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Booktalking “Uprising” by Margaret Peterson Haddix

New York City in 1910, site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. Bella, Yetta and Jane. Three young women, seemingly so different, yet so entwined in their thought, attitudes and actions. Three teens devoted to cause, workers’ rights and women’s rights. Females who are ahead of their time with progressive ideas.  

Bella works diligently in the factory to make a life for herself and to send money back home to her family. She tries to accomplish her work systematically and carefully, but she is goaded into speed by threats of not being paid. Every needle broken and every shirtwaist with threads still dangling means a deduction from her week’s pay. The workers are watched constantly, and bags are checked upon departure to ensure that no shirtwaists are stolen. Her landlord takes her money and promises to send it to her relatives.  

Yetta is a worker in the same factory… until some of the workers go on strike. She stands outside in the freezing cold and chants with the others, demanding better pay, hours and working conditions. Police bloody and arrest the striking workers. They send them to work camps. Fatigue, hunger and poverty wear on these young women, yet they carry on. The union leaders come back to them with a deal from the bosses: better hours and pay, but no closed shop. This means that management can hire non-union workers and treat them as they please. Yetta and her colleagues find this deal completely unacceptable. Yet the union settles with management.  

Jane lives in the lap of luxury, but she detests it. Her father is one of the owners of a factory, and she is appalled by how little he pays his domestic staff. He will not allow her to attend college as her friend, Eleanor, does. Jane is bored out of her mind, staying home with nothing to do but dress fittings and society balls. She longs to be active in the world and not passively allow her life to slip by. The teen gets the opportunity to watch the workers’ strike, and she attempts to help the workers that she meets and comes to care about.  

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2007  

This book blew my mind. The women’s lives are intricately woven together. The social issues of the time, women’s suffrage and workers’ rights, are brilliantly highlighted. Yetta, Bella and Jane have staunch, iron wills that they put to good use.  

Triangle shirtwaist fire books

Haddix’s web site

Books on workers’ rights

Books on women’s suffrage

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Booktalking “Becoming” by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama became the first black First Lady of the United States in January of 2008. In order to get there, she had to be better, stronger, and faster than the rest. Being a first anything is tough, but Michelle Obama did an excellent job at promoting physical fitness and healthy eating at a time when childhood and adult obesity rates were at epic proportions. She epitomized grace in her role, inspired young women, and supported her family through all of the ups and downs of constant surveillance. Her opinions influenced the presidency of Barack Obama and their daughters thrived throughout the experience, which is no small feat. I am so glad that Michelle Obama was the First Lady of color en la casa blanca.  

Getting to the Oval office was no small feat. Michelle honestly did not think that her husband could win, but she went above and beyond to make sure that it happened. She reduced her hours at a Chicago hospital to three days per week so that she could spend more time out on the campaign trail. She and the girls spent hours in transit between events in order to promote the Obama-Biden ticket. She spoke about her personal experience with Barack and her belief in what her husband had to offer so many times. In thanks for her efforts, the press labelled her as “angry,” which caused her to adjust her nonverbal communication.  

Michelle Robinson and Barack Obama met in Chicago in the 1980s as young lawyers. Barack was an intern that the law office assigned to Michelle. Her job was basically to mentor and woo him to the firm as a permanent employee. Michelle was struck by his nonchalant and humble manner. Barack was still in law school, but he was a few years older than her. He quickly became known in the firm as a rising star. Michelle was unsure about the appropriateness of dating him. Nevertheless, the two were soon together, and staff of the firm were aware of this. They eventually moved in together, married, and had Malia and Sasha. The demands of Barack’s work put some strain on the marriage, but counseling helped them resolve their issues.  

Michelle never thought of herself as the political type. However, her sprint through schooling and the bar exam towards societal standards of success left her feeling empty. Her law career earned her much money and took up all of her time, but it did not provide fulfillment. Michelle found herself working in the mayor’s office for much less money, but she liked it. She became an assistant commissioner then she took an administrative job in a local hospital. Being a great mother is what she did when not on the job. She and Barack always made sure that the girls had everything they needed, including happiness.  

Becoming by Michelle Obama, 2018  

This is the story of a remarkable woman who did everything under her power to promote her husband’s talents and shatter the barriers of color and socio-economic status. She shared her husband’s talents with the world. Through sheer exhaustive effort, she persevered in helping America elect its first black president and first black family. Millions of individuals were elated to experience the historic moment of just one more step towards racial equality in this country. Thank you for all that you do and all that you did for America, Michelle Obama.  

Books about Michelle Obama

Obama Foundation

Obama Presidential Library

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Booktalking “Know Your Power” by Nancy Pelosi

Braids or pigtails. This was the big morning drama while raising four young daughters and a son. Nancy Pelosi was happy to put her little kids in a stroller while leafletting local venues to support her candidates whose ideals she believed in. Pelosi loved raising kids, and she was happy enough doing housework, but she did not want that to be her reality forever. She wanted more… Eventually she became more involved with the Democratic National Convention, but it was not until her youngest child was in high school that she contemplated running for office. She consulted Alexandra, who told her to get a life, and she did.  

Nancy Pelosi had her sights set on Washington.  

Pelosi ran for a congressional seat to represent San Fransisco, her beloved city, in the United States House of Representatives, and she won. Growing up in a political family helped prepare her for this eventuality. Her father, Thomas D’Alesandro, was also a US rep and the former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. The lady was familiar with what it took to run a campaign, win, and do a splendid job of representing the people in governmental bodies. Being a woman, of course, made her path all the more challenging. Since policy is a male-dominated field, Pelosi was often the only woman or one of few in meetings. Pelosi was so excited to be working in Washington and fighting for her district. Healthcare for all, including children and those with painful diseases, was and is a top priority for her. In fact, in 1987 when she was sworn in she mentioned the eradication or cure of HIV and AIDS as one of the issues that she would fight for.  

Nancy Pelosi was not interested in running for speaker in 1994 when members initially approached her. Her plan was to simply serve five terms (a decade) in office and call it a day. She thought that 10 years was plenty long. However, she decided to run for Whip, and she loved securing the Democratic votes that were necessary to help whichever bill was on the floor to pass. Of course, she has now been a congresswoman for 33 years, and she is still going strong. It is not so surprising that she is championing work on the second federal covid relief bill, signed into law by President Biden on March 11, 2021.  

Know Your Power: a Message to America’s Daughters by Nancy Pelosi, 2008  

This lady is an inspiration to girls and women everywhere.  

Books about Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi’s web site

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Booktalking “Everybody’s Got Something” by Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts: the happy-go-lucky host of Good Morning America (GMA). After beating breast cancer, it seemed like a double blow when she discovered that she now suffered from bone marrow cancer. Miraculously, one of her sisters, Sally Ann, was a perfect match. Of course, she agreed to be a donor. Complicating everyone’s lives and worrying the sisters was their mother’s illness. She had recently suffered a stroke, and her life was on the decline. Their other sister, Dorothy, was caring for her at home in hospice. Lucimarian Roberts died a few days before Robin’s transplant.  

Being a donor and a recipient of a transplant are both excruciatingly painful experiences. Robin rallied as best she could to get through this life hurdle. She was extremely grateful to the staff of GMA for being understanding and assuring her that her job would wait for her. They held a wonderful send-off for her. Fans gifted her blankets, get well cards and medical equipment. Robin also appreciated her medical team for caring for her, and her friends and family, especially her life partner, Amber, who was always present. She sacrificed so much to ensure that Robin was as well as possible under the circumstances. Oprah Winfrey sent thoughtful texts, and the Obamas sent flowers to the family for the loss of their mother.  

Robin was so excited to leave the hospital, see the sunshine and breathe fresh air. Though she was required to quarantine in her apartment for 100 days due to her weakened immune system, she was delighted to be home. She missed her Jack Russell terrier, but she was soon to be reunited with him. After 100 days, she got her dog, KJ, back, and her chances of survival were greatly improved. KJ was so happy to be back in the house that he scampered throughout the apartment with joy. In time, Robin was able to return to work at GMA on a part-time basis. Her energy flowed in fits and starts. Sometimes, she wanted to be back at work, and at others, she did not. She also needed to grieve for her mother, since chemotherapy stole her focus from that while she was in the hospital. Robin Roberts was on the mend; look out, world!  

Everybody’s Got Something by Robin Roberts, 2014  

I love the tenacity and upbeat nature of this indefatigable woman. Not only a TV icon, she is an inspiration to women everywhere, especially women of color.  

Robin Roberts’ podcast

Good Morning America

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Booktalking “Summer of a Thousand Pies” by Margaret Dilloway

12-year-old Cady Bennett finally gets to see her mother’s sister. The meeting does not occur in exactly the manner that she had hoped. Instead of having a wonderful family event, Shell arrives to remove her from foster care after her father ends up in jail… again. She takes the girl to Julian, a small rural community, to live with her and her partner, Suzanne. Michelle has dogs, chickens who lay eggs, a nice house, land, and best of all… a pie shop, Shell’s Pies. There is plenty of food there for Cady to eat and a place for her to stay, unlike the food and housing insecurity that she experienced with her father. However, the teen is unsure how long all of this will last. No one can tell her when her father will get out of prison.  

Cady is a foodie: she loves food and baking. She cannot wait to perfect her pie-making and cake-baking skills. Shell encourages the girl to make a thousand crusts in order to perfect the craft of pie making, and the first dozen or so have to be completed by hand. In the girl’s cooking adventures, she has a few foibles. One pie lands on the floor, pitched there by Cady in her frustration of not achieving a perfect crust. Her attempt at baking a cake and then forgetting it while it is baking results in a scorched mess… but she and Shell manage to salvage a few of the remains. Most troubling… this misadventure almost burned down the house.  

Cady likes Maria and her kids, Claudia and Jay, all of whom work in the pie shop. Jay becomes her buddy, and she hangs around town with him. It is distressing to the girl to learn of the family’s limited opportunities since they are undocumented immigrants. Jay and family live in constant fear of deportation, and they do not trust law enforcement officials. Cady’s family situation has different problems: her parents were addicted to drugs, and her father has not been stable. The two of them lived as vagabonds and homeless persons.  

By contrast, Shell and Suzanne are loving and sweet. There is only one glaring problem with this storybook scenario: the pie shop is in real financial trouble. Shell has had difficulty paying the bills, and the pie shop is alarmingly empty much of the time. Similar restaurant businesses in the area seem to be booming. Shell’s and Maria’s families depend of the shop for their livelihood. Can Cady imagine up any ideas to keep Shell’s Pies open for business? She better dream up a brilliant plan fast since bankruptcy is swiftly approaching.  

Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway, 2019  

I loved the stark, honest look into the lives of an undocumented family.  

Great British Bake Off

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Booktalking “Love is a Revolution” by Renée Watson

Nala’s life revolves around Imani, the cousin that she lives with, Tye, the boy she is crushing on, and her Grandma, whom she visits at her senior residential complex with Grandma’s friends. Imani is completely engulfed in her activist work at Imagine Harlem, and she is very enthusiastic about recycling. Tye has recently joined Imagine Harlem, and he wants Nala to be an activist, as well. Nala is a bit overwhelmed by their passion for the environment and zeal for social justice.  

But she has a solution. She will become whoever it is that she thinks Tye wants.  

Nala lies left and right to impress Tye. She professes to be a tree-hugging vegetarian. She falsely claims that she volunteers at a senior residential center. She even makes a faltering speech about doing the right thing at an Imagine Harlem event. But her heart is not in the social change movement. She wants to stop the dishonesty and be who she was meant to be. She is not ultra-prepared and she does not have her life figured out yet. She simply wants to enjoy a leisurely teenage summer with her friends, the food carts of Harlem, the festival, and the local creamery. Family and friends lie at the very heart of this teen’s existence.   

Sugar Hill, Harlem, is Nala’s universe. The girl loves spending time with her grandmother and the other older folks who reside in the senior living complex. During her frequently lengthy visits, the group discusses young people today, the lives of other residents, and the decor in the apartment complex. One day, one of the older women commented on the need for a redesign of the lounge space. Visual art on the walls would definitely spruce the place up. With that, Nala was up and running with grand plans for a photo legacy project to adorn the walls of the home. She even dragged Tye along with her to help.  

Love Is a Revolution by Renée Watson, 2021  

I am a big fan of Renée Watson. This novel is fun.  

Renée Watson’s web site

Books about Harlem

by Miranda McDermott

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Booktalking “The Girls” by Abigail Pesta

The lights, the glory… Olympic stars dances in these young girls’ eyes. It was especially dazzling and awe-inspiring when a doctor named Larry Nassar brought them souvenirs from the Olympic Games – pins or T-shirts. They loved all of it… the glitz and glamour were intoxicating. Larry was the nice guy to tough coach, John Geddert. The girls could complain to Larry about how hard John was on them. Injuries were not allowed. Gymnasts were ridiculed daily and worked beyond the point of exhaustion and light-headedness. Geddert brought athletes to the Olympics, but at what price?  

One girl stated that John let her fall when he was supposed to be spotting her as punishment for not performing a move correctly. Another claimed that he threw a springboard at her in anger. It was well known in the gym that injuries infuriated the well-known coach. It was better to pretend that mistakes did not happen than to be treated like trash. Young athletes practiced through broken bones and dislocated ribs. Sometimes, blood flowed freely while John screamed at them. Parents were not allowed in the gym, but they could observe practice through a sound-proof window. Few objected to what they saw and it was impossible to witness all of the mistreatment. For example, parents were not allowed at the infamous Karolyi Ranch, which has since closed.  

Olympic doctor Larry Nassar groomed his young victims with sweet words and gifts. He was distinctly fixated on a particular part of anatomy. In fact, the girls knew him around the Twistars USA Gymnastics Club in Lansing, MI as the “crotch doc.” He would touch the gymnasts’ private parts while claiming to treat back and spine pain. Oftentimes, parents were in the room during these “medical examinations,” but the doctor obscured their view by wrapping a towel around the girls’ waists. Some girls complained to their parents and gymnastics coach, Kathie Klages, to no avail. They were told that they were misinterpreting the “medical treatment.” Nassar’s reign of terror lasted from the 1990s until he was indicted in 2016. Fear of him ran through Twistars, where he volunteered, and Holt High School and Michigan State University, where he worked. He also abused many more athletes, such as dancers and volleyball players. They were in awe of his Olympic status, and he blithely took advantage of them and took from them what they were not willing to give. The repercussions of such pain, abuse and violations will run rivers through some of the victims’ relationships with loved ones, co-workers and the public for life.  

An investigation into Larry Nassar’s harmful actions commenced around 2014 as a result of women becoming older and more vocal about the maltreatment that they suffered at the hands of the doctor. In 2017, Nassar, who had been stripped of his medical license, pled guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual misconduct. Kathie Klages was convicted of lying to police. At the sentencing hearing of Nassar in 2018, 200 young women spent seven full days in court giving moving victim impact statements at a length of their own choosing. Michigan State University paid $500 million to Nassar’s victims, while USA Gymnastics, which has filed for bankruptcy, has offered $215 million to victims of Nassar. No more will Larry Nassar be allowed to terrorize young women by gratifying his sexual proclivities. These girls and women are stronger than him and Nassar will spend 40 to 125 years in prison for his horrific crimes.  

The Girls: An All-American Town: a Predatory Doctor and the Untold Story of the Gymnasts Who Brought Him Down by Abigail Pesta, 2019  

I was aware of the gargantuan sacrifice that Olympic hopefuls make in terms of giving up social lives outside of the gym, family vacations and the pain of injuries. The physical, psychological and sexual abuse that these gymnasts suffered is terrible. The fact that the abuse was allowed to continue for so many years is nothing but deplorable. I wish these women peace and happiness in their lives.  

Human Rights Watch

Champion Women

SafeSports

USA Gymnastics

Army of Survivors

Equality League

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Booktalking “The Only Black Girls in Town” by Brandy Colbert

Ewing Beach, California. Surf, sun, and lots of fun. Alberta is an up-and-coming seventh grader who has the pleasure to live there with her fabulous dads. She loves everything about it, especially her bff, Laramie. The girls hang out much during the summer. They enjoy spending time on the beach and getting free ice cream at the Coleman Creamery where Laramie’s brother, Leif, works. They discuss all things: girl talk, school and life in their Californian paradise. Everything is going great for Alberta this summer.  

Then it gets even better.  

She discovers that another black family will be moving into the neighborhood. They will occupy the bed and breakfast across the street from Alberta’s house. The tween is beyond thrilled to have a black girl to befriend. It is a bit challenging for her to be surrounded by mostly white folks. She longs to have someone that looks like her and understands what it is like to be stared at just because she looks different, to have people assume that she doesn’t belong just because she is different. Alberta will finally have someone to commiserate with.   

That comes in the form of Edie. She is everything that Alberta hoped for… and more.  

Edie is goth girl through and through. The tween is adorned in all black and purple clothing, complete with combat books. All of the decor in her attic bedroom is black, down to the rugs and curtains. Edie is a bit of a fish out of water in the small Californian town since she comes from Brooklyn, New York. She misses the people and the corner bodega, where she could get absolutely everything. However, she likes Alberta very much, and she wants to give the bed and breakfast thing a try with her mother.   Edie, Laramie and Alberta begin hanging out together. They face the challenges of seventh grade as a cohesive team. Laramie is soaking up the Californian life. Alberta is adjusting to living with her pregnant surrogate mother, along with her dads. Edie is being called Wednesday Adams at school; she is a bit of a sensation, being the new kid in a small town. The three girls can take on anything with the support of each other and their families.  

The Only Black Girls in Town by Brandy Colbert, 2020  

I love diverse books, and Brandy Colbert is a talented author.  

Brandy Colbert’s web site  

by Miranda McDermott

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Booktalking “Crossing the Line” by Kareem Rosser

Work to ride is the name of the game… because that’s exactly what you do at Chaumounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. This treasure, located near “The Bottom” was a treasure trove for Kareem and his siblings during their youth. His older brothers Dee and David, discovered the barn while on an exploratory bicycle foray through the park. The boys were entranced by the horses. When Lezlie, the barn owner,  approached them and inquired as to whether they wanted to ride, they immediately agreed. Kareem loves equines just as much as his siblings, and he pined to join his brothers. So…  after much poking and prodding, his mother ordered the older boys to allow the horse crazy youth to tag along.   

Six kids. The first was born to a 14-year-old mother, the second to a 15-year-old mother. Kareem grew up in “The Bottom,” a gritty, depressing part of town where one’s foremost goal every day was to dodge bullets. Drugs, prostitution and poverty littered the sidewalks there as far as the eye could see. The boy’s mom worked many jobs to try to support the family; she even became involved with abusive men who gave her money for food, rent and drugs. The kids were pretty much given free rein to go whichever way the wind blew. Fortunately, the youngsters happened upon Lezlie and the relative safety of the barn.  

Lezlie was obsessed with horses from the time she was a little girl. She tried a conventional life by obtaining a BA in psychology, then a record store job. But equines were her passion, and they kept calling her back to them. She knew she had to find a way to spend her life with horses. One day, she met a young boy named Clay who pined to get involved with the large mammals. Unable to resist his charming whimsy, the lady took him under her wing and taught him all that she could about the animals and riding. Then, she was able to scrape together her money to found the organization Work to Ride, a not-for-profit devoted to helping urban kids find a better way in life. Donated horses that no one wanted and off-the-track horses populated the barn.   When Kareem first saw the barn, it was overrun with kids. Small humans were everywhere, coming out of the stalls, riding horses, leading horses around; it seemed like a dream. Not an adult in sight that he could recall. An older brother, David, took him for a pony ride. Young Kareem was terrified that he would fall, that the horse would bolt, any sort of calamities could occur… but none did.  The ride merely consisted of his elderly mount walking carefully and slowly trotting in circles. Although the boy’s muscles were sore when he dismounted, Kareem was overwhelmed with the urgent desire to do it all over again.  

Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives by Kareem Rosser, 2021  

The cover of this work is priceless, though I would not recommend riding shirtless and in shorts. I lived in Philly for 4.5 years, and I love Fairmount Park. I was fascinated by Work To Ride, but I never visited the barn. I love that Lezlie is giving low wealth, urban youth a chance to choose a life other than violence, drugs and crime.  

Work To Ride

Books on horsemanship 

by Miranda McDermott

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Booktalking “Hope: a Memoir of Survival in Cleveland” by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus

Ariel Castro brought three women home a sculpture from the Rescue Mission that said Hope. They decided to keep it.

The man was notoriously cheap. He fed them a little bit of junk food from chain fast food establishments. Sometimes, he would not feed them for a week. All of the women are approximately five feet tall, and they weighed under 100 pounds while being held hostage at his home. They endured deplorable living conditions, and he kept them chained to their beds. Stultifying heat filled their rooms in the summer, and it was freezing there during the winters. He locked the doors to their rooms when he left the house. They ate, cooked food, slept and went to the bathroom in their rooms.

2207 Seymour Ave in Cleveland, OH was their prison for a decade.

August, 2002: Castro kidnaped and imprisoned 21-year-old Michelle Knight.

April, 2003: He did the same to 17-year-old Amanda Berry.

April, 2004: The same to 14-year-old Georgina DeJesus.

All three women were friends of his daughters.

Ariel Castro had a history of domestic violence. He put an ex-wife, Nilda, into the Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital. He beat her so badly that her jaw was fractured, and teeth were dislodged. He was a violent school bus driver. One day, he terrorized a four-year-old by leaving him on the bus for hours. He stalked his victims before he abducted them, then he kept them as sex slaves, raping them multiple times per day. The women were terrified of him, and they hated him; they were also paralyzed by their fear of the captor.

Michelle and Gina shared a bed in the same room, and Amanda lived in an adjacent room. At first, the women did not communicate much with each other, since Castro warned them not to. He did not want them to unite against him. However, once they spent some time together, they ended up talking. They talked about TV and their families and the fervent hope that they would once again be free. They showed support for each other by helping each other cope with the abuse. They all knew what it was like to face Castro’s wrath, brutality and carnal desires. They got through the long days by laughing with each other and attempting to find joy in the small things.

Hope: a Memoir of Survival in Cleveland by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus, 2015

Gina, Amanda and Michelle are an inspiration to us all. They survived a horrendous situation, and they have such a positive attitude, despite the horrid treatment that they endured.

Books about sexual assault

Fluff and Fuzz knitting by Amanda Berry

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Booktalking “My First Time in Charge” by Danielle Matteucci

Becoming a new manager can be a process filled with trepidation… but it does not have to be. In order to get things done well, a manager must become competent at a varied skill set. The managerial job is fundamentally different than being a line worker… and it can take a bit of getting used to. Instead of taking care of customers and following the directions of a supervisor, now you are the supervisor. People come to you with problems, comments and questions. You must make your own goals and priorities, and market them upward to the board of trustees or upper management and downward to your subordinates. No one else will manage your time for you; you have to figure out what you want to accomplish, determine which tasks will achieve those goals, and delegate them to others.

You are in charge now. What kind of manager do you wish to be, and what milestones will you achieve, with the invaluable assistance of your team? 

Managing your employees will be a large, very important component of your new career. You will need to learn how to conduct effective business meetings, both group and individual, and how to motivate staff to perform well. You will begin to decipher when meetings will be helpful towards achieving a goal and when emails or other measures would be a time-saving way to achieve the same objective. No one enjoys wasting time at fruitful meetings, so keep your meetings focused, on track, and be mindful of peoples’ time.

Collecting and analysing statistics can be a useful method of measuring a company’s success or lack thereof. You can then utilize this data to make changes to help the staff and company improve their performance. However, it is easy to get mired in endless numbers and lose sight of what they all mean. You will need to determine which statistics are useful and how to interpret them correctly. Numbers can serve as a tangible measure of success that everyone can celebrate, but you must understand them first.

My First Time in Charge: Stop Worrying – Start Performing: Practical Guide For New Managers by Danielle Matteucci, 2019

This guide will help you became an adept new leader. I have read many management books, and I searched for some of this ilk in preparation for my new job. None of them quite hit the spot. Then I got lucky. A family member picked this one up for me, and it is perfect.

Books on business management

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Booktalking “Investing Success: How to Conquer 30 Costly Mistakes and Multiply Your Wealth!” by Lynette Khalfani

Ever made a mistake with your hard-earned cash? Have you impulsively bought a high-priced item on credit? Failed to build an emergency savings fund? Wasted much money on convenience food in order to save time? Allowed your dollars to depreciate in value while staying in a low-interest money market account? We have all made mistakes while investing money. Just like anything, investing skillfully takes practice and many attempts. The important thing is to cut your losses when necessary, learn from the experience, and move on to greener pastures. Following are some mistakes that are not hard to make.

Holding on to a losing stock until the bitter end.

Possessing too many funds that you do not understand.

Relying on “hot tips” about the market.

Not investing on a consistent basis.

Not setting realistic, specific, and measurable investing goals.

The author, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, takes readers on a whirlwind ride on how to become a successful investor. She has interviewed financial planners, stockbrokers and other money professionals over a decade. She has communicated with countless investors through her column. Her insights on economics and the stock market are relayed to the reader in a clear, compassionate manner. She fully explains 30 foibles that people commonly make while investing, how to avoid them, and how to become a prudent, confident and profitable investor. 

Investing Success: How to Conquer 30 Costly Mistakes and Multiply Your Wealth! by Lynette Khalfani, 2004

I love this book; it will surely spur better investing decisions that I can feel comfortable making.

Books about personal finance

Books about investing