I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
An aspiring rapper faces an uphill battle to share his “genius” music in author Dan Fongaro’s “Musicology: A Nocella & EP.”
The Synopsis
“An incisive investigation of delusion, ego, identity, performance, failure, and drive.”
Darwin just dropped out of college and released his first song. He drops two more controversial SoundCloud raps in his pursuit of stardom. Creating, uploading, and promoting his work comes at a price. His father exiles him. Those he trusts deceive him. DJs break promises. But Darwin will do anything to escape the Wall Street job that his well-connected father set him up with. His audience is hard to find. And New York City is a tough place to sustain yourself with no income. Even when his bank account runs lower than his fan count, he doesn’t give up on greatness. And greatness depends on how you define it.
Musicology’s three songs are available on SoundCloud and linked to the page with QR codes.
The Review
This was definitely one of the more unique and compelling novellas I’ve read in 2026. The author does a wonderful job of conveying the protagonist belief in their passion, while also showcasing the downfall of overconfidence, arrogance, and an unwillingness to grow and change. The author’s powerful way of writing allowed the reader to feel immersed in each scene, utilizing powerful imagery that really felt cinematic in a way.
What really stood out in this project was how the author was able to incorporate actual musical tracks from the protagonist into the chapters of this novella. A unique balance of humor and creativity, each track highlighted the protagonist from both a artistic perspective and as a character in general. This journey of self discovery, as well as a deeper exploration of the power of music has and how it resonates with people will keep readers enthralled in this narrative.
The Verdict
Memorable, fast paced, and highly entertaining, author Dan Fongaro’s “Musicology: A Novella & EP” is a must read novella the infuses, humor, drama, and a heart for music. The twist and turns in the protagonist, personal journey, the character driven narrative, and the deeper exploration into the art in passion for music as a whole as well as the amazing tracks included with this book will keep readers engaged until the very last page. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Amanda Spann shares the guide non-technical readers can use to help launch an app in the book “I Have An App Idea.”
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The Synopsis
I Have An App Idea is the ultimate resource for aspiring app entrepreneurs without a technical background.
This workbook offers a step-by-step road map to guide nontechnical founders from concept to launch with confidence. Designed to break down the complexities of app development, it combines Amanda Spann’s personal experiences and proven strategies with interactive activities and worksheets that provide hands-on support every step of the way.
Through relatable stories, real-life examples, and practical tools, Amanda helps founders avoid costly mistakes and build products primed for success. With each chapter, readers will uncover strategies to validate their ideas, build sustainable businesses, communicate effectively with developers, and manage the development process—ensuring founders remain empowered and in control. This book demystifies app entrepreneurship, clarifies the essentials, and offers a solid foundation for creating scalable products—without the overwhelm.
This book demystifies app entrepreneurship, clarifies the essentials, and offers a solid foundation for creating scalable products without the overwhelm.
The Review
A truly insightful and engaging read, the author does a remarkable job of crafting a guide that feels instructive and compelling. The wealth of knowledge and skill the author brings to each chapter is evident on every page, and the straightforward, educational approach to the topic feels both guided and relatable, giving readers a sense of ease as they jump into this guidebook.
What stood out from other books in the tech sphere was the lack of technical terminology and the scope of work this book was meant to encompass. Rather than focus on coding and other tech-specific language, the author approached it from an inspirational and business-level perspective, allowing the reader to get an inside look at how app development works without feeling lost in the tech language and knowledge that often escapes others.
The Verdict
Memorable, thoughtful, and engaging, author Amanda Spann’s “I Have An App Idea is a must-read nonfiction book and guide for those looking to develop their ideas for apps. The focus on developing the idea itself, as well as the app to accompany it, was great, and the author’s honest and insightful perspective came through naturally in a straightforward writing style that will keep readers returning to the book time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Amanda Spann, recognized as America’s Leading App Educator, has empowered over 30,000
entrepreneurs globally with the tools to bring their app ideas to life. A serial app entrepreneur
with a background in brand development, Amanda specializes in helping individuals and
institutions design, launch, and scale new products, incubator programs, and entrepreneurship
ecosystems.Credited with co-founding the U.S.'s first immigrant-focused accelerator, her
experience spans supporting underrepresented and underestimated entrepreneurs in
economically distressed areas across the U.S. and empowering founders domestically,
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Authors Claude Hanhart and Rachel Collins share effective tools to communicate goals in business in their book “Connecting Goals to Impacts and Outcomes.”
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The Synopsis
You’ve been in that Agile planning session.
Everyone agrees on goals like “improve customer experience” or “increase engagement.” The roadmap looks aligned. The OKRs are approved. But when the sprint ends, no one can clearly explain what success actually means—or why customers should care.
Months later, your product team ships a feature. Customers don’t use it. Stakeholders ask uncomfortable questions. Someone says, “I thought we were building something different.”
This isn’t a delivery problem. It’s a conversation problem.
Across Agile teams, product management organizations, and enterprise transformations, teams work hard, follow the process, and deliver on time—yet still struggle to create real customer and business value. The gap isn’t execution. It’s how goals, assumptions, and decisions are discussed.
Structured Conversations is a practical toolkit for closing that gap.
This book shows product leaders, Agile coaches, and delivery teams how to use clear language and visual thinking to align strategy, product decisions, and day‑to‑day work around measurable outcomes.
In this book, you’ll learn how to:
Write clear, outcome‑focused goals using VERB + NOUN syntax that eliminate ambiguity
Connect customer needs to business impact using Empathy Mapping, Customer Journey Mapping, and Impact Mapping
Align product roadmaps and delivery plans with OKRs that drive accountability and learning
Validate assumptions early using Hypothesis‑Driven Development and Example Mapping
Facilitate cross‑functional Agile conversations where disagreements become productive
Turn vague requirements into clear, executable user stories that teams interpret the same way
Drawing on experience across startups, financial services, and large‑scale Agile transformations, Structured Conversations bridges the gap between product strategy and value delivery with techniques that work in real‑world environments.
The approaches are modular. Start with the technique that addresses your biggest challenge today. Each chapter includes step‑by‑step guidance, real examples, and “Try This Right Now”exercises you can apply immediately.
Whether you work in product management, Agile delivery, or organizational change, this book helps you turn good intentions into measurable outcomes.
The Review
This was a compelling, engaging business-driven book. The authors do a wonderful job of hooking readers with a simple yet impactful solution that creates engagement and interest in companies and their products. The balance between thoughtful lessons and frameworks for driving these successes, along with the actual workbooks and guides the authors create, allows readers to put what they’ve learned into practice, making this a memorable book to get lost in.
The precision and expertise with which the authors lay out their templates was incredible. The idea of using a single noun and verb to communicate products and services, and of creating a comprehensive structure that businesses can build upon, was fantastic and incredibly innovative. The author’s writing style was engaging and to the point, and they imparted a lot of knowledge in just a short amount of time.
The Verdict
Engaging, thought-provoking, and compelling, “Connecting Goals to Impacts and Outcomes” by author Claude Hanhart and Rachel Collins is a must-read nonfiction book. The structure and clarity these concepts bring to readers, and the way the authors show readers how to approach these steps rather than just talk at the reader, make this a stunning book that readers can pick up and use as a reference time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Authors
Claude Hanhart is a Product Strategist and Agile Coach with 10+ years of leadership experience in driving groundbreaking product strategies and agile transformations. His approach centers on fostering innovation rooted in business objectives, customer experience, and market leadership through tools such as Generative AI, OKRs, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).
Claude’s unique academic background – with an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages from the University of Berne in Switzerland and an MA in Geography from the University of Minnesota – brings an interdisciplinary perspective to modern product challenges. His multilingual abilities in German, Swiss German, and French have proven invaluable in international collaborations.
Structured Conversations represents Claude’s commitment to bridging strategic thinking with practical implementation. Currently based in New Jersey with his wife, Claude finds that their three energetic dogs serve as daily reminders about the importance of clear communication and patient guidance – principles that translate beautifully into his professional coaching work.
Rachel is a seasoned business‑strategy professional whose career has been built around turning complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. With a track record of guiding organizations toward measurable impact, she blends rigorous, data‑driven analysis with a human‑centric mindset – always asking how people, processes, and technology can work together more effectively. Her practical, results‑focused approach has helped teams align goals, streamline actions, and translate those actions into lasting outcomes.
Structured Conversations marks Rachel’s first full‑length publication, and she feels especially honored to have been invited by Claude to co‑create this work. Rachel lives in North Carolina with her husband and their four rambunctious cats. When she isn’t untangling business puzzles, you’ll find her exploring the local arts scene, hiking and mountain biking, or enjoying a quiet evening of reading with her feline companions.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Dustin Grinnell shares a powerful collection of short stories featuring characters exploring their existence in “The Healing Book.”
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The Synopsis
The Healing Book is a poignant collection of short stories that explore the intricate dance between loss, failure, and redemption, delving into the lives of characters who grapple with the paradoxes of contemporary existence.
From a neurosurgeon’s search for solace in a Peruvian ayahuasca ceremony to a middle-aged man’s rebellion against self-help literature and societal norms, each story is a journey of psychological, emotional, and spiritual healing. Imbued with wisdom and insight, the narratives offer readers a moment of reflection and a touchstone in their own search for personal growth and transformation.
Whether it’s a theoretical physicist’s existential crisis or a burned-out office worker’s search for peace, each story in The Healing Book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of narrative to heal and transform.
The Review
Each story in this collection was so compelling and emotionally driven. The characters felt so grounded and relatable, and the author’s imagery really drove home the emotional depth of each story. What stood out was how well-rounded each story was, allowing the characters to find a sense of closure without feeling open-ended.
The strong themes and emotional storytelling are what stood out the most in this collection. The range of characters and themes was astounding, from a husband who will go to impossible lengths to help heal his ailing wife, to an office worker who seeks to find a new calling in life and so much more, each story touched upon the ways in which we encounter and overcome loss, and the ways in which failure can lead to redemption in any circumstance.
The Verdict
Compelling, engaging, and memorable, “The Healing Book” by author Dustin Grinnell is a must-read collection of short stories. The heart and passion of each character in each story could be felt by the reader as the author delved into their lives, and the perfect balance of tension, emotion, and personal struggle made this a thrilling collection that felt both entertaining and healing. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Dustin Grinnell is a fiction writer and essayist based in Boston. He’s the author of the short story
collection, The Healing Book (Finishing Line Press), The Empathy Academy (Atmosphere Press), and a
collection of personal essays, Lost & Found: Reflections on Travel, Career, Love and Family (Peter Lang
Group). His creative nonfiction has appeared in many magazines and literary journals, including The LA
Review of Books, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, New Scientist, Vice, Salon, and Writer’s
Digest, among others. He’s also the host of the podcast, Curiously. See more of his work at his website.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Matthew Kaufman shares the science and tools of building communities in the book “The Campfire Effect.”
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The Synopsis
What if the secret to building stronger teams, closer families, and more connected classrooms has been hiding in plain sight for over a century?
For more than thirty years as a summer camp professional, Matt Kaufman has watched thousands of children transform from anxious strangers into lifelong friends in a matter of weeks. Along the way, he noticed something remarkable: camp wasn’t just creating memories. It was engineering belonging through a neurochemical process that most organizations stumble into by accident.
The Campfire Effect reveals the five-chemical framework behind that transformation: oxytocin for trust, dopamine for motivation, cortisol for resilience, serotonin for dignity, and endorphins for joy. Together, they form a flywheel that any leader, parent, or teacher can set in motion.
Most communities are accidental. Yours should be intentional.
Inside, you’ll discover:
• Why your workplace may be functioning as what psychologists call a “wire mother,” and what to do about it
• The surprising reason your best employees are leaving (it’s not the money)
• How a single three-word check-in can transform the culture of a team, a classroom, or a family dinner
• Why stress plus support equals growth, but stress alone equals damage
• What Google’s Project Aristotle and a cabin full of eleven-year-olds have in common
Each of the seventeen chapters ends with a Monday Morning Blueprint, giving you concrete tools for parents, managers, and teachers. The appendices include ready-to-use agreement templates, fifty questions to spark connection, a troubleshooting guide, and a one-page cheat sheet you can pin to your wall.
Whether you lead a team of five or a school of five hundred, The Campfire Effect gives you the science, the stories, and the step-by-step tools to build communities where people actually belong.
The Review
This felt like such a relatable, fun, and engaging read. The reality of many books on leadership, business, and life itself can feel too technical and data driven at times, and the experiences and stories the author brings to this book changes the formula greatly. The amount of research the author put into creating this book by including well-founded research and study on human brain chemistry and the impact of social interaction overall was astounding to see on the pages of this book.
The heart of the book was not in the science itself, but in the impact that science had on highlighting the importance of community as a whole. The emotional connection people make when they find their community, and the bonds that form between individuals in that community help motivate and inspire others in their everyday life, and the way the author is able to apply that through these composite figures they create to represent the people they’ve met over the years was inspired and highly creative. Insights into how quiet leadership can accomplish a great deal of things or how even technology like Zoom calls can become the modern-day equivalent of gathering around the campfire and exchanging stories is a testament to the way forming bonds can push people forward in life.
The Verdict
Insightful, compelling, and enthralling, author Matthew Kaufman’s “The Campfire Effect” is a must-read nonfiction book on leadership development, relationships, and the science of community. The depth of knowledge is well-balanced by the personal stories and experiences the author is able to relate that knowledge to, and will keep readers eager to use this book as a great reference book long after they have finished reading it. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Matt Kaufman trained as an engineer. He has spent over thirty years applying that discipline to the most complex system imaginable: human belonging. His laboratory is summer camp.
What began as a summer job became a lifelong study of what makes groups of strangers become families. As a camp director, Matt has watched thousands of children cross the threshold from fear to courage, from isolation to belonging. He has decoded the invisible architecture that made these transformations possible.
In The Campfire Effect, Matt translates the principles of camp into practical tools for leaders, educators, and families. He shows how to bring the warmth of the campfire into the cold of the conference room and the quiet of the kitchen table.
Matt continues to believe that every organization, every classroom, and every home can become an intentional community.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Mel Blackwell shares the lessons he learned to create a culture of problem solving in successful businesses in the book “Uncommon Sense.”
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The Synopsis
Does your business look successful on the outside—but feel chaotic on the inside? Are you stuck in constant firefighting, watching the same problems repeat while people dodge responsibility and culture slowly erodes? Is your culture just dysfunctional enough that everyone’s comfortably miserable, too afraid of the change that actually removes the root obstacles?
You don’t need another trendy leadership theory. You need something that actually works. Fix your culture and all metrics improve immeasurably.
After more than 35 years leading startups, turnarounds, and large organizations, former EOS Integrator Mel Blackwell has seen what really breaks businesses—and what actually fixes them. He’s led from the shop floor to the C-suite, rebuilt broken teams, and helped leaders move from chaos to clarity when pressure was real and payroll was due.
Uncommon Sense: The Fight to Fix Your Workplace Culture in the Wild West of Business is built on battle-tested leadership—not buzzwords. Through gritty stories, plainspoken wisdom, and practical tools, Mel shows you how to build a culture that can take a hit, solve problems fast, and keep moving forward.
This book doesn’t sell theory. It gives you a roadmap.
In this book, you’ll learn:
How to build a problem-solving culture instead of a complaining one
How to build winning leverage and traction into your culture
Why structure must come before people—and how to get it right
How to lead with accountability, not excuses
The system for eliminating toxic behavior that attracts, empowers, and develops good people
Best Pledge™—How to get the absolute best from your people because people as their worst self will not deliver best practice
How to align your team around vision and stellar execution
Why every organization needs two visions—and how to use them
How to lead with courage and win when pressure hits
Plus, you’ll discover why most leaders are “worshipping problems” instead of solving them, why not everyone belongs in every role, and how real leadership shows up when things get hard.
This book doesn’t read like a consultant talking at you. It’s written by a mentor walking beside you—telling the truth, sharing the scars, and showing you what works in the trenches.
When you apply what’s inside this book, leadership gets clearer. Problems get smaller. People are at their best. Teams get stronger. You gain leverage. And your business becomes something that can survive storms instead of being wrecked by them.
If you’re tired of drifting, guessing, and putting out fires—and ready to lead with clarity, courage, and confidence—this is your moment.
Buy Uncommon Sense: The Fight to Fix Your Workplace Culture in the Wild West of Business today and start building a culture that actually works.
The Review
This was a powerful and insightful read that really does a remarkable job of cutting through the technical jargon and power words that so many other business books like to focus on for leadership and instead focuses on getting to the root of many company’s problems. The honest and engaging way the author engaged with the reader and wrote in a way that felt conversational in tone allowed the reader to hone in on the author’s core messages and experiences and apply those lessons throughout the book to their own life.
The author touches upon a lot of useful and tried and true practices and engaging tools that management, leadership, and aspiring entrepreneurs can use on a daily basis. The idea of leaders needing not only an initial vision for the company, but a subvision of how the company will get to that end goal was fascinating, as was the square wheeled wagon theory the author presents that reflects the misdiagnosis of company problems that often lead to more issues than results. The imagery and creative ways in which the author relates these problems are not only fun but help illustrate the problems perfectly.
The Verdict
Engaging, thoroughly-presented, and compelling, author Mel Blackwell’s “Uncommon Sense” is a must-read business and leadership nonfiction book that will both inspire and educate readers who are looking to establish a solid, functioning culture of cohesiveness for their businesses. The even pacing of the book and detailed practices the author puts out there for readers to utilize will keep them not only engaged in the book, but utilizing it as a point of reference time and time again. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Mel Blackwell has been fixing broken businesses for over 35 years. He started in a smoke-filled trailer park collection office right out of high school and worked his way up to leading teams at billion-dollar companies. He’s run startups, turned around failing businesses, and spent more than 20 years in VP-level C-suite roles.
He’s learned what works and what doesn’t, usually by screwing things up first, then figuring out how to fix them. He’s walked into businesses that looked like shot-up saloons and helped turn them into places where good people actually want to work.
Mel doesn’t sell complicated frameworks or flavor-of-the-month programs. He shoots straight about what it takes to build a culture that can actually handle the Wild West of business. No fluff. No corporate jargon. Just what works.
When he speaks or coaches, people tell him he makes complicated things simple. That’s because he’s lived it. He knows what it’s like to be in the middle of the fire with no perfect answer and a team looking to you for direction. He is featured in International Business Times, USA Today, CEO Weekly, and MSN.
Mel holds a BS in Marketing from Auburn University and an MA in Management from The University of Alabama, but most of what he knows came from doing the work, not from a textbook.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman returns to the small island she spent childhood summers at with her late godmother and must discover if her godmother died naturally or by nefarious means in author Jennifer K. Breedlove’s “Murder Will Out.”
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The Synopsis
Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award winner Jennifer K. Breedlove brings coastal Maine to life in Murder Will Out, a lighter, modern gothic mystery that’s as atmospheric as it is heart-warming.
Come for the memories. Stay for the murder…
Little North Island, off the coast of Maine, is so beautiful it could be a postcard. Organist Willow Stone cherishes her memories of childhood summers spent on the island with her godmother Sue… even though her visits ended abruptly, and she hasn’t seen or heard from her godmother in over fifteen years. Until a letter from Sue—and word of Sue’s death—brings Willow back to the picturesque island.
The islanders rarely mention Sue without also bringing up Cameron House, and the controversy around Sue’s unexpected inheritance of the sprawling mansion. When Willow overhears someone threatening the next heir to the property, she starts to question whether Sue’s death was really an accident, and can’t help but wonder whether someone on this sleepy island is willing to stop at nothing—even murder—to claim Cameron House for their own.
Through Willow’s eyes, as well as those of others on the island, a mystery unfolds that keeps drawing Willow back to Cameron House and the very real ghosts that walk its corridors.
The Review
Atmospheric is immediately what comes to mind with this book. The author does a remarkable job of balancing mystery with a haunting, almost gothic atmosphere that draws the reader in instantly. The powerful imagery brings this New England island to life in vivid detail, and readers are left breathlessly gasping with each shocking loss that turns the list of suspects in the case into a killer’s playpen of victims, and the protagonist caught in the maelstrom the killer leaves behind.
The character development was top notch in this narrative. The alternating perspectives gave the mystery more depth and nuance, while the protagonist WIllow had a well-rounded journey. To see the shy, quiet young woman step up and find not only her voice but a community as she delved deeper into the secrets of this island was fantastic, and the ghostly presences that made their way into her life not only gave these island secrets life but dove into the sordid history of her own past as well.
The Verdict
Chilling, heartfelt, and enthralling, author Jennifer K. Breedlove’s “Murder Will Out” is a must-read gothic mystery novel that perfectly brings to mind classics like Stephen King’s Bag of Bones and any great Agatha Christie novel. The emotional depth of Willow’s journey and the shocking revelations the closing chapters bring to life, as well as the tension underlining the inciting incident of this novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats as this story progresses. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
JENNIFER K. BREEDLOVE is a Chicago area composer, conductor, author, editor, and educator. A frequent visitor to Downeast Maine since childhood, she has an enduring affection for the wild beauty of the coastal islands and the warmth of the people who make their homes there. Her debut novel, Murder Will Out, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award.
I received a free copy of this book and exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author K.A. Pierce shares the reason why more people should choose trade work as their first choice of a career in the book “The Hands That Built This.”
The Synopsis
America is running out of people who know how to build what it needs.
The Hands That Built This is a compact, urgent memoir-manifesto by K.A. Pierce—14 years as a carpenter and ironworker and nearly two decades as a construction-safety professional—that argues trades must be first-choice careers, not Plan B.
Through vivid job site scenes, program case studies, and practical policy steps, Pierce demonstrates how apprenticeships, earn-while-you-learn models, mentorship for women, and safety-first training can address labor shortages, mitigate costly failures, and provide stable, debt-free lives.
Concise, actionable, and voice-driven, this book provides parents, educators, contractors, and policymakers with a clear roadmap to rebuild the skilled trades and the communities they sustain.
The Review
This was such an insightful and engaging read from the get-go. The author writes with passion in an insight into trade work that is inspiring, and will resonate with readers greatly. The fast pacing of the book will allow readers to not only connect with the message of the book, but we’ll give it that re–readability factor that is perfect for books like this that are a constant source of both inspiration and resourcefulness.
The author balances a personal writing style that feels very conversational to the reader with both expertise and familial experience that will allow readers to feel the importance of trade work in our world. The author does a great job highlighting the shame aspect a trade work that has for too long, taken young people away from this line of work and instead of showcases, the heart, the nobility and the honor that could be found in this line of work. The book is also a great source of alternate learning for those who never felt called to higher education, but have a passion for creative yet stable work and also highlights the historical accomplishments trade work has been responsible for.
The Verdict
Well balanced, engaging, and heartfelt, Author K.A. Pierce’s “The Hands That Built This” is a must read non-fiction memoir meets inspirational guide for any young person who seek a direction in life involving trade work. The amount of knowledge and insight the author is able to fit into such a short read is astounding and readers will feel connected to the author’s story while also allowing them to see themselves in a position to pursue a career and trade work. If you haven’t yet, please grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
About the Author
I have several books published under various pen names across diverse genres: self-help for personal growth, historical fiction weaving tales of the past, fantasy worlds of imagination, and practical guides to growing orchids.
Each project reflects my curiosity and commitment to sharing knowledge that empowers and inspires.
However, construction is a passion of mine and has treated me well over the years. With over 34 years in the construction trade, with 14 years as a carpenter and ironworker, I transitioned into Safety in 2008. I led zero-incident sites and coached more construction workers than I can count in order to protect the crews and foster leadership. My book “The Hands That Built This: Restoring Respect and Rebuilding the Future of the Trades”reflects that passion.
Born and raised in rural Minnesota, where hardworking values shaped my early years, I’ve always been drawn to hands-on pursuits. My Dad was a carpenter, and he could build or fix anything. Life took me on a journey through Texas and then Indiana before landing in sunny Florida, each place adding layers to my story. I have worked all over the US – including Alaska and Puerto Rico- and in some interesting places as well, like Antarctica’s South Pole Station. That’s another story!
Whether building structures or stories, I believe in restoring respect for skilled hands—those that craft our world. This site is a hub for my work, insights, and connections. Explore, connect, and let’s build something meaningful together.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Bob McCauley shares a brand new collection of short stories in the book “A Stranger In Foreign Lands.”
The Synopsis
Screenshot
There is a debate as to how many types of fiction there are. Some say there are over 144 genres and subgenres of fiction, romance fiction being the world’s most popular and widely sold. I’m not exactly sure which is the least popular, but I would certainly place among them literary fiction. Some have concluded that the difference between literary fiction and all its other genres is meaning over entertainment. Literary fiction has meaning, and as Ernest Hemingway once said, it is like an iceberg in that 10% of the work’s meaning is above the surface of the water, while the remaining 90% is below the surface. I write literary fiction because of my love for it. I want it to be discussed in university classrooms and literary circles. And because it is by far the most difficult type of fiction to write.
The Review
This was a compelling and gripping collection of short stories in the literary fiction genre. The thoughtful presentation of each story really allowed readers to be able to feel immersed in each setting as these stories took place in the Middle East. The fast pacing of a story gave the reader plenty of time to really connect with these characters while also feeling the emotional pacing of their journey.
The book also journeys to the near and far east. The stories range from personal to cultural and beyond and allow the reader to feel immersed in each areas, specific culture and history. The tone of the collection speaks to the authors experiences in life and passion for telling intimate and compelling personal stories that are reflected in rich and dynamic characters.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, compelling, and enthralling author, Bob McCauley’s “A Stranger in Foreign Lands” is a must read collection of literary short fiction. Each story felt direct into the point and yet also personal and profound at the same time. Readers will feel completely immersed, and the specific cultures found in this collection and will feel an emotional pull to travel and experience the world for themselves. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to grab your copy today!
Reading: 10/10
About the Author
I grew up on a junk-food diet in the 1960s. I never considered then that what went into my body was of any importance until I started running cross country and track in high school. By my early 20s, I was a vegetarian but had only given up meat since I still ate eggs and dairy products. I went into the bottled water business 25 years ago. What I knew from the very beginning was that I had a health product. Shortly after that, I discovered alkaline ionized water, spirulina, and chlorella, the raw food diet, and how to be truly healthy. I decided I wanted a more formal education about natural health, so I became a Certified Nutritional Consultant. A few years later, I became a Certified Master Herbalist and eventually a Naturopathic Doctor. However, the vast majority of what I know about health is what I have experienced personally. The water I drink, the foods that I consume, my exercise regimen, and how it all makes me feel. My health protocol is my lifestyle, and my lifestyle is my health protocol. I am a Roman Catholic.
