Book Review - Culture Rules: The Leader's Guide to Creating the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

About the Book
Culture Rules is a clarion call for leaders around the world. The pandemic has magnified the essential role that culture plays in an organization’s health, vitality, and sustainability—some passed the test with flying colors while others are seeing with fresh eyes, deeply rooted issues and challenges within their culture.

After completing a global study with over 5,000 participants from ten countries, Mark Miller and his team have exposed the most predominant fissures and their fixes. Culture Rules showcases leaders and organizations who are building strong, enduring cultures.

Most important, this book is not just another compilation of case studies. Culture Rules makes the case for why leaders should invest their time and energy on building culture and gives them three simple, actionable rules they must play by if they want to stay in the game and win!

These rules and their accompanying best practices enable leaders to:

• Clarify and communicate the organization’s cultural aspirations.
• Reinforce the aspiration through their daily activities.
• Maintain relevance and vitality by constantly enhancing their culture.

When leader’s play by these rules, their actions become more strategic and productive while giving their organization a huge gift—a place where untapped potential is released and transformed into performance. Culture Rules!


My Take on the Book
This book really presents you a great array of advice for anyone looking for business success. In reading this I will say that I found not only things that I could use as a leader in my own environment, but things that I think every leader can use. The advice is practical, and you can put them into place immediately. The book take on culture within an organization, explains this and helps all leaders to better gain a broader perspective on how to maintain, build and keep a solid culture within an organization. Setting up and keeping a culture is so important and I can say that in reading this, I was very impressed by the wide array of things that the author provides as he guides leaders towards creating a culture that truly lasts.  

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Puzzle Review - Bibliophile Diverse Spines 500-Piece Puzzle

About the Puzzle

In the Bibliophile Diverse Spines 500-Piece Puzzle you get:

• 500-PIECE PUZZLE: The 500-piece bookstack puzzle is just the right level of challenge for booklovers and puzzlers. Encased in a box shaped like a book.
• PERFECT FOR LITERARY LOVERS: A useful and fun puzzle for Goodreads users, voracious readers, booklovers, aspiring writers, book club members, librarians, and English teachers as well as fans of Jane Mount, Ideal Bookshelf, Jamise Harper, and #DiverseSpines.
• DISCOVER UNSUNG LITERARY HEROES: A wide variety of books written by BIPOC authors, over 60 in all, are featured in this puzzle, like Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, Kindred by Octavia E. Butler, There There by Tommy Orange, The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros, and more.
• EXPERT AUTHORS: Using their keen knowledge of all things literary, Jamise Harper (founder of the Diverse Spines book community) and Jane Mount (author and illustrator of Bibliophile) have curated expertly devised bookstacks featuring a wide range of underrepresented voices.
• COOL OBJECT: With an elegant box shaped like a book, this makes a special gift and an enviable coffee-table centerpiece.

My Take on the Puzzle
As someone that loves books and someone married to a librarian, this was the perfect puzzle! It brought in our love of books but also was a fun puzzle to complete as well. In the end, if you love books and puzzles this is one that I would highly recommend!

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Sunny and Oswaldo

About the Book
In Sunny and Oswaldo you get a moving story of friendship, family, and the importance of empathy from award-winning author Nicole Melleby, expertly rendered with vibrant, expressive illustrations from Alexandra Colombo.

 
Sunny does not like cats—especially Oswaldo. He’s cranky and mean.

 
Sunny’s dad loves Oswaldo. She does not understand why.

 
When Oswaldo doesn’t come home one day, Sunny is happy. But her dad is sad.

 
Sunny wants her dad to be happy, so she helps him look for Oswaldo.

 
But can Sunny and Oswaldo ever get along?

My Take on the Book
This is a very cute story that brings in humor as well as a great story of an adopted pet and how it sometimes takes some time to find that connection with a pet. This was a story of love and understanding underneath it all. It was a great story that I loved to read and share with my own daughters.

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - A Funny Thing Happened After School

About the Book
In A Funny Thing Happened After School, it's a race to do homework—in space! But first, there's a spaceship jam. Then there's the moon detour, the Mars alien exploration, and a stop on the gravity-defying International Space Station. And that's just the beginning! Henry and Ali want to get their homework done—they really do! But how are they supposed to study the solar system when they seem to be swept up in an endless series of interstellar surprises?

From Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud, the author-illustrator team behind I Didn't Do My Homework Because . . ., comes an action-packed, entertaining tale about trying to get your homework done, whether you're in—or out—of this world!

THE LATEST IN A FAVORITE SERIES: The dynamic author-illustrator team of Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud are back with an engaging sixth book in the acclaimedI Didn't Do My Homework Because . . .children's book series!

A FAST-PACED SPACE ADVENTURE: As the two main characters try to get their homework done, outer space surprises keep thwarting their attempts. The result? Amusing mayhem and hilarious surprises on every page.

IRRESISTIBLE, DETAIL-RICH ILLUSTRATIONS: Humorous illustrations and endless details for readers to discover result in a satisfying—and exciting—reading experience.

A MUST-READ FOR YOUNG READERS: An energetic pace, clever story, and ample humor make this book an engaging read. Perfect for:

• Fans of books in the I Didn't Do My Homework Because . . . series
• Fans of Benjamin Chaud
• Fans of Edward Gorey, Maurice Sendak, and Mo Willems
• Appreciators of aliens and all things outer space
• Lovers of clever stories with wild and wacky humor
• Anyone looking for funny kids' books to delight reluctant readers

My Take on the Book
If you thought that the statement of "My dog ate my homework" was far-fetched this book seems to go even further (or does it). The book is a delightful tale of two friends as they are asked by their teacher for their homework. Each page is full of beautiful images and a fun story. By the end what you think you know may be in question, so hold onto the very end. The whole story will draw you in on every page with colorful images that just jump off the page. The story is also unique and you will want to see what happens after you read through the entire book! 

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Better Than We Found It: Conversations to Help Save the World

About the Book
In Better Than We Found It Conversations to Help Save the World, from the New York Times best-selling author of The Black Friend and a seasoned activist comes an indispensable guide to social and political progressivism for young people and anyone wanting to get more involved.

Every generation inherits the problems created by the ones before them, but no generation will inherit as many problems—as many crises—as the current generation of young people. From the devastations of climate change to the horrors of gun violence, from rampant transphobia to the widening wealth gap, from the lack of health care to the lack of housing, the challenges facing the next generation can feel insurmountable. But change, even revolution, is possible; you just have to know where to start. In Better Than We Found It, best-selling author Frederick Joseph and debut author Porsche Joseph make the case for addressing some of the biggest issues of our day. Featuring more than two dozen interviews with prominent activists, authors, actors, and politicians, this is the essential resource for those who want to make the world better than we found it.

Featuring interviews with:
Mehcad Brooks
Keah Brown
Julián Castro
Sonja Cherry-Paul
Chelsea Clinton
Charlotte Clymer
Mari Copeny, aka Little Miss Flint
Greg D’Amato
Jesse Katz
Amed Khan
Daniel Alejandro Leon-Davis
Willy and Jo Lorenz
Ben O’Keefe
Brittany Packnett Cunningham
Anna Paquin
Robert Reich
Brandon T. Snider
Nic Stone
Anton Treuer
Andrea Tulee
David Villalpando
Elizabeth Warren
Shannon Watts
Natalie Weaver
Brandon Wolf


My Take on the Book
This was an important book that covers so many topics that need to be discussed. In reading this book I found that I learned so much and I left the end of the book with a better understanding of things that I can do to help change the world in my own way. The conversations are written in a way that allows young people to be drawn into these conversations and really helps them to become activists in their own way. 

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - Trespassers

About the Book
In Trespassers fate never meant for Dylan and Tristan to live. Can true love transcend destiny? The internationally best-selling trilogy that began with Ferryman continues with this riveting sequel.

Tristan and Dylan have escaped the afterlife, defying fate: Dylan should have been killed in a horrific train crash, while Tristan should still be an immortal ferryman. Now, living in bodies they have no right to inhabit, they discover they’re connected by something stronger than love—their souls are bound together. Alone, they’ll die, but being together has its own difficulties. As they try to adjust to life in the real world, with Dylan slowly healing from her injuries and Tristan attending school for the first time, they realize that when they broke through the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead, they showed the way for others to escape. Now they must face the consequences. Dylan and Tristan’s beautifully told and richly imagined story—in development to be a major motion picture—continues in this sequel full of suspense, action, and intense emotion.


My Take on the Book
This was the sequel of Ferryman and it is a great new addition to the series. The characters are wonderful and you get to continue the adventure that Dylan and Tristian started in the first book after they escape the afterlife. The book was well written and in this book you are in the real world which is different then in the first book. The two of the main characters find in crossing over that they need to be in close proximity to one another or they feel pain. Tristian moves into Dylan's home as they pretend to be cousins. They also find that coming back from the afterlife has opened a hole between the real world and afterlife and they find out that they have to close this if they want to stay in the real world. This was a great story that moves fast, but it is a great story that made me keep coming back for more!

----------------------------------------

New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com

Book Review - The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person

About the Book
In The Black Friend - The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person, writing from the perspective of a friend, Frederick Joseph offers candid reflections on his own experiences with racism and conversations with prominent artists and activists about theirs—creating an essential read for white people who are committed anti-racists and those newly come to the cause of racial justice.

“We don’t see color.” “I didn’t know Black people liked Star Wars!” “What hood are you from?” For Frederick Joseph, life as a transfer student in a largely white high school was full of wince-worthy moments that he often simply let go. As he grew older, however, he saw these as missed opportunities not only to stand up for himself, but to spread awareness to those white people who didn’t see the negative impact they were having.

Speaking directly to the reader, The Black Friend calls up race-related anecdotes from the author’s past, weaving in his thoughts on why they were hurtful and how he might handle things differently now. Each chapter features the voice of at least one artist or activist, including Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give; April Reign, creator of #OscarsSoWhite; Jemele Hill, sports journalist and podcast host; and eleven others. Touching on everything from cultural appropriation to power dynamics, “reverse racism” to white privilege, microaggressions to the tragic results of overt racism, this book serves as conversation starter, tool kit, and invaluable window into the life of a former “token Black kid” who now presents himself as the friend many readers need. Backmatter includes an encyclopedia of racism, providing details on relevant historical events, terminology, and more.

My Take on the Book
This was a great book that opened my eyes to the world around me. As a white male in the world I know that I can be unaware of the racism that people of African descent have to deal with racism. This book shares this clearly and really opened my eyes to the things that I have taken for granted in my own life. The author challenges every reader to step into a anti-racism role, speaking out and standing up for everyone. I know that for me, this book has pushed me to be more vocal as I know now what I did not before and I also know that staying silent only empowers those perpetuating racism. I highly recommend this book to all! 

----------------------------------------
New to the Divadom or to Dad of Divas Reviews?
Please Subscribe to my RSS Feed! Subscribe in a reader
Questions? Drop me a line at dadofdivas@gmail.com