I Have a Book Coming Out!

I’m super happy to finally be able to announce that I have a cool new book coming out, Card Games for One or Two: 52 Games to Know and Play. It will be released on April 19th and pre-orders are open now.

Here’s more details from the landing page for the book:

In today’s high-tech world, sitting down with a deck of cards is a simple pleasure. With an engaging collection of beloved classics, this book is filled with 52 card games made for one or two players. 

What sets this card game book apart:

• Card games 101—Become a savvy player in no time with a rundown of everything from common card lingo to tips for winning strategies.

• Smart organization—This compendium is divided into solo and two-player games and organized by game type (capturing, trick-taking, etc.) so you can quickly find something that suits your mood.

• Clear instructions—Master the mechanics of any game and jump into play right away with help from simple directions and illustrations that are easy to follow.

I have been working on this book for a few months now and it is a big milestone for me to be able to have a hard copy of a book I’ve written. It’s been great working with my publisher and I greatly benefited from the structure they’ve given me.

I hope you’ll all check it out and let me know what you think!

[GIVEAWAY] Get Your Copy of the 1 Page Marketing Plan!

I’m excited to announce a giveaway contest for one of two copies of this awesome book!

I got the two copies of this book a little while ago and listened through the audiobook version recently to get a feel for what this is all about. I very much enjoyed its clear, distilled advice around marketing and building a business. I know this book can be relevant to anyone in higher education as well as those of us trying to grow up our side hustles.

If you’d like to enter in to win one of the two copies, then simply comment on this blog post and/or engage with any of my social media posts about the giveaway. Each share, like, or comment will count as an entry. Tell me what you hope to get out of the book, your favorite movie, or anything else. It all counts! I will announce a winner on this upcoming Friday (11/13).

Thanks for the support as always and best of luck to you all!

Why Are Students So Distracted?

I think that we can all admit, especially now, to being easily distracted.

This especially is relevant when it comes to trying to teach and keep students engaged.

Student attention is the focus on the just released new book Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About it, from author and educator, James Lang.

I’m looking forward to delving more into this book since I’m sure there will be relevant insights about how to engage online students who have so much noise all around them constantly. We need to be able to cut through that in the right ways with the right information in right places. The idea of cultivating attention versus removing distractions feel like such a positive ethos and seems like it would be much more effective. Also, I love that there is a social and community aspect to Lang’s advice here. Getting peer engagement is valuable for so many reasons, so I look forward to seeing what is explored here. I’ve definitely been geeking out lately about the different platforms out there for digital student engagement so this book will resonate for me on that level as well.

You can look forward to more content from me around this book, including a podcast interview with the author in the near future.

Make sure to get your copy now so you’re up to speed on this important topic and let me know what you think of it!

Book Review: Rework

My latest review is for the 2010 advice book, Rework, from the founders of productivity tool, Basecamp.

To start off simply, I really liked this book. As someone who is trying to work out starting something, I valued the perspectives outlined here. It resonated as the work environment I yearn for and would hope to create if I'm able to build what I'm working on right now. It disrupts all the norms we've come to expect from office jobs, and allows us to make more human focused companies.

Here's one of my biggest takeaways:

"Rockstar environments develop out of trust, autonomy, and responsibility. They’re a result of giving people the privacy, workspace, and tools they deserve. Great environments show respect for the people who do the work and how they do it."

This could sum up my general feelings about workplace dynamics and what we need to create to have positive outcomes for everyone involved; managers, employees, and customers. My advocacy for remote work is based in this sentiment, as well as flexible work hours. Balance comes from working where and how we're most productive. It could be sitting in the office from 9-5, or working 10-6 from a home office, or two four hour chunks split up so you can still have some personal time during the day or eat dinner with your family.

Another few points in the book I love are about workaholics:

"If all you do is work, you’re unlikely to have sound judgments. Your values and decision making wind up skewed. You stop being able to decide what’s worth extra effort and what’s not. And you wind up just plain tired. No one makes sharp decisions when tired.

"In the end, workaholics don’t actually accomplish more than non-workaholics. They may claim to be perfectionists, but that just means they’re wasting time fixating on inconsequential details instead of moving on to the next task.

"Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they just use it up. The real hero is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done."

I experience this a lot in my current job. I'm all about working smarter, not harder, and allowing myself to know that the work will be there tomorrow and it isn't the end of the world to leave and pick it up later. Especially when it's not a real emergency.

There's a lot to enjoy in this book if you're interested in this sort of thing and it's an easy read too. I was able to consume it in many bite sized chunks during some recent trips. I look forward to checking out their other book; Remote, as well as their podcast based on the Rework book.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Winning With Data

“Without data you’re just another person with an opinion” - W. Edwards Deming

I finished Winning with Data recently but I have to admit; it was hard for me to get through this book. It's difficult enough for me to read in general, but I don't usually seek out books about topics like managing data. I'm also not sure exactly who the audience is for this book. Is it a young person venturing into the workforce? A more senior executive trying to learn more about this evolution? Not sure, and I felt like that was also a problem. Nevertheless, I enjoyed what I read well enough since it confirmed how I feel about data accessibility and transparency. I can also see the influence of the author on my workplace (he works with a major investor in our company). It felt like when I took courses in school that I didn't like but I got a lot out of. If it didn't have to take them, I wouldn't have, but I'm glad I did since it exposed me to some new ideas.

The book outlines why data is important, how to manage it, and how to foster a culture that uses it in the right ways. It encourages readers to collect the right data, in the right amounts, and make timely informed decisions at every level of your organization. I feel like this is something higher ed needs to make better use of for strategic student interventions, but I can get why they'd be hesitant. Student data is sensitive, but we owe it to our students to provide the best service we can. I know some institutions are moving in this direction.

Using data really can transform every decision we make in an organization. It's not just sales or marketing. It can come into recruitment which I think is a huge epiphany for higher ed specifically since in my experience, it is something we struggle with greatly. The book provides a specific example from Google and how they run their processes to help continuously improve it over time:

“Google takes metrics one step further than most companies. It collects data at every step of the interviewing process to provide interviewers feedback on their candidate judgement.

“‘Every interviewer sees a record of the interview scores they gave given i the past and whether those people were hired or not. This lets the interviewer know if they are correctly assessing potential Googlers, nudging them to look back at their prior notes and learn from what they spotted or missed.’"

We could all use this sort of thinking to make sure we're bringing in the right people and helping our recruiters and hiring teams do their best with what we are putting upon them. Overall, it is a way of thinking that we need to implement and move on from making decisions based on anecdotal evidence and gut reactions. This quote is what I'd like to end on that captures this feeling: 

“…data encourages experimentation and surprises. Surprises foster new ways of thinking. They challenge the establishment. When dogged with opinions or knee-jerk answers of ‘that’s the way we’ve always done it,’ we all can feel disenfranchised. Data pushes us to experiment.”

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***

I recently read this book at the behest of my manager. She felt it would be good for me to help me generally with confidence and figuring out my place in the world.

Written by Mark Manson, it is a sort of "anti self-help" book that disrupts norms of other literature in the genre. It curses, it criticizes, and explores life with a nihilistic sense of humor. It's a quick read with some good takeaways, my main one being:

"Don’t hope for a life without problems…There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems."

As someone feeling like I'm always looking for a job, a company, a campus that is the right fit for me, the perfect position with no problems does not exist. I should find a role that lets me solve problems that I enjoy finding solutions for. Or at the very least don't mind dealing with. This makes my search that much easier.

I think this is a fine book for the modern young professional to help get out their own head and stop thinking they're the only person to suffer from their existential crisis. You can read this book, chuckle, calm down, and get some good advice to take with you into life, no matter where you come from. It will help you become more at peace, more open to learning, and allow yourself the space to discover your values.

I recommend this book and I'm glad I was able to check it out. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Last Lecture

"Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted"

I recently just finished the book that follows up on the "last lecture" by fellow proud nerd, Randy Pausch, nearly a decade after his death (he passed in July 2008), and a decade to the day after the now famous lecture. I've been getting knee deep in death lately (which seems to be a trend, especially with some of my movie reviews). I've been watching The Leftovers, where coping with loss is a major theme. The Last Lecture is the dream scenario for many in that show, where someone knows the end is coming, and is more able to cope and prepare, and tell the people around him the impact they've had on him, as well as the future he hopes for.

The book expands on the speech, and reflects on it. I had always heard about this video, but never really delved into it. I sat down to watch it after I read the book and in preparation of this post. I'm glad I did. It's nice to look back long after he has passed to keep moving his message on. It's a simple, positive one that cuts through a lot of the cynicism and negativity around us. While I can certainly acknowledge his upbringing gave him a lot of benefits, simple advice sometimes helps to affirm what we all as humans should strive for.

I love the quote above, as it is something I'm currently grappling with and have had to come to terms with in the past. I look forward to the clarity of hindsight as I move forward (if only it was given to us in the moment).

As I said, I've been watching The Leftovers, which deals with loss, and I think we should all also be a lot more grateful for the time we have with those we care about, and we should tell them what they mean to us. I got married when it may have been sooner than some were expecting. But I was ready to marry my wife when I proposed, and I didn't want to wait any longer to be her husband.

I encourage you to give the video another viewing if you haven't seen it in a while. It's a simple, pure, and will help you to reflect on where you are, where you've been, and where you want to go. It will also help to honor a man who loved life, and lived it fully.

Book Review: Real Artists Have Day Jobs

"The biggest myth we are fed as artists is that we need to sustain ourselves solely on our art."

I finished reading Real Artists Have Day Jobs recently, and it was a fun romp through various short essays on art, love, and life written by comedian Sara Benincasa.

Sara has a unique outlook on the world, which I appreciated. It's empathetic, social justice oriented, but also funny, relevant, and her writing easy to read. She writes in a conversational tone and explores a lot of her own story through the book. Everything from her struggles with her body, issues with anxiety, and journey with her career. All delivered in bite sized morsels. I really enjoyed that I could pick up the book and read a chapter or two then put it down. I tend to only have brief periods of time or so much attention to give so it worked out well that way.

The stories shared in this book are very genuine and aren't done in a way of sharing expertise on any topic; just one's person's experiences and what they think about them. It's a great way to go in the world that leaves room for growth, acknowledges shortcomings, and is more relatable. Someone who is so sure of themselves to ignore any new information is going to limit themselves to many possibilities to learn and do the best they can with whatever they're working on. Being open to a good, new story change create positive change in anyone. This book achieves just that.

As the title implies, the book emphasizes the idea that we can create and be artists without going headlong into trying to be an "artist" who lives off their creations. We can live in the world, work a "day job" and pursue our creative endeavors just the same as anyone else. It may even work better than way. This sentiment makes me think of another great book I've read, Steal Like an Artist.

I've seen a lot of people talk about this book online and I'm glad I finally got around to checking it out. I recommend you do too. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Promise of a Pencil

The Promise of a Pencil is the story of how Adam Braun was able to create the global education for-purpose company Pencils of Promise from humble beginnings of just $25 to creating hundreds of schools around the world.

This book falls into a common category with many other books, like Start Something That Matters from the TOMS founder, Blake Mycoskie. This one resonated with me more since I have a bit more of a personal connection with it now. My company, 2U, is a corporate partner to Pencils of Promise, and I got to see Adam Braun speak at this year's company meeting. It was great and we also had cool VR headsets that helped us see the impact of a school built in Africa. I've known of Adam and Pencils of Promise before, but now it has more of connection to me than it did before.

This book was great. There are a lot of cool aspects of Adam's story that I appreciate, like his connection to Semester at Sea, and his feelings about college:

"While high school encouraged conformity, college taught me it was okay—even desirable—to question what I thought I knew."

He also values the privileges and opportunities those who came before him granted him. His family has been through a lot through the generations, and it cements for him a value that has driven his work:

"I believe that where you start in life should not dictate where you finish."

I really like that sentiment, and I have experienced firsthand the power of education to help transform someone's life. Millions of children around the world are deprived of this opportunity, and Pencils of Promise works to create sustainable change in global education.

The story of Pencils of Promise is captured well in this book through different "mantras" and it felt generally relevant, not just for someone wanting to become a social entrepreneur necessarily. I'd recommend it to anyone, as I think everyone appreciates education and would benefit from the stories and lessons from this book.

You can find The Promise of a Pencil at your favorite book retailer.

One last quote to end on:

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”

Book Review: Brewing Up a Business

"Of all that the world has to offer, it is innate human potential that is the most impressive."

I recently finished reading a book that I've been meaning to read for a while now, Brewing Up a Business, by Sam Calagione about the founding of Dogfish Head Brewery. I got the second edition a few years ago when it came out and actually got it signed by Sam when he came to visit University of Delaware to promote it. Dogfish has always piqued my curiosity since it is something from Delaware that a lot of people know of. I've had a few beers of theirs that I've liked, and recently (finally) visited their brewery in Delaware (they have a ale house here in Maryland that I need to check out too). Nevertheless, I've appreciated them as an ambassador of my (sort of) home state and was excited to sit down with this book after far too long putting it off.

I will say that this book didn't grab me in its entirety. There are cool parts, like the stories about the early days of Dogfish Head. There are also less cool parts, like going into how to balance your small business's budget (oversimplifying a bit here). I personally wasn't reading this book for the introduction to business lessons. I wanted stories and advice about life. I appreciate that the book has both, but it ended up with a decent portion of the book not being for me. I skimmed through the parts that started to lose my attention. It felt mostly like pretty boiler plate leadership and business tips that are very much currently part of the zeitgeist on sites like Inc or Fast Company (granted this book came out several years ago, so it was probably a little ahead of the curve).

There are some fine morsels in there (see the above quote which I love). There is also some neat connections for me personally between the obvious location for the brewery in Delaware, where I grew up, but also where I was born in Maine (the state as a whole, not my hometown). I really like craft beer, going to breweries with my partner, trying new things, and meeting the people who are passionate about their craft. It helps get a local flavor wherever I go and is a great way to relax and connect with others. I look forward to continuing this trend. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book to deepen the respect I have for Dogfish Head.

Go check out this book at your favorite book retailer or your local library. Sam Calagione also released another book recently, Off-Centered Leadership, so if you want more from Dogfish Head, check it out too!

Thanks for stopping by!