5 comments about How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters (w/CD) (The Mal Warwick Fundraising Series).

1. Excellent for a review of those with experience and super for those new at the experience. We have used it for both occasions



2. If you ever think you will have to write a fundraising letter, you NEED this book. Too many people think it is just like writing any other kind of letter but it isn't. There is a rhyme and, more importantly, a reason to it. Don't write a fundraising letter without reading this book first.



3. Outstanding. Reminded me of everything I'm supposed to be doing in my fundraising letters but have forgotten over the years. It's the bible for fundraising letters!



4. This is a wonderful tool that allows you to ask for donations "nicely." I really recommend this book to all who assist charities for a living whether on a professional level or as a volunteer.



5. I purchased the book looking for help with charitable fundrasing letter accross broad categories. The book is very detailed, but has a strong focus on direct mail for fundraising. This is the author's background, and the book is very technical with that focused topic.

5 comments about The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community (J-B Leadership Network Series).

1. Thanks to Hugh & Matt, I was sleep deprived for a whole weekend. The Tangible Kingdom was so good, I didn't want to put it down! As a lay-person, I highly recommend the book. It helped me process my personal frustrations of the Church in a healthier way, and look at how purposefully I'm living among the "Sojourners" in my life.
   
   I'm really glad that Hugh & Matt weren't foolhardy enough to give a "formula" on how to live in community ("Follow these 5 easy steps..."). Instead, they filled the book with stories of their conversations with ordinary people, whether at a bar, a coffee shop, in their neighborhood, and in the living room--places that I hang out in too. That reinforces to me that ministry doesn't have to happen in a church and I don't have to be in vocational ministry to have an impact on people. I can do that wherever I am too. The middle chapters of the book were heavier, as Hugh went into different church models. It was interesting, but not as directly applicable as it would be to a church planter or leader.
   
   The book's also been "key" to me intentionally readjusting my lifestyle. Working in a young marketing firm in California, I'm learning to see and love my coworkers differently. I'm enjoying all the new conversations, getting to know them, and trusting that God is working mightily throughout it all.
   
   Excellent book, funny, and very impactful!



2. This book is spot on to the realities faced by churches attempting ot be relevant in a post-modern culture!
   
   If your are a lay or vocational leader of a church and the sweet taste of "church" has turned to limonade without sugar for you, then explore this book.



3. Tangible Kingdom makes me aware, that business as usual in the church, has resulted in the decrease in effectiveness, and the overall decline of the church, we have seen over the years. TK presents incarnational ministry and living 'missionally', as Christ-like qualities we all aspire to, yet seem to fall short of, as we become trapped in our Christian Worlds.
   I'll paraphrase my favorite quote in the whole book....If you want to love starving African children...you must go to Africa and spend time with them, if you want to love mentally handicapped people....you must spend time with or around those with mental deficiencies...and if we are going to love our neighbors (as ourselves) we must re-engage them, spend time with them, enjoy life with them.
   We have presented this to key leaders in our church, as a starting point to missional living.



4. I found this book's content to be very challenging, going well beyond lifestyle evangelism. It has made me rethink my strategy for reaching those in and outside my circle who don't have faith in Christ.



5. The Tangible Kingdom: Creating Incarnational Community (J-B Leadership Network Series) This is the church of the future. My Son actually attends this church in Denver and can't stop telling us how much he likes the way they do church. It's a great read the author is funny and entertaining, at the same time he teaches you how to reach out to non christins in a non threatening way and show them what Christ is like, much in the same way they did in the book of Acts.I highly recomend it. I bought a copy for my pastor. Brian Wiest

5 comments about Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approach to Designing College Courses (Jossey Bass Higher and Adult Education Series).

1. This book changed the way I design my college level courses in a very effective and enjoyable way. It will give you a lot of insight on the design of courses that will encourage students to continue learning. I also enjoyed all the reference on the results of scientific work that deals with innovative teaching methods. You will love this book.



2. Fink starts with an interesting proposition: What do you want your students to know several years from now?
   To be realistic, while it would be great for my students to have a working sociological vocabulary five years from now - I would rather they look at their world with respect and understanding, treat other people with dignity and grace, and be able to think critically about the world around them.
   Fink proposes that curricula and teaching methods can (and should) be changed to meet the ever changing educational needs and dynamics of today's students. The text soundly lays out justification for the change in educational environments, and provides a sound framework to build classes that reach beyond memorization and regurgitation. Fink advocates setting students up for success by meeting their needs for core subject components, tying subject matter together with other subjects, personal life experiences, and the student's social context. The logical effect being, students who learn more, because they want to, and retain the material longer.



3. This is an assigned text in a course I am taking. It seems like a good choice so far, but I've only read one chapter. The book arrived in good shape. The packaging was very good-no bent book covers.



4. This is a wonderfully comprehensive look at research in the field of course design and instruction. I work with faculty and the research that this book provides for the work that we do is crucial. I am able to cite research and underscore the importance of what I have been teaching then all along.
   
   The title of this book makes it seem less important than it really is. This book is about research.



5. Very interesting and useful book for science teachers. I recommend to put in practice all the strategies proposed by the authors.

5 comments about Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement (J-B Leadership Network Series).

1. It's rare to visit a church, read its mission statement and then conclude, "What a great match!" For that to happen, the church's vision must be clear, appealing, and most important, truly reflective of the unique culture demonstrated by the church.
   
   Back in 1992, when churches were just beginning to think about vision statements, George Barna wrote a highly popular book called Power of Vision. In it he defined vision as "a clear mental image of a preferable future imparted by God."
   
   I predict Will Mancini's Church Unique (2008, 271 pages) will succeed Barna's classic as the go-to book for church leadership discussions because it does even more than help you articulate a vision for your church. It goes further. It helps you "cast vision, capture culture, and create movement," as the subtitle forecasts. The book affirms that your church is "stunningly unique," and then helps you turn your church's one-of-a-kind potential into a model of ministry that leads to a redemptive movement. It understand that each church models a culture reflective of its particular values, thoughts, attitudes and actions. Using numerous specific-church examples, it walks you through the process of vision focus and alignment within the context of your church's unique culture.
   
   Mancini, a former pastor and now church consultant, also explores pitfalls that often trap churches, such as adopting the latest conference technique or following a Band-aid approach to addressing deep-set issues.
   
   CHURCH UNIQUE will benefit any type of church leader, whether megachurch or church plant, mainline or non-denominational.
   
   The book is release #25 in Leadership Network's series with Jossey-Bass. It references in several places another excellent Leadership Network book -- Culture Shift: Transforming Your Church from the Inside Out (J-B Leadership Network Series)by Robert Lewis and Wayne Cordeiro with Warren Bird (Jossey-Bass, 2005).
   
   Warren Bird, Ph.D., is Research Director at Leadership Network, and co-author of 19 books on various aspects of church health and innovation.



2. I have been fortunate enough as a Pastor to go through the Vision To Grow process outlined in
   Church Unique in the past two churches I have served. In both, the process and results have been arguably the most significant thing I've done as a Pastor. The process outlined in Church Unique helps to articulate the UNIQUE context of your local church, not just slapping on the model heard at a conference or adopted by a mega-church.
   
   Church Leader/Pastor Friend, this is the resource you've been searching for. You can not put a price on the clarity, focus and ensuing movement you will help facilitate through this process explained in Church Unique.
   
   This book reads like a cross between text book visioneering, story telling narrative (i.e. Patrick Lencioni's work) and inspiring coaching.
   
   No brainer. Get this book.



3. "Vision, mission, values, strategy"--terms that most church leaders are familiar with. Many churches have written statements to cover these important elements of ministry, but most of us struggle with putting them together for effective and God-honoring ministry.
   
   Will Mancini has done the Church a great service in "Church Unique" to not only demonstrate the importance of each of these elements, but also how you can frame these pieces together to discover how God has created each church to serve in our local and global contexts. While I've read most of the popular books on church leadership and have understood the importance of these various pieces in leading a ministry, Will has helped me to bring them together into a vision framework that makes sense for us. While recognizing the value that WCA, Saddleback and others bring to the discussion, Will ably makes the case that God has a unique vision for your ministry--that may or may not look like the last big (or small) church seminar you attended.
   
   As soon as I read this book, I bought one for each of our elders. The descriptions, process and exercises have been extremely helpful as we have been together, re-discovering God's vision for our next steps in ministry. It's given a framework that makes sense--giving us the confidence that God has a vision for us. While we have much to learn from Warren, Hybels, Stanley and others, Church Unique shows how we can create a vision frame that allows us to know what does and doesn't best fit us and God's vision for our church.
   
   The final section of the book on advancing the vision is a practical tool, which I know we will be referring to regularly. Will gives practical insights in not only how we articulate and deliver the vision, but also what is often the missing piece--how we integrate the vision into our everyday ministry and mission.
   
   If you are trying to get your staff and your church leaders onto the same page or are yourself wrestling with what God's unique movement is for your church and ministry, I would highly recommend "Church Unique" as tool in your journey.



4. Very well done, great insights, author has a minimal amount of church experience but brings a wealth of wisdom and practical, applicable steps for creating clarity. Worth the price.



5. If you are trying to lead your church to effectiveness and impact, Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement (J-B Leadership Network Series) by Will Mancini is a "must-have" resource! Like very few books of its kind, this one is not only packed with ideas, it is presented in a clear and purposeful manner with implementation in mind.
   
   Based on Mancini's work with Auxano, Church Unique provides a carefully executed, step-by-step walk through the concepts and practices that build a "vision frame." Discovering and articulating a compelling vision is at the heart, but developing the missional mandate (mission), motives (values), map (strategy) and marks (measures) are what provide the frame. Each step in the process is presented in a way that begs to be implemented.
   
   If you long for clarity and a laser focus, this is a book you will devour, mark up, and wear out. I'm frequently asked what's the best thing I'm reading. Church Unique is a book I'll be talking about for a long time.

5 comments about A Lasting Promise: A Christian Guide to Fighting for Your Marriage.

1. This book, along with the non-Christian version, Fighting for your Marriage, is great! This is great marriage enrichment stuff and helps so much with communication, as well as increasing fun in your marriage. Great for small groups. [...]. As a mental health counselor, I use the tools in this book with my clients and highly recommend it! Also at the PREP website is a list of PREP instructors if you need more individualized help.



2. My husband and I both liked the book because it gives practical ways to communicate, which can cross over in all aspects of life. It gives helpful, concrete tools to use in relationships.



3. This book has helped us mend our marriage and grow to better communicate and understand each other. I highly recommend it for engaged, newlyweds, or people who have been married for years. God has truly blessed our marriage through this book.



4. No matter how long you have been married, you must always remember that God comes first. This book reminds us that a healthy, Godly marriage works in this order: 1)God, 2) Marriage 3) Self 4) Children 5) All Else. Without Him, a marriage is doomed. This book has allowed me and my Wife to address minor and major issues using God's direction. This is actually a second publishing, with the first being mostly secular. The authors have taken scripture and make it very clear that God wants marriage to be Spirirtually based. No matter what issue you may be having in your marriage, using God's directives can heal all wounds - past and present. As a Chaplain and a Counselor, I have found this to be the ultimate guide to healing a realtionship. I now recommend this book to all my clients, regardless of their religious beliefs. It provides scripture as an adjunct to the core message of each topic, and is very easy to follow. The authors have written it so that one may read a section regarding their specific problem, or it can be read in the order it was written. If you are yearning to have a Godly marriage - THIS IS THE MANUAL YOU NEED. Peace and God Be With You.



5. This book focuses on communication in marriage and has basic principles
   that are easy to follow. It also discusses key areas where there may be
   problems to resolve. It is based on sound Christian principles that apply to other relationships as well.

5 comments about Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement, 3rd Edition.

1. Excellent public sector response to what we normally see as a business model for strategic planning. Very practical and easy to follow for all managers in the public service, non-profit organizations and non-governmental organizations doing charitable work for the common good.



2. This book, although required for the course I was enrolled in, was overall a waste of money. The reading material was very dry, making it a pain to follow. I learned more by showing up for class, taking good notes and involving myself in the group discussions, than what I learned from attempting to ingest the contents of this book.



3. I was pleased with the receipt of the textbook in a very timely manner. It was received within 4 business days. Also, no shipping fee, thanks for the savings.



4. 
   This is a dry but business-like book that presents all the essentials of strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations. The book is well organized with concepts well explained. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the practical planning techniques and processes for those working for the common good. The author correctly highlights the critical importance of the link between strategic planning and leadership. John Bryson presents a useful planning process called "the Strategy Change cycle" which is a handy model successfully used in some public and nonprofit organizations.
   
   This is a thoughtful, useful and helpful reference and guide book for those working in government, social workers or managers in non-governmental organizations. After reading the book, you will be clear about the differences between strategic planning process in the private sector and in the public and not-for-profit organizations. You will also learn how to reduce the costs of providing services whilst improving the quality of those services.
   
   The book is well illustrated with insightful examples which will help practitioners learn about successful strategy formulation and implementation.



5. Excellent book for strategic management course. Along with the workbook, this textbook is a good resource for those developing and implementing strategic plans in public service and nonprofit organizations. It outlines and details valuable information to help public admininstration leaders use effective strategic plannig and implementation techniques.

4 comments about Boards That Make a Difference (J-B Carver Board Governance Series).

1. Not the most engrossing read, but for anyone serving on a board, it is a great resource.



2. I am currently a newly appointed Board chairperson for a non-profit Christian school and we have been using John Carver's Policy Governance model for the last year. While we still have a long way to go to incorporate it completely into the fabric of our board processes, we have made great strides toward it in only a year. This book is excellent in helping us get there. I have also read several of John Carver's guides and although they are somewhat small for the money you have to pay for them, they also contain very good information. We hope to study these principles as part of our on-going board training during this board fiscal year.



3. Carver describes how to avoid common Board mistakes and actually create the Board in a leadership role. It seems so obvious now that I read it... but I had to read it to realize what the problems were with my previous and current Board experience.
   
   This book is tailored to answer questions about every size of Board, so read it! It's a bit dense in its language, but useful to all of us.



4. Dr. Carver's seminal work on nonprofit board governance updated to cover all the Sarbane-Oxley stuff. For those who care enough to study the very best.

5 comments about Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide (Jossey-Bass Higher & Adult Education).

1. I bought this book for a masters study class because it was half the price they were going to charge me at the book store. This book is well written and easy to read. I have read other books by Merriam and they were not this well put together, but I would recommend this book.



2. Before I give my review, let me state my bias. I am an American through-and-through. I love my country. America feeds the world. America gives billions in aid to countries that openly declare their hostility to our culture. Also, I am almost 70 and am grateful for the opportunities that America has given me. Therefore I become annoyed at books that state as fact that America is somehow responsible for all the world's woes. Although there is much that is scholarly and well-researched in this book, and although it was required reading for a course I am taking, I was annoyed by its constant inferences that Western Society is at fault for all the world's problems. The terms "oppress, oppressive, and oppression" are used more than 40 times when describing the teacher-student relationship. American success is blamed for world terrorism. This is unnecessary in an otherwise scholarly explanation of educational trends for adulthood. In an effort to sound super-scholarly the vocabulary and sentence structure is full of inflated and pretentious statements. Concepts that could be described in five simple words are given in long sentences of 5 syllable words strung together in clauses that practically require the reader to get out the Unabridged.



3. This is one of the most poorly written texts covering adult learning theory. The author has picked a selection of different theories but only gives a short introduction to each - leaving many questions and concerns after reading each chapter.
   
   The information given on educational theorists is horribly fragmented. In many chapters there is no context, history or biography of the theorists given. If you'd like fragmented information on learning theories - this is the book.
   
   If you'd like comprehensive information on learning theories-this is not the right book. The information has to be supplemented with a lot of hard work researching details from the internet or other educational texts.
   
   This was a required text for a graduate level course in adult education and it was a waste of money.



4. Had to read this book for my graduate Adult Learner class. Good information, especially if your focus is understanding how to teach adults.



5. Merriam's spirituality section reads right off of a new age sale rack. "Grace lurks among the vegetables in the supermarket. Grace sits on a bar stool and smokes a cigarette". It just doesn't get any more absurd than quoting research like that.
   It's stocked with disdain for traditional learning and loaded with bias and garbage like the above. Yuck. She spends more time tearing apart theories that don't jive with her agenda than going over new thought. Rotten book.

4 comments about The Secret Language of Leadership: How Leaders Inspire Action Through Narrative.

1. There are four classical "levels of discourse": Exposition, Description, Narration, and Argumentation (EDNA).
   
   Exposition uses information to explain, reveal, "expose," etc.
   Description makes vivid with compelling details and figurative language.
   Narrative tells a story with a plot or explains a sequence.
   Argumentation convinces with logic and/or evidence.
   
   So what? Actually, a great deal if the objective is to communicate much more effectively. All of the most influential transformational leaders throughout history were great storytellers. They knew when and how to use the elements of EDNA to explain, to inspire, to entertain, and to convince others.
   
   What we have in Stephen Denning's latest and most valuable book is his development in much greater depth of information and insights he previously introduced in The Springboard, Squirrel, Inc., and The Leader's Guide to Storytelling. He also shares his thoughts about other dimensions of transformational leadership because he realized that "narrative wasn't the whole story. The secrets of leadership lay not only in the stories that were being told but also in the way the leadership goals themselves were formulated. Leaders could also use other tools like frames, questions, offers, challenges, metaphors, reasons, and so on."
   
   Denning explains how these and various other communication tools relate to each other, which are best for the given purpose (i.e. explain, inspire, entertain, and/or convince), and how all these tools can be "combined in a seamless leadership message" that can attract and (more importantly) then capture people's attention. In order to become fluent in "the secret language of leadership," Denning suggests, it is necessary to understand how transformational leadership can "communicate complex ideas and spark others into enduringly enthusiastic action," how those who are transformational leaders select and use words "to inspire others to become leaders."
   
   To sum up, Denning asserts that "sustained, enthusiastic change doesn't occur by osmosis or extrasensory perception. If leaders' inner commitment to change is to have any effect, they have to communicate it to the people they aspire to lead. True, the leaders' actions will eventually speak louder than words, but in the short run, it's what leaders say - or don't say - that has the impact. The right words can have a galvanizing effect, generating enthusiasm, energy, momentum, and more, while the wrong words can undermine the best intentions and kill initiative on the spot, stone dead."
   
   As I read this brilliant book, I was reminded of Howard Gardner's research on multiple intelligences. In his latest book, Five Minds for the Future, Gardner suggests that, to thrive in the world during eras to come, there are five cognitive abilities that need to be developed. Gardner refers to them as "minds" but they are really mindsets.
   
   1. The disciplined mind enables us to know how to work steadily over time to improve skill and understanding;
   
   2. The synthesizing mind enables us to take information from disparate sources and make sense of it by understanding and evaluating that information objectively;
   
   3. By building on discipline and synthesis, the creating mind enables us to break new ground;
   
   4. By "recognizing that nowadays one can no longer remain within one's shell or one's home territory," the respectful mind enables us to note and welcome differences between human individuals and between human groups so as to understand them and work effectively with them;
   
   5. and finally, "proceeding on a level more abstract than the respectful mind," the ethical mind to reflect on the nature of one's work and the needs and desires of the society in which one lives.
   
   As Denning would explain, each of these five "minds" or mindsets has a "secret language" of its own. Those who would be leaders must become fluent in one or more languages that are most appropriate to the given objective, be it the creation of an entirely new art form or a coalition of health care organizations. He examines three key steps of language leadership (i.e. getting the audience's urgent attention, eliciting desire for a different future, and reinforcing with reasons) before shifting his attention to six elements ("key enablers") that enable the language of leadership to achieve its maximum effectiveness: articulating a clear and inspiring change idea, committing to the "story" of change, mastering the audience's own "story," cultivating narrative intelligence, a commitment to telling authentically true stories, and finally, deploying the body language of leadership.
   
   The last is a key factor because, as Denning correctly points out, "without the calm assertiveness of the body language of leadership, the verbal language of leadership will have little effect." Although percentages vary from one research study to another, there is no doubt that during face-to-face contact, body language and tone of voice determine 85-90% of the impact.
   
   In his previous books, Denning skillfully explains all of the elements of an effective business narrative, a sub genre of storytelling that is becoming increasingly popular with those who write white papers. Now he has broadened his scope and deepened his analysis to examine how all four of the levels of discourse (including narrative) that can help those whose objective is to explain what needs to be done, to inspire others to become involved, to make the given vision vivid and its mission more compelling, and finally, to make a convincing argument that will guide and inform collaborate initiatives.
   
   Well-done!



2. I enjoyed the book which is full of very relevant and concrete examples that really helped me understand the concepts and the approach. A simple review of what does and does not work well is included that I found very insightful. I'm far from being a good story teller but this book gave me the desire to try it very seriously and trying is often adopting...



3. This was a truly inspiring book so much so that after I read it I recommended we purchase for our senior leadership group for Christmas and we did. So insightful and yet so simple. One of the best books on leadership I have read.



4. Useful two or three messages which could have been succinctly expressed in an article. The message and the examples have to work hard for their living - they are repeated many times. While 'Leadership' includes a great deal more than narrative, the importance of stories to create meaning is a point well made.

5 comments about The Wisdom Way of Knowing: Reclaiming An Ancient Tradition to Awaken the Heart.

1. I have read Cynthia Bourgeault's THE WISDOM WAY OF KNOWING five times now. From start to finish, I find what I always find in her writing - the rich, inner tradition of Christianity which is so universally appealing. I have probably read her chapter on Freedom and Surrender ten times, and I quote my favorite lines, "Spirituality at its no-frills simplest is learning not to do anything in a state of internal brace. It is never worth the cost."



2. Cynthia Bourgeault has a wonderful writing style that explains complicated ideas in a very easy-to-understand manner. This book is a must read for people interested in deepening their personal spirituality. A gifted writer who obviously is deeply spiritual helps those of us seeking find the path.



3. An Episcopal priest myself, time and again while reading "The Wisdom Way of Knowing" I wanted to jump up, rejoice and exclaim, "Yes, this is what I've come to about Christianity after all these years!" It was like drinking draughts of crystal clear water. With a graceful touch, the author peels back layer after layer of accretions to the faith to leave one close to the pulsing heart of the tradition. She obviously lives this path and warrants the name "teacher." Do read this book. And practice the prayer and path to which it points. (Couldn't resist a little sermon.)



4. This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in meditation and contemplation.
   
   The author is an Episcopal priest and retreat leader, but her message and her sources stretch well beyond the Christian world.
   
   The book begins with a challenging forward by Thomas Moore. Who asks us to challenge some of the assumptions built powerfully into he roots of the modern world: that the best - perhaps only - way to understand something is to dissect it; that standardized education is the best way to educate the young and that prisons are an effective way to deal with crime. Each is questionable.
   
   Cynthia takes these questions and many others in this beautifully written and satisfying book.
   
   As an example, she takes the words:
   Individual
   Freedom
   Happiness
   Surrender
   
   Each is deeply charged with meaning in our Western culture. The same words also have deep meanings in our spiritual heritage. The interesting thing is that in the two realms the words have diametrically opposite meanings.
   
   It is very valuable to see and understand this: many people want to embark upon their spiritual journey without knowing what it entails. I once saw a man who came to an introductory presentation by a well-known teacher. He got very upset when it was suggested that the work would need some sacrifice, discipline and effort. He was not being asked to give a lot of money to the teacher, in fact quite the opposite. But he thought that the spiritual path was a shortcut for getting more "stuff." Cynthia demonstrates the fallacy of this belief.
   
   She also shows that the genuine spiritual path is available to anyone who is prepared to dedicate a little time to it. And "little" is the operative word, and one of the reasons that I so like this book She points out quite correctly that meditation or contemplation should start with a few minutes wherever you are. I was also thrilled to see someone else advocate the value of practicing surrender wherever you find yourself: standing in line or sitting in traffic is a good place to start.
   
   This is a short but deep and inspiring book that I recommend very highly.



5. This is a wonderful book filled with information on establishing contact with God in his/her special dimension. An easy read although review page by page is often necessary. I have recommended this book to all of my friends on a spiritual journey.