Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

Honestly, I only read this book because I was a little murky on what consulting even is. I felt there was a piece of the puzzle that I must be missing and The MECE Muse by Christie Lindor seemed to be a book where I could find out everything that I needed to know about consulting in one organized reading. At least that’s what the subtitle implied: 100+ selected practices, unwritten rules, and habits of great consultants. This is one of those rare occasions where you get exactly what the book cover says you will. I learned everything that I need to know about consulting and, if you want to know more about this form of work, I can’t think of a better place to start than with this book.

The first thing any book must be that is going to teach us something is well organized. This is a huge area and there is a lot to learn. Christie Lindor does a great job of breaking this intimidating subject down into easily managed parts that can be absorbed much easier than the whole topic. That’s because she does such a great job of breaking the subject down. If you want instant proof of this, just look at the table of contents. Once things are organized, you must have good writing to make your points effectively and, again, this is an area where Christie Lindor excels. The writing is great. It fits the tone of the subject matter and author attitude perfectly. I don’t know why you are considering buying this book, but all I can tell you is that if you buy it, it is money well spent.

Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite

Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions by Scott M. Graffius answers one of the most important questions that business owners need to ask in order to grow and take the lead in a competitive market while being most responsive to the needs of their customers. In today’s eclectic culture, it is not surprising that businesses encounter surprising changes in the business environment, including the shift in customer needs, the introduction of new products into the market, and competition.

In this insightful and intelligently written book, the author offers a new way of approaching business management, offering business owners, directors, and managers the tools they need to drive positive change, meet the ever changing needs of their customers and stay ahead of cut-throat competition. It is an agile approach which is more cooperative than sequential. In this book, readers will find the tools that enable them to deliver products in the most appropriate and cost effective manner, master the management model that relies on iterative and incremental deliverables, drive competitive advantage, and effectively manage change.

This is a relevant book, filled with common sense and a clear step-by-step guide on implementing Scrum in a way that is practical and easy. The language is devoid of jargon, fluid and engaging. The visuals and the timely paragraph breaks make for an enjoyable reading experience. Scott M. Graffius writes with confidence and brings into the work a lot of innovative ideas. The clarity of thought and the ease of expression demonstrate the author’s mastery of the subject. Agile Scrum: Your Quick Start Guide with Step-by-Step Instructions is packed with information, a treasure trove for businesses looking to make the most of today’s unpredictable market environment. Highly recommended read.

Reviewed by Sefina Hawke for Readers' Favorite

Growing Weeders Into Leaders (Leadership Lessons from the Ground Up) by Jeff McManus is a business finance book that would appeal most to a mixed audience of young adults and adults who have an interest in growing into the best leaders that they can be. This book shares the author’s own experiences, successes, and failures at leadership, along with the lessons the author learned during his own leadership experiences. Do you have what it takes to be willing to learn how to be a leader?

Growing Weeders Into Leaders (Leadership Lessons from the Ground Up) by Jeff McManus is a well written book that does not follow the traditional self-help book outline. Instead of being lesson after lesson of what to do or not to do, the author shares his own experiences with leadership in a way that allowed me to learn the lessons alongside him. I felt like this book was more than just all talk because the author was not some politician, famous person, or millionaire, but instead a landscaper who learned the lessons from experience and grew because of those experiences. This made me feel that even failures could be a part of my success as they would allow me to learn and to better succeed next time. I liked that the lessons could be applied to any job that requires leadership characteristics. Overall, I felt like this book taught me how to make myself into a successful leader and I would recommend this book to anyone looking to truly succeed at leadership!

Reviewed by Renee Guill for Readers' Favorite

Gundi Gabrielle’s Influencer Fast Track is a 7-step program that will teach you how to become a #1 influencer in your field. She gives you details and examples on how to use these 7 steps, and offers extra help from videos and other sources as well. Gundi Gabrielle talks about how to find famous influencers in your field and how to interact with them. She also talks about how to find your fans and keep them wanting to come back for more of your products and books. This is mostly for people who write non-fiction books. She also discusses ways on how to find fans and more income without having to do a lot of work, aka passive income.

I found Gundi Gabrielle’s book to be very insightful and fun to read. I admit I am not writing non-fiction, but I am writing fiction and starting a business. I am going to try a few of her techniques; she made it sound easy enough for an introvert and a technophobe like me to be able to do it. I have a speech impairment, but thanks to her, I want to start looking into doing YouTube and podcasts, at least. I loved how helpful she is and her style reminded me of that smart bubbly friend we all have. My favorite part is that she says 6 months, but she reminds you that not everyone will do it that fast; some of us may take up to 12 months, it all depends on our situation and products. It’s not one of those annoying get rich quick schemes you see so often, and is very refreshing. Thank you, Gundi Gabrielle, I am looking forward to trying your techniques and reading more of your books.

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Culture Infusion: 9 Principles to Create and Maintain a Thriving Organizational Culture by Kerry Alison Wekelo is an insightful guide that speaks about improving the culture in your company and encouraging employees to work better. Apart from the nine principles, the author shares her own personal and professional journey that made her write the book. Her lessons are motivational and readers learn how she steered her life towards contentment, peace, and harmony. The nine principles in the book build on each other and can be incorporated into readers' personal and professional lives. The questions throughout the book and the exercises in the Mind-Expanding Experience section at the end of each chapter are useful and work as a good tool to learning.

The approach to the topic is engaging and will make readers reflect on the importance of building and cultivating relationships. This relevant topic is helpful to all those who want to make positive changes in themselves and in the workplace. The author’s personal journey, her clarity while speaking about the topic, and her wisdom are inspiring to readers and will make a difference in their lives if incorporated at home and the workplace. The 3 A’s - Accountability, Acumen, Aspiration - and the 3P Method - Pause to Pivot to Positive -are interesting to note and will guide readers to handle challenges in an effective way. The book is thought-provoking and is well written, making it easy for readers to comprehend and use the tips and techniques for a better organizational culture in the work place as well as enriching life personally.

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Bigger Than This: How to Turn Any Venture Into an Admired Brand by Fabian Geyrhalter is a guidebook for companies that need a reboot on branding, driving home the importance of (re)creating a commodity brand that consumers can connect with. Geyrhalter's book exposes eight successful brand traits, a case study for each based on a strong, well known company that employed the trait, and their "commandments". His words leap from the page - and I mean, they actually feel like they are clawing at you for attention - with large fonts, bold sections and highlighted features. More than just advice on how to get results with gimmicks and giveaways, Geyrhalter instead teaches how to campaign for and play the long game, with practices that have proven to be lucrative.

Honestly, I feel like I just drank an energy drink and went to one of those seminars where there's a light show, loud music, and a motivational speaker with a headset microphone. I'm pumped! Bigger Than This by Fabian Geyrhalter will, within the first few pages, make it clear why the author is such a branding and marketing guru. It draws you in and unlocks something that you're a little afraid to let out. Potential? Creativity? Drive? If you're interested in starting, or taking your existing business to the next level, I'm absolutely certain that Bigger Than This is the very best place to start. Read, absorb, apply, build your tribe, and thrive. It's as simple and as difficult as that.

Reviewed by Randy B. Lichtman for Readers' Favorite

As a professional concierge, Steve Sims is in the business of helping people achieve their dreams. He shares his techniques of success in his book, Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen. More than just another inspirational and motivating book, in Bluefishing Sims has provided a valuable tool chest of authentic techniques that can improve individual lives and guide the reader in developing more meaningful personal and professional relationships. As he relates his own experiences in one job after another, Sims relates how the advice he encapsulates in his new book helped him transform his own life to one of greater impact and fulfillment. The book is loaded with wonderful stories that leave the reader smiling, while giving them valuable advice they can use in their own lives.

In one of his stories, he illustrates his principle of “Nothing’s ever going to happen if it benefits you. Work for win-win every time.” As a teenager, one of his clients played guitar in a band which featured songs by Journey, a band he greatly admired. When he asked Steve Sims just to set up possibly meeting Journey, Steve Sims went bluefishing to find an even more valuable experience. He discovered that one of the musicians in Journey and his client had something in common—a family member who was autistic. As a result, the client not only met Journey, but also played in a concert benefiting autism. This realization of how to be more meaningful also illustrated another one of Sims’ principles. “Ask why at least three times: the first why is what they think they think, the second why is what they think you want to hear, the third why is what they feel.” This example of searching beyond the surface is only one technique of what he calls “bluefishing.”

The value of Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen not only lies in the insightful principles the author relates, but in the enjoyable manner in which he illustrates them. The audio book version, which I also enjoyed, clearly shows he writes in the same manner in which he speaks, talking to the reader directly as a personal coach. He mixes humor and wisdom in a very effective manner throughout the book, offering many pieces of wisdom, while entertaining in his own inimitable style. I highly recommend both the print and audio versions of this valuable book where we can learn how to become better bluefishers in our own personal and professional lives.

Reviewed by Edith Wairimu for Readers' Favorite

Pajama Paydays: How to Make the Internet Work for You by Hwayda Kater is an enlightening read that sheds light on the online job market and how anyone can thrive in it. According to Kater, job security in the corporate sector in the modern world is almost like a mirage. With constant rumors of job cuts, today’s employee is faced with constant anxiety. This volatility has bred a new location-independent market that is growing every day. Pajama Paydays guides the reader while transitioning from the corporate world to the internet-based sphere. Kater tackles topics that may seem daunting to a starter. These include the products/ services that a person can offer, how to market an online-based business and how to use leverage for maximization.

If you are just curious or you are seriously considering joining the online market, reading Pajama Paydays by Hwayda Kater will provide you with much needed insight. The book is written in a way that will prove informative to both the starter and anyone who is already established in this market. Kater’s advice is easily comprehensible and applicable. Pajama Paydays also contains a refreshing depth since the book is based on the author’s own journey. The book’s content is dotted by engaging illustrations borrowed from Kater’s experience and observations, which makes it even more thought-provoking. Still, the author is careful to balance the reader’s expectations while instilling hope that transition is possible. I was happy that it was not just another book propagating a get-rich-quick mentality. Definitely worth your time!

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness by Lolly Daskal is a book that every leader needs to read, one with the advice that many growing leaders never have the chance to hear. As I read this book, I thought about all the men and women who have driven me, and the patterns outlined in this well-crafted and compelling work surface very powerfully in their lives. Drawing from popular psychology, philosophy, and professional experience, the author unearths traits in leaders who fail because they rely solely on their skills and on what has consistently worked for them — which might not be relevant anymore.

In well-crafted prose and providing wonderful insights, the author illustrates how our skills and talents can become stumbling blocks on our way to greatness. And did you know that the overconfident leader can suddenly become the imposter, that the person who builds on truth can become a master at using lies to lead others, that the explorer can become the exploiter, and that the gifts that make us rise can turn against us when we fail to discern what really makes us grow and connect more intimately with ourselves and with others? The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness is a ground-breaking work on leadership, a book that showcases the author’s leadership skills and experience so brilliantly that it will provoke a revolution in the hearts of up-and-coming leaders, and help those leading others to be more aware of the dangers that come with their skills. Lolly Daskal writes with confidence and leaves the reader in no doubt that she is a master of the subject. It’s perfect leadership psychology.

Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

Predictive Analytics by Eric Siegel is a detailed but readable overview of a somewhat complex math-driven prediction technique which uses sophisticated computer programs to analyse and extrapolate information from large amounts of personal data - data which is generally available from internet, social media, and company records. Writing in a non-technical, anecdotal style, the author covers a great deal of ground, providing a clear picture of the current state of the science. Predictive Analytics (PA) is used in a variety of disciplines such as stock market trading, fraud detection, policing, insurance, medicine and, probably the aspect that we are more familiar with, marketing. He explains how the algorithms work, the benefits, pitfalls and sometimes unexpected side effects of PA; for instance, how prejudice can be perpetuated by using some types of data, how predicting death can cause unwelcome complications with health insurance, how what you post on social media can have unforeseen effects on whether you will be accepted for a credit card, have your tax return audited, or cause a restaurant you may have mentioned to be inspected. There is a large section on the processes that enabled IBM to create Watson, the machine that won the quiz show Jeopardy, and also a good deal of information on machine learning and the prospects of artificial intelligence. Written primarily for the non-professional, the book also includes links and appendices for those who would like to study the subject further.

I fully expected Predictive Analytics to be a difficult read, but was pleasantly surprised at the style and accessibility of the work. It is easy to follow and should be of interest to anyone who is concerned about how the personal information which all of us supply routinely to service providers like public utilities, banks and Facebook, vendors like Amazon, and our employers is used. I am sure that we have all experienced some of the results of data mining, where adverts quickly appear on our social media pages as soon as we have looked at some item or other on the net. But some of the aspects of PA I found to be quite disturbing, like the way employers such as Hewlett Packard are using PA to analyse their employee records to predict which employee is likely to leave the company, or how health insurance companies are able to use PA to analyse their clients’ claim histories to establish who is likely to die. Eric Siegel points out that data is the new oil and that PA is gaining pace and sophistication at an unprecedented rate. He goes on to suggest that control legislation is urgently required in some areas, but in the meantime I strongly suggest you read this book - forewarned is forearmed, as they say.