My review of "The One Thing"

I was fortunate to receive a copy of “The One Thing” to read and review from my online book club 12 books and the author Gary Kelly with Jay Papasan. Thank you very much to 12 books! If you are not yet a member, you should absolutely check it out http://www.12booksgroup.com/ .

The idea this book is that in order to the most effective version of yourself, at any given time, it is important to maintain your focus on one thing at a time. The book uses a lot of visual examples which I found to be incredibly helpful in truly grasping the authors point of view.

I absolutely felt that at times the author was speaking directly to me. The ability to stay focused on one task at a time can be incredibly challenging when we have so much distracting us at any given moment. When you write out your daily to do list (and should if you don’t already), there is so much we put on the list that is not actually productive to hitting the ultimate goal that you.

The author used many many examples of individuals who have become successful through having the focus and drive in the field that they have chosen. It is honestly making the choice to make new habits and having the discipline to follow through on the activities that are inline with our “one thing”.

The One Thing does not simply apply to business and career objectives. I believe that it can apply to any situation going on in your life in which you feel needs to be focused on more. I would recommend this book to fellow business leaders, friends, and anyone that is looking to understand why things might not be going the right way for them. After reading this book, I have taken a more direct and concise approach to my business. I am focusing on the activities that are in fact get me where I want to be. This book can definitely change your life for the better if you will simply apply the advice Mr Kelly and Mr. Papasan give.

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear: Using Psychology Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods review

A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear: Using Psychology Christianity and Non-Resistant Methods was an excellent, to the point, read. I enjoyed the way that the author wrote the book so that it would be easy to understand by all.

The content of the book was based on the fact that anxiety and fear is something that we generate within our brain. Often times it is irrational and not well thought through and I know from personal experience that this is true. I enjoyed the examples that the author used to describe how scenarios can play out in our head and how we fail to recognize how scenarios can play out okay if we would just let it happen.

The religious aspect within the book was also of interest to me because it is not often discussed in anxiety/fear books. I do believe that my friends that are non Christian would not want to read a book with any religious aspect to it, but I would still ask them to look past it in order to receive the overall message of the book. This book was a quick read, but don’t mistake it for lacking substance. It is something I would recommend to friends that battle anxiety and/or fear.

Start With Why review

I received a copy of “Start With Why” to read and review from my online book club 12 books and the author Simon Sinek. 12 books has been a great source of personal development and I am very grateful to be an active member of this group.  This book was a book that I had heard about from other leaders in my network marketing business, so I was very glad to have the opportunity to review this book for the book club.

The basis of this book is that there is more to being a leader than just getting things done. As a leader you need to be able to inspire everyone to take action and to do that you need to be able to reflect your why clearly. Your why is your reason for being in business, the underlying goal you have to help others, your mission in life; Your why can be simply what gets you up every morning and what motivates you to work through the rough patches you will inevitably hit.

I really enjoyed all of the examples that the author used to show examples of businesses having success by following their why and examples of businesses that have been in it for the wrong reason and have failed. Simon Sinek was excellent in conveying these stories to the reader and uses examples of businesses that we are all well aware of (Southwest Airlines, Apple, Microsoft, Walmart, Costco, etc).

I would recommend this book to fellow business leaders, friends, and anybody looking to understand business dynamics (why many fail and few succeed). After reading this book, I have found myself thinking often what is the driving force behind what I do? What gives me energy just when I think I have none left? Very important stuff to reflect on if you want to have a successful business and leave a legacy that others will use as an example in their lives.

My review of Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP Dutton and NetGalley, I was given the opportunity to read and review Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves. I was very excited to read this book as I am a fan of the author and her other book On the Island.

This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and held it through the end of the book. The basis of the book is a woman who is married and feeling lonely as her husband cuts her off emotionally and is traveling a lot. The woman meets an Police Officer who takes an interest in her as a friend at first, but he begins to develop romantic feelings towards her. She resists the feelings at first, but the loneliness gets to be too much for her and she begins to let herself return those feelings.

The main character of the book, Claire Canton, was very relatable in her emotions and you could not help but understand her feelings and have empathy for her. While the book is predictable in many ways, it was well written and you had a deep understanding of all the characters and what was going on in their head. There was definitely a lot of psychological understanding as to the characters point of views as it switched every few chapters. I felt that it gave the book a little more depth as to how the emotional connection developed between the characters.

I enjoyed the ending of the book and felt that the author did a great job of giving the story a good ending from all of the main character’s perspectives. It was definitely something that made me think and even after finishing the book, I thought of the situation that Claire got herself into and ultimately understanding the start of an emotional affair. It made my eyes mist up at the ending of the book and how it played out in the final chapters. I would recommend this book to fans of the author and those looking for a good book that is an easy read, but at the same time has some depth to the feelings of all the characters.

My review of The Third Peril

Thank you very much to Goodreads and L.P Hoffman for the opportunity to read and review a copy of The Third Peril. I would like to start out saying, why on earth did I put this book off for a few months to read some others?!?! When I first received this book sure it did not jump out at me, but when I started it two days ago, I found that I just could not put it down.  

There are many different characters and it switches often through the book. That was probably the biggest reason that I didn't want to put down the book….I enjoyed all the characters and their stories that I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next. For me the description of the book does it little justice. This book does begin with a child (Connor) receiving a message from an Angel and while that plays a large part of the book, the book is so much more.

The character that I enjoyed the most was Zeke as I am certain he was an Angel, or at least it appeared as so in the book. His unwavering faith and how he affects each and every character in the story was incredible to me and made him so likable I thought the author did a nice job of slowly piecing together what had occurred between David and Paige to cause a strain in their brother-sister relationship, and I kept waiting for Paige to give in and forgive her brother who was so obviously still hurting from the situation. Nora was another favorite character of mine and she really was such a sweet lady that just wanted to see the good in everybody. I started to guess that Joel had something to do with Nora after he met with his sister in New Orleans and was thrilled he was able to find a way to North Dakota with Zeke to figure out his family situation. It had a pretty intense, but very realistic story line.

I honestly loved how the book played out from start to finish and I am glad that in the end, the unwavering faith that Connor had regarding everything he had been told by the Angels, was proven true. I stayed up very late both nights I was reading this and can admit it was so very hard to put the book down at times. I cannot remember the last time I have read a book that had me wanting to read through the entire night just to finish it. In the end I smiled at the end of this book because while most would say it ended stereotypical, I would say that yes…most of it was very happy, but there were also some very sad situations that ended as such. I would recommend this book to both my friends of faith and those that might not quite be there yet because the ultimate message that I took from this book is that we all need something to believe in.

Narcoland: A review on drug trafficking in Mexico and the history of how it began.

Through NetGalley and Verso Books, I was given the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of Narcoland, which will be published on September 10, 2013. This book was written by Anabel Hernandez, an investigative journalist, that currently resides in Mexico.The original edition was released in 2010, and the translated version (with a few updates) is what will be released in 2013 in the states.

I was expecting this book to be more along the lines of what is currently going on in Mexico and the current cartels that are controlling the drug trafficking. What Ms. Hernandez delivers is that and much more than expected. The book was a little hard to get into because there were so many individuals that were involved in the trafficking that it took a couple chapters to begin to remember which one was which. Once I did, the pieces began to fit in together quite well. Hernandez does an incredible job of giving a very thorough background into how drug trafficking began and how it has exploded into the problem that it is right now.

Hernandez has does an incredible job with quoting her sources and specifying which ones asked not to be credited. Unfortunately she has written in the updated version that many of those sources have been murdered and/or are missing. She lists documents and their numbers in which they were filed with the different agencies in the government. She names all of the individuals who were involved; whether they were businessmen, government officials, the police, the American government, and even the President of Mexico, she does not hold back. She speaks regarding all of the assassinations and why many of them occurred. She speaks of the problems between the cartels and that much of the murder is due to the fighting of the different territories in Mexico. She explains very clearly how the drugs have been able to be trafficked into the United States for so many years, a lot of it to do with the American government assisting them in many cases, as well as an incredible amount of paying off government officials to allow traffickers to cross.

I would highly recommend this book to anybody that is looking to gain a better knowledge of the problems with drug trafficking in Mexico and what appears to be a problem with no solution in the near future. I definitely enjoyed learning more of how all of this began and how in the last 20 years it has turned into the problem that it has. It was definitely a book that I enjoyed reading and would absolutely read it again (especially now having an understanding of who is who in that field).

My review of "My Adventures As A Young Filmmaker"

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book courtesy of TheReadingRoom.com and to say I loved it would be an understatement. I have been a fan of Andrew Jenks since the first season of “World of Jenks” on MTV and was incredibly excited that the show is finally back on.

While the show does an amazing job of sharing the lives of other individuals and their struggles and victories, it is not often you hear too much about Jenks himself. I really enjoyed how well written this book was and the background of the man behind the camera. He is an incredibly hard working man that has earned and deserves every ounce of success he has achieved through his documentaries and show (as well as his wonderful crew and friends that have helped him along the way).

It’s nice to hear how supportive his family is of him and how he chooses to go against the norm in regards to the documentaries he makes and the individuals he follows on his show. Anybody that is a fan of the show would love this book and it was definitely a book that I couldn't put down after starting. Not yet a fan or know of Andrew Jenks? Then pick this book up and you will be by the time you complete the book!

Nae'body's Hero Review

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book courtesy of the author Mark Wilson. It took a couple chapters to get into the book and I’m usually not a big fan of switching characters every chapter, but it worked for this book. I love how their intertwined at the end and watching the progression of each of the characters’ personalities and the growth that they each made throughout the story.

Robert Hamilton, Arif Ali, and Kim Baker all had interesting backgrounds and stories. There were a lot of historical references in the story leading up to September 11, 2001. Like the author states at the end of this book, I only wish that it all was true. Robert has Super hero powers of sorts and is very intent on doing only good and never taking a life. He makes it his mission to help everyone that he can as he can speed across the world in seconds.

Overall I really did enjoy this story and without giving too much information, I absolutely am a big fan of anything with a good amount of historical references and information that I can further Google. The portrayal of the terrorist training camps was eerily similar to what I have read in the past and heard from others. It is terrifying and does offer some compassion for the boys that are often forced into these positions in horrifying ways. I definitely would recommend this book as it was enjoyable and an interesting read.

Wealth Warrior (my review)

I received a copy of “Wealth Warrior” to read and review from my online book club 12 books, which has been a great source of personal development, for me.  This book was a quick read and definitely a book that I will refer back to often for sources of inspiration.

I enjoyed that the chapters were smaller and with a lot of quotes to really help you grasp what the author was referring to. I absorbed a lot of information from reading this book; much in the regards of setting up your life so that you are constantly looking for ways to help and serve others. That really is the point of our existence and the only way that our society will survive and continue to prosper socially and in business.

The author Steve Chandler, writes with such an incredible passion for the message he is sharing, that it would almost be impossible to not attempt to absorb every message he shares.

 He shares many of the misfortunes that he himself has been through and in doing so; I believe he empowers every individual to know that it is possible for them as well to have a life of success. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommend this book to my friends and family. We can all use that push every now and then; and sometimes we happen to get caught up in other things, forgetting what our real message and goals in life are. 

Review for Your Best Just Got Better

Through my online book club 12books, I was given the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book by Jason Womack. After reading this book, I can with complete honesty say that this was one of the best personal development books I have ever read. The principle of this book is about evaluating your current habits and activities throughout the day and finding the opportunities where you can increase your productivity.

It was pretty powerful reading that we are given 96 blocks of 15 minutes throughout the day and how we choose to use that time is up to us. It really put it in perspective for me and I have found that using Jason’s tips and techniques has made an instant difference in my productivity. Setting that timer for 15 minutes on my phone or iPad really gets me to apply that focus to the task at hand. I found that also taking note of what I find as my “When I am at my best” moments, that I think throughout the day of little things I can do to ensure that I am indeed at my best. I could really go on and on in regards to this book and how much applying these activities is already impacting my life, but there would be just too much to say and talk about.

My recommendation is that this book can be beneficial to any individual. It does not matter whether you are a stay at home mother, an entrepreneur, a military member, or just an individual trying to learn how to make the most of your day. This book was incredibly well written and I will be recommending it to everyone I encounter in my day to day activities. 

likeable business review

I read likeable business through 12 books group, which is an online book club that features a new personal development book to read and discuss each month, and it is definitely a book that I can see myself referencing back to often in the future. This material addressed in this book is by no means a new concept, which the author fully acknowledges, however it is presented in a way that significantly makes it easier to grasp and understand why these practices need to be put into place.

Likeable business addresses topics such as; listening, transparency, passion, responsiveness, authenticity, and more interesting topics. The book is full of wonderful examples of how each of these ideal business practices have been put into practice already. I felt like it was a lot easier to relate to what the author was writing with examples and tips of how to actually implement much of this within an organization. While the topics discussed felt like basic skills a manager, employee, or organization would already use, it was easy to see how many had lost the focus of going back to the basics.

This book helped me understand responsiveness and what going the extra mile for a customer can mean for an organization. There were also a lot of examples of organizations that chose not to go the route of applying these skills to their organizations, and unfortunately many of those organizations are no longer in business. The examples of businesses that went the extra mile made me want to jump on Twitter at that moment and let them know that their actions are not going unnoticed. They have me as a customer for life, even if I haven’t yet had the pleasure of doing business with them, I will in the future.

I would definitely recommend this book with ease to individuals looking to improve on their customer service skills, organizations who can’t understand what they’re doing wrong and anybody at all that would just want to learn how to apply these skills to their own personal life. It definitely comes down to treating individuals as you would want to be treated. It overall has improved my understanding and ability to identify organizations and businesses I currently shop at, that at the moment, do not seem to care if they lose my business. 

My review on Uncertainty

I was given the opportunity to read and review “Uncertainy” through and online book club I participate in called 12books. “Uncertainty” was a pretty challenging book to get into and found it hard to hold my attention until chapter 6. The concept of the book was very interesting in regards to learning to accept that fear and uncertainty come with most great things we do in life. Where I felt it was hard to get into were a lot of the random examples that were thrown into the book and the occasional paragraphs which would compare our brains’ response to the feelings of fear, judgment, and uncertainty.

Towards the end of the book though, my attention was held by the interesting topics that came up. How friends, family, mentors, and other individuals in our life can push a forward or hinder our progress is interesting. A feeling I had was that I could separate those thoughts but there is a lot of evidence that we internalize much more than we think. The author gives some good examples of how to turn criticism and judgment from people in our lives into fuel to push our dreams and goals even further.

The other interesting chapter and section for me, was that regarding mediation or Attention Training (AT). Meditation has always been of interest to me, but not something that I have ever been able to put into a consistent practice. I felt the author gave some great tips to get started and even so much as saying that if you are consistent, even for shorter periods of time, that you will begin to feel the effects of this relaxed state of mind fairly quickly. I definitely intend to make that a regular part of my day by starting out for shorter periods of just sitting and allowing my mind to be at peace. The author also gives some great advice about the correlation between exercising and your brain being in better shape to handle stress, work more productive, and to increase creativity. I definitely believe that adding more exercise to my life would impact my business endeavors and activities in a positive way.

Overall I would recommend this book to individuals that are in a limbo in their life. Do you continue forging through with your dreams and goals or is it time to take a step back and evaluate them? This book will help you think all that and more through. It is definitely a good read and I would just suggest pushing through the first few chapters if you find it harder to get into, because it does get better. 

My review for Come Home by Lisa Scottoline

I received an advance copy of Come Home by Lisa Scottoline from TheReadingRoom.com and St. Martin's Press to read and review.

I really enjoyed reading this book and felt bummed out when it ended. I really enjoyed the character Jill and felt that she was easy to relate to (being a mother of two myself). It was a well written story. Plenty of times felt like I knew what was going to happen next, I really had no clue. I was really rooting for Jill and Victoria to reconnect throughout the whole story and up to the end, I was rooting their relationship on. It ended well and thoroughly explained all the mysterious parts of the book that were unanswered.

My only disappointment was hoping there would be some sort of epilogue that would flash forward and show how the characters were all doing 10 years from now and how they were as a "whole family".

I will definitely be checking out more books from this author as it was a great read that held my interest the entire story.

Drinking and Tweeting (my review)

I really have grown to love watching Brandi on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (my not so guilty pleasure), and love her feisty personality. She shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of everything she has been through. Her candor with sharing everything (including where she has messed up), really makes you feel as though you can not only relate, but appreciate how far she has come. This book does not let you down, you can actually picture her saying all those things, so I can really appreciate how it was written. Great book where she sheds some light on her side of the story. Definitely a word of caution: Watch out because once you start you will not want to put it down! 

Review on Reviving Work Ethic

I read “Reviving Work Ethic” by Eric Chester as the monthly selection for 12 Books which is a business book club where we read and review a new book each month. I went back to read the review I wrote immediately after finishing this book and realized just how short I fell on describing the book. Since reading the book I have found myself in a few deep conversations with people regarding the problem with our younger generations and their “What is in it for me” work ethic. I didn't realize just how much of the book I had absorbed until I began referencing it and feeling like I had the knowledge and some pretty great examples to back up my thoughts. I agree and understand just what the author means in regards to simply showing up has never been grounds for a promotion at work,  however it does certainly feel that it happens more than one would like to think.

I have since recommended this book to a few people who are now reading it. We do need to lift people up and over to the quadrants that will lead them to success that is earned and achieved only through hard work and dedication to their position. Like the author states, we need to relate to the circumstances and life situations within this generation and be able to explain why this is important so that they are able to understand the concept.  I think that leaders in all fields and their employees should take the time to read this book and absorb the content within it.