Forces for good : the six practices of high-impact nonprofits

 by Leslie R. Crutschfield and Heather Grant. Crutchfield and Grant examine the elusive topic of what makes nonprofit organizations successful, building a superb comparative research methodology and executing it admirably. By the time the reader arrives at the beginning of chapter 2 the stage is set; the depth of the analysis becomes apparent and the analytical quality obvious. A project of the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship at Duke University, this study is based on comprehensive survey data and interviews with nonprofit leaders. Effectively integrating 12 case studies of what they regard as high-impact organizations, the authors craft their theoretical framework and manage to bring all the divergent elements into sharp focus. Their advice on managing markets, mastering adaptation, and inspiring evangelists is truly exceptional and critically important to the survival of nonprofits. Readers will finish this book with the same admiration this reviewer felt and will be left with many insightful, thought-provoking ideas about the practices that make nonprofit organizations more effective. Forces for Good is a definite read for serious students of nonprofit organizations as well as practitioners in the field. The value of the content is limitless and far-reaching. Summing Up: Essential. --Choice (Check Catalog)

Triumph of the city : how our greatest invention makes us richer, smarter, greener, healthier, and happier

 by Edward L. Gleaser. Glaeser's academic specialty, urban economics, informs his survey of how cities around the world thrive and wither. Using a range of expository forms history, biography, economic research, and personal story he defines what makes a city successful. That changes through time, and a flourishing Industrial Age model may not work in the service-age economy, as rust-belt towns like Detroit have learned. One thing constantly attracts people to one city rather than another how much housing construction is permitted. Restrictive places, such as New York City, coastal California, and Paris, have a tight housing supply with prices only the wealthy can afford. Hence, middle-class people move to the suburbs or cities like Houston. Other features of metropolises their incidences of poverty and crime, traffic congestion, quality of schools, and cultural amenities also figure in Glaeser's analysis. Whatever the city under discussion, Mumbai or Woodlands, Texas, Glaeser is discerning and independent; for example, he believes that historic preservation isn't an unalloyed good and that bigger, denser cities militate against global warming. Thought-provoking material for urban-affairs students. --Booklist (Check Catalog)

Social networking for business : choosing the right tools and resources to fit your needs

 by R awn Shah. For companies looking to increase exposure and revenues in today's online environment, leveraging social technologies is serious business. Any project or venture using social technologies requires a strategy, an oversight structure, and mechanisms to measure the outcome. Shah (social software enablement, IBM Software Group) here documents these best practices and identifies patterns and metrics as well. Do not let the slim size of this text fool you; this is quite a dense read and is extremely granular in nature. Furthermore, the book has a strong emphasis on IBM solutions, which might make it more difficult for smaller businesses to embrace the advice. VERDICT While the advice offered here on macro- and micro-level activities is technically applicable to any social project or initiative, readers may not always be able to relate to the content or the examples. In the end, this is a scholarly text appropriate for only the most serious-minded and is potentially an excellent resource for MBA programs. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)

Financial statements demystified : a self-teaching guide

 by Bonita K. Kramer. Simplifying complex financial information is challenging. In this self-teaching guide, Kramer (accounting, Montana State Univ., Bozeman) presents four basic financial statements in an easy-to-comprehend manner. Using the classic classroom model, without long confusing rhetoric (for the most part), her book's content is easy to follow and grasp. The use of tables to present examples and statements is timely and conveys what traditional textbooks try to explain in several pages. Although this work is straightforward, two issues need to be addressed in future editions: chapter 4 is too long, and the image along the left margin of the first page in each chapter is distracting. The multiple-choice quiz after each chapter highlights the important issues. This work is an excellent guide for students as well as businesspeople who want a basic, practical guide to understanding and interpreting financial statements. See also, R. D. Norton's How to Read a Financial Statement  --Choice (Check Catalog)

The 10 commandments of money : survive and thrive in the new economy

 by Liz Pulliam Weston. The financial crash and subsequent recession have exploded many people's ideas of how money was supposed to work: micro and macro financial behaviors that precipitated the stock and real estate bubbles have now been shown to be ill-conceived, dangerous, and unsustainable. Financial columnist Weston provides a workable happy medium between fear and fecklessness, guiding readers to create a budget that works in the real world, create a survival plan with cash and credit, pay off debt the smart way, embrace risk sensibly, plan for retirement, and maintain communication about spending in a marriage and a family. Loaded with tips and ideas and illustrated with plenty of examples, this book hits all the major themes for total financial literacy in a conversational, digestible tone, backed up with clear "action steps" at the end of each chapter. A godsend for the financially befuddled, bewildered, or just plain anxious. --Library Journal (Check Catalog)