Craig Eddy

@kregger.bsky.social 🦋 • Joined 3 days ago

Virginia Tech Hokie, proud husband of one wife and father of three kids, fan of the Seahawks and the CAPS, beach lover, 🐕 lover, 🍺 lover, and Reagan Conservative.

Library

Reviews

Web Programming With Visual Basicby Craig Eddy(5 ⭐)

One of my first books!

How to Be Like Rich DeVos: Succeeding with Integrity in Business and Lifeby Pat Williams(5 ⭐)

Great book on how to live a life of significance.

Compassionate Capitalismby Rich DeVos(5 ⭐)

There is such a thing.

Duma Keyby Stephen King(4 ⭐)

King is the master of the descriptive. His descriptions of the scenery on Duma Key make me long to be there!<br/><br/>But it takes a lot of reading to get to the suspense part.

Billionaire Secrets to Successby Bill Bartmann(5 ⭐)

great, down-to-earth, advice on living success

Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive Peopleby Rich DeVos(5 ⭐)

This is a must-read for all humans! Well-written, easy to get through.

Leadership Gold: Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leadingby John C. Maxwell(4 ⭐)

BWW mentoring team's book-of-the-month

The CEO of You: Chief Energizing Officer of Your Own Uniquenessby Marsha Petrie Sue

Great book, great tips on how to self-manage. Occasionally the author seemed to drift into the weeds a bit, but overall highly recommend this for anyone who's serious about moving themselves along in their business.

The Slight Edgeby Jeff Olson(5 ⭐)

Most steps to living a successful life, however you define it, turn out to be "Easy to do, easy not to do". <br/><br/>The Slight Edge recommends that you DO those steps.

Southern Storm: Sherman's March to the Seaby Noah Andre Trudeau(4 ⭐)

Long book, very detailed descriptions of each day of Sherman's march across Georgia. Probably more for the Civil War buff than for the casual reader.

The Noticer: Sometimes, All a Person Needs Is a Little Perspectiveby Andy Andrews(5 ⭐)

Fantastic book filled with "slap you down" success principles delivered through a wonderful storyline.

Yes! How Noes Prepare You for the Yeses that Shape Your Futureby John Fuhrman

This book is filled with simple truths, but truths that hurt to admit when you're not living up to your full potential!

Have a Little Faith: a True Storyby Mitch Albom(4 ⭐)

Great book that explores the lives of both a Jewish rabbi and a Christian pastor.

The Tongue: A Creative Forceby Charles Capps(5 ⭐)

Speak the Word and glorify God!

Face to Face: How to Reclaim the Personal Touch in a Digital Worldby Susan RoAne(5 ⭐)

Great tips on how to handle "connections" in today's high-tech world

Under the Domeby Stephen King(5 ⭐)

Long, very long. But so far reading like it's going to be a King classic

3:16: The Numbers of Hopeby Max Lucado(5 ⭐)

Fantastic book. What struck me most: <br/><br/>Jesus is not inclusive. Not all paths lead to Heaven, only through Jesus can we get there.

Mentor: The Kid & the Ceo, A Simple Story of Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Significanceby Tom Pace(5 ⭐)

Thank goodness for my association with Britt Worldwide and the Business Support Materials team: the recommended book of the month NEVER FAILS!

It Only Takes Everything You've Got!: Lessons for a Life of Successby Julio A. Melara(5 ⭐)

Easy read, fantastic attitude builder!

The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that Determine Personal Successby Andy Andrews(4 ⭐)

Great book: reads as a story, but to get the full use out of the information, you need to treat it as a daily devotional. Choose one of the "decisions" and focus on it for a week at a time. Your life will change!

It Only Takes a Minute to Change Your Life!: A Motivational and Inspirational Revolution That Will Show You How to Release the Power Within Youby Willie Jolley(5 ⭐)

Fantastic book. Easy to read. <br/><br/>If you don't have a dream, no matter how great your plans are they'll be for naught!

Leaders Without Borders: 9 Essentials for Everyday Leadersby Doug Dickerson(5 ⭐)

This is a great book...well-written, quick read. Fantastic content teaching the basics of leadership without any fluff.

Tuesday Morning Coachingby David Cottrell(5 ⭐)

Simple, concise success principles told in story fashion. Very easy/quick read, definitely going to re-read.<br/><br/>5 stars isn't enough...

Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don'tby Michael J. Losier(4 ⭐)

Great tips and explanation of The Law of Attraction. Easy to read without a bunch of new-age speak.

Sell Naked On The Phoneby Joe Pici

Fantastic book...sales success for the person who crawled out from under a rock (like me!). Turn your life around if you follow the advice.

The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitzby Erik Larson(5 ⭐)

Wonderful book...reads like historical fiction. Churchill was truly the man needed for the time in the United Kingdom, and in the world as whole while the States dragged their feet.

The Essential Scalia: On the Constitution, the Courts, and the Rule of Lawby Antonin Scalia(5 ⭐)

The Constitution, plain and simple. You don't need to be a lawyer or even a constitutional scholar to understand Scalia's writings. Should be required for all high school history classes!

Alexander Hamiltonby Ron Chernow(5 ⭐)

Great book. If you think 2020 was "unprecedented times", check out the 1790's.

1620: A Critical Response to the 1619 Projectby Peter W. Wood(5 ⭐)

This is one of the most important books an American citizen of 2021 can read.

The Accountability Circle: Discovering Your True Purpose, Potential, and Impact…with Accountability Partnershipsby Sam Silverstein(5 ⭐)

Build an accountability circle, but it starts with being accountable to yourself!

12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaosby Jordan B. Peterson(5 ⭐)

This is a must-read for all humans. It took me a bit to get into his writing style, but once I settled in the hits kept on coming!

The Road to Siena: The Essential Biography of St. Catherineby Edmund G. Gardner(4 ⭐)

Somewhat hard to follow, but an amazing saint nonetheless

Caughtby Harlan Coben(3 ⭐)

A bit convoluted throughout. For me, far from his best work.

Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killerby James L. Swanson(5 ⭐)

Great read! Narrative like historical fiction so it really kept my attention. Learned quite a bit!

Billy Summersby Stephen King(5 ⭐)

Fantastic writing. I was transported into Billy Summers' world, engrossed in reading far more than is usual for my squirrel mind.<br/><br/>While the story would make a great movie, it's not so much the story that makes this a great novel: it's the story-telling!

The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster: Why Now Is the Time to #JointheRideby Darren Hardy(4 ⭐)

Filled with practical advice, but most of it you've probably heard/read elsewhere.<br/><br/>Easy read. If you're new to the space, this is a great starting point.

The Crooked Path to Abolition: Abraham Lincoln and the Antislavery Constitutionby James Oakes(4 ⭐)

Not terrible. Seemed to repeat itself quite a bit, living up to it's title I suppose...

The Dragon Rebornby Robert Jordan(5 ⭐)

Slightly more confusing than previous books: hard to keep track of who was where, where they were headed, and where they were coming from.<br/><br/>Still masterfully written and engaging. Can't wait for Book Four.

Built Through Courage: Face Your Fears to Live the Life You Were Meant Forby Dave Hollis(4 ⭐)

Good stuff, but I found it a titch too biographical.

The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership: Embracing the Conflicting Demands of Today's Workplaceby Tim Elmore(5 ⭐)

A terrific book on what modern leadership should look like. As leaders, if we model these 8 paradoxes, not only will we grow our organizations but we also grow our team mates in the ways that they're longing to grow.

We Need to Talk: Building Trust When Communicating Gets Criticalby Phillip Van Hooser(5 ⭐)

Short, simple, and definitely to the point. <br/><br/>Using a visit to the pediatrician for stitches as the backdrop, Van Hooser sums up how to be a great communicator with 6 principles: talk *with* people, explain the process, tell the truth, work for understanding, get others involved, and do your job.

Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategyby Patrick Bet-David(4 ⭐)

Meh. Honestly didn't get much out of this book. A lot of self-aggrandizing. Maybe I'm too Boomer.

Remote Team Interactions Workbook: Using Team Topologies Patterns for Remote Workingby Matthew Skelton(4 ⭐)

Great tools and insights, in a very consumable format.

The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brainby Annie Murphy Paul(5 ⭐)

An amazing work. Every leader, teacher, manager, heck person, should read this. We have amazing capacities embedded in an endless landscape, yet we don't take advantage of combining those two notions. If we but do so we have the opportunity to create much better societies.

Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiahby Brant Pitre(5 ⭐)

A wonderful book that explains so much about the mother of Jesus. If, like me, you've often wondered why we venerate Mary and ask for her prayers, and how doing so isn't idolatrous, I'd highly recommend exploring through this one.

The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future: 9 Surprising Ways Leadership is Changingby Clay Scroggins(5 ⭐)

This is a terrific book for both leaders and "followers". <br/><br/>Why the scare quotes around followers, Craig? Because we're all leaders in .oat aspects of our lives. In fact, at any given moment we're more likely to be leading than to be following.<br/><br/>This guide will provide a great path for being an effective, trusted, and loved leader.

The 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lastsby Gary Chapman(5 ⭐)

Fantastic! Learning your spouse's love language, and becoming fluent in it, will help keep their emotional love tank full.<br/><br/>Highly recommended for couples everywhere. ❤️

Thunderstruckby Erik Larson(5 ⭐)

Another Larson masterpiece! Highly recommend for those who love his style of writing or are curious about the history of the development of "wireless" communication.

Hero on a Mission: A Path to a Meaningful Lifeby Donald Miller(5 ⭐)

A terrific book, providing a workable framework for transforming your life. <br/><br/>Miller relates 4 archetypes of stories, victim, villain, hero, and guide, to our daily lives. <br/><br/>This book masterfully creates an extension and a mash-up of Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey" and Viktor Frankl's logotherapy.

Bringing Out the Best in People: How to Enjoy Helping Others Excelby Alan Loy McGinnis(5 ⭐)

Quintessential leadership skills in a simple to consume format. Highly recommended.

The Lincoln Highwayby Amor Towles(5 ⭐)

If you enjoy tales of epic journeys and coming of age, you'll love this incredibly well-written novel.<br/><br/>Towles does a masterful job of character development and telling the tale from multiple perspectives.

The Greatest Beer Run Ever: A Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and Warby John "Chick" Donohue(5 ⭐)

It's about a lot more than just the beer run. Well-written with tons of background about the war on the ground (at least towards the end of the war).<br/><br/>Quick read. I'm looking forward to watching the movie.

Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Radby Steven Kotler(5 ⭐)

Summing it up in a single quote from the book:<br/><br/>Aging is a fact of life. Old is a mindset.

Wilderness, The Gateway To The Soul: Spiritual Enlightenment Through Wildernessby Scott Stillman(5 ⭐)

If you're a wanderer, read this. If you're wondering what it's all for, read this. Looking forward to the others in the series

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witchby Terry Pratchett(5 ⭐)

Wonderful tale. Long and entertaining. I've never read Gaiman before, but have read a few of Pratchett's books. You can definitely feel his influence.

The Priory of the Orange Treeby Samantha Shannon(4 ⭐)

Well worth the long read.

Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlawby Charles Leerhsen(4 ⭐)

Well-written. Learned how enigmatic Robert LeRoy Parker (aka, Butch Cassidy) was.

Awareness: The Perils and Opportunities of Realityby Anthony de Mello(5 ⭐)

Terrific and life changing for me. Highly recommend. Caused me to contemplate my expectations, assumptions, and judgements.

The Matchby Harlan Coben(5 ⭐)

Great sequel!

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakesby Suzanne Collins(5 ⭐)

WOW!!!! The best of the series, and potentially one of the best fiction books I've ever read. The last 40 pages are truly remarkable. Character development for Snow is beyond compare!

The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatnessby Deepak Chopra(4 ⭐)

Good, not great. Probably requires a more thoughtful read than I had in me this time.

This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Mattersby Drew Dudley(5 ⭐)

Dudley lays out a very practical process for helping ensure that you make each day count, guided by the values you most want to live by. And there's a terrific process for discovering what those values are for you.

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religionby Jonathan Haidt(5 ⭐)

Very coherent explanation of how we behave and why we can appear to be so different.<br/><br/>Best summed up in one of the last paragraphs:<br/><br/>...our minds were designed for groupish righteousness. We are deeply intuitive creatures whose gut feelings drive our strategic reasoning. This makes it difficult - but not impossible - to connect with those who live in other matrices, which are often built on different configurations of the available moral foundations.

Elon Muskby Walter Isaacson(5 ⭐)

Wonderful work of art by Isaacson. Musk is an amazing visionary despite his faults. This book lays it all out there in his typical style.

The Boy from the Woodsby Harlan Coben(4 ⭐)

Classic Harlan Coben. A fun read, difficult to put down. And all the twists and turns you've come to expect.

My Effin' Lifeby Geddy Lee(5 ⭐)

If I could give this 10 stars, I would. Even if you're not a Rush fan, or even if you don't enjoy "rock and roll music", you should read this book.<br/><br/>It's filled with page after page of what it means to be human, living in a society, in collaboration with your close friends and compatriots.

Hollyby Stephen King(4 ⭐)

I had to hold my metaphorical nose until it seemed the President Trump had lost his rent-free spot in King's psyche, but I'm very glad I did.<br/><br/>This is a great story that's very well written. Highly recommended!!

Keep Moving Forward: 9 Life-Changing Lessons Taken from the Hiking Trails of Americaby Matt Landry(5 ⭐)

<strong>Indeed: Keep Moving Forward</strong><br/><br/>This is a great book for everyone to read, especially if you're convinced "life shouldn't be this difficult." In reality, to quote Jimmy Dugan from A League of their Own: "It's supposed to be hard....The hard is what makes it great." <br/><br/>Matt's book will help you come to accept that, using stories from his extensive hiking experience.

Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Spaceby Adam Higginbotham(5 ⭐)

A must read for all those involved in leading teams, and those interested in what goes wrong when bureaucracies persist for more than a few years.

Dustby Hugh Howey(5 ⭐)

Terrific conclusion! Don't skip the short stories at the end!!

Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Lessby Michael Hyatt(5 ⭐)

Practical advice with free downloads.

Nuclear War: A Scenarioby Annie Jacobsen(5 ⭐)

Gripping and terrifying. Fast-paced read about how fast the world essentially ends...

The History of the Hobbit, One-Volume Editionby John D. Rateliff(5 ⭐)

Epic in proportion - obviously, just look at the page count! Well-written coverage of the history of the writing of The Hobbit, I learned quite a lot about the writing process Tolkien undertook and how the story leaned on his previous (and future, as pertains to subsequent editions post-Lord of the Rings) writings, both publishing and unpublished.

Highest Duty: My Search for What Really Mattersby Chesley B. Sullenberger III(4 ⭐)

Pretty good book. Definitely on the autobiographical side as opposed to the self-help side though.

The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Winby Gene Kim(5 ⭐)

Must read for anyone in technology or company leadership. It's past time to realize that software is indeed eating your worlds, and this book helps to put a human face to the real challenges faces by IT and software development organizations.