Books about Appreciative from Amazon.com

Why Things Go Right. The Science of Psychology: An Appreciative View by Laura King (University of Missouri at Columbia) is the first text to bring a truly appreciative view of psychology-as a science and for exploring behavior-to introductory students. It is built around the idea that students must study the discipline of psychology as a whole, that the sub-disciplines are intricately connected, and that human behavior is best understood by exploring its functioning state in addition to its potential dysfunctions. For example, imagine that you have been asked to create a science of "watchology." You have two watches that both have had the unfortunate "trauma" of being left in the pocket of someone's jeans through the washer and dryer. One watch has suffered the worst possible fate-it no longer tells time. The other has emerged from the traumatic event still ticking. Which watch would you use to develop your new science of watchology? Clearly, the working watch will help you understand watches better than the broken one. What does watchology have to do with psychology? Quite simply, in psychology as in watchology, it makes sense to start with what works: to gain a general understanding of human behavior and then apply that knowledge to those who have emerged from life's experiences in dysfunction..
Price: $96.83 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Written by the originators and leaders of the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) movement itself, this short, practical guide offers an approach to organizational change based on the possibility of a more desirable future, experience with the whole system, and activities that signal "something different is happening this time." That difference systematically taps the potential of human beings to make themselves, their organizations, and their communities more adaptive and more effective. AI, a theory of collaborative change, erases the winner/loser paradigm in favor of coordinated actions and closer relationships that lead to solutions at once simpler and more effective..
Price: $8.03 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"This book is full of provocative and positive questions that will develop and enhance your team's performance, yielding faster and better results "
--Julie Meiresonne
Director, Customer Relations
Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Division, Broomfield, CO

"Take time to savor every page of this book. Let yourself be drawn in by the questions. They will transform how you and others work on a day-to-day basis. This book is a meaningful contribution to the field. Grab it."

--Jane Galloway Seiling
Senior Editor, The Taos Institute Consultant and
Author, The Membership Organization
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Price: $9.97 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The Power of Appreciative Inquiry describes a new strategy that inspires people and brings about a higher performance level in any organization This method encourages people to study, discuss, learn from, and build on what works well when they are at their best, rather than focusing on what's going wrong.

The theory, practice, and spirit of this approach to organizational change is described in plain language. The authors provide guidelines for defining the change agenda, initiative, or project; forming the "steering team"; and launching an organization-wide kick off. Case histories demonstrate how organizations can attain sustained positive change by studying their strengths..
Price: $18.79 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Appreciative Coaching describes an approach to coaching that is rooted in Appreciative Inquiry. At its core the Appreciative Coaching method shows individuals how to tap into (or rediscover) their own sense of wonder and excitement about their present life and future possibilities. Rather than focusing on individuals in limited or problem-oriented ways, Appreciate Coaching guides clients through four stages—Discovery, Dream, Design, and Destiny—that inspire them to an appreciative and empowering view of themselves and their future..
Price: $29.98 [Notify me when price goes down.]

"This important volume represents a paradigm shift in the evaluation field – presenting an approach that shifts evaluation from being something that we ‘should’ do to something that stakeholders can ‘look forward’ to doing, even something they might actually love doing… turning what can often be drudgery that ends up with reports that sit on shelves to dynamic processes that are downright fun, while at the same time profound, resulting in accelerating positive change in organizations, programs, and those who are part of them. The book challenges the basic tenets underlying evaluation, pushes the boundaries of the discipline. The field may never be the same."

—Malcolm J. Odell, Jr., Appreciative Inquiry Consulting, LLC

"I am delighted that the authors have taken AI and found new uses for this approach. They provide concrete examples of the many ways evaluators have successfully used the AI approach in a wide variety of program and geographic settings. Combining theory and practice, this book is an important contribution to the evaluation field."

—Gail Johnson, The Evergreen State College

Reframing Evaluation Through Appreciative Inquiry is the first book to introduce the application of Appreciative Inquiry (AI), an approach for organizational development and change, to the practice of evaluation. Authors Hallie Preskill and Tessie Tzavaras Catsambas lay out the theoretical foundation of AI and build a bridge between the theory and practice of applying AI to evaluation.

Key Features:  

• Provides a step-by-step guide: Written in a clear, accessible style, the text explains the way this particular approach has been used to frame, design, and conduct evaluations in various sectors worldwide.
• Reflects specific real-world applications of AI to evaluation practice: Numerous U.S.-based and international case examples enhance readers’ ability to see the nuances of applying AI to evaluation in a wide variety of international and multicultural, organizational, community, and population contexts.
• Offers a whole-systems approach: This text provides a whole systems approach which enables evaluation to deal with complex and dynamically changing programs.

Intended Audience:  
This book will appeal to a broad audience that includes evaluators, management and organization development consultants, program staff, and researchers in a wide variety of organizational and community settings. It is an ideal supplemental text for graduate courses that require students to practice evaluation.

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Price: $33.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of one of the most popular change methods in the world, Cooperrider, Whitney and Stavros : 1.) track the recent changes in the field, including some of the longest-running AI change efforts; 2.) explain how AI has contributed to sustainability and the triple bottom line. The Premium Edition contains the illustrative CD-ROM. The AI Handbook contains everything needed to launch any kind of AI initiative, from a one-hour introduction to AI to a complete two-day program. From abstract principles underlying AI to actual tools used in different settings, from detailed descriptions of AI interventions to practical tips to classic AI articles, the authors have amassed in one place all of the introductory concepts, examples, and aids necessary to engage yourself and others in Appreciative Inquiry as a change process.

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Price: $59.00 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Appreciative Inquiry--a book in The Practicing Organization Development Series--is for leaders and organizational consultants who are ready to abandon the familiar tyranny of complex change programs. Recognizing that human systems are constructions of the human imagination and therefore capable of change at the speed of imagination, the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) process frees organizations from the restrictive orthodoxy of "deficit based change" and allows them the freedom to mobilize strategic change and focus on the visible and tacit strengths of an organization. AI is capable of engaging whole systems at amazing scales--easily engaging hundreds or sometimes thousands of people, often in a matter of weeks or days, to leverage the positive core of the organization.

Tap into the rich and inspiring "high point" accounts of personal or collective capacity and link this "positive core" to any change agenda. Once you have have determined what is really working, transformations never thought possible are rapidly and democratically mobilized.

"This is a book about the future of organization development. It is a practical guide to appreciative inquiry for organization leaders and organization development professionals and it is a comprehensive explanation at the speed of imagination." --Peter Sorensen, professor and director of the Ph.D. program in organization development and master of science program in management and organization behavior, Benedictine University.
Price: $31.68 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The purpose of this book is to provide a concise introduction to and overview of the growing discipline and practice of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). While the literature on AI is expanding rapidly with texts, handbooks, and case studies, the authors, Drs. Barrett and Fry feel there is a strong call for a "quick read" that will assist curious change agents or leaders in determining if they are interested in learning more about this rapidly expanding field of theory and practice. If you are intrigued by the prospect of mobilizing rapid, positive change with multiple stakeholders in a human system that is important to you, this book is for you.

The AI approach is a way of being...as a leader, a parent, a colleague, a partner, a change agent, a team leader, a project manager, a teacher, employer or employee. It is an exciting and energizing way to approach individual, team, organization, community, and global renewal and transformation. The authors have written this book just as they talk and they share experiences from their work with AI, as if you were in their workshops, seminars or systems where they have been privileged to practice this compelling approach to change. Frank and Ron are passionate and principled about this approach to organizational development and transformation and wish for those of you who are truly curious to have this as a first source to refer to in your discovery and learning journey..
Price: $19.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]