Worth a Read – September (Part 1)

A Wealth of Resources

Ahem. Yes, this is supposed to be the September-October issue of (new name) Worth a Read. But it’s still October! At any rate, the content that is worth your attention for entertainment, education, and current trends is here. A feeble attempt will be made this time around to create content in categories (no promises because I might stray). Rather than overwhelm you with a new form of a Mitchner novel, this will be a three-volume issue. Find Part 2 and Part 3 in these locations.

Something to Recommend?

You can be part of the creation of this list. All that’s needed is you post your suggestion to In a Word – CCJP for literature or post business-related recommendations to Entrances – Recruit and Retain with the title of the article, author, a brief summary of why it’s noteworthy, a link to the item, and the hashtag “WorthaRead”.

Literature

• In August, Michael Smith had a special free download for any of his mystery thrillers. Available in a large number of formats, your in for a treat if you’re a fan of this genre. All Michael asks is, “If you download one of them for free during the free book promotion and enjoy reading it, then I’d like to ask you for a favor. Would you be kind enough to leave a review for the book on Amazon? It’d be greatly appreciated!”
  Find three of Michael Ace Smith titles, out of the seven, on Goodreads. Or go to Amazon for the full array.

• What an opening Mary Deal has in her new ebook release, River Bones. If you’re into mysteries and suspense, it looks like this is a must have. It made Amazon’s Top 100.
• There are those times when we have questions, hard questions. That’s when it’s time to have a conversation with an authority. A neighbor recommends a great starting point. I’m not certain of which of the three is on her shelf, but she highly recommends Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch.

  In case you want to dive into the full conversation author Walsch has compiled, there is also the The Complete Conversations with God: An Uncommon Dialogue (Conversations with God #1-3)
  Or you can just start with one and savor the epiphanies derived from each new reading. Either way, it’s “Worth a Read.”

• So you’d expect that kings, ancient kings, kings and dignitaries of Egypt, would be given the utmost in treatment and respect, especially for their remains. However, Nupur Tustin tells us that isn’t necessarily the case when it comes to U.S. history. The story of Egypt Uncovered as told by Vivian Davies and Renée Friedman and via Amazon Prime is filled with shocking revelations.
• AARP offered their “Fall Books Preview” on August 29. You just may find something that tickles your fancy among the titles.

Business

• The Chemistry Factor: Create Powerful Business Relationships for Greater Success, Barney Feinberg
  A new release that covers a topic critical for success in business as well as personal relationships (think effective networking). I’m looking forward to diving into my copy.

• Business Etiquette and the Chain of Command, Russell Huebsch, Chron
  It’s important to the overall functioning of an organization to follow the traditional chain of command. Any thoughts about why?

Professional Development

• EasyTechGuides on YouTube
• Soul on Ice
  In light of the Kavanaugh confirmation hearings and the revelations about his past,plus the sentencing of Bill Cosby, many recollections surface. In particular is Eldridge Cleaver’s _Soul on Ice_. It’s the only book I’ve ever attempted to read and by the end of Chapter 2 put it back on the shelf with a vow to never read anything from him. Get a copy of the book and learn why.

• Marcia Bridges Merrill, Life Coach, Psychologist, author, and consultant has some titles that are helpful on many fronts. Explore the concepts and recommendations she makes in her any one, or all, of her books – The Perfect Network-Out, Balancing, Creating & Living Wealth + Wellness and Manifesting a New Life: Money, Love, Health and Everything in Between for starters. I recommend these titles not only for those involved in professions that involve understanding and appreciating the conditions of people who are being served but also for those who need to be served.

White Papers

• When it comes to careful selection of Board members, there are certain characteristics that are red flags. (National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) offers a complimentary copy of an article that provides guidance on screening and selecting directors. A Field Guide to Bad Directors, NACD Directorship (July/August 2018)
  Something of a primer for screening and selection of Board members. From “How to identify them. How not to become one” by Michael Pocalyko

Articles

• Although tantamount to an op/ed piece, Former Trump official: No one ‘minding the store’ at White House on cyberthreats (Michael Isikoff, Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News (July 25, 2018)), still says a lot about the quality of leadership and governance on behalf of our nation. Who can provide an unbiased, factual account of what’s happening in the White House?
• AARP reports on the July employment data. Given that the workforce is now comprised of *four* age demographics, we need to ask ourselves why there is such a large discrepancy between the under 50 demographic and the 55+ demographic.

  One other thing the blog points out is that wages have remained flat over a long period of time, thereby necessitating multiple sources of gig economy work that either substitutes for normal regular employment or (more likely) supplements normal regular employment. All of that to merely earn a livable wage.

• BLS provides data, via TED: The Economics Daily, “Labor force participation rate, at 62.8 percent, changed little in August 2014” (September 09, 2014) to measure current activity.
• 5 Pieces of Career-Changing Advice From Navy Fighter Pilots, John Boitnott, VIP CONTRIBUTOR, Journalist, Digital Media Consultant and Investor, Entrepreneur September 5, 2018)
  A prescription for every person, not just Navy fighter pilots.

• Listening to the financial news from September 7, especially with regard to the aspects of BitCoin and BlockChain, brought forth some speculation about using that currency as the medium for wages. It appears Korean firms have a position on the question and it doesn’t look good from the worker’s standpoint. See, Korean Cryptocurrency Firms Unwilling to Pay Talent High Salaries, Shaurya Malwa, BTC Manager (July 10, 2018)

Videos and Movies

• There’s a debate about the statement Kapernick is making. The statement is called free speech. To punish him for his speech and essentially tell him he has no right to peacefully object is to plunge him into a modern version of slavery. The ills of this country do not begin and stop with the impact on the Negro ethnicity. It also historically impacts those who are of Chinese, Japanese, and Native American descent. And these days, it’s beginning to include those who are part of the Muslim community.
  What does our flag represent? What is patriotism?

• It’s important when seeking a barometer for leadership role models and good ethical practices. Consider the Cuomo video that challenges the information we have about White House leadership and ethics. I believe the expert’s assessment that Cohen is looking for a “get out of jail free” card is very accurate. However, what I also am seeing is a replay of All the President’s Men.
• When it comes to sexual harassment, it appears status also brings privilege along with the ability to intimidate. All we need do is look to our national leader (our poster child) for an example. But here we have the leader of one of the leading news stations facing the disclosure.
• A new series is coming to us via Netflix called Rise of the Phoenixes (find video). Rather unique as far as Western entertainment is concerned, this series, as Erica McDonald tells us, is set in ancient China. Time for discovery and enlightenment.

  Perhaps this is the story in book form The legend of Fuyao by Tian Xia Gui Yuan. Not only worth viewing for those who want to know and understand Chinese history and culture, also “Worth a Read.”

Resources:

• Goodreads
• eBooks
• Wolters Kluwers
• Risk & Insurance
• Directors and Boards
• Corporate Board
• Mathematica Policy Research

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