Book Review: Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined by Tim Hague

Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined by Tim Hague

We are sent scores of books to review each month. It seems that the subject of Parkinson’s Disease is coming up more and more. Not to long before reading Perseverance: The Seven Skills You Need to Survive, Thrive, and Accomplish More Than You Ever Imagined by Tim Hague, we completed Fighting Parkinson's...and Winning: A memoir of my recovery from Parkinson's Disease by Howard Shifke.

The two books really work well together. With this book, Perseverance, we learn about the many challenges of living with Parkinson’s Disease, an incurable disease that is caused by lack of dopamine in the body. Tim Hauge decided he wasn’t going to let Parkinson’s Disease slow him down. He was going to live life to the fullest.

Fighting Parkinson's...and Winning is the story of the author who, like Tim Hague, learned he had Parkinson’s Disease. He also decided he was going to live life to the fullest. However, in this book the author decided that just because Western medicine says there is no cure for Parkinson’s that does not mean it is so.

The first part of Perseverance gives us the story of a mixed race child born in rural Texas and raised by a loving adopted family.

We follow the author through disappointment after disappointment. We see how he did not really fit in with any race. He was always too black, too white, or otherwise just not acceptable.

Perseverance will make you laugh, will make you cry, it will make you mad. AND, it will have you on the edge of your seat.

In Perseverance, we read the fascinating and exciting story of the author and his son competing in The Amazing Race Canada.

We see how Tim and his son Tim, Jr. worked to face all the obstacles head on. Even though we learn the outcome of the race early in the book, the excitement is still there. We still hang on every word.

We give Perseverance all five stars. It is very well-written and downright hard to put down. We think it makes an excellent tool to help others living with Parkinson’s Disease.

If, however, you or someone you love has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and you want to find a different tool box, one that offers a cure, then you will want to read Fighting Parkinson's...and Winning.

Interestingly enough, both books have a similar mindset. However, Shifke learns that Parkinson’s Disease is not caused by lack of Dopamine. He found it is that the body does not use what it produces properly and how to retrain the body to use it.

You will want to buy both books.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.  

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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Book Review: Am I Enough?: Embracing the Truth About Who You Are By Grace Valentine

Am I Enough?: Embracing the Truth About Who You Are By Grace Valentine  

Am I Enough? by Grace Valentine is a book of encouragement for those of us feeling like we are never enough. Grace is a young, single woman and her book is primarily aimed at younger women. However, we older gals can learn a thing or two from this young lady.

Where Grace has been, we have been and maybe still are, feeling like we are not and can never be enough, as judged by the human eyes and hearts in this world.

Grace encourages us to see ourselves as Heavenly Father sees us, beautifully made in His image. He made us and He doesn’t make junk. We are each beautiful AND enough!

One thing that I learned while reading this book is that one doesn’t necessarily have to be happy to be joyful. I can be sad, but still have joy in knowing that He has this all covered, including whatever may be causing my sadness.

“Out of the mouths of babes,” as they say. Grace tells it like it is and gives us questions to ponder along the way. Am I Enough? Has been an eye-opener for me in a multitude of ways. We older ladies are supposed to teach the younger ladies, but I think that we also should be open to learning from them.

I give Am I Enough? 5 stars and hope that you will get as much from it as I did. I hope that you learn that you ARE enough, enough for Him, your Creator.


We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.  

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.

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Book Review: Conquer Change and Win: An Easy-to-Read, Fun Book about the Serious Subject of Change by Ralph Masengill, Jr.

Conquer Change and Win: An Easy-to-Read, Fun Book about the Serious Subject of Change by Ralph Masengill, Jr.

In any business, change is going to happen. Conquer Change and Win: An Easy-to-Read, Fun Book about the Serious Subject of Change by Ralph Masengill, Jr. addresses how best to change in business.

This book is chock full of jokes, stories, and quotes that help to illustrate the points being made by the author. Masengill has an excellent way of writing and telling us how to handle change in our business.

We give Conquer Change and Win all five stars. If you are in management or leadership, you owe it to yourself and your company to read this book. We think it should be required reading in any management training program.



We were sent a complimentary copy of this book. We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.  

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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Book Review: The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career by Tim Cole

The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career by Tim Cole

Have you ever wished you could go back and talk to your younger self and tell yourself the right thing to do in situations that were new to your younger self?

Well, since Tim Cole can’t do that, he wrote The Compass Solution: A Guide to Winning Your Career as the next best thing.

Cole mentors those younger than himself on how to survive the corporate world. He explains leadership and management and the difference between the two.

He gives a host of great books to read to help younger people navigate the corporate world they are woefully unprepared for after college.

This is the type of book we wish had been available when we were first starting out in the world.  This would have come in handy back when we were wet behind the ears.

Cole managed to survive employment with the the same company for over thirty years.  Part of this was dumb luck.  Part of it, though, was very astute planning and learning from past mistakes.

Cole provides very sage advice and a dose of common sense which is not so common these days. This would make a great gift for a soon-to-be college graduate.

The Compass Solution is a great read.  We give it all five stars.  The advice in this book could be very helpful for anyone who is first entering a career.

We were sent a complimentary copy of this book.  We are under no obligation to write any review, positive or negative.

We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

 

Notice: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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Guest Post: 3 Ways Corporate Leaders Can Inspire Peak Performance In Their Teams

3 Ways Corporate Leaders Can Inspire

Peak Performance In Their Teams

One of the biggest challenges corporate leaders face every day is balancing what’s good for the team with what works best for individual employees.

After all, not everyone thinks the same way – even top performers. Their motivations differ, as do their work processes. Some are collaborators; others work best alone. Some are procrastinators; others thrive on a deadline. Some love a bustling work environment; others pull on headphones to block out the buzz.

But leaders can make it a goal to help all those diverse personalities find the "highest-performing version" of themselves, says Dr. Greg Wells, author of "The Ripple Effect: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think Better."

"There are general changes you can enact in the workplace that can speak to the very specific needs of every member of your team," says Wells, a scientist who specializes in extreme human physiology and has spent 15 years working with Olympic athletes. He suggests:

• Encourage breaks. This isn’t about running out for a quick cigarette. Quite the opposite. Wells says office breaks can have a healthy bent – anything from providing an hour of tai chi instruction to offering a tranquil garden setting for quiet reflection. "Make sure you take some time to break the stress cycle and allow people to rest, recover and regenerate," he says. "Doing this not only will help them perform better in the moment, but it also recharges the body and brain to stay healthy over the long-term." Walking is especially powerful as it has been shown to improve creativity. Exercise in nature, such as going for a walk in the park has been shown to improve problem solving. Creativity and problem solving are essential for success in today’s work environment so moving breaks can be very helpful for you and your teams.
• Remove distractions. Being mindful is key to success in any discipline, be it music, sports, drama, or business. "Yet we live in the age of distraction," Wells says. Emails, social media, text messages and YouTube compete for our attention, not to mention the job we’re supposed to be doing. "Athletes who are able to stay on task despite pressure and distractions perform to their potential," he says. "Those who fail to ignore the distractions make mistakes or don’t perform to expectations." Your team can start by turning off the electronic noise for an hour at a time. Or try "single-tasking": Ask them to choose their most important task to work on first and to perform that task as exclusively as possible. Wells says he’s a huge fan of Robin Sharma’s 90 : 90: 1 principle – for 90 days, take the first 90 minutes of each day to work on your life’s most important work. Try that tactic out and you’ll be amazed and the exponential gains you make in your life and career, he says.
• Focus on "micro-improvements". Wells says one of the best approaches he’s seen for turning good into great is focusing on "1 percent gains." "What sets elite athletes apart from the pack is a commitment to being just a little bit better each day," he says. "A 1 percent change might not seem like much, but small improvements in the way you live each day will amplify your life." One percent of your day is 15 minutes, and 15 minutes of exercise can reduce your risk of breast and colon cancer from 24-40 percent. The micro changes add up over time and can have a powerful effect on your health and performance.

Of course, workers are notoriously averse to change – whether they’re in an office, a factory or behind the counter at a fast-food restaurant. But with positivity and patience, Wells’ believes his suggestions should be an easy sell.

"Each employee will benefit in his or her own way," he says. "But the end result will be a more engaged and more productive group."

About Dr. Greg Wells

Dr. Greg Wells is an authority on high performance and human physiology. Wells’ latest book, "The Ripple Effect: Eat, Sleep, Move and Think Better," hit shelves earlier this year. Dr. Wells is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto where he studies elite sport performance. He also serves as an Associate Scientist of Translational Medicine at The Hospital for Sick Children, where he leads the Exercise Medicine Research Program.

Notice: This post contains affiliate links. If you click a link and make a purchase, we may financially benefit from your transaction, at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
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Please be sure to visit David over at Random Thoughts and Observations.

I respond to all comments on this blog, ideally within 24 hours.  Please check back here for a response to your comment.  Thank you!
 
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