Political parties and elections are increasingly political theatre, with real power hidden behind a smokescreen of propaganda, carefully manipulated cultural and religious wars, and voting rituals. But there is another kind of hidden power in America: the grassroots social movements working for progressive change. If the Democratic Party can ally with these movements, America can be returned to its people. Derber sees American history as a succession of regimes, each spanning several administrations. Since the end of the Civil War, regimes of hidden power, in which corporate interests control both parties behind the scenes, have alternated with more open, inclusive and democratic regimes. Derber details how and why these hidden power systems finally collapsed and what determined the types of regimes that succeeded them. Hidden Power reveals how the current regime, possibly the most corporate in history, has maintained power by intensifying the red/blue culture wars, supporting religious extremists, exploiting terrorism fears, and manipulating the electoral process. Will this latest corporate regime be replaced by one that is more progressive? Or it could turn even further right and yield to something even worse, a uniquely American form of fascism? The best hope for positive change lies in an alliance between the Democratic Party and the grass roots progressive movements that, Derber shows, have always been the catalysts for change. Hidden Power concludes with an impassioned argument for why this would be in the Democrats' best interests, as well as the country's, and a detailed program for exactly how to go about it. Thoughtful, eloquent, and compelling, Hidden Power offers real hope for restoring genuine democracy to America.

• Presents an original analysis of what the real sources of power are in America today
• Reveals the tactics used by corporate interests to wield hidden power
• Offers detailed strategic advice for how the Democrats can unite with grassroots social movements and form a powerful coalition for fundamental change
• Thom Hartmann, Air America radio host and bestselling author of Screwed, says "Hidden Power is the must-read book of the year. Buy three copies, at least, because you'll want to share a few with friends, and will never want to part with your own well-marked-up copy." read the full review

A detailed and inspiring strategy for staying true to yourself at work while contributing to your organization’s effectiveness and integrity • Based on over fifty candid interviews with businesspeople at all levels, including vivid firsthand accounts of compromise and courage • Eminently practical and constructive, with exercises and strategies you can apply wherever you work Healthy compromise is a fact of organizational life, part of accomplishing any meaningful goal with other people. But when it involves betraying your word, your principles, or other important commitments, it takes a bite out of your passion and vitality, trapping you in a web of nagging doubts and regrets or even dread and remorse. Sadly, certain common misconceptions about compromise mean we can fall into this trap unknowingly, making a sort of “devil’s bargain by degrees.” Even worse, this can happen while working for companies and leaders we otherwise respect and admire. So what can you do, short of sacrificing your career? In this unflinching but consistently constructive and timely look at concessions, double-binds, and contradictions of organizational life, Doty suggests the antidote is to “redefine the game” – expand your ability to be a positive force regardless of the setting. At the core of this strategy are six personal foundations that she illuminates with practical exercises and examples, including Reconnect to Your Strengths, See the Larger Playing Field, Define a Worthy Enough Win, Find Your Real Team, Make Positive Plays, and Keep Your Own Score. Full of candid firsthand stories from Doty’s interviews with over fifty businesspeople as well as her own experiences as a consultant and manager, The Compromise Trap offers sympathetic guidance for individuals striving to live with greater integrity, courage, and purpose at work, as well as the executives, coaches, consultants, and loved ones who support them and senior leaders who want to expand what it means for organizations to act with integrity in the world.

Management books are traditionally written by industry "experts": scholars, consultants, senior managers. They're writing about how to manage workers, but none of these experts really understands the viewpoint of the average worker, the regular grunt in the trenches-the peon. Peons are the ones affected when a manager decides to manage-in-one-minute, to move somebody's cheese, to try that fifth discipline. Rather than consult some expert, why not go to the source, and ask the peons? Who better to teach you how to train a dog than the dog himself? And who better to tell you how to manage than one of those who are being managed? The Peon Book gives managers the perspective they've been lacking. Author and self-proclaimed Chief Executive Peon Dave Haynes' sole, powerful source of expertise is that he has been managed in different companies and in different industries, and he knows what worked-and what failed catastrophically. In irreverent, straight-talking terms, Haynes tells managers what they really need to do to make their employees motivated, committed, and productive-and it's not memorizing yet another "technique" or "strategy" or "discipline." Haynes writes in a common sense, easy-to-read style that is both witty and wise. Every boss can benefit, and every employee can empathize with the words in The Peon Book. "The inability to empathize can be a real speed bump on the road to a trusting, personal relationship with your employees. So how are you supposed to show more empathy? I take issue with management books that give you a phrase to say to show empathy like 'I understand,' or 'I know what you mean,' or that say that by rephrasing a statement you can show empathy. Don't use some coined phrase to show empathy, just mentally put yourself in our shoes. Sometimes it's just a matter of remembering what it's like to have to get all those reports turned in on a Friday. Or remembering what it's like to have to ask for time off. Or remembering what it's like to be the new guy on the job, and have a hard time remembering everything. Do you see the key concept I'm getting at? Empathy = remembering. Who said you'd never use math in the real world?"

• Not written by an "expert"-learn from a living, breathing employee what does and doesn't work to get him motivated and productive
• Funny, irreverent, fast moving, and written in a direct, in-your-face style
• Packed with real-life examples that show the actual, sometimes unintended, effects of management actions on employees

Authentic power-the power to consistently obtain what we truly desire-comes from within. Such power, the power to determine your own destiny, isn't achieved by imposing your will on others. In fact, Ross Lawford explains, power based on authority, control, strength, and status is not only ineffective, it is usually short-lived or more illusion than reality.

Drawing on psychology, theology, and business, Lawford outlines a new view of power based on authenticity and provides practical pointers for achieving your deepest desires without manipulation, coercion, or intimidation. He provides strategies for applying this new view of power in every aspect of your life-including your work, your family, and personal relationships.

• Presents a new concept of power that will help readers achieve their deepest desires without manipulation, coercion, or intimidation
• Shows how conventional beliefs about power actually prevent us from being truly powerful
• Recommends strategies for applying this new view of power in a variety of settings-in organizations, in the family, and in relationships in general

Outlines a definitive process for determining the effectiveness and business impact of training.

• Outlines a definitive process for determining the effectiveness and business impact of training

• Works with any training program in any setting and at any stage of development

• A how-to guide filled with worksheets, examples, and other tools

At last, an answer to the question that had bedeviled trainers for decades: how do you make the business case for training? Predictive evaluation enables you to effectively and accurately forecast training's value to your company, measure against these predictions, establish indicators to track your progress (and make midcourse corrections if needed), and report the results in a launguage that business executives respond to and understand. It's an approach that can be used for any sort of training program, in any setting, whether planned, newly implemented, or long established.

Dave Basarab explains how to begin by zeroing in on the program's intentions: what specific goals and beliefs do you want to instill in participants? The next step is to determine what these will look like when put into action -- what precise on-the-job actions and behaviors do you expect to see if these goals and beliefs are adopted? Finally, you develop quantifiable measures of how employees' adopting the target beliefs and goals will impact the business. In the end, all the information is pulled togethr into an Impact Matrix that provides a definitive picture of the program's intended and actual bottom-line results.

A key strength of predictive evaluation is that it is profoundly collaborative. Supervisors and employees work together to establish standards for success each step of the way. This guarantees the results will be relevant to the business and gives all participants a sense of ownership in the process.

Predictive evaluation will greatly enhance training's acceptance as a business function like any other, one where projections are made, progress is measured, and effectiveness is definitely determined. Rather than being regarded as an expense and an act of faith, training will be seen as an investment with a concrete payoff.

Cats don't worry about what others think; they follow their instincts, leap with confidence, and always land on their feet. In this wise and whimsical guide, Mary Hessler-Key's "Jazzie the Cat" shows humans how to follow her feline example and take charge of their careers and their lives. Through thirteen simple lessons drawn from her life as a cat, she takes readers through "purrfected" techniques for motivating a start-up venture, taking more initiative in their jobs, or defining the next step in a career transition.

An increasing number of people are working independently within organizations or starting their own businesses. They need practical advice they can digest quickly and put to use immediately. Jazzie offers up the basic tenets of an entrepreneurial approach to life and work in an accessible format that's both humorous and profound. From doing what comes naturally, to finding the right niche, to improving their strategy, to listening to "the meowing within," Jazzie's advice helps would-be entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs everywhere find their place in the sun.

More engaging and down-to-earth than other career guides, The Entrepreneurial Cat combines the enthralling illustrations of an award-winning artist with the enlightening insights of an experienced consultant for readers of all ages and career levels. The book concludes with a do-it-yourself "Cats-Can" section that gives readers the space to evaluate their talents and goals and poses thought-provoking questions that spur creativity, spark motivation, and inspire the formulation of successful career strategies.

• Cat lovers and non-cat lovers alike will delight in this humorous, colorfully illustrated guide to being more proactive and fulfilled in their business lives
• The charming character "Jazzie the Cat" offers 13 basic tenets that help readers build a positive "cattitude" for creating or revamping their careers
• An innovative "Cats-Can!" section delivers personal self-analysis and tools for putting the book's principles into practice