Book Description
Now with a free SINGWIN CD-ROM, Evaluating Practice, Fourth Edition is even easier for readers to understand and apply data analysis.
Unsurpassed among human service evaluation books, Evaluating Practice, Fourth Edition, includes the innovative SINGWIN program, created by Charles Auerbach, David Schnall, and Heidi Heft Laporte of Yeshiva University. Evaluating Practice instructs readers on managing cases and charting and filling out scales. Although the authors are best known within the social work discipline, this book can also be used in other professional programs such as nursing, counseling, psychology, and psychiatry. The free supplement with practice test questions provides a number of helpful exercises.
For anyone interested in social work at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Also for those interested in psychology, counseling, psychiatry, or psychiatric nursing.
Customer Reviews:
A great text book..........2007-01-02
I ordered this textbook for an MSW course, and it's wonderful. I love all the examples and the software that comes with it.
Another Edition to a fantastic text.......2005-08-10
This new edition of the text once again proves that these authors are the masters of single subject research. I have used this text for five years in my graduate methods course and am completely satisfied with their coverage of the material of single subject research design. Just when a researcher thought it could not get any better, this new edition comes along with updates to the software.
Get this book.
enough is enough.......2005-03-22
I was pleased to hear that this text had been assigned in a graduate research course at my graduate school of social work. I'm seriously disappointed. I would not recommend this text's continued use. It is excessively repetitive, constantly restating previous material (commonly referred to as 'rehashing'), and, as a sidebar, i can't help but mention an irritating habit of unnecessary references to material yet to come ('we'll talk about that more in chapter 14.'). The writing style is terribly wordy, and in a weighted, clunky pseudo-conversational style that rarely is effective in a textbook. The actual technical information is obscured in a constant river of verbiage, usually in page after page of solid block text, the least helpful format when learning technical information (or when subsequently searching for specific information or techniques). The result? It serves as a strong sedative. Finally, the authors repeatedly express apologies, in what eventually (by page 350) feels like an obsequious and cloying manner, for putting forward an empirical and accountable approach to clinical practice. The worst, though, is the repetition of material, as if the reader were an idiot. The sheer relentlessness of it is what is so galling, and at $100 bucks, neither affordable nor worth the investment. There are other texts out there with clearer, cleaner, more articulate prose, that are more respectful of the reader, and at half the price, such as the classic and affordable: Single-Case Research Designs: Methods for Clinical and Applied Settings by Alan E. Kazdin. Ignore the pollyanna reviews above and below, and avoid this text, or if on the syllabus, protest and suggest an alternative.
A Classic in Practice Evaluation.......2003-11-13
Bloom, Fischer and Orme continue to make an unique contribution to improving practice in the human services by providing a road map by which practitioners can evaluate their effectiveness. I've been using their text book for over 15 years in teaching practice evaluation and in has been an invaluable help. The new edition has a CD Rom with SingWin, CAAP,and CAAS which I was able to install in Windows XP Home edition. You must install CAAS before CAAP for it to work. The sofware computerizes record keeping, score computation, and graph construction. I strongly reccommend this textbook for human services faculty.
Book Description
This book follows all NIMS ICS (National Incident Management System--Incident Command System) processes and principles. Beyond Initial Response was written to fill a significant gap in ICS training. Critical ICS position-specific training is difficult to get, yet responders have the responsibility to effectively operate in an ICS organization. This book removes the gap, instills confidence, knowledge and assurance that is required to be successful in an ICS command. Major focus areas: 1) the ICS Planning Process discussed in extensive detail, 2) ICS positions (13 critical positions thoroughly covered in depth), and 3) Unified Command: what it takes to be successful. This book is an invaluable reference tool that contains numerous job aids, checklists, illustrations and sample documents enabling the user to seamlessly work within the Incident Command System. In addition, it is an excellent support source for ICS training, contingency planning and response operations. Beyond Initial Response should be within arms length whether you are training or deploying.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book for all responders!.......2006-11-29
This is a great review of the ICS process! It's easy to read, with exceptional examples of each situation, how to conduct meetings, and how to fill out the ICS forms. I have brought it to a few excercises with me and everyone who looks at it, wants one! The authors did an INCREDIBLE job of combining their particular areas of expertise into a very educational product!
Highly recommended - clear, concise and well crafted........2006-08-15
An exceptional reference and text. Clearly, the authors have many years experience in emergency response and have applied their expertise to the core incident management concepts. If you are looking for a way to understand the National Incident Management System from concept to `nuts and bolts, down in the field' processes, this is the best you will find.
Book Description
Why do we remain unprepared for the next terrorist attack or natural disaster?
Where are we most vulnerable?
How have we allowed our government to be so negligent?
Who will keep you and your family safe?
Is America living on borrowed time?
How can we become a more resilient nation?
Americans are in denial when it comes to facing up to how vulnerable our nation is to disaster, be it terrorist attack or act of God. We have learned little from the cataclysms of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. When it comes to catastrophe, America is living on borrowed time–and squandering it. In this new book, leading security expert Stephen Flynn issues a call to action, demanding that we wake up and prepare immediately for a safer future.
The truth is acts of terror cannot always be prevented, and nature continues to show its fury in frighteningly unpredictable ways. Resiliency, argues Flynn, must now become our national motto. With chilling frankness and clarity, Flynn paints an all too real scenario of the threats we face within our own borders. A terrorist attack on a tanker carrying liquefied natural gas into Boston Harbor could kill thousands and leave millions more of New Englanders without power or heat. The destruction of a ship with a cargo of oil in Long Beach, California, could bring the West Coast economy to its knees and endanger the surrounding population. But even these all-too-plausible terrorist scenarios pale in comparison to the potential destruction wrought by a major earthquake or hurricane.
Our growing exposure to man-made and natural perils is largely rooted in our own negligence, as we take for granted the infrastructure handed down to us by earlier generations. Once the envy of the world, this infrastructure is now crumbling. After decades of neglect, our public health system leaves us at the mercy of microbes that could kill millions in the next flu pandemic. Flash flooding could wipe out a fifty-year-old dam north of Phoenix, placing thousands of homes and lives at risk. The next San Francisco earthquake could destroy century-old levees, contaminating the freshwater supply that most of California relies on for survival.
It doesn’t have to be this way. The Edge of Disaster tells us what we can do about it, as individuals and as a society. We can–and, Flynn argues, we must–construct a more resilient nation. With the wounds of recent national tragedies still unhealed, the time to act is now.
Flynn argues that by tackling head-on, eyes open the perils that lie before us, we can remain true to our most important and endearing national trait: our sense of optimism about the future and our conviction that we can change it for the better for ourselves–and our children.
“Steve Flynn offers the answer not only to protecting America from terrorist attacks and natural disaster but also to revitalizing our democracy. This book is a must-read for all members of Congress, 2008 presidential candidates, and ordinary citizens who want to build a better and safer future.”
–Anne-Marie Slaughter, dean, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University
Advance praise for The Edge of Disaster
“Steve Flynn has done it again. Like America the Vulnerable before it, The Edge of Disaster is the must-read book for every American, elected official, and presidential candidate who is committed to ensuring that our nation continue to thrive in perilous times.”
–Mark Warner, former governor of Virginia
“Since 9/11, protecting our nation against a terrorist attack has consumed policy makers in Washington. What Stephen Flynn points out in The Edge of Disaster is that much of this effort has been directed overseas, often at the expense of our homeland and its much more likely areas of vulnerability. Laying out a series of potential disasters both manmade and natural, Flynn calls for a greater emphasis on preparedness and the ability of communities and the nation to recover. Painting an often frustrating and infuriating picture of missed opportunities, The Edge of Disaster is a call to action. The time to act is now. We can only hope that policy makers are listening.”
–Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and
former administrator, Environmental Protection Agency (2001-03)
“Steve Flynn’s book makes the very persuasive argument that national security preparedness is linked to natural disaster preparedness. By investing significantly in our critical infrastructure, in citizen preparedness, and most importantly in leadership, we can be better prepared for all hazards. A great book that I highly recommend.”
–James Lee Witt, former director, Federal Emergency Management Agency
“Steve Flynn has become a relentless contributor to the dialogue on prioritizing the work of the post-9/11 security environment. The Edge of Disaster calls into question the neglect of domestic preparedness in favor of the Department of Defense-driven offensive in the global war on terrorism. The book offers provocative challenges to both our elected and our private-sector leaders, and both should read it thoroughly.”
–Admiral James M. Loy, former commandant, U.S. Coast Guard, and former deputy secretary of homeland security
Customer Reviews:
Good information.......2007-08-10
This book provides good information about making our country more prepared for natural or man-made disasters by using an all hazards approach. Some of the presented ideas are great others are very opinionated. You can tell the author is pro Coast Guard since he recommends they be in charge of everything, just a bit biased, but a good book overall.
An Eye-Opener.......2007-07-27
I thought this book was a great read for many reasons. First off, the author gives a few hypothetical cases of another terrorist attack on American soil. He does this not to incite fear, but just to prove how vulnerable our infrastructures are (waterways, ports, canals, oil refineries, etc). He mentions how old and antiquated they are and how the government is not pumping enough money to fix or upgrade those resources. Secondly, he gives several examples of how this can change and why it needs to be done. Lastly, (but not in this order) he also ties this in with our vulnerablity to natural disasters. "The Edge of Disaster" is a disaster that can be both man-made or natural. If you want to read about things that are not being discussed in the media that are very critical to the foundation of this country, then this is a must read!!
Challenges our myths and assumptions........2007-07-21
I found this book to be right on target - Bulls-Eye. Flynn points out all the pitfalls in the current mode of planning responses to disasters and terrorist attacks on the part of government, congress and others. He calls attention to the complacency of the American Public, partly lulled by a secretive government failing to share how it addresses the issues of disaster planning and repairing and maintaining American infrastructure to withstand both natural disasters and terrorism.
He rightly points out that NO effort has been made to involve and rally the American Citizenry to respond to disasters or fight terrorism (Where is the war bond drive to fight the global war on terrorism?) Nor have efforts been made to invoLVe the private sector (except recently, the state of Texas in its Hurricane Evacuation planning will involve energy companies, Walmart, Home Depot and the HEB groceries to assure people's needs are met quickly when the next hurricane comes).
In short, we as Americans, according to Flynn seem to be living in a world of make-believe fog. It reminds him of the last days of the Roman empire.
He did not mention, that since 9/11 while the US is pre-occuppied with a war on terror, the economies of India and CHina have taken off. In fact, the "smart money" is investing in Brazil, Russia, India and China, not the US. Perhaps our weak infrstructure has a role to play.
What are the solutions? I have cut and pasted them from another review as a reminder of how urgent the need is to address this issue:
1) Force Washington to build national resiliency at home
2) Put terrorism in the context of the other threats (see Wikipedia, "Ten Threats")
3) Fix the infrastructure now
4) Inform the American people, they are our greatest asset
5) Tap the ingenuity and resources of the private sector
6) Do not underestimate the value of individual preparedness
7) Do not allow government to pretend the pandemic will not happen
8) Discourage construction along vulnerable coastlines and in flood plains
9) Properly fund and support local police and emergency responders
10) Promote the concept of resiliency as a global imperative.
Buy this book. In fact, buy extra copies for those you love and cherish.
Natural Disasters or Terrorists: the Greater Threat? .......2007-05-30
Stephen Flynn travels a lot --- and everywhere he goes he finds crumbling bridges, inadequate highway systems, overtaxed hospitals, parochial politicians, obsolete communications gear, neglected or nonexistent planning, and a citizenry that does not seem to give a damn about any of these things. This book --- his second on the subject --- is his strident wake-up call, a plea that something be done before the inevitable disaster strikes.
His case rests on two major premises: that more 9/11s and Katrinas are a certainty, and that of the two, future Katrinas are the more to be feared because they will be more frequent and will impact more people directly. Our present political and popular fixation on terrorism alone he finds shortsighted and foolish. He calls for measures to deal with both at the same time.
Flynn's method is to construct hypothetical scenarios --- a terrorist attack on a ship carrying liquefied natural gas in Boston Harbor, a catastrophic earthquake that devastates north-central California --- and then to demonstrate the inadequacy of existing means to either prevent the event or minimize the damage they cause. His scenarios are generally based on authoritative sources as well as his own observations. In every case his conclusions are dismal: inability to respond quickly and efficiently, widespread panic, enormous casualties, government ineptitude. Yet the general public, he says, lives in an "almost adolescent sense of denial," preferring to just keep fingers crossed and hope that such things will not happen, or if they do happen, it will be somewhere else.
Flynn tries gamely to be nonpolitical about all this, but his indictment of the Bush administration and the small-government fetish of many politicians is plain. He deplores the Iraq War as a diversion of funds and resources from the place where real threats are much more evident --- here at home.
Some of his strictures are hardly new (e.g., the governmental passion for secrecy that keeps bureaucrats from sharing vital information, the inability of "first responders" and "first preventers" to communicate with each other, the absence of true collaboration between public and private agencies at times of crisis, the unfortunate preference for pork-barrel politics over meeting really urgent needs). But he goes well beyond these obvious truths, condemning public indifference or even ignorance of what needs to be done urgently. Our nation is "brittle," he says, and needs to be made more "resilient" before it is too late. Flynn obviously sees himself as Paul Revere on a coast to coast midnight ride.
There is a strain of special pleading in the book. Flynn, himself a long-serving officer in the Coast Guard, tells again the familiar story of how well that agency performed in New Orleans in 2005 --- then goes on to propose that it be given the leading role in domestic disaster response, with FEMA demoted to secondary status. It may well be a good idea, but Flynn is not exactly an impartial judge.
The obvious question here is: If all this work needs to be done pronto, how are we to pay for it? Flynn proposes a new agency, the "Infrastructure Resiliency Commission," insulated from pork-barrel political pressure. He would pay the enormous cost of quickly making us into a "resilient" nation with money from five sources: funds from the estate tax that the administration wants to end altogether, repeal of the tax cuts enacted under Bush, a dollar-a-gallon gasoline tax, funds from the defense budget and from state and city governments. One can virtually hear the howls of protest from motorists, conservative politicians, the Pentagon and local officials. Were I a betting man, I would not bet on this one.
Nonetheless, this is an important and often eloquent book. One hopes that Flynn/Paul Revere will be heeded, and that he is not like poor Cassandra, who was given the gift of prophecy, but along with it the curse that no one would believe anything she said.
--- Reviewed by Robert Finn
Good informative & eye opening.......2007-05-12
Good book, Flynn writes at a level anyone can understand. He makes the urgency clear that changes must be made in order to secure our nation.
Book Description
This book attempts to create an integrated model for management and administrative practice in the management of human service organizations. The book presents a theoretical foundation for human services management and identifies the major roles and responsibilities of the manager/administrator. To date, management books have identified problems in organizational functioning and described how systems should work. This book goes beyond description. First, it identifies themes that serve as guidelines to insure internal consistency within the organization. Then it proposes what managers need to do to put their organizations back on track toward excellence. The overall emphasis is on how to get employees to perform at their optimum levels to insure organizational efficiency, effectiveness, quality and productivity. For people in Human Services Management and Social Work Administration/ Management.
Book Description
Revised and updated, this is the most practical, most detailed handbook ever published on the techniques and approaches you need to run a successful campaign for any local office.
Customer Reviews:
An essential book for all would-be candidates.......2007-05-26
There are three books that I think all would-be candidates should buy: 1) How to Run for Local Office by Robert J. Thomas; 2) The Campaign Manager by Catherine Shaw; and 3) This one. When I ran for Congress in 2004, I relied on all three, whereas the other books I bought (five in all) offered little additional insight. Sadly, I "lent" this book to another candidate three years ago and never received it back, and since I don't plan on running for office again, I haven't had a need to repurchase it - this is why my review is scant on details. But I do remember that this book was excellent and if I ever did decide to run again, I would immediately add it to my Amazon cart.
Great Book for First Time Candidates and Campaigners.......2005-10-09
I have used this book and its predecessor for numerous local campaigns. It is not written at a theoretical level but is a nuts-and-bolts primer for small campaigns. I have other books on the subject, but this is the one I recommend most highly.
I find that many people who want to run for political office at the local level really have no idea about the mechanics of a campaign. By the time they realize that it is no easy task, they are too far gone or too dejected to turn their campaigns around. This book is an excellent guide for them to read before they start. I like the fact that Judge Grey demands a basic analysis of what it will take to win before a candidate commits himself.
I also think the judge's willingness to make recommendations (i.e. don't run as an independent, his insistence that no campaign is too small for a campaign manager) sets his book apart from others. The title of this book is "How to WIN a Local Election", not how to run one. In fact, he capitalizes the word "WIN" himself. Often times these books are written by political science professors who lose sight of the objective of a political campaign-- to "WIN" !
In short, this is an excellent primer for small local campaigns. Good enough that I buy copies to give to potential candidates before they throw their hat in the ring.
A citizen's primer on your civic duty. .......2005-08-15
This book is full of great practical ideas for planning and running a local campaign. If you know you want to run for office but you've never done it before, and you don't know where to start, this is the book for you. The author breaks it down into pieces and helps you figure out where to target your limited resources. It helps that he's won a few elections. So get going...remember, just voting only gets you a D, to get an A, you've got to run for office yourself.
Concise & informative guide to the basics for success.......2005-07-17
Grey produced a concise, informative and well-written guide to winning a local election. Local elections are won on actions that put the campaign in touch with the voters. This short, easy to read book provides the essentials quickly (I read it in a day) freeing the campaign to get out and work efficiently and effectively.
The criticism that the book is too basic by other reviewers misses the point. With experience as a senior project leader for a major national political polling firm, I still forgot what it takes to manage an entire campaign. The book is not naive in its simplicity, but eloquent at making decisions about what is relevant to convey to get a campaign up quickly and in the right direction.
Was a good overview for its day... dated.......2005-05-10
This is the best of the four books I've recently compared to run a local campaign. Three others, "Winning Local and State Elections" by Beaudry/Schaeffer, "Winning Polical Campaigns," by Bike, and "How to Win an Election," by Huseby are much more dated and significantly flawed. Of these books, this is by far the best, providing a good overview of the things one needs to do in order to run a successful campaign. Others have provided an overview of what you'll find inside and you can sneak a peak online, so I won't provide redundant info here. This book is unique in highlighting areas that may not apply to your particular election and highlighting potential "gotchas" for which you need to be alert, for instance financial reporting requirements for your state.
This book, like the others, falls short in its coverage of technology (online presence for the candidate, email communication, effective use of databases, automated polling maps), and in some cases is bent towards larger elections which have political party affiliation.
All-in-all a decent primer with helpful hints for getting started, but you'll also likely want to invest in something with a bit more depth around areas of particular interest/need for you: targetting, polling, messaging/communication, or advertising.
Customer Reviews:
Great help!!!!.......2007-05-14
Very helpfull!!! made the assessment center understandable for fire officer testing as well. Thank you!!
Works.......2007-04-01
This book gives you what you need. I made the first spot on my assessment center after scoring mid range in two previous ones.
Study it and know it!!
An Assessor's Viewpoint: Excellent Information.......2007-02-20
I have had the opportunity to do a lot of assessing, and have also been a candidate for promotion. I think this book is the best I've seen for helping a candidate get inside the process, really understand it and prepare for it. It would also be useful for assessors and those who are developing an assessment center without professional help. I'm going to use it as a general reference.
This is not a book to skim, because it is jam-packed with information, without the excess white space and big margins so many of these kind of books seem to have. I would suggest reading it one time for an overview, then slowly re-reading it from the very beginning. You will miss out on a lot of good material if you skip chapters or don't read them in order.
One of the things that stands out about this book is that the author uses many footnotes, quotations, and real-life examples, which always increases the credibility of a book for me. Not only did I find useful information, I found the titles of many other books I can use. It was obviously well researched, which I thought was impressive considering that you're lucky if you find even one or two validating footnotes in most of the other books on the subject. And the behind-the-scenes stories were so true, there is no doubt she has been there and done that.
This book is not only interesting to read...it would be worth reading even if you aren't taking a test...but I thought it was inspirational. Most books on promotional processes only talk about how to get promoted. This one talks about how to be your best after you are promoted, or even if you don't make it to the top of a list. I would like to read more books by this author.
An Outsider's Perspective.......2007-02-19
First, let me give full disclosure. I have been friends with the author since High School and she dedicated this book to me. You may decide to stop reading this review now, but I think you want to hear what I say for reasons you may not suspect. If you are interested in this book there's a good chance you are in law enforcement. I'm not, but I want to offer an academic review as an outsider, and I think you just might find it helpful.
If you check my other reviews you'll see my interests lie in missiology and biblical exposition. There is no way I would have picked up a book like this off the shelf of a bookstore! But, what the heck, I felt obligated to look it over since my name was on the dedication page and Ms. Rowe had sent me a free copy. Even then, I wasn't sure I would be able to wade through such a technical topic in which I have no training. Instead, I found myself immediately absorbed. The excellent historical explanation of the assessment center concept drew me in, and then I saw how she made the history and concepts live in the context of contemporary law enforcement.
Even though I have no training in law enforcement, her writing style and logic are so clear I had no trouble following along. By the time I finished the book I was convinced that this concept has potentially powerful applications to missiology in the training and preparation of missionaries! In fact, other researchers have expressed interest in helping with this application.
Incidentally, my wife had a similar experience with Ms. Rowe's unique training style when she was invited to sit in on one of her training classes in preparation for assessment centers offered in our area. She came home absolutely enthralled with the experience. Thinking she would be completely out of place as the only non-law enforcement participant, the training style drew her in, engaged her in the role-playing, and she clearly understood both the content and the application. She not only enjoyed the experience, she found principles she could apply to her personal life and activities.
As an academic, here's what I appreciated about this work: Ms. Rowe has done her homework, providing ample and appropriate documentation as well as a very useful bibliography. Her writing style is professional, yet personally engaging and even entertaining at times. She was a 33 year law enforcement veteran. Her personal experiences in both local law enforcement and as US Marshal for Colorado, responsible for the custody of Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols during their federal trials, provide for interesting illustrative material that demonstrate her ability to live out the principles she teaches. Academically, this is sound research, well-written, well-reasoned, easily accessible and applicable.
So, if you are a new officer, thinking ahead--as you should be--about your career development, if you are preparing for your next assessment center, or if you were just promoted and want to continue your professional development in law enforcement, this book will provide you with what you need. After all, if I can understand this and find ways to apply it to my totally unrelated field, imagine what it can do for you!
Now this is a source you can use.......2007-02-03
Excellent book for preparation for an assessment center for a Captain's position. Well written with useful insights and information. Much better than a previous book I purchased. Pretty much had it all except it would have been helpful to have an exercise to practice on. Otherwise it was worth every penny I spent on it.
Book Description
In Capitalism 3.0, Peter Barnes redefines the debate about the costs and benefits of the operating system known as the free market. Despite clunky features, early versions of capitalism were somewhat successful. The current model, however, is packed with proprietary features that benefit a lucky few while threatening to crash the system for everyone else. Far from being "free," the market is accessible only to huge corporations that reap the benefits while passing the costs on to the consumer. Barnes maps out a better way. Drawn from his own career as a highly successful entrepreneur, the author's vision of capitalism includes alternatives to the current profit-driven corporate approach, new legal entities, and a more responsible use of markets and property rights. Capitalism 3.0 offers viable solutions to some of the country’s most pressing economic, environmental, and social concerns.
Customer Reviews:
Finally someone thinks money isn't everything.......2007-03-21
I am enthusiascially asking you to take the leap and read this book. It is so refreshing to read words from someone who has made it "big", who also understands that that isn't all there is to being alive and well in America. The author clearly states that running a company that makes money is desirable and that that isn't the end of it. There are other considerations and other ways to impact the world than simply raking in the dough. I have long thought there was an ugly face to capitalism and it seemed to me I was the only one who saw it that way. It is comforting and reassuring to know I am not alone. Give it a try, okay? It won't hurt much and it helps to know there is a different way to see it all.
Socialism 2.0.......2007-03-09
Socialism 2.0 That is what this should be called. Basically this guy wants to tax businesses and give that money to liberal social causes. Well guess what you know that the corporations are just going to pass the cost on to the consumer to protect profit margins. And this as always will hurt the middle class, making them poorer and poorer until there are so many poor individuals that we will all rise up in revolution and over through the evil capitalist regime and create his envisioned socialist utopia.
The Beginnings of a Conceptual Framework for a New Economic System .......2007-02-24
I have just read Capitalism 3.0 by Peter Barnes and am very impressed. Peter is a Georgist of the US variety although that fact is not immediately apparent as the book is written in a very light, non-ideological, non academic style. It is an extremely accessible and well written case for 'the propertisation' of the commons - emphatically NOT 'privatisation'. It does not discuss land value taxes/rents directly but places them indirectly within the context of all commons and proposes a solution to 'the tragedy' of all commons that, followed through, would nevertheless deliver LVT and something like a citizens income.
Peter sees a need for a counterbalance to corporate power linked to private property, but not by State ownership and hence not by any measure that smacks of Socialism. Instead he puts forward the idea of many kinds of Trusts holding many kinds of commons property- from the GHG emisison rights to scientific knowledge to community land. Apart from the very essential job of supporting Commons Trusts and assigning property rights and legal protections to them, governments would thereafter stand aside. Governments would especially distance themselves from disbursing the receipts/rents/ licence fees collected for the use of the various commons as their susceptibility to corporate influence, according to Peter Barnes, is systemic and cannot be overcome. It is a very American approach - rather than intervening directly to regulate the power of an damaging but essential force, a countervailing force is introduced to dynamically re balance the system. A global Trust would be required to protect the atmosphere but this would not be given political power per se - but it would have significant economic power to balance the existing private sector influence of the WTO.
This solution would satisfy libertarian, free market thinkers as it would not enhance the role of the State any more than that which it currently plays. Indeed many regulations would become unnecessary as social, cultural and environmental welfare would be intrinsically factored into ordinary business decisions.
Of course all of this fits conceptually very nicely into the work Feasta has been doing for a Cap and (equal per capita) Share of green house gas emission rights. See www.capandshare.org for an update. What I think the idea really needs is another book entitled 'Socialism 3.0' that says more or less the same thing but from a European perspective. Together they could bookend a conceptual framework for an Earth and human friendly new economic system.
Coherent and Simple, Not the Whole Story.......2006-12-28
I concur with all the 5 star reviews with respect to this book presenting a vision for the next level of capitalism nurturing the commons rather than destroying it, but it is not the whole story. It is simple without being simplistic, but the terms "ecological economics" (see my reviews of books by Herman Daly) and "natural capitalism (see my reviews of books by Paul Hawken) are not an integral part of this story. Neither is public philosophy, although the author clearly has an ethical public policy of his own.
Like the work of Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, Hunter Lovins, and Herman Daly, it does not accuse nor seek repatriation of benefits as much as it seeks to educate and demonstrate why respect for the commons is good for business.
I recommend Michael Sandel's "Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics," and Paul Hawken's "The Ecology of Commerce," in addition to this book, but those deeply interested in this topic might wish to expand their range by browsing some of my lists on democracy, capitalism, and security.
The book ends with numerous ideas, some easy to implement, like time banks (I see a rush to displace banks, money, credit, and interest coming down the pike), and some more difficult but essential, such as reversing the spectrum licenses and land licenses awarded to corporations under Capitalism 1.0, and putting those resources to work for all of the people.
The author spends some time noting that government is not the complete answer, and I not only agree, I am eagerly waiting for a book called Government 3.0 or Democracy 3.0, something that brings together the diverse literature on the need to localize agriculture and energy again, stop the global corporations, e.g. Wal-Mart, from destroying communities, and restore integrity and trust in human transactions. In a sense, this book is a model that could be applied to other areas in need of revitalization.
Public Philosophy: Essays on Morality in Politics
The Ecology of Commerce
Ecological Economics: Principles And Applications
Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution
Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming
Wal-mart: The High Cost of Low Price
Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price
A fine roadmap for preserving capitalism's best features emerges........2006-12-11
CAPITALISM 3.0: A GUIDE TO RECLAIMING THE COMMONS provides a strong critical eye on modern capitalism, which is rapidly destroying the heritage 'the commons' imparts to future generations. Our modern approach will lead to economic and social collapse, Barnes warns; but capitalism can be 'upgraded' by recapturing the focus on 'the commons' of future generations, and here he proposes an update that includes innovative changes to preserve the system for the future. A fine roadmap for preserving capitalism's best features emerges.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Book Description
Since the late 1980s the international relief community has seen its resources and personnel stressed beyond capacity by humanitarian crises--large-scale, man-made catastrophes such as the conflicts in Somalia, Bosnia, Rwanda, Chechnya, Zaire, and elsewhere. Waged within collapsing states, political and ethnic strife targets civilians, causes mass population dislocation and widespread human rights abuses, and impedes the efforts of relief organizations to respond effectively. Covering topics ranging from emergency public health measures to the psychological trauma of relief workers, this volume presents both a seasoned assessment of current practice and proposals for improving operational efforts in the future. The discussion also raises important questions relating to the definition and direction of the overall humanitarian mission.
Book Description
"Elaine Kamarck shows us what we can expect if we want to go beyond the tired rhetoric of left and right to create a government capable of dealing with all the new challenges of this new century. She has had more practical experience with this challenge...than anyone else in the world."
--Al Gore
"This important book examines how bureaucracy can be updated to deal with the quickly evolving demands of the twenty-first century and also uses real-world examples to help us understand how new alternatives can best be applied."
--Richard W. Waterman, University of Kentucky
"Kamarck properly emphasizes the crucial importance of implementation for achieving results and makes clear that there are alternatives to creating yet another bureaucracy, shuffling the boxes on the organization chart, or creating another layer of management. Any member of Congress who takes congressional oversight seriously--and shouldn't they all?--would certainly benefit from reading this book."
--James Davis, Washington University in St. Louis
In the last decades of the twentieth century, many political leaders declared that government was, in the words of Ronald Reagan, "the problem, not the solution." But on closer inspection, argues Elaine Kamarck, the revolt against "government" was and is a revolt against bureaucracy--a revolt that has taken place in first world, developing, and avowedly communist countries alike.
To some, this looks like the end of government. Kamarck, however, counters that what we are seeing is the replacement of the traditional bureaucratic approach with new models more in keeping with the information age economy. The End of Government explores the emerging contours of this new, postbureaucratic state--the sequel to government as we know it--considering: What forms will it take? Will it work in all policy arenas? Will it serve democratic ideals more effectively than did the bureaucratic state of the previous century? Perhaps most significantly, how will leadership be redefined in these new circumstances?
Kamarck's provocative work makes it clear that, in addition to figuring out what to do, today's government leaders face an unprecedented number of options when it comes to how to do things. The challenge of government increasingly will be to choose an implementation mode, match it to a policy problem, and manage it well in the postbureaucratic world.
Customer Reviews:
A plain-spoken, serious-minded plethora of twenty-first century solutions.......2007-07-09
Written by Elaine C. Kamarck, a former senior policy advisor to the Clinton administration, The End of Government...As We Know It: Making Public Policy Work is a nonpartisan examination of the failings of bureaucratic government models with newer, leaner, and more creative approaches in keeping with the fast-paced and ever-changing information age. Chapters address the problem of homeland security and why bureaucratic thinking has failed to solve it, tools for reinventing the public sector such as waivers, applying the reinvention of government to the problem of welfare dependence (one such positive example is the use of an electronic benefit card to supplant food stamps - since food stamps can be used like cash and are thus more susceptible to corruption) and much more. A plain-spoken, serious-minded plethora of twenty-first century solutions to problems compounded by bureaucratic quagmires left over from the twentieth century. Highly recommended, especially for anyone active in local, state, or federal government.
Book Description
This very practical book provides a nuts-and-bolts introduction to case management. The book was initially written by the author as a manual for beginning case managers, and it is still focused on how to actually track and manage a case load.
The book is geared to entry-level professionals, and provides plenty of actual case examples to illustrate the pitfalls and high points of case management. Chapter 7 includes practical tips based on real training situations, such as how to interview clients. A list of key terms at the end of every chapter provides a focus for student review. Discussion questions at the end of every chapter are taken from real-life case management practice. Bibliographies at the ends of the chapters and at the end of the text provide suggestions for further research. The glossary at the end of the book establishes standard definitions of terms commonly used in practice.
For anyone interested in social work, nursing, psychology, or public administration.
Customer Reviews:
Practice of Generalist Case Management.......2001-07-23
The Practice of Generalist Case Management is a decent book for one wanting an overview of case management duties. The book is written in text book format, yet lacks some organizational qualities of putting information in hiarchical format to be remembered easily as most text books. I am not saying the book has problems with its organizational structure but for someone new to case management the structure within chapters is a little awkward.
Back up to catch up: Overcome specialization in Social Work.......2001-07-01
Holt has put together a solid overview of generalist case management. Although written for graduate students and working professionals, I have used it with independent study and directed reading courses for senior undergraduates planning to enter an MSW program. They have given me positive feedback about the value of this book during their internships in social and human services agencies. A good counterbalance to the over-specialization that hit social work education about 3 decades ago.
This book is excellent!.......1999-11-20
This book provides a very comprehensive overview of the practice of Generalized Case Management. It is written in a very easy to read format, and is loaded with the most up to date information on the field.
I highly recommend this book to those entering GCM as well as a great reference for those of us veterans already in the field.
Books:
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
- Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done
- Experiential Approach to Organization Development, An (7th Edition)
- Facilitating Organization Change: Lessons from Complexity Science
- Five Frogs on a Log: A CEO's Field Guide to Accelerating the Transition in Mergers, Acquisitions And Gut Wrenching Change
- Getting Organized: Learning How to Focus, Organize and Prioritize
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In
- Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Books Index
Books Home
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Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
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Program Evaluation: An Introduction
Introduction to Group Work Practice (with MyHelpingLab), An (5th Edition)
Social Work Practice with Children, Second Edition (Social Work Practice with Children and Families)
Ego Psychology and Social Work Practice: 2nd Edition
Research Methods for Social Work
