ARC Review: Twice as Hard

Title: Twice As Hard: Navigating Black Stereotypes and Creating Space for Success
Author: Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke
Source/Format: Bookish First and DK Publishing; Paperback ARC
Publisher/ Release date: DK; Jun 15, 2021

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Synopsis From Goodreads:

An inspirational book about what it means to be Black in the working world, with practical steps on how to overcome prejudice to find success
This book is an exercise in building your network. We've spoken to over 40 successful business people to help you gain from their advice and create space for your own personal growth. Twice As Hard is an exploration of Black identity in the working world and a blueprint for success. You will learn what obstacles limit opportunity for Black professional progress, how to understand and overcome racial stereotypes, be productive, find purpose, and ultimately thrive in business.
(Read the rest on Goodreads)

What I Thought:

Twice as Hard by Opeyemi Sofoluke & Raphael Sofoluke is a mixture of statistics, advice, and interviews. It also goes into some details about the experiences that people have as Black professionals. Besides advice, it is definitely much food for thought.

 
I barely read the synopsis, so I went into this initially thinking it was going to be mostly interviews. But, as I mentioned above, it was a mixture –which I loved. It had a lot of personal anecdotes and quotes from the interviewees. Plus, there wasn’t much paraphrasing, essentially letting the contributors add their own voices. But that’s not all. Each chapter delves into various situations using statistics, the authors’ own experiences, and the interviews to back it up. Situations like draining experiences and feeling unwelcome in certain spaces, especially in corporate ones. However, at every turn there was a piece of positive, uplifting, and encouraging advice to get through. Finally, I absolutely loved that the last chapter is full of advice from everyone, and the reflective questions at the end of all the chapters (except the final).

Over all, I enjoyed Twice as Hard and the advice that comes with it. I recommend checking it out if it seems interesting to you.

I received this book from Bookish First and DK for this review.

Thanks for reading!

Book Review: The CEO Next Door

Title: The CEO Next Doot
Authors: Elena L. Botelho, Kim R. Powell, Tahl Raz
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; hardcover
More Details: Management
Publisher/ Release date: Currency, March 26 2018

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble     Book Depository (Paperback)

Synopsis from Penguin Random House:
Based on an in-depth analysis of over 2,600 leaders drawn from a database of more than 17,000 CEOs and C-suite executives, as well 13,000 hours of interviews, and two decades of experience advising CEOs and executive boards, Elena L. Botelho and Kim R. Powell overturn the myths about what it takes to get to the top and succeed. 

My Thoughts:

What if the path to being a CEO wasn’t as complicated as you once thought? Well The CEO Next Door almost entirely proves just that. It’s not just an inspirational book; it’s also a rational one, proving that you don’t have to be perfect to be a CEO and that hard work and smart decisions can get you to the top as well.

Most proof for the ideas the authors’ present came from interviews of current and former CEOs as well as some board members and previous counseling experiences. Their quotes and experiences proved that nothing overly fancy is required. Besides that, I like the fact that every experience wasn’t presented as being peachy-keen. The authors readily provided examples of pitfalls from not handling mistakes well to negative attitudes and actions that can totally obliterate a career.

Small details presented in a book can make the biggest difference for me. As such, the details and layout in The CEO Next Door made it an engaging read. First, I loved the text boxes that included additional information and never interrupted a sentence. They were usually placed strategically after a paragraph was completed. Secondly, except for chapter one, each chapter contained a small section called Key Takeaways. So, instead of skimming through pages to refer back to information I’d already read, I simply had to go to the end of each chapter to locate the information.

Overall, the CEO Next Door was a highly inspiring book. I recommend giving it a read especially if you’re an aspiring CEO.

Thanks for reading.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

Book Review: The Startup Way

Title: The Startup Way
Author: Eric Ries (Website)
Source/Format: Blogging for Books; Hardcover
More Details: Nonfiction, Managment
Publisher/ Release date: Currency; October 17, 2017

Goodreads     Barnes & Noble    Penguin Random House

Synopsis from Penguin Random House:
Entrepreneur and bestselling author of The Lean Startup, Eric Ries reveals how entrepreneurial principles can be used by businesses of all kinds, ranging from established companies to early-stage startups, to grow revenues, drive innovation, and transform themselves into truly modern organizations, poised to take advantage of the enormous opportunities of the twenty-first century...

My Thoughts

As described by the synopsis and title, The Startup Way by Eric Reis is an overview of management technique(s). In it, he suggests possible ways that businesses, especially larger corporations, can modernize by run efficiently and smarter.

Reis presents a different view of businesses, by encouraging focus on customers. The author discusses how to apply entrepreneurial ideas with in organizations and how it can benefit the company as a whole. I enjoyed the fact that this book wasn’t filled with fancy business terminology, which was easy to understand. Most terms/ phrases were explained clear enough when first introduced. Another is that the ideas were presented as suggestions rather than a “you must do step a-z to see results”. Actually the driving force behind taking such techniques into consideration was the stories Reis included about the companies that took his advice –which included a discussion of their previous successes and failures.

I had no strife with The Startup Way. The writing flowed making it an enjoyable read. As such, I recommend checking it out.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
Thanks for reading.