The Politics of Boom and Bust in Twentieth-Century America: A Macroeconomic History

Book Description

A practical guide to navigate change in today's organizational climateChange or perish. This is a current motto for leaders in all types of organizations. But how does one adapt to such fast and furious change and effectively lead the organization through change intact and more effective? Hans Finzel provides a proven strategy in Change is Like a Slinky, exploring the six major phases in the cycle of change. As he says, 'Change is a lot like a Slinky...A slinky can be a lot of fun, but it is also completely unpredictable.' Instead of grudgingly wading through inevitable change, readers will find themselves equipped and fired up to tackle it head on.

Customer Reviews:

An Introduction to Change.......2007-03-13

If you have never been exposed to Social Change principles, then this book may be a good introduction for you.

The main phases are sound:

1. Accept
2. Aim
3. Anticipate
4. Attack
5. Adjust
6. Align

The phases could be redefined, relabeled, in any number of ways - but the principle here is a conscious, active effort at change. The emphasis on communicating is a very important aspect indeed. Follow through, and continual feedback are essential elements discussed. The area of negotiation and adaptation are not covered in as much detail as needed to learn these skills adequately.

The idea of input for resisters is important, as are not coddling this sector (or they will hold you back). Many poor implementers simply force change harder, and though this will get the tasking done - the environment will revert back to from whence it came once the bureaucracy gets hold of it.

I felt this was a relatively easy read (although I have read a lot on, and am academically trained in, this subject). The "30 Strategies" cited in the subtitle are not "apparent," you have to do your own organizing to get this information to stand out.

There are some good techniques and tactics to be learned. They are good beginnings, but the book is not big on detailed analysis. The stories are light, the analogies broad but basic principles are covered.

If you are looking for a deep treatise, this is not it. The author refers to a cofounder of Microsoft as David Allen, and bases chapter 18 on a quote from him. (David Allen is a time management author/guru, the cofounder of Microsoft is Paul Allen.) You can see here where attention to detail is not Finzel's strongest mark. Given this, you can be sure the book covers broad stroke principles - and does get the point across - but is not something I would rely on for very specific honing of change skills.

It is a start, an introduction however, particularly useful to the forceful (confused why they can't implement change). The trouble with the book is that the population it would best serve is not the population that will read it. The population motivated to read it, probably could do with the introduction in a few chapters and move to more detailed skills development more quickly.

Excellent book on change.......2004-02-26

"Change Is Like a Slinky" examines the six stages of change as promoted by author Hans Finzel. These six stages are 1) accept the need for change, 2) aim squarely at the future, 3) anticipate your adversaries and allies, 4) advance the plan with courage and tenacity, 5) adjust course as you listen and learn, and 6) align your team as you stay the course of change. The things that make this book unique among the plethora of books on change are the fun and insightful comparisons between change and a slinky. These comparisons make it easier to remember the important principles so you can apply them in real life. Some of the observations include the fact that someone has to launch a slinky on its way, once started the course is unpredictable, it routinely gets stuck halfway down the stairs and has to be relaunched, and it rarely lands where you predict.

While the book contains a lot of useful information for those seeking to accept and deal with change, it is not without a shortcoming. The author uses a lot of side comments that often get into the way of the flow of the book. A short example will illustrate the problem. From the very beginning of the book:
"Go ahead, Pick up a Slinky. No, not the newfangled plastic models. I'm talking about the good ol' metal kind, circa 1964. If you don't have one handy, then go ahead - you have my permission - put down the book (you just started chapter 1, so it won't be hard to find your place) and buy one.
And No, I'm not getting kickbacks from the makers of Slinky. Nor am I an employee, or even a shareholder. (Although, now that I think of it ... maybe I'll take a break of my own, and call my stockbroker.)"
This should have stopped at least by "1964". The book is littered with this stuff that just gets in the way of the otherwise excellent treatment of change. However, if you continue reading through all these choppy breaks in the flow of the book you will find it well worth your time, as it is basically an excellent book with a lot of value to those who persevere.

Immensely Practical...Potentially Invaluable.......2004-02-20

Frankly, until reading this book, I was unaware of any similarities between change and a toy which I have purchased in substantial quantities for my own children and grandchildren as well as for countless others. In fact, as Finzel points out, there are quite a few similarities between them but it would be a disservice to both Finzel and to his book to reveal those similarities in this brief commentary. (Please see page 19.) It would also be a disservice to suggest that Finzel's clever use of the Slinky as a metaphor is essentially all that his book offers. On the contrary, he provides a remarkably eloquent as well as informative analysis of the nature of change itself and the most common barriers, then suggests specific strategies and tactics which can help to overcome those barriers.

I especially appreciate Finzel's use of two devices by which to help his reader absorb and digest the material, then take appropriate action: "What's the Point?" which summarizes the most important points in each of the 30 chapters, and, "Takeaways" (also at the end of each chapter) which assists effective implementation by the reader of those points. Finzel sees the change process as consisting of several phases. For example:

Phase One: Accept the Need for Change

"Hugely successful and always profitable Southwest Airlines prides itself on three company characteristics: [all in italics] nimble, quick, and opportunistic...Whenever possible, Southwest flies in the face of bureaucracy -- it stays lean, thinks small, keeps it simple...and more."

Phase Three: Anticipate Your Adversaries and Allies

"Forget about the `obvious' benefits when planning your strategy. Assume that everyone but you will absolutely hate your plan, at least initially...When we listen to our opponents, we can learn two things. First, we can recognize the flaws in our ideas...The second thing we learn from resisters is the hidden psychological barriers we have to overcome among members of the group."

Phase Six: Align Your Team as You Stay the Course of Change

"Trust is a nonnegotiable in the world of change. Kill trust and there is no hope for progress until you get it back. Change usually breeds doubt and lack of trust among people in an organization. Without a conscious effort to build trust and maintain trust, all your efforts will fail."

What we have here is immensely practical advice for those who are determined to achieve not only specific change(s) but also to establish and then nourish an organizational environment within which everyone involved recognizes and then reacts effectively to change, seeing it not as a peril but as an opportunity.

Level 5 Leadership.......2004-02-17

Collins, in his book Good to Great, argues that only those organizations that had "Level 5" leaders made the change from good to great. Granted, there were a bunch of other variables that had to exist to make the final cut of those companies that went from good to great, but they all had Level 5 leaders.

Finzel's latest book addresses those leaders who want to be Level 5 leaders. One of the traitis that Collins' team discovered was the idea of "servant" leadership. This notion, not surprisinlgy, is a biblical concept that goes to to the heartbeat of who a leaders really is. This is not something taught in MBA school. The MBA schools have produced crook after crook; they have not seriously addressed (except in only a cursory way) servant leadership.

Finzel's book paints the picture of what a servant-leader looks like. No organization can tranistion from good to great without key leaders demonstrating & promoting servant-leadership. Period.

Lessons for Leaders.......2004-02-07

As a pastor and D.Min candidate I have found this book to be an incredible tool for bringing about change in the church. Each chapter builds on the previous and leads you through the pros and pitfalls of being a change agent. I have taken a class by Hans Finzel and I recommend you taking a look at his other books as well. This author comes with my highest recommendation.

Book Description

This book provides a global review of the mechanisms, incidence and control measures related to the problems of soil compaction in agriculture, forestry and other cropping systems. Among the disciplines which relate to this subject are soil physics, soil mechanics, vehicle mechanics, agricultural engineering, plant physiology, agronomy, pedology, climatology and economics.

The volume will be of great value to soil scientists, agricultural engineers, and all those involved with irrigation, drainage and tillage. It will help to facilitate the exchange of information on current work throughout the world, as well as to promote scientific understanding and stimulate the development, evaluation and adoption of practical solutions to these widespread and urgent problems.

Book Description

The first of its kind, The Microbe Files: Cases in Microbiology for the Undergraduate, provides you with a fascinating series of short cases that help you apply what you've learned by placing you in real life situations that allied health professionals face every day. For college students instructors and students.

Customer Reviews:

Helped me with microbiology class........2004-06-13

I liked this book because it showed the kinds of diseases and conditions bacteria, viruses, and parasites could cause. This served me well for my college microbiology classes. The material is fun to learn. After reading this book, I know longer look at eating sushi the same way again! This is because if a sushi chef is not certified, sushi can be served with parasites in them. For test preparation, I used Microbiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers isbn;0971999635.
This study guide really helped me to prepare for the type of questions that were given to me on the test. I give both books five stars.

the perfect book for case studies in microbiology.......2001-12-21

The case studies are seperatered by organ system. This is the first book I have ever used that has done this. When taking a microbiology course the pathogenic microbes are presented by organ system so this format suits the course perfectly. The case studies are so much fun to do it's like a puzzle and you end up studying without even knowing that you've been studying. This book is also great for anyone who just loves reading about disease causing microbes anyone who has read the coming plague should buy this book and have some fun with their new found knowledge and do some medical problem solving.

Book Description

The conservative nature of animal evolution makes animal models the ideal tool for learning about human biology. The Handbook of Laboratory Animal Science, Second Edition: Animal Models, Volume II addresses the development and application of models in different areas of biomedical research and details the criteria used to choose animal species and strains. This book is not restricted to laboratory animal models for the study of human diseases. Building on the foundation of the best-selling first edition, the second edition includes many new topics such as animal models in skeletal disease, xenotransplantation, and dental disorders.

Book Description

Complete Hockey Instruction teaches all the essential hockey skills from skating and passing to shooting, puck control, body checking, and mental training. This revised edition features two new chapters and more than 60 new drills, along with complete tips on scouting, game preparation, bench management, nutrition, and designing efficient practices.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Overview.......2005-01-02

I found this book informative and a concise source. As a hockey coaching neophyte, and a dedicated student of the game, I believe Chambers did a good job on his book. Many of the chapters could be (and are) the subject of a dedicated book.

The first chapter on PHILOSPOHY OF COACHING is a very good and complements the USA Hockey philosophy. His chapter on BASIC HOCKEY GUIDELINES presents an excellent, concise, overview of the principles of the game.

The chapter on SKATING presents good overview for a subject very difficult to teach out of a book (see POWER SKATING by Laura Stamm for an excellent book on this subject).

In the ten or so books I have recently reviewed and read in my journey to learn more about hockey, I observed authors often appear to find it difficult to provide an overview that introduces the subject and gives a proper discussion of the fundamental (the why). There is often an underlying presupposition of knowledge that may not exist. Chambers does not fall into that trap.

In Chamber's chapters on OFFENSIVE/ DEFENSIVE TEAM PLAY, he introduces principles and terms specific the subject, and then presents drills that emphasize that aspect to players. In later chapters on PLAY OF THE DEFENSEMEN/FORWARDS, he presents useful tips and skills for these players.

The chapter on FACE OFF ALIGNMENTS is the best I have seen. At a recent practice, our senior coach was teaching players where to move if they were in offensive or defensive zones. I came back from practice hungry to learn more and could not find a reference that covered more that a few scenarios (including USA Hockey). Chambers presents 11 strategies/player assignments for offensive zone face offs, 7 for neutral zone, and 11 for defensive zone; covering full strength and one or two man short situations.

There are chapters on PENALTY KILLING, POWER PLAYS, AND GOAL TENDING. I enjoyed the concise coverage in the chapter on SCOUTING, GAME PREPARATION, AND BENCH MANAGEMENT chapter.

The chapter on STATISTICS presents an overview of the importance of each statistic, and emphasizes the need to use them POSTIVELY. He also discusses the importance of videotaping games, and balances his discussion with a warning to use statistics and videos wisely.

The chapter on CONDITIONING is a good overview that includes the three energy systems and importance of periodization (see references by Tudor Bompa for more details on energy systems and periodization. See especially "Total Hockey Conditioning: From Pee-Wee to Pro" and "Total Training for Young Champions")

The chapter on NUTRITION is balanced and presents a good overview of carbohydrates, fats, and protein and how the body uses them. He also emphasizes hydration (see Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention for Hockey by Joseph Horrigan, Earl Joseph Kreis for a great discussion on hydration).

There is also chapter on MENTAL TRAINING. If you've watched the shift of momentum during an NHL game, or better yet felt it when you're on the bench, you can appreciate the importance of this aspect of sports.

Chambers book has a large bibliography, although the chapters are not scientifically cited to individual references. The book lacks an index, but it is well organized.

After having recently read the USA Hockey series for coaches (Mite through Pee Wee), they were useful, but disjointed because they were obviously written by a committee of authors and often not edited for consistency. In their recent updates, they often refer to figures that are not present, use undefined terms, have symbols on the drill diagrams that don't match previous drills, and have other inconsistencies. There is good information presented if you get beyond the inconsistencies.

In my opinion, hockey is such a complex and fast moving sport that it is difficult to capture the many nuances in the pages of a book. In my search for a book that provides a one-stop reference, Chambers comes the closest.

NOT SO COMPLETE.......2004-11-16

While this book may abound in drills, very little attention is paid to discussing positional play, and what benefit is derived by each position from these drills. At best this book is geared to the elite level coach who already has an indepth understanding of the game and is only looking for something new to use in practices.

To the neophyte coach, I would suggest taking the USA Hockey coaching certification clinics or, at the least, buying their coaching manuals which have a detailed reasoning behind each skill development drill.

Ultimately the job of the coach is to develop the player's skills, and unfortunately Complete Hockey Instruction does nothing to help the coach in this regard.

Book Description

There are many reasons why you might need to learn a foreign language quickly. The author, a U.S. Army Green Beret, often travels to foreign countries on short notice and needs to be able to communicate with military and government officials, many of who do not speak English. He tried all types of schools, classes, books and tapes, but none delivered what he needed when he needed it. So he developed his own method for learning foreign languages. It proved so effective for him and his fellow Green Berets that he decided to share his method with others who need to learn a language quickly. The Quick and Dirty Guide to Learning Languages Fast is designed for people who have no interest in learning complicated rules of grammar. The author promises that his method will help anyone become functional in any language in seven days and proficient in 30. He's trimmed the fat, freeing your time for what's truly useful. Includes a day-by-day schedule, a handy workbook format and secret tips to help you master key elements quickly and easily.

Customer Reviews:

Barely Better Than Nothing.......2007-09-29

Having directly taught or directly supervised instruction in exactly thirty languages (at Stanford, Georgetown, US Naval Academy, State U of NY, US Defense Languages Institute, etc), I picked up this book with considerable enthusiasm but found it seriously wanting. Other reviews here have handled some of the details well; I'll direct my comments to just one overriding principle.

This book's structure and method tend to reinforce the unfortunate assumption that, in general, languages consist of pieces interchangeable with the pieces you already know in your own language. This brick-by-brick concept leads to word lists where English is presented in one list of words matched up with the target language's list of words. This reinforces the incorrect feeling that each language is put together with bricks, and you match up your red bricks wih the other language's yellow bricks.

Whereas the reality is that each language presents a different structure. You may think of bricks, but your target language may be frame-stucco or an animal-hide teepee. To understand a teepee, you wouldn't be helped by looking at it and wondering, "Where are the bricks?" As just one example, using two common languages. the American English construction "because I FELT like doing it that way," is very often rendered in Spanish as, "porque sí." How would it help the learner of Spanish to wonder, "Where is the FELT," or "Where is the doing?" The fact is that the Spanish, literally, is just "because yes." But it can often and easily mean "Because I felt like doing it that way."

And yet, despite this very fundamental weakness, this book does offer helpful info of the type to which it's limited.

great book .......2007-06-27

This is for the people who need to know enough to get by in a short period of time. If you are in the military or travel alot it is a must. It also works for any language.

Good if you really need to learn a new language fast.......2007-05-13

Here's the skinny: If you really need to learn a new language fast, because you will travel somewhere in the next few days, then this is probably a good book to get. Otherwise, you may get it if you can spare the money, and it may teach you something. But don't expect any silver bullet.

The method is very simple and most of the pages are filled with word tables. These are simple tables that you have to fill with translated versions of some essential words in the target language. It's a waste of paper; the book could show the model for the tables, and put the essential words into lists. It's easy to build the tables if you have the lists. Nonetheless, the selection of essential words is a good guide for what to learn first.

The method gives you a direction for a quick start in a language, and is supposed to work for any language. However, some parts of the method may be difficult or impossible to apply if the target language is too different from English. The author admits this is so, and the student may need to adapt the techniques.

There's one sound piece of advice for any language learners, regardless of method: you must immerse yourself in the language and culture you want to learn. Read children's books, newspapers, magazines; watch movies; listen to music; eat the food; all of this connected with the culture associated with the language.

Otherwise, I found it mildly interesting, but don't plan on using the method as I'm not in such a hurry, and becoming merely functional in a language is not my goal at this point. But I think I can incorporate some of the tips and ideas into my own language learning habits.

It skims the bare minimum.......2006-12-31

Reviewing this book and digesting its contents has concurred 2 things. First, if you need a quick guide, it hepls. But if you are looking for a quick solution. It doesnt meet that criteria.

Ive checked out many types of language books, somehow i keep veering back to the kind that leaves a stronger in-print in my memory. Verbal practice and conditioning does wonders. The audio style books, work the best. Flipping pages have their limitations.

So i would say no go for this book.

aurorabooks(dot)net

Some of these review are a little unfair.......2006-06-01

I'm impressed with this book. Some of the tips are a bit inane. If you've learned a language before, they might be suggestions you've already figured out. That being said, for the first time language learner, this book points out things that many of us had to learn the hard way.

I give it five stars for the list of words alone. Previous reviewers criticized the book for these word lists, but I disagree. The list is filled with items that will allow you to hit the ground running, if you elect to memorize them as instructed. These frequently used words are worth the price of the book. Each one is a golden nugget.

Book Description

A feast for Monte Dolack fans, this celebration of his artwork at mid-career gathers 178 color reproductions of posters, paintings, and working sketches that were created from the 1970s to 2000.

Included are logos and advertising pieces for performers, "hippie capitalist" and other businesses, posters for nonprofit organizations, the wryly humorous "invaders"; poster series and works on wildlife, on magic, and more.

Much of Dolack's art reflects the American West (in reality as well as in legend) and his home state of Montana. His distinctive style and universal messages long have attracted collectors (and imitators) around the United States and abroad.

Filmmaker/editor Annick Smith contributes a personal essay on Dolack's life and career from her dual perspectives as friend and fan. Candid photographs of Dolack over the years illustrate this section. Margaret C. Kingsland, former director of Montana Committee for the Humanities, analyzes Dolack's images, subjects, and approach.

Offering appreciations of Monte Dolack's work are fellow artists, collectors, and friends Anthony Acerrano, Rudy Autio, Dana Boussard, Doug Chadwick, Ivan Doig, Kay Ellerhoff, Dan Kemmis, Milo Miles, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, and Pat Williams.

Customer Reviews:

Anthology for Dolack fans.......2006-02-24

My husband and I are University of Montana Alums and are Illinois' biggest Monte Dolack fans. Whenever I'm homesick for Montana, I get this book out and let my mind drift through the pages. With his "Invader Series" to his sweeping works showing the varied Montana landscape, Dolack captures all that is grand about his subject matter. This book is an intimate comprehensive look at Dolack's work and leaves one eager for new works to come!

A Monte Dolack Pictorial.......2001-05-30

This is a near complete history of the works of Monte Dolack, who is probably one of the most well-known artists in Montana (not far behind the late Charlie Russell). Along with a small amount of historical text, this book includes nice reproductions of most of Dolack's posters, prints, lithographs and original works, beginning with his early advertising posters conceived for local business and concerts in the 1970's and 1980's, and continuing with his movie posters, his invader series of colorful and humorous depictions of animals and fish in mischievous settings, his Montana landscapes with their fascinating perspectives and vivid colors, his environmentally-related outdoor scenes, and his thought-provoking still lifes. The reader of "The Works" will get an good insight into Monte Dolack and his work, so much so that the reader will want to rush to Dolack's Missoula, Montana gallery and buy up all of his output.

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