentoring: How Successful Mentors and Proteges Get the Most Out of Their Relationships.

1. We all know how important and valuable a mentor can be, but most of us do not know how to find a good one, and how to make the most of the relationship if we do. "Power Mentoring" taught me so much on the topic, and transformed mentoring from being a nice idea, into something concrete that I too could benefit from. I loved the book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in bettering themselves and their situations.



2. Power Mentoring is a powerful reminder that even in one of the most individualistic societies on earth, most successful people do not succeed alone. Power Mentoring skillfully combines the latest research on mentoring with fascinating interviews of real American success stories. Interesting and well written, this book is a must for business students or anyone wanting to know one of the best kept secrets to success.



3. Ellen Ensher is Associate Professor at the College of Management at Loyola Marymount, and Susan Murphy Associate Professor at Claremont McKenna College: each has written and consulted both together and independently and here produces a powerful collaboration on mentoring and its lasting benefits to both mentor and prot?g?. Mentoring has a powerful influence on successful people: that's been proven; but traditional models of mentoring haven't kept up with business programs that have different emphasis today than in past. POWER MENTORING covers these changes in approach and offer new strategies for locating and creating 'power mentoring' relationships. Interviews with 50 top leaders and their proteges in technology, politics and media reinforce these concepts and approaches.



4. To demonstrate how "power mentoring" works in practice, authors Ellen Ensher and Susan Murphy provide down-to-earth interviews with about 50 pairs of high-powered mentors and their protégés. The conversations offer useful nuggets of insight about office politics, job advancement and successful networking. In addition, unlike many books on the topic, this one provides a useful snapshot of the issues, dramas and special challenges women and minorities in the modern workplace face - and the picture is not always pretty. The book's biggest flaws are its redundancy and use of boardroom clichés. Still, we recommend this personalized, practical book to potential mentor-protégé teams.



5. This is a great book. Their points expand upon what I have recommended as Coach: Do Not Play in my Success With People system (and book). I recommend the book, just be prepared to scan at certain times because it seems they could have made many points in fewer words.

3 comments about The Elephant in the Boardroom: Speaking the Unspoken about Pastoral Transitions (J-B Leadership Network Series).

1. This book was very helpful in guiding our church leadership to begin thinking about pastoral transitions. I think it is written broadly enough to apply to many denominations and situations.



2. Chapter after chapter I found relevant insights that I could apply to our Pastor transition. I recommend the book to all --- especially those not yet thinking of a transition. It will help you plan for a healthy transition.



3. I'm on an external transition team for a church in crisis. This book helped us distinguish helpful and unhelpful actions based on the culture of the congregation. It has also given the team a common language and reference point to move conversations productively down the road.