You know that saying that seeing something repeatedly will make you want to buy it? That's what happened to me with The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics by Barton Swaim. Every time I log into Audible.com, there it was. I finally decided to give it a go because it looked interesting, was relatively short, and had a great narrator in the sample. It's author was a … [Read more...]
The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Book Review)
I don't even know where to start reviewing The Bully Pulpit because it's such a big and all-encompassing one. In short, it's about one of Americas most famous friendships between Presidents' Roosevelt and Taft and its rapid and public unraveling. Beyond that, it's also about the first president who harnessed the power of the press, the divergence of the Republican party, … [Read more...]
‘Mating for Life’ and the Bonds Between Women (Book Review)
Chances are, if a book references old school Barenaked Ladies in the first few pages, I am going to like the book. Granted, Mating for Life by Marissa Stapley is the first book this has happened with, but it sets a good precedent for future reads because the book is wonderful. Mating for Life is is a story about the trials of marriage and the bonds between women, … [Read more...]
How to Make Your Product Go Viral
Have you ever wondered why some things go viral? Jonah Berger did and his research culminated in his book, Contagious. If this sounds like a familiar concept then you probably read Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point. In Tipping Point, Gladwell attributes the viral spread of information/products/ideas to three types of people; mavens, connectors, and salespeople. In Contagious, … [Read more...]
How American Schools Are Failing Your Kids
Not only is it going to be controversial, but it's going to change the way you think about our education system. Here's the short and skinny: American students are behind academically and there are hundreds of theories about why this is. Is it child poverty? Standardized testing? Teachers? Technology? Sports? Amanda Ripley (who had spent most of her career thinking education … [Read more...]