Book Reviews

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

January 13, 2020 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

I am a forestry major (never worked in it but always loved it) who has been influenced by many people regarding the environment. I had no idea that Alexander Von Humboldt was the person who helped people like Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Charles Darwin do the work that made them famous.

Alexander Von Humboldt was one of the last people on earth who was capable of knowing all the sciences available to him at the time and could see the interconnectedness of them rather than the seeing just that science. He believed you had to be IN nature to understand nature as well. So he took his knowledge of botany, chemistry, astronomy, and more to South America where he began to SEE the connection between all these areas.

The reason we can talk about ecology, the environmentalists, and more is because of Von Humboldt who could see the interconnections between the world. He not only saw the sciences he could see the importance of poetry and the beauty of words to describe nature.

This is when I wish my book club had started already. I have 100’s of things to discuss about this person from his views on nature, to ecology, to his impact on the WORLD…yes the world, and much more.

This is the best book I’ve read in awhile. If you love nature, you MUST read this book.

The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide. By Jane Finkle

December 30, 2019 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide: From Landing a Job to Surviving, Thriving, and Moving Up.

By Jane Finkle

I am a huge Extrovert who is always curious about my counterparts as a way to better understand me (as their opposites) and my introverted clients better. Jane does a great job at walking introverts through the entire career process with many of the same pieces of advice that I give my clients with her added insights as to how introverts might navigate each of the processes.

She begins with recognizing that introverts have many strengths like the power of observation, thinking before they speak, and their often inquisitive minds. These strengths play well in one on one or small groups but how do you navigate this ‘extroverted world’ that we live in?

Well, Jane starts from the beginning and takes you right through tips on how to grow in your position and to move up to leadership positions if that is what you want. Her practical advice for each step of the way is good for everyone, but then she adds in tips for introverts, like how to politely break into conversations, how to use their strength of observation and curiosity to add to networking conversations and office meetings.

Networking can be difficult for introverts (and many extroverts too!) and her advice is to prepare for those networking events and do your homework on who might be there and have 4 or 5 questions to ask people ahead of time. i.e. Have you been to this event before? How long have you worked in the field?

And then to follow up with 1 on 1 meetings whenever possible.

This book is filled with great tips for ALL people but her insights for introverts is so helpful. Great reminders for extroverts like me to make sure I give ‘space’ for these thoughtful curious quiet types.

Well done Jane.

Book Reviews in 2019

December 9, 2019 by Jim Peacock 4 Comments

Book Reviews from my bookshelf

I write short book reviews whenever I finish a book and post them on my website. Thanks to a couple of other colleagues who are voracious readers, I am now also posting in Good Reads occasionally. Each December I like to reflect back on the books I’ve read in 2019 and seek recommendations from you.

For me, writing down my book reviews makes it (a) easier to remember as a visual & kinesthetic learner and (b) easier to share recommendations with others when the time is right.

Below I have three categories of book reviews.

Marketing / Business
Career
Personal …just for fun

I have also found a few quotes regarding books that I like.

Note: I’ve given 1 or 2 short sentences for each book but you can read the entire book reviews by clicking on the hyperlinks.

I Never Met a Book I Didn’t Like. Jim Peacock (this is almost true…I have had maybe 2 or 3 books I actually did not finish in my lifetime…one was Moby Dick 🙂

MARKETING / BUSINESS BOOK REVIEWS

I like to learn from others in the PR and marketing and business world. Being a Solopreneur can be difficult but having experts around me makes my job easier. I always pick up tidbits from each of them.

PR Works! How to Create, Implement and Leverage a Public Relations Program for your Small Business. By Nancy Marshall, the PR Maven. If you are a small business person and want to get yourself onto the right direction for growing your business, then you need to read this book.

It’s Your Ship By Captain D. Michael Abrashoff. Read this in December 2019 so it missed that newsletter. I have been doing some research into “stay interviews” which are done while employees are still working at your company versus “exit interviews” when you ask them “What went wrong? What could we do better?” This book is what was recommended by someone in a Facebook recruiter group I am in as one of the first books that talked about putting employees first and asking them what they think.

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.” – George R.R. Martin

CAREER BOOK REVIEWS

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism. By Robin Diangelo. I included this book here because it has really challenged me. Most of our American culture is run by whites which means that polices, laws, and interpretation of them is white focused. So challenge yourself and read this book.

Find Your Why By Simon Sinek. A Practical Guide For Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team. With David Mead and Peter Docker This book had been recommended to me by a number of people and is all about how you figure out your WHY

The ONE Thing By Gary Keller with Jay Papasan. The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results. This book was recommended to me by my business coach (Thanks Mandy). Yep, it is a great book at focusing your efforts and energy to ONE thing that is the most important thing to you now.

Brain-Based Career Development Theory by Imants Jaunarajs, Jodi Pavol, and Erin Morgenstern. Technically I read this book in December 2019 but it missed the Book Reviews newsletter so I’m sharing it here. Here is the 1st of 6 big takeaways from the workshop and their monograph.

The brain can only handle 4 pieces of information in the prefontal cortex, two is best. This means we need to work hard to focus on 1 major task at a time. Most of us have many more thoughts going on at once.

“Think before you speak. Read before you think.” – Fran Lebowitz

PERSONAL..Just For Fun BOOK REVIEWS

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery. I just finished reading Grandma Gatewood’s Walk about a 67 year old grandmother who was the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I love the outdoors and have walked 1800+ miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and pieces of the AT but was blown away and inspired at the same time with this woman who walked the AT at 67 years old, then again as a thru-hike, AND again in sections

A Widow for One Year. By John Irving. This is my second John Irving book in 2019…there was a sale at a bookstore. The author is an edgy guy and not afraid to write about sex 🙂 Not dirty sex or porn, just the struggles of sex and the complications of it at times. I enjoyed both books.

Becoming By Michelle Obama. From the South Side of Chicago to the Whitehouse. What an amazing journey. What I loved about this book was the insight into how Michelle Obama thinks and her passions.

Zen on The Trail: Hiking as Pilgrimage By Christopher Ives. Thanks to Howard, my backpacking buddy, who sent me this book. This is often how I feel when backpacking…on a zen hike. He captures so many moments when I am walking and seeming lost in thought – mindful – clear – simple – slowed down

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King
Oh yeah, I almost forgot…I published my book this spring too. A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move
You can can check out what others think of my book on the above link. I’m quite proud of it, but I could be biased.

There are more books that I read in 2019 and you can see them all by going to my website. And if you’d like to make a recommendation for me in any of my categories…please do, I’m always looking for the next great read.

Check out my interview with four other book reading friends.

Jim Peacock is the Principal at Peak-Careers Consulting and writes a weekly email for career practitioners. Peak-Careers offers discussion-based online seminars for career practitioners focused on meeting continuing education needs for CCSP, GCDF and BCC certified professionals as well as workshops for career practitioners and individual career coaching.

He is the author of A Field Guide for Career Practitioners: Helping Your Clients Create Their Next Move and the recipient of the 2020 Kenneth C. Hoyt Award from the National Career Development Association.

Sign up here to receive my TOP 10 TIPS WHEN WORKING WITH AN UNDECIDED PERSON. You will also receive the career practitioner’s weekly email on a variety of career topics, industry news, interesting events, and more.

PR Works! How to Create, Implement and Leverage a Public Relations Program for your Small Business

December 3, 2019 by Jim Peacock 1 Comment

By Nancy Marshall, the PR Maven.

I was recently on the PR Maven Podcast (Episode 63) and true to Nancy’s love of networking and generosity, she sent me this book after our podcast as a thank you. I devoured it in short time. It is filled with tips and practical advice on how to take your small business to the next level in regards to public relations.

There are a number of things I have been doing right for PR, but scribbled all over the margins and made notes on places I could improve. Like Nancy, I am a networker and that has helped me tremendously over the years. What I am not as good at is leveraging a number of other PR practices.

She begins with what PR is and how it works, the importance of having a game plan, the art of storytelling, using social media to generate interest and much more. She has a great appendix with examples of the important things she is recommending you to do. Two very important examples in the appendix are the Message Map and the Measurement Dashboard.

If you are a small business person and want to get yourself onto the right direction for growing your business, then you need to read this book.

Thank you Nancy for all your great advice and your willingness to share your experience.

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk by Ben Montgomery

November 21, 2019 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

I just finished reading Grandma Gatewood’s Walk about a 67 year old grandmother who was the first woman to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. I love the outdoors and have walked 1800+ miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and pieces of the AT but was blown away and inspired at the same time with this woman who walked the AT at 67 years old, then again as a thru-hike, AND again in sections.

Oh yeah, she also walked the Oregon Trail from Missouri to Portland Oregon, and the Long Trail in Vermont. Ben Montgomery does a great job at telling Emma’s story from the terrible beatings from her husband, to her many walks, and her independence and resiliency.

If you are a hiker or a lover of the outdoors, read this book.

Here is a poem from the book written by Emma Gatewood

The Reward of Nature

If you’ll go with me to the mountains

And sleep on the leaf carpeted floors

And enjoy the bigness of nature

And the beauty of all out-of-doors,

You’ll find your troubles all fading

And feel the Creator was not man

That made lovely mountains and forests

Which only a Supreme Power can.

When we trust in the Power above

And with the realm of nature hold fast,

We will have a jewel of great price

To brighten our lives till the last.

For the love of nature is healing.

If we will only give it a try

And our reward will be forthcoming,

If we go deeper than what meets the eye.

A Widow for One Year. By John Irving

November 19, 2019 by Jim Peacock Leave a Comment

This is my second John Irving book in 2019…there was a sale at a bookstore. The author is an edgy guy and not afraid to write about sex 🙂 Not dirty sex or porn, just the struggles of sex and the complications of it at times.

One of the two main characters is a 16 year old boy, Eddie, who ends up fooling around with an older distraught woman on his summer job. Distraught because her two sons were killed in a car accident and she just can’t deal with it. The woman’s daughter, Ruth, is young and doesn’t really understand what is going on and then they fast forward to years later when the daughter is an adult. Everything I can think about writing, feels like a spoiler so I won’t say much more.

I enjoyed the book. There are lots of twists and turns that are unexpected with the two main characters, Ruth and Eddie are complicated people and you get to follow them from when they were young in the 1950’s to 1995 when their lives continue to intertwine.

Edgy, complicated relationships, and at times hilarious for the situations they get in.

Good summer book.

The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

The Introvert’s Complete Career Guide. By Jane Finkle

Book Reviews in 2019