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Book Review: The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant by Terry Felber

January 3, 2013

The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant“The Legend of the Monk and the Merchant” by Terry Felber follows Julio and his grandfather Antonio as his grandfather imparts wisdom on the young boy.  It is a parable that explains how to run a business properly with principles such as staying out of debt, taking responsibility, and keeping a budget.

This is a quick read that will take you an hour or two cover to cover.  It is an excellent story that is set in Italy.  Antonio, the wise grandfather, takes Julio through Rome visiting various characters that cause Julio to have those “a-ha” moments we all look for in life.

My personal favorite take away was that businesses making money is not a bad thing and that they need money in order to purchase products and services from other merchants and help the people in their communities.  It is the way that it is laid out in the book that I really enjoyed.

All in all I think this is a book any person in business or who is considering going into business should read.  The hour or so that it will take you to read it can change your business course for the better.

If you would like to get other peoples point of view or purchase the book you can do so on Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Book Review: More Than A Bucket List by Toni Birdsong

November 20, 2012

More Than A Bucket ListThis will be my final book review for 2012. As we embark on a new year and a new journey I will be gearing up for things to come in 2013!

“More Than A Bucket List” by Toni Birdsong is a hardcover gift book that runs 278 pages.  It is divided into many different sections to give you various activities/adventures to pursue.  The purpose of the book is to help you get more out of life instead of watching it go by.  My take away from it:  PARTICIPATE!

When I first came across the title of this book it was something I instantly wanted an opportunity to review.  My job is to help people live their life to the fullest and breakthrough the things that are holding them back and this is part of what a “bucket list” is intended to do.

This book contains a lot of different lists including things to do, places to visit, and adventures to pursue.  I really like the variety that is presented and it made me think of some places I would like to visit.  I also like the “Real–Life Challenges” that are presented throughout the book for you to go out and try in real situations.

If you are someone who is in a pursuit to find things to put on your bucket list or to help you generate ideas I think you will get a lot of suggestions and direction from this book.  However, I would not recommend it for someone who is really looking to find or pursue their dreams and passions – I believe there are books better suited for that than this.

Understand this is intended to be a gift book and not something that you would necessarily walk into a book store and look for as a self help item.  It is an excellent little tome to be given as a gift for that someone in your life that is in place to really connect with what is being discussed.

If you would like to read more reviews or purchase the book you can do so from Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Book Review: One Big Thing by Phil Cooke

October 12, 2012

One Big Thing by Phil Cooke

The book is about your “One Big Thing” or OBT.  Basically, what is the one thing you were put on the earth to do is the question it seeks to solve.  Why be average at a bunch of things when you can be great at your One Big Thing?  Phil Cooke takes you on a guided tour to discover what your OBT is and how to get out of some of the clutter that is around you.

I found that in this book there was not a lot of new ground covered for me.  Admittedly, I read much more of this genre than what the average person does, however, I found it to be a very easy and enjoyable read.  Phil Cooke has a writing style that is comfortable and makes you feel like you are having a conversation.  The book does accomplish it’s mission which is to help the reader bring focus into their lives.

“One Big Thing” does make you think and challenges you to look at your life and where you are.  What is it that you are passionate about?  What is it that you want to do with your life?  And once you have found those answers it shows you how to focus in on it and take steps in the right direction.

My favorite part of the book was the epilogue titles “You’re Not Crazy.”  I absolutely loved the story of Georg Friedrich Handel.  This part of the book reinforces on of the other chapters and goes to prove that you are never to old to accomplish what you were born to do.

I also highly enjoyed the quotes throughout this book.  I love good quotations and this one is packed full of them.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to focus their life or who needs helping finding what to focus on.  Mr. Cooke has written a book that is easy to relax with and is enjoyable to read.  I look forward to reading his previous book “Jolt” in the near future.

To read more customer reviews or purchase the book visit Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Book Review: The Art of Selling Yourself by Riccoboni and Callaghan

October 4, 2012

The Art of Selling Yourself“The Art of Selling Yourself” is a book written by Adam Riccoboni and Daniel Callaghan of MBA & Company.  It was originally published in the United Kingdom under the title “Buy Me!” in 2011.  The content of the book is, as you might tell, about how to sell yourself in business situations such as interviews, ideas and public relations and how to sell yourself if you are an entrepreneur and needing to sell your concept to potential markets.

Riccoboni & Callaghan outline ten steps to take to sell yourself:

  1. Self-Belief and Confidence
  2. Personal Preparation
  3. Personal Presentation
  4. Communication
  5. Empathy
  6. Under-Promise and Over-Deliver
  7. Going the Extra Mile
  8. Overcoming Setbacks
  9. Managing the Media
  10. Leadership

The book contains exercises to complete to help you focus on your qualities and unique selling points and takes you step by step from there to show you how to present yourself in a way that people want to buy you (your services, idea, or work with your company).

While some of this book is not ground breaking or new to this genre I did enjoy it quite a bit.  I think everyone will get many takeaways and the book will help you develop confidence, show you how to network, show you how to have a conversation with someone in a way that you can better relate, get out of your comfort zone, and get up from setbacks and move on to the next sell.  I also like the step by step format which makes this an easy read and helps you work on one concept at a time.

One of the most interesting parts for me are the case studies.  Profiles of Sir Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, and Jeff Bezos were my favorites out of the the ten included in the book.  You have an opportunity to see, in a few pages, how these business masters started out and see where they have come today.

I would recommend this book to anyone who needs to sell themselves in any area of their life but especially in business.  From selling yourself to a potential employer to selling your project to an investor this book will show you how to begin and that is with yourself.  I will have this on by bookshelf as a resource to continue to look back on.

To read more customer reviews or purchase the book visit Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Book Review: Wisdom Meets Passion by Dan Miller & Jared Angaza

September 25, 2012

Wisdom Meets Passion

Something drew me to this book when I heard about it and I am glad that it did.  “Wisdom Meets Passion” is a book about moving forward and doing something you are passionate about in your life.  Why live in the mediocrity of the cubicle that you hate when you can use the wisdom you have gained during your life with the passion in your heart to pursue your dreams?

“Wisdom Meets Passion” is a collaboration between Dan Miller and his son Jared Angaza.  The two compliment each other while giving the text their own perspective.  If you have read either of Dan’s other books you are in for a change.

This book is an easy read and if you have ever listen to the “48 Days Podcast” you can hear Dan Miller’s voice while you are reading it like he is talking to you.  Why?  Because he is.  It is a wake up call to a multitude of people who are not doing what they love to do, are pursuing careers to make someone else happy, or because they think it is what is responsible “adult” thing to do.

This is not a career guide like “48 Days.”  This is a “get off your butt” guide that really helps with that push to get you going.

Jared’s points of views from living in Africa are excellent and fit very well in this book.  I would love to see him write a book of his own about his journey growing up to where he is living today on the African coast.

I would highly recommend to anyone who is stuck wishing or dreaming they were doing something else with their life.  Working with a non-profit, wanting to open their business, or ready to change the world?  Pick up this book for a kick start.

“Start with what you have. If you wait until you have the confidence you need to do a job search, the education you need before you are a great candidate, or the money you need to start a business, you’ll never start anything. Start today. Start walking toward your ultimate success.” Dan Miller

To read more customer reviews or purchase the book visit Amazon.

*Note: I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.*
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Keep organized and stress free this holiday season!

September 2, 2012

100 Days To Christmas 2012

Book Review – “100 Days to Christmas” by Jennifer Tankersley

I see it year in and year out.  Individuals stressed out beyond belief because the holidays “creep up on them” as if the dates move every year.  They are running around at the last minute trying to buy gifts and get cards.  I know you can relate in some way.

You can now avoid the drama that comes with doing everything last minute thanks to Jennifer Tankersley.  Her book “100 Days to Christmas” takes the “surprise” out of the date coming up on you and allows you to do a little each day that gets you ready for Christmas.

Your countdown begins on September 16 as you get your supplies ready to go.  Then you do a little each day such as doing your Christmas budget, deciding on a costume for Halloween, and getting your food ready for Thanksgiving day.  There is a different activity each day some of which is just something fun to do with the family like picking apples or going to the pumpkin patch.  Saturday is your catch up day to do any projects your missed during the week and get ready for the new week.

Along with the ebook you also get 25 downloadable PDF pages from ListPlanIt, Jennifer’s main site, that includes your budget sheet, planning calendars and more.

I highly recommend this ebook, if nothing else, because it allows you to greatly reduce your holiday stress while increasing your enjoyment of Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It is an excellent tool to use and you can add traditions and items that you need to do or take away things that you don’t like.  The important thing is you are ready and prepared for the last three and a half months of the year and can enjoy it with your family and friends.  I purchased one last year and loved it and I am sure you will find great ideas inside too!

To learn more or purchase the ebook for $5.00 visit ListPlanIt.

If you want to know a little more about reducing your stress through the holiday season check out my article from last year:  99 Days Until Christmas

*Note: I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for providing my thoughts in this review.*
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100 Days of Summertime

May 21, 2012

100 Days of Summertime ebook coverJennifer Tankersley’s newest edition to her organizational repertoire has been released. “100 Days of Summertime” is her followup to her successful (and wonderful) ebook “100 Days to Christmas” which takes you from100 days prior to the holiday (September 16) until Christmas day itself and showing you how you can have a stress free holiday season.

In this ebook we go from Memorial Day to Labor Day outlining different life events and activities you can complete to have a great family summer.  This includes planning a start of summer party and preparing for graduation events to school starting up and preparing to get ready for fall (which starts September 22).

Woven throughout this book are downloadable planning sheets from Jennifer’s site ListPlanIt which you can fill in the blanks and print out.  These are great for continual planning for events during the year.

I recommend this ebook to my clients for a couple of reasons.  One is it gives you some ideas on things to do during the summer.  Instead of sitting at home all the time or doing the same routine day in and day out this can help provide you with variety.

Second reason is that it helps reduce stress by helping you organize what you need to do through the use of calendars and other downloadable worksheets.

You can purchase this ebook from the ListPlanIt web site for $5.

 

(Note: I received a copy of this ebook at no charge to review it and the links are referral links.)
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