Book Review: Ida B. the Queen

The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells

Stars: 3/5

I hate to give it the ill-defined 3.5 stars but I feel that I must. As a tribute to Ida B. Wells-Barnett, I read this book around the time of her birthdate, July 16th. I could recommend the same for you next year as you probably could read this book in a day or so. However, this is by no means a complete biographical account of the life of Ida B. Wells-Barnett. This book gives just a peek into her life and attempts to convey comparisons between her vigilant acts for justice and modern day activism, in its many forms:

“...her tactic of truth-telling as a weapon to challenge unequal systems and structures has impacted our country for decades since.  Countless activists, organizers, journalists, and public officials have drawn inspiration from her life and the work she did to push the country toward a freedom that many people have never known.”  (p.67)

And with that, in this book, you’ll see references to Colin Kaepernick, Muhammand Ali, Jesse Jackson, Kamala Harris, Maxine Waters, Stacey Abrams, and others…   Towards the end, with paged-sized photos and colorful art/illustrations, it took on more of a picture-book feel with pages turning over at a faster rate.

I do appreciate Michelle Duster’s work.  She is the great-granddaughter of Mrs. Wells-Barnett and Ida B. the Queen will continue to support her legacy and her crusade for equality and justice.  Like me, you’ll draw on the inspiration from reading this book and look forward to reading a fuller narrative of her extraordinary life.

 

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Book Review: Faces at the Bottom of the Well

Faces at the Bottom of the Well

Stars: 3/5

I thought the parables/allegories were creative, different and very thought provoking. I wasn't feeling the debates with his vision, Geneva. Maybe I'll give it another chance at a later time.


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Book Review: Stretch

Stretch

Stars: 3/5

As other reviewers have mentioned, a lot of this can be derived with a little common sense and introspection, or simply, you may have seen/read some of it before. Suffice it to say, that it is always wise to stay abreast on what the latest trends in technology has to offer in regard to process improvement, productivity tools, or automation. Included in Stretch are career management strategies you could use to better hedge yourself (or 'future-proof' yourself) against the dynamics of the ever-changing workplace.



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Book Review: A Pilot's Journey

 


A Honorable Mention

Stars: 3/5

Not all tales of courage and perseverance in the face of adversity is made into an award winning movie, but just because one’s life story is not in a motion picture does not diminish the accomplishments. ‘A Pilot’s Journey: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman’ is one such example. Curtis Christopher Robinson, fighter pilot of the 99th Fighter Squadron, may not have been the leading character in any of the movies about the Tuskegee Airmen but his life story is still worth telling. I mention this because I have read other reviews of this book and I think some may be expecting a grandiose heroic tale as seen in the movies or a memoir written by an acclaimed biographer. Even though this may not be the case, Robinson’s life story is one that should be told and I can only imagine the faith, the drive and the intestinal fortitude he had to maintain to live a life that is worthy of a biography. Others may forget the unsung heroes who, in small ways, have paved the way for others; I suspect George Norfleet does not and neither will I.

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Book Review: Work 2.0: Nowhere to hide

“To be successful in the new world...we’ll need a new set of mental models.” Ch. 4

Stars: 3/5

You would agree that many have speculated on what the world of tomorrow will be like and what role technology will play in that future. Work 2.0 examines how technological advancements have engendered the younger generation into a new way of thinking, a new way of socializing, and more aptly, a new way of working. Prokurat postulates how the advances in technology plus a number of other variables (economic, hyperspecialization, etc...) will dramatically change how goods and services are produced, organizational behavior and, in general, how we work. Prokurat suggests, to endure this evolution and ultimately be successful in the new world, we have to change our thinking:

Organizations will have to learn to adapt to a new brand of labor force, “...from ‘command-and-control’ to ‘coordinate-and-cultivate’” (Ch. 4)

“Economists are reaching the conclusion that in the long term the only sustainable source of competitive advantage is creativity…” (Ch.3)

The rise of the knowledge-based society has altered the composition of the labor force of the future: creative thinkers, hypersocial, and hyperspecialized and/or skills acquired through experiential learning versus broad domain knowledge acquired from institutional studies.

Prokurat has applied his own spin on a topic that, at present, seems to be trending. If you have stayed abreast on this literature and similar research, then some of this will seem very familiar. Otherwise, Work 2.0 is a sound exposition into work automation, virtualization and the changing nature of work.

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Book Review: Black Faces in White Places

"There is always something you can learn from others." from Strategy #5

Stars: 3/5

Black Faces in White Places contains ten strategies that are grouped into four distinct categories:

1) Learning the Game. This is the foundation. It is made up of three strategies designed for self-examination, finding your purpose in life, seeking broad exposure & diverse experiences and demonstrating excellence.

2) Playing the Game. Once you've established your foundation, you move on to relationship-centered activities. The three strategies here are: Build Solid and Diverse Relationships, Wisdom of Others and Strength in Numbers

3) Mastering the Game. This part consists of an ongoing cycle of two complementary strategies: Intrapreneurship and Entrepreneurship.

4) Redefining the Game. Redefining the game is about "...facilitating positive, lasting, widespread change." The two strategies are: Synergy & Scale, Give Back Generously.

If you're a person of color looking for a handbook on how to navigate white corporate America, this is not the book; at least not in its entirety. I found the first two parts, Learning the Game and Playing the Game somewhat stimulating but the latter two seemed more applicable to entrepreneurship, having an entrepreneurial mindset, affecting change in the community and giving back.

Although `Black Faces...' didn't hold my interest from cover to cover, there is always something you can learn from others. No matter what your station is in life, something good can be gleaned from this book.

One final point. The authors chose to - and it's their prerogative to do so - imprint their personal narrative throughout the text by: providing a semi-gratuitous recount of Randal Pinkett's victory on Donald Trump's The Apprentice, providing a glimpse into their religious beliefs and correlating their "Black Faces..." game plan to Kwanzaa.


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Book Review: Blink - The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

You can read the entire book without thinking.

Stars: 3/5

After reading Malcolm Galdwell's first installment, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, I had some idea of what to expect from Blink; a lightweight and anecdote-laded book that appeals to a mainstream audience.

Blink is about gut feel, snap judgments, first impressions, interpreting facial expressions (which Gladwell calls mind reading) and a little bit more. Again, all backed by interesting stories of people and events moreso than empirical research.

The three tasks of Blink are:
1) Convince you that decisions made very quickly can be every bit as good as decisions made cautiously and deliberately.
2) Answers the question: When should we trust our instincts and when should we be wary of them?
3) Convince you that our snap judgments and first impressions can be educated and controlled.

These snap judgments and first impressions are what Gladwell refers to as "thin-slicing", meaning "...the ability of our unconscious to find patterns in situations and behavior based on very narrow slices of experience." (pg. 23).

If you enjoyed the Tipping Point, then you certainly love Blink; more of the same Gladwell writing style and stories.


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Book Review: The Tipping Point

The Tipping Point

Stars: 3/5

Gladwell offers some interesting observations and ideas. Note, I said observations and ideas and not in-depth analysis and theories. His anecdotal style makes the content seem lightweight, which allows for a quick and enjoyable read. This would appeal to the mainstream crowd and may be the reason why it was a best seller.

His three tipping points for epidemics are: the Law of the Few (which include Connectors, Mavens and Salesmen), the Stickiness Factor and the Power of Context. Nice labels, I admit, but in reality I did not glean anything substantial from this book. I do, however, think the Case Study chapters, chapters 5 and 6, towards the end of the book were worthwhile; it's a shame that I had to read four chapters to get to them.

I had planned on reading Gladwell's next installment, Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, but after reading the Tipping Point I'm in no hurry.


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