Customer Reviews

Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations: The Clover Practice™

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Unlike so many other authors writing in this genre, Kathleen Paris demonstrates her respect for her readers by sparing us from endless repetition over hundreds of pages. She makes her points just once or twice, always in a clear concise fashion. They're backed up by snippets of supporting evidence drawn from sources ranging from the Bible to the Surgeon General, and from Tom Peters to Wayne Dyer. Her use of simple, non-technical, language combined with her writing style makes "Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations: The Clover Practice" an easy and enjoyable read, which is quite an accomplishment when considering the weight of her topic.

In the first three chapters she lays out the three principles of what she calls "The Clover Practice." As she makes clear, these are easy to understand and visualize, but not always easy to execute. Having personally applied all three of her principles I can state with absolute assurance that they work. If you're not already living by them, read the book, follow her lead, and your life will improve in significant, eye-opening, ways. Best of all, the framework she provides requires no cooperation or participation from others in your workplace - you can decide to, then execute, The Clover Practice entirely on your own and then reap the rewards.

Her ideas are timeless, though I must say that now, November 2008, in the midst of what's being called "the global financial crisis," with its massive economic uncertainty, seems like a perfect time for smart people who care about themselves to stretch themselves to enact the kind of positive, transformative, changes that are available to them. This is a small book with a big idea. Read it. Live it. Share it.

We spend a large portion of our waking hours at our jobs. This book can help any employee make the most of their time in the workplace. With ideas and tips about living and acting in healthier ways, there is something here for everyone!

The book is written in a friendly, upbeat and encouraging manner. The beauty (and bonus) of this book is that everything Dr. Paris discusses relates to how we can improve our personal lives as well.

In a world awash with quick fixes, this book is a welcome change. The Clover Practice is so simple. You can remember it without getting the book off the shelf, but don't be lulled into thinking it's simplistic. Anyone who really tells the truth, speaks from their own point of view and realizes how interdependent everything is is someone who has achieved a lot.

The minute your boss tells you to tell someone they're not in or that they just left, you know from that point on that you can't trust that person to be square with you. People shoot themselves in the foot by not being honest even in small things.

Also, it's the perfect book to come out during the most important election in the history of this country. I would like to see all the candidates' actions and words held up against the Clover Practice and have people cast their votes accordingly.

I manage a large administrative unit in a large organization and we just ordered ten copies of Staying Healthy in Sick Organizations: The Clover Practice for my staff (I may order more!). If everyone really followed The Clover Practice, workplaces would be very different. I am totally committed to openness and transparency, so the clover leaf Tell the Truth, Always grabbed my attention. It's not as easy as it sounds! The book provides good advice on the "how" of being honest.

There's a lot that goes along with Declaring Your Interdependence. It can be really difficult to convince employees that it's in our best interest personally to help other people be successful. The author shares some personal stories about how our destinies are interlocked as employees of the same organization. As she says, the connections can be hard to see.

I found the section on doing your adult homework very interesting. Anyone who fills out the questionnaire on their experiences growing up will have a lot to think about. This is a book you can read on a weekend and carry it with you (literally and figuratively) to the office on Monday. If you've ever worked a day in your life, you'll find yourself somewhere in the book. I highly recommend it!

I love this book! I always find that the best books take what is meandering about in your head--then when you see the words, you're like: Yea. Wow!... That's so true. How come I didn't think of that, or express it? And it's even better when the book provides solutions. This book does all that and also has that Must-Keep-Reading factor.

Kathleen's work carries the seed for change and hope for Corporate America. Thanks for taking the courage for returning the power back to the people where it belongs. A must read for anyone holding a job.

Neerja Arora Bhatia
Author & Inspirational Speaker

I read Staying Healthy during a 2 1/2 hour flight from Minneapolis to Houston. I was going to take a nap since it was an early morning flight. However the book engaged me so much before I knew it we were landing and I was finishing the book. The book was very insightful and provides real tools for helping improve one's positive participation in their work life.

This should be a best seller, and will certainly be of great help to everyone who reads it. I wish I'd had something like this when I was working for corporations. The principles Dr Paris advocates, if followed, would be helpful in personal relations as well as business situations. Bravo!

Hardly ever a book empowers people -all workers regardless occupation and status - to challenge unhealthy and stressful work and organizational practices that impact their health and wellbeing. The Clover Practice(tm) is a clearly-written book for anyone engaged with unhealthy organizations (the vast majority). This book presents basic and realistic steps towards redefining the individual work environment that will lead to higher levels of personal health and satisfaction and in the end healthier places to work.