MERRELYN EMERY is internationally recognized as a leading proponent of Search Conferences. With her husband, Fred Emery, she developed the theory and methodology of the Search Conference at Australian National University in Canberra. RONALD E. PURSER is an associate professor at the Center for Organizational Development at Loyola University in Chicago. He has conducted numerous Search Conferences and has sponsored Merrelyn Emery's Search Conference training workshops at Loyola.

"Emery and Purser's book provides a theoretical and practicalknowledge base previously available only through direct contactwith a few gurus. If you're ready to move on to the next level ofsophistication, then you must dig into the Search Confereence, andthis book is the best place to start digging." (D. Douglas McKenna,general manager, Executive and Management Development, MicrosoftCorporation) "As Emery and Purser ably demonstrate, the Search Conferenceprovides a powerful tool for making organizations flexible andresponsive, Equally relevant for transnational corporations andcommunity nonprofits, this book is a must-read." (Leo Burke,director, Center for Management & Organizational Learning,Motorola University, Motorola, Inc.)

• THE POWER OF SEARCH CONFERENCES. 1. Learning and Planning Our Way to a Desirable Future. 2. Uses and Advantages of Search Conference Methods. UNDERSTANDING SEARCH CONFERENCE PRINCIPLES. 3. Planning in Stable and Turbulent Environments. 4. Open Systems Thinking and the Power of Human Ideals. 5. The Strength of Democratic Learning. 6. Conditions for Creative Collaboration. STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE SEARCH CONFERENCES. 7. Planning for Success. 8. Designing the Search Conference for Effectiveness. 9. Managing the Search Conference. 10. The Search Conference Step by Step. Conclusion: Beyond Stagnation. Epilogue (Fred Emery).