Tag Archives: 4-stars

Review: Fred Kofman – The Meaning Revolution (S)

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The Meaning Revolution
Leading with the Power of Purpose
Fred Kofman

“Forget the standard practices of leadership taught in business school — all about compensation, command and control. This is a new model for how to inspire — through purpose, principle and people. The Meaning Revolution is Fred Kofman’s call to arms for anyone who has ever felt unengaged at work and offers actionable advice for how we can all find more meaning and dignity whatever we do.”

This book dives into what it means to lead with purpose. The author focuses on the idea of having a noble purpose—a mission that lines up with the personal goals of others—and how to lead in a way that inspires. Some of it was a good reminder, but there were definitely fresh ideas that stood out too.

One of the best parts of the book is how it shows the importance of helping people find meaning in their work. For anyone trying to motivate a team, the section where the author explains the difference between happiness and meaning really hits home. It’s not just about feeling good—it’s about having a deeper sense of purpose.

That said the book does have some weak points. The chapter on capitalism didn’t really connect to the rest of the book and felt like a letdown at the end. The epilogue had some great takeaways, but it would have been better if those ideas had been fleshed out more in a full chapter or two. A lot of the book focuses on why purpose matters and what happens when it’s missing, but it didn’t give enough practical advice on how to actually change your mindset or help others find meaning.

Even with these issues, the book is really engaging, and for such a long read, it keeps your attention. If you’re in a leadership role, it’s definitely worth picking up. There’s a lot to take away, even if the ending isn’t as strong as the rest. 4 stars.

Review: Albert Bourla – Moonshot

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Moonshot
Inside Pfizer’s Nine-Month Race to Make the Impossible Possible
Albert Bourla

“The exclusive, first-hand, behind-the-scenes story of how Pfizer raced to create the first Covid-19 vaccine, told by Pfizer’s Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla. A riveting, fast-paced, inside look at one of the most incredible private sector achievements in history, Moonshot recounts the intensive nine months in 2020 when the scientists at Pfizer… As Dr. Bourla makes clear, Pfizer’s success wasn’t due to luck; it was because of preparation driven by four simple values—Courage, Excellence, Equity, and Joy.”

Moonshot is a fascinating and fast-paced look at the incredible race to develop Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Written by the Pfizer’s CEO, it’s an engaging read that takes you behind the scenes of one of the biggest scientific breakthroughs in recent history.

The author does a great job explaining the challenges, risks, and big decisions that had to be made to pull this off. From completely rethinking testing processes to overhauling the supply chain, the book highlights how Pfizer managed to produce millions of vaccines in record time. It’s hard not to admire the leadership and vision it took to make it all happen.

One of the most interesting parts of the book is the breakdown of how a vaccine, which normally takes over seven years to develop, was done in just nine months. It raises some big questions: If this is possible, why isn’t it the norm? The author points out the inefficiencies in the current system, with its red tape and politics, and challenges us to think about how things could change.

The book spends a lot of time on the political side of things—world leaders, negotiations, and global politics played a big role in the process. While that’s part of the story, it might not be as interesting for people hoping for more behind-the-scenes science or business strategies. There are moments where more detail about the actual decision-making would’ve made it even better, especially for those curious about the organizational side of things.

Overall, Moonshot is an inspiring and easy read that captures a historical moment we all lived through. It’s a unique perspective on the pandemic and what it took to create a vaccine that changed the world. 4 stars.

Review: Patrick Lencioni – Silos, Politics and Turf Wars (S)

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Silos, Politics and Turf Wars
A Leadership Fable About Destroying the Barriers That Turn Colleagues Into Competitors
Patrick Lencioni

“Practical and hands-on strategies for breaking down silos and minimizing workplace politics In yet another page-turner, New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed management expert Patrick Lencioni addresses the costly and maddening issue of silos: the barriers that create organizational politics. Silos devastate organizations, kill productivity, push good people out the door, and jeopardize the achievement of corporate goals. As with his other books, Lencioni writes Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars as a fictional―but eerily familiar―story. The story is about Jude Cousins, an eager young management consultant struggling to launch his practice by solving one of the more universal and frustrating problems faced by his clients. Through trial and error, he develops a simple yet ground-breaking approach for helping them transform confusion and infighting into clarity and alignment.”

The author dives into one of the most frustrating issues at work—silos. If you aren’t familiar with Lencioni’s work he writes fables that embed simple business truths into a story.

The big takeaway? Teams need a shared goal that’s clear and actionable. People have to understand how their work fits into the bigger picture and, more importantly, prioritize the team’s success over their own agendas. The author also makes a strong case for leaders to drop their titles at the door. No matter your role, when you’re part of a leadership team, your job is to make the company better—not just protect your department.

The storyline—a consultant figuring out how to solve silo problems—is pretty relatable, but it didn’t grab me like some of the author’s other books. It’s a little weak on the storytelling side and doesn’t have those big “aha” moments that stick with you long after.

That said, the lessons are practical and easy to apply, especially if silos are causing headaches in your organization. While it’s not my favorite from the author, it’s still a solid read for anyone trying to build a more connected, aligned team. 4 stars.

Review: Patrick Lencioni – The 6 Types of Working Genius (S)

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The 6 Types of Working Genius
Patrick Lencioni

“The 6 Types of Working Genius is the fastest way to help people identify the type of work that brings them joy and energy, and avoid work that leads to frustration and burnout. Beyond the personal discovery and instant relief that Working Genius provides, the model also gives teams a remarkably simple and practical framework for tapping into one another’s natural gifts, which increases productivity and reduces unnecessary judgment. In classic Lencioni fashion, Pat brings his model to life in a page-turning fable that is as relatable as it is compelling. He tells the story of Bull Brooks, an entrepreneur, husband, and father who sets out to solve his own frustration at work and stumbles into a new way of thinking that changes the way he sees his work, his team, and even his marriage.”

I love this author and his books. I was looking forward to this one and it did not disappoint! The overall take away of the book is to do what you love. The author doesn’t particularly mean based on your work industry but rather the type of task you are doing. I definitely do agree with this! I loved the fable story that the author tells the book through, and definitely found it funny at times. However, as I have read a lot of his other books, it has a similar narrative that it follows which you can predict after you have read a few of his books.
Most people have two areas where they’re in the zone and get energy when they do it (genius), two areas where they get frustrated and are miserable when they do it (frustrations), and two areas in the middle they’re good at, but don’t really love to do (competencies).

I highly recommend that you check this book out! 4.5 stars.

Quick Reviews of Non-Fiction Business Books #6 (S)

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Creative Selection: Inside Apple’s Design Process During the Golden Age of Steve Jobs – Ken Kocienda

This book turned out to be different from my initial expectations, yet it was a satisfying read. It doesn’t provide a comprehensive overview of Apple’s entire history and product line, and it’s not a conventional business theory book either. It goes in depth with the author’s experience in his areas of product development only. It has very little of Steve Jobs. So if you are looking for a book on him, this is not it. I really enjoyed it though. It was well written, and in depth on the product creation. It’s very much written like a story. It had me laughing at some points and I found it interesting. There were a few points that I lost interest in it though. The author being a software engineer does get a bit technical at times, but does a great job of drawing familiar parallels to software principles.

I would enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone curious about the intricate process of product development at Apple. It offers a delightful and enlightening reading experience, making it a solid 4 star recommendation.

Hello Gen Z: Engaging the Generation of Post-Millennials – Claire Madden

Gen Z, born between 1995 and 2009, currently aged 29 to 15, I picked up this book wanting to know more about Gen Z, particularly in the workforce. I understand that at the time of writing, in 2017, many Gen Z individuals were teenagers, but there were also adults in the workforce, and Gen Z would be increasingly entering the workforce as the years went on. The author could have focused more on the future. I felt that I had high hopes to learn a lot from the book, but in the end, it let me down. It was filled with quotes from Gen Z, which is fine, but it was inundated with repetitive quotes all saying the same thing. There was a lot of “this is how it is right now,” but no strategies for dealing with Gen Z in the workforce or in general. Some of it focused on understanding Gen Z, which is necessary in the book, but not to the extreme extent of what we are already observing from them. It didn’t provide explanations. I felt it took a long time to get into the book, and even then, it lacked depth. I’ve read other books on different generations, and they had more depth, even for the era in which they were written. I felt like the terms, slang, and things labeled as Gen Z were more characteristic of Gen Y, especially since I am Gen Y. I’m unsure if Gen Z is just not that different, or if I’m not as old as I thought I was! I recommend this for generations X and above. 3 stars.

Conscious Leadership: Reveal your potential. Inspire excellence. – Neil Seligman

I don’t believe this book is poor, but it didn’t quite resonate with me either. This book presents itself as a guide for leaders, but it’s really for anyone interested in understanding themselves better and making better choices. It offers examples, exercises, and suggestions for further reading on each topic. It’s short and covers a lot about self-development and becoming a better person. Overall, it’s a pretty good book. I don’t really have any faults with it. I think it just wasn’t for me. 3 stars.

Review: Alison Cochrun – The Charm Offensive

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The Charm Offensive
Alison Cochrun

Dev Deshpande believes in fairy tales and crafts them on a reality dating show. His own love life is a bit of a nightmare, but he can prepare his contestants for a happily ever after like no one else. His latest Prince Charming is a bit of a problem though – Charlie Winshaw doesn’t believe in true love, doesn’t want to love and is on the show to prove he’s normal. What does the happy ending look like for Dev and Charlie?

Charlie, you’re completely oblivious, and I love it! However, I really think you overestimated your chances of surviving on reality TV. Have you ever seen any of it? Are people really that oblivious? Dev, buddy, you weren’t doing yourself any favours either, and sometimes you really were a bit of an ass, even if you apologised for it later.

How on earth did Dev’s parents keep that a secret? Why didn’t they tell him? Yes, relationships should not fill holes in your soul. But, nothing wrong with having another human to share your life with. The depiction of mental illness was quite sensitive and it was nice to have something in adults (not young adults). Some aspects didn’t quite sit right for me, but I was willing to let it pass.

I’m not sure I really get the title of this novel, but ok! Maybe because Prince Charming is a thing? But why is it offensive? Is it offensive as in it smells, or that people are battling things out? Maybe the latter. I’m also not sure why I jumped into reading this novel, except that I find it hard to resist a gay love story with sufficient queer and diverse supporting characters! A novel set on a TV show where the contestants are supposed to find ‘true love’ in 3 months isn’t new (see Here for the right reasons and Can I steal you for a second).

I’m not going to reread this novel in the same way I do Helen Hoang’s romances, but I give it bonus points for addressing the importance of therapy. Having read several Alison Cochrun novels in a row, it’s getting a bit same-old, but that’s a me problem. 4 stars from me.

Review: Alison Cochrun – Here We Go Again

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Here We Go Again
Alison Cochrun

The favourite teacher of two childhood friends turned enemies needs a death road trip. Joe forces Rosemary and Logan together to roadtrip the USA in the ‘Gay Mobile’ for one last ride before they go their separate ways.

Woah. The character development in this novel is exceptional. I’m actually ok with both of them acting like teenagers initially because there’s a lot of background to their behaviour. Logan goes from being an ass to being a bit less of an ass, and Rosemary goes from being tortured to being a little less tortured. Also, the final scenes of this novel almost made me cry. Joe buddy! I love you!

Some of the repeated descriptions didn’t do it for me though, “Her mouth puckered into a cat’s butthole” – um, no. Not attractive, at all. Also, what’s with all the swearing and weird names for things? I could do with a bit less swearing, particularly given I’m pretty sure high-school teachers can’t swear that much?

It’s Worth the Wait but with a roadtrip added! It’s so good to see these ‘mainstream’ publishers publishing queer novels! The variety is amazing. To all those complaining humans who say there’s too many queer/woke novels, remember that there are years and years of past publishing with cis-hetero protagonists. Just because something is new and hyped doesn’t mean you have to read it!

There are two main things (apart from the main narrative) that are emphasised in these novels: 1. the importance of therapy and 2. the flexibility and fluidity of sexuality labels. Now, why would those two things be so important? Well, in Australia, 74.5% of LGBTIQA*+ individuals had experienced a mental disorder at some time in their life compared with 41.7% of heterosexual people. There’s nothing wrong with having therapy regularly even if you are coping. There’s definitely a shortage of qualified psychologists though.

I get write what you know, but why does it seem like queer people in novels are artistic/creative types? In Alison’s novels we have teachers, authors, artists, film-makers, a (failed) ‘tech-bro’ and a baker who makes amazing creative pastries! My other favourite queer author, Karelia Stetz-Waters, there are a similar collection of creative types plus some accountants (that run art galleries) and marketting/business types (who have a specilised sound skill-set). I’m probably oversimplifying it, but can’t I have some romance with ‘boring’ professions? Let me know if I’m overlooking some.

Having now devoured all three of Alison Cochrun’s novels in the last week, everything by T. Kingfisher and the new Ali Hazelwood, I think I’m ready for something that isn’t a romance again. I don’t know what I feel like yet though!

Simon & Schuster | 3 July 2024 | AU$24.99 | paperback

Review: Josh Kaufman – The Personal MBA (S)

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The Personal MBA
A World-Class Business Education in a Single Volume
Josh Kaufman

“Getting an MBA is an expensive choice-one almost impossible to justify regardless of the state of the economy. Even the elite schools like Harvard and Wharton offer outdated, assembly-line programs that teach you more about PowerPoint presentations and unnecessary financial models than what it takes to run a real business. You can get better results (and save hundreds of thousands of dollars) by skipping B-school altogether. Josh Kaufman founded PersonalMBA.com as an alternative to the business school boondoggle. His blog has introduced hundreds of thousands of readers to the best business books and most powerful business concepts of all time.”

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.

It’s also a great reference for future use by helping you refresh your memory and pointing you towards resources for more detailed information. It offers a high-level summary of many important topics in both business and personal development.

Did Kaufman convince me I don’t need an MBA? I was already skeptical about getting one before reading the book, so it reinforced my existing opinion. This book helps you understand not only how businesses operate but also how people work, and it offers insights into increasing your productivity.

“The Personal MBA” is the perfect read for anyone starting in business that is too busy to dedicate hours at a time to reading.

Review – Lauren Roberts – Powerless

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Powerless
Lauren Roberts

Paedyn Gray is not only a thief, she’s also an Ordinary. Having no gift is a fate punishable with death and banishment of any hiding her. Paedyn has been trained as a psychic to cover her Ordinary-ness but also has a dab hand at fighting. She usually tries to stay out of trouble but unwittingly saves one of the Princes and finds herself battling for her life in the Purging Trials…

Sooo, it’s kind of like Hunger Games but a little less predictable because it’s not always obvious who needs to be the survivor, and who is going to win. I enjoyed the various powers that Kai got to play with, and I think more could have been done with it. Also, as if you’d fall for the illusionist twice…

The romance scenes were completely cringe-worthy. I found myself skipping over them and hoping I wasn’t missing important story details. Of course, #enemiestolovers trope is a thing, but can’t we have a book or two that is just epic battles? My dissatisfaction with this type of thing is entirely the fault of Fourth Wing. At least there’s no sex?

I don’t think this book is remarkable enough for me to recommend to other readers, but it’s also not terrible. Maybe when you’ve read as many books as I have, it’s all too predictable? That sounds very full of myself, but I’ve read A LOT of books recently that I just haven’t reviewed. This could be a book for you if you enjoy #friendstolovers, #lovetriangle and #awkwardlove. Just don’t go looking for any deeper meaning.

Review: Frank Figliuzzi – The FBI Way (S)

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The FBI Way
Inside the Bureau’s Code of Excellence
Frank Figliuzzi

“The FBI’s former head of counterintelligence reveals the Bureau’s field-tested playbook for unlocking individual and organizational excellence, illustrated through dramatic stories from his own storied career. Frank Figliuzzi was the “Keeper of the Code,” appointed the FBI’s Chief Inspector by then-Director Robert Mueller. Charged with overseeing sensitive internal inquiries, shooting reviews, and performance audits, he ensured each employee met the Bureau’s exacting standards of performance, integrity, and conduct. Now, drawing on his distinguished career, Figliuzzi reveals how the Bureau achieves its extraordinary standard of excellence—from the training of new recruits in “The FBI Way” to the Bureau’s rigorous maintenance of its standards up and down the organization. Unafraid to identify FBI execs who erred, he cites them as the exceptions that prove the rule.”

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:

  • Code
  • Conservancy
  • Clarity
  • Consequences
  • Compassion
  • Credibility
  • Consistency

Despite initially questioning its relevance to my interests, I found the book to be a compelling exploration of leadership and ethical conduct within a high-stakes environment. Through storytelling and practical examples the author provides readers with a deeper understanding of the FBI’s culture of excellence.

The book prompts reflection on individual and organizational ethics, making it a valuable resource for anyone seeking to enhance their moral compass or improve their company’s framework.

In a world where integrity is paramount, the author’s work serves as a beacon of inspiration, offering practical insights for navigating complex ethical dilemmas. I wholeheartedly recommend “The FBI Way” to professionals eager to cultivate a culture of integrity and excellence within their organizations. 3.5 stars.