Kit's Book Reviews
See what Kit's reading and recommending.This is her archive of previous reviews. If you'd like to receive her current reviews, sign up for First Monday newsletter, and you'll receive monthly tips and reviews from Kit.
June 2010 Book Review
This Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, 2008.
Wow, this book really opens your eyes to what makes highly successful people so... successful! I have read it over and over because it is absolutely fascinating.
We usually think of highly successful people having genetics and lots of luck, but actually the true story is very different - much more complex and interesting than it first looks. Based on extensive research, Gladwell exposes some fascinating commonalities between extremely successful people, including Silicon Valley billionaires, professional ice hockey players, New York lawyers, the Beatles and the success of the Asian culture in promoting math amongst its students and leaders.
The chapter on why commercial airline crashes occurred is enough to convince you to never fly again!Â
But my takeaway is that Gladwell's research undeniably confirms that it's the opportunities that young people are exposed to that make all the difference in the world. It's their family, their community, their culture and even their birthplace and birthdates that initially open doors for them.
And then it is their willingness to seize those opportunities and with dedication, support and more doors opening that true success is achieved. It inspires me to double my efforts to open more of those doors for both our young people in Northern Nevada but also adults in our community.
Kit's Archive of Book Reviews.
Click on the titles to see archived reviews (older ones in pdf).
May 2010: Job Search Magic, Resume Magic and Interview Magic:
Insider Secrets from America's Career & Life Coach, by Susan Britton Whitcomb, 2006.
April 2010: Drive:
The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink, 2009.
March 2010: "O" The Oprah Magazine
Lead feature story "Everything You Need to Know About Taming Chaos But Were Too Disorganized to Ask". Bloom, Martin, Kaufman, Williams & Heffner. March 2010.
February 2010: Never Eat Alone
and Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi. 2005
January 2010: A Manager's Guide to Coaching
Simple and Effective Ways to Get the Best Out of Your Employees, by Brian Emerson & Anne Loehr, 2008.
December 2009: The Energy Bus
10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy, by Jon Gordon, 2007.
November 2009: Real Leaders Don't Do PowerPoint
How to Sell Yourself and Your Ideas, by Christopher Witt, 2009.
October 2009: The WOW Factor:
The 33 Things You Must (And Must Not) Do to Guarantee Your Edge in Today's Business World, by Frances Cole Jones, 2009.
September 2009: Bulletproof Your Job:
4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out on Top at Work, by Stephen Viscusi, 2008.
August 2009: Off the Beaten Path:
The Essential Guide to Extraordinary Travel, by Heidi Knapp Rinella, 6th Edition, 2007.
July 2009:Â My Start-Up Life:
What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey Through Silicon Valley, Ben Casnocha, 2007.
June 2009: First, Break All the Rules:
What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently, Marcus Buckingham & Curt Coffman, 1999.
May 2009: Jeremy and Mom:
A ZITS Retrospective, by Jerry Scott & Jim Borgman, 2008.
April 2009: Taming Your Gremlin:
A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way (Revised Edition), 2003, Richard D. Carson.
March 2009: The Next Level:
What Insiders Know About Executive Success, by Scott Eblin, 2006.
February 2009: The New Rules of Marketing & PR
by David Meerman Scott, John Wiley & Sons publishers, 2007.
January 2009: The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century:
by Thomas Friedman, Farrar, Strous & Giroux, 2005.
Kit's 2008 Book Reviews
December's Book: Claiming Your Place at the Fire:
Living the Second Half of Your Life on Purpose, by Richard J. Leider and David A. Shapiro. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. 2004.
November's Book: A Career in Your Suitcase
by Jo Parfitt. Bookshaker. 2008.
October's Book: Learned Optimism:
How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, by Martin E.P. Seligman, PhD. Vintage Books. 1990.
September's Book: How Starbucks Saved My Life
by Michael Gates Gill. Gotham Books. 2007.
August's Book: The Joy of Not Working
A Book for the Retired, Unemployed and Overworked, by Ernie J. Zelinski, Ten Speed Press, 1997.
July's Book: The Art of the Start
The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything, by Guy Kawasaki, Penquin Group, 2004.
June's Book: Feel the Fear
and Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, Random House, 1987.
May's Book: Worry
Controlling It and Using It Wisely, by Edward M. Hallowell, MD. Ballantine, 1997.
April's Book: The Power of Full Engagement
by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, Simon & Schuster, 2003.
March's Book: A Whole New Mind
Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, by Daniel H. Pink, The Berkeley Publishing Group, 2005.
February's Book: The Paradox of Choice
Why More is Less, by Barry Schwartz, Harper Perennial, 2004.
January's Book: Basic Black
The Essential Guide for Getting Ahead at Work (and in Life), by Cathie Black, Random House, 2007.
Kit's 2007 Book Review
December's Book: Crazy Busy
Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. Ballantine Books, 2006.
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