Book Review: The Hidden Spark

The Hidden Spark: Ignite The Passion For Your Amazing Life

188 pages

Published September 10th 2017 by Becomeshakespeare.com

Blurb:

"Do you feel that you are working hard but not getting the returns you deserve? Have you tried relentlessly but failed repeatedly, and now want to lose hope? Do you want to be like the famous and successful people but don't know what special gifts you have to do? Are you still struggling with your own demons and do not know how to get out of it? Do you think that you are negative, lethargy, failed, unsuccessful, poor and unlucky? 

If yes, then “The Hidden Spark” is only for you. This practical book is a result of thoughts of the great mentors of the world after a long research and the guidance of the most successful people. It is said that one mind has more power than millions of cells but when it comes about ten most intelligent and active minds, you can make out how important each word of this book is! The book, you are holding in your hand is not a theory but a practical guide which will take you to your right direction in your life and leave you as the best version of yourself. Each and every chapter of this book has already been implemented by thousands of people and their real stories are in this book. 

Do you feel that you are working hard but not getting the returns you deserve? Have you tried relentlessly but failed repeatedly, and now want to lose hope? Do you want to be like the famous and successful people but don't know what special gifts you have to do? Are you still struggling with your own demons and do not know how to get out of it? Do you think that you are negative, lethargy, failed, unsuccessful, poor and unlucky? 

If yes, then “The Hidden Spark” is only for you. This practical book is a result of thoughts of the great mentors of the world after a long research and the guidance of the most successful people. It is said that one mind has more power than millions of cells but when it comes about ten most intelligent and active minds, you can make out how important each word of this book is! The book, you are holding in your hand is not a theory but a practical guide which will take you to your right direction in your life and leave you as the best version of yourself. Each and every chapter of this book has already been implemented by thousands of people and their real stories are in this book. 

Do you feel that you are working hard but not getting the returns you deserve? Have you tried relentlessly but failed repeatedly, and now want to lose hope? Do you want to be like the famous and successful people but don't know what special gifts you have to do? Are you still struggling with your own demons and do not know how to get out of it? Do you think that you are negative, lethargy, failed, unsuccessful, poor and unlucky? 

If yes, then “The Hidden Spark” is only for you. This practical book is a result of thoughts of the great mentors of the world after a long research and the guidance of the most successful people. It is said that one mind has more power than millions of cells but when it comes about ten most intelligent and active minds, you can make out how important each word of this book is! The book, you are holding in your hand is not a theory but a practical guide which will take you to your right direction in your life and leave you as the best version of yourself. Each and every chapter of this book has already been implemented by thousands of people and their real stories are in this book.

My Review:

There are reams of books and other literature on self-help and it becomes hard to differentiate one from another. What sets this one apart?

Well, take your usual inspirational literature: The Secret, for example. And make it a practical guide rather than just fancy words lit together. 

The product you will have is The Hidden Spark. But the recipe isn't as simple: it takes consistency, persistence and hard work, as the book makes it clear. 

Sooner or later, we all are met with an epiphany, or a critical juncture when we feel the need to have a guide or a mentor, but often we are not lucky enough to find one at our ready disposal. This books comes as a saviour for times like those. 

If you are dealing with a particularly troublesome episode in your life, the book provides helpful exercises to develop healthy coping mechanisms. With the principle that we need some certainty in this highly uncertain and unpredictable world, the tried-and-tested exercises mentioned in the book are a great resource to tap into. Even if you are just paled down by the monotony and drudgery of everyday life, the exercises and practical words in the book can be a reservoir to renew your rigour from. 

It is effective, hands-on, just like The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari where Robin Sharma has often talked about principles that work. The authors have outlined the hacks and exercises that can lead you to unleash your full potential. 

The way the book is designed has a lot to do with its efficacy. It isn't just an amalgam of thoughts: it actually accompanies anecdotes and the like that act as proofs. By making lists, jotting down things on paper, this book becomes a motivation journal of sorts!

The book has the potential to become your go-to whenever you doubt your own potential!

Book Review: She Walks, She Leads by Gunjan Jain

About the Book : “She Walks, She Leads”

The book is an authorized anthology of India’s most dynamic women leaders, it profiles life stories of 24 prolific women at the acme of their careers. The book features Nita Ambani, Indra Nooyi, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Mira Nair, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor, Mary Kom, Sania Mirza, Rajshree Birla, Shobhana Bhartiya, Chanda Kochhar, Anamika Khanna amongst others.
She Walks, She Leads has received an overwhelming response from some of the tallest names in the country.
Mr. Shahrukh Khan , Mrs. Nita Ambani, Mr. Deepak Parekh released the  book on 21st July 2016 at a gathering in Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai and in attendance were who’s who of India Inc.
From industry giants to social leaders, the most respected voices in India have given the book their note of confidence and trust and you can see these endorsements on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GunjanJainOfficial  and endorsement section of the website www.gunjanjain.com
More than 130 leading personalities of India from a wide-range of professions have lent their voices on the 24 women featured in She Walks, She Leads that provide rare insights into the life of the protagonists and considerably enrich their stories.

About the author

With an academic record spread across five countries and three continents, Gunjan has been privileged to have had several worlds open up before her fairly early. She is a graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Economics and Finance, U.S.A. and has earned her Masters in Wealth Management from Cass Business School, City University, U.K. Gunjan is currently enrolled in a General Management programme from Harvard Business School, Harvard University, U.S.A .Gunjan holds a diploma in Image Management from the London Image Institute as well as the Academy of Image Mastery in Singapore. She has received a diploma on International Etiquette and Protocol from the Institut Villa Pierrefeu in Switzerland, and a Masters Practitioners degree in Neuro-linguistic Programming from the Society of NLP in USA – making her one among very few Indians to receive such accreditation. More about Gunjan’s bio is available  here https://www.gunjanjain.com/about

Find the author here: 

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My Review:

Holding the huge book in one's hand, one can easily imagine why the book is amassing the praise that it is. Chronicling and bringing together stories of 24 influential and inspirational women personalities from different walk of life, the effort that has gone in the book is fairly evident.
It has been a very well-thought, well-put and well-executed assignment of a book, which is admirable because such a fine work from beginning till the end is so rare. The format basically goes like this: the writer's account of her meeting with them, putting together the work they did and the struggles, followed by an interview of someone close to her. In this context, Gunjan Jain has coupled up as a biographer and as an interviewer, and that brings two different dimensions to what we read. And who doesn't like learning about the multiple layers that characterise every person?

And then, there are the unassuming lessons hidden within the stories, which as an ingredient, single-handedly add to the charm of reading the book. "Never start anything with diffidence, always start with confidence. And when you are successful you must give back to society"
The biographies are varied, in that different people belong to different generations and hence have had distinct struggles, which means as a reader, one finds a part more relatable than the others, but it works fine as long as there are takeaways like these lessons.

The best part about the book however, is this: it is a warm reminder for us to see beyond the glitter and attraction of success. It forces one to think about the journey behind the achievements.
Successful women from different walks of life have shared their stories, up-close and personal.
I especially liked reading the sketches which emanated a personal touch, like Shabana Azmi's. The family/friend/confidante of the women telling more about them is also heart-warming at times, despite being too repeatedly positive.

The catch here is that it is written in a journalistic tone, sort of like the cover story of a feature magazine, and considering there are 24 such accounts, it is tricky to read in one go. You will need to make an effort to read perhaps one sketch each day. But it will be worth the while because the accounts are colorful and vivid, touching carefully the fragile struggles and the eventual success.

Get the book here:

Source of the review copy: Book Received from the author, in exchange of an honest review

To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

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Author Interview And Book Giveaway: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

About the author

David J. Waldron is a passionate student and practitioner of organization, team, and individual career effectiveness in the transformational workplace. He is the author of the new book, Hire Train Monitor Motivate (Country View) published May 31, 2016 and now available on Amazon Books and in the Kindle Store.He is also author of The Ten Domains of Effective Goal Setting (Country View: 2016) and A Great Place to Learn & Earn (Country View: 2015).

David is an award winning contributing writer to Seeking Alpha; and frequent contributor to Career Education Review, HR.com, and Pulse. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business studies from Stockton University and completed The Practice of Management Program at Brown University. David lives with his wife, Suzan, outside Providence, Rhode Island USA.

Find the author here: 

About the book:

Title: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

Paperback, First Edition, 86 pages
Published May 31st 2016 by Country View

Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: The transformational workplace of the twenty-first century is front and center. Are you ready to navigate its twists and turns toward reaching your career goals and dreams? In Hire Train Monitor Motivate, author and veteran organizational leader, David J. Waldron, offers powerful, yet simple techniques that can dramatically improve your organization, team, or individual career achievements in today’s hyper-competitive local and global marketplaces.

This practical book will teach you how to master the art of workplace effectiveness by first making a lasting commitment to placing people first, whether a customer, recruit, staff member, or coworker. Then hire, or get hired for an optimistic mindset; train, or be trained for delivering quality products and services; monitor, or allow monitoring for regulatory compliance; and motivate, or stay motivated for enduring performance.

As a practitioner more so than an academic, Waldron, presents unpretentious, everyday workplace rules that when implemented, or followed, can transform your organization, team, or individual career to one of lasting distinction. Master the proven techniques for playing the game the right way and learn how to practice leadership or teamwork by inclusion toward making your workplace a great place to learn, earn, and grow.

Hire Train Monitor Motivate guides the reader toward recognizing his or her essential role in today’s transformational workplace. A work environment—whether for-profit, nonprofit, or in the public service—that requires an understanding and buy-in to the Millennial Model, the cultural transition of the now predominant generation that, according to Waldron, is fast becoming the new standard in organizational behavior, group dynamics, and individual effectiveness. This horizontal hierarchical model will likely drive the influential organizations, teams, and careers of the twenty-first century as the vertical hierarchy of the Baby Boomer generation did in the twentieth century.

Waldron guides the reader in embracing crucial areas of the modern workplace. Join him as he explores the emerging dominance of the expert economy; the importance of lifelong learning and perpetual career development; and how to be an active participant—as opposed to the spectator—on the precipice of reinventing compensation and worker equality. Plus, why accepting the significance of work/life balance will remain necessary to sustainable career success.

Whether an owner, donor, leader, manager, supervisor, or staff member, make a commitment to your essential role in the transformational workplace. Read Hire Train Monitor Motivate, today, and make your workplace a great place tomorrow. Your organization, team, and career are counting on you.

Interview:

Kritika: How is the publishing process like for a non-fiction? 

David: I have only written non-fiction since I wrote a two act play in 9th grade English that my teacher adored and encouraged me to write more. So I can’t compare but what I enjoy about non-fiction is I get to write what I know. It is a culmination of life’s experiences. The publishing process is simple (but certainly not easy): plan, research, write, edit, format, publish, and market.

Kritika: What is it about writing a non-fiction that people do not know? 
David: Fiction certainly dominates the overall book market, but non-fiction plays an essential role in assuring that our personal and professional lives are balanced between reality and entertainment. I think both genres are necessary for a rich reading experience.

Kritika: What challenges does a non-fiction writer face? 
David: Publishers prefer lots of pages and words to justify book prices. Most non-fiction books I read (and enjoy) are about 250-400 pages but I typically can highlight the key concepts down to about 100 pages. The other 150-300 pages are mostly filler to satisfy publishers and reference material to satisfy academia. I write what I know with no filler (I think) and limited reference material which is why my books are all around 100 pages.

Kritika: One thing about writing you absolutely love? 
David: Creating something from mind to screen, then to paper or online, and sharing it with the world for better or worse.

Kritika: One thing about writing you kind of hate? 
David: The process is very time consuming. A month as writer seems to go much quicker than a month as an education executive (my former career).

Kritika: How would you describe your relationship with deadlines? 
David: Assigned deadlines are non-negotiable – so you just meet them. Self-imposed deadlines are the most challenging as they are negotiable and therefore can lead to unintended procrastination.

Kritika: When did you decide you write this book? 
David: My first book, A Great Place to Learn & Earn was a memoir of my career in post-secondary education. Hire Train Monitor Motivate is based on the workplace concepts and principles of the original book but is targeted to all careers and industries.

Kritika: What was the trigger for you to write a book dealing with HR topics? 
David: Thirty plus years as a leader, manager, supervisor and staff member in the workplace. I combined my professional experience with my passion for writing into a new career as a non-fiction author. HR topics are varied and controversial which makes them fun to write about. I am a frequent contributing writer to HR.com: the Human Resources Social Network (free, registration required.)

Kritika: What was it like to assimilate all HR wisdom in one concise book? 
David: Some authors prefer to separate related concepts into several books. For example, I could have written perhaps three books on Hire Train Monitor Motivate: one about hiring, one on training, and one on motivating. But I have several books in the works as part of the Books for Main Street℠ series at my publisher, Country View. Therefore, I decided to put all these HR concepts into one book and still keep it at a readable at 100 pages. I like to think of the book as more of a handbook for career motivated millennials.

Kritika: How do you plan for a non-fiction like this, do you write the broad headlines and then work on it, or do you gather all the pointers and then club them together? 
David: Great question, Kritika! I start with a working title which will often change as the book is written. For example, Hire Train Monitor Motivate was originally titled, Make Your Workplace a Great Place, which ended up as a chapter title. I then outline the book based on notes and research of the principles and concepts. Then organize the outline into a table of contents and begin writing. And writing. And writing. I will skip around and write a chapter or section based on what is flowing from my mind on that particular day. It is kind of like making a movie, where scenes are shot from a storyboard but rarely in order of the script. The editing process then puts the scenes together in sequence. The same with a non-fiction book as it is ultimately edited into a hopefully seamless and orderly flow. Like fiction, repetitiveness is common in non-fiction to insure the reader is given ample opportunity to grasp the concept (or plot development in fiction) so the transition to the next concept (or plot twist) is seamless.

Kritika: Are you currently working on another non-fiction book? 
David: I am currently writing the next book in my series, “Books for Main Street℠,” about personal investing, an adult life-long passion of mine. The working title (which I think will stick) is Value Investing for Main Street. It is a primer on how to invest with limited capital, lower costs, and less risk than the titans of Wall Street. The book is based on my article series of the same title on Seeking Alpha, the most read online investment platform on the web.


Nothing elates me more than the fact that there's more wisdom coming from this person in his next books!
Thank you so much for an amazing interview!

For a limited time, the eBook edition of Hire Train Monitor Motivate is being offered in a free promotion on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, Inktera, and Smashwords. 

He is also generous so as to give away a paperback copy of his book, and the giveaway is open worldwide. All you have to do is follow the instructions on the rafflecopter below.
This giveaway is being run by the blog SO Many Books, SO Little Time in collaboration with the author, and has no affiliation to any other entity.

It is open for a week, so do not wait and participate right away!
The only condition is to have an amazon deliverable address!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Links to the book:

To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

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Book Review: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

About the book:

Title: Hire Train Monitor Motivate By David J Waldron

Paperback, First Edition, 86 pages
Published May 31st 2016 by Country View

Rating: 4.5/5

Blurb: The transformational workplace of the twenty-first century is front and center. Are you ready to navigate its twists and turns toward reaching your career goals and dreams? In Hire Train Monitor Motivate, author and veteran organizational leader, David J. Waldron, offers powerful, yet simple techniques that can dramatically improve your organization, team, or individual career achievements in today’s hyper-competitive local and global marketplaces.

This practical book will teach you how to master the art of workplace effectiveness by first making a lasting commitment to placing people first, whether a customer, recruit, staff member, or coworker. Then hire, or get hired for an optimistic mindset; train, or be trained for delivering quality products and services; monitor, or allow monitoring for regulatory compliance; and motivate, or stay motivated for enduring performance.

As a practitioner more so than an academic, Waldron, presents unpretentious, everyday workplace rules that when implemented, or followed, can transform your organization, team, or individual career to one of lasting distinction. Master the proven techniques for playing the game the right way and learn how to practice leadership or teamwork by inclusion toward making your workplace a great place to learn, earn, and grow.

Hire Train Monitor Motivate guides the reader toward recognizing his or her essential role in today’s transformational workplace. A work environment—whether for-profit, nonprofit, or in the public service—that requires an understanding and buy-in to the Millennial Model, the cultural transition of the now predominant generation that, according to Waldron, is fast becoming the new standard in organizational behavior, group dynamics, and individual effectiveness. This horizontal hierarchical model will likely drive the influential organizations, teams, and careers of the twenty-first century as the vertical hierarchy of the Baby Boomer generation did in the twentieth century.

Waldron guides the reader in embracing crucial areas of the modern workplace. Join him as he explores the emerging dominance of the expert economy; the importance of lifelong learning and perpetual career development; and how to be an active participant—as opposed to the spectator—on the precipice of reinventing compensation and worker equality. Plus, why accepting the significance of work/life balance will remain necessary to sustainable career success.

Whether an owner, donor, leader, manager, supervisor, or staff member, make a commitment to your essential role in the transformational workplace. Read Hire Train Monitor Motivate, today, and make your workplace a great place tomorrow. Your organization, team, and career are counting on you.

About the author

David J. Waldron is a passionate student and practitioner of organization, team, and individual career effectiveness in the transformational workplace. He is the author of the new book, Hire Train Monitor Motivate (Country View) published May 31, 2016 and now available on Amazon Books and in the Kindle Store.

He is also author of The Ten Domains of Effective Goal Setting (Country View: 2016) and A Great Place to Learn & Earn (Country View: 2015).

David is an award winning contributing writer to Seeking Alpha; and frequent contributor to Career Education Review, HR.com, and Pulse. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business studies from Stockton University and completed The Practice of Management Program at Brown University. David lives with his wife, Suzan, outside Providence, Rhode Island USA.

Find the author here: 

My Review:

To begin with, this is a quick, good read. Usually the books that talk about HR and management wisdom and the like read as textbooks, always didactic, always sleep-inducing. What sets this book apart is the fact that this isn't a lengthy text or research paper that uses jargons to make a point look valid.
For one, it is a fairly quick read, and while you'll surely want to make notes and markers and jot down tips from it, it doesn't take you very long to absorb the meaning that the book is trying to convey.
There are umpteen professional, hands-on tips on important HR activities like interviews, group discussions, hiring, incentives, among other things. So, even if you are not hiring but are getting hired, it provides useful insights from the other side of the table. I have myself made a lot of markers at different pages to refer to these points in the future.
If you're a part of any organization, which at some level, each one of us is, then, in my opinion, you need to apprise yourself with the mechanics of the crucial processes of hiring, training, etc.
So, to give you an example, it talks about ninety-day impact, which is a very useful piece of information, considering its knowledge will help everyone in the system aim at higher efficiency.

With short paragraphs and short snippets on every HR topic under the sun, I can see myself coming back to the book for reference purposes in the future.
Simply put, here is some practical knowledge. here are some techniques that work.
The other things- the title, the cover are also so precise and apt that they reflect and portray the meaning of the book quite well.
So now, while this book is certainly not boring as a textbook, while imparting equal, if not more, information, still there's a scope for including more and more anecdotes and maybe engaging comments/exercises. It would have drawn me to read the book almost instantly.
The author's own experiences have been drawn inspiration from, considering his amazing background in the field and his body of work. No doubt, this book is a resource for anyone who wishes to enhance his/her knowledge about human resource management.

For a limited time, the eBook edition of Hire Train Monitor Motivate is being offered in a free promotion on Kindle, iBooks, Nook, Kobo, Inktera, and Smashwords. 

Links to the book:

Source of the review copy: Book Received from the author, in exchange of an honest review

To get your book reviewed, read my review policy here. And then contact me here.

Follow for regular reviews, author interviews and bookish love:

      

Book Review: Dear Mister Essay Writer Guy by Dinty W. Moore

About the book:

The personal essay has never been more popular, with the likes of Lena Dunham and Mindy Kaling breathing new life into the genre. This innovative guide to crafting modern personal essays and creative nonfiction came about when acclaimed author and professor Dinty W. Moore solicited playful writing questions from today's top writers. He then penned witty responses in the format of a "Dear Sugar"-style advice column, illustrating each response with an original, humorous sample essay. In chapter 1, Phillip Lopate asks, "I am curious how you deal honestly with male-female relations in general and specifically your past girlfriends on the page without coming off as a male chauvinist pig," and Mister Essay Writer Guy pens a sage response and example essay dishing--respectfully--on all his exes. Cheryl Strayed asks for advice about her em-dash addiction, Julianna Baggott worries that to be a great writer you must become an alcoholic, Judith Kitchen looks for an excuse to exaggerate the truth to make it more interesting, and so on. Filled with modern examples of the creative forms nonfiction can take--including scribbled cocktail napkins, Facebook posts, and Google Map pins--this gifty little book is a hilarious relief for all essayists, memoirists, and creative nonfiction writers in distress.

About the author:

Dinty W. Moore is the author of numerous books, and has published essays and stories in The Southern Review, The Georgia Review, Harpers, The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Gettysburg Review, Utne Reader, and Crazyhorse. He edits BREVITY, the journal of concise creative nonfiction (www.brevitymag.com) and teaches at Ohio University.

Author website: 

http://www.dintywmoore.com

My Review:

Disclaimer: The tone and candour of my review is inspired from the writer's in the book. No offence meant. 

How can you read non-fiction like this and not fall in love with the genre? The whole genre owes you, sir. Or to your humor. I am not sure if we can separate the two, would you answer that for me.
Well, for starters you know you will fall into this book as soon as it opens because of well, this:

Hilarity ensues from page one. To say that the book has wit and sarcasm at its best seems an understatement. Our essay writer guy here answers to one of the letters, "I believe the best way to avoid coming off as a male chauvinist pig might be to not be a male chauvinist pig? Is that a stretch?"
And this is just the first answer, well, part of it. To think I was on a rollercoaster of laughter these entire 8 hours that I was reading the book. Okay, not entire though. There was this instance where the writer launched into some story about Zebras. I felt dozing off would be insulting so I just skimmed through it. But don't tell this to anyone- I've read the whole book otherwise.

From questions about em dash, and writing on napkins, to graphics that simply make you want to double up- what is not to devour in the book? The author has given and taken insults alike.
One thing is certain: the author will not write about his daughter. Why, you ask? "Whatever I wrote about my daughter, I had to live with it, and so did she, and I didn't want to screw the relationship up more than my ineptitude and the vicissitudes of her becoming a teenager already had."

The humor does not mean there's no wisdom. The author has cloaked the knowledge and insights about writing in wit. After all, what better way to teach than through humor- the universally attractive element?
For all people ho love words, who love to write, read or just devour essays, this book is a mus-read.
Will I buy this book? Most definitely I will! Do I recommend this book? In case you haven't read the entire review, most definitely I do!

Links:

An ARC was received from NetGalley

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