Tips & Insights for Top Performance » Book Reviews

Book Recommendation: The Anatomy of Peace

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:54:07 +0000

This book, The Anatomy of Peace, was recommended to me to explore the challenge of dealing with letting go of “identity” that is ego driven (meaning you have to cling to your identity to feel good about yourself – which is really not very healthy). It is a fascinating read…you are drawn into a “class” taught by two master teachers working with a group of parents who have just delivered their rebellious teens to a wilderness camp in hopes of life-changing behavior modification for their kids. The days the parents spend with the leaders help them realize that they are a part of the dynamics and problem. The master leaders help them to understand what is happening and how convoluted perspectives can get over time, as we feel entitled, victimized, etc. They assert that as time passes, we may become unable to face our true faults. We justify our thoughts and actions, seeking blame and scapegoating in an effort to keep ourselves ‘right.’ This cycle is an on-going mess provoking the problems we are trying to solve. It happens everywhere: home, work, relationships, etc.

This book is also written more directly for those in business under the title Leadership and Self-Deception. Either book is a ‘must read.’ And if you are thinking “I don’t have that problem,” you definitely should read it.

To order this book, click here.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Book Review: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:45:03 +0000

This book, Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, has been around for a while and is still a good read. Jeffers says it well and in an “everyday” way. It is excellent to read for basic psychology of things that hold us back and how you can move forward in spite of it all. Jeffers helps to understand and label the fear and see it differently so we can move past it.

As a past counselor, I know that phobias and anything that we start to avoid because of a fear or for whatever reason, are the things that start to create psychological baggage as we spend our energy avoiding things rather than working through them. Anything that you find yourself intentionally not doing that is “normal” for most of the world, stop and look at the fear and how it can be getting in your way (not talking about addictions and non-beneficial activities).

This excellent read will serve you in both your personal and professional life. We all have fears; they just show up at different levels and in different ways. Empower yourself to find your fears and move beyond them so you can perform at your peak potential!

For you own copy of this book, click here.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer from Minneapolis, MN

Book Review: Wild Woman’s Guide to Etiquette

admin — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 19:33:07 +0000

This book, Wild Woman’s Guide to Etiquette, is written by a phenomenal author. She not only writes in a way that is easy to read and understand, but the material includes everyday tidbits everyone needs to know. It is a practical, easy and entertaining read. I would encourage every high school or college student to read it before they go into the professional work world. While I have been in the business world for over 10 years, I bought it to sharpen my business acumen and would recommend it to any business professional. In our culture today we have gotten lax on many etiquette details; this book is a great refresher for what you know and a fascinating read for things you thought you knew or “should” know, but never quite realized or applied.

To get this book click here.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Book Recommendation: Time Management for the Creative Person

admin — Fri, 28 May 2010 17:53:52 +0000

Your environment can either support your endeavors or drain your energy. One part of your environment is all of the “stuff” that is around you and this is the book that will help you get a handle on that “stuff!” If you are a hoarder, this book, Time Management for the Creative Person, will help you determine both why you like to have clutter around and how to deal with it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to streamline their environment and free up energy for the more important aspects of life.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Book Recommendation: The Journey From Comfort To Possibility

admin — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:45:38 +0000

The Journey From Comfort to Possibility written by a friend of mine, who shares the same energy and passion for life, author, Stephanie Zizzo, wrote this workbook to help people move from stuck, ideas and dreams to making them a reality. Written in a manner that is easy to follow and step by step, it is filled with exercises, questions and action steps to keep you focused. This workbook is designed for those of you who are ready to discover yourself, clarify your direction in life, uncover what holds you back from living the life of your dreams and begin venturing out of your comfort zone to experience new possibilities.

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Book Recommendation: Now, Discover Your Strengths

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 18:17:58 +0000

In their new book, Now, Discover Your Strengths, authors Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton suggest that we tend to focus on what needs to be “fixed” with ourselves. Then, they demonstrate how fluid and successful life is when we set aside our shortcomings and truly leverage our own strengths. The book illustrates how knowing your personal strengths, and recognizing the strengths of those around you, can help you build a dynamic and successful organization, network, or team.

An even bigger BONUS is that you get a personal code for an online survey that identifies YOUR “top five inborn talents”! This benefit is worth every penny you spend on the book! Identifying your top five strengths will change the way you look at life. This assessment is unique from the many other assessments out there (i.e. Myers-Briggs, DISC, etc.). With the “strengths” information in hand, you will be able to apply the theories presented in the book on a day-to-day basis.

I HIGHLY recommend this book: it is a refreshing concept that moves you forward by focusing on the positive and teaching you how to maximize your full potential!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Book Recommendation: Ordinary People Can Achieve Their Lofty Goals

admin — Fri, 07 May 2010 17:58:01 +0000

I am excited to share with you this e-book, Ordinary People Can Achieve Their Lofty Goals. I am honored to be personally featured with some of the greatest minds of our day. This e-book compiles articles from over 50 leaders through tips, recommendations and strategies to help you succeed. The chapter I contributed is: “Five Steps to Accomplish Your Goals.”

Experts including, Brian Tracy, Jim Rohn, Chris Widener, Michael Angier, Tony Alessandra and 50 others from the top of the personal development field have contributed their encouragement to help you live the life you want and finally achieve your lofty goals.

Reader, Eric Garner comments, “I’ve just read ‘Ordinary People Can Achieve Their Lofty Goals’ for the 3rd time in 3 days. The first time, I only got to page 10 before I felt so inspired that I had to stop and finish off some work on some goals I’d let slip. The second time, I just couldn’t put the book down. I read and re-read the articles and learned so much. What an amazing collection. So profound and uplifting. The third time, I decided to cancel everything else and devote a couple of hours to the book and read them all through. It’s like a Masterclass in Motivation. My mood lifted so much, I felt so inspired at the end. It’s definitely going to be a book I’m going to come back to again and again. Brilliant concept, brilliant execution, brilliant results. Thanks.”

Get inspired and motivated and check out this e- book!

Christy Geiger, Executive Business Coach & Trainer, Minneapolis, MN

Leverage Your Energy, Not Your Time

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 20:42:37 +0000

In the book, The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, a new paradigm for time management is presented. The premise focuses on encouraging people to leverage their energy rather than time. We have all known for years, you cannot get more time, no matter what you do you only get 24 hours a day. Loehr says, “The ultimate measure of our lives is not how much time we spend on the planet, but rather how much energy we invest in the time we have.” Focusing on the concept of harnessing your energy to be in FULL ENGAGEMENT will help you to empty your plate and get done what you need to accomplish.

A few tips the book emphasizes are:

Manage your energy, not your time
Downtime is key for your success
Rituals help to maintain focus
Purpose fuels performance
Work in sprints (small bursts of focused energy)

Book Review: Exploring Productivity

admin — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 18:09:11 +0000

The challenge of staying organized through busy workdays and life is a challenge for even the best. There are TONS of books on organization strategies out there with many tips and tricks on how to master chaos and achieve a sense of order in your environment. The challenge is that many are filled with concepts to adapt and are more philosophical with prescribed action versus a handbook with steps of HOW to get organized. I found Exploring Productivity and like it for its “idiots guide” type approach. It is easy to pick and address an issue versus reading the whole book and feeling overwhelmed with evaluating how you might transform your whole system of operation (if it gets overwhelming, you will not take any steps to change). This is a great book to have on the shelf, easy to read and excellent to reference to address and overcome whatever organizational challenge you may be having THIS week.

Book Recommendation: Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results

admin — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:05:01 +0000

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results is a great quick-read to inspire and motivate. Based on the story of a fish market in Seattle, “FISH” offers wisdom for everyday living. The book focuses on four key concepts:

Choosing your attitude. Explore concepts like the “toxic energy dump” where you appraise and get rid of negative people and things that drain your energy. Make sure you are not a toxic energy dump yourself!
Playing. Discover the next steps of extreme customer service, how to make the customer special: play with them!
Making their day. Also, learn about making the experience fun for the customer.
Being present. Don’t just exist but be in what you are doing, whatever moment in time you are in, be fully present. Rather than thinking about the past or the future, concentrate on the present moment.

These 4 simple lessons help to teach how you can have more power over your environment and improve the working relationships you have. Whether you are looking to build a team or just have day-to-day peace, learning how to apply these easy principles will give you a life that is more enjoyable and has better results. A fun story that is short to read makes this book entertaining and educational. A classic book for your library.