change Books

I love this book! It is a must-have for all practitioners, beginners, or anyone who wants to place solid definitions of all elements associated with organization development.

This book is much too academic. Can somebody recommend an organizational change book written by a practitioner? This book is designed for undergraduate students.

This book has become a best seller in the change managment and organization development arena. It is used as a text book by many universities. At the last OD network meeting, 4 graduate programs in OD identified this as the favorite of students. It is practical, easy to read and is very useful for anyone doing consulting. Dick Beckhard who coined the phrase Organization Development says it is the best book on change since his Addision-Wesley Series on OD

This 'Guide' book is one of four used in a Human Resource Development course that I took in a masters program. The content is the type that will be referred to over and over again in the course of an HRDV career. Some principles should not change, and the ones in this book are rich. A copy is staying in my personal library.

Es nuestro libro de texto en la materia de Desarrollo Organizacional de la Maestría de Gestión de la Calidad en el Centro de Excelencia de la Universidad Autonoma de Tamaulipas, México. Por motivo de traducción su lectura no es tan rápida como desearamos por lo que me interesa saber cuando tendrán una edición en español. Gracias. Ana Luisa Mejía.

Simple and easy to read, yet filled with very useful NLP stuffs. Good reading for both advance NLP learners and beginners in NLP. Recommended.

If you are an advanced student of NLP (at least having completed a practitioner training) and wish to get a deeper and more practical understanding of using and interpreting time lines, the swish pattern, submodalities, and the internal-external meta program; then this book is definitely for you. It is written by two NLP leaders who put their vast practical knowledge on paper from which the rest of us can benefit. Specific applications such as Eliminating Compulsions, "The Last Straw" Threshold Pattern and Responding to Criticism are presented in detail. Given this book was written in 1987, many newer and more elegant techniques have been developed since. However Steve and Connirae Andreas provide us with a rich understanding of NLP basics that gives us greater insight as to why the newer techniques work, what we need to be aware of when using these techniques and how we can actually use these basic building blocks to develop our own approaches. A significant part of the book consists of transcripts of actual sessions. For me, this did not enhance my reading enjoyment; however it did provide clear descriptions as to how the techniques can be used in practice.

I consider this to be your typical run of the mill NLP book. It's solid in its approach, addresses the key pieces and is well written. But it doesn't stand out.

disclaimer: I studied with Steve Andreas when he was at the top of his form and I think it was the best general experience of NLP that I have experienced, perhaps with the one exception of Richard Bandler in a peak moment.

having said that: NLP must have the worst literaure ever generated by a discipline which imagines that it should be taken seriously.

This book is simply awful, not much more or less awful than every other NLP book out there. Whatever NLP is, it doesn't translate to the written word... maybe no more than Jimi Hendrix transcriptions translate Jimi Hendrix... this detritus, and that's all it should be labelled as, this compost of concept, has all of the impact that hearing Voodoo Child played on an insipid string synthesizer at half tempo in a bloodless shopping mall out in the midwest somewhere... only much less interesting...

Everyone (really) needs to read/apply this great Field Guide. Do not be intimidated if you have not been in the field with Rolf, jump right in for the fun. You will get awesome results spending time ootching through the pages gleaning the gems that shine through the many aha moments.

Rolf is practical at all levels of life. I have applied The 7 Levels of Change in my family life as well as my business life. When you run up against a question as you embark on diffferent thinking just check in with Rolf for more answers. You will be delighted.

This book is a great addition to your ready reference library. It's a practical, hands on approach to creative thinking and innovation - words that Rolf points out "scare" some people today but make perfect sense to some more "experienced." Rolf writes in down-to-earth easy-to-understand language. He challenges your thought forms and encourages intellectual growth that sets you free from boundaries. The process Rolf describes gets you out of your comfort zone in a fun and engaging way (Try mountain climbing with him). At the same time he acknowledges individual beliefs and values as important foundations from which you draw strength (so every idea is not automatically discarded). This book is easy to use - it's organized to allow you to jump around as a reference work or to read straight through as a learning tool. There is space to write in the margins - in fact, Rolf has written some of his own comments in the margin - which allows you to personalize the book as your reference. Versatile, this book works for both personal (individual) as well as organizational (collective) development. It is based upon years of innovation workshops and "Thinking Expeditions" since the mid-1980's -- with real people in real organizations trying to accomplish great things through idea generation. I participated in one of these workshops back in 2001 and then read the first edition of this book. The principles and techniques described work and this new third edition is even better than the first. I highly recommend Rolf's book, his ideas and his program.

I received my first copy of the first edition of this book as part of a thinking expedition held by Texaco to redefine their approach to Knowledge Management. I was a deep skeptic and was converted by working through the seven levels of change. The second edition of the book is even better than the first. I've given away several copies of this book and keep coming back for more.

I don't know what these other people are thinking. On a scale of 1 to 5, this book is a 6. I've now done the Innovation Ground School and a thinking expedition with Rolf and Durwin Sharp, and my hair is till on fire. Anyone who doesn't read this book is a bozo. Everyone should call up Rolf and sign up to do the Innovation Ground School, then the School for Innovators. Let's keep these two guys working until they are well into their 90's, which is only a few years I hear.
But seriously, (well as seriously as an ENTP can be) this book helps you remember all the stuff you got at the IGS or a Tx. I haven't done the SfI yet, but I'm hopeful to be in Estes Park this fall. This is serious work for innovators. If you've struggled with making innovation work at your company, these are the guys to talk to. This is the book to buy. I'm getting 5 of them so I can loan them to colleagues at work when I work with them. The book will probably help you a lot if, but the Innovation Ground School is the best place to start. Your hair will catch on fire about day two and it will stay that way for the rest of your life, if you pay attention.
Buy this book. Buy extra copies of this book. Give this book to people who don't understand you. Show them where you are on page 248 and where you think they are. You'll both benefit from this book. BUY THIS BOOK!

Not only being a student of Rolf's School for Innovators, Thinking Expeditions, as well as a reader of his first edition of The 7 Levels of Change........this 2nd edition is REALLY a significant mindshift and a MUST read for anyone truely wanting to understand the change process......I am a Personal Life Coach and work with individuals in achieving their goals which are always based around SOME change if not RADICAL change and I use the 7 Levels constantly.......I have used them to develop programs that not only explain change but navigate you through the maze that most books get lost in....there are so many examples, so many tools, so many new ideas in the 2nd edtion that I agree with Rolf when he said " I should have written this book the first time around"....great luck on your journey, you are being guided by the best!!!!!!

I ran across allot of John Maxwell's work while doing resreach in graudate school. I have found his insight and advice inspiring and helpful. Leadership Promises is no different. This is a must have daily meditation for anyone striving to lead and achieve spiritual balance.

Bought "Leadership Promises" for my boss. He faithfully starts his day with it. He's had me ordered 3 more copies for him to give as gifts. The book will have great impact on your life & those in your life. Hard to read just one day at a time.

Each daily entry is a pithy, thought-provoking insight into becoming a respected, valued, and life-changing leader.

After one year of reading the daily entries and now starting on a second year, I can highly recommend this book for those who really want to lead from the heart and who can understand that a real leader is a servant to his or her team. If you don't want to change yourself, your perspectives, or your methods of leadership, don't bother with this book. It is for those who value personal growth and enrichment for leader and followers, despite personal sacrifices by the leader to model the necessary maturity.

Buy two copies...one for you and one for a friend, family member or leader you know. Everyone benifits from simple, daily insights into leadership.

You'll learn...

What you can do to make ANY team more effective.

What EVERY leader must see.

What leaders MUST trade to have lasting value.

... and much more.

This book doubles as a devotional, so you'll be maximizing your time-glorifing God, getting closer to HIM, while improving your own life. Even for non-Christians, this book is a massive collection of leadership insights gleamed from a master leader. Don't pass it up.

I bought both the hardback version and the leather bound version (1 for me and 1 as a gift).

A leader is not necessarily someone who has a position of high authority or who has hundred or thousands under his influence. Everyone can and should be a leader in some form or fashion, whether it is in the home with the family, in the workplace or at school while displaying God's testimony through your life, or in the church through our ministry, official or not. So, while this book is designed to be written for leaders, it applies to pretty much everyone.

I received this item in the middle of February, and the first day I had it, I read almost back to the beginning of the year. The book has superb insight regarding leadership examples in Scripture. Maxwell begins each day with a passage of Scripture from either the OT or NT and points out the leadership example displayed within. He takes from his previous writings on leadership to expound upon the leadership ideal found in the passage. As a seminary student, hoping to lead spiritually, a military officer, a husband and future father, I found this book to be a superb tool in helping me find my potential in leadership through God's gifts and His Word.

Binding and pages:
I was very pleased with the stout nature of the binding of both the leather bound and hardback versions. Both appear to be very durable and expertly bound. The pages are thick (again durable) and the layout is very beautifully done. Each page has a watermark on it with an inspirational image at the beginning of each month. Both editions have a ribbon bookmark.

I highly recommend this book to all people as we all have our times where we lead. This book will help us prepare for that time.

I got this for both myself and my spouse. While I found it somewhat helpful my spouse said the voice was not soothing enough to work on them. My spouse has been under before so it maybe that I had no expectations or past experience to draw from. I found that I did sleep better and while I usually don't have a problem exercising anyway, I would say it helped to listen to it to prepare for the next day's routine.

First, this is sold by Amazon NOT by a private reseller so I take issue with the handmade product. NO plastic seal on the case. The insert and label on the cd were printed with an injet printer... you can tell when the ink smears if slightly dampened. This is to be expected if I make my own cd but NOT from Amazon. Sad.
Content: Less than stellar. I loathe the repeated countdown ending with a snap of the fingers. I HATE THAT! Not relaxing. The speaker's voice is masculine with a slight affect like Sean Connery. Distracting.
NOT worth the extraordinarily high price.
Suggestion: Try Glenn Harrold's cd's instead.

Surfing, viewing and clicking away at new products on Amazon one day, I'm not quite sure what led me to the 'Motivation to Move! Hypnosis Exercise Motivation' CD, but I will say this . . . I'm totally and completely glad I did and I'm sold on this product! No kidding!

I've listened to many a subliminal/hypnosis tape/CD's in my day and for the most part they all turned out to be full of more 'new age-ish' type music than anything else. Perhaps the 'subliminal message' was indeed there but it never seemed to sink in for me . . . that is until I purchased Trevor Scot's 'Motivation to Move! Hypnosis Exercise Motivation' CD.

I'm starting my third week today and it is absolutely amazing how my mindset has totally and completely changed regarding exercising! It wasn't a fact of 'not' wanting to exercise, it was a lack of motivation to initially start and more importantly stick with it once I started. However, it appears I honestly have not experienced that problem once since I started to listen to the 'Motivation to Move! Hypnosis Exercise Motivation' CD.

By the end of the first week of listening to the CD every night before I went to bed and following Trevor's instructions to the 'T', the following week I found myself rising on queue at 5am every morning. No forcing myself to get up, no grumbling when I did or convincing myself I could sneak in another hour of sleep, I truly wanted to get up and exercise!

Each day afterward was as if on queue I'd wakeup at 5am, jump out of bed and literally jump on the exercise equipment in my home and put in a good one to two hour workout before heading out the door to work later that morning.

It has been an amazing two-weeks so far and although Mr. Scot suggests that you listen to this CD for 21 days straight, preferably before you go to bed at night and as needed afterward, I plan to continually listen to the CD every night well past the 21 day suggestion because not only does it help me sleep better, but in the morning I'm raring to go and exercise and that's the exact results I was looking for when I purchased this CD.

In my opinion, for those who are honestly open-minded, accept and realize the truth that `no quick weight loss' diet is ever going to do the trick and sincerely are looking for something that will truly work and get you once and for all off the dreaded yo-yo rollercoaster diet dilemma and on to the only true proven weight loss method that actually works, i.e., exercising, the 'Motivation to Move! Hypnosis Exercise Motivation' CD would be a perfect place to start. I highly recommend following the instructions precisely and I honestly believe you'll experience the same results I am currently experiencing. By this CD and see for yourself!

If there is a traditional hypnosis, I was very relaxed I think I fell a sleep. In order for it to work you have to listen everyday, which I have not,but i feel that if i did listen it would work.
The Procrastenator

This CD will make you wanna move - it made me wanna SLEEP :)
Very soothing and relaxing, man I sleept well but also felt very energized next day and "ready to move"

Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism, by Mark Hawthorne, is about walking the walk - and getting others to walk with you. The book, Hawthorne explains, is "intended for the person who agrees with the premise that animals are mistreated in our society, believes that the public has a moral obligation to speak out against this cruelty and who wants to be directly involved in opposing animal exploitation in its many forms." The book is "a guide to the most pragmatic opportunities available for speaking and acting on behalf of animals." Readers with busy lives are encouraged, "you can make a difference even if you limit your involvement to an hour a month."

Striking at the Roots shows how to become an effective leafleter, write publishable letters to the editor and opinion pieces, conduct successful protests and demonstrations, use vegan food to educate and win people over, engage in corporate campaigning, set up and run a sanctuary, shelter & rescue center, deal with the legal system, and engage in direct action - rescuing animals in order to experience directly and expose firsthand the atrocities they are forced to endure on commercial farms, in laboratories and other abominable places.

As for rescuing chickens from the filthy "broiler" sheds in which they are raised for meat, we're told that "nothing except firsthand experience could convey the utter despair a compassionate person feels at the sight of lame, feces-encrusted birds limping about and dead chickens, their ammonia-scalded breasts denuded of feathers, lying where they collapsed from inhumane breeding practices."

While most activists will not be directly involved in rescuing animals from factory farms and laboratories, Striking at the Roots shows the importance of keeping informed about these rescues and what they uncover, in order to provide credible and compelling content to one's letter writing and other advocacy on behalf of animals. Essential to being an effective activist are poise, self-confidence, knowledge, and persistence.

For example, I am quoted regarding rejected letters to editors and op-eds: "Over the years, I've published many guest columns about the plight - and delight - of chickens and turkeys. I've also written letters and op-eds that were turned down. Usually in such cases, I rework the piece and eventually submit it elsewhere with success. Also, it's good to establish a relationship with an editorial page editor. Not to ramble on and take up their valuable time, but a brief friendly phone call about your submission can increase your chance of being published, and you may be pleased to learn on occasion that the editorial page editor cares about animals and values your concerns."

Striking at the Roots stresses the importance of seizing opportunities to act and speak out locally - "don't overlook even the smallest neighborhood media outlets," activists urge. Local media want to know what is happening in their area. Often a protest demonstration is "a quite interesting and different story to what they normally may cover," stresses an Australian activist.

Striking at the Roots is not just for novices and the insecure. A good activist never reaches the point where ideas about activism are "preaching to the choir." Effective activism is about continuing education, not only of others, but of oneself. It's an essential part of the attitude that is needed to liberate animals and establish their rights.

Karen Davis, PhD, President
United Poultry Concerns
Dedicated to the compassionate & respectful treatment of chickens and other domestic fowl. www.upc-online.org

Longtime animal advocate Mark Hawthorne knows a thing or two about which methods are most effective in helping animals. Mark also happens to be a great writer, and his new book, "Striking at the Roots: A Practical Guide to Animal Activism," will prove helpful for everyone from armchair advocates to seasoned citizen lobbyists.

When writing the book, Hawthorne drew from his range of animal welfare experience, from volunteering for rabbit rescue groups to working with farm animal sanctuaries. He also interviewed countless people who are involved in the animal protection movement.

By bringing in the collective experiences and insights of those advocates, Hawthorne developed a valuable encyclopedia of the most successful strategies that bring about change for animals.

He discusses a wide variety of tools anyone can use, including leafleting, holding events, tabling, writing opinion pieces and corporate campaigning. Hawthorne included an in-depth section on the importance of using continually-evolving multimedia and electronic communications, such as websites, video and podcasts, blogs and more.

"Striking at the Roots" is packed with helpful tips and useful case studies of campaigns that are tangibly improving the lives of animals. Hawthorne's attention to those success stories is inspiring enough to make better advocates out of his readers.

"Striking at the Roots" is an important addition to the animal protection literature--an accessible, engaging book that's a useful read for anyone who wants to make a difference for animals.

This book is informative as a reference source, but can at times come off a little too strong. A good book for the beginner though!

Thoreau said "There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root..." Mark Hawthorne has written a book to help activists in the many branches of animal rights to get closer to those roots, and to do so effectively.

Mark's writings have been seen in numerous publications; now his hands-on experience is combined with wisdom from a veritable who's who of the animal rights movement to clearly answer the question: what can I do?

From the shy animal lover to the flamboyant vegetarian, from the bookworm to the fearless animal liberator, this book offers tools and insights on how to accomplish your goals. Whether you want to take a bite out of cruel factory farming, teach compassion to your local fur store, rescue captive abused animals, or just help your family to eat healthier and more thoughtfully, this book delivers the goods.

"Striking at the Roots" details activities from letter writing to direct action, deals realistically with both potential benefits and consequences, and even gives lessons on what to expect from the police in various countries. It also provides a long list of relevant resources to learn and do even more.

Sydney J. Harris has been quoted as saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem." Animal cruelty is a problem we're all surrounded by, and one we cannot afford--in terms of morality, human health, air quality, water pollution, soil loss, germ resistance, tax subsidies, worker injuries, and common decency.

While each of us may not be at the root of the problem, we all have hold of some of the branches, however tenuously. Mark Hawthorne's very user-friendly book can help us to make a difference for our fellow earthlings who can't speak our language or vote. "Striking at the Roots" offers many tools to bring out the animal in us -- and to do so effectively.

Every significant social movement requires a manifesto and guidebook to coalesce individuals, organize actions, and instigate social change. Striking at the Roots covers everything any activist would need to know about how to successfully advocate on behalf of animals. Whether you are an armchair activist who prefers to write letters to the editor and opinion pieces, or someone who would rather get right into the thick of protests, demonstrations, and direct action, Hawthorne provides the map for how to do it. He covers all the questions you might have wondered about in private and didn't know whom to ask, as well as questions you may not have even known you had. In addition to providing answers, Hawthorne supplies endless ideas and resources, and he solicited the input of countless activists to motivate you to action and keep you energized and revved for the long haul. Striking at the Roots is a book all animal activists should have on their nightstands and in their backpacks and briefcases. It's a manifesto whose time has come.

This is an inspiring book that gives a good sense of 'complexity theory' and how social change can come from many directions.

I head about this book at the 10th Regenstrief Biennial conference on system transformation of healthcare in the United States. It was mentioned particularly by Paul Biondich and Burke Mamlin with regards to their work to create effective treatment for people with HIV/AIDS in Africa through an open source electronic medical record. (See more at http://www.slideshare.net/bmamlin/openmrs-transformation)

The book essentially describes a Zen-Canadian approach to social change. Although loosely based on complexity theory (the one where a butterfly creates a hurricane), complexity theory is very complex, so I would have to say that it is very loosely based.

Reading its stories of how profound changes had occurred in social systems such as Muhammad Yunus' Grameen Bank and anti-poverty and anti-racist activists in Canada, it makes a case the change proceeds from a number of phenomena:

A deep and human level understanding of social ills nurtured over time which leads to tentative hypothesized solutions rather than a one-size-fits-all quick fix or a certain recipe.

A sense of being called to action in a way that almost makes taking action a non-decision for the change agent.

An openness to feedback in the problem solving work (a fair amount of time is spent pointing out the ultimate futility of structured plans given the complexity of the world.)

A willingness to confront the powerful - be that oneself, ones fears or other social stakeholders who may oppose change.

Of interest to me as program staff person at a medium sized US foundation, there is a fairly extensive discussion of the sins of philanthropy with regards to social change. We tend to require more specific objectives and reporting than is realistic given this model of change. We tend to over-evaluate our grantees in terms of these foolish metrics and quantifiable outputs rather than using methods of appreciative inquiry or developmental evaluation to understand the process. I get the sense that at least one of the authors is an evaluator and is tired of being hired to do the wrong thing.

Most moving to me were the observations that change is so very hard. Most social innovations fail in important ways. Even when they do succeed, that success is only temporary or limited - it can be reversed by changed circumstances or become a new baseline from which to aspire very quickly. Social innovators in this view face enormous challenges - they are fundamentally alone, necessarily always questioning everything, and doomed by the complexity of the world and human limitation. Is there such a thing as Zen-Existentialism?

There seems to me to be a lot of truth in these views. However, I have to say that these change agents' program officers are lousy. In addition to handing out checks and demanding unreasonable reports and evaluations, our major job is to support the grantees. No grantee should ever feel alone, if their program staff person knows what he or she is doing.

I still don't know what to make of this book. I look forward to seeing more reviews from others.

This is an extraordinary book that changed my view of the world in the first 25 pages. While the main focus of the book is a set of principles and approaches to adopt if one is trying to make the world a better place, the principles can be applied more broadly to everyday life. The authors show how small interactions with complex systems can produce disproportionately significant results if one first understands the system, using examples such as Yunus's micro-lending in bangladesh.
Everyone should read this book.