Reviews
Book reviews, product reviews, and recommendations
24 articlesJust the Good Stuff: No-BS Secrets to Success (No Matter What Life Throws at You)” by Jim VandeHei (Book Review)
A critical review of Jim VandeHei's leadership book through the lens of evidence-based management, comparing it to Jeffrey Pfeffer's standards.
The Tech Coup: A Crucial Wake-Up Call for the Digital Age
A review of The Tech Coup by Marietje Schaake, examining how tech companies undermine democracy and what governments and citizens must do to reclaim digital sov
Power, for All by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro (Book Review)
A review of Power, for All by Battilana and Casciaro, exploring ethical power dynamics, democratized leadership, and how power can create positive-sum outcomes.
Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change by Marc Benioff (Book Review)
A review of Trailblazer by Marc Benioff, exploring how Salesforce uses business as a platform for societal change through values-driven leadership.
Take Back Your Power by Deb Liu (Book Review)
A review of Take Back Your Power by Deb Liu, offering evidence-based leadership strategies for women and underrepresented groups in the workplace.
You Are What You Risk by Michele Wucker (Book Review)
A review of You Are What You Risk by Michele Wucker, exploring risk perception, risk empathy, and how our experiences shape our approach to uncertainty.
Why I Recommend Using Spike for Email, Instant Messaging, and Video Chat (Review)
A review of Spike, the email app that combines email, instant messaging, video chat, and calendar into one streamlined interface.
Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas (Book Review)
A review of Humor, Seriously by Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas, exploring how humor serves as a leadership skill and workplace strategy.
The Creator’s Code by Amy Wilkinson (book review)
A review of Amy Wilkinson's The Creator's Code, examining six essential entrepreneurial skills from gap-finding to generosity in building successful ventures.
The Leadership Fairy Tale Problem: Why Most Leadership Advice Will Sabotage Your Career
A review of Stanford professor Jeffrey Pfeffer's Leadership BS, examining five systemic flaws in mainstream leadership advice and why evidence-based approaches
Mandela’s Way: Lessons on Life, Love, and Courage (Book Review)
Review of Mandela's Way by Richard Stengel, a journalist's account of real-world leadership lessons from Nelson Mandela grounded in evidence, not fairy tales.
Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters by Jeff Sonnenfeld (Book Review)
Review of Jeff Sonnenfeld's Firing Back, a study of how leaders recover from major career setbacks through resilience, adaptability, and self-belief.
Your Brain At Work (Book Review)
Review of David Rock's Your Brain At Work, a neuroscience-based guide to improving professional performance, personal relationships, and daily productivity.
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen (Book Review)
A review of Born to Run by Christopher McDougall, a book about ultrarunning, the Tarahumara people, and why cooperation matters more than competition.
SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance (Book Review)
A review of SuperFreakonomics by Levitt and Dubner, a book that challenges established wisdom using statistics and unconventional analysis.
Vivo Barefoot Shoes by Terra Plana (Product Review)
A review of Vivo Barefoot shoes by Terra Plana for everyday and formal wear, covering comfort, health benefits, and negotiation tips for purchase.
Vibram Five Fingers Shoes For Hiking and Water Sports (Product Review)
A review of Vibram Five Fingers barefoot shoes for hiking and gym workouts, covering health benefits, outdoor use, and the unconventional look drawback.
I now use a device called Drobo for storing data at my home network (Product Review)
A review of the Drobo network-attached storage device for home data protection, covering RAID-like redundancy and flexible drive expansion.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Book Review)
A review of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, a gripping novel about friendship, culture, and immigration set in Afghanistan and San Francisco.
The Amazon Kindle is a Practical & Excellent Reading Device (Product Review)
A review of the original Amazon Kindle e-reader, covering its E Ink display, battery life, document conversion, and focused reading experience.
iGo Universal Charging Adapters for Multiple Devices (Product Review)
A review of iGo universal charging adapters for powering multiple devices while traveling, covering benefits, shortcomings, and tip interchangeability.
I now use WordPress publishing software for this site (Product Review)
A review of WordPress as a content management system for blogs and news sites, covering architecture, scalability, plugins, and alternatives.
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (Book Review)
A 3/5 review of Freakonomics by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner: sensationalist but valuable for challenging conventional wisdom.
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell (Book Review)
A 4/5 review of Malcolm Gladwell's Blink, exploring intuition and split-second decisions, validating the idea that emotions involve subconscious analysis.