The following list of books and videos provides a wide range of perspectives on our shifting cultural paradigms and effective ways of managing and leading change. The asterisks in parentheses reflect the overall value of the resource as reflected by a panel of reviewers.

* * * * *	Excellent
* * * *	Above Average
* * *	Helpful

Books

Future Edge: Discovering the New Paradigms of Success by Joel A. Barker. Morrow, 1992. (* * *)

Examines the theory of paradigms and change in business and American society.

Changing the Essence: The Art of Creating and Leading Fundamental Change in Organizations by Richard Beckhard and Wendy Pritchard. Jossey-Bass, 1992. (* * *)

Explores the critical elements for laying a foundation for lasting change.

Seven Life Lessons of Chaos: Timeless Wisdom from the Science of Change by John Briggs & F. David Peat. Harpercollins, 1999. (* * * *)

An exploration of the fundamental nature of change in science, culture, and business.

Quest: A Journey Toward a New Kind of Church by Dan R. Dick & Evelyn Burry, Discipleship Resources, 1999. (* * * *)

A survey of the shifting paradigms of The United Methodist Church and thinking on the trajectory of the church into the twenty-first century.

When Things Start to Think by Neil Gershenfeld,
Owl Books, 2000.(* * *)

A survey of the emerging trends in technology and computer science, with focus on the ways computer technology will impact life in the next few decades.

The Age of Unreason by Charles Handy. Harvard Business School Press, 1998. (* * *)

Assessment of the current cultural climate at the end of the twentieth-century.

Harvard Business Review on Change. Harvard Business School Press, 1998. (* * * * *)

Articles and essays on change, change management, resistance to change, and leading change in a variety of organizations.

The Change Agents’ Handbook by David W. Hutton.
Quality Press. (* * * *)

The ultimate "how-to" book for people attempting to bring change to their organization.

Fuzzy Future by Bart Kosko. Harmony Books, 1999.(* * * *)

A mathematician’s application of fuzzy logic to the way we live in a turbulent world of change.

Leading Change by John Kotter.
Harvard Business School Press, 1996. (* * * * *)

One of the finest treatments of the leader’s role in moving organizations through change.

The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn. University of Chicago Press, 1996.(* * * *)

The scientific treatise that popularized the term and concept of paradigms. A classic in the field, this book defines the impact of fundamental change.

The Age of Spiritual Machines by Ray Kurzweil. Penguin Books, 2000.(* * *)

A wake up call to leaders everywhere to understand the implications of science and technology for the future. Science fact stranger than science fiction, with deep moral and ethical dimensions.

Lasting Change: The Shared Values Process That Makes Companies Great by Rob Lebow & William L. Simon.
John Wiley and Sons, 1999.(* * *)

A treatise on the need to align change with the values of individuals and the organization to create lasting transformation.

The Accelerating Organization: Embracing the Human Face of Change by Arun Maira & Peter Scott-Morgan. McGraw-Hill, 1996.(* * *)

The effect of change on people is the focus of this work on change management.

Beyond the Wall of Resistance: Unconventional Strategies That Build Support for Change by Rick Maurer. Bard Press, 1996. (* * * *)

Resistance often derails necessary change. This work examines the various causes of resistance and offers helpful advice for addressing resistance.

Postmoderns by Craig Kennet Miller. Discipleship Resources, 1997.(* * *)

A helpful view of the generation born between 1965 and 1982 and the effect it will have on church and society.

Playing the Future: How Kid’s Culture Can Teach Us to Thrive in an Age of Chaos by Douglas Rushkoff. Harper Collins. (* * * *)

An examination of the way kids adapt to change and maximize the potential of otherwise chaotic situations.

The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny by William Strauss & Neil Howe. Broadway, 1998. (* * * * *)

Time is less linear than cyclical, and this survey of our cultural history examines the generational cycles and their implications for the future.

The 500 Year Delta: What Happens After What Comes Next by Jim Taylor and Watts Wacker. Harperbusiness, 1998. (* * * *)

Three futurists take a crack at forecasting the trends that will lead us into the next century.

Leadership and the New Science: Learning About Organizations from an Orderly Universe (revised edition) by Margaret J. Wheatley. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. (* * * * *)

One of the finest reflections on self-organizing systems and the nature of change.

A Simpler Way by Margaret J. Wheatley and Myron Kellner-Rogers. Berrett-Koehler, 1998. (* * * *)

A fine sequel to Leadership and the New Science that challenges readers to apply nature’s fundamental truths to their organizational structures.

Congregational Megatrends by C. Jeff Woods. Alban Institute. (* * *)

A church futurist looks at the trends affecting the way we lead the church at the close of the twentieth century.

Rewiring the Corporate Brain: Using the New Science to Rethink How We Structure and Lead Organizations by Danah Zohar. Berrett-Koehler, 1997. (* * *)

A next generation examination of what it would mean to apply Margaret Wheatleyt’s "new Science" principles to organizational design.

Video

Being There (PG). Warner Home Video (* * *)

Peter Sellers shines as a simple man mistaken for a polished diplomat. This is a fine parable on the power of mental models.

Big (PG). Fox Video Selections (* * * *)

Tom Hanks is a thirteen-year-old in an adult’s body -- the ultimate paradigm shift.

Burnt By the Sun (R). Sony Pictures Classics (* * *)

How do we respond to change that is beyond our control? This is a powerful parable on the dangers of denial.

Groundhog Day (PG). Columbia Tristar Video (* * * *)

Change -- or lack of change -- is the focus of this fun film. What would happen if we had the chance to live one day over and over? Examining life closely is the key to true change.

Paradigm Principles (Not rated). StarThrower Video (* * * * *)

Instructional video by Joel Barker that introduces the key concepts of paradigms and change.

Pleasantville (PG-13). New Line Home Video (* * * * *)

A true parable of the impact of introducing change into any system. Change, creativity, resistance, denial, and vision all find equal treatment in this comedy.(See the review of Pleasantville.)

The Purple Rose of Cairo (PG). Vestron Video (* * * *)

Escapism is the theme of this Woody Allen film that explores what happens when people (and fictional characters) are faced with new possibilities and freedoms.

Sister Act (PG). Touchstone Home Video (* * * * *)

Introduce a new element into any stable system and watch what happens. The introduction of Whoopi Goldberg into the stability of a failing convent causes paradigms to shift.

Sliding Doors (PG-13). Miramax Films (* * *)

Gwyneth Paltrow lives parallel lives in this fable of alternate realities. ""What-if"" invites reflection how simple acts can produce fundamental change. (See the review of Sliding Doors.)

Strictly Ballroom (PG). Miramax Films (* * * * *)

The best of the best. This delightful Australian film illustrates changing paradigms, resistance to change, the power of vision, leadership, systems and processes, and continuous improvement. One of the best Quest resources for small-group discussion. (See the review of Strictly Ballroom.)

Tampopo (R). World Class Cinema Collection (* * * *)

The power of small change to transform people’s lives. This Japanese film has some disturbing scenes, but clips can be used to illustrate the power of paradigm shifts in daily life.

They Might Be Giants (G). MCA Home Video (* * * *)

George C. Scott thinks he is Sherlock Holmes, and the power of his conviction convinces Joanne Woodward that she is Doctor Watson. This film reminds us that when we shift our micro-paradigms, we open ourselves to new lives.

(originally posted 2-4-00)

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