Drop: Making Great Decisions - Book Review

Title: Drop: Making Great Decisions; Use Neuroscience to Retrain Your Brain and Make Better Life Choices

Author: Dr. Helen McKibben

Publisher: Feelings Management Press

Publication Date: May 14, 2024

Length: 167 Pages

About the Author
Dr. Helen McKibben's approach to counseling combines the study of the body, the brain, and the connection between them. She created the technique of dropping to the blank screen because she saw two significant, recurring needs in her clients: First, to learn how to manage triggered feelings, and second, to understand why her clients felt the way they did. Dr. McKibben has a doctorate degree in psychology and thirty-five years of clinical work.

New Definition of Self-Esteem
Traditionally, self-esteem has been defined as whether a person likes himself or not. However, Dr. McKibben defines self-esteem as the ability to listen to one's first instinctual thought, feeling, or idea and make independent decisions. High self-esteem allows you to look inward for guidance rather than relying on others to shape your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

This book demonstrates how to use the "Drop to the blank screen" method to pause and respond with how you feel, what you observe, or what you want to do, instead of deferring to others. Developing high self-esteem can transform how you see yourself and how others interact with you. With insights into how self-esteem affects all our decisions, this book offers a comprehensive guide to making better choices in life.

My Thoughts
This book provides a great deal of insight into the importance of self-esteem in our decision-making process. The author provides detailed information on how to "Drop to the blank screen" in the following situations:

• Improve sleep
• Increase self-confidence
• Become a more effective parent
• Enhance athletic performance
• Attract healthier friends and partners
• Heal addictions
• Handle disruptive people

Dropping to the blank screen is more than a simple relaxation or meditation technique. Dr. McKibben teaches us how to respond to people thoughtfully instead of just reacting.  By using memory retrieval and decision-making, the method aims to convert emotions into responses based on high self-esteem and the ability to lead a fulfilling life. 

I have already started using this technique in communication with family members and friends. IT WORKS!!! There are many parts of the book that I will reread and study to use the method most effectively. 

UPDATE: I purchased the audiobook edition of this book on Audible. Dr.McKibben does an excellent job narrating the book and explaining the "Drop" technique. The interviews with clients really come alive in the audiobook. I have been gradually learning this technique and it is making a difference in the way I communicate with others. 

My Rating: 5 Stars Out of 5

FYI - Thank you to Stephanie Barko, the author's publicist, for sending me an Advanced Reading Copy to review.

This Impossible Brightness by Jessica Bryant Klagmann

Title: This Impossible Brightness; A Novel

Author: Jessica Bryant Klagmann

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Publication Date: February 1, 2024

Length: 308 Pages

Amazon Prime First Reads - January 2024

About the Author
Jessica Bryant Klagmann grew up in New England, studied writing in Fairbanks, Alaska, and now lives with her family in northern New Mexico. Her work has been published in environmental journals like Whitefish Review and Terrain.org.

An Amazing Adventure and Love Story
Alma Hughes moves to a remote island in the North Atlantic in hopes of dealing with the loss of her fiance. She also wants to tend to the needs of her ailing dog. Alma learns to communicate with "Echoes" and finds a purpose for her secluded life. 

My Thoughts
I have never read a book quite like this one. There were times when I was a bit confused by the different characters. I had to get used to the idea that Alma could see and communicate with people who were no longer living. Alma's dog was especially poignant and memorable. 

Alma was constantly dealing with the fact that the North Atlantic island was slowly being swallowed up by the sea. The harsh elements were a constant challenge. The issue of climate change was a strong part of this story.

This book was a combination of science fiction, adventure, and love story. I found the last couple of chapters especially engaging and all the questions that I had earlier were answered. The story ended with the strong message that love never ends. 

Alma was a courageous and resilient woman and I enjoyed getting to know her. This book took me out of my comfort zone and introduced me to a faraway place where hope and love endure.

MY RATING: 4 Stars OUt Of 5

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.

Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World - Book Review

Title: Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World

Author: Scott Shigeoka

Publisher: Balance (Hachette Book Group)

Publication Date: November 14, 2023

Length: 228 Pages

About the Author
Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and author.  He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin. 

DIVE into Curiosity and Transform Your Life
The author uses the acronym DIVE to explain how curiosity is our superpower;
Detach - Let go of the ABCs (Assumptions, Biases, and Certainty).
Intend - Prepare your mindset and setting.
Value - See the dignity in every person, including yourself.
Embrace - Welcome the hard times in your life.

Readers are encouraged to start practicing deep curiosity and strengthening our capacity to connect and be transformed by the people, places, and experiences we encounter.

My Thoughts
At the beginning of this book, the author describes himself as "a city-dwelling liberal Asian American spiritually queer professor and researcher from Hawaii." He quit his job and spent a year living out of his car and meeting people that he would not normally encounter. He visited rural towns, an Indigenous reservation in Minnesota, a retreat center where nuns and millennials live together, and even a Trump rally. He became a seeker.

This is really an awesome book. It explains the difference between shallow curiosity where we are just seeking information and deep curiosity which is about making someone feel heard, seen, and validated. 

The author goes into great detail about using the DIVE model to develop healthy and safe curiosity. He emphasizes the importance of listening and communication skills. Curiosity should always come from a place of genuine desire to know who someone is and how they became that way, not trying to get them to agree with our point of view.

Finally, Mr. Shigeoka suggests the following actions to begin our curiosity journey;

• Articulate curiosity as an important value.
• Embrace curiosity as an identity.
• Bring curiosity into the spaces you're already in.

After reading this book, I value curiosity and I am a seeker.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading experience.

The Power of Empathy - Book Review

Title: The Power of Empathy; Be the Friend You've Always Wanted

Author: Ruth Maille

Illustrator: Prayan Animation Studio

Publisher: BooksGoSocial

Publication Date: October 12, 2023

Length: 36 Pages

Children's Fiction

About the Author
Ruth Maille is the author of the multi-award-winning books in "The Power of…" series. Her interactive books focus on character traits that are essential to social and emotional learning.

Empathy is a Caring SuperPower
Orbit is a storyteller who looks like a walking world globe. He visits the children in a park and tells them about a superpower called EMPATHY. The children learn that empathy means understanding and also caring about how someone else is feeling.

The children also learn why it is important to talk about our emotions. There are both happy and unhappy emotions. 

Before leaving, Orbit reminds the children to be the friend they've always wanted.

My Thoughts
This book is a wonderful story to teach children about empathy. I like the way the characters are a diverse group of different races, nationalities, and children with physical disabilities.

The illustrations are beautiful and add value to the text. 

Empathy is not something that comes naturally to everyone. However, it is a skill that can be developed and improved over time. By practicing empathy, we can improve our emotional intelligence and build more meaningful relationships with others. 

Recommended for children of all ages.

MY RATING: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Thank you to NetGalley for an excellent reading opportunity.

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Healing From Dysfunctional Life in New Memoir

 Title: Unfold Me; Unfold Layers of Your Wounded Heart and Begin Living Your Dream Life

Author: Deirdre Maloney

Publisher: Unfolding Press

Publication Date: January 2, 2021

Length: 134 Pages

About the Author
Deirdre Maloney is the founder of High Gate Racing, Canada's largest all-female competitive cycling team. She is also the co-founder of a women's support group in her own community. Deirdre believes in sharing our stories to cultivate more collective healing.

Resilience, Insight, and Healing
Deirdre Maloney takes an honest look at her life and is determined to learn from her past mistakes and take responsibility for her actions. She was raised in a dysfunctional family and suffered an eating disorder, abuse, and molestation at a young age. As she grew older, she was involved with drug abuse, prostitution, and extremely abusive relationships with men. 

The author decided her life experience was going to be a story of resilience that needed to be shared. She was determined to turn her pain into purpose.

My Thoughts
This book is not for the faint-hearted. The author was very transparent about her life and this book includes X-rated language and experiences that might make some person blush. However, I have to admire the way she put the past behind her and focused on making a better life for herself and her family. 

The positive changes came in Ms. Maloney's life when a therapist suggested that she join a women's support group for group therapy. The most important thing she learned was acceptance. This is exactly what she needed for healing.

The last chapter in this book is titled "A Wholehearted Life". The author reflects on her healing journey and offers practical insights to anyone who is serious about making positive changes in their life.  Change does not come easy, but it is possible. This young lady has overcome some incredible challenges and I wish her nothing but the best.

MY RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF 5

FYI ~ I purchased a digital copy of this book with my own funds.

The Power of Positive Words

The Power of Positive Words: What You Say Makes a Difference

Author: Stan Toler

Publisher: Harvest House Publishers

Publication Date: March 12, 2019

Length: 192 Pages








About the Author
For many years, Stan Toler served as vice president and instructor for INJOY, John C. Maxwell’s Institute for training leaders to make a difference in the world.

Words Play a Role in Our Success or Failure
Our words are more than just what we speak. Rather, our words play a significant role in our outcomes toward success or failure.

Mr. Toler has written a fascinating book about the importance of words and how they have shaped our past and can affect our lives in both positive and negative ways.

The author tells about many famous speakers who have used positive words to communicate with people and make a difference in the world. He also explains the importance of silence and listening. Even though this is a book about positive words, Mr. Toler warns readers about the destructiveness of negative words.

This is not a strongly Christian book, but the author uses the final pages of the book to teach the reader how to have a conversation with Jesus Christ, our heavenly Father.

My Thoughts
I found this book inspiring and informative. Mr. Toler is an excellent and experienced writer and expresses his thoughts in an organized and insightful manner.

I really enjoyed reading one story after another about how the power of words can change situations in a positive or a negative way. I also found the chapter about the importance of silence and listening very interesting. 

We can all benefit from thinking about the words we use. Knowledge and words are powerful. This book will give you a practical background and guide for the use of positive words and how they make a difference.


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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Book Review: Family; The Good F Word by Troy Dunn

Family: The Good "F" Word: The Life-Changing Action Plan for Building Your Best Family

Author: Troy Dunn and Dr. Phil McGraw

Publisher: Bird Street Books

Publication Date: April 21, 2014

Length: 321 Pages



About The Author
Troy Dunn is the creator and executive producer of the #1 rated show on WE Network, “The Locator” and host of the TNT series “APB with Troy Dunn.” As a husband and father, Dunn truly is an expert on family — he and his wife have been married for more than 25 years and have 8 children.

The LCA Plan (Life-Changing Action Plan)
Troy Dunn is a dedicated family man and owner of a business that reunites separated and distressed families. He shares his love, enthusiasm and passion for family life in this book.

Mr. Dunn has created the "LCA Plan" to help restore families to full strength. This plan contains the following four steps;

• Determine what is wrong with your marriage/family relationship. This involves taking a personal inventory and taking responsibility for your actions in the relationship.
• CHANGE. The author puts this word in capital letters because without it you will not be able to fix your family
• Repairing damage and rebuilding your marriage or relationship.
• Empowerment and attempting to permanently stabilize your family. This includes embracing forgiveness and moving forward without clinging to destructive behaviors.

The author admits it will not be easy to implement the LCA Plan, but the benefits can be tremendous if you desire a better marriage and family life.

My Thoughts
I read this book from cover to cover and found it to be an outstanding guide for marriage and family improvement and growth.

The author includes quizzes to help evaluate areas of your marriage that need improvement. He emphasizes the importance of communication and states that silence is a silent killer in a relationship.

My very favorite part of the book is where Mr. Dunn recalls his own childhood and his father's problem with alcoholism. He states that his mother tried to make the marriage work, but she eventually packed up her three children and separated from his father. Several months later, a young Troy came home from school and found his father sitting on the front porch of the house where his mother had moved the family. His father had gone to AA and was willing to take responsibility for all the bad behavior that he exhibited during his drinking days. His family was reunited and his father's example was a strong positive influence on the author.

I highly recommend this book to readers who are ready for positive change in their family and their life. This book is the real deal and will be well worth the time it takes to read it.

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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Kindle Books For Kids: Hurry Up and Wait!

Hurry Up and Wait!

Author: Mark Carraway
Illustrator: Julius Tabiolo

Publisher: Fox Valley Media

Date: March 25, 2012





About The Author
Mark R. Carraway is a part-time author and full-time parent of three children.

The Concept Of Waiting
A little girl learns what it means to "wait" as she goes through her day.

The story begins with the young girl waking up. She has waited all night for the rising of the sun. She has to wait to brush her teeth because someone is in the bathroom. She has to wait while her mother packs her lunch for school. There is much, much more waiting at school.

At the end of the day, the little girl waits for her father to read a bedtime story and tuck her into bed. The story has a poignant ending with the father and girl looking at the setting sun and realizing that waiting is sometimes a good thing.

My Thoughts
The concept of "waiting" is difficult for most children to understand. They want something and they want it to happen NOW!

This story helps a child understand that patience and waiting is part of life.  Waiting is necessary for our safety and well-being. Sometimes we have to wait because there are others in front of us. Sometimes we have to wait because we could suffer harm if we act in haste.

The color illustrations are excellent and the formatting for the Kindle Fire is outstanding. I read the book on my Kindle Fire HD and enjoyed the double-page layouts that resemble a real book. This book is a great fit for the landscape orientation on the Kindle Fire. Each page features a full-page illustration with two lines of rhyming text.

I highly recommend this book for pre-school and early elementary age children.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

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Movie Review: Hope Springs

Kay: "It feels like Arnold and I aren't going towards anything anymore. I want a real marriage again."
Eileen: "I think for that to happen you would have to risk everything just to shake things up."

Kay (Meryl Streep) and Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) are a devoted couple, but decades of marriage have left Kay wanting to spice things up and reconnect with her husband. When she hears of a renowned couple's specialist (Steve Carell) in the small town of Great Hope Springs, she attempts to persuade her skeptical husband, a steadfast man of routine, to get on a plane for a week of marriage therapy. Just convincing the stubborn Arnold to go on the retreat is hard enough - the real challenge for both of them comes as they shed their bedroom hang-ups and try to re-ignite the spark that caused them to fall for each other in the first place.

My Thoughts
We tend to fall into daily routines that are predictable and difficult to change. This is the story of a 50ish couple who have been married for 31 years. They seldom talk to each other and they sleep in separate rooms. They have not had sex for over five years.

Kay wants to find out if REAL change is possible. Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Kay is determined to find out.

The scenes with Dr. Feld, the marriage counselor, are hilarious. Arnold does not think there is anything wrong with his marriage. He does not think he needs to change. My very favorite quotation in the movie is when the marriage counselor asks Arnold the following question;

Arnold: "You come up here for one week and you're supposed to have a new marriage?"
Dr. Feld: "Arnold, your wife is very unhappy and you have to ask yourself, 'have I done all I could?'"

Kay and Arnold renew the physical and emotional intimacy in their marriage. It is a slow process, but it is worth the effort. This is a wonderful "date night" movie for couples who are not afraid to dream of new ways of connecting and loving.

This is not an action-packed show that will have you sitting on the edge of your seats. There are times when the movie is not really entertaining. The purpose of this movie is to explore the complicated interactions between a man and a woman who live in the same house but are no longer connected.

Dear Readers, are you willing to risk everything just to shake things up? Are YOU doing all you can to make your marriage the best it can be?

My Rating:  4 Stars Out Of 5

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Book Review: The 3 Minute Difference; ALTER Your Health, Money and Relationships

The 3-Minute Difference: ALTER Your Health, Money and Relationships Without Changing Who You Are

Author: Wayne E. Nance
with William Hendricks and J. Keet Lewis

Publisher: Mission Books (July 1, 2012)






About The Author
Wayne E. Nance, better known as the "Real Life Attitude Guy", is the developer of the ABCs of getting your life under control. He is founder and CEO of Real Life Management, Inc. Mr. Nance lives in Texas and is a highly regarded speaker, trainer and author.

The 3-Minute Survey
Each of us is born with an attitude that heavily determines what we focus on in life. Our attitude is inborn and remains substantially unchanged throughout life. Mr. Nance developed a tool to identify a person's core attitude. It is called "The 3 Minute Survey" and it can be taken by filling out a form in the book or online.

This survey reveals what your core attitude is...the way you make health and wellness decisions, money and spending decisions, relationship decisions and many other decisions affecting your lifestyle.

ALTER
The 3-Minute Survey helps you pinpoint the attitude you have while the book gives you a specific game plan on how you can start achieving the things you want most. This book shows you where to start and then gives you a plan on how to get there.

Mr. Nance suggests the following five steps for ALTERing your attitude;

• Awareness. Become aware of your attitude (the inborn hard wiring that drives your beliefs and behavior).
• Learn. Learn as much as you can about your attitude and how it impacts your beliefs and life choices.
• Tactical Plan. Develop a plan that will address the issues that you need to work on in your life.
• Execute The Plan. Start working on a daily plan of action for 91 days to improve your life.
• Re-Evaluate. Review your progress and adjust your goals.

This book is divided into the following three sections;

• Health and Fitness
• Financial Fitness
• Relationship Fitness

The author believes that you can apply the principles in this book to any area of your life that is out of control.

My Thoughts
The author was inspired to develop this program because his own life was out of control. He weighed 315 pounds, he had more than $40,000 in credit card debt and his marriage was in trouble. He realized that obesity, debt and relationship meltdown were surface problems resulting from his core attitudes and beliefs.

I think this book is well researched and much of the information was learned from personal experience and working with others. I took the 3-Minute Survey and learned that my primary attitude is "rational" and my secondary attitude is "tactical". That means that I focus on issues and ideas. I don't mind challenging other people's opinions and I will defend my position quite strongly. "Tactical" means that I am a planner and pay attention to deadlines and details. That is pretty accurate. The funny thing is that my husband had almost the same results...with "tactical" being his primary attitude and "rational" being his secondary attitude.

Mr. Nance has gone to great lengths to provide "plans" for each of the attitude types. Sometimes I got bogged down and it seemed to be "too much information" to digest at one time. I suggest that you determine your attitude type and then pick and choose the information that applies to your situation.

This book is available in paperback, Kindle and audio editions on Amazon.Com.

My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

FYI ~ I received a complimentary paperback copy of this book from B & B Media to read and review. Thank you!

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This Is Your Mind In Love: A Book Review

This is Your Brain in Love: New Scientific Breakthroughs for a More Passionate and Emotionally Healthy Marriage is a fascinating book that helps you understand the brain as it applies to love.

Dr. Earl Henslin applies the latest in brain imaging to real life and shows how the brain affects your love life.  This book is filled with stories of real couples that Dr. Henslin has counseled in his private practice.  Dr. Henslin is the founder of a Christian counseling group in California.

Dr. Henslin identifies the following kinds of lovers and connects them to specific sections of your brain;

The Scattered Lover (Prefrontal Cortex)
The Overfocused Lover ( Cingulate Gyrus)
The Blue Mood Lover ( Deep Limbic System)
The Agitated Lover ( Temporal Lobes)
The Anxious Lover ( Basal Ganglia)

Dr Henslin encourages people to have a SPECT Brain Scan to be able to determine what category you are in.  However, you don't need to have a brain scan to gain valuable information from this book.  There is a self-test at the beginning of each chapter that lists symptoms for each kind of lover.  Dr. Henslin offers suggestions for "calming" each of the lover types and strategies for his/her spouse.

This book offers medical advise, dietary suggestions and supplements, relaxation techniques and much more information on how to become the best spouse that you can be.   The book is written by a clinical psychologist but the information is not too tedious or technical. 

I decided that I am somewhere between a scattered lover and an anxious lover.  I plan to take many of the suggestions in this book and apply them to my life.  I recommend this book for your consideration if you are seeking a more passionate and emotionally healthy marriage.

Post Grad - A Movie Review

I recently saw the movie Post Grad and would like to share my thoughts about it. This is a romantic comedy that takes place during the economic recession that we are dealing with right now. Many people should be able to relate to the frustration, anger and even desperation that plagues Ryden Malby, the main character in this movie.

Ryden has done everything right in planning a successful future. She graduates from college with excellent grades and has her heart set on a job as an editor at a big publishing company. She doesn't get her dream job and she soon realizes that she will have to move back home with her eccentric family until she can afford to get a place of her own.

The Malby family is a real hoot. Her father, Walter Malby, is always getting into some kind of hilarious situation. Walter backs over a neighbor's cat and presides over the cat funeral and burial. He also spends a night in jail for buying "hot" belt buckles on eBay and trying to sell them. Ryden's paternal grandmother, Maureen Malby, is a real delight. Maureen is played by Carol Burnett and I have been a Carol Burnett fan for a long, long time.

Ryden goes through several terrible jobs before she is finally hired at the large publishing company that she had her heart set on. She loves her job and finds herself working long hours. The problem is, she also has a guy friend who has been in love with her for years. Ryden does not realize how much she cares about Adam until she loses him. When Adam moves across the country to attend law school at Columbia, Ryden has a decision to make.

Does love trump career? Does Ryden leave her dream job and move to New York to be with Adam? What would you do?

This was an enjoyable movie that has some good laughs and some job searching situations that many people (young and older) can relate to . There are some slow parts during the show where I found myself snoozing off (I do that sometimes when I am sitting in a dark, quiet room.) I was kind of hoping for a different ending for Ryden, but it appears that young women are still willing to give up everything to keep a man. Been there, none that.

MOVIE RATING: 2.5 Stars (Out Of Four Stars)

The Power Of Who By Bob Beaudine - A Review

The Power of Who; You Already Know Everyone You Need To Know by Bob Beaudine teaches us a new way to think about business and personal networking.

Mr. Beaudine says, "Networking as we know it is crap. It doesn't work!" He explains that it is a waste of time to depend on acquaintances or strangers to help us achieve our goals or find our dream job. The better strategy is to focus on our inner circle of friends and family members. These are the people that believe in us and want to see us succeed.

The "100/40 Strategy" says the average person could make a list of 100 people they have known during their life. You are then told to make a list of 40 things you want to do and accomplish in life. You can then connect the dots and use the people from the "Who" list to help achieve goals on the "What" list.

Mr. Beaudine is a wonderful storyteller and shares some fascinating personal experiences in this book. One of the most poignant lessons that he shares is "Clue 4 - Rejection" in Chapter 6. He tells of a high school basketball coach that called him off the bench and into a game when the team was 18 points behind and two minutes left before the final buzzer. Bob miraculously scored 10 points in less than one minute. The coach called a time out and yelled, "Beaudine - you hog! Get off the court. First team, you're in!" The team lost, 50 - 42.

Mr. Beaudine acknowledges that there are "hog callers" and "dream killers" everywhere. They have no appreciation for your gifts and talents. "Go where you're celebated, not just tolerated." Your "Who" are your real friends who love you and want to see you succeed.

I have decided to apply the concepts in this book to my own life. I want to re-connect with friends that I have neglected in the past few years. I will nurture and treasure my "Who" in a new way. Thank you, Mr. Beaudine!