Obstacles Welcome: A Review

// October 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Technology

If you are a tech guy and enjoy business books, this is a pretty good read. I got the book to read and review free through the Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers program. I say pretty good because the business book side of it is like many run of the mill business books. The good parts of the book were learning more about Ralph’s story in communist Cuba from the eyes of someone who lived through it in the early days. Don’t be fooled into thinking Castro has the interests of the people at heart. I’m sure Ralph and his family can tell you horror stories if the ones mentioned in the book are any indication.

On the technology front, I was intrigued learning about the AT&T and Cingular merger from the COO’s view. What was accomplished in 15 days from the time of the announcement until the time of launch seemed like an impossibility. Ralph, however, has no clue about the word impossibility means. He just charges ahead and not in a foolish manner. His approach is one you can learn from. So if you want to learn from the someone on the front lines of the technology revolution and the Cuban revolution, give this book a try. If you are interested in purely a good business book by itself, it may not be the best use of your money.

What Difference Do It Make: A Review

// October 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Daily Life

I read this book without first reading Same Kind of Difference As Me (by the same authors). However, I still gained a lot of insights into life from the view of a homeless black man, a woman who befriended him, and her husband who had reservations about getting too close to homeless people. What Difference Do It Make? is a follow up to Same Kind of Difference As Me and it contains stories from people impacted by it and also a brief history of how the book came to be written.

The chapters are written by both Ron Hall and Denver Moore in their own words and from their hearts. Some of it is raw. The theme of forgiveness plays throughout. You’ll find letters and stories from people who were touched by the book and had a life changed as a result.

Another fascinating aspect of the story is how this book traveled through various circles of friends, impacting people in far away places. Book distribution can be somewhat random, and book publishers and distributors are always trying to figure it out.  But great books move about on their own by word of mouth and recommendations. This book is no exception.

Like to blog? Want to read some great books? Try Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Bloggers program.

Find Your Strongest Life: A review

// October 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Daily Life, Success

OK. So you are probably wondering what I’m doing reviewing a book for women. Well, I’m married to one. I’m also rearing two daughters. When I had the chance to review Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently, through Thomas Nelson’s Book Review Blogger program, I thought it would open me up to a world that is somewhat of a mystery to us guys. Boy was I right. I asked my wife to read it first and I was going to do an interview style post, but I found enough information in it to warrant a review myself.

Marcus Buckingham has worked with the Gallup organization for several decades and has gathered a plethora of information on women and the struggles they face with self worth, value, and their place in society today. One particular topic that I found most interesting is how two seemingly identical women (in terms of life story, age, education, etc) could end up with such different paths, one being rather happy and fulfilled while the other was “dying” at her job, significantly unfulfilled. Marcus shares several factors in each woman’s response to the choices they faced and how those choices, not bad choices on the outset, affected their sense of happiness and success.

The book also contains a section on living a strong life. He’s developed a test called the Strong Life Test for women. The test shows which are your strongest life roles, with a lead role and a supporting role. My wife took the test and I thought I would to since I’d be writing about it. It was interesting and surprisingly confirming to see the results.

The best part of this whole experience is that it got us talking again about things that up to now we thought were differences or weaknesses in ourselves and each other. Now we see them as just different strengths. So I would encourage women and men to take a look at this book and learn what you can from it. For guys, it just might help you understand your wife a little better.

A review of Fearless from Max Lucado

// September 8th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blog, Books, Health

Fearless tackles a subject that each of us grapples with and no one is immune to. Max Lucado takes this universal experience that we call fear and lays out the groundwork for how we can recognize fear for what it is while providing a way to deal with it.

This is classic Max Lucado. If you are Lucado fan, this book won’t let you down. He has a way of making complex issues very simple to understand. It is targeted for broad appeal and he hits the mark. Fearless breaks down our most common fears by chapter and Lucado discusses what causes our fears and how we can learn to see them for what they are and overcome them.

Fearless is also timely. Our present age is fills us with fear. An uncertain economy, terrorism, job loss… you name it, fear has a very real face in our lives. This book will help you navigate those fears you face and will help to bring about victory. Be sure to also check out www.thefearlessbook.com.

Are you a blogger and do you love to read great books.  Consider becoming a Thomas Nelson Book Review Blogger.

Dred Scott’s Revenge by Judge Andrew Napolitano: A Review

// August 31st, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Daily Life, History, People

It’s always a privilege to review a book as a Book Review Blogger for Thomas Nelson. I happen to love history, especially American history. I’ve heard Judge Nap on Fox News a lot and was intrigued to see this book as an option in the BRB selections. With our first black President in office, I thought this might help me understand a little better the dynamics of race in America and it’s history. This book did that and more.

Judge Nap takes us on a journey through a legal history of race in America. He has studied this thoroughly and his references are well documented. Beginning before the Revolutionary War and working right up to our present times, the Judge details the attempts to rid America of slavery, who was at the forefront, and the reasons why racism is still prevalent today.

The most troublesome section for me was frankly the role President Lincoln played. I’d always thought he was foremost the anti-slavery president. According to Judge Nap and his meticulous research, when it came right down to it, keeping the Nation together was more important than freeing ALL slaves. Want proof? Why did the emancipation proclamation not end slavery and racism? Lynchings and segregation existing right up until recently. Lincoln wasn’t the only one. The founders also realized that if slavery was abolished entirely, a UNITED states would not have been possible.

If there is one thing that saddens me most, it is how the black community has been used over and over again for political expediency. Many church leaders were the worst culprits in promoting racism. I urge you to read this book. It will surely open your eyes to a race that has been held down both legally and emotionally for 300 years on this continent. You will surely look at people of color differently and with a heart of compassion.

Cirq Media officially launches

// August 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Technology

It’s a bit past due, but I’m officially announcing my new company: Cirq Media Solutions, LLC. The delay was due to the www.cirqmedia.com website which is now running, though not as full as I’d like. Still, you can get a flair for what we are doing. It is an exciting time. Swing by and take a look. Do you need help with your internet presence?  Questions about how all this stuff works together? Need a site makeover? My team can help it all make sense.

This Memorial Day Consider a Child

// May 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // History, Military, Music

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame, and an incredible songwriter, owes much of his fame unfortunately to the death of his dad in World War II.  The Walland The Final Cutare stinging rebukes to the leadership in England and how in his mind nothing is worth losing a father over.  On a previously unreleased track from The Final Cut, Waters laments:

It was just before dawn one miserable morning in black ‘forty four.
When the forward commander was told to sit tight when he asked that his men be withdrawn.
And the Generals gave thanks as the other ranks held back the enemy tanks for a while.
And the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price of a few hundred ordinary lives.

And kind old King George sent Mother a note when he heard that father was gone.
It was, I recall, in the form of a scroll, with gold leaf and all.
And I found it one day in a drawer of old photographs, hidden away.
And my eyes still grow damp to remember his Majesty signed with his own rubber stamp.

It was dark all around.
There was frost in the ground when the tigers broke free.
And no one survived from the Royal Fusiliers Company C.
They were all left behind, most of them dead, the rest of them dying.
And that’s how the High Command took my daddy from me.

“When the tigers broke free”  - Pink Floyd, The Final Cut

I grew up listening to these albums without really paying attention to the words or the themes.  The music was great.  “Another Brick in the Wall” caused much angst among teachers I recall.  As I look back and listen again today, I can only think that Waters spent much of his youth and most of his adult life angry and confused, if these and other lyrics are any indication.  To a child, war doesn’t make sense.  Losing a parent to something that doesn’t make sense makes it doubly tough.

When a child loses a parent to war, especially an unpopular one, the risk is substantial that the honor and respect — the legacy — due the parent by all Americans will be forgotten.  It’s tough for children to overhear things like “illegal war” and “misguided ideologies” and “torturers” and not come away feeling angry and confused, much like Roger Waters did.

A Soldier’s Child Birthday Foundation was established in an effort to remind children of fallen military personnel that their mom or dad did make a difference and were in fact heroes just by the mere fact that they chose to don a uniform of the United States.  It is our hope that you might consider joining us to keep the legacy of dad or mom alive by helping us provide a birthday present to a child each year up to age 19.  This Memorial Day, consider a child.  Read more HERE.

Mrs. Hawthorne’s secret stash

// May 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Daily Life, People

I subscribe to Dan Miller’s 48 Days newsletter.  It’s published weekly and provides encouragement to those working through career transition or improving on an existing path.  He’s written several great books on finding the job you love either for new employment or for those embarking on the challenging task of beginning a new business.

A recent newsletter had an interesting story about Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Several things struck me after reading it.  Here is the snippet.

Honey, I got Fired — Nathaniel Hawthorne went home to tell his wife that he had just been fired from his job. “Good,” she said. “Now you can write your book.” “What do we live on meanwhile?” Hawthorne asked. His wife opened a drawer filled with money. “I have always known that you are a man of genius,” she said. “So I saved a little each week, and now I have enough to last for a year.” Hawthorne used the time to write “The Scarlet Letter,” one of the great masterpieces of American literature.

First I noticed that he “failed” by getting fired.  At least that’s what most people think of when on the losing end of that dreaded event.  To Hawthorne it was a setback (failure).  Where will the money come from (failure).  How will I provide (failure).  Guys have a need to be providers.  Losing a job puts a major dent in that armor.  But read on… Second thing I noticed was that he had a wife that knew him well and planned for his success.  She saw his genius, perhaps even before he did.  With that, she put away money, knowing if given an opportunity to write, he would be successful.

Our wives play an important role in helping us guys see our genius.  But that too is a choice that must be made on both sides of the equation.  For the wife it means having patience and impeccable timing.  Knowing what to say and how to say it.  For a husband it means being willing to listen and accept that she may actually be right about a few things.  That’s a tough one for the male in the species.  But one thing is for sure… it’s risky either way.  But so worth it.

Mrs. Hawthorne knew the language of her husband. She knew just what he needed to hear. She didn’t focus on the negative.  In “The Noticer” (which I would get your hands on as soon as humanly possible), one of the chapters portrays a marriage gone bad and the communication disconnect that caused it.  Very simply, you need to understand your mate’s love language, that which speaks life into him or her. If only there were a Rosetta Stone for marriage, you ask.  It’s really not that tough once you know what the language is. Why would you learn German while planning a trip to France.  Doesn’t make much sense. Get The Noticer.  It will change your life.

Back to the job dilemma… Whether it’s losing a job or some other situation that may or may not come up suddenly, we each have the ability to choose how to respond.   Don’t give up.  Perhaps it’s time to try something different. Take your accumulated experiences and see where they may point you. If you are in that position of having been let go from a company or are considering a change, take a look at some of Dan’s offerings at the 48 Days Website (after you’ve read The Noticer).

Perspective - Simple Advice from a man named Jones

// April 27th, 2009 // No Comments » // Books, Daily Life

Ever had someone see something great in you and you laughed it off, fearful of being too prideful?  Or some destructive habit you enjoy and are too stubborn to let anyone stop you from continuing (it’s your life after all)?  It’s so hard to get outside of who we think we are to see us as we were meant to be.  It’s like the difference in how you view a cornfield maze depending on whether you are walking amidst the stalks or seeing it from a view high above after getting dropped out an airplane in a tandem skydive.  It’s all about perspective.  We are our own worst enemy when it comes to seeing things about us in the way they truly are.  In fact, without some outside perspective, I would say it’s impossible.  We scratch and claw for our own way, staying on a path to limited potential, and in the quiet we wonder if we matter.

Andy Andrews, in a remarkable way, tells a modern day parable about people.  People like you and me.  Broken, bruised, prone to giving up, occasionally questioning what life’s all about, and then seeing glimmers of hope.  In The Noticer, you’ll find at least one of the characters is you.  There were several well representing me.  You’ll also find yourself wishing you had a Jones to show you who you are.  To live out who you were made to be.  But I don’t want to give it away…

The writing style flows well and weaves well-developed characters into believable storylines.  My wife picked it up as soon as I put it down. I can always tell a great story when I find myself sharing the concepts I learned with others immediately after reading it.  This was one of those books.  A classic that will be shortlived on your nightstand, but will find its way back there soon enough as you find the need to read it again.  Because, after all… Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective.

ShareThis, not that

// April 9th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Fun, Technology

Ahhh, the joys of Facebook.  You know, you get all those friends from High School and college wanting to reconnect.  You message back and forth a few times and then get busy with life again.  Well, I got reconnected with Tim Schigel last fall.  He and I were fraternity brothers at Case Western.  We used to play in a band we founded called Skydiver because we actually went skydiving during out first couple weeks of college and couldn’t really think of a better name. We played a lot of Rush classics and other party tunes of the day. We opened for cover bands in the Cleveland area.  Good times… Good times… 20 years ago.

Tim would go on to create ShareThis, a really cool sharing app that actually has some real usefulness outside of just being a fashionable widget.  Me… I would go on to… hmmm… nothing quite so glamorous.

Tim calls me every now and again and tells me that he just met so and so at ESPN or MTV or House of Blues and that they are implementing the ShareThis widget on their site.  I saw the widget appear on FoxNews.com one day and realized he’d made it to the big time.  Tim is one of those humble guys not just chasing a dream but grabbing it by the horns.  He and his family had a nice write up in Family Circle about the trials of running a huge multi-million dollar internet company while trying to keep family a priority. He does both well and because of that Tim is one of my heroes.

So what is ShareThis anyway and why should you care share? ShareThis is more than just an easy way to get social media content from one place to the next.  And if there is one thing that is certain: we are bombarded and overwhelmed with managing the information we see on any given day. ShareThis is like a platform for managing this information you find during your travels online. If you’ve seen the ShareThis icon on a website, that site owner has recognized the benefit to its readers by making the article sharing process a one-click event. In the past, you’d see an article you like and you’d have to copy the URL, paste it into an email, find the person or persons you’d like to send to, and then send it on its way. Or you find something useful for yourself and you’d like to save it to read later. You create a word document or notepad for “useful links” or just bookmark it.  If you are like me the bookmarks on the browser can get large and unorganized quickly.  Or suppose you want to Twitter something useful to your tribe.  There’s a better way.

ShareThis comes in and saves the day by making these multiple keystrokes and clicks a thing of the past.  First, you create a free account. Next you get the widget for your blog (easy with Wordpress).  Next you get the free add-on for your browser of choice.  Then you go have some fun with it.  With Wordpress, it just shows up below each post by default.  The admin area provides customization of location and color themes.  A visitor clicks and sees the following:

As you can see, there are a host of options available to you. From facebook to twitter to email to texting.  And it takes your page info and passes it along automatically when you Send or Post.

One of the neatest features I really like is the ShareBox.  I’m constantly putting articles in there that I want to read later.  These can be shared or deleted directly from within your sharebox after you’ve had a chance to review them.

Curious which pages are being shared the most on your site.  ShareThis provides reporting capabilities of sharing activity on a per page basis.

So, there you have it.  I’m leaving out a whole lot more of what it is capable of.  So why not give it a try.  Just click ShareThis below and see how much fun sharing can be.