Applebee's America: How Successful Political, Business, and Religious Leaders Connect with the New American Community

Fast read, easy to understand the concepts being presented, good examoples of gaining a following and how it was done in each case.

By examining developments in business, church and politics, the author opens a fascinating view on how people respond to belonging, form community, and make relationships in our new age, and how new communication methods and deliberate efforts by institutions to use them are re-shaping traditional processes and systems, and yielding remarkable success. As a new political leader who thought he understood how these things worked, it opened my eyes (once again) to an ever-changing world. Highly recommended. It will get you thinking ... a lot!

I loved the simple and almost comedic comparisons regarding Democrats v Republican profile... Some are shocking. Lighthearted and easy to read, great for just before bed.

Anyone starting a non-profit organization (church, civic group, local political campaign, etc.) should read this book. It contains a wealth of insights that could be discussed by leadership and the committed core to identify key values and foster a healthy, collaborative organization.

Remembering that non-profit is a tax status, not a business plan, our chamber of commerce emphasized concepts discussed in "Applebee's America" during our organization's recent strategic planning work session with our 2007 leadership team. The result is a regional planning agenda for our 2,000 member organization that recognizes how people make choices - with their hearts, not their heads - and how to best create a sense of community. "Applebee's America" gives businessses and organizations new insights and strategies on how to better connect with their customers. Patti J. Larsen - Vice President, Communications, The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce