Lead like Ike, Ten Business strategies from the CEO of D-Day” by Geoff Loftus

“Lead like Ike, Ten Business strategies from the CEO of D-Day” by Geoff Loftus peeked my interest because of its dual intent: a historical review of WW II of which I’ll admit I skipped that part during my history education and the business aspects of his leadership as I am in the midst the current Automotive battles and wars and GM’s unprecedented bankruptcy.

This book is about Dwight Eisenhower’s leadership methods.  This powerful man was in charge during the most daunting project in U.S. history, the D-Day Invasion. Under immeasurable stress to succeed General Dwight D. Eisenhower leads an expansive company in a venture that would make most modern day Chief Executives quake in fear and probably opt for early retirement.

I found the high level review of ww II and it’s major players and operations very informative, although I would have benefited a little from a one to two maps illustrating the major operations.  The modern day business case studies were also very informative given the fact that I lived through them.  Being on the inside of GM, I did find his analysis very shallow.  I found the business application and highlights very repetitive which made it easy to browse.

For the above mentioned reasons, I would recommend this book

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Outlive Your Life; Book review by Max Lucado

 

Outlive Your Life

You Were Made to Make a Difference

By Max Lucado

132 million orphans worldwide, 159 million in the US call ourselves Christians. We could house every orphan in the world!?!

Max presents 3 other questions with similar shocking numbers that ‘rocked’ his world.  1) Had you been a German Christian during World War II, would you have taken a stand against Hitler?  2) Had you lived in the South during the civil rights conflict, would you have taken stand against racism?  3) When your grandchildren discover you lived during a day in which 1.75 Billion people were poor and 1 Billion were hungry, how will judge your response?

To most readers, like Max, the first two are hypothetical and can easily be discussed and debated.  But since we didn’t live in those times, those weren’t our choices.  But the last one is where he presents a challenge.

In this latest book, he challenges himself as well as the reader to examine our Christian beliefs and actions.  In his usual simple, eloquent style of writing, he presents a profound message. He presents and examines stories from the first twelve chapters of Acts, he wraps them with the historical content of the Bible and  modern day illustations.

 Max Lucado is one of my favorite authors and have read most of his books.  This book was a little more challenging,  It  makes you examine your life and asks the question:  What am I doing to help?  What will I be remembered for after I am long gone?  How am I using my time? What more can I do?   It was a very quick read but worth the re-read and re-read.  Highly recommended.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

trying out hootsuite (?) what do you thi

trying out hootsuite (?) what do you think?

A Century Turns by William Bennett – A book review

Author, historian, and educator William J. Bennett examines America’s last two decades.

Twenty years ago a young man named Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.  John McCain was serving his second year in the Senate, and Colin Powell had just been promoted to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. There was no Fox News Channel, no American Idol.  If you asked someone to “email me,” you would have received a blank stare, and “Amazon” was a forest in South America.

As I read this history of the past twenty years, I was reminded of events that had happened along the way, which brought back distinct and emotional memories. Events such as the crumbling of the Berlin Wall, Operation Desert Storm, the Oklahoma City bombing, the Columbine High School massacre and September 11th to name a few. As I read, I would remember where I was and what I was doing when social and or political events significantly impacted me.   A Century Turns is a history book and while at a couple points did seem to read as a textbook, there are enough anecdotal stories in which one could see an inside glimpse of more the Washington political scene.   

This book was easy to read and follow as I have lived through the events.  It was interesting because William Bennett was in the middle of a lot of the events that he is describing. 

 This is a recommended read for all to remember where we came from to see where we are going because it seems to be that every twenty years or so, history repeats itself. Are we learning from our past mistakes?

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This is Your Brain in Love by Dr. Earl Henslin

“Happy marriages begin when we marry the ones we love, and they blossom when we love the ones we marry.”  Tom Mullen

New Scientific Breakthroughs for a More Passionate and Emotionally Healthy Marriage

 

Using the latest in brain research, This Is Your Brain in Love by Dr. Earl Henslin helps couples become Master Level Lovers by encouraging each mate to bring their healthiest, most balanced and joyful self to their marriage.

A must read for all married couples, the book explains how our brain, not necessarily the heart, affects our marriage relationship.  Through real examples, he discusses some of the problems within marriages, the role of the brain, and what can be done.  Dr. Henslin outlines five types of ‘lovers’ or personalities and how they behave. 

The author does go into some technical language regarding the brain and how it works,  showing some graphics of the brain and what it looks like when experiencing some of today’s difficult issues.  Interestingly, he shows a picture of a brain when a person is falling in love, ironically, it is not much different than a brain on drugs!

The book discusses the role good nutrition plays in how our brain functions.  As an example, he presents evidence regarding the recent craze of low fat diets and coincidently the increase in the number of people experiencing depression.  You learn that your brain is made of primarily fat, so you cannot deprive it of the essential fats that are required to ‘run ‘it.  There is an appendix called the Joy Diet with lots of good information.  As good nutrition is not always a fix, he also outlines the medical solutions.  If there are issues, utilizing brain scans can pinpoint problems with good accuracy allowing a person to get medical help.

He also covers the physical, mental and spiritual benefits of sex in marriage, a God given intimacy tool. 

From the spiritual side, “the goal of the book is not to just give you ‘love tools’ but to help you become a living instrument through which God’s love can flow freely, so you can make beautiful music together”.

I have always believed that most marriages can thrive.  This book supports that in that it gives the reader the knowledge to understand and deal with issues.  The only thing a person needs to bring is the willingness to ‘bring your best brain to your marriage’.  A great book, some technical medical language but not difficult to read and understand.

This Blog/Review is a result of being a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program : http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Have A Wonderful New Year…In the beginning, God.

I liked the simplicity of this article and decided to adopt it…

Wonderful New Year
Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Ralph Waldo Emerson suggested that one should write on his heart that every year can be the best year he ever lived. Therefore I’d like to give you a text for the New Year. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to write it down somewhere so you could consult it now and then. But it is so short that all you need to do is write it on your consciousness.

This will see you through the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, and the end of the year. It is the first four words with which the Bible begins: “In the beginning God . . .” (Genesis 1:1) Take Him at the start and you will have a wonderful time in the New Year. And then follow these steps.

1. Practice the art of forgetting.
Man is what he remembers, but man is also what he forgets. One of the healthiest things a human being can do is to become a master of forgetting. Whatever you do, don’t lug your resentments, your hates, your frustrations, your disappointments, your regrets into the new year. Forge ahead! It is a great art to know how to forget. Drop it, skip it, let it go–whatever it is. Start anew.

2. Take hold of the new year and shake the life out of it.
Drop the ‘t’ off forget and forge ahead, on the basis of the text “In the beginning God . . .” Live a day at a time and take it as it comes. Have you seen a calendar for the new year? Well, you know something? In order to get to January 2nd you have to live through January 1st. Live a day at a time and live on the basis of easy does it. Don’t get too worked up about it. Just take it as it comes.

3. Expect great things and put your life in God’s hands.
Have high hopes, have great dreams, have great belief. See visions and believe in them. Believe that life is good and that it is going to be better and the best is yet to come. You know something? You are very likely to get just what you expect.

Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for life, for this precious wonder, with all its hopes, its dreams, and its opportunities. Help us to put our hands in Thine trustingly and help us to live by the text, “In the beginning God…” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This article was adapted from a booklet by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.

Obstacles Welcome, How to turn adversity into Advantage in Business and in Life by Ralph de la Vega

Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, shares the lessons learned in business and in life along the journey from Cuba to Corporate America.

In Obstacles Welcome, de la Vega recounts his journey as a young Cuban immigrant to president and Chief Executive Officer of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. De la Vega takes readers behind the scenes of the Internet revolution and chronicles the incredible obstacles intrinsic to successfully merging the largest wireless operations in U.S. history—those of Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless.   As a consumer, the look at the intricacies of this type of business is a bonus to the general leadership and Business lessons throughout the book.   The author shows his leadership style by recounting examples of him visiting the ‘front line’ and getting first hand knowledge.

This book was well written and formatted for easy reading.  I liked the shorter paragraphs and major points at the end of each chapter.  It is full of real life situations (obstacles) in his everyday corporate life and strategies to tackle them.   I enjoyed reading this book as we are in the middle of our top leadership shuffling at General Motors and it is always interesting to read the perspective of a CEO.   He covers the leadership topic and all it’s requirements throughout the book.  His involvement with Junior Achievement & the Boy Scouts are example of giving back.  I would have to liked see more stories from his young life as an immigrant.

This Blog/Review is a result of being a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program : http://brb.thomasnelson.com/

Chasing Daylight by Eugune O’Kelly:How My Forthcoming Death Transformed My Life

It took this CEO of a major accounting firm a diagnosis of inoperable brain cancer, a death sentence, to learn how to live.   Chasing Daylight was written by Eugene O’kelly as his last project after he found out  that he would die in three months.   In his typical hard driving, type A personality style, he goes after learning to die  and managing that process as he did running he accounting firm. 

He learned how to live and enjoy life as a result.  What he shares in the book is the lesson of the perfect moment, when you can focus exclusively on what you are doing and who you are with,  not distracted by thoughts of the future or the past.  He learned how to live in the moment during his last 100 days and as a result lived a more fuller life than in his past 53 years.  He came to treat his brain cancer as a ‘gift’.

While most people don’t have the ability to unwind their life and their relationships like the author did, He does offer a perspective and a lesson perhaps on how to live and how to die.

Book was a quick easy read, perhaps because I could not put it down.  It does jolt you in examining your life and how you are living it.   We don’t have all the time we think we have and hopefully we don’t need to be jolted by the same type of ‘gift’ to learn these lessons.

Highly recommend this book.

Too late for Tiger Woods…Book Review; DE-RAILED By Tim Irwin

While it is too late for Tiger Woods and other CEOs who are highlighted in this book, it’s not too late for us who want to learn how to not derail our career or life.

This book tells the story of how six previously successful CEOs failed their high profile companies.   According to the author, Tim Irwin, Derailment, has its origin in character flaws, and the prescription to cure these is self-awareness, taking responsibility, and, above all, humility.

The six CEOs are: Robert Nardelli (Home Deport), Carly Fiorina (HP), Durk Jager (P&G), Steven Heyer (Starwood), Fran Raines (Fannie Mae) and Dick Fuld (Lehman Brothers).

I found the examples interesting reading because of the current relevance of some of the them.  Like Robert Nardelli recent short stint at Chrysler after the Home Depot exit and Carly Fiorina’s involvment in Politics after her HP exit.  The value of the book is in the anaylsis and the recommendations on how to self check and develop the traits that could help anybody not derail. 

A quick read and valuable in providing some tools for self evaluation to anybody in any field.  As Tiger Woods shows that derailment can happen to anybody..some more visible than others.

The Power of Respect; Book Review

The Power of Respect

Benefit from the Most Forgotten Element of Success

By Deborah Norville

Respect, a lost value in our world today, is the latest subject of research for Inside Edition anchor and best-selling author Deborah Norville.

I chose this book because of my wife’s obsession with this subject, hoping to dive in and learn a thing or two. What I learned is that my wife has always modeled and taught this subject to our children (and still trying to teach me . What I took for granted, she taught intentionally. What was also amazing to find out through the research presented in the book is the price that we are paying for lack of respect, whether in the home, the schools, or the workplace. It was interesting to find out that things got so bad that as recent as 1999, a law was passed requiring ‘respect’ in a Louisiana High School, the nation’s first ‘manner law’.

Respect is a concept as old as mankind, a simple “acknowledging the value and uniqueness of others and being mindful of their feelings”. It was interestingly pointed out this is FREE. Given our current economic conditions, it seems like it is something we can use and pass along to help improve our conditions and it is FREE.

I highly recommend this book. It was an easy read with lots of engaging stories and examples of individuals and companies that use this concept.

This Blog/Review is a result of being a member of Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program : http://brb.thomasnelson.com/