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book reviews |
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Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Rhani D’Chae introduces us to her short story, “Megamax”; that is a prequel to a novel coming out next year: In a future time, the greed and destructive nature of man has resulted in the fall of civilization as we know it today. America is a wasteland, where the scattered cities that remain have become overcrowded havens for those who seek refuge behind protective walls. In Seattle, where the Seahawks once played to the roar of the 12s, Century Link field stands quietly in the shadow of Megamax prison. Impenetrable and inescapable, Megamax houses the worst of the worst: criminals whose heinous acts have condemned them to life in a place where blood flows like water, and an inmate's worth is determined solely by his or her performance in the Arena. This story is the prequel to "The Vanguard", which will be out in 2020. This story contains violence and adult language. It is not intended for young or easily offended readers.  I love this story! Not for the brutality and dystopian setting, though there is a lot that can be said for that. The author has captured the essence of people in desperate circumstances so well. It is so easy to find yourself cheering and hoping for the title character. He is caught in this situation by forces beyond his control. The prose is nice and tight, the scene setting is more than enough, without being too much. Most of the dialogue is terse and fits the storyline perfectly. This short story is a wonderful introduction to a story that will land somewhere between “Seven Samurai” directed by Kurosawa, the precursor to “Star Wars”; a hint of “Kelly’s Heroes” a movie set in World War 2, and a mashup between “Zombieland” and “World War Z”. It will be a wild ride, I am sure. I award “Megamax” 5 stars! Darn good story and leaves me wanting more.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Megamax-Rhani-DChae-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/ebook/-megamax www.amazon.co.uk/Megamax-Rhani-DChae-ebook You can follow Rhani D’Chae: https://twitter.com/rhanidchae https://rhanidchae.wordpress.com/ Rhani and I have had three interviews previously, you can see them under these book reviews: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/one-dyke-cozy-by-rhani-dchae#comments https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/shadow-of-the-drill-by-rhani-dchae#comments https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/ive-always-loved-women-by-rhani-dchae#comments Tags: prison, future, death, cage fight Copyright © 2019 Mark L Schultz except for the author's introduction
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Multi-format author C.P. Aiden, introduces us to his insightful and very funny look (really, it’s very funny) at big-time accounting, “The Good Audit”: The Good Audit – Everything goes wrong when you put eight accountants in the same room for too long. The excitement begins when a top-notch team of over-achieving, excessively ambitious CPAs at The Audit & Tax Firm is paired with a motley crew of highly incompetent finance professionals at Widget Maker. As expected, nothing goes as planned. Frustration grows, pressure builds, and even the plumbing will not cooperate. Everything is swirling out of control until legal troubles unexpectedly land everyone on the same side of trouble. Will mutual animosity towards Widget Maker’s legal department be enough to bring everyone together to get the job done? Laugh out loud through every comical twist and turn, let your jaw drop at the absurd nonsense that perhaps happens in today’s corporate world, and soak up the life lessons offered for those who pay attention as you fly through this business adventure! MEET THE TEAMS - all character names reflect the resource aspect of Human Resources and are simply generic titles. The Accounting Firm Team: Intern – the sharp and spirited college student Staff 1 – the overly enthusiastic first-year staff Staff 2 – the highly ambitious and somewhat temperamental second-year staff Backup Staff – the extra help who is a few fries short of a Happy Meal Senior 1 – the professional mom Senior 3 – the guy who gives everyone the benefit of the doubt Manager – the family man and balancing force on the team Senior Manager (SM) – the single workaholic Partner – the arrogant and clueless one at the top The Widget Maker Finance Team: Senior Accountant – persistently absent Assistant Controller – the awkward and quirky one who never makes any sense, married to Legal Assistant which also doesn’t make sense Legal Assistant – the cranky, bossy one Financial Reporting Manager (FRM) – the clueless one who doesn’t do anything Inventory Manager – the conceited and egotistical jerk who hates auditors (and everyone else) Finance Manager – the former auditor turned inept accountant CFO – the fearless leader of the finance team and arch-nemesis of the legal department  I love this book! I laughed all the way through it. You don't have to be an accountant to enjoy this book. If you have ever worked in an office with more than one person you will understand what is going on. You can't go wrong choosing this book! I think the best part of the story is all the instant messaging that is going on between different characters. It fills the story out quite nicely. The author’s comedic timing is wonderful and will give you many endorphin rushes from all the laughing. The next best part is the names. There are no personal names, only position titles. It highlights how impersonal business can be. Yet, every part of the business is composed of people. What a mixed-up world we live in. I award “The Good Audit” a score of 5.0 stars! So funny and so good!  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Good-Audit-C-P-Aiden-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-the-good-audit Audio book: The Good Audit You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/CPAiden1 https://www.facebook.com/cp.aiden https://www.instagram.com/cpaiden/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/c-p-aiden Tags: Satire, comedy, fiction Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Multi-volume, business productivity expert, Oleg Konovalov introduces us to his newest book about leading and organizational culture: Foreword by John Spence "This book shares the best lessons in modern management!" - Marshall Goldsmith, Only two-time Thinkers 50 #1 Leadership Thinker in the world "Every once in a while you encounter a book that makes you rethink how you think about management. This is one of those rare gems." - Jonas Ridderstråle We stand on the brink of a great unknown. The Digital Era has clearly demonstrated that we can't progress further without developing leadership capabilities on a global scale. Leaderology defines the beginning of the Renaissance period in modern management and leadership while helping leaders to reach a new level of success. Leaderology is a new approach to managing organizations in the new realities which identifies common and specific errors that arise in any business and to spot problems that distance it from customers and limit the company's capacities early, and how to treat them before they threaten the business itself. While defining new areas of improvement this book offers recommendations that can create ultimate leaps in performance and customer satisfaction. Through different case studies and responses from industry experts, it shows how devoting effort and time to honing leadership competencies is the best investment in the future.  What an awesome book! Oleg really makes the issues and stakes clear! What is at stake? Merely the ultimate success or failure of your organization. Follow the prescription that the author provides, take care of the people, success will follow naturally. Pay attention, this is not a set-it-and-forget-it exercise. This is the new paradigm. I award this book 4.9 stars!  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/LEADEROLOGY-Oleg-Konovalov-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-leaderology https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Leaderology/Oleg-Konovalov You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/olkonol_oa http://olegkonovalov.com/ https://valuekod.com/2-hour-free-executive-workshop-to-diagnose-fix-corporate-culture-problems/ I have reviewed the two previous books also: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/organisational-anatomy-a-managers-guide-to-a-healthy-organisation-by-oleg-konovalov https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/corporate-superpower-cultivating-a-winning-culture-for-your-business-by-oleg-konovalov Tags: Business production, business operations, business management, strategic management Copyright © 2019 by Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction Debut children’s author, Doris Bowers, introduces us to her first book, “Santa’s Magical Christmas Tree”: Terrance and Velda Powers get to help mom pick out their special Christmas Tree. When they get it home, they find it is Magical! They find something Special and Magical in their Christmas Tree! What can it be? Keep reading to find out, and all the fun Velda and Terrance have with their discovery.  This is such a cute book; children will love reading this or having it read to them. The joy and excitement captured in this story is quite contagious and will leave you feeling wonderful. I have cut many Christmas trees in my life, my family owns a wholesale Christmas tree farm, and I have never found one like this tree. I didn’t know what I was missing! The action and dialogue are great fun, from a nice, old man selling the trees to a mystery guest. I award “Santa’s Magical Christmas Tree” a score of 5.0 stars.  You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Santas-Magical-Christmas-Tree-Book-ebook https://www.goodreads.com/-santa-s-magical-christmas-tree You can follow the author: https://twitter.com/DorisKoalaGirl http://www.instagram.com/dkoalagirl/ facebook.com/doris.jarrett.52 Copyright © 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction (My American Almost Royal Cousin Series Book 4) |
Who am I?An avid reader, typobuster, and the Hyper-Speller. I am a husband, father, and grandfather. Archives
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