Five Books That Will Make Great Christmas Presents
By Cheval John
Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Affiliate and receive commission for each sale from their website.
I will only recommend items that I have personally used or in this case, books I have read for myself.
Christmas is right around the corner.
That means many people will be doing some last minute holiday shopping before the big day comes.
You might be wondering what type of gifts should you get your family and friends.
One suggestion I can make is to buy them some books.
“What buy them some books?” you might ask.
Yes, buy them some books.
The cost of a book will be in your price range if you are on a budget.
And books have the power to change people’s lives for the better if they apply the lessons they have read.
To give you a head start on researching for books, here are five books I believe will be a great Christmas present for your friends and family.
1. What Just Happened? by Jimmy Burgess
This book really is inspirational because Mr. Burgess was very transparent about his success and also his failures in business and life.
It is an easy read and once you start, you will not want to put the book down.
I finished the book in one day.
2. ReWork by 37 Signals
Rework was written by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson in 2010.
The book is the polar opposite to what business schools have been teaching for decades on running a business.
Though it is 288 pages, the book is an easy read as well because each chapter is about 3 to 4 pages and the message get straight to the point.
3. The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
This book is a masterpiece by Mr. Guiullebeau because he showcases others who had their own personal quest to achieve.
He shares about his journey to visit 193 countries in the world and also documents the challenges that he faced in achieving the quest.
The book will make you laugh, make you cry and also make you contemplate about fulfilling a personal quest that you had always dreamed of for many years.
4. The FabYouList by Susan Campbell Cross
The FabYouList is one book that everyone should read because Mrs. Cross shares her personal story of how she achieved all of her list.
You will be amazed by the grit and determination of Mrs. Cross in accomplishing her goals.
Once you read this book, you will be inspired to create your own list and achieve them.
A fair warning: Some of her list may not be suitable for anyone under the age of 18, so be very cautious of who you share the book with.
5. What If And Why Not? by Jen Groover
If you ever had a desire to start a business and you are afraid of failure, then this book is for you.
Jen Groover showcases her journey to be successful with her business, “The Butler Bag” and the obstacles she faced.
The one thing that pushed Ms. Groover to succuss and helped her to overcome failure is having the regrets of not pursing her dream of being a business owner.
One of the important messages that is detailed in the book is that “everyone has a story to share.”
So there you have it, the five books that you should get this Christmas season.
Really believe that they will change your live and jumpstart the New Year with hope and optimism.
What other books would you recommend? You can leave a comment below.
Photo Courtesy of www.thebooksamaritan.com
#SHSU Sets The Bar To A Championship Level
By Cheval John
When Bobby Williams took over as the athletic director 17 years ago at Sam Houston State, his vision was to make the department a first class organization that wins championships and excel in the classroom.
Those goals came to fruition and then some.
SHSU has won a combined 23 Southland Conference (SLC) titles, 17 NCAA playoff appearances that includes the school’s first ever national title at the Division I level (SHSU Bowling 2014) and two consecutive Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Finalist (Football 2011, 2012) and four Southland Commissioner’s Cups (2005, 2006, 2007, 2013).
In addition, the combined GPA for entire athletic department for the 2013-14 school is 3.04.
The department have extended a new tradition for the “student-athletes” called, “The Night of Champions,” an event that is as close to the ESPY’s that highlights the teams that have either won a SLC title or in the case of the bowling team, a national championship; spotlight Bearkats who have made it the national spotlight; and the achievements in the classroom.
Even SLC commissioner Tom Burnett was there to present former Bearkat running back and future NFL draftee Timothy Flanders with the award of becoming the first Southland player to rush for over 5,000 career yards in the FCS and setting the career rushing mark in the conference.
Of course, they deserve the recognition because they have brought the city of Huntsville a first-class athletic events that is as close to a major professional sport franchise.
What I mean is that cities (with the exclusion of Green Bay) that want to be the home of a professional sports organization, must have a strong tax base in order to build a stadium; Have a significant amount of people (300,000 and over) in order to support the giant salaries and have a strong media presence.
That poses a strong problem for small cities/towns like Huntsville because they don’t have those elements.
That’s where college sports comes into play because all of the amenities like maintenence of facilities, etc. are the responsibilities of the athletic departments of universities that sponsors collegiate athletics.
With universities being tax exempt, it makes it easier for these smaller cities to focus on other matters.
In the case of Huntsville, Texas, they have gotten more recognition over the last three years because of the SHSU’s football team making consecutive runs at the FCS playoffs (2011, 2012, 2013) and the bowling team national title win against University of Nebraska.’
Members of the SHSU Bowling Team with former Bearkat running back Timothy Flanders.
Those runs gave SHSU and the city of Huntsville, national exposure when they were featured on the ESPN family of networks that brought great name recognition like the major schools that always get the national spotlight during the regular season.
Mr. Williams can say that his vision came to fruition.
They are all champions because of the way they carried themselves in the midst of the pressures of being a full-time student and a full-time athlete.
The Resurgence Of Podcasts
By Cheval John
When Apple created the iPod in 2001, many in the tech world sensed that it was going to be a major disruption in the industry.
Apple wasn’t done yet as iTunes followed almost a year later.
They led the way for podcasts, a digital medium that consists of episodes, to grow substantially over the years.
As today is National Podcast Day, we celebrate the resurgence of this digital medium that has changed the media industry.
According to the stateofmedia.org, there are over 91,765 podcasts.
Shows like His and Hers, featuring ESPN’s own Michael Smith and Jemele Hill and the Marketing Lifestyle Show with Amy Schmittauer, owner of Vlog Boss Studios, have generated a loyal following that it has given the traditional radio industry a run for it’s money.
If a person is a small business owner who don’t have the money to buy ads like major corporations, a college student or a recent college graduate who are trying to stand out from the crowd of their peers, they should consider starting a podcast.
With podcasting, anyone can showcase their expertise if they do not like to be in front of the camera.
In order to create a podcast, you need equipment like a microphone, earphones and a dashboard that can be hooked up to your computer.
The cost ranges from $99.99 to $569.
If you are looking for an affordable way to create your podcast, then I would suggest BlogTalkRadio.
BlogTalkRadio was founded in 2006 by Alan Levy and Bob Charish.
It has over 30 million monthly listeners.
BlogTalkRadio is so easy to use because all you need is a phone and a computer.
You can create a free account with BlogTalkRadio that will allow you to have only 30 minutes of live
streaming.
You have the option to upgrade to either a Premium Plan for $39 a month, a Plus Plan for $99 a month or a Pro Plan for $249 a month, with the first month free.
The best part about BlogTalkRadio is that your show is live and then afterward, it is archived as a podcast and can be downloaded from the show’s site.
It can also be submitted to iTunes if you have an account with them.
So if you want to separate yourself from the competition and think that podcasting is for you, go for it.
If it does not work out, it will not be a big deal because you tried something new and stepped outside of your comfort zone.
Excerpt from the book, “8 Things You Need To Do Before Quitting Your Job”
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