Ethical Decision Making in Fund Raising

Book Description

"Fund raisers, given their flaws and fineness, working in flawed and fine institutions with flawed and fine clients, need to carry out their everyday tasks of decency and joy here and now. . . . This book is about thinking with care and grace about everyday grit."

In her brilliant and provocative new book, Ethical Decision Making in Fund Raising, author and philosophy professor Marilyn Fischer provides conceptual tools with which a nonprofit can thoroughly examine the ethics of how and from whom it seeks donations. Using the book's Ethical Decision-Making Model, the author explains how fund raisers can use their basic value commitments to organizational mission, professional relationships, and personal integrity as day-to-day touchstones for making balanced, ethical, fund-raising decisions.

For ethically troubling situations that have no clear-cut solutions, the book shows how to frame these dilemmas as ongoing dramatic narratives. Using conceptual tools of sympathetic understanding, attention to social and temporal context, and clusters of philanthropic virtues, the Ethical Decision-Making Model guides us in thinking our way to ethically sound resolutions. Through this process, we can sustain and enrich the circle of giving of the philanthropic gift economy.

The book also examines day-to-day issues of fund raising: privacy and confidentiality; conflicts of interest such as finder's fees and commission-based pay; corporate philanthropy, including sponsorships and cause-related marketing; and fostering cultural diversity. Each chapter concludes with discussion questions and additional case studies for readers' reflection and analysis.

Ethical Decision Making in Fund Raising is a fascinating look at the history of philanthropy in its many social forms and historical contexts, as well as an exuberant manifesto for nonprofits on making clear ethical thinking an effective corporate tool.

Book Description

Debra M. Amidon, a worldwide pioneer in knowledge strategy, once again leads you into the future by charting the intersection of knowledge management and innovation into a new frontier called 'Knowledge Innovation.' Groundbreaking and well researched, 'The Innovation SuperHighway' provides global insights into how you can use knowledge processes and tools to sustain high levels of innovation among all stakeholders to gain a competitive positioning.

'The Innovation SuperHighway' awakens the realization that information, economic infrastructures, computer and communications technology - and even knowledge management and ICT's, has been a journey toward profitable and prosperous innovation. Providing the sound rationale for knowledge strategy, Amidon defines the global vision on all levels of economythe enterprise, the national economy and societal transformation.

'The Innovation SuperHighway' turns knowledge vision into innovation practice.

* Charts the intersection of knowledge management and innovation into a new frontier called 'Knowledge Innovation'
* Provides global insights into how to sustain high levels of innovation among all stakeholders to gain a competitive edge
* Articulates a broad vision with well-researched, documented trends and an international perspective

Customer Reviews:

The leading perspective on knowledge innovation.......2006-12-11

The Innovation SuperHighway is one of the fundamental pieces of work dealing with how to create sustainable collaborative advantage through the development AND implementation of knowledge strategies. The book defines the innovation frontier as our future assets and includes superb examples of innovation infrastructures being created in companies and countries - giving an understanding of how the attention should be on the people and not the technology per se. This since been documented in her subsequent research around knowledge innovation zones, the UNESCO reports and IBM CEO innovation surveys. In wise foresight there is also a chapter is dedicated to youth and how they are being mobilized with their vision. Finally, the vision in the concluding section documents the era of collaborative advantage - another evolving (and now accepted) principle of the Knowledge Economy. It is critical to note however that this book is NOT about knowledge management - it moves beyond these principles and provides a blueprint for discovering and leveraging intellectual capital, versus "managing" what is evident. In this manner the book enables the reader to sense not only why innovation is the utlimate manifestation of harnessing intangibles, but also how to create the dynamic conditions for profiting from an economy where sustainable succes is only possible if organizations and people innovate knowledge --existing and new-- more effectively to enhance economic growth and collaborative advantage. As we move from economic scarcity models based on land, labor, and capital to models of abundance based on an inexhaustible resource - knowledge, old rules do not apply; and the new rules are being innovated. This book provides the best starting point for executives and managers at all levels to begin this journey, and to set the stage for moving into a new innovation frontier - one based upon intangible value and intellectual wealth, for the success of their organizations, their enterprises and society.

This is not recreational read. It is a book to be studied. And the concepts put to use........2006-03-26

Anyone who has read CIO Insight http://www.cioinsight.com/article2/0,1397,1777087,00.asp
And who wants to understand the how of living in a globalized economy:
The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century by Thomas L. Friedman and Oliver Wyman (available here too) , would want to read Amidon's's two books The Ken Awakening as well as this one, .

The book, The Innovation Superhighway, is not about the how why of globalization as much as it is about the forces of globalization (ease of transferring and exchanging knowledge and how as Friedman says "What I am trying to do is say that something important really is happening. The value-creation model is moving away from a vertical silo model to an increasingly collaborative horizontal model, from command and control to collaborate and connect, and that's going to change everything."
This is not recreational read. It is a book to be studied. And the concepts put to use.

Raymond Barry.......2006-03-14

This book wrestles with measuring the intangibles. The metrics of a knowledge driven economy.
This book was first available in 2003. In the March 4th 2006 issue of The Economist there appeared an article: Getting a Grip on Prosperity - what if intangible investment is measured properly?. The concepts in this book are now entering the mainstream.

For someone who wants to understand the forces that will drive our economies and most likely their careers for the next few decades...this book is a useful introduction...particularly chapter 11.2 and Part 5.

I was looking for innovation, but instead got knowledge management.......2006-03-09

First off, when looking for books on innovation, one must know what type of information they are looking for and what information they are going to find in the book that they are going to read. The Innovation Superhighway is a book that starts out presenting the start of a framework using the internet as a means of transmitting information. Early on in the book it is stated that internet and all it's services and facilities are really about innovation, not information. While many innovative activities are occurred because of the information that is made more readily and by the "free wheeling" of early internet companies, the internet is truly about the transfer of knowledge. When much of the book deals with sharing of innovations across some infrastructure sounds wonderful, I have seem little of it in the corporate world, where it may be true in the academic world. In fact I have seen the opposite in the corporate world, where innovation is coveted and hoarded.

In the end, this book will do a couple of good things for you. It provides an excellent look into the ideas of Intellectual Capital, which still has a certain amount of nebulousness about it (although I was looking for something a little deeper here). The book also presents some excellent views into Knowledge and what it can mean to an individual, a company, and even a country. There is a lot of good information in those chapters.

This however only gets us to page 127 out of 349. At this point, the book goes into the story of ENTOVATION which I was unable to find much that I could use in many of my roles of using technology to facilitate communication and parts within a corporation's innovation processes. It becomes the story of how individuals from many roles got together to explore knowledge exchange and sharing for the purpose of innovation. Many of the cases that are put forth rely on companies and individuals seeing the benefit of sharing information and also that all information being shared is of equal value. I have been part of such attempts at sharing only to have them break down due to information having different value to different parties and therefore demanding different returns. The whole knowledge market, although referenced earlier in the book, seems largely ignored. The primary aspects near the end of the book rely on a more idealistic world, where personal gain (thinking selfishly here) is largely ignored and the greater good of society and countries are funded to aid innovation. I have seen little evidence of any working towards that or any chance of these goals coming to fruition. Painting of Exemplar Ken Practitioners through ~40 pages had little value to me in my quest for knowledge and innovation processes.

So, there is value to the book. I felt that the first portion of the book was the most valuable and would love to see more around the strong formations of knowledge management, but I was disappointed that after such a strong start, the end left me wanting for the creating of innovative processes out of technology.

A New Global Dialogue for New Wealth.......2005-03-03

Debra Amidon has thrown the lawn party and everyone's invited!
Before WWW, I used to think how unfortunate it was that the global reach of information and entertainment was primarily a one-way communication. Then the Internet came along and the great dialogue begin. Now, Debra Amidon is helping to create a new agenda and a principal part of that agenda is to how to take the dialogue to the next level, especially in terms of process.

One could see this book from a variety of perspectives such as innovation or knowledge management, but, in essence, it's an incredible coalescing of new human ability to collaborate and create. Debra Amidon not only provides the vision and direction, she also provides a viable example with a vibrant international network of amazing human beings.

As you read the book, you can see that Debra Amidon is actually helping to "pave" the innovation superhighway that she writes about. From a nationalistic point of view, hopefully we in the U.S. are effectively developing our stretches of this highway system. Hopefully, corporate America and the U.S. Federal government will get clearer about this picture. Also, we need to figure out how we can get her to spend more of her time traveling U.S. sections of the "innovation superhighway".

The Innovation SuperHighway : Harnessing Intellectual Capital for Sustainable Collaborative Advantage

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The Innovation SuperHighway : Harnessing Intellectual Capital for Sustainable Collaborative Advantage
Debra M Amidon
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MUBPCU

Book Description

Addressing a topic of major importance to the maintenance of world food supplies, this reference identifies knowledge gaps, defines priorities, and formulates recommendations for the improvement of the rice-wheat farming system. The book reveals new systems of rice intensification and management and illustrates the application of no-till and conservation farming to the rice-wheat system. With contributions from 65 international experts, and case studies from India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, Sustainable Agriculture and the International Rice-Wheat System focuses on seeding equipment and residue management, weed control, water and nutrient efficiency, and integrated pest management.

Book Description

During a revolution of discovery in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, geologists reconstructed the immensely long history of the earth—and the relatively recent arrival of human life. Bursting the Limits of Time is a herculean effort by one of the world's foremost experts on the history of geology and paleontology to illuminate this scientific breakthrough that radically altered existing perceptions of a human's place in the universe as much as the theories of Copernicus and Darwin did.

Rudwick examines here the ideas and practices of earth scientists throughout the Western world to show how the story of what we now call "deep time" was pieced together. He explores who was responsible for the discovery of the earth's history, refutes the concept of a rift between science and religion in dating the earth, and details how the study of the history of the earth helped define a new branch of science called geology.

Bursting the Limits of Time is the first detailed account of this monumental phase in the history of science.

“Bursting the Limits of Time is a massive work and is quite simply a masterpiece of science history. . . . The book should be obligatory for every geology and history of science library, and is a highly recommended companion for every civilized geologist who can carry an extra 2.4 kg in his rucksack.”—Stephen Moorbath, Nature

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating documentation of history of science.......2007-03-27

This enormous book (well over 700 large pages) tells the story of the origins of geology in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The term "geology" gets invented, by de Luc, about halfway through. The main theme of the book is that the development of the field was complex and personal, not a conflict between emerging "science" and sourly reactionary "religion." In fact, some of the main contributors, including de Luc, were highly religious, to the point of seeking geological proof of Noah's flood. Rudwick repeats on every possible occasion that religion was not a fundamentalist reactionary force. (The message certainly is needed, but this and many, many other repetitions of points get slightly wearisome.)
So why am I, an anthropologist specializing in traditional uses of plants and animals, reading a geology book? Basically, because this is one of the best books I've ever seen on how people develop concepts of the natural world. It shows how people thrashed around, made false starts, mixed brilliant insights with sad errors, slowly came to imagine the unimaginable, argued over silly points. Rudwick avoids like the plague, and routinely denounces and disproves, the simplistic history-of-science fairy tales we all know too well: the Lone Genius, the Evil Opponents, the Triumph of Truth, the Superiority of My Country's Science Over Yours, and so on. Geology developed more slowly and with more false starts than many sciences, and many people had a hand in it; none had a monopoly on right answers or on wrong ones.
Much of Rudwick's narrative has the fascination of a mystery novel. Slowly building throughout the book, for example, is the recognition of geological evidence that something unimaginably strange happened to Europe not long ago. The geologically sophisticated reader will know that it was the Ice Age--those vast successive glaciations. The geologists of the early 19th century simply could not imagine that. They were more and more mystified by evidence of a vast "catastrophe" unlike anything ever seen in history, but they were unable to conceive of the appalling reality. Rudwick promises a second huge volume; hopefully it will get us to the arguments over vast glaciations.
I don't know how geologists or historians of science will see this book, but I do know that any anthropologist, psychologist or phenomenological philosopher interested in how people think about time, rocks, and the natural world should give it a look.

Bursting the Limits of Time: the Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution [A book review from: Journal of Historical Geography]

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Bursting the Limits of Time: the Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution [A book review from: Journal of Historical Geography]
N. Spedding
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PDSDF6

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Journal of Historical Geography, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:

Bursting the Limits of Time: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution

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Bursting the Limits of Time: The Reconstruction of Geohistory in the Age of Revolution
Martin J.S. Rudwick
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQ0Z7S

Book Description

Why do the big philosophical questions so often strike us as far-fetched and little to do with everyday life? In Utopias, Dolphins and Computers, Mary Midgley shows that it need not be that way, and makes the case for philosophy as a necessary tool for addressing some of the most pressing questions facing contemporary society: How should we treat animals? Why are we so confused about the value of education? What is at stake in feminism? Why do we think intelligent computers will save us? Exploring these issues and more, Midgley unfailingly identifies what is distorting our judgement and helps us see more clearly the dramas unfolding around us.

Customer Reviews:

This is why we do philosophy.......2003-06-06

In teaching an Introduction to Philosophy course, I would certainly rather my students read this book than most or perhaps even all of the standard textbooks. This book is not an historical introduction or even a balanced look at the range of questions which interest philosophers, but it's great strength is that it conveys beautifully the importance of philosophy.

Midgley has a style of doing philosophy which is wonderfully engaged with ordinary life. Her fascination is with muddles in public thinking and she ably demonstrates the need for philosophical work to resolve these muddles. Importantly, she also shows just how important clearing up conceptual difficulties can be for society. Every page shows forth the conviction that the answers of philosophy matter, that this is not just idle musing but vital work. Turning her incisive mind on science, feminism, personhood and other topics, she shows the benefits of philosophy done well.

The book is readable, witty and thought-provoking. I would recommend it to everyone with an interest in philosophy, even the seasoned professional.

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UTOPIAS, DOLPHINS AND COMPUTERS, PROBLEMS OF PHILOSOPHICAL PLUMBING.

Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H7FRYA

Customer Reviews:

Very Short, But Enjoyable Book About Bobby Orr - The Greatest of ALL TIME.......2006-02-22

Bobby Orr was the greatest hockey player of all time. I was a little young to see him play during his career (I only had a chance to see a few games towards the end of his career after his knees had failed him) but I've had a chance to see hours of footage from dozens of games in his prime, and I can confidently assert that there was no one as good as he was, ever.

I will certainly grant that Gretzky had the greatest career of all time, putting together great skill and consistent performance for many years. I might even grant that someone like Mario Lemieux may have been endowed with a higher level of innate ability to play hockey. But by the standard of how much impact a player is able to have on a game, how much they are able to dominate the action, and do it all both ways at high speed, no one touches Orr.

Perhaps you've seen adult amateur league games where some team will bring in a ringer, a guy who's played college or major junior hockey, who so clearly outplays everyone on the ice that people start getting angry? People resent someone so dominant, and do all they can to contain them, ususally ineffectively. Here's the connection: Bobby Orr was like a ringer in the NHL. It is not hype - take the time to watch some game footage (beyond just highlights, because though Orr has astounding highlights, they don't tell the whole story) and you will become a believer.

This book is brief, and thin on content, but the quotes and images contained within tell a lot about how respected and admired Orr was (and is) by teammates, opponents, coaches, and writers. I'd give the book a higher rating if it was more substantial, but what is there is good, and a worthy aquisition for hockey fans.

Best Boston Hockey Moment-Best Hockey Player...ever!!!.......2004-02-01

"The Goal" is a great book that brings back the memories and magic that culminated in one of hockey's greatest moments. Some would argue that this is the greatest moment ever in the sport. Orr's miracle season created a new era in hockey. Bobby Orr ran the defense and the offense for the Boston Bruins. Harry Sinden recalls some wonderful inside details in this polaroid style flashback. What makes this book special are all the quotes by other players who were in awe of Orr. Bobby not only made for one of the greatest pictures in sports, he also electrified and transformed a city. Orr dominated both ends of the ice, and he could body check, fight and get very emotional. Gretzky was a great stat accumulator and an excellent passer and puck handler. I would say that Bobby Orr could pass, skate and check equal to or better than Wayne Gretzky. Orr's slapshot was harder. His body took a pounding, whereas nobody laid a finger on the great one. Bobby would often block shots (sans helmet) and then break up ice to either set goals up or score them himself. Gretzky was rarely found playing any kind of defense. Winner, Orr. This book will further solidify the legend, and make the memories, stories and smiles all as fresh as when it all happened. Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the greatest goal in hockey. It's safe to say it won't happen like that ever again.

Very cool.......2003-11-23

A must have for any Bobby Orr or Boston Bruins fan. The greatest goal by the greatest hockey player ever.
Anyone saying "what's his name" is a better hockey player is too young to have seen Orr play. Statistics aren't everything - they are secondary to actual on the ice ability. Yeah, the G man was great. But Orr was in a league of his own. I guarantee you if there were two teams, one made up of six Bobby's and one made up of six Gretsky's, Gretsky would never touch the puck.
Never again will you see a player that good. Never.

Customer Reviews:

A must have.......2007-03-11

This book is so informative that I have also given it as a gift. The case studies were great. I was able to conduct more systematic research after reading this book.

First-rate entry in a very good series . . ........2003-05-28

The volumes in Betterway's "Genealogist's Guide" series have been genrally excellent in leading researchers through the special problems, situations, and resources connected with non-Anglo-European-male ancestors. Anyone, even an otherwise experienced family historian, who has attempted to develop a black lineage more than three or four generations back in the United States knows the historical and social problems involved often are considerable - but they aren't insurmountable, as the authors show. Smith, a Houston librarian with legal training, learned early of the reluctance of his elderly relatives to discuss the "slave days" and of the tendency of black genealogists to end their quest with the 1870 census. He begins with the basics, the stuff we all learned (or should have) in the first year of research, but slants it toward the necessities of African-American history, including the need to deal with frequent name-changes, "consulting the elders," and evaluating family stories (both of which are especially important here). Likewise, in reading the federal census schedules, one must understand what was meant, both officially and locally, by "colored" and "mulatto," the definitions of which changed over time. Military service records, an important resource in most white pedigrees, are more problematic for black lineages before World War II. Church records are proportionately more important. Smith gives considerable space to the use of white (i.e., slaveholding) family records in tracing black families, and to the proper use of the federal census slave schedules -- subjects few of us have much experience with. Finally, he relates all this through three extended cases drawn from his own family research which exemplify the techniques and adjusted mind-sets he explained earlier. They're well written, carefully worked out, and inspirational as well as informative, and are worth the price of admission by themselves.

Book Description

Clearly written and profusely illustrated, Patterns of Home brings the timeless lessons of residential design to homeowners who seek inspiration and direction in the design or remodel of their homes. Patterns of Home promises to become the "design bible" for homeowners and architects. The 10 patterns described in the book -- among them, "capturing light" and "the flow through rooms" -- are drawn from hundreds of principles and presented with clarity by the authors, renowned architects who have designed homes together for more than 30 years. Insightful tours of 33 homes also bring the essential design concepts to life. This book will jump-start the design process and make the difference between a home that satisfies material requirements -- and one that meets the personal needs of a home. "Patterns of Home gives us the tools to make our houses truly wonderful places to live." -- Sarah Susanka

Customer Reviews:

Take what you need, leave the rest.......2007-07-04

The architect authors have matured since they wrote "A Pattern Language" (APL), and have made a large effort to extract and apply just the essential rules from the hundred of rules of APL.

True, PoH is a large, posh book of large, posh homes. The cost of the homes are far outside the means of over 99 percent of American families. However, these large designs include truly practical concepts that can be translated into more realistic homes.

Each design is far more useful and welcoming that what you might find in a bool of hundreds of houseplans. We are going to build an energy efficient home under 2000 sq ft, and we will refer to PoH to stay on track with the few essential elements. No, it will not have 30 foot ceilings over a huge common room (just you try and paint it!), but it will show the roofline and include other elements.

valuable information .......2007-05-07

This book provides valuable informaion for those who want to pursue the perfectly built and positioned home. The concepts are fasinating and could be somewhat easy to put into pratice, however, the author uses large, VERY expensivly built homes leaving the impression that only the very wealthy can afford such superior design. This is unfortunate. I do believe that some the most basic concepts can be put into play in most homes it would just take some imagination and determination.

starts the gears turning.......2007-01-09

A good browsing book to get in the mindset of looking at homes with a keen eye. Not overwhelming in details (which is what I wanted at the moment,) it gave me a good basic set of tools to begin thinking about why I liked or disliked the places where i've lived, practical functionality, and alternative design. If you really want to delve headfirst into the subject of patterns of space, the book that this was based off of would be best. If it's just a little nudge towards inspiration, this is a good bet.

Great place to start!.......2007-01-09

This is a great overview for learning the basic principles of home design. We were able to look back at the various places we lived and understand why we loved or hated certain elements which gives us a better understanding of what to aim for in our next house.

Architecture in a nutshell.......2007-01-05

I bought this book while shopping for a house. It contains beautifuly distilled information, and illustrative photographs. There is so much information that it takes some dedication to read the whole book. I don't know if a textbook-educated architect would agree with the info, but it all makes great sense to me. Many of the examples describe homes on very large lots. Living in Los Angeles, I don't know many people with such large lots. I'm sure that in other parts of the country, the examples are more pertinent.

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