Activate Your Brain: How Understanding Your Brain Can Improve Your Work - and Your Life by Scott G. Halford

This book is perfect for understanding the simple things that anyone can do to start taking their brains to the next level. I find it interesting that this covers multiple areas on how to take care of our brain such as giving it a mental exercise, eating the right food, managing emotions, etc.

Moreover, despite the fact that the book mentioned several scientific terms, the author was able to explain those in a very easy to understand way. This would greatly help those who are not so fond of scientific concepts. The book is also written in a conversational way so it would look as if the author is talking to the reader personally.

Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream: The Most Revealing Portrait of a President and Presidential Power Ever Written

It has been a good journey throughout the life of Lyndon Johnson, the successor in the White House after John F. Kennedy's assassination. In this book Goodwin take us to the life journey of Lyndon Johnson whose adventures show us many things about American politics, the personal sides of the man who occupies one of the most powerful positions in the world if not the most powerful, and the twist and turns on how life is worth living.

Equal Before the Law: How Iowa Led Americans to Marriage Equality by Tom Witosky & Marc Hansen

Setting aside my religious beliefs, I was deeply moved by the arguments and stories depicted in this book. I agree with the message that every one is afforded the equal protection of the laws no matter what case it might be.

This book tells the story of how the case of Varnum vs. Brien came about. This is the case when the Iowa Supreme Court declared that same-sex marriage is allowed in that state. The authors of the book carefully laid out the arguments and stories that lead to the famous decision. While reading the book, I tried to get a copy of the case online so it will aid in deeper understanding on how the Court came with its decision. I would say that the decision was sound, intelligent, and its arguments logically follows what the Iowa constitution states. Despite knowing that this decision would lead to difficult and challenging lives ahead, the justices independently made the call and promulgate the final verdict. For me that was a true courage.

The book, while it supports same-sex marriage, gave a balanced view of the issue. Not only that the side of opponents were clearly went side by side with the proponents of marriage equality, their background stories were also given in an objective and professional way. I've read some books who disparage the proponents of the other side of the issue by downgrading their arguments and attacking their personalities. This book gave space for the other side and respect them in all description.

Perhaps this objectivity or balanced presentation made me impressed with this book. It made me see the issue in a whole new light. It made me realize how hard it is for the members of the LGBT communities around the world to live every day not to mention fight for their rights. Moreover, it made me think how hard it is for these fellow humans to deal with their every day of their lives living in authoritarian regimes in some parts of the world. It made me remember Alan Turing, whose sad fate was caused by inability of the society to see him from who he really is: a gay whose work is the reason why we have computers nowadays not to mention that his machine was instrumental for Allies to win World War II in 1945.

This book is also about the story of the judges who choose to face the criticisms due to their unpopular decision. This is a story of the independence of judiciary in the face of political and social norms. Every day judges are facing this kind of situations in small and large scale.

This is a good book. For someone who has a traditional beliefs in marriage, I find this book worth reading especially from legal point of view. Now I understand the issue of same-sex marriage better because this book gave me the legal, political, and judicial lens for it; not just seeing it from purely religious point of view.

If you want to challenge your views, read this book.

The Hillary Doctrine: Sex and American Foreign Policy by Valerie M. Hudson, Patricia Leidl

This is an outstanding account on what came to be known as Hillary Doctrine. This doctrine basically states that the subjugation of women is a threat to the national security of the United States. The basic premise is that women are vital partners of men in any nation, and putting them in a low status is an issue which should never be underestimated.

The book is thoroughly researched as any readers can see on the notes by the end of the book. The notes itself comprise of more than a hundred pages. Truly this book makes the case on why every nation should take the issue of women more seriously. But more importantly this work also shows how we can further support this very important doctrine.

As you read this book, you will see the politics behind this idea and the stories of women as they suffer the brutal, harsh and evil on earth conditions in their respective nation. I never thought that certain barbaric conditions are still happening today. I never imagined that an old lady's arm was chopped just because she accidentally exposed some parts of her arms while riding a bus. Oh, cmon! Only a devil can do that.

Aside from those gruesome tales, this book also take us to many ways in which USAID help and contribute to the welfare of women. We will also know things that are not so good with the organization, hence, improvement must be established.

If you love any woman in your life, especially if you are a man, you must read this book.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence (with featured article "What Makes a Leader?" by Daniel Goleman)

There is no doubt now that having a well-honed emotional intelligence will make it easy for an individual to succeed, especially during this time when every opportunity to connect is available. This maybe one of the reasons why organizations such as Harvard Business Review continuously devote time, effort and financial resources to help our leaders all around the globe regardless of industry or occupation develop these sets of competencies.

In this book, HBR compiles the best collections of its magazine articles which deal with different aspects of emotional intelligence. Of course, the discussion of this subject will not be complete without citing the works of Daniel Goleman. Hence, the very first article you will read is What Makes a Leader. This article discusses the different components of emotional intelligence, namely, self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. 

Other articles are also treasure-trove of wisdom. In the Price of Incivility: Lack of respect hurts morale-and the bottom lineChristine Porath and Christine Pearson talks about the negative effect of rude behaviors in different companies. While Diane Coutu deals with resiliency, Andrew Campbell and his other colleagues answer Why Good Leaders Make Bad Decisions.

I find each article helpful in its own right. There are things that make me think about the things around me. More importantly, the most important lesson I learned in this collection of articles is that being emotionally intelligent requires actual experience and practice. You cannot learn this by just reading this book. You must act on it and it a part of your behaviors. But first you must know what you need to practice. This book will help.

Confronting Capitalism: Real Solutions for a Troubled Economic System by Philip Kotler

Confronting Capitalism brings a fresh perspective on what capitalism is and how different variations of it are in existence in the world today.  It provides an overview of what the subject is about so readers who are not acquainted much with the subject will be able to understand what is being discussed. This is followed by 14 chapters which correspond to the problems with this economic system and proposed solutions for each problem.

One of the things that I like in this book is the simplicity in writing employed by the author. I was expecting that it would include several concepts written in a way that only those who have PhDs in economics would understand. Fortunately, this book is written like the author is speaking to a friend who is just curious to know about this prevailing economic system.

Moreover, each chapter includes the proposed solutions for the different economic pitfalls provided in the book. The solutions are meant to stir thinking rather than a compilation of quick fixes. The problems of capitalism are not simple and therefore require delicate balance on whatever approach are  taken to solve it.

On the other hand, I can say that this book is not entirely neutral. When you read this book, you also see the biases of the author towards several issues. However, I can say that the author provided justice by explaining both sides of the issues as much as possible. You may never agree on some of his view points as I don't agree with some but certainly this book will make you think about the issues.

As far as to whom I would recommend this book, I would say that politicians, businessmen, entrepreneurs, lobbyists, and others who have an interest in the way our economic system works should buy and read this book.

Overall, this is a great read. The book tackles multiple issues with such conciseness that I would very much want to dig deeper and read more books about the issues provided.

Changing Your Company from Inside Out by Gerald F. Davis and Christopher J. White

The book Changing Your Company from Inside Out talks about how we can advocate changes inside our organizations using the lessons from social movements. Apparently, the insights from social movements are really applicable to our organizational settings when it comes to advocacy of changes.

What I really like about this book is that it gives the readers a blueprint on how to use lessons from social movements such as the Arab Spring in how one can advocate changes in the organization. This book is unique since it stresses a different kind of change. It primarily talks about the things that an organization can do to its community. Certainly this book achieves its goal of providing actionable insights from what is happening in our society at large to the change initiatives inside companies.

Another reason why anyone who loves reading about businesses should buy this book is the way the ideas are conveyed. The authors provided a clear and concise explanation aside from the convincing evidence of their case. The arguments are well thought out and, more importantly, relevant to what is happening in our society.

The format and illustration is also well laid out. I’ve seen two to three illustrations that helped make the ideas more alive. The tables are also very helpful in conveying the message to the readers.

Overall, I recommend that you buy this book if you are contemplating of making some changes inside your organization and you feel helpless since you do not know what to do. The book is full of examples on how ordinary people can start a movement by using the ubiquitous social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Leadership is Half the Story by Marc Hurwitz and Samantha Hurwitz

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There is an old saying that “a good leader is a good follower”. There are some of us who may come to believe that the concept may be true at the start when one has no members to lead, only to be forgotten when a position is assigned to him.

But is it important to learn how to follow, especially if you yourself have come to lead a bunch of people? Marc Hurwitz and Sam Hurwitz said: Yes! You definitely need to learn how to follow especially if you are in a leadership position, for leadership is only half the story.

The title of the book really caught my attention. Before reading the book, I already have a basic idea that the authors maybe pointing out about being a good follower. Then I asked myself, could this be another book on how to manage your boss? What do I need to learn to be a good follower if this is the subject of the book? Is it really relevant? More importantly, as I think about it, why I can’t seem to find any book similar to this one? Because of those questions I was intrigued to learn.

ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY (Score: 5/5)

Marc and Sam Hurwitz have several years of experience in consulting with numerous organizations in different parts of North America. Their professional experience as well as their personal stories is interwoven all throughout the book. The concepts are backed by enough data and other supporting details. This book is years in the making so I can see that the concepts are well tested in the field. The authors applied the lessons here in their actual practice.

SUBSTANCE AND VOICE (Score: 5/5)

Anyone who is working in an organizational setting will benefit in the lessons of this book. This work is for everyone I suppose. The authors would like the reader to realize that there is a balance of treatment between leadership and followership. One cannot just emphasize one without considering the other. In this case, the authors were able to deliver their case very well.

STYLE (Score: 4/5)

There are two authors in this book as you can see. Unlike other books with two or more authors, this one gives you an idea if it’s Marc or Sam who is discussing a concept. Sometimes I find it amusing to see their little pictures every now and then.

ILLUSTRATION AND FORMAT (5/5)

The pictures and formatted text boxes in the book are very helpful in reinforcing the concepts. This made the book more practical as oppose to having mere theories.

In the end, I find the book an eye opener. I realize that we should not put all the blame to the leadership in cases of poor performance since the follower in each of us has an equal responsibility as well. I believe that the organizations around the world will really benefit in adopting the lessons in this book. This is what really means when we say “we hold everyone accountable”.

Second Chance by Robert Kiyosaki

There are only few people who can see and much less understand what is really happening in this world.  These individuals happen to be gifted with powerful minds or trained themselves to become such.  Many of us awe them, although some of us may be skeptical too, for good reasons. However, no matter whether you believe them or not it will stand to reason that those who backed up their claim with enough evidence shall prevail.

In Second Chance, Robert Kiyosaki presents again the possible impending financial crisis that may happen in the future. This will be another potential catastrophe that we may either choose to take for granted or to be prepared for. What follows is my overall personal impression of the book.

ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY (Score: 5/5)

For those who read Rich Dad Poor Dad, you know that Robert got the foundation of his financial education from his Rich dad (his best friend’s Dad) when he was nine years old. Even today he continues to learn things to strengthen his financial education. The data he presented in his book have solid basis with the inclusion of significant facts to support his arguments.

SUBSTANCE AND VOICE (Score: 5/5)

The book aims to present to the readers that everyone has a second chance to learn how to prepare for the future. The book was able to substantiate its arguments.

STYLE (Score: 3/5)

The book communicates in a very easy to understand manner. It is written so direct that many times sometimes I feel that it is being a little bit harsh by not taking in to account the feelings of some readers who wanted to know other financial ideas. For example, the author is not an advocate of investing in paper assets since these types are usually heavily taxed. Since some of the readers of this book may already have some of their money on stocks and mutual funds, it would not hurt if the argument for an alternative is written in a more positive tone.

STRUCTURE (Score: 3/5)

The book has good organization of headings and subheadings although I found that the sudden shift to dialogue between the author and an interviewer quite surprising sometimes. I am not even sure with whom exactly the author was talking to in those dialogues. I assumed it could be anyone of the readers or the author is talking to his friend. If the latter is the case, we don’t know who that person is.

ILLUSTRATION AND FORMAT (Score: 5/5)

There are lots of illustrations and graphs in this book. Those really served their purpose in supporting the argument of the book.

Overall, the book invoked a feeling of anxiety on me because it made me realize that I am not yet ready for what is coming. For me,  that is good to know since I can prepare for what is coming. 

The Financially Confident Woman by Mary Hunt

Learning about money has been an important activity one can devote his or her time on. Most of us are aware of the fact that to properly operate as an individual or group in this modern age, we need to have money as a primary medium of exchange. However, I would argue that it is not only money that we need. More important than money is the financial knowledge to properly use and manage the said tool.

In this book entitled The Financially Confident Woman, Mary Hunt makes the case that women should have appropriate knowledge of financial matters. This will eventually lead to having the confidence in handling money, thereby having more power to direct their lives.

ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY (Score: 3/5)

This book is written by an award winning author and a sought-after motivational speaker. For more than two decades her organization Debt-Proof Living has been helping thousands of individuals to become more financially responsible and live debt-free lives. Despite lacking the formal degree in finance, Mary Hunt is able to provide a very sound and compelling financial advice that worked and continue to work for many individuals.

However, what I less likely to appreciate in this aspect is the tendency to overemphasize that only women need to be more financially confident. The book is in the danger of stereotyping women as the only one who needs help. For this to be true, the book should have presented at least some findings that, at least in the US if not the whole world, more women around this year are less confident in money matters. Presenting a case study would have produced solid evidence that more women need help in being more financially confident at this time. This would put the book in front of its present audience.

The advice in this book is equally applicable to every one regardless of gender or sexual orientation.

SUBSTANCE AND VOICE (Score: 4/5)

The purpose of the book is to give advice to help women be more financially confident. As you might have guessed, the intended audience of this work are women. It would have been better when there are more discussions than what was already presented as to how women can leverage their husbands or significant others towards financial confidence. No one can be truly confident on financial matters if they don’t have a sound relationship with their partners.

STYLE (Score: 5/5)

I commend the book for its writing style and wits. It is very easy to understand and follow since there are no complex financial jargons. The entry about compounding was so easy to follow. The author herself confessed that she couldn’t take in too much computation.

Moreover, aside from being informative the book is also funny and entertaining. Mary writes in such a way that you can vividly see her escapades when she was young.

STRUCTURE (Score: 5/5)

The overall structure aids to the understanding of the readers. The table of contents is clear as well as the organization of ideas inside the book. The book uses highlights and sub-headings that would make it easy to outline the ideas being discussed. I actually used the structure of the book to in noting the important nuggets of ideas.

ILLUSTRATION AND FORMAT (Score: 5/5)

There is enough illustration provided which made the presentation effective. I particularly like the table about compounding which stressed the points that the earlier we save the better.

Overall, this is a good book about finance. It offers sound advice that everyone can do and appreciate. I would recommend the advice this book not just to women but to everyone. 

Leading on Purpose by Timothy I. Thomas & Charles "Rip" Tilden

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It is not easy to be a leader. It requires different sets of skills that not only take time to learn but also require different level of effort to master. Sometimes it also requires for one to unlearn years of unproductive behavioral orientations to be a better leader. This maybe one of the reasons why few leaders out of millions who hold leadership positions take the time to learn to change for the better. Indeed, the chaos brought about by the change can be intimidating.

On Leading on Purpose, authors Timothy Thomas and Charles Tilden presents a clear and helpful guide to the eight critical skills one needs to be a leader with purpose. These skills are critical enough that we see a lot of leadership coaching sessions being done for business executives to strengthen each.

The following are the particular things that I like in this book:

• Written in a very engaging style. The sentences used in the book are very easy to understand. I did not see any technical business jargon that may complicate the explanations given.
• The book has provided an accurate description on how most executives are promoted: due to technical and business acumen with less consideration on their people skills.
• It also provided a compelling case that most of us learn from many management mistakes but we do not know how to do the right things. For example, many of us had an unpleasant experience of not receiving useful feedback from our bosses. Because of that we resolved not to commit the same mistake. However, when it was our turn to lead others, many of us fail to deliver on how to provide appropriate feedback to our direct reports.
• The book has a well-laid out plan in discussing the critical skills per chapter.
• Introduced the fictional characters of Frank Abernathy and his grandmother. Their conversations put the lessons in proper and entertaining perspective. Moreover, their dialogues are interspersed all throughout the chapters providing maximum support to the concepts provided.

This leadership book is a very easy read. I would recommend this to all aspiring and seasoned leaders in the world

HBR Guide to Coaching Employees

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Giving feedback or coaching is one of the most important skills our managers and leaders need to learn for their respective organizations to flourish and succeed. I’ve seen countless of articles, books, videos as well as audio materials catering to the development of this important competency in our leadership. Nevertheless, the campaign to make our leaders better in coaching is far from over since this is a skill that needs to be continuously honed no matter how seasoned our leaders are.

Harvard Business Review has recently published the book entitled HBR Guide to Coaching Employees. This is part of the HBR Guide Series of books which delves into the important skills our business leaders need to hone to be effective in delivering results.

This particular book on coaching is written like a compilation of articles written by different experts on the field of leadership coaching. You will get to feel the different styles in writing for each individual as they contribute to the development of the ideas in the book.

Some of the things that readers may particularly appreciate are the following:

• Includes great insights on coaching which many are violating most of the time. All throughout the book, experts sight many important things to consider when coaching that are usually violated such as inability to make a follow up; not setting aside time for coaching; and, etc. More importantly the book provides numerous ways on how to do it right.
• Different perspectives. Since many experts contributed to this book, readers will see different perspectives which put the subject into a more holistic way. Different writing styles also make reading more engaging.
• Most importantly, this book acknowledges the fact that individual differences are important considerations on how one coach.

There are many important lessons here in this book. I am sure that for those who are engaged in developing individuals not just from the rank-and-file employee level but more importantly in leadership level, this book is a must read.

HBR Guide to Office Politics by Karen Dillon

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Have you ever experienced dealing with a boss who unwittingly holds back your career progress? Have you encountered someone who is always looking to get ahead of you no matter how small the stake is? Have you ever managed a former peer? These and other countless relationship dynamics in our everyday lives are part of the so-called politics of human interactions. So many people are having dreadful lives coming to work due to these political dramas and its myriad ways. These events are present as long as there are two people interacting but there is no better stage for these dynamics to take place but in office. Hence, we have the term office politics.

The problem is that most people are not well-equipped in handling these cases. They either succumb to being the victims or become the bullies themselves. Time and time again without proper advice these people will continue to do it their way, thereby creating the concept of dirty politics. Fortunately, we have a book that can guide all of us through this.

The HBR Guide to Office Politics by Karen Dillon provides a refreshing, practical, and easy to follow insights on how one can navigate the ocean of political dramas at work. Written for any professionals at work, the book is an easy to use guide that one can use

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

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Most of us are living under this financial paradigm: go to school, earn high grades, look for a stable job, earn, save, and then retire. This perspective has been brought about by our educational system, history, and culture; in other words, this is due to way our environment is designed. We are designed to think this way and we live according to this scheme.

Unfortunately, this kind of mindset created legions of individuals who remain financially insecure until they get old and leave this mortal world.

In his book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, Robert Kiyosaki shares his remarkable story on how he learned to be financially intelligent with the help of his Rich dad. He tells us about his two dads,
namely, Rich Dad, who was his best friend’s dad; and his Poor Dad, who was actually his real dad. The two dads have remarkable influence on him but the one whose teaching resonated on Robert was his Rich Dad.

It was not easy to learn with his Rich dad for at the very young age of nine, Robert tasted a glimpse of how real life was. Rich dad was a tough teacher for he taught Robert and his best friend how to learn in real life compared to the comfort of lectures, reading and
memorizing inside the schools. At first Robert felt anger towards his Rich dad because it seemed that his teaching method was harsh. Fortunately, with an attitude to learn, Robert was able to understand not just only about the way to get financial freedom but also why

Money Anxiety by Dan Geller

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This book gives a fresh perspective on how we look at our economy from the behavioral economics perspective. At first I thought that this book would focus on how money anxiety affects every day people. I realized however that the subject of the book is wide and encompass business, finance, economy as well as politics.

The author Dan Geller introduced a new concept called behavioralogy, specifically the Money Anxiety Index. Dan made the case that consumers in general are creating gaps between what they say in surveys and what they will actually do. Some people would say that their outlook in the economy was good but anxious enough to avoid making purchases and eventually to save more for future expenses.

The following are the things that I like about the book:
1. The author explained how he was able to gather his data. Since the book is introducing a new concept, it is highly important that readers should understand how he was able to come up with his findings.
2. The book was organized in a way that readers can follow the explanations properly.
3. The author made a sincere effort for the readers to grasp the concepts. The subject of economics is not
for everyone to appreciate (sadly) but the author explained the concepts in a simple way as possible.

The following are the things I think the book could have improved on: (By the way I received an advance review copy for this book so

The Start of My Book Blogging Journey

2014 was a year when I started to read more books than ever before. Unlike the years before that, I spent most of my time last year reading books that interest me such as books about business, leadership, management, and other non-fiction as well. Below is a snippet of what I read last year.

Last 18 books I've read in 2014

I also read some fiction books particularly the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan. I find reading fiction books entertaining and relaxing at the same time. However, I prefer to read non-fiction books because doing so increase my knowledge and understanding of our world right off the bat.

This year I pledge to read more books and review them as well as much as possible. This is the reason why I set up this blog in the first place. 

In setting up this blog, I will showcase the reviews of the books I read. I also care to consider the success of the books I am reading since most of them are newly published at the time of my review. 

The pages of the blog is mostly dedicated to my reviews aside from the homepage where I will post about the things I learned from the books I read and share my book blogging experience to every one.

I confess that I have a lot of things to learn and I am willing to take the time to improve this blog in terms of its aesthetic quality, review quality, and general improvements.

If any of you, my readers, wish to give any comments or feedback, feel free to post your inputs in the comments section below. I reserve the right to erase posts that transcends the boundary of civility and mutual respect.

Thanks for reading this post and I hope that by doing this blog I can encourage more people to read.

The Intergalactic Adventures of Queen Bea by Jeanne Gransee Barker

The book started out with the story of a somewhat normal teenager who was increasingly getting conscious of her surroundings. Major changes happened from the time she discovered the truth about her family. As if it was just a coincidence somewhat put a clue as to what would lead her to find the truth about her parents and would lead to an awesome adventure beyond her wildest imagination.

I started reading this book as part of my effort to diversify what I am reading in terms of subject. I find this book really fun to read. Although not a perfect one, it was was able to get hold of my attention long enough for me to finish it in one sitting.

Moreover, I wish that the author could delve more on some parts of the story that would keep me guessing what will happen next. I understand that this is nor a mystery novel but a little bit of excitement every now and then; and unexpected twist in some parts will really help in making the adventure more amazing.

Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader by Herminia Ibarra

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Few years ago when I started to lead a team of customer service representatives I was determined to be a good leader for my agents. I started preparing myself by doing my own research on how great leaders lead, communicate, and inspire their followers. I read books, articles, and took courses on management and leadership continuously. I told myself that I had picked up great insights and I am ready to go.


True enough those insights help me and my team achieve our objectives and thereby contribute in one way and another to the success of our program. Nevertheless, when things gotten tough that's when I feel that the insights I learned, though very helpful, are not enough. My personal leadership experience helped me to "feel" what leadership is in action as opposed to "knowing" what leadership is based on my readings.

Herminia Ibarra's book Act Like A Leader, Think Like A Leader told me that doing the acts of leadership will eventually lead to me think like a leader. I subscribed to this idea since I experienced it myself when I failed to communicate properly with my team. I knew the importance of communication as well as how to do it. However, when things became tough and stressful, my negative emotions has gotten over me. All my knowledge were thrown out of the window, and I started to act less than my ideal self. As a result, my team was pretty shaken and performance started to dwindle. That was the point, when I started to reflect on what happen and all my knowledge came to the rescue only after the storm.

Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne

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For as long as I can remember, my environment has been teaching me that if I want to stand out and be recognized as an individual I have to set myself apart and be different in a positive way. Along my journey, I picked up the idea that I need to be competitive or else I will succumb forever into a state of oblivion or worse into a debilitating state not worthy of anyone's attention.

Of course, most if not all business have the same orientation. Many organizations are driven to be competitive especially in capitalistic economies. If you are strong you'll win but if you are weak you'll die. For as long as our society measures the success of companies as compared to others performance, competition shall remain relevant. However, sometimes you get tired of the ordinary discourses of competition.

This book offers another way of looking at strategy. For me, blue ocean strategy is another way for companies to outperform (compete with) others in a whole new level. Instead of being reactive to what other companies are doing, a company adopting blue ocean strategy focuses on creating value innovation. The book has multitude of examples and good ideas on how companies can adopt this mindset. In a very simple way this means wowing you existing customers plus others who don't care with your product.

I have read the expanded edition of this book and the edition itself is an example of the renewal idea espoused in the last chapters. This book brings fresh perspectives for those who are engaged in a militaristic view of competition.

Will I recommend this book? Yes because I am tired of the normal Company A vs. Company B type of games within the bloody red pool of competition. I think I am ready to swim to a fresh blue ocean.

Stress Less Achieve More by Aimee Bernstein

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One of the most popular topics about health nowadays is about stress management. We've seen countless of articles on the web, numerous videos in Youtube as well as many discussions in media on how we are going to properly handle the daily stresses in our every day lives. I think this is normal considering the amount of stressors we are getting not just at our workplaces but also in our homes, in our daily commutes, and also when we are just looking at our handheld devices.

The growing awareness in stress management lead to different approaches such as proper diet, regular exercise, daily affirmation, etc. I would say that these things really help. However, Aimee Bernstein, the author of Stress Less Achieve More, proposes a newer approach. In this book she stated that the popular approaches in stress management do not always work. Either because we don't have time to do it or some of us are living in a place where we don't have access to good food, clean jogging area, or gyms. Instead, she offers that we embrace pressure itself instead of fighting it; to get ourselves in our ground and handle the stresses and pressure as if they are just part of nature.

I was thrilled by this idea and I started asking myself, "Why not embrace something that we know is part of our daily lives?" To understand what's the series of ideas behind this I continue reading the book.

Aimee Bernstein was able to sell her idea to me through a series of anecdotes,