change Books

Implementing Change: Patterns, Principles, and Potholes (2001) is the latest book on the process of educational change and leadership co-authored by Gene E. Hall and Shirley M. Hord. It describes the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM), a framework they have been developing for use in organizational and educational settings for the past thirty years. Within it they describe how people can and do facilitate change. Leadership today requires the ability to organize and direct human resources for levels of constant change, most recently in educational settings. This book provides educational leaders and change agents with practical tools and advice on how to effectively accomplish their goals. Among them are: innovation configuration mapping techniques, stages of concern surveys and evaluative tools, and levels of use matrices, as well as information on leadership styles and how they affect change.
The format of this book is not only engaging, but entertaining. Chapters begin with quotes in first person narrative, from real/fictitious accounts of people involved in change. The figures and graphics, often using analogies and metaphors for text ideas, add to the clarity and the readability of the book. Case studies and examples are interspersed with humor and credible settings and characters. Focus questions within chapters and discussion questions at the end of the chapter invite further thinking and discussion which makes it an ideal resource for study/focus groups who are dealing with change. Chapter endings also include suggestions for fieldwork activities that provide opportunities for active engagement with the issues being discussed.
While they caution readers not to use this as a recipe book (p. 103) it is difficult to overlook the accommodating and sequential format they use, filled with useful advice and suggestions. Hall and Hord offer practical tools and a unique combination of theory, research and practice for coping with change in organizational structures. With good humor and practical advice this is one of the most readable and useful books ever to help managers and change facilitators navigate through the difficult process of organizational changes.

This is a tremendously well-written examination of the structure of power in America. It continues the ideas of Mills but with more of the empirical and less of the theoretical. A MUST-READ for anyone who claims to know how America is ruled. Simply stated--if this book doesn't get your blood boiling and move you to action then you have no right to complain about the present state of the American political system.

Professor Domhoff poses (and answers) these questions:
- Is there a wealthy class in America? If so, do they connect in any empirical way with huge corporations, financial institutions, and large agribusinesses?
- How can a highly competitive group of corporate leaders cooperate enough to work their common will in the political and policy arenas?
- How is it possible for these groups to exert so much influence in a supposedly free and democratic society?

The answers to these questions are not secret, but neither are they everyday news. With the aid of sociological and empirical studies, Domhoff describes the extensive interlocking relationships between the very wealthy class, huge corporations, trade organizations, policy planning organizations, think tanks, and the many ways they influence (and even merge with) our government. After reading this book, one might wonder if the welfare of the common people is ever taken into account in government decisions. And that is the point. Indeed, Domhoff clearly demonstrates that most policy battles in government, though cloaked in rhetoric about the general welfare, are actually fights among different moneyed and powerful interests when their usual interrelationships and consensus building organizations (above) are unable to produce a united front.

For a focus on how corporate power has gained control in diverse policy areas in Congress, see recently published (5/1/06) Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government -- and How We Take It Back by David Sirota. With unusual clarity, Sirota's book also lays bare the myths and lies that corporations and bought-off politicians use to mask the self-serving nature of policies and to promote public acquiescence. Another excellent book, Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain by George Monbiot, underscores the worldwide nature of this problem.

This book also has an informative website at www.whorulesamerica.net.

I would have given this a 5 star except there is no big difference between this edition and the previous one. We use this book in our econ class, students are told it's ok to buy either edition.

In this book, Domhoff investigates where the power lies in America. He defines the 3 indicators of power, 'Who Benefits', 'Who Governs', and 'Who Wins' as the basis for determining who holds power. At the end of Chapter 1, Domhoff briefly summarizes the main points of the book:
"Using membership network analysis, this book attempts to show there is a corporate community (Chapter 2) that is the basis for a social upper class (Chapter 3). This intertwined corporate community and social upper class have developed a policy-planning network (Chapter 4) and an opinion-shaping network (Chapter 5) that give them the means to win a majority of seats in the electoral process (Chapter 6) and to shape the policies of interest to them within the federal government (Chapter 7)."

The arguments made here are very well researched, with quantitative analysis of how corporate leaders are linked with each other through their common elite socialization and self-interests, corporate directorship positions, foundation trustee status, policy planning groups, and government positions.
Domhoff gives the subject of power an honest and insightful treatment. After reading this book, I can't imagine a more logical and convincing description of how the unequal distribution of power in America is maintained, and further consolidated. Given its $30 price tag for less than 300 page paperback, I'd check the library before buying this one. Still, highly recommended!

This book contained a lot of advice that I already knew, and some that I didn't know or think about in the past. But reading it all one place gave me the motivation I need to get out of the cube!

If you've ever longed for the wide open spaces of a self-directed career, this gem of a book is for you. Whether you want to pursue a hobby/project on the side or do a complete career 180, Michelle Goodman's book will give you the roadmap. It's chocked full of practical advice on the range of questions that inevitably pop up on a such a journey (What do I really want to do with my career? How do I prepare financially for a transition? How do I stay connected to the world at large? Where do I get started???). Yep, she answers them all. If you've got the urge to "flee the cube," the THE ANTI 9 to 5 GUIDE will lead you out into the light.

This guide is a great way to think through all the ramifications of "living outside the cubical" BEFORE you commit to that lifestyle. The advice is concrete and practical, and extremely helpful for taking your dreams out of your head and putting them into reality.

In making the transition from a full-time job to starting my own gig, I found this book very helpful. Not only did it explain different options for making the leap, but it helps those who don't know what they want to do outside of the cube figure it out. I found the conversational tone of the book to keep the pages turning while offering credible, sound advice.

This book was kind of fun to read. I liked the author's frankness and humor. But I wasn't particularly impressed with how the title of the book was matched to its content. The book totes itself as a supposedly helpful career guide for young women just out of high school or maybe college who work in a cubical in an office environment. And it explains how young women can do some investigating and networking to learn about opportunities outside of a cube. But many of the opportunities discussed in this book were 9 to 5 JOBS. And the title says it is against such career moves.

I would have liked the book much better if it had stuck to explaining how to get out of a cube and make the transition into self-employment. Or if the title were changed, I would have like the book much better if it had only explained how to escape a cube into a more meaningful and lucrative job with an office or a company car. Of course, I wouldn't have pulled this book from the bookstore shelf if it was about the latter because I pretty much just review books that relate to my volunteering for SCORE, the small business coaching nonprofit.

The part of the book that I enjoyed the most was the author's story of how she had found herself stuck in a cube at age 24 and not doing what she wanted to do with her life - which was to do freelance writing. She decided to quit her job and start her own freelancing small business. And she found she couldn't make money at it at first - but she was resourceful and started temping in order to pay her bills while she got her business off the ground. Of course, I would have liked her story better if she were to have said she got her business WELL off the ground within a year or two. But unfortunately she says she continues to dabble in temping jobs from time to time to make ends meet. That doesn't sound like she has really accumulated enough of her own success to be writing this book, but some company did publish it and there are quite a number of positive book reviews posted on Amazon for it. So who am I to judge?

My favorite chapters were "I want a more flexible work schedule" (4), and "I want to be my own boss" (6). These two chapters were right on point when it comes to dumping a day job and starting one's own business. And in the book's appendix I very much liked "A Temp's Survival Guide" and "Boss in a Box." The "Must-See Resources" section in the appendix also seemed to be fairly informative. The checklists at the end of each chapter were well-thought out, too. 4 stars!

I read this book for a college class on Social Work, and although Loeb tells many meaningful and powerful stories, this is the same text I have heard before. If you read the first and last paragraph of each chapter you basically get the point. It's an easy read, and some may find it powerful, but I just found it repetitive and over-told.

I read Soul of a citizen which inspired me to action. I am now a volunteer activist in my neighbourhood and have formed a group of concerned citizens to negotiate and participate in our city's development plan. We have made an impact in the corporation and even had a few small successes along the way.

As many other reviewers I was asked to read this book as a part of a college course. My wife was recently assigned the reading in her MSW program. I do believe it has some value, but to a specific generation and type of activist. The book rarely (if at all) discusses a model of activism outside of that born from the peace and love movement of the 60-70s. If you are from these eras, by all means this is the book for you. If you are or will soon be a college student you will likely find little to connect with in the book. I suspect that its over use in courses at this time is a result of faculty promoting a book they feel applies to them greatly without thinking of how it applies to younger generations.

Paul is an outstanding voice in our world. Fantastic book helping bring hope to a difficult time for those of us who aspire to service. It is a challenge to keep engaged in service and Paul does provide hope. I also appreciate his newsletter and recommend it to those who appreciate his work. Great insights.

Must we indulge yet another collection of tripe in the guise of self-help? Didn't we get this sort of nonsense out of our systems a long time ago?

If you are the type who hangs around in the self-help section of Borders looking for something you haven't yet read, hoping the nice-looking man ordering the latte isn't as bad as your ex-husband, well, sure, pick this up. You can read it a few hours later after you've snuck that man past your sleeping children's doors and out to his car, and feel good about yourself and how wonderful a person you are for reading something like this.

For the rest of us that live with a real sense of morality, well, we know books like this are just excuses - a mechanism by which the anointed democrat leftists sanctify themselves. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure why I wrote this review. If it offended you, you're beyond help. If it rang true, you already know you don't want to get anywhere near this book.

I was looking for a book that would help teach me how to better use the Bible in counseling and I found it in this Jay Adams book. He does a marvelous job in showing that the Bible is totally sufficient in correctly identifying and labeling our problems as well as fixing our lives.
The outline of the book can be found in 2 Timothy 3:14-16 where it deals first with the Bible's total sufficiency in giving a person wisdom for salvation. Jay then shows, as the Apostle Paul did, that the Bible is totally sufficient to teach us what is true, convict us of what is wrong in our lives, corrects us so we get back on the right path, and trains us to live a faithful, godly life. I love how Jay shows each of these parts as essential to counseling and how psychology distorts or even skips some of the essential elements of counseling people for change. And when counseling, not all change is good. Change must be to make us more like God. Psychologist who do not go strictly by the essentials of what the Bible teaches sometimes do more harm than good. They teach people a "victim" or "disease" mindset in which there is little or no hope for them. God's Word teaches "forgiveness, repentance, and deliverance." God's Word solves our problems instead of ignoring, falsely diagnosing, and mistreating them.

Jay shows that the Spirit of God working through the Word of God can make a person pleasing to God. Therefore, God wants to use a Biblical Counselor to teach, convict, correct, and train a humble, repentant person back into a fully restored relationship with God and others.

I appreciate all of Jay Adams' work and this book is excellent as well.

Jay Adams maintains that Scripture is the only thing necessary in counseling, insisting that psychology has no place in counseling and that "...the counselor must neither add to nor subtract from God's Word, but offer those needing help `the whole counsel of God,' which Paul declared `beneficial' to the church (Acts 20:20, 27) (Adams, 1986, p. 46)." Basing his approach on 2 Timothy 3:15-17, Adams' Four Step Biblical Process includes teaching, conviction, correction, and disciplined training in righteousness (Adams, p.13). His position that counseling is a ministry is evidenced by his statement, "Human counselors participate in the process as they minister the Word to counselees, instructing, encouraging, and helping them to implement biblical injunctions (p. 43)."
I feel Adams' strength is in maintaining that Scripture is the basis for all counseling. However, I do not agree that other methods of psychology cannot be used to assist in helping counselees in the healing process as we lead them to the Truth found in Scripture. Because there are many methodologies found in psychology that have a biblical basis, I see no reason why they cannot be used. It is a matter of using what substantiates Scripture and discarding what opposes Scripture.
It also seems that, throughout his book, Adams is working from a position that the counselees are already a part of the church. The scriptures Adams uses all are directed to working with members of the church. His statement that "God's Word must be ministered to His people..." indicates he is speaking of individuals who already believe and have accepted Christ as Savior (Adams, p. 28). This changes the whole dynamic when working with counselees who are not churched and are not Christians.
Finally, while I do believe that some individuals can and will respond to a very direct approach, I do not believe that is recommended or beneficial for all counselees. For many, it may drive them even further away and cause more damage. Because all people are unique, having different learning styles and "love languages", I believe it is better to access the individual and find the approach that will best fit the needs of the counselee. For many that will mean being very gentle; for others it will mean being very direct.

The four-step biblical process that Adams (1986) puts forth is based on sound interpretations of the Scriptures. His views are distinctively biblical and are likely to be best applied by clergy in the discharge of pastoral counseling duties.

Adams four-step model of biblical counseling is troubling for some - refreshing for others. The modern landscape of biblical counseling is filled a wide diversity of opinion in regard to the usage and integration of secular psychological principals in Christian counseling settings. While some choose to integrate, Adams thoroughly rejects the idea of integration.

In his model, all that is needed for counseling is found in the pages of Scripture and anything outside the realm of Scripture should be soundly rejected. "Strangely enough, many of the most prominent defenders of biblical inerrancy and authority are the very pastors who, in biblical counseling, treat the Scriptures as an insufficient source, in need of supplementation from psychiatry and psychology. Sad to say, they implicitly deny the Scriptures' credentials for helping people change." (Adams, 1986, p.21)

Adams four-step approach to biblical counseling is put forth as an attempt to counsel purely on the basis of the Scriptures ability to help people change. Adams places a high emphasis on the need for biblical teaching in counseling. He asserts that it is not possible to achieve positive change apart from the impartation of biblical truth from the counselor to the counselee.

The counseling process in this system basically leads a counselee toward serious Christian disciples by way of biblical teaching in an effort to import change in the direction of Christ-likeness. This system is unashamedly biblical and blatantly intolerant of secular counseling principals. The goal here is Christian discipleship and the aim is Christ-likeness.

Adams sees the need for change primarily as the result of a deficit of instruction in biblical truth - a shortfall of Christian discipleship.
In this system the true goal of Christian counseling is sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit. "In other words, this book is not about neutral change. The change for which Christian counselors strive has a spiritual direction and their aim is to help people prosper in the at direction. All change toward God is good, and all change away from God is bad. Sanctification, change toward God is the goal of all Christian counseling." (Adams, 1986, xiii)

Adams counseling methodology is about forsaking sin for the sake of Christ. It is a distinctively Christian approach to the Christian life and Christian counseling. As a pastor I embrace a Christian counseling method very similar to that of Adams. While I do not reject secular principals as wholeheartedly as Adams, I choose not to integrate as a matter of pastoral counseling integrity. I have seen first hand the damaging affects of pastoral counseling done in haphazard ways. If integration is not adequately accomplished then the result is likely to be a mish mashed methodology which has the very real potential to damage clients (parishioners).

I am of the opinion that Adams philosophy fits the needs of pastors most fully. Pastors have been called to minister through Sacrament, Scripture, and Spirit. When ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ stray from that calling they are likely to be unfaithful to both the ministry of the Word of God as well the secular principals they seek to embrace. It is as if they have one foot standing on each side of a moving conveyor belt. They are not full committed to either direction and in the process their counseling is less effective and potentially it is absolutely destructive.

While I appreciate his admonishment toward a truly and purely biblical counseling style, Adams views are rather narrow. I am under the impression that it is highly appropriate for professional Christian counselors to integrate secular psychological principals into their biblically based counseling practices. Though we are to be separate from the world, as Adams clearly points out, we are also to be wise stewards of all truth. "Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves." (Matthew 10:16 ESV)

I highly value the insights of Adams and I do incorporate his counseling approach into my ministry. Reading this book has given me greater insight into a biblical counseling approach which fits into my ministry philosophy. It has been a valuable experience to discover
Adams contribution to the field of biblical counseling.

I look forward to integrating his insights into my counseling ministry in the context of my local church pastorate.

Jay E. Adams has done it again. He is right on point. Change is necessary and Adams truly shows you how to assist in that effort. Necessary reading and using for the Biblical Counselor and any one who cares about God's people.

The title of the book "Global Warming - The Complete Briefing" is aptly named, as it is an excellent briefing, or primer, on the subject of global warming. The book avoids the politics of global warming, which can grow tiresome to those of us who actually work in the climate change field. Instead, the book focuses on the basic science behind global warming, and is a very balanced, non-partisan approach to causes, effects, uncertainties, and potential impacts.

The reading level of the book is college level science, similar to a beginning or intermediate level physical science or meteorology class. If you are looking for an over-all guide to the science of global warming, this is a great book. If you are looking for a less academic, more popular-culture point of view on global warming, look into "Hell and High Water - Global Warming - The Solution and the Politics and What We Should Do" by Joseph Romm for an eminently enjoyable, easily readable guide to some of political and cultural aspects of global warming.

You have to admire a writer like this, who can tidy up all the assumptions in global warming so they disappear in the 'facts'. Who needs to question such an authority!? I mean, if you disagree with Mr. Houghton (we don't use titles of nobility in this country, fyi), well, you are obviously just a dense neanderthal!

So instead of really examining whether humans are causing significant global warming, let's just assume it, and then hype the issues that follow. These self-righteous government 'scientists' love to play the part of savior, but never disclose how much money they are making while selling their snake-oil from the government. But oh, if you are debating them, they will quickly sneer against you if you are actually living off of money provided by the free market.

The book may be just fine for learning what kind of problems occur when global warming occurs, but it might as well be a book about what kind of problems might occur if a big meteor hits Earth, or aliens attack, and it is just about that relevant. This book is great pabulum for the sheeple.

The book that I read is the second edition. Because the book is priced at $50+ I chose to do an interlibrary loan instead of purchasing a new copy.

Houghton takes a genuine and direct approach in his book. Indeed it is the complete briefing as advertised. The book starts from the very beginning by explaining the basics on greenhouse gases. The book doesn't get deep into molecular theory. A rounded presentation is given on what greenhouse gases do to the atmosphere and moves into why it is important to address the threat. It finishes by suggesting alternative energy sources.

While I'd like to recommend the book, you could spend the money to outfit a home in fluorescent lighting.

I have just gotten half way through this book but am already finding it an excellent source of background information on global warming and climate change. It has a lot of technical information but is written at a level that most people can understand. I'm using it to prepare for a community education class I'll be teaching and finding it most helpful with facts on the science behind global warming. I recommend this book to anyone that wants to delve into the reasons behind what you're hearing in the news. The author is an internationally recognized expert and obviously knows what he's taking about. The book it written in a well balanced way pointing out the uncertainties and sticking to the facts. I'm looking forward to completing the rest of the book this week.

The book "Global Warming: The Complete Briefing, Third edition" by John Houghton is a great guide to understanding how global warming works and how it affects us.
It offers many details and explains how much of the Earth climate phenomena work, and how human activity is altering Earth's climate. In this book review, I will go through the book and discuss what the strong points of each chapter were. I will end up the review by discussing the book's relevance to the class and offering a few suggestions.

Chapter 1, Global Warming and Climate Change, offers a great introduction to the book by explaining the concept of global warming. It talks about how, every year, human activity adds up more emissions of green house gases into an atmosphere that already contains 7 thousand million tones of carbon dioxide. The part that I consider the most helpful is figure 1.5 which talks about how climate change is integrated with human activity. This integration consists of Emissions and Concentrations of Greenhouse gases that lead to Climate Change, which Impacts Human and Natural systems. The diagram closes the loop by illustrating how Socio-economic developments can lead to mitigating the Emissions and Concentrations of Greenhouse gases. In many ways, this is the purpose of this book, to make people understand that it is up to us to develop Socio Economic paths to make use of our technology and governance to control the problem of Global warming. This is also the basis for Sustainable Development.

Chapter 2, The Greenhouse Effect, focuses on explaining the Greenhouse Effect in great detail. The strong points of this chapter are the diagrams presented in figure 2.2 and 2.6. Figure 2.2 shows an actual greenhouse and explains that the roof of the greenhouse keeps the sun rays from escaping easily, hence increasing the temperature. Figure 2.6 shows the Earth's "radiation budget" this puts into perspective how the clouds, the atmosphere and greenhouse gases all play roles in how much radiation from the sun is reflected back out into space, and how much is actually bounced back to Earth and remains as heat.

Chapter 3, The Greenhouse Gases, is about the various gases that induce global warming. The important part of this chapter is that it lets us know how much of each gas counts as a greenhouse gas. This is important for us to measure how much human activity accounts for global warming. The chapter explains that Carbon Dioxide is the main component of greenhouse gases and most of this gas is the result of human activity. Figure 3.1 is rather complicated, but it does a good job in explaining how the global carbon cycle is accumulating carbon in the atmosphere because the Earth can not readily soak up the extra carbon being produced by human activity. This is a key element for us to realize the extent of the problem that we have here. The yearly accumulation of Carbon in the atmosphere, as Carbon Dioxide, makes the problem harder to solve as time goes by.

Chapter 4 is called Climates of the Past. This chapter contains the most relevant piece of evidence to Global Warming, which is figure 4.1 - Global Temperature from 1861-2003. This figure presents evidence that the globe is warming up to higher temperatures during the last 75 years. The importance of this warming trend is because it coincides with the increase in using fossil fuels during the 20th Century. This figure shows that global warming is not part of a natural cycle but it is the result of human activity. Chapter 4 continues to describe the climate as far back as thousands of years, giving information pertaining the Vostok and Greenland records.

Chapter 5, Modeling the Climate, explains how weather forecasting, and other natural phenomena, such as the Ocean's circulation belt. The oceans circulation was the point that I found the most interesting as it pertains thermohaline circulation, as seen in the movie The Day After Tomorrow. The models described in this chapter mentions that, global warming and polar caps melting will weaken the thermohaline circulation and this will result in various climate effects such as colder temperatures for Europe and altering agricultural zones.

Chapter 6 is called Climate Change in the 21st Century and Beyond. The importance of this chapter is that it presents the estimated temperature forecasts for the next century. Figure 6.4 is also included in the movie An Inconvenient Truth as the "Hockey Stick Graph" - which shows an extreme increase in temperatures for the next 100 years, if the current warming trend continues and CO2 emissions are not substantially reduced.

Chapter 7, Impacts of Climate Change, shows the biggest problems we will face due to global warming. The most interesting information on this chapter is Desertification, because we can already see the multiple effects of this problem every time we hear about the Genocide in Darfur, which was catalyzed by famines that resulted from changes in the region's climate. The effects of desertification are also explained on this chapter under a section called "Impact on agriculture and food supply."

Chapter 8, Why Should we be Concerned?, allows us to study the concept of "Earth", and how culture plays a role in people's reaction and interaction with "Earth". The strength of this chapter is the ability of the author to convey the message that we should not separate religion from science if we really want to "Save the Earth." Instead the author's message is that we should develop Environmental Values and become Stewards of the Earth.

Chapter 9 is called Weighting Uncertainty. The basic idea behind this chapter is that the IPCC has been having problems in the past by not being able to tell people that Global Warming is 100% a result of Human activity. The idea of Sustainable Development is discussed in this chapter.

Chapter 10 is called A Strategy for Action to Slow and Stabilize Climate Change. The Montreal and Kyoto Protocols are talked about in this chapter. This chapter is a great reference to efforts that have been taken by the World Governments to deal with Global Warming.

Chapter 11 is called Energy and Transport of the Future. The most important aspect of this chapter is the discussion of the Future energy projections. Figure 11.4 and 11.5 show the different scenarios of what may happen in the next 100 years if the world chooses to use renewable energy or not. The significance of these figures is that they provide a reference for us to evaluate what may happen if things stay as they are. If the world does not choose renewable energy, the energy consumption is expected to be twice as much as it is today. This is the expected energy consumption presented in scenarios A & B, and this, not using renewable energy as is our status quo, would result in major catastrophes, widespread desertification, water shortages and limited agricultural zones. Figure 11.4 & 11.5 also give us scenario C, in which mainly renewable energy sources are used, this being the most promising scenario. The chapter also discusses Building efficiency, alternatives to transportation and energy production, all key to sustainable development.

The book offers high detail and complexity on every chapter. I think that the depth of this book makes it a very effective tool for anyone interested in climate change, possibly all of us. However, since the different climate mechanisms: patterns and phenomena, which are intrinsically complex, made it difficult for me to embrace all the concepts and theories as a whole. Perhaps the book should be studied as a year long course which would go into the depth that is required to understand the complexities of the book. Another way to solve this problem is for the book itself to have a summary or an author's perspective of how he sees the various different climate mechanisms, as "interacting with" and "affecting" each other. I believe that these interactions and effects can result in, either a worsening or lessening of the current climate change trends and this is not explicitly considered in this book, or perhaps, I missed.

Poppy King, a self-taught entrepreneur who started a multi-million dollar company at age 18, shares her insight and wisdom in this beautiful book. Her specific lessons - ranging from how to make a fantasy an idea and an idea a decision, how to benefit from SWOT analysis, and how to shrewdly navigate the market - lead the reader through the journey of creating and maintaining a successful product (something she has done more than once!)

King's honesty and humor inspire but never overwhelm. Her advice is generous, logical, and level-headed. Keep it simple, keep it true, and be YOU, she tells us.

Having this book on my shelf makes me feel like I've got a big wonderful secret at home. It is truly hard to put down. Highly recommended for anyone who has ever dreamt of making a difference - in any field.

I bought this and couldn't manage more interest than casually flipping through to read the "My Story" sections. The advice itself seemed too vague and general to really be helpful.

Possibly helpful for someone who just needs some inspiration. Not so helpful for anyone looking for specific advice.

This book is about following your dreams and learning from your mistakes along the way. It is about never giving up even though the journey ahead appears hard and painful. It is a truly inspiring positive book filled with insight and wisdom.
Poppy King's honesty and humor makes this book a real joy to read.
Enjoyed thoroughly the "My Story" sections that were written with the specific lessons.
This is a truly beautiful book!!

I really liked this book a lot. It's a book written by a female entrepreneur who started her own company in Australia when she was 18. She winged it, and somehow it grew to be a real success despite her lack of a formal business plan. But eventually her lack of proper planning caught up with her and the company was forced into bankruptcy and as a result she lost control of it. This book is a compilation of 61 lessons she learned from her experience riding the wave of success as her company grew and then fell. The lessons are grouped in the following 12 chapters:

1. You already have ideas (1-6)
2. From ideas to decisions (7-13)
3. Research is simpler than it sounds (14-19)
4. Looking closer (20-23)
5. The road map (24-27)
6. On the money trail (28-33)
7. Marketing: Anyone can do it (34-38)
8. Putting yourself on the line (39-43)
9. The greatest show on earth (44-48)
10. Now you're moving (49-53)
11. The err is human (54-58)
12. Keep the flame alive (59-61)
Epilogue: The last word on the very beginning

This book is about following one's dream, taking risks, and going with an idea that could be built into a company. It is filled with words of wisdom regarding entrepreneurship. It is motivational, and includes tips and annectdotes that just about any wanta-be entrepreneur will find useful on their road to starting a small business of their own.

I wish I could list all 61 of the lesson titles in this review. But that wouldn't be fair or right. However, the 14 lesson titles that were my favorites were:

5. Fantasizing is essential
14. Avoid Complication
15. The destination determines the journey
16. Go back to school
24. Close the information gap
25. Start with the questions
26. Mapping it out
28. Ideas need money, and vice versa
34. Keep it real
35. Successful marketing: Something simple
36. Successful marketing: Something true
37. Successful marketing: Something consistent
38. Successful marketing: Something with a point of view
39. Strive for balance

The book follows a typical sequence. First the lesson learned is presented and then the author tells her story as it related to the lesson. If you are thinking about starting a business of your own, then seriously consider getting a copy of this book and giving it a read. You won't be sorry you did. 5 stars!

While many of us may sometimes have an original idea that we think will make us rich and famous, that same many will probably toss the idea aside thinking, Oh, I could never put that across" or "It probably wouldn't work anyway." And therein lies the difference between many and Poppy King.

When she graduated from high school in Australia (not too many years ago), Poppy didn't seem to have much of a future. Her grades had not been outstanding; she didn't really excel in any field. What she did have was a desire for something which eventually became an idea - an idea that grew into a multimillion dollar company. Within three years of her high school graduation Poppy headed the company that produced her own lipstick brand, Poppy Industries. She had sold her product to Barney's, and in 1995 was named one of the "Global Leaders of the New Millennium" by Time magazine.

Not bad for a young woman with a lackluster future! She accomplished all of this by dint of energy, enthusiasm, and a firm belief that she could do it. She shares her path to success, including setbacks and roadblocks, in "Lessons of A Lipstick Queen." As Poppy says, "I have taken everything that I have learned and plotted it out to show you how you, too, have what it takes. You can find, explore, and make any idea happen."

"Plotted it out" she has in 12 chapters, beginning with "You Already Have Ideas" in which she shows us to recognize the ideas that all of us have, and concluding with"Keep the Flame Alive," reminding us, among other things, that the customer is always right, and that our workers are treasure troves of ideas.

A motivational story at heart Lessons of A Lipstick Queen is geared to bringing out the entrepreneur in each of us.

- Gail Cooke

This book is disappointing. While it may help a college student or other really new person grasp some of the concepts of organizing it is not useful to practioners.

The Midwest Academy used to have a very good training manual covering many issues. As the book got slicker looking the information got worse.

Get Shel Trapp's old Basics of Organizing instead - much more useful, and free on the internet.

This manual takes you through waht you need to know about organizing. From strategy development to research to implementation, this book shows you how to do it. Well written and simple to understand. Outstanding reference for novice to experienced organizer.

The best purchase you can make and you won't need to buy others.

Another patterns book -- it certainly is a popular type of book these days. I got about half-way through this one before someone else wanted to read it. What can I say? Not bad. Recommended reading if you're trying to introduce a change in the way people work. The stories or case studies are pretty readable. But I'm not sure how much it helps to give little (pattern) names in brackets inside every other sentence. Pick up any book about industrial success like Marriot or The HP Way and you'd probably do just as well. The important thing is to read about others' similar successes and how they did it, and always to get help from lots of other people.

Fearless Change is a catalogue of patterns for introducing change in a company. Personally I've been in the role of change agent for years and this book provided me many "ah-hah"s which you get from reading good patterns. Most of the patterns I've applied in the past. Now I realized it and I got a name for them, which makes me more able to reuse the patterns. Some of the patterns were new to me and I've applied them immediately in my work.

The book is organized in three parts. The first part tells short stories on the different phases of change. These stories already made me understand the basics of the patterns and how they were related. The second part has a couple of case studies. Personally I found this part rather boring, but it was very short. The third part of the book is the actual pattern catalogue which provided the needed details.

The book was easy to read and, except for the case studies, didn't make me feel bored at any time. I've learned an awful lot from the book and it gave me some new tools in my toolbox when trying to introduce change.

I've rated this book 4 stars, which should have been 4.5 starts, but I don't have that option. I wouldn't want to give it 5 stars for the small boring parts and since I wouldn't call it perfect yet, but close! The books is an absolute must for anyone introducing change in an organization though!

Just like all books on patterns, this gives you the feeling of 'oh, this is soooo obvious' the first reading it. The fact is that a second after reading it you start thinking and talking about brown bags, angles and evangelists and refer to the book all the time. Linda and Mary Lynn give us an idiom, a very very useful idiom.

Also, the book is funny. Must read.

I had found myself moderately successful at introducing new ideas and influencing change in my organizations, but never knew why, or how to improve my ability to influence and sustain the change effort. The lightbulb was illuminated immediately upon getting a few patterns into this book- I had been, in one way or another, using some of these patterns without realizing it. Opportunities I had failed to take advantage of in the past became obvious as well in many patterns that were new to me, and in the past went unrecognized (next time, they will either be easy to spot or part of the plan in the first place!)

Once you are able to recognize techniques as patterns, influence becomes something much more controllable. This is a powerful, easy-to-use (and reuse) toolkit for introducing ideas and influencing change. I believe that those experienced in influencing change will find a well thought out set of techniques and those unsure of even how to start will have a great roadmap and set of practices to start with and to invoke as-needed as their change efforts evolve.

Change is hard. I've been part of companies that merged, were acquired, acquired others, downsized drastically, changed the CEO, moved corporate headquarters to another state and completely changed their target market. The change was difficult in each of these circumstances. That's not particularly surprising. What is surprising is that change is also difficult when doing something as seemingly simple as changing the company health plan. I wish I'd read this book before going through those changes.

A large part of my current work is in helping companies manage the transition from how they currently develop software to developing software with an "agile process." The book codified some of the things I've done for years without thinking about why but more importantly it also presented ideas I hadn't thought of. For example, the "Champion Skeptic" pattern says to designate a skeptical, strong opinion leader to be the "official skeptic." I've always made a point of involving these skeptics because they can become your best advocates if you convert them. However, I've experimented with the idea as presented here and it works well.

Change will remain hard, even after reading this book. But, you'll be much better prepared and you should find many of the patterns here very helpful.