Recommended Reading: The Ring in the Rubble

Unexpected change can happen at any time. Gary Bradt, author of The Ring in the Rubble, uses the metaphor of change, the kind that leaves one’s life turned upside down and in a pile of rubble, to be the time of significant personal growth and renewal.

The image of digging through a pile of rubble is used to describe the process that one goes through in order to find the opportunities that are part of any crisis. The choice comes down to staying stuck in negative emotion and attitude, or working through the pain, fear, and uncertainty to find the “golden ring of opportunity” that is hidden in each unique situation.

The author begins each chapter by sharing with the reader how he lived through a serious family crisis and thereby learned the method he shares in the book of how to persevere and find the opportunity in change. Each chapter ends with five questions that assist the reader with applying the concept discussed in the chapter and encourages the reader to dig deeper in order to grow and benefit from the process.

Librarian’s Pick: Environmental Crime: A Sourcebook

The purpose of the book Environmental Crime: A Sourcebook by Ronald G. Burns and Michael J. Lynch is to focus on the need for those who study crime and justice to use environmental data more. The point is made that environmental crimes not only cause damage to nature, though that in itself is significant. Estimates suggest that ten times more people die from the results of environmental crimes than die from homicide. The estimated number of victims who suffer debilitating diseases and injuries due to exposure to toxins is in the hundreds of thousands, perhaps reaching a million. The authors state that these “deaths, injuries, and illnesses are more common, and have a greater impact on the average person than ordinary crime.”

The strength of this book is that it is not only for criminal science students. The environment affects all of us. Reading just a chapter or two will raise your consciousness about why this topic is important to you.

Thomas Keller‘s  Ad Hoc at home is the chef’s take on classic family meals. As the title suggests, his newest book is geared more towards home cooks, providing foundational advice on becoming a better cook and accessible recipes. His previous books (The French Laundry Cookbook, Bouchon, and Under Pressure) are esoteric using complicated methods only master chefs with access to equipment like an immersion circulator could replicate. Ad Hoc is a beautiful book inspired by Mr. Keller’s father and the last meal he cooked for him before he died. Ad Hoc is placed on reserve at the North Miami Campus Library.

NPR – Best Books of 2009

NPR has a really nice section on their site devoted to books of the year:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120499960

The Positive No

William Ury is the author of several books on the topic of negotiation and is recognized worldwide for his negotiation and mediation skills. He is currently the director of Harvard’s Global Negotiation Project. His most recent book, The Power of a Positive No: How to Say No and Still Get to Yes, provides a three step process (Yes! No. Yes?) that allows the user to more effectively get what is desired through negotiation.

Step one of a Positive No creates the understanding that saying “No” is actually saying “Yes!” to yourself. The second step of a Positive No conveys the reality that saying “No” states what it is that you do not agree to. The third step of a Positive No bridges to a point of agreement and respect. Ury also explains the process as: the first step expresses your interests, the second step asserts your power, and the third step furthers your relationship.

The effectiveness of a Positive No allows one to stand on ones own two feet, create what is wanted, protect what is valued, and change what does not work. The key to using this technique is respect. Although this may sound like common sense, Ury contends that it is uncommon, as so often the Nos used in negotiation and life do not follow this pattern, and the results are far from productive.

The Power of a Positive No is a fairly quick read and may provide you with an effective life long communication and negation tool. Can you recommend other self-help type books that you have found to be helpful? Posting your thoughts to these blog entries is always appreciated. We invite you to share your thoughts with other blog readers.

The Green Revolution

“Student by student, school by school, teacher by teacher, neighborhood by neighborhood, the American Re-Generation is growing and changing the culture around green, making it not only “hip” but also more central to our lives.” So states New York Times writer Thomas L. Friedman in his latest book: Hot, Flat and Crowded.

The warming of the planet, the “flattening” effect of technology on the global marketplace, and the spiraling world population growth, especially in nations that can least sustain overpopulation, are the trends Friedman identifies as the driving forces of the new Energy-Climate Era. It is in coping with and developing solutions for the problems generated by this hot, flat, crowded world, that Friedman sees America coming again to its role as the world leader. Furthermore, it is in the process of American leadership taking on the challenges of energy efficiency and environmental preservation, that America will renew its identity and self-confidence.

Each chapter reminds the reader of the importance of the topic and the necessity for change and leadership. In conclusion, Friedman uses the analogy of all of us sailing as pilgrims on the Mayflower, and arriving at a place where we have not been before. The nature of the decisions we make about sustainable development will define who we are as Americans, and, in a very real way, define a moment in history as a true turning point where the nations that develop the big solutions to the big problems will lead the new era.

What are your ideas for sustainable living and development?

eBook – The American History Cookbook

The American History Cookbook by Mark Zanger covers a wide range of American history cookery from the pre-colonial to school lunches.  Many of the recipes were selected from historical cookbooks with the intention to illuminate techniques used by the people of the time, and thus history.  The book is arranged chronologically by time periods (50 Chapters in total) and each chapter opens with a brief historical background then gives a typical recipe of that period.   The recipes include detailed instructions on how to prepare the dish authentically with instructions for substitutes for hard to find ingredients and difficult techniques.

The American History Cookbook is available as an eBook through Greenwood Digital Collection database.  To access this resource go to the library homepage, select databases, then scroll down to Greenwood Digital Collection and choose your location (either on or off campus).  Once you are in the database, click on “American History” subject heading to expand your options, then expand “American History (General)” and you’ll see The American History Cookbook.

Librarian’s Pick: Web 2.0, The Business Model

The book Web 2.0: The Business Model is an edited collection of works discussing the implications and applications offered by the Internet’s second generation of services.  The editors are: Dr. Miltiadis D. Lytras, President and founder of Open Research Society; Professor Ernesto Damiani, Department of Information Technology, University of Milan; and Professor Patricia Ordonez De Pablos, Department of Business Administration and Accountability, University of Oviedo, Spain. The research contained in this book focuses on discussing the state of the art of Web 2.0, analyzing successful cases of Web 2.0 with a business model perspective, and understanding the potential of Web 2.0 for business in different domains.

Various chapters refer to knowledge sharing, marketing free services, social networks, knowledge management, wikis, learning support, open tagging, Enterprise 2.0, and strategies in learning and teaching,

The volume is designed for managers and executives, students in management and IT/CS programs, politicians, government officers and policy makers, and professors in academia. 

Along with the scholarly studies, the editors encourage the reader to be aware of “the 2^nd Athens World Summit on the Knowledge Society” being held September 16-19, 2009.  The conference brings together stakeholders of the Knowledge Society development worldwide “to look at the impact and prospects of the Information Technology, and the knowledge-based era it is creating, on key facets of living, working, learning, innovating and collaborating in today’s hyper-complex world.”

Giving Back (book review)

Giving back : connecting you, business, and community / Bert Berkley, Peter Economy
HN65 .B46 2008

This quick read is a useful resource for those in the business community who want make a difference in their immediate local communities.  There is a recurring theme in this work that showcases successful business leaders who create organizations to help their communities directly, rather than relying on government or outsiders to do it.  In the forward, Harvey Mackay describes the book as a tool for individuals to use as an “easy-to-follow blueprint for making a real difference in the world around them.”

Included in the book are descriptions some outstanding socially-responsible programs created by leaders of these well known companies:

Chick-fil-A
Stonyfield Farm
UPS
 
The book also features excellent narratives of the early beginnings of these successful organizations:

Horizons for Homeless Children
Kiva.org
SPORTS for San Diego

The leaders of each of these organizations are interviewed at the end of each chapter.  Thoughtful advice is given in chapter 10 for CEOs interested in starting a new organization.  For the rest of us (non-CEOs), in chapter 9, there are descriptions of organizations that enable individuals to give back to their communities.

The book is fully indexed and chapter headings are clearly laid out in the top margin of each page.  Additionally, there is a useful appendix with 14 web resources for researching, connecting, networking, and interacting with charitable organizations.  Phone numbers, fax numbers, and snail mail addresses are given for these resources as well.  Come in and check it out.

Writing For the Fashion Business

Writing for the Fashion Business, by Kristen K. Swanson and Judith C. Everett, is a brand new book we recently received in the library. It is a text book focused on developing writing skills, and the aplication of writing skills in the fashion industry. Although writing may not be the first thing that comes to one’s mind when thinking about fashion, the reality is that as a professional in the fashion business, you will need to be able to express yourself effectively through writing.

Part one explains the various writing levels involved in fashion. The primary level has to do with the raw materials producers. The secondary level pertains to apparel manufacturers. The retail level consists of businesses that buy from the secondary level and sell to consumers. The auxiliary level consists of fashion media and journalists, promotion and advertising agencies, information resources, and professional or trade organizations that assist fashion businesses in communicating within the industry and to the consumer. Part one also describes writing technique, developing a vocabulary appropriate for the fashion industry, and using correct grammar and format.

Part two describes fashion journalism, including writing for newspapers, magazines, and broadcast media. Part three focuses on fashion promotion communication which includes writing for advertising, public relations, and the new media of web pages and blogs. Part four explores scholarly writing, writing books, business communications, and personal messages such as resumes and letters.

Appendixes include: grammar mechanics, documentation format, effective document design, web source location and evaluation, and oral presentation. The book also has a glossary and index.

Becoming acquainted with this book will enhance your own knowledge and skills, and may open the door to a creative and rewarding career.