Category: Non Fiction

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Future Proofing Cubed

FUTURE PROOFING CUBED ISBN: 9798638377168 Bookmark Publishing, Copyright Lcubed Consulting, Inc. written by Iisa L. Levy.

Subtitled Future Proofing Cubed the Definitive Guide to Increasing Productivity, Refining Processes and Bolstering Profitability, the book opens with a dedication; the usual disclaimer; a complementary forward; Introduction; Three sections: 1. Hybrid Consulting that contains two chapters -My Why: Enabling Corporate Success and Lcubed; 2. Future Proofing with five that define traditional consulting, initially describe Lcubed’s Adaptive Transformation, Solving recurrent problems, Desired results and Future Proofing; 3. Enabling Frameworks offers the last five, in turn discussing project management, process and performance management, internal controls, organizational change management, and chapter takeaways; Case Studies; References (16); Resources (4); and About the Author.

Discussion: Although the copyright is more stringent with respect to not allowing “any part of this book to be reproduced or transmitted in any form….”, this reader hopes that reprinting of the author’s ‘different’ and amusing Dedication will be overlooked. It reads “I’d like to dedicate this book to my friends and family who are always supportive of my choices even the ones they don’t understand. My hope is that this book will finally help explain to my parents what I do for a living.” Following this charming note of levity, the content of the volume explains her approach to teaching a business how to Future Proof itself against the ever-increasing number of changes they face as time evolves. The overall concept is to look at your business as a Rubik’s cube. You have all of the pieces and need only to position them to interface correctly. Use of the plan allows you to build a culture that embraces the enormous number of existing recent changes and will increase greatly in the business world as time advances. Granted, use of the Rubik’s cube analogy applies to medium sized businesses that have all of the pieces in place and functioning with a management team, money coming in, etc. With this understanding, she continues to explain that she had ‘spent her time in the trenches’ and gradually evolved her projected program after observing  the numerous types of quite disparate software with which companies were faced when attempting to accomplish the various tasks required simply to keep abreast of the changes in the business world as they developed. In fact, most of the time they had been able to assemble the required results only after the data collected were outdated. Thus from her repeated observation, the concept of “Adaptive Transformation” came to mind. The concept, although suddenly appearing to her, perhaps had been un-consciously stored in her mind in that she found a paper on the subject had been published by Stanford Professor Dr. Harold Leavitt in 1964. Regardless, the basis of the concept was to focus energy on building a new project rather than fighting the old, and it fitted well into her line of thinking wherein a series of activities could provide a means for an organization’s structure and culture to survive and advance even when facing tremendous elements of change. Eventually, the whole evolved into her epiphany moment and she decided to construct a software program that would encompass all of the disparate parts and meld them into one bundle.

Summary: The author, has presented details of the birth and evolution of her somewhat unique contribution – the structure, function and successes of a software program that combines and includes all of the usual features considered to be important components of building and maintaining a steady healthy business growth in times of change. There is much redundancy and substantial inclusion of material offered by others in the large number of books covering business maintenance and growth in the seemingly increasingly chaotic business world. However, Lcubed appears to be a knowledgeable organization, founded by a nationally recognized organizational change management authority, with a unique program that offers several advantages not previously made available.

5* Unique offering; -1 for redundancy,  not unusual for lecturers.

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ONWARD The Art of Leadership

ONWARD The Art of Leadership ISBN: 9781948046985 Telemachus Press copyright and written by Mark Joseph Huckabee.

The book opens with an introduction stating “The top trait of leaders: They never quit learning and growing. Leaders are perpetual students seeking mastery of their craft. Leadership is a life-long journey with no final destination. It is a way – the best way – to live life. You will see your hard work manifest into success not only for you, but for those around you.” Seven sections follow with descriptions of how to attain this eminence by following the examples set by known, as well as lesser stature, philosophers, warriors, writers, statesmen, politicians, explorers, entrepreneurs, scientists and others. All is provided with support from copious examples, quotes, and explanations provided by these people and especially from a most interesting and unusual array of cinematic productions. Section I begins with the ‘First Step’ and provision of examples of how everyone is a combination of boss, parent, leader, employer and coach. The examples range from presentation of the “Ice Bowl” football game and the initiation of “Molotov Cocktails” to movies such as Rocky, Jurassic Park, To Kill a Mocking Bird and more. Section II discusses the “How” of leadership with an actor’s example of the importance of “Preparation and the Will to Win”, a short story of Benjamin Franklin’s winning strategy, the “Art of Silence”, the movie “Star Wars” and numerous other pertinent factors. Section III presents a discussion of the importance of settling for nothing less than the “Extraordinary” detailing the difference between Dreamers and Doers with supportive material from the cinematic production of Field of Dreams, Ian Fleming’s James Bond and more. Section IV concentrates on “Building Great Teams. V the importance of having and living your principles. VI describes Managing an organization as well as managing your life and sets forth a sizable number of examples set by famous people and such pictures as Citizen Kane, and The Godfather. The last, Section VII: Change the Frame, opens with a vignette of Viktor E. Frankl, Holocaust survivor, renowned scientist and best-selling author and his human ability to survive not only unimaginable suffering of body, but his mind, soul and spirit that says “You shall overcome. And the reward for enduring your struggle is that you will change the world” and how his founding of ‘logotherapy’ was to teach that there was a basic importance to find a meaning in life that was the primary and most compelling motivational driving force in humans. The book ends with “A Personal Farewell: Turn the Page” where the author offers a few parting words “Any life worth living – at some point – will face seemingly unbearable circumstances. If you aren’t failing. You aren’t growing. You aren’t taking the chances true living requires. This too shall pass. Life will humble you. Let it. When it’s easy: Onward. When it’s hard: Onward. Locked onto your full potential, always facing True North. Live life this way, and I promise you will get there. A day is coming….Every moment the story of your life is being written. AND YOU HOLD THE PEN.”

Discussion: The author has taken discussion of moving one’s methods of living and working to successful levels to a most unusual and interesting manner of presentation level. Frankly, this reviewer approached this read/review with some restrictions of interest. Having read quite a number of these ‘self-help’ presentations, not much different was expected and momentarily was buttressed by observing the number of references to cinematic productions included. Once again my inclination to persevere through any book received ‘’till the bitter end’ proved to be the correct decision. This is a book that deserves to be read with an open mind by any book reviewer and is a truly helpful and easy-to-read volume for those looking for thoughtful suggestions.

5* Unusual, impressive offer of usual material in a different, enjoyable package.

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Still Standing

Still Standing ISBN: 9781456634414 Orca Publishing, copyright and written by Vicki Fitzgerald and M.G. Crisi.

Sub-titled One Woman’s Struggle with Divorce, Depression, and Betrayal, the story details repetitive painful episodes of a life of gradual descent into the depths of despair but with ultimate survival resulting from unrealized internal strength. The reader follows the gradual decline of an originally confident, outgoing, fun-loving young Vicki as she makes one poorly thought out decision after another unfortunately accompanied by others not of her making. After several poor relationships in early teen years, she finally progresses in her life to gain a position as a respected investigative reporter, finds a loving husband who grows in his executive positions with an international organization, and she gives birth to an adorable son and a lovely daughter. Only three days after her beloved Emily was born, however, her beloved and constant ‘rock of strength’ Grandfather was diagnosed with a terminal disease, one which he fought and she had to watch his gradual decline. During this period, she was invited to report on the opening of a new entertainment park where she was given a ride on a new mechanical device called The Whip. Seemingly a malfunction resulted in a painful back injury. Apparently because of the British Health System, she was sent for examination to an incorrect diagnostic center and her spinal disc injuries were not properly diagnosed. She continued to suffer with increasing bouts of pain, lost the other Grandfather, and her disc problem worsened causing her to enter a deep state of depression until the disc problems finally were diagnosed correctly and she had back surgery. Still recovering, she received word that her almost indispensable childminder, suffered a CVA resulting in loss of vision and speech impairment. The effect upon the already heavily depressed young Vicki requires no words. Still functioning ‘normally’ on the surface however, she was continuing her news assignments and other activities. But now she began to encounter increased problems in her job, which her editor advised to ‘forget about’. Recounting the situation to her husband, instead of providing the loving ‘comfort’ she had expected, she receives nothing more than a repetition of the editor’s advice. She suffers an instantaneous, intense feeling of rejection and truly ‘being without anyone’ and her world suffers complete devastation. From this point on, her downward spiral greatly accelerates. Her husband’s increasing numbers of trips away from home, conjure up suspicion of possible unfaithfulness She encounters deceit and betrayal by trusted friends. Drugs and even an assault occur. Even worse, there is a totally unexpected and horribly frightening encounter with the judicial system, brief incarceration, marital separation and multiple suicide attempts. BUT, the story continues beyond these features as ultimately it tells of her gradual climb back to become an accomplished author and CEO of a rising company.

Discussion: This is a poignant tale of survival by a vibrant young woman who falls to emotional rock bottom as a result of an extended series of devastating, many self-inflected, situations only to courageously once again approach the pinnacle of success. It is a journey which easily can be the tale of anyone who, for one or another reason, still retains and exhibits, much of the naiveté and insecurity exhibited by much younger people. She now readily admits many errors but is glad to have put her trials and troubles on paper and has no doubt they will be criticized and worse by some, but they have provided a welcome catharsis for which she has no regrets. So, “With my children by my side, life is good.” And “After everything I’ve endured; pain, betrayal, tragedy, and near death, I’m still standing.” And, in revealing these matters, she hopes to offer a simple message: “Hope it inspires at least one person at rock bottom to keep climbing, keep swimming and hold their head above water when they’re drowning. “If I can weather the storm until the sun shines, so can you!

5* Message of hope to the confused, depressed looking for help.

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Figuring It Out

Figuring it Out ISBN: 9781642250435 Advantage Media, copyright and written by Libby Connolly Alexander.

Sub-titled, A Memoir of Connolly, Inc.’s Journey to the Top, the book is a memoir by a woman who, with her brother and tech-savvy husband had taken the company successfully established by her entrepreneurial father to the point of eventually going public at a high market evaluation before reselling at an even greater value. The story opens with “To the three legs of the stool and all that we accomplished together” referring to the extended activity and accomplishments of she and her brother under the tutelage of her father, along with her husband.  Then, following several letters of praise for the book, quite lengthy acknowledgements are listed, an Introduction, ten chapters and a conclusion. The Introduction is prefaced by “A Jim Connolly Mantra: If you’re going to do something, do it right or don’t do it at all”. This in turn is followed by his opening statement to the family at dinner in the late 1980’s that he was resigning the quite prestigious position of Chief Operating Officer at Gimbel’s NYC department store to initiate a new entrepreneurial project – a recovery auditing business. Ten chapters and a conclusion then explains that she has “mapped out in this book her father’s blueprint that masterfully explains the core values and principles that support any successful business.” She begins by describing the changes taking place during the period of his change in position – the conglomerates, junk bonds, management shake-ups and the rest – beginning with Chapter 1 where her “father’s footsteps” include many of his admonitions such as “Above all, learn and constantly practice the art of adjusting to change” as they provided the groundwork for successful establishment of Connolly, Inc. referred to as Cotiviti.  Much of her father’s biography, including a fascinating account of wartime experience, largely in the Pacific Theater, proceeds to describe the man’s fundamental beliefs. The ensuing chapters present a gradual unfolding of the ‘Blue Print’ she has set forth and a Conclusion mentioned where she describes stepping down but summarily reflects upon important attitudes she believes necessary to succeed.

Discussion: This is an interestingly ‘different’ approach to the establishment and maintenance at a high level of an entrepreneurial start-up from very limited beginnings. The constant reference to bio- and autobiographical material quite interestingly provide material to bolster the author’s intent rather than offer what might be considered material detrimental. It recalls a time slightly before the evolution of the ‘Me’ outlook. “A time when reciprocal respect existed among a group of honorable men who openly shared their thoughts and moves with integrity, intent and purpose.” It also was at a time when a businessman could consider “One client at a time. No outside investment. No acquisitions. Just hard work and a determination to be the best by delivering quality results with low noise.” Troublesome business situations such as junk bonds, conglomerates and management shake-ups were developing during Jim Connolly’s early years, but he still believed in the ‘old fashioned’ basics and was still able to demonstrate they functioned well even during the progression to the rash of mergers, acquisitions and consolidations, restructuring, bankruptcies, highly intensified competition and price cutting so prevalent today. His methods of hard work, ingenuity, integrity, persistence, ability to adapt quickly to the rapidly changing environment, courtesy, professionalism and tenacity of purpose combined with hiring and inspiring a talented team were the key ingredients to formulate the multi-billion dollar businesses his son and daughter, Larry and Libby, further developed and ultimately walked away from. He was a great coach and roll-model whose early Recovery Auditing Company discovered and promoted innovative ways to identify and recover lost revenue, pricing and promotional funds in the 1980 – 90’s when auditing was an entirely different form of business than exists today.

5* Excellent self-help business suggestions in unusual memoir format.

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Jumping from Helicopters

Jumping from Helicopters ISBN: 9781732736115 Turtle Creek Publishing Copyright and written by John Stillman and Lori Stillman.

This is a Vietnam Memoir dedicated “To the 58,000 plus names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, they are the true heroes of the war. They gave all.” It is a book whose story was told to, and written by, the daughter of a man who as a 19-year-old endured the struggles of spending a year in almost endless combat as a member of the 101st Airborne in 1968. He, like most young men, enlisted seeing only the adventure and even, for some, having the thought of helping the downtrodden people of South Viet Nam. Instead they encountered the realities of war and under some of the worst conditions possible – endless days in the sweat-drenching jungle heat, little sleep, bad and frequently missing food, venomous snakes, leaches, impossibly annoying and even dangerous insects, days to weeks without being able to wash, and all with the constant watchfulness required to avoid hidden traps that maimed and killed, as well as enemy ambush, mortar rounds and more. And then later, discovering that you have been affected by a persistent life-threatening parasite and/or the residual results of Agent Orange or some other highly effective weapon that unfortunately only later was discovered to be deleterious to your life.

Discussion: This is a book that really requires the reader to look beyond the words that on-the-surface offer little of a ‘war story’ or even possibly nothing more than a repetitive listing of seemingly mundane factual material. If this is your impression, you are doing nothing but reading the words. To really understand, you must place yourself empathetically in the situations described and set forth in such an impassive, unemotional manner. From such a perspective, a totally different and horrifying picture is unveiled. A huge mental rearrangement appears where the young soldier gradually is seen to evolve from a naïve young man with thoughts of adventure and doing something worthwhile for a downtrodden people, into an automaton that follows the basic instinct to stay alive simply by becoming a killing machine. The book, fortunately because of the relentless desire of a loving daughter to learn and understand more about her father’s constant refusal to discuss or even mention remembrances that resulted in sleep-shattering dreams, and recurring thought patterns against which he constantly must guard against to withhold violent outbursts. The army had spent weeks training him to be a killer and did not even spend a few hours debriefing him or providing any words to help him re-establish himself into normal daily life. It was literally months before government action even accepted the fact that such an entity existed as PTSD or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Now, after some twenty years, this book has been written that is a culmination of combining details from the soldier’s diary, letters written home and his recall and finally verbal release of the unforgettable, constantly recurring individual and collective memories that a catharsis of sorts was attained. An effort patiently and lovingly pieced together by a daughter who wanted so badly to know more about that dark period in her father’s life that caused his occasional outbursts and so much pain. Finally he was able to talk about the horrible memories and could reach some degree of closure now that he no longer needed to bear the burden alone.

Summary: Riveting, deceptively unemotionally presented depiction of one 19-year-old’s gradual change from naiveté to unemotional machine of destruction from spending a year in almost endless combat as a member of the 101st Airborne in 1968 and resultant struggle with PTSD.

5* Riveting for reader with ability to mentally place self in protagonist’s position.

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The Science of the Deal

The Science of the Deal ISBN: 9781946633781 ForbesBooks copyright and written by Shravan Parsi.

The book opens with the usual praise for the author’s credits and ability by several CEO’s and others of note; a Forward; A Word from the Author; eight chapters; About the Author; Our Services, which describe those offered by American Ventures LLC; 32 End Notes; About the Book, which again emphasizes “Learn a systematic approach to investing in commercial real estate and multifamily housing.” Chapter 1, describes his move “From Sideshow to Main Show”, from part-time investing to establishing a commercial real estate firm specializing in multifamily workforce housing; 2. Discusses the necessity of knowing your industry and how to use key performance indicators; 3.Assembling your team and talent while also building important qualities in yourself; 4. How to employ time and leverage to seize opportunity; 5. The potential offered by downsides (the things to look for and evaluate in a city/neighborhood); 6. Describes the need to ask ‘really good’ questions and delegate to experts; 7. The necessity for networking and ‘giving back’: creating a center of influence; 8. Up and Out: Stretching limits.

Discussion: Most chapter headings, as listed, are self-explanatory and describe and discuss the material listed. For the most part, they follow a relatively regular pathway to developing a thriving business in a sector of real estate not often discussed. Chapter 8 perhaps is of particular interest because of its concentration on technology and trends. The author evaluates technology and globalization and how it’s constantly changing aspects affect the United States, its inhabitants and its businesses. He further directs the discussion to the primary theme of this book and takes it from its simplest form (Craig’s List) to more advanced ({?} e.g. Airbnb, HomeAway that disrupted the short term rental industry, to investing (e.g. Crowdfunding, restrictions limiting banks, etc.) Much of the discussion is about how the author’s American Venture’s performed in extensive and highly profitable performances, their intent (and how) to extend globally and into strategic markets, and the need to follow demographic trends to diversity. Also discussed are trends in single-family homes, populations – Baby Boomers, Millennials, human longevity – and even real estate in space.

Summary: Overall look at a section of real estate seemingly seldom addressed. It is presented in a manner interesting to an outsider whose interests are eclectic and although heavily autobiographical, assumingly helpful for the targeted audience.

5* Appealing thoughts for newbies; assumed helpful for knowledgeable.

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Entrepreneurs The Little Black Book

Entrepreneurs ISBN: 9781793054586 The Expressive Press copyright and written by Pete Geissler.

Sub titled The Little Black Book for, and those who want to be, entrepreneurs starts with a list of his other series of books; About the Author follows where he is presented as a “Professional/technology writer, teacher professor of technical writing and an author/publisher of self-help books”. These 3 combined, he admits are infamous for creating more poverty than wealth, but they work for him and he loves what he does. A Forward explains: “Happiness is the ultimate goal, and you’re in the driver’s seat.” A Prologue describes who, and why you will benefit from this book. Ten chapters (Drivers) next, beginning with Know and Live your purposes; 2. Aim for competitive supremacy which puts you in charge of your destiny; 3. Live your big 4 behaviors (empathize, appreciate, articulate, connect – actually common courtesy); 4. Collaborate with your customers. Also branding or niche marketing important; Give them more than expected; 5. Nurture and value your talents and principles for they are your conscience. (Picasso reportedly received a complaint when he asked $1000 for a requested sketch he did in a few seconds. His answer – Hardly a few seconds; I worked a lifetime to be able to create that simple drawing. Similarly, this Author was paid $4000 for a few minutes work, but strategically let the recipient believe it was after a week’s work.); 6. Four rules for creating wealth –productive efforts create wealth; 7. Create your own cozy conglomerate, for it is your stability. (The author is in his eighties, still writes, teaches, writes/publishes his and a few other’s books and honestly believes “That if I stopped I would die of boredom and loneliness in six weeks. Crazy, eh?” He believes serendipity was the driving force behind his cozy conglomerate); 8. Avoid greed at all costs – it’s self-defeating. Don’t accept work that’s beyond your capacity to deliver the final product (and this reviewer might emphasize- ON TIME – as follows). Remember your time and abilities also have a limit which it is necessary to discover and recognize; 9. Be creative when planning your future, for it is your road map. (“If you don’t know where you’re going you can’t get there”); 10. Retain financial advisers you can trust for they are your security. Five rules are offered beginning with Never retain a friend or relative to be accountant or manager; 11. Nurture your most important asset: your mind and body; 12. Select the vehicle you’ll ride into entrepreneurship for it will influence your wealth and happiness. There is an Epilogue (Conclusion); PETE’S Punditry: Words to Play By; Further Reading on money, on work, communications and thinking; APPENDIX A – The root cause of Success: Humility; Appendix B –  Root cause of failure: Arrogance; Appendix C –  Your “intelniche” is your brand and your competitive supremacy (your intelligence, imagination, creativity is your only product).

Discussion: A few more ‘gems’ noted in this short treatise include “Knowing your life’s purpose(s) keeps you on the track you’ve decided is best for you. It shapes your decisions and prevents you from irrelevant, irritating and costly excursions that tend to hinder reaching your goals”. The author loves words and first went to work writing for many Fortune 500 companies that needed to communicate better. “I can pick my bosses and embrace those I like and pay my fees.” He can dress as he likes, can get into proper attire if necessary to attend a board meeting or other and otherwise work in shorts/t-shirt and work billable hours in the middle of the night, Christmas day, or whenever. He says everyone needs a statement of purpose that adjusts to life’s changes and here he offers steps to “put you in the driver’s seat” to follow yours because “Perhaps now is the time to redefine success to align with your expectations and encompass more than wealth. The drivers in this book, which are my contract with you, will help…….As you redefine, remember that every person holds in his mind a definition of success and that every person’s path to it is difficult, circuitous, and exclusively theirs. I am your guide, not your overseer.

Conclusion: This reader is an individual who long has embraced the idea behind the author’s recalled statement “If you enjoy what you’re doing, retirement is ‘a vile condition brought about by age and befuddled management’. He too is a ‘word lover’ of long standing who also still is enjoying similar activities. As such, this reviewer highly recommends reading and thoroughly considering altering your ‘work’ to be more in line with the suggestions offered here.

5* Highly recommended!!!

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Radical Value

Radical Value ISBN: 9781733996303, Goodrich Publishing, copyright and written by Mark Boundy.

Sub-titled Elevate your company – and career – by unleashing the power within customer centricity, the author explains that “any company exists to generate higher value than it costs to deliver it.” Thus, “Customer satisfaction is a powerful, highly relevant metric. It’s just not a great in-game compass. Customer’s value is the important criteria.” He then proceeds with his 5 part evaluation. Part 1 contains 2 chapters where he initiates his proposal that the purpose of business is the creation of value and explains “what is value”. Part 2 follows explaining why value culture works with chapters 3 and 4 providing radically focused company basics and the critical aspects of focused customer conversations. Part 3 offers “to know your customer’s business, ye must know business” and proceeds in the next 3 chapters to describe the need to become an expert in your customer’s business, financial acumen for the “No-mathelte”, and how one must look for value through the customer’s eyes. Part 4 concentrates on practical ‘value-mining’ tools for customer-facing roles in chapter 8 by “finding value from your differentiation out” and 9 explaining that “probability happens at the top line”. Part 5 “Are you ready to be radical?” terminates the presentation with Chapters 10, 11 and 12 explaining how sellers are enabled to focus on value; “a day in the life” examining “what’s different about a radically focused organization”; and how this ‘different’ focus changes your customer relationships.

Discussion: The author states in several ways that “Customers don’t buy products or services, they buy the outcome they anticipate those products and/or services deliver. And, he has set forth his advice, as synopsized above, the manner in which this feature translates into the customer’s value and how to interpret and utilize it in what he describes as a radically different approach. From accompanying statements of praise for the author’s approach by individuals highly positioned in successful businesses, the author has been eminently successful in providing a ‘radical’ guide to focus on expectations of their customers. Or to rephrase, to re-align a business and all workers in each department to realize the basic need for every selling business to understand they are in business specifically to satisfy the values their customers possess. This reader concurs with their conclusions. However and apparently unfortunately, from my perspective as an individual not engaged in ‘business per se’ but rather one whose interests range eclectically, a certain personal disappointment results. If this basic message already exists, why does the author need to provide such lengthy description for justification of its use? And why is the material he has provided so radical? The material is interesting and seemingly delivers exactly what is needed, and assumingly considered radical, from the perspective of individuals who may be in the same old daily routine where poor habits develop unnoticed and the company’s main thrust ‘becomes somewhat frayed around the edges’. But from a total ‘outsider’s perspective, the message hardly seems ‘radical’ and especially if it is so essential. Thus, my apologies to the author and others closely involved in the activities described. My comments arise from the perspective of a reader whose wide range of interests include knowledge of ‘business’ and its various aspects, BUT from a complete unfamiliarity with the daily ‘grind’ it entails which seems, in turn, to lead to numerous ‘glitches’.

3* 5*material; -2 with apologies to author/others involved from an interested ‘outsider’.

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LEAP

LEAP ISBN: 9781946623651 ForbesBooks, copyright and written by Dr. Marta Wilson.

Sub-titled Master your Superpowers, Soar to the Leading Edge, this book’s author, an Industrial Organizational Psychologist, opens with a Preface providing information that her consulting firm (TSI – Transformation Systems, Inc.) has taught federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies and their members to “uncover the hidden gifts of executives, managers and employees to build morale, increase collaboration and enhance success”. “…includes achieving transformation goals such as cutting costs, increasing efficiency, and energizing the work-force” or in other words, “all of the message and work of TSI already shared with thousands of others.” She explains further that becoming Masterful in 4 areas tend to make the achiever become a ‘Super Hero’. These four are Personal, Interpersonal. Organizational and Motivational Mastery. Moreover, these 4 make up the LEAP title of the book and stand for Leadership Effectiveness and Potential. The profile is described in detail in Chapter 3 and an app is available at theLEAPapp.com that provides a fast-paced crash course in proven principles of individual effectiveness and guidance from science and industry to build these attributes. In the book she also includes inspirational examples of great leaders; i.e. Mastery in Action, along with experiences of some of her past and present clients plus her own story. The ensuing nine chapters provide individual information and recommendations on imagining yourself soaring; discovering your Masteries; your Superpowers; expanding your Personal Mastery; ways to amplify this personal attribute; boost your Organizational Mastery; raise your Motivational Mastery; Create your Own Opportunities; unleash your Inner Superhero and Soar. Each Chapter concludes with a list of pertinent questions for the reader.

Discussion: The author has set forth another in the burgeoning number of books with the intent of helping to further the growth of various established and new entrepreneurial businesses. She offers suggestions on how to overcome fear of public speaking, of failure, of engaging in change. The need not only to listen to people but to actually HEAR what they are saying, to empathize with them, to connect and have them engage, elevate and energize each other and how you can best accomplish this if you have learned to master yourself and teach by leading as a positive person who can innovate, create, interrelate and inspire, manage stress time and data. As with most books of this nature, there is much redundancy typically displayed as a result of a desire to emphasize facts delivered by lecturers repeatedly speaking to multiple audiences.

5* Excellent suggestions; some redundancy not unusual with lecturers use for emphasis.

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BOOK the BUSINESS

BOOK the BUSINESS ISBN: 9781599324074 Advantage Media Group, copyright and written by Adam Witty and Dan Kennedy.

Sub-titled How to make BIG MONEY without Even Selling a Book, contains 13 chapters beginning with The Big Idea of making Money with your Book, No B.S. There follow chapters describing the Best Customers; why a book is a fine marketing tool; how to use it to build an authoritative position; as the Ultimate Lead Generation Tool; to gain Speaking Engagements; to obtain Free Publicity/media coverage; in Personal Selling; as the Ultimate Referral Marketing Tool; to boost your direct mail; for Fast Product Creation and Additional Income Streams; to Get others to pay for your Marketing; Fast Action Implementation Resources; and finally the One Secret Nobody Tells You and Putting Your Plan into Action specifically contributed by Adam Witty. An Afterword by Dan Kennedy follows and Resources, and About the Authors conclude the presentation.

Discussion: This book is based upon the long accepted, and probably largely correct, assumption that writing a book elevates the author to a position of authority providing he/she has presented verifiable material. Its authors are eminently positioned to set forth suggestions that this premise positions a pertinent book’s author to employ it as a powerful marketing tool that will provide far more than any compensation he/she could gain by providing it simply as a book for sale. Adam Witty is the Founder and CEO of Advantage Media Group that publishes self-improvement and Professional Development books. Dan Kennedy is author and/or co-author of twenty books on the subject, a leader in marketing, copyrighting and business building who has established a worldwide organization to which individuals pay monthly for membership. Thus, when they explain how your authorship of a book on the subject about which you are most knowledgeable can produce what they refer to as “Invisible Income Streams”, their suggestions appear to stem from a superior understanding of the situation. Specifically, your book “provides name recognition in your chosen niche”. As presented in the pages of this book, their suggestions with respect to how your omnipresence offers ways of having others market for you, to promote you without ‘selling’, obtaining speaking engagements, media coverage and more. From this reviewer’s perspective the authors have quite thoroughly, and quite adroitly covered their subject. However, it would seem necessary to provide a small caveat so as to mitigate any confusion for a budding author with respect to writing fiction and non-fiction. Having written and successfully published (as well as taught a university level writing course) in both areas, I believe their expressed opinion that the simple difference between the two is that fiction requires talent and creativity and can be arduous whereas non-fiction is what you know and what you’re willing to research may require a few more words. Fiction does require talent and creativity and can be ’arduous’ in the amount of research required to provide credibility to your plot and the activities included (unless engaged in the fantasy genre). This is why fiction writers usually are told ‘to stick to what they know’. Non-fiction also is described correctly as a collection of what you know and what you are willing to research. However, the newbie by no means should overlook the importance of creativity and talent. They first must have the creative spark that allows them to ferret out the fact(s) that others miss AND the talent to weave them into a single unit that supplies a usable tool to supply answers to the discovered ‘niche’.

5* Highly recommended with small caveat suggested.