Frankenstein

One of my favorite things about being a parent is sharing music, books, food, and travel with my children. When my high-school senior brought home Frankenstein by Mary Shelley for his English class, I knew I had to read it. 

Word to the wise, just because you can recite Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein by heart doesn't mean you know the story of Frankenstein. Yes, rain, thunder, and lightening play a role in both stories and there is a monster, but that is about where the similarities end. 

The story of Frankenstein is a nesting doll of fiction told through the letters of explorer Robert Walton and an oral history by Victor Frankenstein, himself.

During one of Walton's adventures he comes across Frankenstein who needs to be nurtured back to life. Once Victor regains his strength, he tells Walton his life's story from the time of his adoption as an only child. 

The Frankenstein family grows with the addition of a sister/cousin (Victor's eventual wife) and two brothers. 

As a child, Victor is given all advantages and travels more extensively in Europe than many of today's billionaires before settling down in Geneva, Switzerland. During his youth, Victor becomes a devotee of alchemy. Eventually, Victor leaves for university where he studies "natural philosophy" being told by his professors that alchemy was not science. 

Victor excels in his studies in some cases surpassing the teachings of his professors. Once this happens, Victor acts on an impulse to use all his learnings to create a human being (and not int he traditional way...). 

As we all know, he succeeds. He creates the being that he refers to as the "Monster" - not "Frankenstein" as we usually call the monster. 

Through a series of events, the Monster gets loose in the world. For years, the Monster experiences the world much like an infant experiences and learns from the world. While this is happening, Victor is convalescing; he has a breakdown immediately after creating the Monster from which he never fully recovers. 

By the time Victor and the Monster meet again, the Monster is truly a monster being beaten down by the cruelty of the world. The only way he believes he can regain his "humanity" is if Victor creates a female companion for him. The Monster is convincing. Victor agrees.

Victor is a troubled man and the pressure of creating this second monster is too much. Ultimately, Victor refuses. From that point onward, Victor and the Monster become mortal enemies, sworn to revenge. 

In the spirit of not giving too much away, when Robert Walton finds Victor, Victor is in hot pursuit of the Monster. The chase, however, is not destined for much longer as Victor is far too weak to continue. 

The resolution of the book happens quickly after that. I'll leave it up to you to read on your own. I don't want to spoil the entire story because Frankenstein is an excellent novel. 

The entire novel is pregnant with foreshadowing and energy. The reader knows something is going to happen but when and what?! The story was a surprise on every page. The characters were rich with detail. For a book written in 1818, it felt modern with themes that still exist in our lives today. 

The language is stilted at times, especially in Robert Walton's letters. That is a sign of the times more than anything else. Language was used differently. Writing was more formal. There are lots of instances of "countenance" vs. "face." The word "wretch" is used quite often, as is the word "intercourse" to mean interaction among people. 

Reading Mary Shelley's novel, I felt that she was channeling the romantic poets of the time. Nature is one of the key characters in the book. Spring is truly an emotional rebirth for all the characters. Their moods and actions dictated by the weather. Nature is used to great effect in the novel. (I suppose this makes sense since Mary Shelley was the wife of the romantic poet Percy Shelley; I'm certain they shared both spirit and notes...)

Frankenstein has all the classic themes of literature: man against man, man against himself, man against nature. But, what really struck me was the focus on the supernatural in the form of God and the concept of revenge. 

It is crystal clear that Victor Frankenstein believes himself all powerful. His opinion of himself is unchecked. His professors enable behavior. His good ideas stretch the boundaries of sanity. Victor Frankenstein plays God. It isn't a secret that Shelley believes this attitude is wrong, bad, and dangerous. Just because something is possible doesn't mean that it should be done.

The big idea for me is something more subtle - revenge. Revenge paves a path of destruction for all parties. Revenge clouds reason, kills curiosity, and limits understanding. While it may be easy to see in the story of Victor Frankenstein and his Monster, it might be more difficult to spot in our everyday lives. Not to be too heavy handed, but we need to take a look at our actions in business and politics. Are we being driven by a desire to understand? Or, are we allowing ourselves to be blinded by revenge?

I highly recommend Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I couldn't put this book down. I literally read it in two days. I hope you pick up a copy and enjoy it as much as I did. 

We have a long standing tradition of giving books at Christmastime, which is how Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle by Michael Keane entered our house - a gift from our oldest son to his mother. 

The book had been sitting in a short stack on our living room coffee table calling to me as I walked by multiple times a day, "Reeeaaaad me, please!"

Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle is the story of how the famous Christmas special was made. The subtitle promises "inspiring" and "untold stories" about the making of the special. And, without giving too much away, the book delivers (although don't expect hard-nosed journalism - this subject doesn't require that). Do expect, a fun story full of interesting characters (not just Charlie Brown, Linus, Snoopy, Lucy, and "the little-red haired girl"). 

From the very start this special was on it's back foot. The new leadership team at Coca-Cola were jealous of GE's Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer special the previous year and wanted an advertising vehicle for Coke. 

Their new advertising agency, McCann-Erickson, were in expansion mode and once they signed Coca-Cola, they would stop at nothing to secure a special. 

Lee Mendelson was hell-bent to make it as an independent producer. His first documentary effort was a hit. His next effort, a documentary about Charlie Brown, was not. But, he couldn't shake the idea that there was something about Peanuts worth pursuing. 

Charles Schultz was protective of what was now the biggest cartoon strip in the world. He wouldn't let just anyone talk him into a television special. He certainly wasn't going to let anyone animate his beloved characters. 

Enter Bill Melendez, seasoned animator who had worked at Disney in his formative years and was now starting up his own animation studio that desperately needed a job to get things started. 

Then there is the California "adman," who happened to be Ronald Reagan's brother, that McCann sent to preview the story boards - he hated them. The CBS execs who previewed the special - they hated it (not to mention a potential coup of the top network brass). The jazz musician they hired to score the special - Vince Guaraldi turned out to be perfect for the job. There was a cast of amateur children actors hired to play the leading roles and a television critic that kept everyone in suspense until right before the special aired. 

And, if all this wasn't enough, the team only had six months from conception to airtime on CBS.

This book delights me for many reasons. First, each chapter is a mini biography of one of the above mentioned players. I love reading biographies to learn about people's motivations and experiences. So much can be learned by hearing about how Marion Harper Jr. thought about building an advertising business, for example. 

Second, I love books that are loaded with facts. I like to keep these facts in the back of my mind and reel them out from time to time in conversations. Party trick aside, some of the facts do point to interesting changes in technology. For example, the Charlie Brown Christmas special had 4.8M pieces of animation. Animating this many items in six months with the tools of the day was nearly an impossibility. Think of how times have changed and how animation is made today. That amount of animation, while still a lot, pales in comparison to what can be created in a fraction of the time. 

One of the facts I learned from this book is specifically what an animator actually does. Before reading this book, I would have described Charles Schultz as an animator just like Bill Melendez. In reality, the two men's skills couldn't be more different. Schultz created the characters and the story. Melendez, the animator, took Schultz's two-dimensional characters and made them three-dimensional with lifelike movements. 

Michael Keane argues that the true genius of the Charlie Brown Christmas special was not the Peanuts characters themselves, but the special's focus on the "true meaning of Christmas." Linus, in fact, delivers a passage from the Bible book of Luke describing the birth of Jesus. 

Schultz was adamant that Linus recite the passage, which made CBS, and almost everyone else, uncomfortable. The passage stayed in the production and aired on CBS. Nearly 50 percent of the television-watching households in the United States watched the Charlie Brown Christmas Special. It has remained a Christmas staple since it's first airing in 1966.

If the Bible passage was as controversial as CBS thought, the special wouldn't have stood the test of time. Certainly for viewers through the years, the Bible passage does not have a negative impact. Perhaps Keane is right. This Bible passage is what makes the special, special. 

As I thought more about that, what would the special have been without the Bible passage? It would have been a cute Peanuts story but without a message. The Bible passage is truly the message of the special - the true meaning of Christmas. 

I don't think the Bible passage is the "big idea" of this book, however. True, the Bible passage is key to its success. But, the big idea is more than a simple passage from the book of Luke.

The big idea is belief - belief in the quality of an idea. That doesn't mean ever idea is a good one. But, if does mean that belief in an idea is crucial to building a team who can be critical but remain successful in producing something great. 

There is a lot to like in Charlie Brown's Christmas Miracle. I know that it will be on my Christmas list for several members of my family this year.

After a recent speaking engagement, one of the audience members asked if I had read any of the Dan Sullivan/Strategic Coach books? At that time, I hadn't, so I ordered a copy of The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. 

Dan Sullivan runs the consulting and coaching firm Strategic Coach. His partner, Dr. Benjamin Hardy, is the one who puts Sullivan's process, ideas, methods, and teachings into writing. Together the two have co-authored one other book entitled Who Not How (possibly the more well known of the two books). 

I chose The Gap and The Gain based on the subtitle, The High Achiever's Guide to Happiness, Confidence, and Success. It seemed appropriate to my attitude and thought process at the time when I was looking for a new job. What secrets or methods could I learn to increase happiness and confidence (always something to learn about both...)?

The premise of the book is that high achieving executives tend to be unhappily measuring themselves against an ideal. The distance from where a person is today to that ideal is what Sullivan calls The Gap. 

Sullivan believes that people should be measuring backwards. Don't measure to the ideal. Measure based on what you have achieved in the past. Measuring the past is the fastest way to understand the impact of your work. Measuring backwards is what Sullivan calls The Gain. 

In it's two sections, the book outlines how to get out of The Gap and get into The Gain. The chapters are loaded with examples from Sullivan's coaching as well as psychological concepts that Hardy uses to bolster the Gap/Gain concept. 

Sullivan and Hardy also describe techniques and frameworks for journaling the journey from Gap to Gain. Along the way, Sullivan and Hardy slam social media as well as the practice of looking at your phone before bedtime (a passionate topic of mine; hint, don't do it...). Both of these practices tend to rob you of the thinking required to put you and keep you in The Gain mindset. 

Overall, this book was an easy read. The concepts of Gap and Gain were described succinctly. I found myself describing these concepts to a few friends after just starting the book. Each chapter has a synopsis of key concepts at the end, so if you don't annotate your books (you should be, by the way...), you can revisit the concepts quickly without much trouble. 

Hardy's writing style also makes the book easy to read. Short sentences. Clear descriptions. There are LOTS of one sentence paragraphs which gives the book a bit of a manic tone, like a forced excitement. 

The book is an excellent reminder to not measure yourself against other people. It is difficult not to do this, especially when we are set up to behave that way in many corporations - leader boards, contests, portfolio executives, etc. Measuring your own output in the past is what matters. What actions have you taken and what success have you seen? Do not focus on your position compared to your colleagues or competition. This is where their distain for social media comes in. In their view, and in mine, too, social media keeps us in The Gap. 

The book also does a good job reminding us that to be in The Gain, we need to set goals. These goals can be related to any phase of our life - work, personal, hobbies, family, etc. It is these goals that we measure. As simple as this sounds, this book is a good reminder to me to set goals. I go through phases where I set goals and am very goal oriented. At other periods, I'm more tactical and busy taking action that might not be the best use of my time. 

To be intentional about goal setting and staying in The Gain Sullivan and Hardy rely on journaling. This isn't "Dear Diary..." stuff, it is focused on reflection on the day you just had and setting up the day to come. Your reflection should be the gains you experienced during the day. Over time, you will have a might list of gains to draw from building your confidence in your ability to accomplish goals and teaching yourself about measuring backwards. 

I like that Hardy peppers the book with psychological concepts, too - selective attention, psychological flexibility, pathways thinking, and self-signaling to name a few. What could be perceived as Hardy flexing his muscles, is actually a useful extension of the core concepts to relevant science. Once I recognize my own behavior, and understand the psychological concept, I can learn how to address behavior that needs changing. It is an empowering example of the power in organizational psychology. 

Through all this, the big idea never gets lost, Measure Backwards. Change the way that you have been taught to measure. Don't stop setting goals. Stop chasing an ideal. Stop chasing others. Start focusing on what you want and what makes you happy. Then, measure what you have already done to accomplish the goal. You'll notice progress and a change in attitude. 

Like all concepts, The Gap and The Gain requires work. I recommend start with journaling and see where that takes you. Self reflection and measuring backwards are powerful practices. If you want to learn more about how to get into The Gain, I definitely recommend The Gap and The Gain. 

Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard was required reading after the novel The Overstory by Richard Powers. Simard's book was one of Powers' inspirations and the character of Patricia is based on Simard's life and book. 

The book is a memoir of Simard's life as well as a report on her research and groundbreaking findings. 

Suzanne Simard was raised in a logging family. The forest is in her blood. While her father did not choose to enter the family business, Simard stayed close to the forest by working for the Canadian Forest Service. 

During her time with the Forest Service, she battled sexism as well as conventional logging practices. Her research was the first of its kind to show that trees in the forest are connected to each other and communicate with each other through those connections. 

Unfortunately, much of her research fell on deaf ears for decades partly because it takes trees a long time to grow and partly because the men running the forest service were not ready to accept that a female understood forestry better than they did. 

Her experiments not only looked at why newly planted trees did not thrive after a clear cut, but she also looked at the relationship between trees of different species. In the case of newly planted saplings, her findings focused on the planting of native species rather that new species - if you cut down Lodgepole Pines, don't plant Douglas Fir. 

She also planted trios of trees to see what their relationships were - two Firs, one separated from the other with a sheetmetal "fence, and one Birch unencumbered and growing naturally. Long story short? The trees without constrains have relationships, communicate, and help each other in times of need.

And, in terms of The Mother Tree, her findings uncovered the fact that trees can recognize their offspring and nurture their children differently than strangers. 

Her research challenged the science and conventional thinking in forestry. 

Simard does a great job weaving her personal story with her research. in many ways, they are one in the same. The research questions she asked were truly an extension of her life. She examined her family and her life and extrapolated those thoughts into forestry questions. After all, if tress were living things, why wouldn't they have relationships? The rest of the forestry world just saw trees as wood and commerce.

As I read, it occurred to me that, while I understood the groundbreaking nature of her research, it made perfect sense to me. Forests are diverse places. Plants of different species thrive next to each other. It would make sense that they must cooperate in some way or all the different plants wouldn't grow together. This seems natural today. Thirty years ago, that was not the case. 

Forestry practices used to focus only on competition among trees and the yield of a plot of land regardless of natural cooperation or consequences. 

Simard also discusses some earlier research that she conducted which showed that different species of plants put different nutrients into the soil - in this case it is trees. But, while I read this book, it reminded me of the episode of Clarkson's Farm where some experimental farmers recommended that Jeremy Clarkson mix of crops in the same field. Until that episode, I hadn't thought much about the mix of plants and the quality of the soil. I understood crop rotation, but not the impact of multiple crops in the same field.

I love it when I can connect life experiences in this way.

Simard is open about her personal life, but not gratuitously so. She talks lovingly about her ex-husband, her two children, and her girlfriend. She makes them important parts of the story, each of the four playing important roles in her life and research. She also highlights other important professional relationships that continued to inspire and mentor her. In each case, she honors those people with significant passages. She sounds like a good friend and a fun colleague - serious but also thoughtful and interesting. Her descriptions of her relationship are very real. I appreciated that touch. It let me into her life that much more. 

If I have a criticism of the book it is that I found it to be a little boring at times. There were research passages which I felt were redundant or too detailed. But, I think that says more about me than it does the book. I am interested in the research findings but not as interested in the research details. I wanted a faster pace.

That, however, is what makes the book compelling. I got the feeling that I was getting the truth and the best of Suzanne Simard. It was authentic and authenticity is what I want in a memoir. 

The big idea of this book is that the connection we feel between humans should not just be reserved to humans. Connection exists among everything in our world. We are all connected. 

This isn't a new theme, but this book illustrates this concept not only with legitimate science but also examples from Suzanne's life. It was her personal experience as a mother, friend, partner, colleague the fueled her career and clarified the idea that we are all connected. 

This book was recommended to me by two people I trust. One of whom I know very well, my father. The other, is a person I have never met, Geddy Lee the bass player and signer of the band RUSH. Both of them loved The Yiddish Policeman's Union by Michael Chabon. 

The book centers on a historical situation, the reunification of the Alaskan Panhandle to the rest of Alaska, much like Chabon's novel Moonglow centers on the U.S. efforts to secure Werner Von Braun. 

This reunification takes on extra significance because all the inhabitants of the panhandle are Jewish. In the timeline of the novel, World War II ends differently, the state of Israel is overthrown by Muslim nations, and the Jewish population moves to Sitka, Alaska to join the European and Russian Jews who fled before, during, and after World War II. Think Alaskan Panhandle equals Israel and Sitka is Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. 

The Yiddish Policeman's Union is a murder mystery. The main character, Detective Meyer Landsman is a homicide detective that reluctantly catches a case in his own apartment building. He doesn't want the case and, as it turns out, neither do the police.

Detective Landsman is cut from the same cloth as Phillip Marlowe and Sam Spade, as is the general story. There are mobsters, drug addicts, innocents, confrontations, romance, and A LOT of cigarette smoking. Everyone has a .38 Special. No one is safe. Family members are involved. Hell, Landsman's boss is his ex-wife - a perfect detective murder mystery.

What makes the story special is the added layer of Sitka, Alaska as the Jewish capital of the world. The characters speak Yiddish. Chabon gives us a glossary, but it is more fun to discover meaning through context.   

That is the big idea of this book. Yes, a detective story is entertaining. But, unless you do something different with it, it is still a detective story like so many others.

This book forces the reader to think about being Jewish and what that experience may be like. It forces the reader to think about Israel and its enemies, goals, and existence. The book forces the reader to think about the future of Israel, the Jewish people, and the history behind it all. 

Does every reader need to go that deep? Certainly not. But, Chabon could have chosen any religion or any race for the story's point of view. He chose Judaism. It is a significant statement and requires recognition. 

I also want to draw a parallel between The Yiddish Policeman's Union and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Both books force the reader to understand a new language. Doing so indoctrinates the reader into the story's world. Total immersion and nothing less. Not only is the story "stickier" but it also makes the reader think differently about the world, even for a little bit. 

I would definitely recommend The Yiddish Policeman's Union. I preferred Moonglow, but both are worth the read. 

Think about all those times that you had an amazing conversation - great eye contact, laughing, personal stories. You truly learned about the other person. You felt like you accomplished something. And, most likely you left that conversation thinking, I want to do that again!

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg explains why you felt that way and, more importantly, explains how you can replicate that experience in future conversations. 

It all starts with an understanding of what happens in your brain when you are truly connected to someone in conversation. Put simply, your brain and your conversational partner's brain are on the same wavelength. What Duhigg then does is teach us how to do this repeatedly. 

First, understand that there are three types of conversation:

• "What's this really about?" - a conversation about making decisions
• "How do we feel?" - a conversation about emotions
• "Who are we?" - a conversation about our place in society

Each conversation has unique goals and aims. Figuring out which type of conversation you are having is accomplished through contextual clues and, this is the key, asking open-ended questions. When you receive responses to those questions, you need to compliment the answer with your own anecdote. 

The research Duhigg presents states that people who ask lots of questions in a conversation are more frequently seen as leaders and caring individuals. 

Duhigg also presents another key to good conversation - preparation. That preparation includes:

• Two topics you can discuss
• One thing you hope to say
• At least one question you want to ask

Most of the conversations I prepare for are the "tough" ones - reprimands, PIPs, terminations, etc. I do prepare for one-on-one meetings with teammates but not in the way Duhigg recommends. He recommends preparation for every conversation, including more casual ones with friends. 

While this may sound too prescribed, preparing at least in your head, if not on paper, is interesting. I have begun to do this more frequently and found that I'm having more enjoyable conversations and learning more about my conversational partner. 

Another important concept is that people bring their whole selves to conversations - all their experiences, emotions, and opinions. Unless we ask questions, we have no idea how those experiences, impact their thinking and our conversation. In fact, each conversational partner does this. Each person has a multitude of "hidden" information that almost never gets exposed in a conversation. 

As supercomunicators, we must remember that "we all contain multitudes." We must be sensitive to the unknown backgrounds and thoughts. We must seek to understand if we want to have meaningful conversations. 

Supercommunicators is an important book. Not only does it expose the science behind great conversations, but it helps the reader understand how to engage in better conversations. 

I also enjoyed a book written and published so recently (in 2024). It felt relevant with timely examples. While biographies are timeless and books heavily based on research are often timeless, too, it is nice to read fresh material.

Couple Supercommunicators with Power Questions by Andrew Sobel and Jerold Panas and you may be unstoppable!

It has taken me years to read FDRby Jean Edward Smith, primarily because the first sentence of the book proclaims that there is no more important president than Franklin Roosevelt. I couldn't get past that first line. I have read books on Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. How could Smith proclaim Franklin Roosevelt to be more important than those? (Well, maybe Adams...)

Roosevelt did great things, no doubt. He led the country out of The Depression and through World War II. He was reelected a record four times, inspiring a constitutional amendment. He championed the poor and the security of the United States. He was strong in the face of opposition and a loyal friend. He was married to a progressive, independent woman who used the platform of the first lady for positive change. All of this done through the heartbreak of polio, at a time when it was unthinkable for our leaders to show "weakness" in this way. 

Does that make him the greatest? Tough to say. 

My personal bias aside, Smith has written an excellent biography. His description of Roosevelt's first 100 days of his first term is thrilling. Accomplishing all that Roosevelt and Congress accomplished is miraculous, especially in the context of today's politics.
Smith does an excellent job of describing the four Presidential elections where Roosevelt was the nominee. They are rich with "smoke filled rooms" and political dealings. 

I would have enjoyed more detail about Roosevelt's time as the governor of New York. There wasn't enough description of the issues Roosevelt tackled. Perhaps it lacks detail because everything pales in comparison to what came later?
The chapters focused on World War II were fascinating. Most of my recent reading on World War II has been through the lens of Churchill (The Last Lionby William Manchester is a must read) and Britain/Europe. Understanding the war from a detailed American point of view was enlightening.

Pearl Harbor gets prominent treatment - an area that the European biographies don't give enough information.
The United States had been worried about and focused on Japan for nearly a decade. The Roosevelt administration understood the Japanese threat as clearly as the British understood the Nazi threat. Communication and the exchange of information was challenging so military moves had to be calculated and precise. Trust in military leaders needed to be absolute, like the relationship Lincoln had with Grant. When the attack on Pearl Harbor came, it literally was a disaster. The unthinkable happened. The isolationists in Congress were aghast. America needed a leader and had that leader in Roosevelt. 

From there, the book does an excellent job of discussing Lend-Lease, which sprang from the head of Roosevelt like from the head of Zeus. No one in his cabinet could believe their ears when they heard Roosevelt's idea and decision. At the time, Roosevelt was concerned that it was illegal for the President to make such a decision, but pushed for it anyhow. Lend-Lease was an amazing idea and policy. It saved Britain from being the next victim of Nazi Germany. 

No book about World War II would be complete with out a lengthy discussion of the British military base/US Destroyer swap that Roosevelt and Churchill designed. A fascinating piece of diplomacy that required the two men to learn to trust one another and the share in the belief of victory. 

I found the discussion of the Atlantic Charter to be lacking. This is an important document representing the great lengths and risks that both Roosevelt and Churchill took to learn about each other, understand each other's goals, and understand each other's political realities. The Last Lion has pages and pages devoted to this document. FDRhad less than a page. That's unfortunate because that situation is a great example of Roosevelt protecting his legacy and advantages for the U.S. It is also a great example of Roosevelt's "from the hip" style in contrast to Churchill's more methodological style (even through Churchill could be just as impulsive as Roosevelt). 

Roosevelt enjoyed a Democratic Congress for most of this four terms in office, making legislation easier to pass. Not that it was easy, but he definitely had friendly faces in Congress happy to lend him a hand at policy making. Even so, he still expertly worked both sides of the aisle, ensuring that congressmen with influence had his ear rather than just those in his party. This theme repeats itself in history. Presidents that reach across the aisle to make deals get deals done. 

Roosevelt made bad decisions, too. He wasn't immune. His move to pack the Supreme Court was foolish and poorly executed. His decision to punish those in Congress who voted against his policies backfired and made him appear childish. His decision, made with good intentions, to pull money from the federal budget thrust the country into a relapse of the Depression.

But, overall, Roosevelt was successful in his bid to change American society and progress it forward - he believed he had a clear mandate from the people. They elected him four times in a row. 

I highly recommend FDRby Jean Edward Smith. It is easy to read, as biographies go. The story moves quickly and the characters are as vivid as any novel of fiction.

Sales Pitch by April Dunford is the companion piece to her first book Obviously Awesome! Sales Pitch details the eight elements of a great sales pitch:

• Insight - what is the major change in the world that drove the introduction of your product? 
• Alternatives - how do your prospects solve their problem today?
• The Perfect World - what would the best possible outcome be to solve the problem?
• The Introduction - a general explanation of your solution
• Differentiated Value - why your solution is better
• Proof - real-life scenarios of your product making the world a better place
• Objections - why would prospects not buy your solution?
• The Ask - what do you want the prospect to do next?

All are essential in a sales pitch. But, none of them were invented by April Dunford. There are MANY articles about constructing the perfect sales pitch from Hubspot, Salesforce, and the the granddaddy of them all, Andy Raskin's article about Drift.

What Dunford does is put the pitch in the context of the positioning work she outlines in her first book (see my earlier review). Without the proper positioning work, you will likely not clarify the insight, the alternatives, the perfect world, or the value. Which means you will do what you have always done - tell people about your product then ask them to buy with no larger context. 

Said another way, if you have not read Obviously Awesome! then I'm not sure Sales Pitch will be useful. The two books go hand-in-hand. Because of that fact, my recommendation is that Dunford combine the books into a single volume (half of Sales Pitch revisits the positioning book anyhow). This would make for a stronger book all around. 

Unlike the online articles, Dunford's books are quality step-by-step instructions of how to engage in positioning and pitch building. They are easy reads with lots of stories and personality, equally adept at keeping the attention of the product manager and the PE board member. It is a small investment for a big impact. 

If I suggested you to read The Elements of Style, you would roll your eyes. "What?!," you would say. "I read that in junior high and it was awful." 

You'd be right, of course. No one wants to read The Elements of Style. Everyone should, but no one wants to. That's what is brilliant about Writing Without Bullshit by Josh Bernoff. This is a book you would willingly read even though it is essentially the same as The Elements of Style. Well done, Josh Bernoff. 

Writing Without Bullshit is a great book on writing, editing, and storytelling. The book makes compelling arguments for concise, thoughtful writing - the kind that is sorely lacking in business writing. His best example of how NOT to write is the former CEO of Nokia who wrote an all-staff email explaining the future direction of the Microsoft acquisition. Bernoff breaks down this email, explains why it is terrible, and edits it in real time to make it a more effective communication. What was once drivel becomes useful information before our eyes.  

One of the most useful concepts in the book is that of the "fat outline." Getting people to outline is a challenge. Take if from me, Josh Bernoff, and Ms. Johnson (my freshman year English teacher) you need to outline!

The "fat outline" is an excellent device to get you started writing without actually editing as you write. A fat outline gives your boss/editor/writing partner an understanding of the topic while still in the formative stages. This type of outline can also combat writers block since you are scratching the surface of the topic, "trying it on for size," really.

There are many other gems in Writing Without Bullshit, such as:

• "Business readers have no time for warm ups..."
• Stop using "weasel words" ("A weasel word is an adjective, adverb, or noun, that indicates quantity or intensity but lacks precision.") - most, many, few, rarely, millions, countless, etc. 
• Key questions to ask of you are in the role of editor to someone else's writing. 

Perhaps it is because I love to write that I enjoyed this book. Or, perhaps it is because I see so much improvement needed in my colleagues writing. Regardless, I highly recommend this book. It will help you write clearer email, more compelling marketing materials, and be understood more quickly. 

Remember, "Treat the readers time as more valuable than your own."

Sometimes you find a beautifully written novel and can’t put it down. That's The Overstory by Richard Powers. This story is immediately comforting, thoughtful and, at times, challenging. Experiencing the narrative develop is thrilling. The Overstory is a friend, someone who is there to comfort you and ride along to help you interpret your life experiences. 

In a nutshell, The Overstory is a wide ranging character study of 10 people whose lives intersect in the defense of trees. 

Before you assume this book is simply about the defense of nature, think again. It is focused on the connection of humans to nature, the importance of that connection, and the immense possibilities that exist when humans connect with nature at a fundamental level. 

In many respects, this book is science fiction. The connection to “other beings” drives the characters’ beliefs and actions. Their almost blind devotion is similar to physicists who spend their lives looking to the stars for life outside of our planet and solar system. For Richard Powers, life on Earth is ignored and abused. What would we do if we found life elsewhere? Would we learn? Would we change? Would be appropriate it for our selfish uses?

But, also, because the book is about our relationship with trees, it is grounded in certainties. What do we plan to do with the resources we have? Why do we treat cohabitants the way we do? What do our current actions today tell us about outcomes tomorrow. The Overstory exists in two timelines simultaneously. 

At times, I could see myself in these characters. The way in which they retreat into themselves when the going gets tough. Or, when they finally let others share their lives. Some intersections are poetic. Others are tragic. But, all of them redeem themselves to become their best selves eventually as difficult as the path may be for us to understand. 

While The Overstory is a long novel, the narrative never stalls. Each section, each sentence serves the next to take us from the opening lines to the final thought on the future of our world and really the future of ourselves. 

Jeffery Gitomer’s Get Shit Done has been recommended to me a few times. It was time for me to read it. Except, it wasn't the book that was recommended to me. The recommendation was Get Things Done by David Allen.

I read the wrong book. Whoops!

Lucking, Get Shit Done is not a long book and it is incredibly easy to read. 

I found it to be an urgent call to action and a reminder that “we” (read “I”) waste time by not being intentional about our actions. 

That is my big takeaway from Get Shit Done, be intentional. While I mean well and have focus, I find that I’m not 100 percent intentional all the time (is anyone?). I make lists. I create goals. I create deadlines. But, the tasks that I truly accomplish 100 percent are those where I have a clear intention. 

There are a few other interesting takeaways from the book:

• "Prepare for tomorrow before going to sleep today." Rather than laying in bed at night obsessing about tomorrow, set yourself up for success by planning and clearing your mind. 
• "Go to bed sober" is just good advice. Not only is it likely healthier for your body, it is also healthier for your mind and enables better sleep and a more productive morning. 
• "Write in the morning" is a great idea if you are a writer. there is typically a calm before the morning storm that enables reflection and productive work. Using that time to write a book review, for example, is time well spent. 

Those are valuable lessons. Jeffery Gitomer has been practicing them for years. They are the lessons most interesting to me. You will likely find different recommendations that interest you because the book is loaded with "good idea" one-liners. 

In fact, that is basically what Get Shit Done is, a book of one-liners that Jeffery Gitomer thought up himself or that he pulled from other motivational texts. 

This book has no narrative quality or thread running through it. It is repetitive. It isn't all that exciting to read. While I think there are some interesting ideas, I don't think I would recommend the book.

Of course, now I have to read Get Things Done and see what that is all about...

I have mixed feelings about Extra Virginity, The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller. On one hand, it is loaded with interesting facts about olive oil. Anyone that knows me, knows I live a book full of interesting, repeatable, and often silly facts. This book scratched that itch. 

But, the book also suffers from what feels more like a series of essays rather than a cohesive work. There is a decent amount of repetition, especially in the first half of the book that tends to give overweighted influence to one storyline over the another. 

I did learn a ton about olive oil, the science behind fats, the history of oil and the process of making fine olive oil. Because I like food and cooking, that information was fascinating. It made me want to find a small artisanal olive oil manufacturer to taste and buy fine oils. 

Like wine, there is an entire culture built up around olive oil. Also like wine, the vintner, the tasters, the regulatory teams are colorful characters. Each one inviting Tom Mueller into their world to share their life's passion in defense of olive oil.

Also like wine, the history is strewn with rogues and thieves who are shipping tankers full of bogus olive oil all over the world and passing it off as Italian oil.

This is really what the book is about - the illegal olive oil trade. The TLDR is that unless you SEE the olives get picked, follow them to the press, watch the oil get bottled yourself, you are most likely drinking and eating non-pure Italian olive oil. 

Like any agricultural product, there are many variables to successful olive oil processing. There are producers that get huge. There are producers that struggle to make ends meet. But, for the honest producers out there, nothing is better than their process. These olive oil producers live long lives and build generational businesses, but not necessarily generational wealth. 

Tasting panels are convened to identify the bad oils from the exceptional. Agricultural police are constantly tracking down claims of counterfeit oil, following the money to the front door of some well known global food companies. 

Good luck enjoying olive oil again.

From here on out, you will be constantly examining bottles and products to see if you can detect inconsistency and chicanery. You won't be able to, by the way, but that won't stop you. 

There is a bit too much ancient Greek history for my taste - it doesn't truly sever to move the narrative forward. The organization of the book is not how I would have outlined the story. But, if you are into food and the stories about food production, you will enjoy this book. I respect the passion that Tom Mueller has for this topic and the research he did. I respect the idea that beautifully pure things like olive oil should be protected. I'm just not sure this story is for everyone. 

I read Obviously Awesome by April Dunford because my current business (at time of writing) is struggling with positioning. Our best clients love us and will not operate without us. We have inbound leads from people who worked at our best clients and have new jobs. But, we have almost zero inbound leads from people that don't know who we are.

Seems obvious, right? People who don't know who we are don't come to us for a solution. Well, my friends, that's positioning. 

These folks who don't know us actually do have the problems we solve. Those people are banging away at Google trying to find a solution. They are not finding us because we are not speaking their language. 

Enter Obviously Awesome. It is an easy read with a clear and compelling formula. April Dunford's 10-step process has clear descriptions. You can use the book as a manual for working through your positioning. Items such as "list your happiest customers" and "form a positioning team" are relatively easily done and feel like "stating the obvious."

Then, there is Step 8 "Find a market frame of reference that puts your strengths at the center and determine how to position it." This one feels like she is saying, "OK, now position your product." What! That's why I'm reading the book. I need help! 

Frankly, this is the culmination of some hard work leading up to Step 8. For example, "List your competitive alternatives." This sounds easy, but there are more competitors than you think and everyone has an opinion that may or may not be accurate. Or, "Isolate your unique attributes or features." If you ask long tenured employees, you will likely get a different set of answers than newbies. As the leader, you need to know who to listen to when. Often easier said than done. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it. It is short and fun to read - some great examples. Is this the only methodology? No, it isn't. But, it is an accessible place to start and you'll find yourself enjoying the process as you and the team research through the steps. 

I would recommend The Qualified Sales Leader by John McMahon to anyone - in sales, in marketing, in finance, literally anyone in business. It is an excellent book on sales process and methodology. It is told in an interesting and exciting narrative.

The problems John McMahon discusses are ripped right from the pages of my daily life building our current sales team. I know he isn't tapped into my brain by some Neuralink appliance, but it sure feels like it. 

My wife gave me this book, although neither of us can recollect the actual occasion on which she gifted it to me. It hung around my "to read" pile for at least a year before I decided to jump in. My decision to read The Qualified Sales Leader happened when I realized that most of the testimonials on the inside front cover were from customers of my current business. "Whoa!" I thought, "There must be something here."

This book is a manual. It should be on your desk, pages folded, margins annotated, spine broken. You should give it to your entire sales team. For sales managers, this book describes how to do the job. For sales reps, this book explains the questions they need to know about their accounts. For executives, the book describes the focus and discipline needed to deliver on the sales number. 

Here is an example of how accurate this book is. In Chapter 44, Negotiate and Close, is a section on procurement. In this chapter McMahon outlines some of the tactics used by procurement to discount the price. I'm not exaggerating one bit by saying that item number two on page 246 was said to me verbatim by a procurement officer in Q4 of 2023. When I read it, I almost dropped the book. Now that I have read this book, I cannot wait for a procurement person to use one of these lines on my again...

I also really identify with the opening scenario of the quarterly business review. I have been involved in my fair share of these pipeline reviews. They are usually awful and demoralizing for everyone involved. The book gives us the formula for making these meetings actually productive rather than a beat down. A productive QBR should be help the business and the sales rep equally. 

This book has given me a common language with the sellers in our business. We all now ask the same questions and expect decent answers or plans to get the answers. We all know time kills deals. But, rather than say this to a rep, the book helps us figure out how to ask the right questions so that time doesn't kill the deal. Slowing down in the early stages actually doesn't kill the deal, quite the opposite. 

The only criticism I have of this book are the typos I found. I can't help it. Typos jump out at me as if they are flashing red lights. And, the typos increased as the book progressed. Apparently our editor got tired. Too bad. But, easy enough to fix in the next printing, which I'm certain there will be. 

The fact is that most of us are glorified scorekeepers rather than sales managers. This book helps us make that shift and in doing so regain some control over our pipeline and our numbers. Definitely read it.

I'm finding it difficult to write a review of Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick, not because it is a bad book. Far from it. But, because it transcends the story of North Korea. 

Nothing to Envy is the story of North Korea from the time of it's founding to the early 2000s. And, while the book is written by a journalist, it reads more like a novel than reportage. 

The story is compelling. It is told in an intensely human way. The characters are vivid. Their struggles are real. Their relationships and hardships are on display. Nothing is held back.

This is a heartbreaking story of a totalitarian regime that cares little for its citizens while lining the pockets of the ruling family. In fact, as time goes on, North Korea is such a terrible government that China and Russia turn away. That is how bad it is in North Korea. The two most oppressive governments in the world won't have anything to do with North Korea. 

The book exposes the North Korean regime as the fraud it truly is. The story is heartbreaking. It is a real life Animal Farm.

The reason that I'm finding it difficult to write this review is that I know North Korea and North Koreans were not, and are not, the only place and people who were and are oppressed. The policies of the North Korean regime are despicable. The treatment of their citizens was (still is?) criminal. But, there are many places in the world where this was and still is happening. 

Plus, my memory of the 90s was a time of prosperity. For the first two years of the decade, I was in college. Once I graduated, I started my career in technology, constantly challenged, meeting new people, sharing ideas, building and growing. I got married in the 90s. We bought property in the 90s. I have fond memories of that time. 

During this period, famine was ripping through North Korea. Humanitarian aid was stolen by the government. Citizens were murdered for expressing their thoughts about the government. There was literally NOTHING for people to eat. There was no money, There was no food. There was no heat. There was no electricity. There was nothing. 

This book taught me that I should be doing more with my life to help people that are oppressed or denied the opportunity to live the lives they want to lead. When we allow the U.S. Supreme Court to deny fundamental rights on political grounds. When we obfuscate the truth in media. When we let social media serve us our "news," we perpetuate a society where people cannot flourish. Just like North Korea.

The U.S. is still the best place in the world to live and thrive. I don't believe our society will fall to the same ills that happened in North Korea. But, make no mistake, this is a cautionary tale. Help other people. Stand up for what you believe is right. Help your fellow citizens. Don't abdicate your happiness to the government. 

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin reminds me of two other books that I have recently read. The first is How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy. The other is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Rick Rubin has written a hybrid philosophical manifesto and instruction book on creative thinking.  

Clearly Rick Rubin is a deep thinker about the creative process and how artists produce. His belief is that all the "creativity" and "Ideas" are already out in the universe. You, as a creator, need to open your aperture, allowing those creative forces to enter your mind and soul. What resonates with you, is when you start to create. 

Pretty cerebral stuff when put in the context of Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic, or Licensed to Ill. That doesn't mean he isn't right, however. Ask artists of any genre or medium and most of them will tell you that they don't truly know where the art comes from. It is hard work, but there isn't a single origin to most of their great art. So, maybe creativity is flowing all around us and it connects with us when we are most open? 

There is a fair amount of instruction in this book, too. What to do about "writer's block" or "how to create something that is different than your usual art." As a producer, Rick Rubin employs many methods and "tricks" to coax performances from artists. Based on my taste in music, he has done quite well. 

Even if your taste in music is not his, or mine, the book still has value as a philosophy on creativity. Like Jeff Tweedy suggests in his book, the creative process should be enjoyed. Yes, it also requires discipline, but that is part of the enjoyment. 

Like the boy in The Alchemist, you have to let the outside inside you. You have to "listen to the soul of the world" or creativity and life will pass you by.

I enjoyed this book. It was an easy read with short chapters so I moved along at a good clip. My previous reading of the Tweedy book and The Alchemist was a little distracting as I kept drawing parallels to The Creative Act. Perhaps had I read The Creative Act first it would have had more impact. For example, I bought my sons How to Write One Song as gifts because I thought it was such a great book on confidence and creativity. Had I read The Creative Act before How to Write One Song... Maybe that would have been the gift?

The first time I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, I was in Hana on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. It was a magical experience. The writing was relaxing and exciting all at the same time. The story was riveting and insightful. I underlined and annotated pages with a fury, all the while gazing at the ocean waves on one side and the lush green mountain on the other. Rain came on and off in waves. Complete silence other than the sounds of nature. I love couldn't stop talking about The Alchemist.

I didn't write a review of the book at that time. I was overwhelmed by attempting to distill such a powerful book into a few paragraphs.

I recently re-read The Alchemist for an event at which I was speaking. I needed to brush up on the themes and story. This time, I read it on an airplane. Not nearly as glamorous as Hana.  But, I found the book as inspirational, moving, and uplifting as I did the first time I read it. 

The story is about a young shepherd, who goes on a journey of discovery to fulfill his Personal Legend. His travels take him from Spain to North Africa, then across the great deserts and oases, to the Pyramids. Along the way he meets many characters, some who want to help and others who want to harm. 

What the young man learns along the way is how to listen, not just to the human voices in the world, but listen to voice OF the world. In doing so, he becomes more powerful and influential than his wildest dreams, but not in the traditional sense of power and influence. 

He learns that “when you want something, the whole world conspires to help you achieve it.”

This is the big idea of The Alchemist. When you truly learn to listen and learn how to love, the world rewards you by helping you along your path. 

I believe that too many people think the opposite. The world is conspiring AGAINST them. But, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we thought the opposite? If all our actions and energy were trained on helping others realize their full potential? That’s the way I want to live. 

I couldn’t recommend The Alchemist more strongly. And, I can’t wait to read more by Paulo Coelho. 

I was excited when I got Satisfaction Guaranteed, How Zingerman's Built a Corner Deli Into A Global Food Community by Micheline Maynard. Zingerman's Deli, the entire enterprise for that matter, is a restaurant with a global following. The two owners of Zingerman's, Paul Saginaw and Ari Weinzweig, have created a global management and training brand, too. Learning more about Zingerman's was exciting to me. 

Unfortunately, this book did not deliver on that promise. My main criticism is that Ms. Maynard is too emotionally invested in the subject. She is a Zingerman's cheerleader rather than a reporter. There is too much bias. 

There is also too much content about the impact of the COVID crisis on Zingerman's. Don’t get me wrong, COVID changed the restaurant and service industry for the worst, possibly forever. Revenue crashed, employees quit, supply chains dried up. It was not easy for any restaurant and Zingerman's was no exception. But, almost every chapter referenced the COVID crisis in nearly the exact same language. It is as if each chapter was written to be a stand alone article. I would rather have seen a full chapter on their moves during the crisis rather than an echo throughout the book. 

There are some great lessons in the book. My issues isn’t with Zingerman's as much as it is with how the story is told. Here are some of those lessons:

• Transparency is key at Zingerman's. It is one of the core pieces of the brand and their success. Employees love the transparency because it helps them run the business better. 
• Opportunity is available at Zingerman's. Employees who want more responsibility or more money have the chance to achieve more. Good ideas are regarded and often funded. 
• Amazing employee training programs. This is a hallmark of the Zingerman's reputation. Their staff  is trained beyond their specific jobs both on how to treat customer as well as all the info on their products. 

Unfortunately, I have never been to Zingerman's. I couldn’t go to the University of Michigan tour with my family. They loved the deli.

Like many visitors to Zingerman's they said, “It was delicious and really expensive.” While I don't have an issue paying for quality, this is a secret of Zingerman's. Their prices are high by design. It is one of the keys to their success. This topic does come up briefly in the book. But, it isn’t as covered as deeply as I wanted. Pricing is interesting and important. They clearly are not embarrassed by the prices, so why not go into more detail about how they price? That’s a missed opportunity. 

I would not recommend this book. It just isn’t a high quality analysis of the business.