Abstract
Anheier, H. K. (2014). Nonprofit Organizations: Theory, Management, Policy. New York, NY: Routledge. 577 pp. US$46.29, ISBN 978-0-415-55046-8.
Cnaan, R. A., & Vinokur-Kaplan, D. (Eds.). (2015). Cases in Innovative Nonprofits: Organizations That Make a Difference. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. 306 pp. US$50.00, ISBN 978-1-4522-7770-7.
Grobman, G. M. (2015). An Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector: A Practical approach for the Twenty-first Century (4th ed.). Harrisburg, PA: White Hat Communications. 469 pp. US$99.99, ISBN 978-1-929109-44-9.
LeRoux, K., & Feeney, M. K. (2015). Nonprofit Organizations and Civil Society in the United States. New York, NY: Routledge. 371 pp. US$59.95, ISBN 978-0-415-66145-4.
Mook, L., Whitman, J. R., Quarter, J., & Armstrong, A. (2015). Understanding the Social Economy of the United States. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press. 390 pp. US$44.95, ISBN 978-1-4426-1411-6.
Pynes, J. E. (2011). Effective Nonprofit Management: Context and Environment. Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe. 196 pp. US$59.95, ISBN 978-0-7656-3029-2.
Vaughan, S. K., & Arsneault, S. (2014). Managing Nonprofit Organizations in a Policy World. Los Angeles, CA: SAGE. 413 pp. US$72.75, ISBN 978-4522-4005-3.
I was asked by Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ) to write a review of seven books, all of which could be used as primary or secondary texts in courses about the nonprofit sector. The charge from the book review editor was to comment on the merits of these books from the standpoint of teaching and learning.
I have borrowed from the fields of learning theory and instructional design to select evaluative criteria that are flexible enough to account for each book’s distinctive purpose and audience. Nonetheless, it would be impossible, and perhaps even undesirable, for me to completely suppress my own pedagogical philosophy. Thus, my teaching style (and perhaps my biases) will likely be apparent in my assessments of these books. Although not all of the books reviewed here are completely aligned with my own teaching style, I can say without reservation that each book is valuable in its own way and I have tried my best to provide a balanced review of each book’s strengths and limitations.
This book, now in its second edition, provides the reader with a comprehensive examination of nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and civil society. It is a fine piece of work that demonstrates the thoughtful insights and meticulous attention to detail that we have come to expect from one of the foremost authorities on our field. The first edition of this book won the 2006 Best Book Award from the American Academy of Management.
Anheier’s multidisciplinary approach draws upon management and organization theory, sociology, political science, economics, and history among other disciplines. The logical flow of the book begins with background and history of the nonprofit sector. The focus is on the United States but, drawing on his own research, the author provides useful comparative assessments from Europe, Asia, the Pacific Rim, South America, the Middle East, and Africa. This background is followed by a review of theoretical and disciplinary frameworks for studying the nonprofit sector and its role in civil society. Finally, the book addresses issues of organizational behavior and management as well as policy issues of concern to a wide variety of readers.
This book targets a challenging niche—not only providing a useful introduction to the nonprofit sector but also illuminating issues typically of interest to students and scholars who are well beyond the introductory level. For example, the author infuses many of the chapters with suggestions for conducting additional research on the sector, making the book useful for doctoral or master’s theses. Moreover, Anheier does not hesitate to offer his opinions, including critiques of the literature and suggestions for future research. Thus, this book is appropriate for graduate students or advanced-level undergraduates and could even be useful in a doctoral research seminar.
Each chapter begins with learning objectives and some key terms and concepts to focus the attention of students. Also, the chapters open with a helpful abstract and overview of content providing the reader with a useful way to link one chapter to others.
A modest criticism is that the learning objectives at the beginning of each chapter focus on the mastery of facts and classification schemes; the objectives rarely address acquisition of specific skills or the enhancement of critical thinking. Similarly, the review questions at the end of each chapter are quiz-like prompts, not likely to be catalysts for exciting classroom discussion or self-directed learning.
As noted above, however, Anheier infuses each chapter with his conceptually rich critiques and assessments, thereby providing instructors with plenty of tools for launching interesting classroom discussions, exercises, and assignments, particularly for students who are interested in the next level of inquiry beyond the essentials of the nonprofit sector and management.
This is a book that most scholars will want to have in their library, regardless of whether they use it in the classroom. From a teaching perspective, it provides a sophisticated multidisciplinary examination of nonprofit organizations and management.