Book Review: Close Enough to Hear God Breathe: The Great Story of Divine Intimacy by Greg Paul

Close Enough to Hear God Breathe: The Great Story of Divine Intimacy by Greg Paul is a very engaging book. It is presented in five parts with three chapters in each part.

What I like most about the book is how the author re-imagines certain stories in the Bible and draws from his own experiences in order to drive the point about intimacy with God. He beautifully draws pictures of how intimacy has been shown in many stories within the Great Story and how the same intimacy is manifested in his own experiences as well as the experiences of others in his community.

I found his writing fresh, engaging and worthwhile.

Highly recommended for those seeking a deeper intimacy with God.

[Disclaimer: I got this book for free as part of the Oreilly blogger review program I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”]

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Book Review: Squawk! How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results by Travis Bradberry

Squawk! How to Stop Making Noise and Start Getting Results by  Travis Bradberry is one of the shortest leadership books I have ever encountered.

The book talks about a seagull manager who has moved his flock from it's regular habitat to a new one. Now the seagull manager faces some problems that, unresolved, will lead to his flock going back.

The book, in parable form, discusses three simple techniques for effective leadership. Having read a lot of leadership and management books, the techniques discussed are very basic but the way they are presented is very unique. 

Although I have heard about 'seagull managers' - those who fly in, make a lot of noise and cr*p on everyone, the book also presented the other side, those being managed. I was able to see myself in one of the seagulls being managed and saw for myself what I am doing wrong too.

 

Recommended for those in management/leadership roles, those aspiring for these roles, and those who are working in teams.

About the author:
Dr. Travis Bradberry is the award-winning author of the #1 best selling book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the cofounder of TalentSmart®--a consultancy that serves more than 75% of Fortune 500 companies and is the world's leading provider of emotional intelligence tests and training.

His bestselling books have been translated into 25 languages and are available in more than 150 countries. Dr. Bradberry has written for, or been covered by, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Fortune, Forbes, Fast Company, Inc., USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Harvard Business Review.

Dr. Bradberry is a world-renowned expert in emotional intelligence who speaks regularly in corporate and public settings. Example engagements include Intel, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Fortune Brands, Boston Scientific, the Fortune Growth Summit, The Conference Board: Learning from Legends, the American Society for Training and Development, the Society for Human Resource Management, and Excellence in Government.

Dr. Bradberry holds a Dual Ph.D. in Clinical and Industrial-Organizational psychology. He received his bachelor of science in Clinical Psychology from the University of California - San Diego. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Book Review: Blockbusters: The Five Keys to Developing GREAT New Products by Gary S. Lynn and Richard R. Reilly

In Blockbusters: The Five Keys to Developing GREAT New Products, authors Gary S. Lynn and Richard R. Reilly presents the five keys they have found to be common among  companies. The findings are based on a ten-year study of 700+ product launches.

The book uses very famous examples of products and how they evolved from being good to great products. The book is filled with very nice illustrations and very compelling examples of each of the five keys as they are being applied in product development.

What I liked most about the book is that it strikes a balance between being practical and academic in presenting their findings.

Recommended for those involved in innovation and new product development teams.

About the author:
Gary Lynn, Ph.D., is one of the leading scholars on new product development. Formerly a design engineer with high-security clearance at General Electric, he founded the Innovation Research Institute, a company that designed and launched new products in the medical field.

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