Tax Compliance for Tax-Exempt Organizations 2004 (Tax Compliance for Tax-Exempt Organizations)

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Dimensions of Corporate "Citizenship" in the 21st Century

Truly Inspirational Work

The Democratic Enterprise: Liberating your Business with Freedom, Flexibility and Commitment (FT)
Lynda Gratton
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organizations Buzz with Energy - And Others Don't

Living Strategy: Putting People at the Heart of Corporate Purpose

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't

ASIN: 0273675281

Customer Reviews:

Dimensions of Corporate "Citizenship" in the 21st Century.......2005-03-25

Gratton asserts (and I wholly agree) that there are many compelling reasons for any organization -- regardless of size or nature -- to become and then remain what she characterizes as a "democratic enterprise." Here are five on which she focuses throughout this brilliant book:

1. Employees who experience democracy are more engaged.
2. Democratic enterprises create win-win situations.
3. Democratic enterprises are more just and fair.
4. Democratic enterprises are more agile.
5. Democratic enterprises are more able to integrate.

It is no coincidence that when Fortune magazine publishes its annual lists of the most admired, best to work for, and most profitable corporations, respectively, several names appear on all three and others appear on at least two. To varying degrees, all are (by Gratton's definition) democratic enterprises.

At this point, I feel obliged to reassure those who read my brief commentary that this book is mercifully free of esoteric theories, hypotheses, etc. which so frequently descend from various ivory towers like leaflets. She devotes all of the first chapter to what she calls "Citizens' Tales." She introduces her reader to three corporate executives -- Greg Grimshaw (BP), Nina Bhatia (McKinsey), and Stewart Kearney (BT) -- and carefully explains how why each is important to her/his company, what each has done to be the best he/she could be, and what her/his company has done to sup[port those efforts. Citing reasons such as those listed earlier is easy. Validating and verifying them in the careers of three people is infinitely more difficult and Gratton succeeds brilliantly.

Grimshaw, Bhatia, and Kearney are representative in that they "reflect the choices and dilemmas faced in day-to-day working lives...By observing them and the companies in which they work we are witnesses to the ebbs and flows of the contemporary enterprise...[They are] citizens rather than employees [because] they are adopting some of the conditions of citizenship and all are members of companies adopting some of the tenets of democracy." According to Gratton, it is in the best interests of institutions and organizations to serve the best interests of their "citizens." Why? First, by encouraging individuals to become autonomous and agile, they will themselves become more agile. Next, if they are committed and purposeful, their people will be committed and purposeful. Finally, the tenets of democracy (discussed in depth, pages 33-42) create an appropriate platform to integrate diverse business initiatives.

In Chapter Two, Gratton briefly examines various forms of democracy (classical, liberal, direct, competitive/elitist, and legal) and the aforementioned tenets of democracy. Then in the following chapters (Three through Eight), she discusses "The Democratic Study" (which explores the six tenets in greater depth), "The Drivers to Democracy" (e.g. shifts in individuals and in technology), "Building Individual Autonomy" (i.e. how both individuals and organizations can become autonomous), "Crafting Organizational Variety" (real-world examples provided by BP, McKinsey, SONY, Unisys, Goldman Sachs), AstraZeneca, and BT), "Shaping Shared Purpose" (i.e. dimensions of accountability, obligation, trust, and power), and "Leaders and Citizens at Work" (e.g. the roles of the leader as philosopher and visionary and the roles of the team leader as creator of space and goal setter). In a single volume, Gratton has achieved a stunning application of fundamental principles of democracy (most of which were formulated in ancient Greece) to business issues, challenges, and opportunities in the 21st century. Obviously, it remains for each reader to determine the nature and extent of relevance of the material to the needs of her or his own organization.

Those who share my high regard for Gratton's book are urged to check out Jim O'Toole's The Executive's Compass: Business and the Good Society and his most recent book, Creating the Good Life: Aristotle's Guide to Getting It Right, as well as David Maister's Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture and David Whyte's The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America.

Truly Inspirational Work.......2004-05-28

I went through The Democratic Enterprise recently and my thoughts mid-way into the book were "here's a work that truly captures the essence of the organisation of today and tomorrow, where both individual and organisation have a shared responsibility to religiously connect on a mental plane for a greater purpose."

All chapters are relevant and intellectually stimulating especially chapters 5, 6 and 7 on "individual autonomy, organisational variety and shaping shared purpose," which form the heart and soul of this immensely thoughtful and inspirational work.

The capacity of the "individual-employees" to behave as "adults along with their capacity for self awareness" interlinked with the capability of the processes and practices within the organisation to enable employees exercise choices through "creation of variety" and the establishment of a shared common purpose through an environment of mutual trust and support was very well argued and presented. It clearly brings out the all important roles the individual and the organisation bring to the table and collaborate to create the "democratic enterprise."

The elements of the Human Capital Model made wonderful reading and further built on her landmark article co-authored with Professor Sumantra Ghoshal on "Personal Human Capital: New Ethos for the Volunteer Employee" (EMJ - Feb.'03).

This book should be required reading for all, be it the leader, the line manager, the HR professional, the young executive, all individuals who have a common stake in the organisation and have invested their "human capital" towards shaping a shared purpose.

A great followup on her previous inspirational work on Living Strategy.

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The Democratic Enterprise: Liberating your Business with Freedom, Flexibility and Commitment (FT)
Lynda Gratton
Manufacturer: FT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OQVX60

Book Description

Consider the ghostly neutrino. This elementary, subatomic particle carries with it not only an uncanny reminder of a time eons ago when symmetries were perfect, but also a clue as to how they came to be broken. For every neutrino that now spins to the left, there was once one that spun to
the right: these parallel twins were destroyed in the "Big Bang," that cosmic apocalypse that, most scientists now agree, created the universe. And this decay of symmetry is reflected in the building blocks of organic life as well. The helical structures of our own genetic material spiral to the
left; no right-turning counterparts exist. The left hand of creation has a long reach indeed, extending from the beginning of time to the miracles of life we witness everyday.
In this provocative and widely praised volume, two internationally acclaimed astronomers show nonspecialist readers how the latest scientific research is helping to solve one of humankind's oldest riddles: the origins of the universe. In clear, nontechnical terms, John D. Barrow and Joseph
Silk explain how the physics of elementary particles and the scenarios of cosmology converge in theories that illuminate the beginnings, the evolution, and the possible future of our world and its seemingly infinite neighbors. In the process, they lead us along an amazing path of discovery. We
examine the black body radiation still detectable in space today (once the predominant constituent of the universe, now a cosmic fossil of the primeval fireball), explore the Milky Way (with more stars swirling around its center than people who ever lived on Earth), and find that all we see around
us is inextricably linked to the exceedingly remote past.
As it traces the origins and development of the universe, The Left Hand of Creation asks some compelling questions. What was the beginning of time like? Was it a time of chaos or of smooth transition? Was it unfathomably hot or inconceivably cold? In attempting to answer these and other
questions, Barrow and Silk effortlessly cover the entire spectrum of modern theory, making even the most arcane and difficult accessible to the layperson. They offer succinct, readable accounts of such cutting-edge fields of inquiry as quantum physics, quark theory, particle physics, and astronomy,
to name but a few. And they also introduce us to the scientists whose collective genius made modern cosmological study possible in the first place. There is Edwin Hubble, whose Red Shift Theory proved that the universe is expanding; the eighteenth-century English clergyman John Michell, whose
revolutionary ideas about gravity predicted the discovery of black holes by American physicist John Wheeler some two centuries later; and, of course, the titanic figure of Einstein, whose Theory of Relativity looms behind virtually every breakthrough in modern physics.
A book for anyone who has ever contemplated how the world came to be, or has simply awestruck by a starry sky at night, The Left Hand of Creation offers a treasure trove of insights and explanations.

Customer Reviews:

The Breakthroughs in Modern Cosmology .......2006-02-12

"For the briefest instant at the origin of time when all laws of physics on an equal footing, all nature's elementary constituents, heavy and light alike, interacted freely and democratically. The most exotic particles known, or even dreamt of, by man were liberated to participate in this unrestrained interchange." Prologue

Left-Handed Creation:
"Amino acids, the molecular building blocks of life (except for a few) are all left-handed.... Why life on the molecular level is like this is a mystery... The astronomers believe that this left-hand bias began long before our Sun was even born. ... Many scientists believe that life could only have developed on Earth because of the bias towards left-handed molecules." (Dr David Whitehouse, BBC Online, July 1998)

The Mysterious Universe:
In the updated new revision to their insightful guide, written for attentive inquirers seeking a telltale that helps solving the old riddle of the cosmological origins, a plausible account for the evolution of the universe, that provides a fascinating view of the different perspectives on this topic was integrally explored. The acclaimed astronomy educators provided the reader with a fresh introduction to survey the main developments on the new phase that cosmology erupted into, the decade following the book's first edition.

Cosmology 101:
One useful method to enjoy the enormous range of scientific topics covered was to read the introduction and prologue, review the Conclusions and Conundrums, before following attentively the authors account of the provocative dynamic unfolding of the Left hand of creation on the Cosmic debate; Cosmos, Origins, creation, evolution, and finally Chaos to cosmos.
In a masterful brief introductory to the thought evoking guide using a minimal technical terminology, to which a thorough Glossary (10 pages) was appended, the astronomical universe's most puzzling features are explored in the light of the technological revolution from the Hubble telescope to the micro computers. In a reader friedly escort, onto the NASA Cosmic Explorer COBE, you will be fascinated by the scientific account from the primordial furnace during the initial Big Bang to develop into moving streams of galaxies, and from nucleosynthesis to superstrings, dark matter, explaining the idea of inflation.

Cosmos from Chaos:
The serious inquiry starts with the controversial debate on adam's belly button, and proceeds on the age of the cosmos utilizing clear and informative graphics from Hubble law to Le Chatalier principle applied to the universe phase transition. I am at a great loss to review the book landmarks which covered the genius human vision to percieve the predictions and link them with the proofs from Friedman to Eddington on the expanding universe, and the curious origin of Bondi's Steady-state concept of 'creation ex nihilo' initiated by the great master John Philoponus of the sixth century Alexandrine Academy.

Acclaimed authors:
Dr. John Barrow, FRS, is an English theoretical physicist and Research Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. He is also a popular-science writer, he obtained his doctorate from the University of Oxford, and has worked at the University of California at Berkeley. His first book, The Left Hand of Creation, published in 1983, and has authored further 15 books.

Dr. Joseph Silk, is Professor of Astronomy and chairman of Oxford University Astrophysics, following a 30-year career at the U. of California, Berkeley. Professor Silk, a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Harvard, (two hundred invited lectures on primarily galaxy formation and cosmology), is author of many popular articles and books 'The Big Bang, and 'A Short History of Universe.'

The Left Hand of Creation the Origin and Evolution of the Expanding Universe

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The Left Hand of Creation the Origin and Evolution of the Expanding Universe
John D. And Joseph Silk Barrow
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKAEQQ

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The Left Hand of Creation: The Origin and Evolution of the Expanding Universe
Silk Joseph Barrow John D.
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKAEU2

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The left hand of Creation: The Origin and evolution of the Expanding Universe
John D., Silk, Joseph Barrow
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OHE4C4

Book Description

This comprehensive, research level introduction to the theory of liquid metals presents the concepts needed to understand the properties of these metals starting with a survey of the basic experimental facts. The quantitative theory of liquid pair correlation functions, effective ion-ion interactions, thermodynamic properties and electronic and atomic transport is then developed. The book also explores inelastic neutron scattering from bulk liquid metals, critical behavior, magnetism, the present understanding of the liquid metal surface, binary liquid metals, shock wave studies, liquid hydrogen plasmas and the constitution of red star giants. This is an informative text for advanced postgraduate students and researchers in condensed matter physics, theoretical physics, physical chemistry and theoretical chemistry.

Customer Reviews:

Less a review, but more about the author ..........1998-08-21

Liquid Metals contains more a description of the author's own work in the area than an overview of the theory of liquid metals. At least one third of the bibliography is work, published elsewhere, by the author and in itself cannot provide a candid description of the subject - being so self-referential. I would advise the reader to approach the theory of liquid metals from the point of view of Hansen and McDonald's 'Theory of Simple liquids' and then move on to the books of Shimoji or Faber, dealing with the topic at hand. The dynamics of the liquid state is also much better described in Balucani and Zoppi. If you have a particular interest in the work of the author then, perhaps, this book would be of interest to you.

Liquid Metals: Concepts and Theory (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)

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Liquid Metals: Concepts and Theory (Cambridge Monographs on Mathematical Physics)
Norman Henry March
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Bridges the gap between classical analysis and modern applications. Following the chapter on the model building stage, it introduces traditional techniques for solving ordinary differential equations, adding new material on approximate solution methods such as perturbation techniques and elementary numerical solutions. Also includes analytical methods to deal with important classes of finite-difference equations. The last half discusses numerical solution techniques and partial differential equations.

Customer Reviews:

An Excellent Book ...for Process Modeling Engineers.......2000-11-25

This is an excellent book that talks about various mathematical tools and its applications for Process Modeling. This start with the very basic funamentals and finishes at the highest level. This is a rare book that describes the theorotical fundamentals of mathematical Derivations in Chemical Engineering unlike other books that majorly contain Numerical Methods

The Art of Modeling in Science and Engineering

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A great reference book
An interesting book

The Art of Modeling in Science and Engineering
Diran Basmadjian
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1584880120

Book Description

Introduction. The Setting Up of Balances. More About Mass, Energy and Momentum Balances. Ordinary Differential Equations. The Laplace Transformation. Special Topics. Partial Differential Equations: Classification, Types, and Properties; Some Simple Transformations and Solutions. Vector Calculus: Generalized Transport Equations. Solution Methods for Partial Differential Equations

Customer Reviews:

A great reference book.......2001-12-20

I found this book to be an excellent source for engineering students and practitioners. The distinguishing feature of the book is the way in which it introduces reader to complex modelling concepts in an easy to understand manner, covering both ordinary and partial differential equations. The book is rich in practical examples, and useful tables and graphs. Earlier prints suffer from typographical errors that are found to be corrected in the latest print of the book.

An interesting book.......2001-03-09

The book presents the disturbed state concept, or the concept of correction functions, as it applies to the modeling of engineering materials. The book is well written, simple to understand, and full of new ideas.

I take great pride in stating that my thesis under the author, Professor C.S. Desai, at Virginia Tech in 1979 was the beginning of what the author has named "The Disturbed State Concept." The thesis was subsequently published as a book:

"Fundamental Aspects of the Normality Rule and Their Role in Deriving Constitutive Laws of Soils," EP, 1980.

At that time a flier for the book read, "This book which establishes a link between theoretical mechanics and engineering is the only one available of its kind." The same can be said of the book by Professor Desai.

In essence, the Disturbed State Concept (DSC) says that for some materials, well founded equations of theoretical mechanics apply only when a material has attained some characteristic state called the fully adjusted state (FA) by the author. For other states, we must incorporate suitably chosen correction functions in order to model the OBSERVED material behavior. The correction functions attain a value of unity at the the characteristic state.

A typical example of the characteristic state is the critical state attained by a class of geomaterials at some unique combination of stress, strain, and internal structure.

The author asserts that with the help of DSC, we are able to apply some standard concepts of theoretical mechanics, e.g. the Drucker-Prager associative plasticity to a nonstandard material behavior such as nonassociative plasticity.

The beauty of the concept lies in its simplicity -- to an extent that the concept appears childish at times -- yet the concept gives us a powerful tool for making some abstract notions of mechanics work for engineering.

In the beginning chapter on introduction, the author sounds like a professor of Budhists Philosophy. Here is an excerpt.

"For a given material, the fully adjusted state can be described as the critical state at which the material approaches the state of invariant properties......The critical state is like the state Buddhist call NIRVANA, in which all biases, pushes, and pulls, due to KARMIC action (like nonsymmetric forces on materials, say, causing shear stresses), disappear, leading to the equilibrium or isotropic state."

An interesting chapter on DSC has recently appeared in the following book.

Book Description

Travel back in time and relive the life with me from childhood to my early twenties where life was simply unexpected. Where the days and nights seemed like they would never end. Experience wanting to live a normal life as possible, while extreme misfortune and hardships kept interrupting. I call them the demons that I will never forget; they were put upon me by the closest people to me. Come and see how sports changed my life and me focus on a more positive outlook. You will see how someone can accomplish so much with so little. Just when you think it can't get any worse "Simply Unexpected" will return, Part Two.

Customer Reviews:

Communist Saint.......2005-03-04

This is a gracefully-written biography of Bram Fischer, a South African lawyer who played a key role in the anti-apartheid struggle in the 1950s and '60s. In spite of his prominence in the Johannesburg bar, Fischer rejected the racist system that oppressed the majority black population. He joined the Communist Party, worked underground, and defended Nelson Mandela and other activists. Eventually, he was arrested and jailed during a crackdown on the Party. Unlike Mandela, who lived to see the collapse of apartheid, Fischer never entered the promised land: he died of cancer in 1975, at the high point of Afrikaner power. Nevertheless, his inclusive, tolerant approach to politics and his saintly personal example influenced a generation of ANC and Communist activists, helping to shape South Africa's current multiracial and democratic constitutional order. This lovely book is a moving testament to a lovely life. Although Clingman is a bit longwinded and uncritical, anyone interested in South African history will learn from and enjoy his tome. Law students and young lawyers should also read it. Six stars!

A Rare Gift.......2000-01-15

This biography chronicles the life of an inspiring Afrikaner who, breaking away from the privileges of his family's background, sacrificed everything for his cause. Fischer's spirited dedication to human rights should provide great insipiration to all those who have ever fought for civil rights. The true treasure in this book is Clingman's ability to see symbolism in even the smallest details of Fischer's life. What an invaluable gift this book is to the Fischer family and to South African history. Truly, this book is a fascinating read.

Superbly researched, beautifully written & deeply inspiring.......1999-02-12

This book is a work of top class scholarship. But when, probably at 4:00am, you finally put it down you'll feel like you've been reading the most perceptive poetry or listening to the most beautiful music. Like the Pablo Neruda inspired debut Juluka album (Universal Men) it weaves a commitment to truth, a reverence for what's most nobel in the human spirit and a feel for tragedy and transcendence together with real wisdom and what can only be described as melody. And, although this book is written with the almost clinical economy of style that characterises J.M. Coetzee's work, there is a passionate undercurrent almost as intense as the more explicit passion of a writer like Frantz Fanon.

Bram Fischer, the Afrikaner Communist who is the subject of this book, was never as romantic a figure as Che Guevarra, Frederick Douglass or Steven Biko but Clingman is so aware of the drama and promise of everyday life that this book ends up being far more engaging than Jon Anderson's recent biography of Che Guevarra.

The book does have its flaws - for example Clingman's understanding of the South African black consciousness movement is poor - but in a strange way the flaws are part of what give this book its character. That's because this book is about struggle and the flaws make the reader aware of Clingman's stuggle to understand and explain Fischer and his country. So while you're reading about Fischers' struggles and South Africa's struggles and being inspired to think about other struggles Clingman's occassional slip ups make you aware of the author's struggle and leave you inspired by his tremendous, although not total, success.

This book is important and valuable in itself. It's also an important work of history which, given the extent to which apartheid and 'postapartheid' mimic the new world order (global apartheid?)is profoundly relevent to life in 1999.

Buy this book, immerse yourself in its riches until they become part of you, and you'll be a better person.

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