Review: Working with Emotional Intelligence

Working with Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not a self-help book, but a very useful hand guide to surviving and thriving among other people by observing yourself and others.


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Review: Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence

Focus: The Hidden Driver of Excellence by Daniel Goleman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Not a self-help book, but still very helpful in rationalizing focus and mindfulness issues almost in anatomic terms. Easy to read, includes plenty of relatable case studies, investigates the relationship between individuals ability to focus and its broader (societal) influence through leadership. Connects focus with the rest of the emotional intelligence.
Useful for anyone in personal or professional self-reflecting.


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Review: On Being Nice

On Being Nice: This Guidebook Explores the Key Themes of 'Being Nice' and How We Can Achieve This Often Overlooked Accolade. by The School of Life
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lovely little book (a perfect holiday read) about being self-aware and socially aware among other people. I absolutely loved the definition of a frank person (which is a definition of me as well), and I wish more people could see where the naive frankness comes from and that it is not the same as being unkind (quite the opposite). Moreover, the definition of a polite person was also very revealing - why do people involve themselves in small talks about news or the weather, why do they tip-toe around others? Are we all the same or deeply different? How to be a better listener or just a better dinner party guest? All of these questions are investigated in this book, in a very kind and forgiving manner, sometimes even too forgiving (the chapter about "innocent" lies went a bit too far for my taste and felt a bit self-serving). However, it is a perfect book for those who judge others or feel judged by others all the time. It's a bridge-building piece of advice on how to be self-aware and socially aware the same time.


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Reviews: Business Model You: A One-Page Method for Reinventing Your Career

Business Model You: A One-Page Method for Reinventing Your Career by Tim  Clark
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book develops the idea of the Business Model Canvas (BMC)* to a more personal level. Through simple theory and relatable case studies, authors managed to explain how to use a business model canvas as a personal (career) model canvas. It is aimed at the professionals who aim for growth or reinvention both in an organization or in freelancing.

I am a freelancer myself with no management background, so this book finally managed to explain to me how I could apply the BMC to my own professional practice and growth. It gives structure to any career or project and explains it in the language any literate professional could understand. In addition to that, the book provides few simple tools for professional self-reflection and points to common mistakes people make. I would recommend the book to someone who is trying to re-imagine their professional lives, or to those who are stuck in a dissatisfying professional situation - the book does not just offer simple answers like "drop your job and start a startup" or "turn your hobby into a career" but shows some smart ways to readjust in one's current position, to prove one's value to the organization, or to pitch one's services to a client.

*a tool presented by Strategyzer.com platform and also defined in other books by the same authors at www.strategyzer.com/books


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