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Kreider seems like a good guy - I ordered his book direct in 1998 and my order was lost. When I chased it down he sent me my copy gratis.
In this crappy economy I've returned to this book and it's been wonderful!
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I can't express how differently I feel about my "chronic" clutter and disorganization after reading this book. I have used organizing methods and "tip" books before...many of them quite good, but the new regimes would only last for a little while. This is the first book that has truly gotten to the "why" of my cluttering tendencies, in a genuine, non-judgmental, humorous, and compassionate way that WORKS.
Simply reading it was helpful. However, I found that "working" the book was MUCH more effective. I actually did the exercises included in the chapters and was astounded at the kind of information about myself that was revealed, so I would REALLY recommend going the extra mile there. Take the time to do the exercises...it does pay off!
The result has been a completely organic shift in my behavior that has been completely effortless. It IS a process...my life hasn't become neat, clean, and fully organized overnight! But the small beginning steps have made a truly dramatic difference. My whole attitude has changed. I see progress every day and am so optimistic now that I know it is only a short matter of time before other areas of my home--and life!--will follow suit.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough, and in fact have recommended it to SEVERAL friends and relatives. If you are looking for a basic organizing "tip" book, there are a million out there. But if you've tried them, and they haven't worked, and you're ready to get to the root of the problem and truly see progress...READ THIS BOOK!!
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As a parish priest I especially appreciate the down to earth applications of Dr. Donoghue's references to scripture, which make the familiar stories come alive with new meaning and depth.
The study guide which is available for facilitating discussion of the book, seems a perfect outline for any course in christian formation or Lenten series.
Dr. Donoghue is very honest in his sharing of his own experiences as a person of faith in a struggle to apply the words and actions of Jesus to our daily lives. It is even more enlightening to think that these words and actions can actually help us to be healthier and happier.
I can without hesitation recommend this book to anyone who would like to live a life that can be changed and enriched by the wisdom and love contained in the gospels and made so real by the profound reflections of Dr. Donoghue.
This book is eminently readable, gentle and sane. Its one fault was that parts of it struck me as very mildly and unconsciously sexist, in that he tends to speak of women in terms of their relationships and appearance, but men in terms of their jobs. This could, however, be simply a function of the population he sees. Other than that very minor point, it is a wonderfully refreshing spiritual resource, one that should be widely read and enjoyed.
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I. On Leaders and Leadership (eg Peter Drucker, Max DePree, and Herb Kelleher)
II. Leading Innovation and Transformation (eg Peter M. Senge, John P. Kotter, and Douglas K. Smith)
III. Leadership in the New Information Economy (eg Esther Dyson, Margaret Wheatley, and Kevin Kelly)
IV. Competitive Strategy in a Global Economy (eg Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ann Winblad, and Keniche Ohmae)
V. Leading for High Performance (eg Steven R. Covey, Jim Collins, and Noel Tichy)
VI. Building Great Teams (eg Warren Bennis, Jon R. Katzenbach, and J. Richard Hackman)
VII. Leadership Across the Sectors (eg John W. Gardner, Regina Hetzlinger, and James E. Austin)
I know of no other single volume in which so many great business thinkers are represented by so many of their landmark essays. The editors are to be commended for the selections; also for the structure within which those selections are organized. This is "must reading" for leaders and, especially, for whose who aspire to be leaders.
In this context, I summarized partially only four of the thirty-seven essays written by talented thinkers as follows:
I. Peter F. Drucker writes: "The three people from whom I learned the most in my work were all very different. The first two were exceptionally demanding; the third was exceptionally brillant. All three taught me a lot...Five lessons I learned from those remarkable men still apply today:
1. Treat people differently, based on their strengths.
2. Set high standards, but give people the freedom and responsibility to do their job.
3. Performance review must be honest, exacting, and an integral part of the job.
4. People learn the most when teaching others.
5. Effective leaders earn respect-but they don't need to be liked.
II. Doris Kearns Goodwin lists ten lessons from the stories of Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, and Franklin Roosevelt for leaders of today's organizations.
1. Timing is (almost) everything.
2. Anything is possible if you share the glory.
3. Trust, once broken, is seldom restored.
4. Leadership is about building connections.
5. Leaders learn from their mistakes.
6. Confidence-not just in oneself-counts.
7. Effective partnerships reqire devotion to one's partners.
8. Renewal comes from many sources.
9. Leaders must be talent brokers.
10. Language is one's most powerful tool.
III. Warren Bennis argues: "I belive that behind every Great Man is a Great Group, an effective partnership. And making up every Great Group is a unique construct of strong, often eccentric individuals. So the question for organizations is, How do you get talented, self-absorbed, often arrogant, incredibly bright people to work together?" And he suggests ten principles common to all Great Groups:
1. At the heart of every Great Groups is a shared dream.
2. They manage conflict by abandoning individual egos to the pursuit of the dream.
3. They are protected from the "suits".
4. They have a real or invented enemy.
5. They view themselves as winning underdogs.
6. Members pay a personal price.
7. Great Groups make strong leaders.
8. Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting.
9. Great Groups are usually young.
10. Real artists ship.
IV. J. Richard Hackman identifies a number of mistakes that managers make in setting up and leading work teams.
1. Use a team for work that is better done by individuals.
2. Call the performing unit a team but really manage members as individuals.
3. Fall off the authority balance team.
4. Dismantle existing organizational structures so that teams will be fully empowered to accomplish the work.
5. Specify challenging team objectives, but skimp on organizational supports.
6. Assume that members already have all the skills they need to work well as a team.
Not only these essays, but all of the book as a whole is strongly recommended.
In this context, I partially summarized only five of the thirty-seven essays written by thirty-seven talented thinkers.
I. Peter F. Drucker writes: "the three people from whom I learned the most in my work were all very different. The first two were exceptionally demanding; the third was exceptionally brillant. All three taught me a lot...Five lessons I learned from those remarkable men still apply today:
1. Treat people differently, based on their strengths.
2. Set high standards, but give people the freedom and responsibility to do their job.
3. Performance review must be honest, exacting, and an integral part of the job.
4. People learn the most when teaching others.
5. Effective leaders earn respect-but they don't need to be liked.
II. Doris Kearns Goodwin lists ten lessons from the stories of Lyndon Johnson, John Kennedy, and Franklin Roosevelt for leaders of today's organizations:
1. Timing is (almost) everything.
2. Anything is possible if you share the glory.
3. Trust, once broken, is seldom restored.
4. Leadership is about building connections.
5. Leaders learn from their mistakes.
6. Confidence-not just in oneself-counts.
7. Effective partnership require devotion to one's partners.
8. Renewal comes from many sources.
9. Leaders must be talent brokers.
10. Language is one's most powerful tool.
III. John P. Kotter argues: "No organization today-large or small, local or global-is immune to change. To cope with new technological, competitive, and demographic forces, leaders in every sector have sought to alter fundamentally the way their organizations do business. These change efforts have paraded under many banners-total quality management, reengineering, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, turnarounds. Yet according to most assessments, few of these efforts accomplish their goals. Fewer than fifteen of the one hundred or more companies I have studied have successfully transformed themselves." Hence, he lists eight critical steps to transform your organization:
1. Establish a sense of urgency.
2. Form a powerful guiding coalition.
3. Create a vision.
4. Communicate the vision.
5. Empower others to act on the vision.
6. Plan for and create short-term wins.
7. Consolidate improvements and produce still more change.
8. Institutionalize new approaches.
IV. Warren Bennis argues: "I believe that behind every Great Man is a Great Group, an effective partnership. And making up every Great Group is a unique construct of strong, often eccentric individuals. So the question for organizations is, How do you get talented, self-absorbed, often arrogant, incredibly bright people to work together?" And he suggests ten principles common to all Great Groups:
1. At the heart of every Great Group is a shared dream.
2. They manage conflict by abandoning individual egos to the pursuit of the dream.
3. They are protected from the "suits".
4. They have a real or invented enemy.
5. They view themselves as winning underdogs.
6. Members pay a personal price.
7. Great Groups make strong leaders.
8. Great Groups are the product of meticulous recruiting.
9. Great Groups are usually young.
10. Real artists ship.
V. J. Richard Hackman identifies a number of mistakes that managers make in setting up and leading work teams.
Mistake 1. Use a team for work that is better done by individuals.
Mistake 2. Call the performing unit a team but really manage members as individuals.
Mistake 3. Fall off the authority balance team.
Mistake 4. Dismantle existing organizational structures so that teams will be fully empowered to accomplish the work.
Mistake 5. Specify challenging team objectives, but skimp on organizational supports.
Mistake 6. Assume that members already have all the skills they need to work well as a team.
I highly recommend this excellent collection as a whole.
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I've read all six books on this case. Yes, there are truly six out there. I believe only O.J. Simpson and Charles Manson share this honor. Not all are available through amazon.com., however.
"Invisible Darkness" is easily the best book on this case. I believe this to be the reason that only this book out of the six released on this case started out as a hard-cover, instead of paper-back. It shows you what almost three years of research can uncover. I enjoyed the other quickly printed paperbacks as well, though.
I'm really looking forward to author Stephen William's new hardcover book on these crimes, "Karla: The Deal With The Devil", available on February 14, 2003, I believe. He is a true maverick of true-crime journalist.
I hope this helps.
"Invisible Darkness" is highly recommended!
Five ***** Stars. Do try to purchase the hardcover edition of this book (Invisible Darkness) though. It has 43 color photos!
Thanks! Jess
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