First Friday Book Synopsis

 A few words about today’s book: 

The Injustice of Place:  Uncovering the Legacy of Poverty in America by Kathryn J. Edin, H. Luke Shaefer, and Timothy J. Nelson

Place and poverty go together. This book looks at this connection.

Focusing on three key parts of the United States, for those of us in Texas — and for those of us who know South Texas — this book is especially revealing and enlightening; and more than a little disheartening.

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You are invited – on Zoom, Thursday!

A special encouragement to attend the Urban Engagement Book Club

Thursday, September 21, over Zoom, 12:30 pm

Please join us. All details below.

————

If you have an open lunch time window Thursday, September 21, 12:30 pm (CST), I am presenting my synopsis of:

The Injustice of Place: Uncovering the Legacy of Poverty in America by Kathryn J. Edin, H. Luke Shaefer, and Timothy J. Nelson

I encourage you to download my synopsis handout, print it out, and follow along.

Come join us on Zoom.

Urban Engagement Book Club
Thursday, September 21, 2023 – 12:30 pm (CST)

Synopsis presented by Randy Mayeux
We conclude shortly after 1:30.
(This event is free).

Here is the lineup of upcoming books, and a look back to the books of 2022.  

And, here is the Zoom link to join our gathering. 

Randy Mayeux is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83866241986?pwd=WGNyWklhWFYvdDE4QmZ5MUtIUjNWUT09

Meeting ID: 838 6624 1986

Passcode: 663247

———————

Click on image to download synopsis handout

Here is the more complete Zoom info.

Randy Mayeux is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Urban Engagement Book Club, 2023

Time: September 21, 2023 12:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83866241986?pwd=WGNyWklhWFYvdDE4QmZ5MUtIUjNWUT09

Meeting ID: 838 6624 1986

Passcode: 663247

One tap mobile

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Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb5hTsqvcU

The New York Times has published its list of best-selling business books for September, 2023. Yes, Atomic Habits by James Clear is still at the top position, as it has been for a very, very long time now.

A couple of observations about this month’s list: 

One is that quite a few of these books have been around, and have appeared on this monthly list, for a long time.  Outliers, Thinking, Fast and Slow, Dare to Lead, Atomic Habits…these are not new books.

Another is that the list frequently includes books by few female authors.  Only Brené Brown is on this month’s list.  There are some terrific books by women authors, and I encourage all to seek these out.  (I am presenting the new Amy Edmondson book,  Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, at the October First Friday Book Synpsos.

Of the ten books on this month’s list, we have presented synopses of six at our monthly Frist Friday Book Synopsis in Dallas. I presented Atomic Habits, The Creative Act, Dare to Lead, Four Thousand Weeks, and Outliers.  In addition, my former colleague Karl Krayer, presented Thinking, Fast and Slow.  I also presented Poverty, By America at the other book club for which I speak, the Urban Engagement Book Club.

And, in December, Karl Krayer will return as a guest presenter, and he has already selected a new book on this month’s list, Stay Sane in an Insane World.

Here are the ten books on this month’s New York Times list.  I can say with confidence that at least eight of them are worth your time!  (I suspect all ten of them are!). 

Read more books!

#1 – Atomic Habits by James Clear

#2 – The Creative Act by Rick Rubin with Neil Strauss

#3 – Gambler by Billy Walters with Armen Keteyian

#4 – I Will Teach You To Be Rich, Second Edition by Ramit Sethi

#5 – Stay Sane in an Insane World by Greg Harden with Steve Hamilton

#6 – Dare to Lead by Brené Brown

#7 – Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

$8 – Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

#9 – Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

#10 – Poverty, By America by Matthew Desmond

You can purchase my synopses presentations from the buy synopses tab at the top of this page.  On that page, you can search by book title. And click here for our newest additions (Note:  I have added my synopsis of Poverty, By America, presented at the other book club at which I speak monthly, to these synopses available for purchase).

Each synopsis comes with my comprehensive, multi-page synopsis handout, plus the audio recording of my presentation delivered at the First Friday Book Synopsis in Dallas.

And, please check out these “bundles” of synopses, arranged by key categories, for your own self-paced learning, at my companion site, AcademyofLifelongLearning.com.

(Note:  this is one of those “if the shoe fits” articles).

—–

Have you ever watched Doc Martin?  The beloved fictional British doctor always had the right diagnosis at the critical moments.

He knew because he had been trained; he knew because he continued to study; he knew because he stayed current by reading.

Throughout the series, he was reading articles from Lancet.  In fact, in one episode, he was reading a Lancet article aloud to his not-yet-toddler son.

If only it was as simple as reading just one publication a month to keep current!

A former CEO, now coach, likes to tell me that no one has time to read books.  Not the top leaders.  They are too busy…leading; strategizing, making decisions, making the tough calls.  They do not have time to read books!

If they are dealing with a challenge, and the suggested solution is to “read this book,” they will rebel.  Their body tenses up.  They hate the idea…  They might order the book.  They might crack open the introduction.  But, they will not read the book. And, if they do try to, their mind will be so cloudy with all the issues that they face, they simply will not learn what the book has to tell them.

I suspect that this former CEO is correct.

Oh, there may be a few exceptions to this.  But the vast majority of people will not actually read the books they wish they could find time to read.

And so they do not find and access wisdom that really could help them.  And it hurts their work; it hurts their company; it hurts their people.

My former colleague Karl Krayer used to say that people do not have time to read the books; nor do they have time to read the book summaries they subscribe to… In other words, the books’ stack, or the summaries’ stack, is a tower of guilt and unfinished work.

Back to Doc Martin; people would go see him, ask “what’s wrong with me?”, and he would tell them.  He was a marvel at diagnosis.  He would give them prescriptions: take this medicine; adopt these practices.  They did not always take their medicine.  But Doc Martin was so clear with his words.  They knew what to do; they just had to execute the strategy!

Doc Martin was correct because he was well-trained, he kept current, and he was wise and smart.

Today’s business leader needs to be able to call a Doc Martin and ask “what is wrong with me, Doc?”  They don’t want to be told to “read this Lancet article,” or to “go take this class.”  They want an answer.  And, when given the answer, it is up to them to execute.

So, who do the business leaders of today ask when they need an answer?  Which fix-me-Doctor can they call upon?

Whoever they call upon, it has to be someone well trained, well-read…current.  Someone who does read the books and articles. And keeps up.

And then, that current expert can say:  “here is your answer; your solution.”

But, how does the current expert, called upon to fix so many problems and challenges, stay current himself or herself? They too do not have time to read the books.  Not enough of them.

And there.are.so.many.books! Plus articles. Plus podcasts. Plus TED Talks. Plus….  Well, it is all so overwhelming.

My area is book reading.   Actually, make that book selecting, and then book reading.

Click on image for full view

I help people stay current with my book synopses.  I do those deep dives, prepare comprehensive synopses handouts, and then present them orally.  For 25+ years, and over 600 books, we have presented synopses of the most critical business books at the First Friday Book Synopsis.

And, I have a confession to make.  I still feel behind.  There is so much information – good, useful, actionable information- – coming our way.

But, 600+ books is not nothing.  And, people who have discovered my synopses realize that they get enough from them that they can figure out what portion to adopt, and then execute.

Finding the right, actionable information – the right solution; the right answer — is the challenge for everybody.

My book synopses might help…

You can purchase my synopses presentations from the buy synopses tab at the top of this page.  On that page, you can search by book title. And click here for our newest additions (Note:  I have added my synopsis of Poverty, By America, presented at the other book club at which I speak monthly, to these synopses available for purchase).

Each synopsis comes with my comprehensive, multi-page synopsis handout, plus the audio recording of my presentation delivered at the First Friday Book Synopsis in Dallas.

And, please check out these “bundles” of synopses, arranged by key categories, for your own self-paced learning, at my companion site, AcademyofLifelongLearning.com.

BOOK LOVERS UNITE — BOOK SYNOPSES FOR THE LIFELONG LEARNER IN ALL OF US!

Come to learn; AND make some great connections!

MAKE 2023 A YEAR OF LEARNING!

October 6 – IN OUR 26th Year!

Click here to register for the in-person gathering at the wonderful Park City Club in Dallas.

Scroll down for Zoom info.

What:  the October 6 First Friday Book Synopsis, 7:00 am (7:25 am for synopses start time)

——

Every month since April 1998, we have presented synopses of two good business books at the First Friday Book Synopsis, in Dallas.  Now a hybrid event (both in-person at the Park City Club, and on Zoom), it is a true learning event.

———————

The two books for the October 6 session are:

1. The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemmaby Mustafa Suleyman, Michael Bhaskar

and

2. Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Wellby Amy C. Edmondson

Both of these books are long-listed for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year!

The Financial Times has awarded a prize for the Business Book of the Year for a number of years.  (Click here for the complete list of winners, by year).  In earlier years, I have presented a few of the winning books at our monthly First Friday Book Synopsis, including:

The World is Flat:  The Globalized World in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas L. Friedman,

The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon by Brad Stone,

The Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of Mass Unemployment by Martin Ford,

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, and

Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology by Chris Miller.

(Note:  I also presented one other winner, Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty for the Urban Engagement Book Club, sponsored by CitySquare — the other book club for which I speak regularly).

The two books I have selected for the October 6 session of the First Friday Book Synopsis are on the longlist for this year’s prize.  (I have already presented one other book on this year’s longlist: How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything In Between by Bent Flyvbjerg).

Here is how the Financial Times describes these two books:

The Coming Wave: AI, Power and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma, by Mustafa Suleyman, published next month, picks up a similar theme, but presents an insider’s take on generative AI, synthetic biology and quantum computing. Working with Michael Bhaskar, Suleyman, co-founder of DeepMind, now part of Google, warns of the dangers of sleepwalking into catastrophe. The coming wave of change must be contained, the authors argue, and they lay out the tools necessary to navigate “the tortuous route forward”.

Amy Edmondson also looks at the importance of turning failure to good account in the Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive (an earlier subtitle), to be published next month. The Harvard professor and advocate of the need for “psychological safety” and speak-up work cultures draws on her and others’ research to lay out how to learn to fail better and take smarter risks. “Most of us go out of our way to avoid experiencing failure,” she writes, “robbing ourselves of adventure, accomplishment, and even love.” 

The October First Friday Book Synopsis will provide valuable information, with useful and usable teachings to help with our business endeavors.

October 6, 2023– Park City Club (and Zoom) — 7:00 am Central Time — (program begins at 7:25 am)

At the First Friday Book Synopsis, we make each month’s session a genuine learning event.  You learn from the best business books, and then it is up to you to put into practice the things you learn.

For the October 6, 2023, session, I will present my synopses of both of these useful books.  Click here to register for the in-person session.  (Zoom info is below).

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In our 26th YEAR of the First Friday Book Synopsis

Randy Mayeux provides thorough synopses of the content of useful, best-selling business books. He provides a comprehensive, multi-page synopsis handout, that concludes with his own lessons and takeaways from each book he presents.

“I love good books; and I read books
And share their core concepts
To help people become more literate
And know what to work on
To do a better job
To build a better company
And, ultimately, to build a better life.”
Randy Mayeux
——————-

October 6, 2023 – Park City Club; and on Zoom 

What to expect:

Two fast-paced synopsis presentations.

For In-person participants, you will be given copies of the two synopsis handouts.  For those attending remotely, you will receive a synopsis handout to download for each of the two books, delivered the day before the event, via e-mail (and, available on this blog).

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ THE BOOKS IN ADVANCE! – No pre-reading of the books required!

If you are like many, you do not have time to read all of the books you would like to read. The First Friday Book Synopsis is designed for you.

Our synopses are comprehensive, thorough, and they will give you plenty of the key content from each book. You will learn, and be able to ponder the ideas in a useful way. And, even if you have read the book, my synopsis will help you remember more of what you read.

I hope you can join us.

For in-person participants: click here to register for in-person attendance.

For remote participants:
The cost of this remote meeting is “free.”
But, if you would like to contribute to participate, Randy would welcome you to send $12.00 directly to him through PayPal. Click here for a direct link to “donate” through PayPal.

For remote participants, here is the Zoom info.  The Zoom meeting requires no registration.

Randy Mayeux is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: First Friday Book Synopsis, 2023
Time: October 6, 2023 07:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88546338687?pwd=NC9hRVhoaW8waUlnZGllU1UvOEJWZz09

Meeting ID: 885 4633 8687
Passcode: 208376

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Visit our web site where you can purchase past synopses, with audio recordings + synopsis handouts, at: 15minutebusinessbooks.com

For our most recent synopses, click here.

Purchase past synopses bundled in categories, each with audio recordings and synopsis handouts, at our other site; academyoflifelonglearning.com.

{Note:  you can also still register to attend in-person for the September 1 First Friday Book Synopsis, at the wonderful Park City Club, by clicking here}.

In our 26th Year!

You are invited
First Friday Book Synopsis,
Friday, September 1, 2023, 7:25 am (Central Time), on Zoom.
I hope you can join us!

Meeting On Zoom

Around 100 people (in our combined in-person and Zoom participants) have been joining us for our First Friday Book Synopsis gatherings. We have had participants from all over the country. Please share this word far and wide — all are welcome!

This Friday, September 1, 2023, 7:25 am – Zoom 

The two books for tomorrow are both worth your time! 

1. The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End by Neil Howe

and

2. Elevate Your Team: Empower Your Team To Reach Their Full Potential and Build A Business That Builds Leaders (Ignite Reads) by Robert Glazer.
   

   Click on image to download both synopsis handouts

The Fourth Turning is Here by Neil Howe is a true big-picture book. Neil Howe, along with his former co-author William Strauss, coined the term millennial. This is a significant book to help you understand key differences between the generations, how we got here, and where we might be going next.

Elevate Your Team is a practical book about how to help each person on your team build greater capacity and capability. Very good reminders for us all; especially for those of us who care about lifelong learning.

In other words, both books are very much worth our time. I learned much. I think you will also.

Note: The first presentation will begin around 7:25-7:30 am.

I intend to keep this Zoom gathering free. But, your voluntary participation would be appreciated.  If you would like to contribute to participate, Randy would welcome you to send $12.00 directly to him through PayPal. Click here for a direct link to “donate” through PayPal.

PRINTING TIP: I strongly encourage all to print out the two handouts. If you will begin printing on page 2, you will still have the full handout, and save the ink that you would use on the front/cover sheet. 

Where:  On Zoom

When: This Friday, September 1 — presentations begin at 7:25-7:30 am (Central Time)
The presentations will conclude around 8:35 am
Speaker: Randy Mayeux will deliver both synopsis presentations.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88546338687?pwd=NC9hRVhoaW8waUlnZGllU1UvOEJWZz09

Meeting ID: 885 4633 8687

Passcode: 208376

————————

Click on image to download both synopsis handouts

We are all set for Friday’s Remote First Friday Book Synopsis.

#1 — Download, and print both synopses handouts by clicking here.

#1 — Download, and print both synopses handouts by clicking here. If you have ever attended our event, you know that I am handout intensive. You really will be able to follow along better with physical copies of the handouts in front of you. So, if you have a printer, please print the handouts.

#2 — Come on in for conversation whenever you can. I have enabled the “enable join before host” button. You will arrive in the waiting room, and be let in quickly. So, you can come in, and talk to folks.

#3 — Here is the info, with the link to join the gathering:

Randy Mayeux is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting

Topic: First Friday Book Synopsis, 2022
Time:  September 1, 2023 07:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88546338687?pwd=NC9hRVhoaW8waUlnZGllU1UvOEJWZz09

Meeting ID: 885 4633 8687

Passcode: 208376

—–

Reminder: The cost of this remote meeting is “free.”

But, if you would like to contribute to participate, Randy would welcome you to send $12.00 directly to him through PayPal. Click here for a direct link to “donate” through PayPal.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PFVH25LQL6XBE

(Note: you can also send money through Zelle, at Randy’s e-mail address).

(Randy’s e-mail address for PayPal, and Zelle, is ).

Please help spread the word far and wide; help make this a success.

————————–

You might want to read this post. It has a printable one-sheet reminder on how to make the most of your remote learning experience.

Remote Learning 101 – Read this before attending your learning session.

 ——————

Here is more complete Zoom info:

Randy Mayeux is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: First Friday Book Synopsis, 2023

Time: September 1, 2023 07:00 AM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88546338687?pwd=NC9hRVhoaW8waUlnZGllU1UvOEJWZz09

Meeting ID: 885 4633 8687

Passcode: 208376

One tap mobile

+13462487799,,88546338687#,,,,*208376# US (Houston)

+16699006833,,88546338687#,,,,*208376# US (San Jose)

Dial by your location

        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)

        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)

        +1 719 359 4580 US

        +1 253 205 0468 US

        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)

        +1 669 444 9171 US

        +1 564 217 2000 US

        +1 646 931 3860 US

        +1 689 278 1000 US

        +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)

        +1 305 224 1968 US

        +1 309 205 3325 US

        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

        +1 360 209 5623 US

        +1 386 347 5053 US

        +1 507 473 4847 US

Meeting ID: 885 4633 8687

Passcode: 208376

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdpzmmbnrY

Precarious:  characterized by a lack of security or stability that threatens with danger.

—–

“For them, the middle class was always shrinking and mostly inaccessible. Coming of age, one word they have heard frequently (its use has skyrocketed since 2008) is “precarity.” They cannot recall the presence of strong institutions and have grown up fearing—even expecting—another crisis in their absence.” — The Fourth Turning Is Here: What the Seasons of History Tell Us about How and When This Crisis Will End by Neil Howe

——————

On the one hand, there are plenty of organizations and companies that go about their business, making products or providing services that we all need. They are “successful.”  We buy their products, eat the food they provide, pay for their services. They keep our world working well.

On the other hand, practically all of us feel…uneasy.  As though things are really about to get worse than bad.  From unhappiness at work, toxic workplaces, global warming, and on and on, many feel like the world is…precarious.

I felt like the above passage from The Fourth Turning is Here just leapt out at me.  I am presenting my synopsis of this new book at the September 1 First Friday Book Synopsis.  It is a provocative, sobering book.

But it is especially this word precarity that has captured my thinking.

In a lunch group, I said that maybe precarity is the fifth word to add to VUCA.  We’ve been using VUCA for a few years to describe the unsettledness of our time.  So, my suggestion was this update:

V – Volatility

U – Uncertainty

C – Complexity

A – Ambiguity

+

P – Precarity

But a sharp, astute consultant had a better observation after our lunch discussion.  She said:  Precarity is not the fifth word to the formula, but instead is a result of a VUCA era.  In other words, all of the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity have made our world, and more and more people around us, feel that things really are precarious. Precarity is what we are experiencing.  Precarity is what VUCA has created.

I think this coach was right.

So…what do we do about it?  Tune in for the synopsis…but… I’m not sure there will be a satisfying answer…