By Rolf Crocker

If you're a regular reader of this column, you've noticed that the books I review are non-industry specific.  This is by design.  Someone taught me a long time ago, that if the gene pool gets too shallow, bad things begin to happen.  That having been said, a sprinkling every now and then of some good old HOA DNA is a good thing!

As most of you know, CAI provides some of the best (and sometimes the ONLY) industry-specific literature available.  The two books for this month are not new, but are excellent, and are a step-above the Three P's (the definition of which varies greatly by locality!).  Both are available at the CAI Bookstore at www.caionline.org.

Decision Making In Communities by Jasmine Martirossian (©2001 Community Association Press) In the interest of full disclosure, I am fortunate to count Jasmine as one of my industry friends.  The subtitle of this book, "Why groups of smart people sometimes make bad decisions" delves into the sociological heart of why groups of people, often professionals with degrees, can get so sideways in the decision making process.  Jasmine's doctoral dissertation was a direct result of her involvement as a homeowner and subsequent trustee of her Association.  Starting with "What Is A Group," Jasmine walks you through the process of how group dynamics work, defines Groupthink and provides Weapons of Influence to help you minimize the effects of Groupthink.  This is not a 'magic-bullet' book, but rather gives the reader a comprehensive overview and understanding of the decision making process. A 'must read'!   5 Stars!

Community First! Edited by Bill Overton, PCAM (©1999 Community Associations Institute) This book is 'brain food'.  The subtitle of this book is, "Emerging visions reshaping America's condominium and homeowner associations". There is an old saying - "If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got."  There is something deeply counter-intuitive in doing the same thing and thinking (believing or hoping) that you'll get a different result.  Nonetheless, most of us operate on this level.   This is a compilation book, with chapters from Industry Insiders and Outsiders all talking about, "What if…"  There are several key contributors, among them Wayne Hyatt, Bob Diamond, Mike Packard and Evan McKenzie.  Use the articles to stir up your own thoughts about "What if…"  Go beyond what is - take some time to dream a bit about what could be.  4 Stars!