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Translate The books this month focus on planning, design, and construction (PDC). Owners should be more aware of the projects they are planning, designing, or constructing, and these books help them do just that. Buildings are a big investment, and they need to meet the needs of the owner in many ways. NET-POSITIVE DESIGN AND SUSTAINABLE […]
Bookshelf Mar/Apr 2021
We learn from the past and having learned, apply it to the future. With that, I start with a book about the history of facilities (hidden in the design and construction process) and end with a book about managing people. BENJAMIN WRIGHT: FATHER OF AMERICAN CIVIL ENGINEERING Steven M. Pennington, ASCE Press, Reston, VA, 2020, […]
The Bookshelf Jan/Feb 2021
This column has provided information about several references over the two decades of the editor’s involvement. Reference books are useful tools for someone interested in a uniform method of performing one’s job or assisting others to do so. This issue focuses on one such reference. PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES FOR THE FACILITIES PORTFOLIO 2nd ed., Building […]
The Bookshelf May/Jun 2021
Innovation comes in many forms and provides benefits for profit-making and nonprofit or governmental organizations as well—if the organization is willing to be innovative. The two books reviewed this month provide some insights. COLLABORATIVE INNOVATION Bart Barthelemy, Wright Brothers Institute, Balboa Press, Bloomington, IN, 2020, 107 pp., softcover ($12). One of the organizations where change […]
The Bookshelf Nov/Dec 2020
APPA has an active relationship with FranklinCovey, recognizing that management and leadership ideas can help facility officers succeed in a difficult environment. If you missed this summer’s virtual conference, the books reviewed this month will give you an opportunity to catch up. Even if you attended, these books should be on your shelf. They can […]
The Bookshelf: Jan/Feb 2022
Facility officers have a tough job. They must manage people and places and they also must manage problems and find solutions. The two books reviewed here address managing people and finding solutions to difficult facility problems in a logical and defensible way. THE SUCCESSFUL MANAGER: PRACTICAL APPROACHES FOR BUILDING AND LEADING HIGH-PERFORMING TEAMS James Potter […]
The Bookshelf: Jul/Aug 2021
There is never enough time to do everything—work must be divided to be conquered. Here are two books that encourage different methods to help you be more effective and make better decisions in a complex environment. THINK AGAIN: THE POWER OF KNOWING WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW Adam Grant, Viking, New York, 2021, 257 pp., hardcover […]
The Bookshelf: Jul/Aug 2022
Working with others comes in several forms. It may require understanding where one is coming from or where others are coming from. It may also involve transforming oneself to work from a different perspective, i.e., lead. The two books reviewed here provide some of the steps necessary to accomplish either or both. STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0: DISCOVER […]
The Bookshelf: Mar/Apr 2022
Facility officers have a tough job. They must manage people and places and they also must manage problems and find solutions. The two books reviewed here address managing people and finding solutions to difficult facility problems in a logical and defensible way. THE HEALTHY WORKPLACE NUDGE: HOW HEALTHY PEOPLE, CULTURE, AND BUILDINGS LEAD TO HIGH […]
The Bookshelf: May/Jun 2022
A facility officer’s work is never done, whether it is correcting past errors through process improvement, handling today’s “emergency” or other critical issues, or confronting what the future might bring. A facility officer must use every technique available to manage a large and complex organization. The books covered here should prove helpful. CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND […]
The Bookshelf: Nov/Dec 2021
Innovation comes in many forms and provides benefits for profit-making and nonprofit or governmental organizations as well—if those organizations are willing to be innovative. The two books reviewed this month provide some insights. THE HOUSE THAT SHE BUILT Mollie Elkman and Georgia Castellano, NAHB BuilderBooks, Washington, DC, 2021, 36 pp., softcover ($18). The facilities industry, […]
The Bookshelf: Nov/Dec 2022
As a departure from the usual fare, this edition reviews textbooks intended for architecture, engineering, and project management students. That doesn’t mean these books have no application to facilities professionals—they do, in myriad ways that I hope are evident. CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING AUTOMATION: FROM CONCEPTS TO IMPLEMENTATION Benny Raphael, Routledge, New York, NY, 2023, 276 […]
The Bookshelf: Sep/Oct 2021
One of the best ways to learn about the world is to learn from the past, and not just the successes of historical figures but their failures as well. The books reviewed today present an enjoyable perspective for each topic. SURVEYING IN EARLY AMERICA: THE POINT OF BEGINNING, AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY Dan Patterson and Clinton […]
The Bookshelf: Sep/Oct 2022
Leaders need quiet time to recharge and to discern what moves are needed next to keep the organization moving forward and not sideways or reverse. In addition, they need to have a good execution plan to be effective and make the leadership role easier. Each book reviewed this month addresses one of those two important […]
