Tightwads and Spendthrifts by Scott Rick

Title: Tightwads and Spendthrifts; Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships

Author: Scott Rick

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: January 9, 2024

Length: 230 Pages

About the Author
Scott Rick is a marketing professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He holds a Ph.D. in Behavioral Decision Research from Carnegie Mellon University, where he was a National Science Foundation graduate research fellow. Before joining Michigan Ross, he spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Rick routinely teaches courses on consumer behavior, judgment and decision-making, and marketing management.

Relationships and Money
Dr. Rick defines a tightwad as a person who has difficulty spending money. A spendthrift is a person who has difficulty controlling spending. Research shows that conflict revolving around money is the second leading cause of divorce in the United States, with infidelity being the leading cause.  

This book explains why money should be considered when choosing a partner, how money should be handled within the relationship, and how money should be used in raising children. The ultimate goal is finding a balance between financial and psychological well-being.

My Thoughts
I chose this book because I tend to enjoy spending money and my husband tends to have difficulty spending. I am not an extreme spendthrift and he is not an extreme tightwad, but we definitely have different spending/saving styles.

The author did an excellent job blending the psychological and financial concepts in this book. Financial beliefs are deeply engrained and have often been in place since childhood. Communication and compromise are required to work out a financial plan that is satisfactory to both partners in a marriage. 

I read Chapter 7, "The Secret Language of Gifts", about three weeks before Christmas. It is always hard for me to purchase a gift for my husband. Dr. Rick believes that gift-giving occasions are important opportunities to make our partners feel seen and appreciated. He recommends giving gifts that require some kind of sacrifice. It should be clear to your partner that your gift was not easy to select or obtain. This advice really touched me and helped me choose appropriate Christmas gifts for my husband.

You might be surprised to learn that the author does not believe that complete financial transparency is necessary among financially mismatched partners. He suggests that financial translucency (partial financial transparency) is likely to strike the right balance between financial and relationship well-being.

This is an amazing book that should be required reading for everyone in a relationship that requires the blending of finances. Highly recommended!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

Thank you to NetGalley for this excellent reading opportunity.

Niching Up by Chris Breyer - Book Review

Title: Niching Up; The Narrower the Market, the Bigger the Prize

Author: Chris Breyer

Publisher: LionCrest Publishing

Publication Date: October 24, 2022

Length: 133 Pages
 

About the Author
Chris Breyer is the CEO and founder of Rankings.io, an SEO agency specializing in elite personal injury law firms.

Specialization Pays Off
Chris Breyer provides insights and guidance on the benefits of specialization and establishing authority within a chosen market. The author shares personal stories about his youth and how he established an award-winning SEO agency that specializes in personal injury law firms.

My Thoughts
A niche is defined as a specialized segment of the market for a particular kind of product or service.

This book contains a great deal of knowledge about an important business concept. The author explains how you can demand higher fees if you specialize in a niche topic. 

"It was my goal in writing this book, to change the narrative on niching from being about scarcity to having an abundance mindset. Niching is not restrictive, it provides opportunity."

Mr. Breyer writes in a style that is pleasant to read and easy for a layman to understand. He emphasizes the importance of networking and giving/receiving referrals in building a successful business.  He believes that if build a reputation of excellence in a specific niche, you will have plenty of clients. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading experience.

The Perennials Megatrends by Mauro Guillen - Book Review

Title: The Perennials; The Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society

Author: Mauro F. Guillen

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: August 22, 2023

Length: 272 Pages

About the Author
Mauro F. Guillén is one of the most original thinkers at the Wharton School, where he is a Professor of Management and Vice Dean for the MBA for Executives Program. He combines his training as a sociologist at Yale and as a business economist in his native Spain to methodically identify and quantify the most promising opportunities at the intersection of demographic, economic, and technological developments.

Play - Study - Work - Retirement
Virtually every country in the world has embraced the idea that life proceeds in the following four sequential stages;

1. Play 
2. Study
3. Work
4. Retirement

The author believes the trend of sequential stages is coming to an end and we are entering an era where the perennials will thrive. Perennials are defined as "people who are not characterized by the decade in which they were born but rather by the way they work, learn, and interact with others."

My Thoughts

People are living longer and having fewer children.  Multi-generational households are becoming more common. 

The demand for social skills in the workplace is increasing. The future will require more soft skills, self-awareness, empathy, networked thinking, and lifelong learning. 
The ability to adapt to changes will be crucial in the workplace, in social interactions, and at home. People will be required to adapt, learn, unlearn, and relearn.

This is a fascinating book designed to predict the future trends of the worldwide economy and way of life. This book represents many years of research by the author and his team. The writing style is appropriate for the lay reader as well as professionals in the fields of business, sociology, and economics.

I found this book insightful and inspiring. 

The world will be a better place if these trends come to pass. Long live the Perennials!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading opportunity.

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There is Always Enough Time for Courtesy

 

Title: It Begins With Please and Doesn't End With Thank You; Transforming Business Etiquette Into Sales Performance

Author: Edwin P. Baldry

Publisher: River Grove Books

Publication Date: October 19, 2021

Length: 260 Pages

About the Author
Edwin P. Baldry is CEO and co-founder of EPBComms, an international enterprise that connects the worlds of business communications and financial technology.

Be Courteous, Kind, and Genuine
Do good manners and etiquette make a difference in business and in all interpersonal relationships?
YES, THEY DO! The author explains how good manners pertain to the core practices, principles, and protocols of business and sales.

My Thoughts
The target audience for this book appears to be business and sales professionals. However, there is plenty of valuable information here for the improvement of all communication skills and just getting along with other people.

Mr. Baldry gives many examples from his own sales career about how the use of good manners gave him an advantage over his competition. It is all about building relationships.

This book provides specific pandemic protocols that can be used in remote communications. There are practical guidelines for etiquette when using social media platforms.

I loved a poignant story the author told at the beginning of Chapter 17. He made a sales call at UPS and later sent a handwritten note to thank the young professional for seeing him. The recipient of the note pinned the letter up in his cubicle and it was still there months later when Mr. Baldry returned for another visit. The author believes people are starved for personalized touches like this and they will hang onto them.

This is a well-written book with practical examples of how to use good manners and etiquette in everyday life. There is always enough time for courtesy!

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley to read and review.

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Finding Happy Starts With a Decision

Finding Happy: 10 Keys to Living an Extraordinary Life

Author: Chad Kneller

Publisher: Clovercroft Publishing

Publication Date: October 1, 2018

Length: 124 pages








About the Author
Chad Kneller is the founder and CEO of Made For More Inc; a company dedicated to bridge the gap between reality and possibilities for aspiring entrepreneurs. Mr. Kneller served as an Army officer after pursuing a music career in the rock and roll industry.

Resilience, Perseverance and Faith
Mr. Kneller has penned a book that is both memoir and motivational. He defines ten keys that will help you find happiness and live a rewarding and fulfilling life. 

The author tells how he went from failure in his early years to fortune by becoming a successful husband, father, businessman and leader. 

My Thoughts
I want to begin by thanking Mr. Kneller for his service to our country. He served two stints in the U.S. Army and completed the requirements to earn his college degree and become an Army officer. As a military mother, I have a great deal of respect for his hard work and dedication to our country.

The author is very transparent about the mistakes and bad choices he made as a young man. However, he was able to put these things behind him and work hard to achieve a better life for himself and his family.

Mr. Kneller boldly credits his Christian faith for giving him strength and guidance to become the man he is today. He shares passages from the Bible to support his quest for finding happiness and joy.

"Finding happy starts with a decision. It's deciding you are going to be happy and starting off each day with an attitude of gratitude...The key is deciding to be happy."

This book gives you motivation, inspiration, encouragement, and journaling prompts to help you reflect on what you read. "Finding Happy" is an excellent selection to get the new year off to a great start.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Influencers are Made on Instagram

Influencer: Building Your Personal Brand in the Age of Social Media

Author: Brittany Hennessy

Publisher: Citadel

Publication Date: July 31, 2018

Length: 256 








About the Author
Brittany Hennessy, the first-ever Director of Influencer Strategy and Talent Partnerships at Hearst Magazines Digital Media, casts celebrities and influencers for Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire, and other titles in campaigns for the world’s top fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands.

Influencers are Made on Instagram

"Since the majority of social branded content occurs on Instagram, this is where we are going to focus most of our energy. Of course, you can take some of these concepts and apply them to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Snapchat, but Instagram is the Coca-Cola of influencer marketing, and it isn't going anywhere."

Ms. Hennessy shares her expertise on influencer strategy and marketing in this book. She emphasizes that being unique is the only way to get ahead in the market today.
She believes that creating compelling content will create a bond between you and your audience. This allows you to create a community...which is different, and more important, than a following.

The author provides detailed instructions on how to create and post social media content. She also shares case studies and interviews that highlight Instagram superstars.

My Thoughts
This book offers inspiration, motivation and instruction to people who are seeking to up their game in the world of social media marketing. The author deals with influencers who make a full-time living partnering with businesses on social media. Many of theses influencers (mostly women) have thousands or even millions of followers on Instagram and have built loyal communities of potential customers for merchandise and services.

I was a late-comer to Instagram and only have a few hundred followers (Click here if you would like to help me out!) I am amazed at the tremendous success that ordinary women (not celebrities) have achieved on Instagram. This book provides insider information for growing your social media marketing presence. 
Ms. Hennessy emphasizes that the influencers that attract the attention of large businesses work very hard and make producing content for Instagram ( and other social media sites) their full-time job.

Influencer marketing is a fairly new concept and I recommend this book to all who are interested in learning more.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

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Compass for an Extraordinary Life

Extraordinary: Living in the Direction of You

Author: Michael Dauphinee

Publisher: Broadstreet Publishing Group LLC

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Length: 160 Pages

About the Author
Michael Dauphinee is a speaker, writer, and leadership consultant. For more than a decade he has devoted his life to helping people around the world understand their identity and its direct impact on leadership, employee engagement, and life.


"To live an extraordinary life is to live outside the normal course of events."
Michael Dauphinee provides guidelines for navigating an extraordinary life. This navigation process includes the following four points;

• Where are we? (Identity)
• Where are we going? (Permission)
• How do we get there? (Courage)
• How do we keep from getting lost? (Generosity)

The author begins by defining the terms and then explains how these concepts can be applied to your life. He shares experiences from his own life and also provides case studies from some of his client's experiences.

My Thoughts

WOW! I can't remember the last time I used the highlight feature on my Kindle e-reader as frequently as I did while reading this book. The pages became a colorful rainbow of quotations, definitions and strategies that I want to go back and review. It is difficult to digest this information in just one reading. I plan to go back and reread each chapter and think about how I can apply the strategies and techniques to my life.

Mr. Dauphinee dedicates a portion of each chapter to defining the terms. This is an informative and enlightening addition that adds great value. I have read many self-help books and very few take time to define the terms before they give instructions for applying the concepts and strategies.

"The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their right name."

The author is a Clifton Strengthsfinder coach but he has not made this this book into an advertisement for this service. He does encourage readers to take a strengths assessment (Clifton Strengths, MyersBriggs, DISC, Enneagram, etc.) to realize your talents and stop discarding your most valuable parts. 

"Every day we make choices that will choose for us later."

When I read this quotation, I reflected on many of the decisions I had made in the past. The choices that are made today will mold our futures for years to come. Decisions move us toward or away from our identity. The author believes we tend to disconnect the choices of today from the impact of tomorrow. We live like slaves to the immediate. 

Mr. Dauphinee expresses his personality with both humor and poignant stories. He is a Christian and enthusiastically shares his faith in Jesus Christ. However, I would not call this a "religious" book. 

Excellent. Impactful. Motivating. Memorable. This book is all of this and more. Highly Recommended!

FIVE STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book for NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.
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Stock's Up Father's Day Card

Click on image to enlarge.

Father's day is right around the corner. This is an opportunity to express love and gratitude to our father, husband, grandfather and other important men in our lives.

This is how I made this card;

I started with a blank kraft card that measures 5" by 6.5".

For the background papers, I attached a piece of patterned paper from the "Newsworthy" Paper Pack by The Paper Studio (@2013) to the blank card. I then printed out "Father's Day Papers" from Mo's Digital Pencil on white cardstock. I lightly sponged the edges of the paper with Tim Holtz Tea Dye Distress Ink. I then mounted the digital paper on a piece of kraft cardstock.

I chose the digital image "Stock's Up (boy)" from Mo's Digital Pencil. I printed the image on white cardstock and lightly sponged the edges with distress ink. I used Ranger's Glossy Accents on the glasses to add dimension. I colored the image with Copic Sketch markers. I rounded the corners and mounted the image on a piece of kraft cardstock.

I will enter this card in the following challenges;
Cardz 4 Guys Challenge #196
Digi Choosday Crafting Challenge Week #23
Lemon Shortbread Challenge #69 
Papercraft Challenge #13 - Children
Shopping Our Stash Challenge #357
Stinkin' Inkers Challenge - The Guys Have It
Through the Craft Room Door 5th June Challenge
Tuesday Throwdown Challenge #395
Unicorn Challenge Blog Masculine Challenge #33

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Mark Schaefer Explains Social Media for Business

Social Media Explained: Untangling the World’s Most Misunderstood Business Trend, Revised and Expanded Second Edition

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Date of Publication: February 7, 2018

Length: 143 Pages


About the Author
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized speaker, educator, business consultant, and author who blogs at {grow} - one of the top marketing blogs of the world.

Social Media - An Unstoppable Force
Mark Schaefer believes the potential for marketing through social media platforms is a significant and unstoppable force.

The author explains that behind every social media marketing success story, you will find the following three elements:

1. Targeted connections +
2. Meaningful content +
3. Authentic Helpfulness = BUSINESS BENEFITS

This updated book offers business leaders solid strategies and case studies for implementing, managing and measuring a social media marketing program.


My Thoughts

Social media marketing requires more expertise in marketing than social media. Do not assign Tammy from the mail room to run your new social media effort because she's good at Facebook.

I had to smile when I read the above quote, but the author makes a very valid point. Social media offers platforms to promote and market your business. You are always marketing. 

How do you handle complaints and criticism on social media? 
"Deal with it. Adjust. Adapt. Get your house in order because the social web will make you miserable if you don't."
This book spells out exactly what you need to do to establish a successful social media marketing program for your business. I found the social media marketing case study in Chapter 11 extremely interesting and inspiring.

"Social Media explained" is recommended for social media newbies as well as experienced professionals. Mark Schaefer is a natural teacher and he EXPLAINS some advanced strategies and techniques in an understandable manner. I am confident you will find value in this book. Read the book and then go back and really study it. 

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5 

FYI ~ I borrowed a digital copy of this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Building Your Personal Brand in the Digital Age - A Book Review

KNOWN: The handbook for building and unleashing your personal brand in the digital age

Author: Mark W. Schaefer

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services LLC

Publication Date: February 6, 2017

Pages: 257 Pages



About the Author
Mark W. Schaefer is a globally-recognized author, speaker, podcaster, and business consultant who blogs at {grow} — one of the top five marketing blogs of the world.

Being Known is not the Same as Being Famous

"Being known is not the same as being famous. It's not about having millions of fans and red carpet appearances. Being known is about having the proper authority, reputation, and audience to realize your potential and achieve your goals...whatever they may be."

 Mr. Schaefer believes that everyone has a chance to be known. He provides case studies of dozens of people who started out being unknown and used content to establish a digital presence that propelled their dreams.

Consistency is the key to being known. Nearly every person in the case studies said that consistency is the most important element in the journey to be known. 

The formula for success isn't just finding a passion or even a niche. You must find the magical combination of PLACE (A sustainable interest and what you want to be known for) and SPACE (an uncontested or under occupied niche with enough people to matter.)

This book provides solid guidelines for going from unknown to known in a digital world.

My Thoughts

This is a very motivational book. The author is a delightful storyteller and adds touches of humor to the many case studies that are used to illustrate the techniques needed to build your personal brand.

There are stories about bloggers who share there passion using the written word. There are YouTubers who share their musical talent or artistic skills with videos. There are podcasters who produce internet-based radio shows. There are designers, artists and photographers who share visual images on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Consistency and endurance are the common denominators of all the success stories highlighted in this book. 

If you want to be known, read this book and then get started sharing your content and building an audience using social media. Being known can open doors of opportunity in your personal and professional life. 

I like everything about this book...it inspires, motivates and educates. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I borrowed this book with my Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscription.

Do you have a passion that you would like to be known for? Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. 

The Joy Plan - A Book Review

The Joy Plan: How I Took 30 Days to Stop Worrying, Quit Complaining, and Find Ridiculous Happiness

Author: Kaia Roman

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Date of Publication: July 11, 2017

Pages: 321 pages


About the Author
Kaia Roman has a twenty-year background in public relations and marketing. She is currently a Mindfulness Teacher for elementary school students and a regular contributor to numerous mindfulness, happiness, and wellbeing blogs. She lives in Santa Cruz, CA.

Kaia Roman felt down-and-out after her business collapsed.  She was seeking direction in her role as a wife, mother, friend and business woman. She consulted a friend and decided to devote the next 30 days of her life to creating JOY!

Ms. Roman discovered that The Joy Plan was much more than a 30 day project. 
Joy and happiness became a lifestyle that would change her life and the lives of her loved ones.

This is both a memoir and a self-help book for anyone who is seeking joy and a positive lifestyle.

My Thoughts
What is a joy plan and how do you make one?

I think we would all like more joy in our lives. While happiness is a state of mind based on circumstances, joy is an internal feeling that disregards circumstances.

Kaia Roman explained how she started the joy plan by asking a single question; "Does this feel good?" As the author learned to choose positive thoughts and attitudes, her life took a joyful turn. She was attracting positive people and experiences into her life. 

I enjoyed this book very much. Ms. Roman provided a detailed account of the ups and downs that she experienced on her quest for joy. She cited an impressive number of references and resources for further study. There is an excellent discussion guide at the end of the book to be used with a study group or just a review of the reading material.

I am currently taking a MOOC on Positive Psychology at Coursera. The experiences chronicled in this book demonstrate that positive emotions CAN change your life for the better. I applaud Ms. Roman for writing this book and thank her for showing us how to "stop worrying, quit complaining, and find ridiculous happiness."

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUR OF 5

FYI - I received a digital review copy of this book from Net Galley.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below. I will reply to all comments and questions. 

Book Review: Keynote Mastery by Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Title: Keynote Mastery: The Personal Journey of a Professional Speaker

Author: Patrick Schwerdtfeger

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Publication Date: January 6, 2016

Length: 284 Pages



About The Author
Patrick Schwerdtfeger (@schwerdtfeger on Twitter) is a leading authority on global business trends including demographics, big data and the social media revolution. He is a keynote speaker who has headlined events for conferences all over the world.

The Show Must Go On!
Mr. Schwerdtfeger writes about his life journey as a professional speaker. He is brutally honest about the challenges of self-employment and his personal struggles to survive.

However, he has a dream and his determination, perseverance and tenacity lead to a degree of success that many speakers never achieve.

This is a memoir that offers inspiration and motivation to all who aspire to be a professional speaker. The author shares many "insider secrets" that he has learned from being a speaker for the past seven years. 


My Thoughts
When I listen to a keynote speaker, I expect to be informed, inspired and entertained. I have never had the opportunity to hear the author speak, however, I listened to Mr. Schwerdtfeger's Tedx speech on YouTube and was very impressed.

These are the things I especially liked about this book:

1. The transparent look at the author's life. Mr. Schwerdtfeger posted his credit card balances all along his seven year journey to become a successful keynote speaker. He did not candy-coat his life or make it appear to be something that it is not.

2. The easy-to-read flow of the narrative. The author wrote in a very engaging manner and I felt like I was traveling right along with him on the many journeys that he wrote about.

3. The sensitive manner the author dealt with his mother's mental illness and his father's chronic illness. I am sure this was very difficult to describe, but it was part of the journey and described in an admirable way.

4. Information the author shared about professional speaking. He goes into detail about the structure of a keynote speech. The author was especially open about the financial challenges that he faced and how he handled them.

5. The author's marketing strategies. Mr. Schwerdtfeger's business success depends on how well he markets himself. He has come up with some very creative marketing techniques that should benefit other self-employed entrepreneurs.

What I didn't like about this book:

1. Chapter 61 - "Book marketing sucks." There is a discussion on the trials and tribulations of book marketing in this chapter. The author discusses "pay to play" programs and other ways to get your book noticed for a price. It seems like book marketing would be a piece of cake after all the experience the author has in promoting his speaking career. The chapter is just too negative for my tastes.

2. Chapter 62 and 63 - "The Keynote Mastery Program" and "The Speaker Syndicate".  These chapters promote two programs that the author is selling to professional speakers. I think these chapters could have been cut down to a one page "teaser" that encouraged speakers to contact the author for more information.

MY RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Book Review: Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon

Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative

Author: Austin Kleon

Publisher: Workman Publishing Co.

Date Published: February 28, 2012

Length: 160 Pages



About The Author
Austin Kleon is a writer and artist.  He speaks about creativity and being an artist online for organizations such as SXSW, TEDx, and The Economist.

Unlock Your Creativity
Question: "Where does an artist get his ideas?"

Answer: "He steals them."

The author believes that a creative person is inspired and motivated by other people's work. All creative work builds on what came before and nothing is completely original.

This book features clever photos, graphics, charts and quotations to make the case for good theft vs. bad theft.

Favorite Quotations
"You are, in fact, a mashup of what you choose to let into your life."    

"If you copy from one author, it’s plagiarism, but if you copy from many, it’s research."    

"Your job is to collect good ideas. The more good ideas you collect, the more you can choose from to be influenced by."     

 "Not everybody will get it. People will misinterpret you and what you do. They might even call you names. So get comfortable with being misunderstood, disparaged, or ignored -- the trick is to be too busy doing your work to care."                            

My Thoughts
This is a short, entertaining and FUN book to read. I believe the author has accomplished his goal in getting people to think about creating awesome books, art, music, plays, businesses, etc.

You don't have to be a genius to create...you just have to do good work and share it with people.

Mr. Kleon provides a chart on page 39 that illustrates the differences between plagiarism and research/influence/remixing/transforming.

The light bulb truly came on over my head as I read this book. The message is very simple and nothing really new...but VERY inspiring. It is something we all need to hear and act on.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I read a print copy of this book from my local public library.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Things A Little Bird Told Me by Biz Stone

Things a Little Bird Told Me: Confessions of the Creative Mind

Author: Biz Stone

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Date: April 1, 2014

Length: 237 Pages



About The Author
Biz Stone was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1974. For the past decade, Stone has been developing large scale projects that facilitate the open exchange of information. He is the Co-founder of Twitter and advisor to several technology startups.

The Beginnings of Twitter
How did Biz Stone and his associates come up with the idea for Twitter?

Biz Stone shares many fascinating behind-the-scenes happenings that tell how Twitter started and how it grew to  become a world-wide platform for posting messages of 140 characters or less.

Mr. Stone started out as a blogger and graphic designer. He was the heart behind the Twitter team and used his skills to communicate with users and grow the business.

Biz Stone tells about how he was responsible for all the customer service communications when the Twitter servers went down. It was up to him to contact users and let them know that the problems were being addressed by the Twitter engineers.

He explains how Twitter made it's public debut at the South by Southwest Conference in 2007. Large TV monitors were set up in the halls and people could read the tweets as they moved from room to room.

Twitter fans will be captivated by the stories behind the little blue bird.

My Thoughts
I really enjoyed the candid and open style that Mr. Stone used in this book. He pretty much tells it all. There are no huge scandals or earth-shattering secrets, but you come away from this book feeling like you have known Biz for his entire life.

He tells about his childhood and how his family was "dirt poor" and were frequently down-sizing to more affordable homes. He tells about his high school years when he realized that he just didn't have time to do homework so he instigated a "no homework policy" and he convinced his teachers to just grade him on work he did in class.

I think the most impressive part of this story is end.  Mr. and Mrs. Stone have not let their financial success change them. They have given generous amounts of money to charities and continue to do so.

This is an inspirational book that will have readers tweeting for joy. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.

Book Review: What Happens in Vegas Stays On YouTube by Erik Qualman

What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube

Author:  Erik Qualman

Publisher: Equalman Studio

Date: January 1, 2014

Length: 194 pages



About The Author
Erik Qualman is an MBA Professor at the Hult International Business School. He is the author of Socialnomics: How Social Media Transforms the Way We Live and Do Business and Digital Leader: The 5 Keys to Success & Influence.

Privacy is Dead
The author shares 36 essential rules to help you preserve your most important asset... your reputation. Whether you are a teacher, politician, CEO, soccer mom, coach or pastor...you must understand the new rules of today's transparent society.

Social media sites have exploded in popularity. Here are several of "The New Rules of Reputation" listed in this book:

Rule #2: Live as though your mother is watching.
Rule #8: Be FLAWsome
Rule #11: Complain = Digital Pain
Rule #16: The three second rule
Rule #32: Be a Baker not an Eater

There are numerous case studies about individuals and companies who have used good judgment and bad judgment in posting photos, videos and comments on social media sites.

There is a chapter on "digital stamps" - "a permanent collection and culmination of your digital footprints and digital shadows". Your digital stamp matters 5 seconds from now, 5 years from now, 50 years from now and 500 years from now.

This book was funded by a very successful Kickstarter campaign.

My Thoughts
This is a timely subject and something that everyone should be thinking about. People will judge you by what you post...you must decide how you want to be known.

Your "digital stamp" will be with you for the rest of your life. Young people like to post pictures of parties and good times but future job recruiters may not be impressed.

The author did a good job researching this subject and presenting the material in a very understandable manner. I think "reputation management" will be a growing topic of concern for individuals, non-profits and businesses in the years to come.

I love the list of "Must Reads" the author included at the end of the book. These books will inspire and educate readers on the subjects of social media, marketing and life.

Now is the time to think about the digital stamp you are creating. This book is well worth your time.

My Rating:  5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from NetGalley.

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