Jonathan Tisch, author of
Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World (©2010, Crown) invites readers to discover their own purpose and join an inspiring movement. The book identifies new trends shaping today's civic engagement movement, including the shift from volunteerism to active citizenship, from charity to social entrepreneurship, from targeted philanthropy to systemic change, and from top-down paternalism to community-based action often driven by online social media.
Appreciative inquiry is the study f what gives life to human systems when they function at their best. This approach to organizational (and personal) change is based on the assumption that questions and dialogue about strengths, successes, values, hopes, and dreams are themselves transformational.
The Power of Appreciative Inquiry (©2010, Berrett-Koehler Publishers), by Diana Whitney and Amanda Trosten-Bloom, describes an approach to organizational change that improves performance by engaging people to study, discuss, and build upon what's working, rather than trying to fix what's not. The authors provide a menu of eight results-oriented approaches to appreciative inquiry, along with case examples from a variety of organizations to illustrate the process.
Hispanics are the largest minority group and the fastest growing demographic in the United States, representing 15 percent of the population and 22 percent of the workforce. It is estimated that by 2050, those numbers will go up to 36 percent and 55 percent. Louis Nevaer, author of
Managing Hispanic and Latino Employees (©2010, Berrett-Koehler Publishers), helps non-Hispanic employers and colleagues understand how Hisapanics see the business world so they can better support and develop this dynamic group of workers. The book explores subtle nuances within the Hispanic community that will help employers appreciate differences and tensions between Hispanic workers. The book also covers recruitment, retention, evaluation, training, mentoring, and labor relations.
To create new social realities, we have to work with two distinct fundamental forces that are in tension: power and love, according to Adam Kahane, author of Power and Love: A Theory and Practice of Social Change (©2010, Berrett-Koehler Publishers). He defines power as the singled-mined desire to achieve one's purpose and love as the drive to unite others. Since both of these drives are inextricably part of being human, to achieve lasting change you have to be able to work fluidly with both. The book explores the dual nature of power and love and addresses how they can be used for social reform.
To state that philanthropy is for the affluent implies that only the most financially accomplished can create community, and we know this is not so, says Kathy LeMay, author of The Generosity Plan (©2009, Atria Paperbacks). Even $5 donors can make a difference. However, planning to make a difference makes a greater impact. The Generosity Plan shows readers the unexpected benefits and joys of generosity in their daily lives and provides a practical guide to unlocking the power of giving by discovering what inspires them. By creating a plan for giving (whether time, talent, or money), donors can make a difference in their chosen cause.
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