Hidden Potential by Adam Grant

 

Title: Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater

Author: Adam  Grant

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: October 24, 2023

Length: 302 Pages

Audible: 7 Hours and 21 Minutes

About the Author
Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of TED’s most popular speakers,
His pioneering research has inspired people to rethink fundamental assumptions about motivation, generosity, creativity, and potential. 

Unlocking Hidden Potential and Achieving Greater Things
Dr. Grant believes the learning process isn't complete when we acquire knowledge. It is complete when we consistently apply that knowledge.

The author focuses on the following three concepts for unlocking hidden potential;

• Build character skills. Become a creature of discomfort - Become a sponge - Become an imperfectionist.
• Set up scaffolding to overcome obstacles. Turn practice into play - Take the roundabout path to progress - Fly by your own bootstraps.
• Build Systems of Opportunity. Design schools to bring out the best in all students - Unearth collective intelligence in teams - Discover uncut gems in job interviews and college applications.

My Thoughts
I listened to this book on Audible (twice) and then printed out the PDF summary sheets that came with the audiobook. I studied the key concepts that were presented and determined which ones I needed to consistently apply to my life.

I want to become a creature of discomfort. I tend to beat myself up when I make a mistake and live the experience over and over again in my mind. This is especially true when I play the piano in public. I have struggled with "stage fright" since I was a child. Dr. Grant suggests that when you expect to stumble, you ruminate about it less and improve more. 

I like the idea of becoming a sponge. Progress hinges on the quality of the information you take in, not on the quantity of information you seek out. I will try to determine what information is absorbed and which should be filtered out. 

I will turn practice into play. I will apply this to my piano practice and my art projects. I will measure my progress over time, not against an opponent. 

I will harness both high and low expectations as motivation. "If ignorant naysayers doubt you, take it as a challenge. Instead of letting them crush your confidence, recognize it as an opportunity to prove them wrong."

There are many interesting concepts in this book but these four ideas really resonate with me. This is an excellent book and the author does a great job reading the audiobook. I have become addicted to Audible and love it more every day.

MY RATING - 5 STARS OUT OF 5

ABCmouse.com Review and Giveaway

I was recently contacted by ABCmouse.com and offered a generous ONE YEAR subscription for one of my lucky readers. I don't have any young children at home so I asked my daughter, Cindy Phelps Thomas, to try this site with my granddaughter for one month.

Cindy is my guest blogger today and tells you about her experience with ABCmouse.com.

ABCmouse.com is a computer-based learning program for young children, ages 3-kindergarten. My daughter is 18 months, but I decided to try this program. The program is personalized, it is set up to your specified age group and even says hello with your child’s name at the beginning of each session.

There is a classroom setting to start. From there you can enjoy the variety of activities they have available, including games, songs, personalizing your classroom, and learning geared toward your child’s age group.

There are multiple themes that you can choose including the beach, the farm, the seashore, etc. In each of these settings there are courses that include learning through puzzles, electronic coloring sheets, songs, math, and more. There are lesson builders available also, if you want to design a particular lesson for your child. As you finish each activity there is a reward of tickets that your child can cash in for prizes.

Although my daughter was a little young for the program, she thoroughly enjoyed learning about zoo animals and listening to the songs. We were able to learn about the specific zoo animals and listen to the sounds that they make. The songs had various settings to listen and sing along with the words. We decided to choose the bouncing ball to guide us along in the song; my daughter was able to point to the ball as it went.

I highly recommend this program to parents of children in these age groups. ABCmouse.com is a great resource for parents to use with their children to encourage the learning process and prepare them for future grade levels. Parents can track the process on this program too. The best part is that the program is not expensive! I will definitely continue to work with my daughter through ABCmouse.com!

How To Win An Annual Subscription to ABCmouse.com
One lucky reader of this blog will win a subscription code for 1 year free use of the ABCmouse.com educational service.

I will conduct a random drawing at 12:00 noon on Thursday, August 29.

To enter the drawing for a chance to win, just leave a comment on this blog post. All you have to say is "I want to win ABCmouse.com!"

Please leave an email address with your comment. I will email the lucky winner on August 29 with the 1 year subscription code. I will annouce the winner on this blog the following week. Good luck to everyone!

Kindle Books For Kids: BeeWitched by Julia Dweck

Beewitched

Author: Julia Dweck
Illustrator: Aida Sofia Barba

Publisher: KiteReaders

Date: February 28, 2013



About The Author
Julia Dweck writes children's stories for digital and traditional publication. Her stories span the spectrum of humor, fantasy, and edutainment in rhyme and in prose. Julia's background in elementary education affords her the opportunity to be in touch with what children want to read about and what makes them giggle.

Bees Are Nice!
Beetrice adores honey bees. She knows everything there is to know about them. She even slightly resembles a bee with her yellow shirt and her huge black glasses.

One day her school class goes on a field trip to the country. While the rest of her class plays games, Beetrice watches the honey bees hover over the honeysuckle flowers. Beetrice wonders if she would have been better off being born a bee!

With a little help from some magic honey, Beetrice changes into a honey bee and learns that a bee's life is not all fun and games. Beetrice learns that the grass is not greener on the other side of the bee hive.

My Thoughts
Beetrice is a wonderful character. Her green eyes are bee-lightful and she is the local expert on honey bees. Ms. Dweck does a wonderful job  mixing fiction and facts about honey bees in this picture book for children. This story is both educational and entertaining. This author does an awesome job writing "edutaining" books for kids.

Beetrice learns a valuable story about life in this story. She learns that life as a honey bee is not as wonderful and carefree as she imagined. She learns that honey bees work very hard and face many challenges and dangers. She realizes that she still loves bees but she is perfectly content to "bee" a girl.

I read this ebook on my Kindle Fire ereader. Ms. Barba did a beautiful job with the full-screen color illustrations. The landscape orientation makes this ebook a perfect fit for the Kindle.

"BeeWitched" is a great selection for spring reading. Children will love Beetrice and will learn from her experiences. Highly recommended!

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I purchased this ebook during a FREE promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Book Review: 137 Books in One Year by Kevin Hendricks

137 Books in One Year: How to Fall in Love With Reading

Author: Kevin D. Hendricks

Publisher: Monkey Outta Nowhere

Date: January 19, 2013



About The Author
Kevin D. Hendricks runs his own freelance writing and editing company, Mondkey Outta Nowhere.

Fall in Love With Reading
Do you wish you had more time for reading?
Is reading a priority in your life?
Do you have an addictive thirst for reading?

This is a how-to manual for reading. It is also the story of a young man's passion for reading and sharing books.

"I enjoy a good movie and I'm addicted to my share of sitcoms. But I still love to curl up with a good book. I still like to discover new worlds at the local library. I still like to get lost in a book, forget what's going on around me and find something new."

Mr. Hendricks explains how he finds time for reading in his hectic schedule. He takes a book everywhere he goes. He advises, "whenever you have an idle moment, instead of reaching for your smart phone, grab your book. Read at every opportunity you get, no matter how small."

The author shares ideas for tracking your reading and sharing reviews with others. The purpose of reading is to learn and grow. He advises readers to think and reflect on the things they read and write down thoughts in a journal or blog.

The last part of this 94-page ebook is an annotated list of the 137 books that Mr. Hendricks read in 2012. He lists a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction and comments on each selection.

My Thoughts
This is a wonderful read for all you bookworms. You will understand exactly how this author has developed a habit and passion for reading.

Reading really is a habit that we have to practice and develop. Mr. Hendricks  expresses his love and enthusiasm for reading in a delightful manner. It doesn't really matter the number of books you read. The important thing is that you read, read, read!

If you have not experienced the joy of daily reading, this book will inspire and motivate you to get started. Your life will never be the same!

My Rating: 4 Stars Out of 5

FYI ~ I downloaded this ebook during a free promotion an Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before ordering.

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Book Review: Maximum Brainpower; Challenging The Brain For Health And Wisdom

Maximum Brainpower: Challenging the Brain for Health and Wisdom

Authors: Shlomo Breznitz and Collins Hemingway

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Date: June 26, 2012

Pages: 288


About The Authors
Shlomo Breznitz is the founder of CogniFit, a company devoted to the goal of improving cognitive fitness. The author of seven books and many scientific articles, he has been engaged as a visiting professor by numerous leading institutions, including the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford University, and the London School of Economics.

Collins Hemingway is a writer and technologist who has co-written several books and written innumerable articles for the general public.

Challenging The Brain
Most people realize that a fit brain is likely the most important contributor to a long, healthy and active life. "Maximum Brainpower" discusses the brain in a way that is understandable, interesting and challenging. The book provides a lifelong strategy to keep the mind active and the brain healthy.

Did you know that?

• Mental stress can have more devastating impact on us than physical stress.
• Experts are often less mentally agile than jack-of-all-trades.
• Hope is a major healing agent.
• Mental exercises such as crossword puzzles and Sudoku are of minimal help in building brainpower.
• A college education can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's by two-thirds. The main benefit of college is it provides more interesting and challenging career choices. The more challenging our life work, the more stimulated our brains become and the greater the cognitive reserves we build.

Dr. Breznitz states that we can't change what happened earlier in our lives, but at any age we can begin to engage our brains. We can take college courses NOW. We can learn new skills...a musical instrument or a new language. We can engage in new activities...especially those involving physical exercise, which helps build the brain. The greater the variety of our activities, the better it is for the brain. Every different thing we do stimulates our brain in different ways.
 
My Thoughts
 I learned a great deal of information from this book. The book grabbed my attention in the first few chapters when it explained that it is very difficult for us to "unlearn" something that is learned from past experience. The author stated we learn early and quickly but then tend to settle into relatively fixed attitudes for the rest of our lives. The problem is that experience often teaches us the wrong lessons.

This book will be life-changing for all who read it, study it and apply the principles that are presented. It is time for us to change our thinking if we want a long and healthy life.  I recommend this book to all who are interested in complete body health and fitness.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary print copy of this book from the author's publicist to read and review.

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