Customer Reviews:
Very insightful!.......2007-07-09
This book gives great insight into what makes a great association remarkable and gives comparisons for those that are good, but not remarkable. If associations use this information correctly, they should be able to make drastic improvements in their processes. This book is an easy read and has invaluable information.
Business Analysis to your Nonprofit.......2007-02-09
Let's start with answering the first question that you have when you look at the title. The 7 Measures of Success are:
Category 1 - Commitment to Purpose
1. A Customer Service Culture
2. Alignment of Products and Services with Mission
Category 2 - Commitment to Analysis and Feedback
3. Data-Driven Strategies
4. Dialogue and Engagement
5. CEO as a Broker of Ideas
Category 3 - Commitment to Action
6. Organizational Adaptability
7. Alliance Building
The second question is "Why do the organizations profiled here matter or relate to my organization?" To be eligible for the study, the association needed to have:
1. Been in operation for at least 20 years
2. Finished more years in the black than in the red
3. Exhibited the ability to retain members, donors, or market share during the study period
4. Had more than one CEO during the study period.
The final study group consisted of: AARP, American College of Cardiology, American Dental Association, Associated General Contractors of America, Girl Scouts of the USA, National Association of Counties, Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants, Radiology Society of North America, and Society for Human Resource Management.
Further, nine strong organizations were chosen to match the above listed nine for the analysis. These 18 pairs used the following 11 variables to identify differences:
1. Vision (core values, mission, purpose, goals)
2. Markets, Competitors, and the Environment
3. Organizational Arrangements (structures, policies, systems)
4. Use of Technology
5. Business Strategy
6. Products and Services
7. Leadership (staff, elected)
8. Community and Culture
9. Financial Health
10. Physical Setting and Location
11. Public Policy
After the analysis was completed, the "remarkable" associations excelled in the previously listed 7 measures. To further discuss those 7:
1. A Customer Service Culture - "we're here to serve you" approach
2. Alignment of Products and Services with Mission - mission is central and the products align
3. Data-Driven Strategies - gather, analyze and use data to drive change
4. Dialogue and Engagement - staff and volunteers engage on association's direction and priorities
5. CEO as a Broker of Ideas - facilitates visionary thinking throughout the association
6. Organizational Adaptability - be willing to change and NOT to change
7. Alliance Building - seek complimentary partners and projects
Next the three categories each have a chapters devoted to fleshing out their concepts:
Category 1 - Commitment to Purpose
1. A Customer Service Culture - Remarkable associations build their structures, processes, and interactions - their entire culture - around assessing and fulfilling members' needs and expectations.
2. Alignment of Products and Services with Mission - To find the right mix of products and services that align with their missions, remarkable associations willingly engage in experimentation. They doggedly protect their core purpose and related activities while investigating new initiatives. What's more, they fully expect many of their efforts to fall flat.
Category 2 - Commitment to Analysis and Feedback
3. Data-Driven Strategies - They continually track member needs and issues as well as the wider environment, then collectively analyze the data to reach a shared understanding through asking, "What do we now know? What are we going to do about it?" These associations then incorporate the findings into their strategic and operational planning. But the data collection doesn't stop there. It continues through another methodical, disciplined cycle of gathering, analyzing, and making changes because of what was learned.
4. Dialogue and Engagement - This is characterized by a close-knit, consistent culture where all association staff and volunteers not only receive the same script, in the form of the same information, but also see the potential to contribute to a blockbuster production.
5. CEO as a Broker of Ideas - To CEOs of remarkable associations, what matters is not their vision for the association but rather the members' vision. The CEO role rests with gathering consensus around a member-generated vision rather than forcing buy-in into a personal vision.
Category 3 - Commitment to Action
6. Organizational Adaptability - Remarkable associations - in the face of markedly declining membership or program revenue - quickly assessed the situation and took immediate action with no excuses.
7. Alliance Building - Secure in who they are and what they bring to an alliance, remarkable associations communicate clear expectations for each specific partnership and do not hesitate to walk away if a win-win situation does not materialize - they also are the first to admit that they cannot do everything on their own.
The bottom line was addressed in the seventh chapter - fitting with the motif of 7 measures - With a list of conventional beliefs NOT supported:
1. The smaller the board, the better - not found to be true, in fact one association added members.
2. Board members should be selected via a democratic process. - transparency not democracy was key.
3. The CEO should be an association professional and come from outside the organization and its membership. - Only three of the nine remarkable associations followed this tenant.
4. Proactive change is better. - The response to the change from the membership is more important that pro or reactive.
5. Reserves should equal 50 percent of annual expenses. - Nonprofit is a tax status NOT a mental state.
Finally, these are the keys to the "Road to Remarkable":
1. Members and mission are at the heart of remarkable associations - and members value is the blood that keeps the heart pumping.
2. Remarkable associations differ.
3. All organizations must deal with setbacks, failures, and crises, but not all of them learn from these events.
The remainder of the book consists of interesting anecdotes about the remarkable companies and appendices of background information.
A Must Read for Association Professionals.......2006-10-06
7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't follows the matched-pair research techniques used in the Jim Collin's book Good to Great and applies this methodology to associations. Over several years, a team of association professionals undertook extensive research and on site visits examining the differences between the study group and comparison associations. With Jim Collin's mentorship, they defined seven key elements that characterize the most successful associations. These measures are: a customer service culture, alignment of products and services with mission, data-driven strategies, dialogue and engagement, CEO as a broker of ideas, organizational adaptability, and alliance building. The book is a quick read, but should be foundational for all interested in association management.
Book Description
"This book should be in the library of everyone who serves--or aspires to serve--on the governing board of any organization, large or small, nonprofit or corporate. Better than any other available resource, it tells what the roles of board members are and what they must and shouldn't do. An indispensable guidebook to leadership excellence."
--George Weber, secretary general, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Geneva
"John Carver's Boards That Make a Difference was required reading for board members of the Calgary Philharmonic Society. It provided a clear and concise road map with which we carried out significant governance restructuring of the society."
James M. Stanford, president & CEO,, Petro-Canada, and past chairman of the Calgary Philharmonic Society, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
John Carver's groundbreaking Policy Governance model has influenced the way public and nonprofit boards operate around the world. Now, as widespread experience with the model continues to grow, Carver enriches his definitive exposition with updated policy samples, a new chapter on the process of policy development, and additional resources for various types of boards. He debunks the entrenched beliefs about board roles and functions that hamper dedicated board members. With creative insight and commonsense practicality, Carver presents a bold new approach to board job design, board-staff relationships, the chief executive role, performance monitoring, and virtually every aspect of the board-management relationship. In their stead, he offers a board model designed to produce policies that make a difference, missions that are clearly articulated, standards that are ethical and prudent, meetings, officers, and committees that work; and leadership that supports the fulfillment of long-term goals.
Customer Reviews:
Very Helpful.......2003-04-01
The world is full of experts at what is wrong with the things that we do. Dr. Carver has a rock-solid, well thought out suggestion concerning how to do it right. One reviewer complained that Dr. Carver's suggestions are not realistic. Right is not often realistic, but right is always right. It's far better to start with an ideal and compromise from that point than to capitulate from the outset. Boards that Make a Difference is well worth reading.
Idealistic.......1999-06-27
The carver style of governance is a tad idealistic and perhaps overly optimistic. I have read everything Dr Carver has written concerning this field and enjoy this material at an academic level. But when it comes to operationalizing this model in boardrooms I've seen it fail time and time again. Not to say that the model is flawed because in fact the model is normative and conceptually complete. However it doesn't capture that element of reality from which, in my experience, the model requires - practicality and real-world application. Dr Carver's notion that Boards can do without Finance and Audit Committees is very naive. Most consultants from the chartered accountant genre are saying the complete opposite. In fact most government policy initiatives are moving toward more control of financial affairs of organizations for boards from charts of accounts to fiscal policy. So I don't think the elimination of Finance and Audit Committees is realistic nor is it a terribly bright suggestion. I guess my only crticism is that the carver model is far to idealistic and philosophical for a practical application in the form Dr Carver suggests. Sorry but a hybrid model of traditional Board governance and the carver model may work given the commitment required from directors to follow-though on everything suggested in that system of governance,
A must-have for not-for-profits!.......1999-03-29
This book was the core piece of a radical change in our board room. It led us down the path we knew we wanted to go but didn't know how to get there. His model for board room organization could revolutionize boards of companies in transition, like those of the rural electric program in America. It's a road map for where you already know in your heart that you want to go.
Essential for public boards seeking to lead strategically.......1999-01-27
After 5 years on a local Board of Education I finally found a book that describes everything I know is wrong with board management practices in schools and nonprofit organizations. But that is the easy part. Carver offers sound alternatives to current practices that put the responsibility and the capability for strategic leadership right where it belongs--on the board.
I winced as I read Carver's description of reactive boards trapped in the "approval syndrome" in which boards rely on staff to bring issues and recommendations to them for approval. This pervasive practice not only takes board members out of the driver's seat, but it confuses the lines of accountability between the board and the CEO for the organization.
Carver offers a framework for changing all that by forcing the board to rethink all of its policy with an eye toward board-determined policies that operate at the highest level possible. In Carver's approach only four types of policies need to be set by the board: 1) "Ends" policies (board expectations), 2) Executive Limitations (the "don'ts" for the organization), 3) Board process policies and 4) Board-CEO relationship policies. *Everything* you need to be involved in can be fit into one of these four categories.
Want to learn how to stop working at the staff level and how to help your organization find a true sense of direction? Carver's book offers practical and straightforward ways of getting there.
Accessible, Codified Common Sense.......1999-01-24
Mr. Carver presents a very readable way of looking at how governing boards should work. His theories are logical and his arguments pursuasive. He offers board members an intellectual framework to consider how their organizations are running. The book is prescriptive, but not preachy. I was very surprised to find it sensible after hearing so much hype from "converts" to his method.
Book Description
The Executive Director's Survival Guide provides new insight, inspiration, and tools to meet the real life challenges and rewards of leading a nonprofit organization--and to thrive in this big job. Written by Mim Carlson and Margaret Donohoe, experienced nonprofit professionals and consultants on nonprofit leadership, this vital resource will give you the help you need to develop and strengthen personal, interpersonal and organizational effectiveness. It is filled with practical advice for succeeding in the position and offers a reader-friendly question and answer format.
Read a Charity Channel review:
http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=7625&z=25
Customer Reviews:
excellent reference.......2007-01-10
excellent source for anyone looking to be and organized and successful Executive Director. Works for any field.
A must for every ED.......2006-08-19
I'm so glad I decided to purchase this book. Good material! I was feeling a little overwhelmed, 9 months into this new position and that's when I bought this book. THANK YOU!!!
Excellent for the new Executive Director..........2005-09-30
Being new to the Non-Profit arena, I was looking for an insider's guide. I found it in this book. It has specific examples and suggestions that pertain to daily life as an ED. I know that it will always be with me as a reference guide for what and what not to do..
The Executive Director's Survival Guide: Thriving as a Nonprofit Leader.......2005-09-12
The book is and excellent resource for information on how to lead a non for profit organization; I would highly recommend it.
However, I did order the book from Amazon to be shipped to my home overnight, for which I paid , but only received it three whole days later. This was rather disappointing and very costly!!!
Example of the Best Non Profit Consultants.......2003-10-24
No one is more qualified and experienced to write an ED Survival Guide to Non profit management than Margaret Donohue and Mim Carlson. I have had the distinct pleasure of working with both of them for a number of years. I have the utmost respect and admiration for them and am thrilled that they took the time to write this book for all of us "in the field" who can and will profit from their wisdom and experience!
Book Description
In this revised and updated third edition, Carver continues to debunk the entrenched beliefs and habits that hobble boards and to replace them with his innovative approach to effective governance. This proven model offers an empowering and fundamental redesign of the board role and emphasizes values, vision, empowerment of both the board and staff, and strategic ability to lead leaders. Policy Governance gives board members and staff a new approach to board job design, board-staff relationships, the role of the chief executive, performance monitoring, and virtually every aspect of the board-management relationship. This latest edition has been updated and expanded to include explanatory diagrams that have been used by thousands of Carver’s seminar participants. It also contains illustrative examples of Policy Governance model policies that have been created by real-world organizations. In addition, this third edition of Boards That Make a Difference includes a new chapter on model criticisms and the challenges of governance research.
Download Description
In this revised and updated third edition, Carver continues to debunk the entrenched beliefs and habits that hobble boards and to replace them with his innovative approach to effective governance. This proven model offers an empowering and fundamental redesign of the board role and emphasizes values, vision, empowerment of both the board and staff, and strategic ability to lead leaders. Policy Governance gives board members and staff a new approach to board job design, board-staff relationships, the role of the chief executive, performance monitoring, and virtually every aspect of the board-management relationship. This latest edition has been updated and expanded to include explanatory diagrams that have been used by thousands of Carver's seminar participants. It also contains illustrative examples of Policy Governance model policies that have been created by real-world organizations. In addition, this third edition of Boards That Make a Difference includes a new chapter on model criticisms and the challenges of governance research.
Customer Reviews:
Board Governance for those who really care.......2007-09-17
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.
incredibly useful.......2007-08-03
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.
John Carver.......2007-07-15
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.
Boards that make a difference.......2007-07-09
Not the most engrossing read, but for anyone serving on a board, it is a great resource.
Book Description
Twenty-five years ago Robert Greenleaf published these prophetic essays on what he coined servant leadership, a practical philosophy that replaces traditional autocratic leadership with a holistic, ethical approach. This highly influential book has been embraced by cutting edge management everywhere. Yet in these days of Enron and what VISA CEO Dee Hock calls our "era of massive institutional failure," Greenleaf's seminal work must reach the mainstream now more than ever. Servant Leadership helps leaders find their true power and moral authority to lead. It helps those served become healthier, wiser, freer, and more autonomous. This book encourages collaboration, trust, listening, and empowerment. It offers long-lasting change, not a temporary fix and extends beyond business for leaders of all types of groups.
Customer Reviews:
The Pattern of Superperforming CEOs.......2007-10-23
To my amazement and delight, I have found this to be the pattern of Superperforming CEO. Without a fundamental love for people and for the company, it is impossible to create the nuclear reactor of Superperformance. Robert Greenleaf has left us a monumental touchstone for the leadership pattern you will find in all the great leaders, from Ernest Shackleton to George Washington to Herb Kelleher. The servant leader is authentic, unselfconscious and emerges from within, from who someone is, not from some adopted style.
Also read Superperformance
Still Ahead of Its Time.......2007-07-07
Even after 30 years, this book is still decades ahead of its time. Corporations and individual leaders are just beginning to understand the power that is bestowed upon them by using these concepts and are even slower to react. For the time being, this book will have to reside in the philosophy section since it's practical use is limited to individuals, not entire cultures; corporate or otherwise.
This book is recommended since it will challenge you to change your focus of leadership from self to subordinate, from getting power to sharing it, and from clique to community. "Primus inter pares" (first among equals) is the central theme running throughout the book and although the theoretical construct is worth exploring, the cultural change necessary for it to gain a foothold is immense and will take decades if not centuries to overcome.
Greenleaf is of the opinion that for this cultural change will happen, it will most likely happen within the confines of large corporate atmospheres, not churches, foundations, or universities. Unfortunately, it's like a scale with greed and hunger from power on one end and servant leadership on the other. I'm not sure "The Prince" will lose his weight anytime soon.
Servant leadership is a hopeful dream that will take a lot of work to be popular in practice instead of in an MBA program or on a large scale. Until then, it will have to be one person at a time. The question is, will it be you?
It's only communication if the message is received.......2007-02-23
I found the ideas in this book rather interesting. However, it's a tough book to get through. Greenleaf's writing style is difficult to follow, this is not an easy read. I would not recommend Servant Leadership to someone who is looking for quick practical advise on honing their leadership skills. In my opinion, this book is better suited to those who have an academic interest in the subject. Additionally, it's been ~30 years since this book was published, many of Greenleaf's ideas have filtered into more contemporary texts. I compare it to the music of Jimi Hendrix. While he is the brilliant innovator of a genre of music, 30 years later today's broad audience doesn't understand the context of his work, but can find and enjoy his influence in the music they relate to today.
Not For the Weak of Heart.......2006-06-08
Servant-Leadership is rapidly becoming a popularized term and a popular concept to bandy about in many circles.
This is the book that started that trend.
Published originally in 1977, it contains articles and concepts that found their germination in the turbulant decade of the 1960's. While you might imagine from the term "Servant-Leader" that the ideology of this book stems from religious conviction and it certainly does include that, you may be surprised to read in the first chapter of the book that it finds its inspiration in literature. Specifically, the Servant-Leader who captured Greenleaf's imagination and catalyzed the writing of this book was the fictional character Leo in Herman Hesse's "Journey to the East."
More surprises remain in store throughout this book that challenges concepts seemingly ingrained in human nature and counter-intuitively argues for several revolutionary premises, not simply on the basis of morality, but rather effectiveness and societal need.
In particular, Greenleaf argues that the advent of big business, large institutions, and corporate growth requires a paradigm shift in the view of leadership. Contrary to the anti-authoritarianism so ingrained in the 60's, Greenleaf argues that large organizations hold tremendous promise to accomplish correspondingly large results. What is needed are leaders who will embrace the organizations and see them almost as separate entities, living organisms as it were, love them, care for them and serve the population within and without through them.
The qualities that Greenleaf profers as indicative of such growth and service are:
1. Do those served grow as persons?
2. Do they, while being served become healthier wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?
3. What is the effect on the least privileged in society?
4. Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived? (Greenleaf 1977/2002 p.27)
In practical terms Greenleaf argues strongly for such Servant-Leaders to rise up and shake off the traditional trappings of leadership within archaic and dusty organizations and equally archaic leadership models, where the emphasis has been upon elevating managers to de facto leaders of these institutions and instead, elevating Trustee's and Board Chairpersons to reject passivity, reject the role of a rubber stamp and exert leadership that embraces values, takes risks and empowers people.
It is a clarion call to activist leadership that feels very much a derivitive of the 60's altruism, yet rejects the across the board discarding of all institutions as irretrievably corrupt and inherently in need of dismantling.
This 25th anniversary edition issued in 2002 comes after the fruits of this call have culminated in Servant-Leadership's adoption as a legitimate and growingly influential leadership model in both academic, private and public sectors.
The influence of this concept and the leadership institutions that are adopting the model in their training and operations is remarkably going beyond its author who passed away in 1990.
Notable as well for its forward by Stephen Covey and an afterword by Peter Senge, this edition should be a welcome addition to the leadership library of every student and participant in the leadership melieu. Whether you accept and adopt the premises contained, there is wisdom and insight for all who wish to read. Answers in some context are given, but more importantly, tools are provided with which to frame the question for those moving forward.
I highly recommend this book as an indispensible tool for understanding the leadership issues and needs of this generation.
A Challenging Read.......2002-07-18
If you are looking for a leadership book with a different approach from the usual leadership book, and one that is intellectually stimulating and thought-provoking, then you should definitely read this book of collected talks, essays, and articles from Robert K. Greenleaf.
Armed with varied and extensive civilian leadership experience, Greenleaf boldly took me on "a journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness." This journey challenged me early on when Greenleaf stated that the traditional hierarchical leadership used in most organizations, one person in charge as the lone chief atop a pyramidal structure, is the likely cause of most of our leadership problems. Greenleaf favored another, less frequently used tradition where the principle leader is "primus inter pares" - first among equals.
Throughout the book, Greenleaf made a compelling case that "primus inter pares" exists in important places with conspicuous success. With my leadership experience rooted in the traditional military hierarchical structure, at times it was difficult to understand Greenleaf's perspectives on the first or second read.
Greenleaf's insights into the servant as leader (one who makes sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served) in the first chapter lays the foundation for his subsequent chapters: the institution as servant, trustees as servants, servant leadership in business, servant leadership in education, servant leadership in foundations, servant leadership in churches, servant leaders, servant responsibility in a bureaucratic society, and America and world leadership.
With all the recent attention focused on moral and ethical breakdowns within some large and powerful institutions (Enron, WorldCom, Arthur Anderson, the Catholic Church, etc.), this book's continued relevance is obvious. Overcoming my challenges in reading this book was definitely worth the effort.
Book Description
Offering advice on joining or starting an investment club, this book also details the NAIC's method for investing in growth stocks--a method so successful that 60% of investment clubs outperform the market. The book includes the unique forms and worksheets the NAIC has developed for selecting, analyzing, and comparing stocks.
Customer Reviews:
Good Information for Beginning Clubs.......2002-10-18
This book will give new clubs information on reading annual reports, preparing and using N.A.I.C. tools such as the Stock Selection Guide and more. This is the Investment Club Bible.
Options for Investment Clubs.......2002-09-18
This books shows you how to get started with an investment club. Such clubs are great educational opportunities, yet I have never seen an investment club help its members learn about options. In today's troubled markets, hedging with options makes good sense. THE SHORT BOOK ON OPTIONS explains how investment clubs can use options to generate the "expected" profits more quickly. Get both of these books and establish your investment club as one that reaps additional profits using options.
Lots of Good & Useful Information.......2000-05-18
The strength of this book is that it's quite easy to read. The book is a great resource for beginning investors who are interested in forming an investment club. It can make for a great present to each member of your family. My brother got me this book as a present, and I finished it in a night; the following morning, we had devised a way to start a family investment club. I find myself contantly referring back to this book, especially the Apendices; the Glossary provided is rich with terms every investor needs to know--if you don't know the lingo, how do you expect to make any money?
A must read.......2000-03-20
This is a must read for anyone wanting to start an investment club or who is thinking of joining an existing club. While some portions of the book, at first, may be a bit overwhelming for a new investor, it all comes together easily and clearly. The questions to ask potential members, brokers, and others all help to insure that if your club is not succesful, it will be because of the market's performace and not your structure.
Required reading for all investment clubs.......1998-03-03
Everything you need to know about investment clubs. You don't need to be part of a club to profit from this book. The one down side is that the writing style can be heavy going at times. The authors know their choosen field but the worked examples could have been better layed out. The book is full of tips and tools for the would-be investor. This book is the current standard when it comes to this subject.
Book Description
Praise for the Classic Guide to the Bond Market
"This is simply the most comprehensive, useful look-it-up book on municipal bonds I've ever read (said with all due respect to The ABC of Municipal Bonds my dad wrote in 1937 when I was nine). Read Fundamentals cover to cover. I'm keeping mine in my briefcase, under my arm, at my fingertips. No accountant, financial advisor, attorney, new bond salesman, reporter, regulator, test-writer, cautious, suspicious first-time investor in municipal bonds, or dinner guest is ever going to catch me again with a question about municipal bonds I can't answer."-Jim Lebenthal, Chairman, Lebenthal & Co.
"Judy Wesalo Temel gives us the Rosetta stone of the municipal bond market, the key to unraveling the many mysteries of `muni's.' Her book, a fresh take on the old standard Fundamentals of Municipal Bonds, updates chapter and verse on everything from investing to underwriting, from over-the-counter to over-the-Internet. The style is clean, crisp, and as simple as this complex subject can be. Are you a novice who wonders how to invest in bonds? She lays out the basics. Examples are easy to follow-even the mathematical ones that are critical to explaining how municipal bonds work. At the same time, there is plenty of meat for the pros. Whether you need to start from square one and learn all about municipal bonds and how they work, or need a ready reference for specific technical questions you run across as a market professional, this book is for you."-Kathleen Hays, Economics Editor, Credit Markets Reporter, and "Bond Belle" CNBC
"This is a must-read for every scholar, banker, and public official concerned with local government finance in the United States. Judy Wesalo Temel has done the impossible: she has clearly and insightfully explained how we finance the development of the nation's vital public infrastructure. This is an important book, one that will be required reading for professionals responsible for planning, designing, and evaluating publicly financed projects-the health care, transportation, and educational facilities that all citizens rely upon. The bond market is an essential element in the life of local and state government, and this book makes it understandable to all Americans."-Mitchell Moss, Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Planning and Director, Taub Urban Research Center, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, New York University
Customer Reviews:
A very well written book........2001-04-11
After a few years in waiting, I am glad to see that the Bond Market Association has released the 5th addition of The Fundamentals of Municiple Bonds. The author of this book did a great job capturing the signifigance of the municiple bond, and exaplining it clearly with graphs and charts. I highly recomend this book and give it a 5 star rating.
WOW!.......2001-03-02
This book was amazing. Not only was it a great read (I couldn't put it down) but I learned more about derivatives and muni bonds in this book than i could have in any classroom or read in any other book on bonds.
WOW!.......2001-03-02
This book was amazing. Not only was it a great read (I couldn't put it down) but it was also very informative. I learned more about derivatives in this book than I could have in any classroom or any other book on bonds.
Book Description
A practical how-to guide for those interested in entering the craft beer business as a pub brewer, micro brewer, contract brewer or distributor. Includes financial and regulatory information, success stories from those already in the business and a clear description of each business type.
Customer Reviews:
ok..........2007-09-01
There is some useful information here, but it is mostly a collection of magazine articles written by various authors. This is not worth the $80 listed retail or even the $50 at amazon. The book not being written by a single author lacks a flow between sections. The sections dealing with financing and startup are nice, but I would like some more in depth information on various types of equipment available. If you can find this book for 20-25 that might be a more worthwhile price.
And as a side note, I think Ray Daniels' books that he authored are great.
The Guide to THINKING About It.......2007-06-21
What worse way to describe a book than, 'It was OK', it's like someone telling you your best atribute is that your 'nice'. But that's just it, for what it was supposed to be 'The Brewers Association's Guide to Starting Your Own Brewery' (think about it, that's a lot of weight in that title) it was only OK. There was some nice insight from brewing professionals whose opinions I already respect, there was some rough ideas of what to expect, and some sections with great detail about things I couldn't care less about at this point - the point of 'I'm still reading books to plan a brewery'.
I would have really have liked to have seen more real money and real equipment talked about. Basically they broke it down like this: it is hard and expensive, but if you can pull it off it is sooo worth it. That's not enough for me. Oh, I will mention there was a very detailed business plan which could be a great reference to the right person, but it reads like a business plan, go figure. Real snoozer of a way to end the book.
One last thing, this is an $80 book that as an AHA member I was able to buy for $50 from the Brewers Association so I at least felt like I got a deal, but to now see Amazon with it for sale for $50 kind of burns me up. This isn't an $80 book (think college text book) nor really a $50 book (think high school text book or instruction manual), it's more of a decent $25 book (think normal informative/opinionated book). So, all in all I am not saying don't get this book, but I would only get this book if you are seriously contemplating opening your own brewery and only as one more reference, not the be-all-to-end-all.
Not Recommended.......2007-03-31
I had high hopes for this book, but ultimately am left greatly disappointed.
First, I agree with the previous reviewer - this book has more typos and grammatical errors than any book I've ever read! It's really unacceptable in any book, but certainly when the book retails for $80.
Second, this isn't a step-by-step guide to starting a brewing business. It's a hodgepodge of articles from old issues of The New Brewer magazine combined with random interviews and new writings from various "brewing professionals". Their seems to be no real "road map" or grand plan to the way the info is presented. I was extremely disappointed in the amount of information provided on professional brewing equipment. In contrast, an entire chapter was devoted to the selection of flooring material for the brewhouse floor. Admittedly this is an important decision, but the ratio to other information is odd at best.
I've met Ray Daniels at an AHA rally and he seems like a great guy who is passionate about beer and brewing. Unfortunately, this is a poor effort by Ray and I am guessing he's quite embarrassed whenever anyone mentions it.
Michael
Worth the Money.......2007-03-24
One of the more expensive books I've bought recently...but an enjoyable, inspiring, and informative read. Obviously doesn't contain all the details (cost of individual brewhouse components for example) but does a great job identifying and describing the business on the system level. Also introduced me to some required areas of expertise I had not previously considered (e.g. wastewater treatment).
Poorly Edited, OK Content.......2007-03-23
Ok, so for someone who went to school for art, hasn't taken an English class in 7 years, this book has more grammatical and editing errors than I have EVER seen in a published book.
The transcribed interviews are missing punctuation needed to make it read properly. In-text notes to the designers are still present. There are typos and misspellings, as though the chapters from various brewery owners were simply copy/pasted from their e-mails to the final publication.
And I've hardly started the book! I'm on page 23....
What gets me most is that this is the second/revised version of this book. Seriously people. Next time ABA, let me copy-edit it in exchange for beer. You know I'll do it.
If the book improves dramatically by the end, I'll revise my review.
kvh
Book Description
Until very recently, popular belief held that business skills were not needed at charitable organizations. No longer. Far from interfering with an organizations ability to provide needed services, techniques such as marketing, cash flow analysis, property management, and good use of technology all contribute to a charitable organizations mission capability. Unlike a not-for-profit that thinks of itself as a charity, the successful not-for-profit is really a mission-based business. In an era of rapid change, increasing competition, and the need for more accountability to governments, foundations, insurers, and donors, knowing how to innovate, compete, and take reasonable risks on behalf of the mission is critical. It is, in short, the era of the social entrepreneur.
The skilled social entrepreneur has the ability to get the most mission out of the resources at hand-including traditional business techniques. Finally, here is a book that will help you learn their techniques. In Social Entrepreneurship, you will learn how successful social entrepreneurs:
- Focus on community wants and needs
- Match those with core competencies to provide the quality services
- Assess risk and gauge opportunity
- Develop new project ideas and test their feasibility
- Write a business plan
- Project finances in the plan
- Tap into new sources of funding
- Develop the idea of social entrepreneurship throughout the organization
- Make sure that mission, not money, is the bottom line
Also included are the seven essential steps of the not-for-profit business development process, real-world case studies, sample business plans, and a self-assessment process to determine if your organization is ready for social entrepreneurism. In addition to entrepreneurs, middle managers, policy setters, volunteers, and a host of other important staff members will get value from the mission-beneficial information in this book. Most important, Social Entrepreneurship will help you to help your organization succeed and thrive-and make your job more interesting and productive.
Praise for Social Entrepreneurship
The Art of Mission-Based Venture Development
"A great read . . . contains both the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications that those of us in nonprofit leadership badly need. I will share it with my management team and board."-Joseph M. Hafey, President and CEO, Public Health Institute
"A sound, practical guide for developing social entrepreneurs. Brinckerhoff makes taking mission-related business risks on behalf of the people served less risky with the step-by-step application of business ideas and techniques. Warnings, real-world examples, and hands-on advice keep the reader on track to sensible risk taking."-Connie Kirk, President and CEO, Tommy Nobis Center
"Peter C. Brinckerhoffs new and masterfully written book has a lot of practical information in it for any organization that wants to learn how to become and stay entrepreneurial. Brinckerhoff provides the right kind of information to any organization interested in succeeding in a highly competitive and service-oriented environment . . . [and] stresses the importance of an organizations encouraging innovation and risk only if it does not lose sight of its core values, its strengths, and its mission. That is excellent advice for any organization and for anyone who ventures into entrepreneurial waters."-Andrew H. Souerwine, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Management and Organization The School of Business Administration, University of Connecticut
Customer Reviews:
Essential for Future Planning.......2003-04-10
We can't assume that we will be able to support our programs simply because we do good work. Each non-profit has to closely examine how it is funded and how it expects to be funded tommorow and the day after. Brinckerhoff gives a great outline here on how to think like an entrepreneur and start your organization thinking like a business instead of a charity. If you're looking for pro-active means of moving your non-profit forward, then this book is a must. It's practical, straightforward and honest. Best of all, Brinckerhoff is readily available to talk to you via email from his website. If you have any questions about what you've read, you can go straight to the author for clarification.
This is a must have book for non-profit managers.
Practical Nuts-and-Bolts Start-Up Guide.......2000-07-06
This book is a must for every not-for-profit executive director, financial officer, board member, or business manager who is thinking about starting or expanding a mission related enterprise.
I will recomend it to all of our clients. I manage the Urban Enterprise Fund, a revolving loan fund with a mission to provide capital and management assistance to companies (nonprofit or for-profit) that create jobs for the hard-to-employ.
Book Description
With The Official Guide To Legal Specialties you'll get a behind the scenes glimpse at dozens of legal specialties.
Customer Reviews:
Well written, but not as comprehensive as the title suggests.......2007-05-24
The book is a decent reference, but not nearly as comprehensive as I had hoped. Let me down a couple of times when I was looking for information about a particular specialty.
If you are a student, don't buy it. Check to see if your library, law library, or career services office has a copy and borrow it from them. There is little need for you to buy a copy of your own.
Good for those who are considering law as a profession.......2007-05-07
details explaination of each specialization in law. worth reading for those who are considering law as a profession but not sure which field they are interested in.
Every law student (or would be law student) should read this book.......2006-03-11
As a law school career counselor, I can attest that one of the top challenges students face is determining what they want to do with their law degree and how to get what they want. This book goes a long way in helping to solve that riddle. I recommend it to every law student with whom I work. Each one who has followed my advice has praised the recomendation. My Admissions Office will not give me my personal copy back because they find it so useful.
This book lays out many of the typical and not-so-typical practice areas lawyers may enter, explaining what to expect, how to prepare for these jobs, and what employers are looking for. Law students will still need to do some self-analysis on what they are looking for, but this book will help immensely in sorting out areas that may work for them. It is especially helpful in that it may point them to areas they may not have thought of. I have seen many students gravitate towards areas because they are easy to understand or grasp onto. This book helps them open their eyes to many other areas.
A very useful book for yourself or to counsel others.......2004-01-21
I work in the career services field and have found this book very helpful in counselling law students. Most law students come into law school with a vague notion of what they want to do, but no sense of what it really means to practice a particular kind of law. Ms. Abrams book gives them a real-world account of what lawyers in each specialty do all day and what they can expect out of their careers. I'd highly recommend this to anyone considering a legal career or anyone helping those who are.
How to appear knowledgeable during on-campus interviews:.......2003-10-10
For anyone who needs an edge over competition during recruiting season, here is your ticket. Abrams' books is well-organized, comprehensive and illuminating. If you read it, you will learn the most basic lingo of the various legal practice areas. You will also be able to identify the specialities that suit your personality (for instance litigation and corporate are very different). You'll enter the interview process more self-aware and be aware of what's out there; as a result you'll be able to effectively market yourself to particular firms. If you don't read the Official Guide and don't know anything about the different practices of law yet, how do you know you are not making a mistake pursuing the practice of law? Read it, then apply for those jobs.
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Leadership
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
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Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
Good To Great And The Social Sectors Unabr CD: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
Breakthrough
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