Win Or Die: Lessons for Life from Game of Thrones – Bruce Craven
I might have rated this book a bit harshly, because it just wasn’t for me. I haven’t read Game of Thrones so I didn’t get much out of it. A lot of the book makes reference and fully analyzes Game of Thrones. I don’t recommend reading this book if you haven’t read Game of Thrones. There are some leadership ideas, however, nothing new. There is very little leadership theory, and a lot of explaining via Game of Thrones. While the author aims to draw parallels between the challenges faced by the characters in Westeros and real-world leadership scenarios, the book seems to cater primarily to fans of the series. Without prior understanding of the characters and their arcs, the lessons feel abstract and disconnected.
For those who are avid followers of Game of Thrones, this book might provide an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. 2 stars.
Finding My Virginity: The New Autobiography – Richard Branson
I found this hard to review. The book itself is ok and not that badly written. It’s obviously an autobiography so it’s told as the story of his life. The stories don’t drag on, they get to the point at least. The part I don’t like is Richard Branson himself, and his life story. He is not someone I would be friends with. I have not read his first autobiography and wasn’t even keen to read this book. I didn’t know much about Richard before reading it, but after reading this book it confirmed everything I already knew.
Richard Branson considers himself a legend. He views himself as The Most Interesting Man in the World. I hoped to learn a little about running companies. But really he does none of this. Instead readers are subjected 450+ pages of egomania. It’s all about what he does in his everyday life which is off on dare deviling adventures that he brags about. Including his complete list in the appendix of “75 close shaves with death”. Most of which are doing dumb idiotic situations he puts himself into. Besides always almost dying, the rest of it is his views on politics, bragging, any time he did anything “cool”, and out right just being rich. I don’t even think he runs any companies?! Not in the day to day sense anyway.
There is no advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. It is just Branson telling the world, over and over again, how much fun it is to be Branson. I thought he was a wanker before, and now reading this, it confirms it. 2 stars.
How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job – Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
This book lives up to its title by effectively condensing an MBA into a single volume. It provides a concise overview of many essential business topics. While it doesn’t delve deeply into each subject, it serves as an excellent starting point if you want to read just one business book on MBA concepts. This book is a valuable guide for beginners and equips you with the necessary information and tools to further your business education.
This book offers an insightful look into the inner workings of the FBI, narrated through the lens of an experienced agent. It demonstrates how the following principles are fundamental not only to FBI operations but also to broader applications in business and personal life. The author delves into the Bureau’s adherence to the seven C’s:
I had high expectations for this book, hoping to find compelling case studies and valuable insights about women in the tech industry. While it does touch on those aspects, I found the book to be disorganized and lacking a clear structure. It begins with a captivating short story about GoldieBlox, which instantly grabbed my attention. However, this story is only briefly explored and not revisited until the very end, which left me eagerly waiting for more throughout but left me disappointed.
I approached this book with a sense of uncertainty, unsure whether it would be exceptionally good or disappointingly bad. To my delight, it turned out to be a truly commendable read, deserving a solid four stars. I was concerned that it might be overly centered on Navy SEAL anecdotes at the expense of practical business applications, but I found the abundance of such stories surprisingly captivating. Despite my initial reservations, the author successfully bridged the gap between the SEAL experiences and their relevance to the business world to create a compelling narrative.
This book hooked me right from the start with its engaging storytelling. The first section, “Misconceptions about the Real Work,” was packed with interesting studies, statistics, and stories that highlighted the importance of behavioral design. However, I didn’t really learn anything new from that section. Things went downhill from there, with less exciting sections that didn’t hold my attention. The ending was a bit of a letdown. It seemed like it was building up to a solution, but then it shifted focus to testing and case studies, which weren’t anything groundbreaking since they had already been discussed throughout the book. So, it felt like we circled back to the solutions section was the real end earlier on, which was anticlimactic.
The readers are treated to a comprehensive exploration of the company’s history. The narrative seamlessly weaves together the personal stories of Cal Turner Senior and Cal Turner Jr, offering a delightful blend of humor and insightful anecdotes from the company’s journey.
Your Most Valuable Asset: 7 Steps to Growing Rich
I thought this book was about habits, but it’s not at all. For a book with such a long title, it still didn’t explain what it’s about. This book is about doing your strengths in work and life, which the author calls “your zone of genius”. It’s a drawn out way of saying ‘know thyself’ – this book focuses on building a career on those things you already do well and enjoy. The thoughts and ideas of this are fine but I feel like it’s also just common sense. I also feel this is not possible 24/7, there are always times you need to do something that you enjoy less, and it doesn’t give you any tips for this. The book also has a bunch of other wishy-washy topics on mindfulness, meditation, getting sleep, and perseverance.