Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini

Book Description

Who was this man who could walk through brick walls and, with a snap of his fingers, vanish elephants? In these pages you will meet the astonishing Houdini—magician, ghost chaser, daredevil, pioneer aviator, and king of escape artists. No jail cell or straitjacket could hold him! He shucked off handcuffs as easily as gloves.

In this fresh, witty biography of the most famous bamboozler since Merlin, Sid Fleischman, a former professional magician, enriches his warm homage with insider information and unmaskings. Did Houdini really pick the jailhouse lock to let a fellow circus performer escape? Were his secrets really buried with him? Was he a bum magician, as some rivals claimed? How did he manage to be born in two cities, in two countries, on two continents at the same instant?

Here are the stories of how a knockabout kid named Ehrich Weiss, the son of an impoverished rabbi, presto-changoed himself into the legendary Harry Houdini. Here, too, are rare photographs never before seen by the general reader!

Customer Reviews:

Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini.......2007-08-06

Harry Houdini's showmanship made him a standout among magicians. Author Sid Fleischman uses the same technique to stand out in the crowded field of Houdini biographies. Escape! captures readers with its flamboyant vocabulary, humor, insider understanding, wonderful photographs with excellent captions and a clearly stated theme which shapes the details of an exciting life. Fleischman organizes this rags-to-riches tale around Houdini's shameless vanity that supported his "megaphone self-promotion" of his self-made legend: sharing that Houdini doctored facts and photographs. Fleischman analyzes Houdini's family relationships, evaluates his career and lasting fame, and explains them to youngsters as part human flaw, part the need to escape anti-Semitism, and part the drive to trump all competitors and fakes. The self-taught Houdini never had a magic lesson. Loyalty to fellow magicians keeps author-magician Fleischman from revealing Houdini's methods, although his bibliography includes books that tell all.
Hungarian Jewish immigrant Ehrich Weiss, searching for a way to financially aid his poor family, finds vaudeville and his stage name, The Great Houdini. Ironically, Houdini later unmasks his youthful idol and name inspiration, Robert-Houdin. This biography dramatically recounts what Houdini got out of: handcuffs, milk cans, straight jackets, jail cells, frozen rivers and coffins. It also spotlights what he got into: airplanes and first-flight records; entertaining troops during World War I; supporting the sons of rabbis, who like himself, performed on the stage; movies; the Encyclopaedia Britannica; the Library of Congress and a crusade bashing phony spiritualists.
Fleishman's rich, intimate account is possible from two special boosts to normal biographical research. He had access to material published privately for magicians and he knew Houdini's widow, Bess, who gave him information and photographs. From the clever table of contents to the sad postmortem, this book overflows with fun facts delivered by out of the ordinary colorful language proving reading can be magic. A treat for readers age 9 - adult.

Escape: The Story of the Great Houdini.......2007-05-31

The book was an interesting read. It showed how exciting Houdini actually was. It was well written and even though it's nonfiction, it was exciting. This information was well-done enough so I could use it for a sixth grade report.

Okay.......2007-05-05

This book wasn't my favorite biography, a couple of the photographs were kind of strange, like when a woman has ghost essence coming out of her ear and the "What-is-it?" monster. The story was pretty good, although I had to go back a couple of times and re-read the sentence to understand what it was really saying. I found out some interesting Houdini facts that I never had known before, such as his real name was Ehrich Weiss. He also didn't know his birth date. I might recommend this to others, although I don't really know.

For Magicians Of All Ages!.......2007-03-13

I bought this book for a Valentine's present for my husband, who has been doing magic tricks and illusions since he was a young boy. He has always been fascinated by the Great Houdini, so when I saw this book, I took a chance. We have both enjoyed this book tremendously. It is written in very nice, simple language, with large print, and wonderful never-seen before photos. I would highly recommend this little magical gem!

A 2007 Association of Jewish Libraries Notable Book for Older Readers.......2007-01-29

Biographies can be dull and plodding, but this one is just the opposite. Partly because of the nature of the subject - the fascinating magician, illusionist, and escape artist Harry Houdini - and partly because of the bright prose of the author, this biography is engaging, humorous, and a pleasure to read. It is full of colorful language like prestidigitator, bamboozler, razzmatazz, razzle-dazzle, ragamuffin, derring-do, braggadocio, boondocks, bunkum, and blunderbuss. It is also infused with the showman's Jewish side, recalling Houdini's birth as Ehrich Weiss to an impoverished but scholarly rabbi in a Budapest ghetto, his self-invention and brashness as an immigrant, the effects of anti-Semitism, and his lifelong love of learning. According to the author, Jews are significant in the history of magic. Along the way we get a history lesson in vaudeville and other popular entertainments in turn of the century America and Europe. We also see Houdini as quite the overachiever; in addition to his legendary feats, he was an author, editor, pilot, and collector of magician memorabilia. REVIEWED BY SUSAN BERSON (DENVER, CO)

Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle

Average customer rating:

A Fascinating Subject, but Less Letter is Better
The Skeptic vs. the Believer
Fascinating book for more than just Houdini - Conan Doyle fans
Interesting but dry
Couldn't stay awake

Final Seance: The Strange Friendship Between Houdini and Conan Doyle
Massimo Polidoro
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1573928968

Book Description

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle believed with the utmost sincerity in the validity of Spiritualism and became one of its most fervent propagandists. Harry Houdini was a skeptic and became, in Conan Doyle's words, "the greatest medium-baiter of modern times." FINAL SEANCE is the fascinating story of their five-year friendship, years that were filled with exciting adventures, paranormal investigations, and confrontations among the "spirits."

Customer Reviews:

A Fascinating Subject, but Less Letter is Better.......2007-08-15

The friendship between Houdini and Conan Doyle was truly a strange one. The first man made his living at deception, yet spear-headed a crusade to unmask other deceivers. The second man is famous for the logical-minded, methodical, and observant character he created, but as for himself, he must have been the most gullible man alive. Conan Doyle actually believed that Houdini had the power to dematerialize and was even fooled by the rather infantile finger trick -- by which a person "disconnects" the forefinger up to the first joint.

Although the topic is fascinating, sadly, the letters of Houdini and Conan Doyle are tedious and wordy. I found myself endlessly skimming them in order to return to the next seance or the next significant event.

Still, I found all the accounts of mediums and their spiritualistic shenanigans mysterious, in spite of Houdini's repeated attempts to discredit them. Some of the explanations presented by the author Polidoro are so complicated and unwieldy, it would be easier to believe in the spirits! Is it really possible to swallow a roll of gauze and regurgitate it later as "ectoplasm?" Could a man really surgically alter his wife so that she could smuggle items into a seance? (Shudder.)

Worth reading for those fascinated with the topic (like me), but we could wish that the two principal subjects had been a little less tedious in their correspondence -- or that Polidoro had just summarized more often!

Dianne K. Salerni
Author of High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance
High Spirits: A Tale of Ghostly Rapping and Romance

The Skeptic vs. the Believer .......2005-11-23

Final Séance is a strange book about two strange individuals who strangely enough became involved in a strange friendship:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - Creator of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, internationally known author and believer in Spiritualism, who chose to believe in more or less any medium he encountered, as long as the messages received confirmed his preconceived ideas.

Harry Houdini - The world's greatest escapologist, acclaimed magician and illusionist who never said his performances had anything but natural explanations, and over the years one of the foremost debunkers of many alleged occult matters.

Or in other words, the skeptic vs. the believer. Could these two gentlemen really be friends? Absolutely, and good ones, too. Massimo Polidoro of the Italian Committee for the Investigation of the Paranormal has written a book where he tells the stories of how they met, why they met, how their friendship evolved over the years yet ultimately came to a tragic end.

Their friendship was quite unorthodox: Doyle the believer in everything and Houdini the believer in nothing (though he said himself if was willing to believe were solid evidence ever to be shown to him). Fine, but is it interesting to read a book about a friendship, unusual as it may have been, and furthermore, a book that is mostly based on surviving letters between the two? For sure, because Final Séance is more than just a book about their friendship. It's actually a whole lot more.

First of all, it offers a good description of how Spiritualism evolved in Great Britain and North America at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. People everywhere became convinced that communication with the dead was indeed possible, and in dark rooms on both sides of the Atlantic different mediums claimed to be able to make contact with the ones who had passed on. The fact that mediums on a regularly basis were exposed as frauds never dampened the spirit (no pun intended), and that alone is an interesting cultural phenomenon well worth investigating.

Secondly, one cannot avoid being fascinated about the fact that two so very different people were able to ever be friends, when one of them believed wholeheartedly in what the other one rejected passionately. Humbleness and tolerance were the key ingredients, and the elegant use of the English language they both used in their letters truly is a joy to experience.

Furthermore, many of the ideas that evolved during these years are still with us today, and thus the book is useful to anyone interested in the historical background to what today is known as New Age.

However, the main focus is on the friendship, and because of this the book is merely complementary to the history of the New Age and the growth of Spiritualism. But if you're interested in reading about two fascinating human beings and at the same time have a reminder that different beliefs don't necessary equal discord, then Final Séance is well worth looking into.

Fascinating book for more than just Houdini - Conan Doyle fans.......2005-07-12

I was so fascinated by this book that I read it in one evening. In a narrow sense, the topic is the discussion/debate between Houdini and Conan Doyle about spiritualism that first made them friends and then opponents. In a larger sense, I think that it has a great deal to say about the human mind and deserves a wide audience. It is an excellent example of how hard it is to consider objectively such subjects in which people invest so much emotion. Conan Doyle was so determined to believe that Houdini was a psychic that nothing Houdini said could deter him.

I have thought for a long time about the issue of trust and credibility. If I would believe someone if they told me that they just saw the bus go by, why don't I necessarily believe them if they tell me that they spoke to a spirit, or god, etc. As this book illustrates, these are issues which have historically involved some much delusion and deception that it is important to proceed with caution. (Of course, it would help if all prophets said the same thing.) I know that I will be thinking about it and quoting it to people for quite a while.

Polidoro is clearly on the side of the skeptics, and makes his affiliations clear up front. He remains, however, sympathetic to Conan Doyle and clearly admires the latter's kindness, intelligence and generally amiable and honorable character. Although he sides intellectually with Houdini, he doesn't attempt to cover his arrogance and boasting.

Recommended to everyone, except perhaps, convinced spiritualists, although even they might find it a useful cautionary tale, if not a convincing argument.

Interesting but dry.......2005-02-23

This book was very interesting, but it made for dry reading. Certainly not a page-turner. If you can get through the first half of the book, it gets more interesting toward the end.

In addition, the author did not impress me as being an impartial source. It was clear that he agreed with Houdini from the start and he set out to make Conan Doyle look as ridiculous as possible. Perhaps Conan Doyle really was that foolish, but the author was too biased for me to take his word for it.

Couldn't stay awake.......2005-02-23

It was written in the style of Dracula with alot of correspondence. The auther was also very biased towards Houdini. It was not very objective.

The Great Houdini (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)

Average customer rating:

Needs A Jumpstart at the First
Best book ever
An interesting biography of this fascinating man....

The Great Houdini (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
Monica Kulling
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0679885730
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Book Description

Harry Houdini was a great escape artist, but perhaps his greatest trick was becoming the famous magician that we have come to know. As a child, Houdini worked hard--and even quit school--to help support his family. But his dream always was to become a great magician and performer. He practiced day and night, thinking up new tricks and more and more dangerous stunts. His intense ambition paid off, and soon Harry Houdini became known worldwide! This kid-appealing Step 3 traces Houdini's life from his poor beginnings to his eventual success as the most famous mystical magician and escape artist of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Needs A Jumpstart at the First.......2004-01-08

The Great Houdini, by Monica Kulling is about a little kid who goes to a dime circus. His family is very poor and barely has enough money to get him a ticket. While he's there he goes to watch a magician, and he is amazed. After the show the magician shows him how he did it. He decides he wants to be a master of illusion. He starts practicing what the magician shows him, he decides he will leave home and become a performer. He goes all around the world, he has bad times and he has good times. This book was boring at first but got better in the end, it's worth the boring reading. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Best book ever.......2001-05-06

I think Harry Houdini is one of the best books I have ever read. I think it is good because it's about a true story and they write it in a very good way.

An interesting biography of this fascinating man...........2000-08-18

While reading this book aloud to a six-year-old, who had picked it out, I learned a lot about this man, Houdini, who has become a legend. In a classic biography format, this book takes us through Houdini's childhood as a son of poor immigrants who admires acrobats in the cirus and makes up his own act. As a young man, he gets work as a locksmith and learns how to pick any lock... a talent that would come in very handy! Throughout his adulthood, Houdini worked incredibly hard to make a name for himself; sadly, his hard-earned fame indirectly led to his untimely death. Houdini's story is one of perseverence rather than glamour and stardom. The book has a serious tone for a childrens' book; even the illustrations are somber, but it is interesting and well worth a read.

Average customer rating:

4 1/2 * "Kavalier and Clay" for the Young Set
A great book!
A great book!
Magical and mysterious

The Secret of the Great Houdini
Robert Burleigh
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0689832672

Book Description

I am Houdini.
I am one whom nothing can contain.
I free myself.
Do you believe me now?

At last?

A master of deception, Harry Houdini spent his life entertaining audiences with his own particular blend of illusion and magic. Whether he was escaping from locked trunks submerged in the water or dangling by his feet from the tops of skyscrapers, Houdini always tested the boundaries of the body, the forces of nature, and the imagination.

In The Secret of the Great Houdini, Houdini must once again escape from a seemingly impossible bind. In the astonished crowd, a little boy finds himself mesmerized by the powers of freedom and human will that Houdini represented in his life. He discovers that Houdini's secret goes far beyond his illusions, to something all people can attain -- if only they believe they can.

Customer Reviews:

4 1/2 * "Kavalier and Clay" for the Young Set.......2006-11-18

The figure of Houdini, so prominently referenced in Michael Chabon's, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," gets the mythic treatment in this beautifully illustrated, ambitious book by Robert Burleigh and Leonid Gore. It features alluring, poetic prose from six different voices: The third person narrator ("The crowd is so still that even from far off the lock's tiny click can be heard as it snaps shut"), young Sam ("Is he afraid?"), his wise uncle Ezra(Everyone's afraid sometimes....The Great Houdini goes where he has to go"), a Greek chorus of other Houdini watchers ("He won't make it out!"), a man narrating Houdini's attempt to escape (while bound in chains) from a submerged, locked box, and the real or imagined words of Houdini, questioning the readers' beliefs:

I am Houdini.
I escape the hold of all things.
I free myself.
Do you believe me?"

Sam wonders and worries about Houdini's safety, but his uncle offers him reassuring metaphors"
"Sam looks at his own thin wrists. `Handcuffs?' Uncle Ezra Looks out of the corner of his eye. `Handcuffs are paper bracelets to the great Houdini.'" As Sam and the other spectators wait 30 seconds, I minutes, 2 minutes for Houdini to emerge from the river, Uncle Ezra recalls some of Houdini's prior feats, all of which will amaze young readers. Burleigh's vivid text brings you into Sam's anxious thoughts and over-identification with Houdini: "Locked in a trunk. Oh, locked in a trunk! Sam remembers the little click. He feels terrified fingers trying to pick and claw and force the lock."

The man yells, "Two Minutes at the Bottom of the River. Two. I repeat: Two Minutes. THE GREAT HOUDINI." Sam again imagines himself as Houdini; the crowd calls for an ambulance, but we "hear" Houdini again (in bolded italics, to differentiate it from the rest of the text):

I am Houdini.
I confound the sleeper.
I amaze the unwilling-to -believe.
I mystify the all-too-sure.

Leonid Gore's soft-focus blend of pastel and ink is equally adept in capturing the youthful emotions of Sam, and the mystery of Houdini beneath the waters. The first pictures show Houdini as Greek god, but when Houdini finally escapes, he looks unexpectedly tired and very human: "[He] awkwardly climbs the rope ladder." Houdini's current and past exploits are astounding, but Uncle Ezra reminds Sam that Houdini calls them "secrets," not tricks. IN the book's thematic close, Sam asks his Uncle what the secret is. Ezra explains, "It's a mix of many things. It's bravery and hard work and practice...," but then says" But maybe you shouldn't wonder so much about his secret... What's really important is finding your secret--something that becomes like a seed inside you--that will grow as you grow up." While one reviewer thought this "prim," and another, "unneccesary," it's consistent with the figure of Uncle Ezra and will get at least some (slightly older) kids thinking about their potential. It's slightly more concrete and not nearly as false-sounding as a few anachronistic New Ageisms that are not easily understood. Here's one example, a "quote" in the voice of Houdini:

"Mysterious is the water I move through,
(deeper than all of my doubters)
as a fish swims in the sea.
Do you believe?

This faux-Zen comment is too artful and forced, and puts the attention on the author rather than on Houdini or Sam. Similarly, Uncle Ezra's metaphors get a bit tired after a while; it begins to feel like you're hearing a loop of David Carradine lines in "Kung Fu." However, the otherwise well-written text, the building suspense, the interwoven biography of Houdini (there's also an afterward with a brief bio), illustrator Gore's atmospheric portrayal of mood and emotion, and the slightly ambiguous, thought-provoking conclusion make up for these few false steps. Note: Sam's vivid imagination of the terrors of Houdini's escape and the crowd's fear may scare some toddlers and others--use your judgment.

A great book!.......2003-12-21

This is a great book. You should definitely get it for anyone who is interested in magic. I am 6 years old and I liked finding out what happened to Harry Houdini.

A great book!.......2003-12-21

This is a great book. You should definitely get it for anyone who is interested in magic. I am 6 years old and I liked finding out what happened to Harry Houdini.

Magical and mysterious.......2003-10-19

This is a book aimed at children, but as an adult fascinated by the legend of Houdini--I enjoyed the story and the artwork very much. It is told from the point of view of a young boy and his uncle who are in the audience of one of Houdini's underwater escapes. It really gives the feel of what it must have been like to watch one of these legendary performances. The artwork is very beautiful too.
The book captures the excitement and impenetrable mystery that Houdini as an artist was able to create. And has a nice little message about finding our own secret inside ourselves and escaping any bonds that try to hold us back from it. Any kid into magic or an adult interested in Houdini should love this book.

Average customer rating:

The Great Houdini: Daring Escape Artist
Louis Sabin
Manufacturer: Troll Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0816717702

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Great Houdinis
Melville Shavelson
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: 0449230430
Release Date: 1976-09-12

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The Great Houdini
Beryl; Epstein, Samuel Williams
Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GSL3OI

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Escape!: The Story of the Great Houdini
Sid Fleischman
Manufacturer: Greenwillow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OTLXVC

Average customer rating:

The Great Escaper
David Warren , and Annabel Large
Manufacturer: Heinemann Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

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ASIN: 0839301529

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THE GREAT HOUDINI
Beryl; Epstein, Samuel (re: Harry Houdini) Williams
Manufacturer: Scholastic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQJCMA

Average customer rating:

My Board loved the charts

Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book

good basic introduction

Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers

For those serious about strategic planning!

Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations, Second Edition
Michael Allison , and Jude Kaye
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Managing a Nonprofit Organization in the Twenty-First Century

Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations: A Guide to Strengthening and Sustaining Organizational Achievement, 3rd Edition

How to Manage an Effective Nonprofit Organization: From Writing and Managing Grants to Fundraising, Board Development, and Strategic Planning

Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices

Creating and Implementing Your Strategic Plan: A Workbook for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, 2nd Edition

ASIN: 0471445819

Book Description

Your total guide to putting a powerful management tool to work in your organization

Why strategic planning? Because a well wrought strategic plan helps you set priorities and acquire and allocate the resources needed to achieve your goals. It provides a framework for analyzing and quickly adapting to future challenges. And it helps all board and staff members focus more clearly on your organization's priorities, while building commitment and promoting cooperation and innovation.

But to be effective, your plan will need to address the special needs of the nonprofit sector. And for more than a decade, Strategic Planning for Nonprofit Organizations has been the number-one source of guidance on all facets of strategic planning for managers at nonprofits of every size and budget.

This thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded edition arms you with the expert knowledge and tools you need to develop and implement surefire strategic plans, including tested-in-the-trenches worksheets, checklists, and tables—in print and on the companion CD-ROM—along with a book-length case study that lets you observe strategic planning in action. Packed with real-world insights and practical pointers, it shows you how to:

Develop a clear mission, vision, and set of values
Conduct SWOT analyses and program evaluations
Assess client needs and determine stakeholder concerns
Set priorities and develop core strategies, goals, and objectives
Balance the dual bottom lines of mission and money
Write and implement a solid strategic plan
Develop a user-friendly annual work plan
Establish planning cycles, gauge progress, and update strategies

Customer Reviews:

My Board loved the charts.......2007-06-08

The Planning Committee of the Board of Directors at my nonprofit wants to get the full Board engaged in strategic planning within a year. The chart in this book that shows the steps in the process was just what they wanted. It was worth the purchase price...and we haven't started to use it yet!

Strategic leaders at NPOs should read this book.......2006-04-23

The authors of this book do a nice job of condensing the content of their book into a diagram at page 15 that they entitle: "The Strategic Planning Process." Then they explain the diagram chapter by chapter. The chapters are full of good information and lots of exhibits, worksheets, and real-life examples. Job well done! I recommend to anybody interested in preparing a business plan for a for-profit or a nonprofit to read this book. And I also recommend all strategic leaders (i.e. executive directors, board chairs, and CEOs) read this book. It should be helpful to them in performing their job duties.

The book basically points out the following series of questions and/or tasks a strategic leader much consider when doing his or her job:

1. What is the organization doing now?
2. What are its strengths?
3. What are its weaknesses?
4. Are we heading in the direction we want?
5. What must we change to get back on track?
6. Prepare a written plan for change.
7. Implement the plan for change.
8. Monitor the implementation.
9. Reevaluate the plan for change.

I would have liked the book better if the authors had more accurately described what a business plan is, and what it is used for. The authors seem to think that a business plan is something that a for-profit entity creates in order to get loans from lenders or capital from investors. While it is true this is one of the reasons for writing a business plan, the more important reason a plan is written is that it acts as a roadmap for the leader and management of the business to follow towards success. Most businesses that do not have a written business plan are doomed for failure. NPOs without a business plan will probably not be successful either.

Another shortcoming I found in the book was that the authors do not point out that NPOs need a "business plan" just as much as does a for-profit. NPOs also need a roadmap to follow. Whether the authors want to admit it or not, a business plan for an NPO is pretty much the same document as a business plan for an organization seeking profits. The difference between the two plans exists in the marketing section - and that is the only difference. NPOs need to market to their customers/clients and to philanthropists that have a connection and commitment to their cause, whereas for-profit businesses need only market to their customers/clients.

Any NPO should have a business plan starting on the day it comes into existence. The strategic planning process described in this book can be used to create that written business plan. Therefore, this book is for NPO founders. After the business plan exists and it is being used as a roadmap to success, then the effectiveness of the plan must be monitored regularly. When it appears the plan is not proving effective, then the strategic planning process described in this book should be used again to implement change to get the NPO back on track to success.

Strategic leadership is a critical role that any leader must play, and if he or she can't, then she has no business assuming a leadership role. A "leader" who does not know how to perform strategic leadership is merely a manager, not a leader. I think it is a sad state of affaires that so many executive directors and board chairs are clueless when it comes to strategic planning - thus they are just managers. The authors, by writing this book, have created a resource for wanta-be leaders to use to learn how to do an important and critical part of their job - lead strategically.

good basic introduction.......2006-03-17

Book provides a good basic introduction to strategic planning from the non-profit perspective. Although I already knew strategic planning from the corporate side, this book showed how it differs when applied to the non-profit arena. The review of the SWOT process was a bit simplistic, but I found the checklist for evaluating projects helpful. The disc and the worksheets were definitely worth the price of the book

Excellent Resource for Non-profit Boardmembers.......2005-09-30

This book is a step by step guide with suggested modifications to fit the needs of any group. The worksheets, included on an accompanying CD, are very useful. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved in strategic planning for any organization - public, private or non-profit.

For those serious about strategic planning!.......2005-09-12

A great book that does what many non-profit management books don't -- talks about dollars and cents as well as need and impact. CD is underutilized (compared with, say, the CD included with "Non-Profit Kit for Dummies"), but the worksheet concept is good. Their "do either this OR this" might be confusing for novices. Not too far of a stretch to connect this with a "balanced scorecard" evaluation. CompassPoint's Dual Bottom-Line Matrix (p. 188), while complicated-sounding, actually should clarify decision-making for many non-profit managers.

Strategic Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Managing Public Concerns in an Era of Limits Second Edition

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Strategic Management in Public and Nonprofit Organizations: Managing Public Concerns in an Era of Limits Second Edition
Jack Koteen
Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Systems & Planning | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Organizational Behavior | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 027595532X

Book Description

This new edition captures and blends the essence of new ways of managing public and nonprofit organizations to better serve the client given the new realities that are drastically altering the ways in which these organizations do business. Pioneering, but applicable, private sector management behavior is identified and explained along with time-tested management fundamentals and numerous practices developed over the last several decades. This edition retains the comprehensive coverage of the earlier edition while including the cutting edge of management technology.

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