Tampa Book Buzz

fat into the fire booksignings march 15 and 16

Former Tampa resident David P. Morrow returns to the Bay area March 15 and 16 to sign copies of his new book Fat Into The Fire.

Morrow said that Fat Into The Fire, released in January, “is dramatically different than any other diet or fitness book. In the book, I reveal my own personal techniques for achieving maximum fitness levels, which include ridding the body of excess body fat.”

Saturday, March 15, 2-4 p.m. — Waldenbooks in Citrus Park Mall

Sunday, March 16, 1-4 p.m. — Borders in St. Petersburg, Tyrone Square

Morrow’s book signings include “health and fitness Q/A, FREE sign ups for fitness product giveaways, and fitness assessments and information.”

Visit www.fatintothefire.com for more info.

book buzz:brazen careerist:the new rules for success by penelope trunk

Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success by Penelope Trunk

There once was a girl
Who had a little curl
Right in the middle of her forehead
When she was good
She was very good
But when she was bad, she was horrid.

This nursery rhyme sums up how I feel about business self-help author Penelope Trunk. When she’s right, she’s right; but when she’s wrong, Trunk is way off-base. In Brazen Careerist:The New Rules for Success, Trunk proudly claims that this is “not your parents’ career guidebook.” She writes for Generations X and Y, twenty- and thirty-somethings who care less about retiring after forty years with a gold watch and care more about the successful integration of career and personal life.

Some of Trunk’s chapters that I agree with include “Detours Are the Route to Happiness,” about how exploring career and life options in one’s twenties is a smart move; “You Only Need $40,000 a Year To Be Happy,” a solid argument for living within your means and being satisfied with what you have; and “The New Workplace Currency is Training,” about how cross-training and constant learning will serve you well in all areas of life.

I disagree with some of Trunk’s advice, such as that found in chapters “When Writing Your Resume Don’t Be Too Honest,” which takes the standard resume advice “use strong action verbs” several steps further; “Getting a Promotion Is So Last Century,” a pessimistic look at what constitutes achievement in the workplace, and “Use Harassment to Boost Your Career,” where Trunk theorizes that “enduring sexual harassment can sometimes be a way to gain power to achieve your long-range goals.”

Agree or disagree, love her or hate her, Trunk is a good writer who breaks down important career advice into short, easy-to-read chapters (some of which are a little too short). By using bold chapter titles and making potentially-anger-inducing pronouncements, Trunk purposely creates controversy with her advice. And we all know that controversy sells, right?

Whether you vigorously nod your head in agreement at her advice or disagree vehemently, Trunk makes you think. Thinking for oneself is the ultimate path to success for all careerists, brazen or not.

Book Buzz Barometer: B

book buzz:just one more by james e. cheatham

Just One More by James E. Cheatham

In Just One More, author James E. Cheatham shares his personal experiences in short, conversational chapters loosely divided into his Seven Lessons in Leadership. During his four decades of professional life, Cheatham knew and worked with Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, met KFC’s Colonel Sanders, and spent quality time with The Power of Positive Thinking author Dr. Norman Vincent Peale. He has suffered a huge financial loss due to a bad business decision and had a failed marriage. Cheatham has also become the CEO of a company that he founded, lectured to university business students, and is enjoying a successful second marriage.

Cheatham shares his successes and failures openly, hoping that the reader will benefit from lessons he’s learned the hard way. Reading Just One More is like getting an inspirational pep talk from your grandfather — some stories are fascinating and others feel a bit preachy. While the personal anecdotes vary in length and in inspirational value, Cheatham’s zest for life is contagious and is evident on every page.

I won’t divulge Cheatham’s explanation of the phrase “just one more” (see page 35 to read it for yourself), but I will say this. Don’t be fooled by the book’s subtitle “The Non-Textbook Approach to Success for the Entrepreneur.” Everyone from new graduates to retirees — entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs alike — can learn a great deal from Cheatham’s seven lessons. We could all use just one more…both the book and the life-affirming message.

Book Buzz Barometer: B+

Cheatham’s book is available through JimSam, Inc.

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local author carmin wharton’s book signing july 21

Received via email:

Carmin Wharton, author of Lessons Learned:While Looking for Love in All the Wrong Faces, will offer advice on dating and relationships as well as sign copies of her new book from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, July 21, at the West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 W. Union Street (corner of Union Street and Howard Avenue) in Tampa.

Carmin Wharton’s story is an inspiration to all who think they are alone in their quest for a satisfying relationship. Divorced and the mother of two adult children, she decided not to die with her book still inside of her. Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, she still resides there.

Visit www.carminwharton.com or www.lulu.com/carminwharton for more info.

i want to read…

Leave the Office Earlier:The Productivity Pro Shows You How To Do More in Less Time…And Feel Great About It by Laura Stack — First: read the book.  Second: get my boss to let me leave the office earlier.

Thumbs, Toes and Tears:And Other Traits That Make Us Human by Chip Walter — Book titles are just getting better and better.

book buzz:change thrivers by afsaneh noori

Change Thrivers:Your Resource Guide for Making Change Work by Afsaneh Noori, ISBN 0977736903

The only thing constant in life is change.  How often have we all heard that?  Author Afsaneh Noori has experienced many changes in her life and has used them to develop a resource guide to help others navigate through change in her book Change Thrivers:Your Resource Guide for Making Change Work.

Noori begins by encouraging the reader to analyze the changes that have occurred in his/her own life and the emotional responses those changes triggered.  Knowing one’s innate fears and engrained reactions to major and minor life changes is an essential first step before planning a strategy to refine or revise those reactions.  Change Thrivers explores different types of change; various behavioral responses to change; the full cycle of change from initial reaction to resolution; positive and negative effects of stress; and coping mechanisms such as developing a strong support system, taking care of one’s physical health, monitoring one’s emotions and seeking help from mental health providers or life coaches.

It took a little while for me to find anything personally useful in Change Thrivers.  I found it a tad difficult to wade through the scholarly discussions of types of change and the change cycle stages.  As someone currently experiencing a variety of major life changes, I wasn’t all that interested in the textbook theories, although I realize they had to be included for this book to be a complete guide.

The first few coping strategies listed are similar to what’s found every week in women’s magazines — get enough sleep, eat nutritious meals, exercise, say “no” more often, meditate.  These are crucial first steps that have to be included — along with the more academic theories of change — to form the solid foundation of a useful resource guide.  The second half of Noori’s book is where the reader will find more innovative strategies.  In Chapter 8 Noori introduces the idea of the “Shadow Walk” – an expression of unconscious knowledge that temporarily renders one out of balance, vulnerable, highly emotional and deeply depressed — and she points out possible triggers, positive effects and self-care strategies.

Noori also writes about what she calls “changeback pressures,” the reactions of others both in and out of one’s support system to changes one makes.  “Change has a ripple effect.  When you make changes in your life, you affect others, especially those people intertwined in your life.”  Change Thrivers supplies lists of effective and ineffective strategies to deal with this resistance.

In addition to presenting research, self-guided exercises and lists of resources, Noori shares her own life story and recounts personal changes she’s experienced.  Born in Iran, she moved to the U.S. at age 20 with her parents to escape Iran’s revolution.  Noori had to adapt to a new culture and learn a new language while working through the sadness of leaving friends, family and her old life behind.

Her personal history as a “Change Thriver” makes this resource guide more meaningful than the standard how-to manuals typically found in the Self Help aisle.

Book Buzz Barometer: B+

Noori’s website is www.changethrivers.com.

local author kendall smith-sullivan on bright house networks channel 340

Recently as I was channel surfing I stumbled upon Bright House Networks’ channel 340 — Tampa Bay on Demand. It’s got free interviews and profiles of local people and attractions. I watched an interview with local author Kendall Smith-Sullivan, who discussed her book Soulmate Logic and talked about her research and the local dating scene. She was very interesting and well-spoken. Check it out if you get a chance.

local author afsaneh noori

Local author/engineer/artist Afsaneh Noori’s book Change Thrivers — Your Resource Guide for Making Change Work has just been published. Her book is a combination of change theories woven with personal stories and sprinkled with quotes. Every chapter has exercises for the reader to guide her/him towards becoming a Change Thriver.

As an Iranian-American woman working in the traditionally male field of engineering, Noori has experienced many transitions in her life. She’s used her experience as a cornerstone for personal growth. As her website states, “It’s All About Empowerment.”

Visit www.changethrivers.com to learn more about Noori and her new book.

i want to read…

Slack:Getting Past Burnout, Busywork, and the Myth of Total Efficiency by Tom DeMarco. I saw a quote in a magazine from the book that “people may do their best thinking when they are not concentrating on work at all.”

If my boss is reading this: I’ll be at the beach tomorrow, doing some heavy thinking. Don’t call me; I’ll call you when I’m finished thinking.

i’m adding this book to my reading list…

…CrazyBusy:Overstretched, Overbooked and About to Snap! Strategies for Coping in a World Gone ADD by Edward Hallowell.

I think I want “overstretched, overbooked and finally snapped” on my tombstone. I’m curious what wisdom this guy has to impart.