Creativity is an essential human drive that nourishes the soul.

“All that have ever tried to impose change in their organization will immediately recognize and truly value the in-depth knowledge and experience captured in this book. It contains a collection of eye-openers that is a treasure chest for pioneers of new organizational ideas, A fantastic toolbox for use in future missions!” —Lise B. Hvatum, product development manager, Schlumberger “If you have need of changing your organization, and especially of introducing new techniques, then you want to understand what is in this book. It will help you avoid common pitfalls that doom many such projects and will show you a clear path to success. The techniques are derived from the experience of many individuals and organizations. Many are also fun to apply. This stuff is really cool—and really hot.” —Joseph Bergin, professor of computer science, Pace University, New York “If change is the only guarantee in life, why is it so hard to do? As this book points out, people are not so much resistant to change itself as they are to being changed. Mary Lynn and Linda have successfully used the pattern form to capture and present the recurring lessons of successful change efforts and have placed a powerful knowledge resource in the hands of their readers.” —Alan O'Callaghan, researcher, Software Technology Research Laboratory, De Montfort University, United Kingdom “The most difficult part of absorbing patterns, or any technology, into an organization is overcoming the people issues. The patterns in this book are the documentation of having gone through that experience, giving those that dare push the envelope a head start at success.”—David E. DeLano, IBM Pervasive Computing “If you have ever wondered how you could possibly foster any cultural changes in your organization, in this book you will find a lot of concrete advice for doing so. I recommend that everyone read this book who has a vast interest in keeping his or her organization flexible and open for cultural change.” —Jutta Eckstein, Independent Consultant, Objects In Action Author of Agile Software Development in the Large 48 Patterns for Driving and Sustaining Change in Your Organization Change. It's brutally tough to initiate, even harder to sustain. It takes too long. People resist it. But without it, organizations lose their competitive edge. Fortunately, you can succeed at making change. In Fearless Change, Mary Lynn Manns and Linda Rising illuminate 48 proven techniques, or patterns, for implementing change in organizations or teams of all sizes, and show you exactly how to use them successfully. Find out how to Understand the forces in your organization that drive and retard change Plant the seeds of change Drive participation and buy-in, from start to finish Choose an "official skeptic" to sharpen your thinking Make your changes appear less threatening Find the right timing and the best teaching moments Sustain your momentum Overcome adversity and celebrate success Inspired by the "pattern languages" that are transforming fields from software to architecture, the authors illuminate patterns for every stage of the change process: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. These flexible patterns draw on the experiences of hundreds of leaders. They offer powerful insight into change-agent behavior, organizational culture, and the roles of every participant. Best of all, they're easy to use—and they work!

"May 1950, Britain is struggling with the hardships of rationing and the aftermath of the Second World War. Peter Schormann, a German ex-prisoner of war, has left his home country to be with Mary Howarth, matron of a small hospital in Wales. The two met when Mary was a nurse at the POW camp hospital. They intend to marry, but the memory of Frank Shuttleworth, an ex-boyfriend of Mary's, continues to haunt them and there are many obstacles in the way of their happiness, not the least of which is Mary's troubled family. When tragedy strikes, Mary hopes it will unite her siblings, but it is only when a dhild disappears that the whole family pulls together to save one of their own from a common enemy"--back cover.

""A thoughtful assessment of socioeconomic needs and influences, observing the necessity for benefits as well as the lessons of experience offered by various nations""--Library Bookwatch Over the last two decades, aging populations, changing family structures, market forces of globalization, strains of immigration, and political and ideological realignments have joined to create powerful pressures that are reshaping the design and philosophy of social welfare policies. Changing Patterns of Social Protection analyzes emerging patterns of social welfare and the implications of these trends for the future of social protection to vulnerable groups in France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Examining central policy trends in these countries, contributors explore current reforms of mainline programs: old age pensions, disability and unemployment insurance, family assistance, health care, and social services. The findings highlight how modern dynamics of social protection are manifest through reforms that include diverse social and economic incentives, changing benefit structures, a wide range of work-oriented measures, the resurgence of private activity, and current approaches to targeting benefits. Assessments of the socioeconomic influences that have precipitated these reforms reveal a broad range of common factors as well as country-specific influences such as the clientelistic approach to welfare in Italy, the complexities of reunification in Germany, and the ""Dutch disease"" of explosive claims for disability benefits. Changing Patterns of Social Protection offers insights into the issues raised by these policy reforms and their possible effects. By clarifying alternative policy designs this work affords a fresh perspective on how to think about the changing structure and function of social welfare arrangements in modern society. Neil Gilbert is Chernin Professor of Social Services and Social Welfare at the Un

The Brighton Conference in 1975 was devoted to an examination of some of the problems arising from the re-organisation of teacher education in a period of economic stringency and widespread cuts in education. The book is divided into four sections. The first considers the structural changes resulting from mergers and changing institutional roles. The second considers the changing curriculum; the third consists of discussion papers by three principals of colleges of higher education and the fourth section summarises discussions and seeks to identify some future trends in teacher education.

The result of a 30-year longitudinal study in Racine, Wisconsin, this monograph tracks the criminal behaviour of juveniles and the persistence or decline of that behaviour into adult life. The author investigates the influence of the neighbourhood environment on the development of a criminal career and the utility of a criminal typology for the pur