The Answer to How is Yes, Peter Block, 2002. The new approach to change management that is presented here will completely flummox control freaks. Block posits a refreshing series of truths that, if adopted, will transform workplaces into journeys of meaning. He insists that we ask the wrong question about accomplishing the important things in our lives, particularly in our place of employment. We too often ask "How?" which focuses too closely on the practical way of getting something done and is actually a subconscious expression of society's emphasis on control of people, time, and cost. Instead, our concentration should be focused on "Why?" In other words, we need to pay attention to what really matters to us personally, from heart-felt commitments in our private lives to the creation of projects in the workplace. To be able to act on what matters, explains Block, we must reclaim specific qualities, such as intimacy and idealism. Then we can tackle purposeful work as if we were social architects seeking engagement and change.

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, David L. Cooperrider, Diana Whitney, and Jacqueline M. Stavros, 2005. This publication is essentially a workbook for anyone wanting to launch an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) initiative. It provides background information on what AU is and how it works, and offers sample project plans, designs, agendas, course outlines, interview guidelines, participant worksheets, a list of resources, and more.

The Empowered Manager, Peter Block, 1987. This book is intended for those who feel powerless to control their own destinies, who feel stifled by bureaucracy, and who feel sapped of creativity. Block offers practical advice to help managers empower themselves to help shape the organization, develop positive political skills in their dealings with all levels of employees, take responsibility for their own actions, negotiate with their allies and adversaries, and face failure courageously. Block presents ways to treat all members of the organization as entrepreneurs so that employees feel that their units are their own businesses and that they and they alone, are in the process of creating an organization of their own choosing.

Encyclopedia of Positive Questions, Volume One, Diana Whitney, David Cooperrider, Amanda Trosten-Bloom, and Brian S. Kaplin, 2005. This book enumerates the generic questions that are central to the discovery phase of the Appreciative Inquiry process and are the keys to bringing out the best in any organization. It is divided into two sections, the first of which discusses ways to use positive questions and the second of which lists questions by type.

Organization Development: A Process of Learning and Changing, W. Warner Burke, 1994. This book provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the field of organization development. Written for managers, executives, administrators, practitioners, and students, it takes an in-depth look at organization development with a particular emphasis on the importance of learning and change. The author not only describes the basic tenets of OD, but also looks at organization development as a change in an organization’s culture.

Presence: An Exploration of Profound Change in People, Organizations, and Society, Peter M. Senge, C. Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers, 2005. Presence can be read as a both a guide and a challenge to leaders in business, education, and government to transform their institutions into powerful agents of change in a world increasingly out of balance. Since business is the most powerful institution in the world today, the authors argue, it must play a key role in solving global societal problems. Yet so many institutions seem to run people rather than the other way around. The authors seek to understand why people don't change systems and institutions even when they pose a threat to society, and examine why institutional change is so difficult to attain.

Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership, Lee G. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal, 2003. In this book, the authors explain the powerful tool of "reframing." Their four frames are: 1) The Structural Frame: how to organize and structure groups and teams to get results; 2) The Human Resource Frame: how to tailor organizations to satisfy human needs, improve human resource management, and build positive interpersonal and group dynamics; 3) The Political Frame: how to cope with power and conflict, build coalitions, hone political skills, and deal with internal and external politics; and 4) The Symbolic Frame: how to shape a culture that gives purpose and meaning to work, stage organizational drama for internal and external audiences, and build team spirit through ritual, ceremony, and story.

The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry, Sue Annis Hammond, 1998. This booklet is a pocket version of the Appreciative Inquiry Handbook. It briefly describes what appreciative inquiry is, lists the assumptions of appreciative inquiry, and outlines the steps involved in implementing appreciative inquiry.