Reviewed by Tammy Ruggles for Readers' Favorite

Hiring Veterans: How To Leverage Military Talent for Organizational Growth by Matthew J. Louis, Mark Elliott, and Dr. Anthony R. Garcia Sr. is an inspiring and timely guide to recognizing and utilizing one of America's most valuable resources: veterans. From the ground up, these authors plan to hire and maximize veterans in the workforce and community. One key point the book covers is how veterans can transition from military to civilian work. If this happens smoothly, hiring and retaining them will be more successful. It would be to the business sector's advantage to hire someone with military service as part of their work experience, and many companies are doing this through their hiring programs. Veterans bring skills and a proven track record that can't be found elsewhere, and they are brought into a company with a selection process that can include assessment, shadowing, and other training strategies if needed.

If you think about the qualities and experience most veterans bring to the table, hiring veterans makes a lot of sense. This ready and willing population could boost your productivity and profits. You don't have to run a big corporation to benefit. Small businesses are taking advantage of this opportunity to grow. Other issues addressed in this book include finding and recruiting veterans for your workforce, how to keep them once hired, how to access and implement the financial incentives that come with hiring veterans, and much more. Some of the skills veterans offer include leadership, a strong work ethic, and the ability to work in high-pressure situations. I like that this book is more than a theory. It's grounded in research, offers practical tips, contains real-world examples via case studies, and is a guide you can use today. Hiring Veterans by Matthew J. Louis, Mark Elliott, and Dr. Anthony R. Garcia Sr. is a must-read if you are looking for that competitive edge in business and community.

Reviewed by Luwi Nyakansaila for Readers' Favorite

Inspiring Work Anniversaries by Rick Joi is a guide that explains how to use work anniversaries to enhance the employee experience and strengthen workplace culture. While people spend most of their time at work, they tend to put more effort into celebrating non-work-related milestones like birthdays and religious and patriotic holidays. The author emphasizes the importance of work anniversaries and the role each employee can play in creating a great anniversary experience. The book also explains how such celebrations contribute to the workplace culture. Finally, it provides tips and recommendations that can help make work anniversaries special and memorable. You can implement these innovative ideas in your organization at any time.

Inspiring Work Anniversaries is a well-written book that highlights the benefits of work anniversaries and a plan of action on how you can make them part of your company's traditions. I enjoyed reading this book because it covers a unique and often overlooked topic. Rick Joi gives statistics and uses graphs and charts to make it easy for readers to understand the main points. His consistent use of a casual tone also makes the book easy to follow. The principles outlined can apply to a large or small organization, and some can be utilized in your daily life. Work anniversaries give each organization member a sense of belonging, a purpose, and support they can rely on. The book is clearly organized, with each section and chapter having bold titles and appendices that contain relevant information. I particularly liked the comparison between birthdays and work anniversaries because it can help people implement the author's ideas using a familiar activity. I recommend this book because it can help you make a positive difference in your workplace by using work anniversaries.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Penned by author team Paulette Ashlin and John Kello, Ph.D., 5 Actions of Positive Accountability: Strategies for Highly Effective Leaders to Influence a Positive Workplace Culture is a work of non-fiction in the business, leadership, and self-improvement subgenres. It is suitable for the general adult reading audience. This talented team presents a comprehensive guide for leaders facing challenges such as high employee turnover and low productivity. Drawing from their extensive research and consulting experience, the authors identify a lack of accountability as a core issue in many organizations. Through practical strategies and insights, they empower leaders to foster a culture of positive accountability, driving peak results, reducing turnover, and creating a positive workplace environment. The book offers actionable steps for developing effective leadership skills, improving talent retention, and cultivating engaged teams, supported by interviews with leaders across industries and sports.

Author duo Paulette Ashlin and John Kello have crafted a highly motivating work with an approachable writing style and tons of practical advice. Their no-nonsense, jargon-free approach makes the interconnected concepts of positive accountability accessible and actionable, and I enjoyed the organization of the work to slowly build on concepts and complexity. The emphasis on integrating positive psychology with organizational culture is a refreshing approach to leadership, highlighting the importance of fostering a supportive and accountable work environment that puts people first. Including real-world examples and interviews with industry leaders adds relevance to the discussions. It allows readers to imagine the principles in practice easily. The work offers such hope in its atmosphere that it makes you want to start implementing the practical advice right away. Overall, 5 Actions of Positive Accountability serves as a valuable resource for leaders seeking to drive positive change in their organizations, offering a roadmap that anyone interested in bettering their leadership skills is sure to find helpful and easy to read.

Reviewed by Demetria Head for Readers' Favorite

The Aspiring Agent: From Overworked Rookie to Real Estate Rockstar by Martha Melendez and Steve Stark is an indispensable guide for newcomers to the real estate industry. Drawing on Martha's extensive 18+ years of experience, the book offers practical insights and strategies to transform rookies into top performers. Readers will discover invaluable tips on generating business, maximizing efficiency, and nurturing client relationships. From choosing the right brokerage to managing transactions with finesse, Martha and Steve cover every aspect of succeeding in real estate. With its wealth of insider knowledge and expert guidance, The Aspiring Agent equips readers with the tools they need to thrive in the industry, making it essential reading for anyone looking to carve out a lucrative career in real estate. Its emphasis on efficiency, client relationships, and practicality ensures that readers not only learn what to do but also how to do it effectively, setting them on the path to real estate excellence.

The Aspiring Agent's actionable advice and real-world examples make it a standout among other books on real estate. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned professional, this is a must-have resource for achieving success in the competitive world of real estate. What sets The Aspiring Agent apart are its standout features and the unique approach it takes to real estate success. Unlike other books in the genre, it doesn't just offer generic advice—it provides specific, actionable strategies backed by Martha's extensive expertise. Martha Melendez and Steve Stark teach readers how to streamline their processes and maximize their time, allowing them to achieve more in less time. Additionally, the focus is on client relationships. Martha and Steve stress the importance of building strong connections with clients and becoming their trusted advisors, which is crucial for long-term success in real estate.

Reviewed by Leonard Smuts for Readers' Favorite

Few success stories read like this one. From a shaky start in life as a member of a biker gang that was rough company and had brushes with the law, Dale Arenson turned his life around to follow his passion for aviation. The Lucky One: From Outlaw Biker to Airline Pilot and Beyond, Book 2 continues the theme that began with his first memoir, Outlaw Biker, describing how he quit his dead-end job in 1979, shrugged off a failed marriage, rejected suicide as an option, and returned to biking for a short time. The author takes readers through the difficult path to becoming a qualified airline pilot, starting at the most basic level before obtaining an instructor’s rating to earn pocket money. From then on, it was an increasingly steep learning curve to achieve commercial and multi-engine ratings, while building up flying hours by doing charter and ferry work and fire control spotting. Flying can be dangerous unless you have situational awareness and focus. Fire fighting from the air poses additional challenges in the form of dangerous conditions such as unpredictable air currents, as well as rugged terrain and mechanical failures. As implied by the title, luck can play a role. Commercial airlines only recruit experienced pilots, but the rewards are considerable once that level is attained.

The book is inspirational, not only for aspirant airline pilots but also for those who need to face difficult life choices to achieve their dreams. The account is refreshingly honest, strikes a positive tone throughout, and does not apportion blame to others. The Lucky One is filled with incidents, accidents, near-misses, and anecdotes involving the author and the interesting array of characters that the industry attracts. It describes flying everything from single-engine light aircraft, through vintage piston engine machines, to jet-powered executive transports and airliners. The story brings readers up to 1986 when Dale Arenson applied to join a major airline – his original goal. It takes time, effort, skill, and money to reach the required standard, but Arenson looks beyond financial reward to satisfy his driving ambition. This book will appeal to all aviation enthusiasts, as well as those looking for motivation outside the conventional self-help mold. The book is rounded off with a comprehensive glossary. It is highly recommended and the author is set to continue his journey with a third volume.

Reviewed by Astrid Iustulin for Readers' Favorite

After the Coronavirus pandemic, our world changed. While we all try to adapt to change, many feel more discouraged than ever when they try to get a job. If this is the case for you and you do not know where to start looking, Christy Noel's Your Career Survival Guide is the book for you. Noel provides excellent tips on how to write your best resume and cover letter, use informational interviews, prepare for your job interview, and negotiate your salary. Moreover, she will show you the right way to ask for a raise in times of crisis and even how to love a job you do not like. You will find all these topics and much more inside.

What I liked most about Your Career Survival Guide is that Christy Noel guides you through the stages of your journey to find work in times of crisis. She knows the subject thoroughly and does not just give generic information but offers clear explanations. This makes her guide authoritative and exhaustive. I found the part dedicated to job hunting very interesting, but what struck me was her advice on how to enjoy a job you do not love. I found a lot of common sense in what she says in this and other parts of the narrative. I recommend it to all those who want to land a good job, even if times are difficult. With this guide, you will have clear ideas.

Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite

Pay the Price by Steven N. Adjei is a book that inspires entrepreneurial success. The story provides statistics and stories about individuals whose businesses may have initially failed, but the entrepreneurs shifted their focus and tried again or pursued another avenue. It covers the importance of a potential businessperson’s mindset, recording successes and challenges, and things that are controllable and uncontrollable.

Pay the Price gives examples from Steven N. Adjei’s life and the experiences of other successful people to motivate readers to pursue their dreams and opportunities throughout their lives, even when it seems that all hope is lost. The author’s story is truly inspirational, as he was faced with financial and personal setbacks that have caused him an immense amount of stress. Adjei includes books, songs, and shows that inspired him along his journey, and he uses them to illustrate his points. Each section is followed by a set of questions to aid in retention and purposeful reflection.

In some parts, the book encourages readers to look more closely at seemingly failed business ventures and see the effect the businesses have had on the people who used their services. It proves that an individual may have numerous failed attempts at a long-lasting company, but they can still develop a fully self-sustaining business. Pay the Price would be a good book for ambitious entrepreneurs and students in business college. In addition, the information can be applied to most businesses across the world, so the text could be used in other countries besides the United Kingdom.

Reviewed by Courtnee Turner Hoyle for Readers' Favorite

Be a Better Manager in Five Minutes a Day: Create Trust in Your Team is an inspirational book by Dominic McLoughlin. Through hypothetical situations and real-life experiences, McLoughlin shows that leaders who are open to change, demonstrate desirable behavior, and focus on people will create a more cohesive team. He understands the need for application, so through exercises he asks questions leading the reader down a path that will help them discover the best way to employ his method. Clear graphics help more visual individuals with certain topics, as the author discusses information they may know but need to utilize daily.

Dominic McLoughlin encourages his readers to practice and reflect for five minutes a day in a conversational tone. Managers who wish to lead by example while becoming more approachable and inspirational will find it hard to put the book down. Readers can review the text page by page or dip into a section for help in their specific areas of difficulty. McLoughlin understands that there are many ways to manage people, but he outlines the best strategies for making an interconnected team. The author provides a generous gift with his book. He offers a free starter kit with tutorial videos, downloadable workbooks, and videos to help individuals who want to begin their journey right away. Readers can feel comfortable applying his suggestions as they are based on his experiences and observations. Be a Better Manager in Five Minutes a Day is a good choice for readers who want to learn practical management skills that they can apply to their management style.

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

In this uber-competitive day and age, it is vital for corporate leadership to continually strive for development at all levels of the organizational hierarchy. Hardwiring New Leadership Habits answers one of leadership management's most important questions: Does development develop? Dick Daniels uses a fictional story to emphasize how great leaders never stop learning and applying what they know to continue growing. Suzanne is the CEO of Global Organization Resources, Inc., who takes her team on a forty-five-day strategic study meeting. Now, her team members must choose between maximizing their marketing strategy or creating an organizational structure that supports development. The book shows how working together at different levels reinforces the sustainability of new leadership habits in each employee, leading to greater productivity and growth in the organization. Daniels also highlights the importance of professional, team, and personal accountability.

In the rapidly changing environments of the 21st century, companies and corporate institutions need to constantly adapt to the ever-changing requirements of the market, and leadership at the top level isn't exempted from that. Hardwiring New Leadership Habits introduces tools and techniques for future leaders of tomorrow to help them embrace a development-based approach to leadership and management that can withstand the challenges of today and tomorrow. Dick Daniels offers us a thorough glimpse into the real-life machinations of corporate leadership with stories and anecdotes to help you grasp the concepts discussed within these pages. This guidebook motivates and inspires you to be a leader others admire. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Joe Wisinski for Readers' Favorite

Christina Curtis wrote Choosing Greatness for those wanting to accomplish more in their lives and careers. Curtis says everyone wants their life to become successful and happy, although those goals are difficult for many to reach. Also, many people repeatedly make the same mistakes, continue the same practices they’ve always done, and get the same outcomes. Curtis has worked for many years in the field of business psychology. For this book, she talked to many highly successful people, including Richard Branson, the CEO of the Virgin Group, and Jonathan Johnson, the CEO of Overstock.com. Her goal is to show her readers how to accomplish everything they can. It is not just for those in leadership positions but for anyone who wants to get the most out of their time and talents.

Choosing Greatness is a remarkable book. Christina Curtis wisely interviews those who have achieved outstanding success, gathering their insights and ideas to pass along to her audience. This makes it doubly valuable because we get insight into the minds of highly successful individuals and become inspired by their life stories. In addition, I found the material at the end of each chapter helpful, including key takeaways, exploratory questions where we are asked to examine our own lives, and a list of tasks to accomplish based on the chapter's material. I’ve read many books that attempt to help audiences achieve their dreams and be all they can be, and this is one of the best. I highly recommend it to anyone, no matter their present level of success, their abilities, or their goals. You will learn enormously from it to reach, if not surpass, your goals.