Leader

Successful people have a plan and put it into action. This book teaches you the importance of having a plan and gives you many references and examples to help you develop your plan. It not only teaches you how to plan your success, it explains how to balance your personal life with your career. I know people who are considered successful, but they are unhappy. They have not learned how to have a well-balanced life. Daryl Green understands real success has many components, not just work.

I found the sample personal action plan very useful. It was easy to understand and implement. Daryl Green has taken something that can be very confusing and placed it in a format that makes perfect sense.

This book will be well worth the read. It's full of helpful information that will serve many a purpose. I've read many books that make promises, but this book delivers. I highly recommend reading this book which will come in handy for anyone who is starting out fresh, or who has been in business for themselves for a while.

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Opening Battles edited by Robert Underwood Johnson and Clarence Clough Buel from the editorial staff of "The Century Magazine." This is volume one of a four volume set, being for the most part contributions by Union and Confederate officers, based upon "The Century War Series."

This lead off volume begins with a realistic view of Washington,D.C. on the eve of the war as the preparation for war in the North and South begins. There is an excellent account of the fall of Fort Sumter along with detailed accounts of the operations in Virginia. This book is NOT limited to just ground action, but has naval battles and conflicts along the island waterways.

What I found to be interesting aside from the eyewitness accounts, were the excellent maps and engravings. This series was originally conceived in 1883 and is refered to as source material in other writings about the Civil War.

Grant, Bauregard, Longstreet and Sherman are just a few of the stories and accounts represented in this volume as the opening battles begin and the pages of history were forever changed. Written by the men who fought these battles makes this book very interesting as we read these accounts you begin to feel all of the emotions that bring to bear on these men as war becomes a reality where death and wounding become all too common.

We read about battles in Missouri, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, South and North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas as the war heats up and the opening slavos begin.

The four volumes of the famous Battles and Leaders series constitute one of the essential collections of Civil War source material and the next step up for the casual and interested reader of Civil War literature. It includes lavishly illustrated (photographs, sketches, maps) accounts of the battles by the men who fought them, the great generals, the staff officers and other observers. Nothing is omitted and the price is unbelievably low for books of this sort. The only caveat is that accounts are sometimes self-serving, especially when written by a losing general. Nonetheless things balance out and I doubt if anyone will ever regret buying the set.

Battles and Leaders of the Civil War: The Tide Shifts edited by Robert Underwood Johnson nad Clarence Clough Buel from "The Century Magazine" was written and originally concieved in 1883 by the editors of the Century Company. Reading most books published today about the Civil War, you'll most likely find in the bibliography references to this series. Thus, making this one of the best source materials of eywitness accounts published to date.

One of the costliest conflits, the Civil War still ranks high among events that came out of the nineteenth-century in United States history. This is volume three of a four part series that is written by the men who fought in the battles that comprise the Civil War. Events recalld by Grant, Sherman, McClellan, Longstreet and Beauregard just to name a few are described in detail with illustrations, maps, charts, and engravings to give the reader a better understnding of what was happening.

This volume starts with Bragg's Invasion of Kentucky described by General Joseph Wheeler called The Perryville Campaign and takes us through the Knoxville and Chattanooga areas of the war. Describing everything in detail you'll feel like you're there. I found these volumes explain a lot about the different battles and give the reader excellent details.

Where else can you go to get first hand knowledge of these fought battles... making this series invaluable to the reader and student of the Civil War.If you can find this series, it will make an excellent addition to your home library... you will find yourself referencing your reading about the Civil War with these volumes... adding detail and insight only found by those who actually were there and found here chronicled for your reading.

I found this series a real help in understanding why things happened the way they had. This series gives the reader an accurate, unbiased account of the war... a compelling story about part of our nation's history.

This book is one of a series of 4 books written/ edited by Johnson and Buel in the 1880's. These books were an outgrowth of articles written by Civial War participants and published in the "Century" magazine. All of the articles are excellent and the editors' notes are superb! Whenever you read any other book on the Civil War, its bibliography will almost certainly contain Johnson and Buel's "Battles and Leaders" - their 4 books are considered, along with the "Official Records", as essential source material for any author. This book and the other 3 books in the series are GREAT! And fun to read, as well. A "Must Have" series!

I picked up this book at an airport while rushing to a flight. I couldn't put it down! LeRoy Eims has a facinating way of making today's leader in today's dynamic time more at ease. We aren't reinventing the wheel although sometimes we feel as if we were. For thousands of years leaders have struggled with the same issues of loyality, vision, motivation, and team building. Mr. Eims tackles these and more of today's issues with startling reallife stories of leadership from the view point of biblical characters.

This is a classic on leadership. Although it is geared towards pastors or thoses in ministry, the principles that Leroy Eims covers can easily adapt to any leadership situation. Highlights include topics on resolving difficulties within a diverse group, setting the stage for success of the organization, keys to staying "charged up" as a leader, the dynamics of effective communication, and many, many more. I am a pastor and this book is one of the required reading items for anyone involved in full-time or volunteer leadership.

This book has helped me overcome my personal strains and helped me organize myself to be able to Judge myself and surroundings better.

Rashid Ali Project Leader

I have used the book as the basis of leadership development in my MLM group. The personal growth of the people in the group is wonderfull to see. I will recommend the book to anybody who has any interest in leadership and people. Chris van Zyl Port ELizabeth - South Africa

Peter Krass has edited the Wisdom Series series which includes this volume. Each anthologizes brief essays by different "icons of business." A brief bio of each author precedes her or his essay. In the Introduction, Krass asserts that "Among these various characters, in fact, the general consensus is that leaders are made, not born. The mythology of some mystical ability that surrounds these leaders is just that -- myth. As to the question: What makes a leader? The answer is here" in the 51 essays which he organizes within the following framework:

Part I: The Necessary Qualities

Part II: Dealing with Adversity

Part III: Visions of Progress

Part IV: Evolving Perspectives on Labor

Part V: Company Culture

Part VI: Habits and Idosyncracies

Part VII: Motivators and Mentors

Part VIII: Leading Revolution

[NOTE: Gary Hamel has written a truly brilliant book entitled Leading the Revolution. Compare and contrast his ideas with those expressed by Bossidy, Galvin, Vernon, Watson, Jr., Eisner, Wachner, Marriott, Jr., and Henry Ford in Part VIII.]

Of the 51 essays, the ones I found most valuable include all of those in Part VIII; also, others earlier in the volume such as "The Real Essence of Business" (Roberto C. Goizueta), "Roving Leadership" (Max DePree), "A View from Olympus" (Bill Gates), "American and Japanese Styles" (Akio Morita), "In the Public Eye" (Susan L. Kurtzig), and "Are You a Job-Holder or a Results-Getter?" (T. Coleman du Pont. A wide range of individuals discuss an even wider range of business issues. My suggestion is to select a topic or two of greatest interest and dive in. Because business circumstances can so often change so rapidly and (sometimes) unexpectedly, what you learn from what you read today may well help you to prepare more effectively for an uncertain future in which a new peril or opportunity emerges. Moreover, my guess is that there will be several other essays in this book to help you then, also.

I have also reviewed most of the other volumes in this series and recommend each of them highly.

This should be on every leader's or "wanna-be" leader's desk. Written by some of our past century's most effective leaders and edited to provide "side-bars" for the most important points in each of their articles, this book provides a much-needed tool. I have used it to draw on for speeches, research papers, and debate points. I first checked it out from the library to see if the content was worth buying - and I immediately ordered it! This definitely provides food for thought and inspiration. It includes not only the actual articles written by the leaders, but also a one-page profile/background on each.

Of all the new breed of humanist business books, only this one nails the genre's essential message so succinctly.

1. Evolution is the only business

2. Life is the only customer

3. Community is the only profit

4. Love is the only future

Kudos to Jaccaci and Gault. Heart felt and extraordinary.

I liked this book because it allows the readers to map all aspects of the future - especially business. The basic thesis states that compassion and empathy will be required to do business in the next millennium. Although this may seem contrary to the current "Greed is Good" school of thought, the authors show that paradigm shifts will force businesses to change their focus. A very practical book as well.

This is a good book. I recommend it in addition to my own, "Strategic Organizational Change."

Dr. Michael Beitler
Author of "Strategic Organizational Change"

If you are involved in organizational change, including the introduction and rollout of new systems, steering company culture and/or reengineering this book is a gem. What sets it apart from other books on the subject is that it has no fluff - it jumps directly into what you need to do and how you need to do it to meet your change objectives.

What I like is the step-by-step approach that is process- and project-oriented. As a process the approach is provided as a change process model that meshes with the phases, activities and tasks that are required to effect the change. Each of these are explained as they are introduced in the book, and are summarized in the appendix. This makes it easy to quickly develop a work breakdown structure, determine resources and create a schedule using project management software.

I also like the way the authors sequence the activities and the thoroughness with which they examine details and provide advice, questionnaires and other useful information and tools to cut through the complexities of the change process.

Among the growing pile of books I have read on the subject this one is the most pragmatic and provides the clearest path to effectively planning for and implementing change.

A decade or so ago the authors of Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities decided to bring the art of collaboration to the field of economic development. They even called their new firm "Collaborative Economics, Inc." to the amusement of many hard core industrial recruiters. This book is a result of their experience coupled with a sense of history and an idealism that is rare to find in a profession built on the principals of competitiveness.

The numerous examples of collaboration described by the authors go significantly beyond the details of the efforts. They are carefully woven into the Nation's revolutionary history by appropriate quotations and references to the role of collaboration as promoted by the authors of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as well as other notables in the "American Experience."

In addition, the illustrative examples drawn from the author's extensive and practical field experience working with collaborative efforts in all sections of the Nation over the past ten years are made particularly useful by describing not only results but discussing in detail successful collaborative processes that can be endlessly replicated in a variety of settings as well.

Due credit is given throughout the book to their mentor, John W. Gardner, through carefully selected and placed quotations and references. For example, Gardner is quoted in the introduction as saying "...the crucial task is to design a society (and institutions) capable of continuous change, continuous renewal and continuous responsiveness," a theme that runs throughout the book.

Henton, Melville and Walesh are optimistic about the future of collaboration and provide compelling evidence of its value in continuing the process of "dialog" which is the heart of the "American Experience." This book will be useful to anyone seeking to improve his or her community through collaboration. It will also be interesting for those with a more philosophic interest in the subject. It might even be worth the attention of hard core industrial recruiters.

In Grassroots Leaders for a New Economy (1997), the authors of Civic Revolutionaries identified a new type of leadership that has been emerging in regions that have been in the forefront of dealing with the problems and opportunities brought about by the new economy. They called these leaders "civic entrepreneurs." In Civic Revolutionaries: Igniting the Passion for Change in America's Communities, the authors have given us a compelling reason why this leadership model is essential in enabling regions to compete and prosper in the new economy.
By analyzing the complex problems that regions are confronted with today through the lens of the Federalist Papers and the debates between and among our nation's founders, they paint a picture that clearly demonstrates that traditional leadership is no more adequate today than it was in 1776. The authors have brilliantly made their case for regional stewardship taking the place of the traditional, top-down, command and control leadership that still persists in myriad communities throughout the United States. By focusing on the many tensions that exist within regions, such as the conflict between trust and accountability; change and continuity; individual rights and community, they leave little doubt that times have changed and the our concept of leadership must change as well.
I would recommend this book to anyone that is frustrated with the gridlock and inertia that still exists in many regions. A solution is at hand and it's called regional stewardship.

Classical And Modern Narratives Of Leadership is an impressive and scholarly collection of outstanding essays ranging across history from Pericles to George Bush. The insightful and informative contributors offer suggestions for the creative application of leadership skills based on both historical and contemporary examples. Classical And Modern Narratives Of Leadership invites readers to view leaders not only as the narrators of their own stories, but also the stories of the leaders (and followers) in every community and for each age. Classical And Modern Narratives Of Leadership is rewarding reading and highly recommended to students of historical and contemporary political, and cultural leadership.

Classical and Modern Narratives of Leadership is an impressive and scholarly collection of outstanding essays ranging across history from Pericles to George Bush. The insightful and informative contributors offer suggestions for the creative application of leadership skills based on both historical and contemporary examples. Classical And Modern Narratives Of Leadership invites readers to view leaders not only as the narrators of their own stories, but also the stories of the leaders (and followers) in every community and for each age. Classical And Modern Narratives Of Leadership is rewarding reading and highly recommended to students of historical and contemporary political, and cultural leadership.