Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

PMO Governance: Practical Strategies to Govern Portfolio, Program, and Project Delivery is a work of non-fiction focused on the business world, and was penned by author Eugen Spivak. With a specific aim to establish and improve Project Management Offices to their maximum level of efficiency, the guidebook separates into twelve informative sections to give a comprehensive view of the purpose of PMO, how to diagnose ineffective elements, and later focuses on governance and leadership implementation. The volume includes active and specific strategies that can be immediately applied to the reader’s current work, as well as many examples of how and why such strategies are already working in contexts from Spivak’s own experiences.

Even if you are new to the world of PMO and just starting out in this area, the informative and concise narration of author Eugen Spivak will no doubt educate and inspire you on an accessible level. Spivak’s personal tone gives a nice overlay to the information, interweaving with practical examples from his own life whenever appropriate to give strong conviction and justification to his ideas. A major strength of the work is also its high level of organization, from chapter structure to subheadings, front and back matter. Everything is so easily accessed and kept to concise sections for clear reference, making this a book you can take with you at every stage of the project process. Overall, PMO Governance: Practical Strategies to Govern Portfolio, Program, and Project Delivery delivers exactly what it promises, and is an essential guide for all project managers to read and use.

Reviewed by Ashley Tetzaff for Readers' Favorite

Dr. Anthony M. Criniti IV has done it again! In his work, The Most Important Lessons in Economics and Finance: A Comprehensive Collection of Time-Tested Principles of Wealth Management, the author lays out a thorough study of principles relating to finance and economics. The book has three main parts. Part One is for the more scholarly, who would like to know the background of what Dr. Criniti has studied, how he defines some of the main terms he uses, and what the possible benefits and limitations are to this work. Part Two lays out Dr. Criniti’s top 218 Principles for Economics and Finance. There are categories like Business, Debt, Ethics, Investing, Personal Finance, etc. and there are several principles under each category. Principles like: “If you have the option, eliminate the difficult clients for maximum efficiency” and “Simplifying your product or service has strong marketing appeal” and “The more risk you take, the more you can lose or make” and about 215 more like that. Each principle has a paragraph or two explaining the rationale behind the sentence in detail. Part Three is essentially a summary of Part One, plus the bibliography, index, and other appendixes.

Part One was extremely interesting to me and reminded me of my research for my Master’s degree (terminology and limitations and qualitative versus quantitative and other lovely terms which are very thrilling when you have worked with them), but if I didn’t have that background, I’m not sure I’d have had a clue what he was talking about half the time. Which is why Dr. Criniti wisely mentions in the introduction that those not interested in that aspect could just skip to Part Two. Part Two is very easy to read and understand and is so good! Each principle is about half a page but has the wisdom of half a century in it. I read each principle thinking “oh yeah, I’ve seen that proven” and “yep, that is how I interact with businesses, so I suppose that is how other people would interact with mine.” Each principle seems so simple, and yet is so profound. Part Three is a summary of Part One. If you can’t wade through Part One, read Part Three for the essential nature of it. But Part Two is the absolute must-read section of the book. I don’t think I will ever forget this book. The Most Important Lessons in Economics and Finance is now one of my top ten favorite books ever!

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Get to Aha! Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition by Andy Cunningham is a business book that offers an original, groundbreaking idea to branding and claiming a unique and dominant space in the business landscape. This guide is written by a marketing strategist who helped Steve Jobs launch the original Apple Macintosh, so the book is as compelling as it is informative. This book answers the oft-neglected questions: What should companies consider when positioning themselves? What are the core factors to think about before approaching the science of branding a company?

In this book, the author encourages readers to ask the one basic question that determines the kind of branding approach to use, the question that helps them identify their corporate DNA, creates a positioning that aligns with that DNA, and comes across to consumers and clients as true and convincing: Who are we? Andy Cunningham identifies three types of corporate DNA: Mothers who are customer-oriented, Mechanics who are product-oriented, and Missionaries who are concept-oriented. The underlying thought behind the DNA concept is that for companies to execute the right branding, they should work with the right corporate DNA, otherwise they will be positioning something that is largely different from who they are.

This is a book that uncovers a unique method of positioning and branding, offering readers the tools to create compelling and factual positioning statements that are sticky and that grab the attention of readers. Get to Aha! Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition is the one book to read before doing anything related to branding; it is informative, insightful, and downright revolutionary.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

Corporate Superpower: Cultivating a Winning Culture for Your Business by Oleg Konovalov is a slim book packed with wisdom and tips to help businesses stay ahead of the cut-throat competition by prioritizing their business culture. I have read a lot of books in the area of business growth and success and most of the books focus on strategizing, but Oleg Konovalov makes a strong case, one that some of the most successful businesses have discovered over the years, for building a winning culture. The culture effect in business is an aspect that can’t be overlooked and this book shows readers why. In this book the author explains in clear and accessible language the place of culture in any organization, and illustrates how loyalty, innovation, and success can be won through consistently building a positive culture that allows employees as well as managers to feel a deep sense of respect and belonging.

Written in a style that grabs the reader’s attention, with great economy of words, clarity of thought, and simplicity of expression, Corporate Superpower: Cultivating a Winning Culture for Your Business will help business owners identify their business needs and build a culture that could be, for both employees and customers, the face of what is positive and good about the business. The book is well-researched and the author offers examples that are fitting and that derive from real-life situations. The writing features a strong voice and an authority that is built on expertise. This book contains the strategies that businesses need to build a clientele of loyal customers and ensure that their employees stay with them. Highly informative and loaded with information for business growth and success.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Data Driven: Harnessing Data and AI to Reinvent Customer Engagement by Tom Chavez, Chris O'Hara, and Vivek Vaidya is a business book that every company or organization that engages customers digitally should have. Data is key in identifying and maximizing business opportunities, building a strong customer base and enhancing customer experience with data-driven insights. The authors of this book state that: “We’re living in an increasingly connected world, and digital experiences… are the mechanism by which a brand engages with people. What differentiates this new normal from what came before is the two-way nature of the interaction.” In this book, they offer tools for data processing and tips on how to use the latest technologies―cloud, mobile, social, internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI)―to engage customers, efficiently interact with them, drive sales, and keep customers loyal.

The authors of this book offer readers years of experience working with data and unearth gold mines that will revolutionize the way business owners use data to make decisions, connect with customers, and create their brand. From processing to analyzing and refining data, they offer useful tips that make a huge difference. The writing is packed with exciting information and proven paths that have been behind the success of numerous online business models. Data Driven: Harnessing Data and AI to Reinvent Customer Engagement offers the essentials that readers, business owners, and organizations need to drive customer engagement, make winning decisions, and scale their businesses. Written in a professional tone and in language that is widely accessible, this book is an indispensable tool to transform any business.

Reviewed by Renee Guill for Readers' Favorite

In Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance by Naveen Jain with John Schroeter, with a foreword by Sir Richard Branson, here we find out how curiosity and imagination will help solve problems and give entrepreneurs new ways of doing business. Naveen Jain gives great details on what’s to come. He talks about how he got into his businesses and how others have been started. He talks about how the mind set will change the world with building new technology and helping the environment. Naveen Jain mentions how Star Trek and other science fiction novels and TV shows will help pave the way to new ways of doing things, such as how machines will be helping humans not hurting them.

I thought Moonshots: Creating a World of Abundance by Naveen Jain with John Schroeter was fascinating, terrifying and sometimes a bit aggravating. I have anxiety/depression caused by a chemical imbalance, so when someone says we just have to change our mind set, I get a bit upset. That’s one of the stigmas we need to eradicate. Also, about the poor; Naveen Jain should be careful in lumping people together, like the poor. Being a Trekkie and seeing how some of the technology is coming true was pretty cool, and a little frightening. I really loved how he talks about his past and how he made it. It made Moonshots more personable, instead of just reading a 'how to' book. Naveen Jain is great at telling us that we only need a little bit of imagination.

Reviewed by Sandy Masia for Readers' Favorite

Millennials live in a rapidly changing world, a world of complex markets, tech disruptions, uncertainty and great abundance. This has led to a dramatic shift in our lifestyles, our needs and how we go about fulfilling them. There is great confusion about everything; dating, relationships, professional life, health, finances, social life, career paths, entrepreneurship and, more worryingly, attaining security or happiness. Peter Noble Darrow recognizes this and in his book Wise Millennial he offers advice that is meant to equip millennials (and Gen Z'ers too) with adaptiveness. It includes insights and observations that bring clarity and confidence.

I have never met Peter Noble Darrow, but after reading this book I can say I know him (almost). His personality leaps off the pages. Clever, fun, sprightly, charming, gregarious, humble, kind, loving and sensitive, he is there to wrap you in his positive spirit. He’ll entertain you with his funny stories, intrigue you with his tales of novel experiences, move you to tears with his accounts of great loss and humble you with his reflections. You want his company, you ache for that connection, because for some ineffable reason it is fun, enjoyable, and a bit cheesy, but as edifying as it is gratifying. Here you rest, here you lose yourself, not in a mystical sense, but in the way you lose yourself when you step back and examine your life. Like those brief moments when you see your life so clearly, without being caught up in the emotion of it all, with such supernal clarity that you make the best decisions. This is what this book offers; a moment of supernal, preternatural clarity.

Nothing about Wise Millennial feels pretentious, unrealistic or grossly out of touch with the reality of most millennials; it is this universal appeal which makes it even more rewarding to read. The fact that the author is so human means Wise Millennial reads mostly like a memoir, or like a late night honest conversation with a friend over beers. It's a joy to read and very memorable. I highly recommend it. Wise Millennial is enrapturing, edifying and transporting.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

The Employee Millionaire: How to Use Your Day Job to Become a Millionaire with Rental Properties by H.J. Chammas is a book that provides readers with tools they need to build a solid investment in real estate. In this book the author helps readers identify the big "why," develop habits that allow them to create a strong awareness of their financial situation, and insight to beat limiting beliefs while unearthing their potential. Readers learn how to set objectives and the three-step journey to financial freedom. What makes the book so useful is that the author doesn't limit himself in proposing steps to take towards real estate investment, but identifies the most profitable areas in which to invest. The pitfalls to watch against are brilliantly discussed. Here is a book that teaches readers to run real estate investment as a business, creating an effective profession that is measurable and that drives results.

This book provides detailed information that is hard to find, stuff that successful investors want to keep for themselves. The author speaks with the authority of one with a tried and tested method, and I enjoyed the confidence with which he talks about his experience. Apart from the advice the book offers, the author’s personal testimony substantiates the arguments. H.J. Chammas’ writing is simple, a conversational style that conveys the message with great clarity. The Employee Millionaire: How to Use Your Day Job to Become a Millionaire with Rental Properties is a gem for readers interested in real estate, a blueprint on how to transform rental property into a profitable business. This is a book for anyone who wants to find the right path to success in real estate.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

Suite Deal: The Smart Landlord's Guide to Leasing Real Estate by Alice Devine is a good book for readers who are interested in investing in real estate. In this book, Alice Devine brings her years of professional experience to deliver advice that readers need to know when it comes to developing skills in real estate. This book offers what readers need to transform from amateurs to expert leasing professionals who bring value to properties and create relationships that bring in more business. The author offers a step-by-step process in mastering the different components of the leasing business, from creating a presentation to writing proposals that sell to understanding the fine print in critical leasing contracts, and a lot more. Here is a book that will help anyone handling commercial properties to achieve success.

Alice Devine writes in a voice that is clear and captivating, reflecting the confidence of a seasoned professional. This book provides everything readers need to hone their leasing skills, and she articulates brilliantly on how to prepare for leasing, what to consider when looking at the local market, developing a winning marketing plan, building relationships with brokers, structuring the lease deal and a lot more. From preparation to closing the deal, the author offers insightful tips and actionable steps that provide the guide readers need to win in the business. The prose is polished, conversational, and clear. Suite Deal: The Smart Landlord's Guide to Leasing Real Estate contains the secrets to building a successful leasing business. The author makes sure readers get just what they need to win in the market.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

Bravespace Workplace: Making Your Company Fit for Human Life by Moe Carrick gets straight to the essence of what determines the success of a business or an organization. Employees are the backbone of every business and the quality of service or products that they offer determine the level of customer satisfaction. Oftentimes stressful work environments hamper a business's vision and actually achieving that vision. In this book, Moe Carrick offers his business experience and provides an easy path to creating a work culture that drives employee engagement, satisfaction, and growth. One of the key elements that keep employees in a company is a business culture and this author shows readers how to create, nurture, and sustain that culture.

Here is a book for leaders and business owners, a guide that offers clear and solid strategies for creating workplaces where employees can creatively connect, grow, and feel that they belong. The book is filled with the wisdom of thirty-five years of working with businesses, featuring compelling and real-life experiences that solidify the central message. Bravespace Workplace: Making Your Company Fit for Human Life by Moe Carrick gives you the tools you need to empower employees and give them what they need to transform your business. Written in a confident tone and packed with information, actionable steps, and insights, this book is the first step to taking your business to the level of success you imagine for it.