A valuable toolkit for professionals who feel like outsiders in the workplace.
A motivational and empowering guide for workplace success.
In this professional development book, Chee addresses the challenges faced by those who are the “Only” in their professions, whether that be due to race, gender, sexual preference, culture, or other identifiers. (The author stresses that the “Only” marker can be a source of strength rather than a liability.) Chee offers readers a guide for making their “Only” work for them through five principles. The first, “Own Your Opportunity,” encourages readers to recognize and seize available opportunities. The author acknowledges that external factors (like discrimination) and internal factors (including limiting beliefs, negative self-talk, and perfectionism) may prevent “Onlys” from pursuing their dreams or demanding what they’re worth. Practicing gratitude and countering negative thoughts with positive ones are among the suggestions Chee makes to help readers shift their perspectives. Principle two, “Own Your Power,” reminds readers that they already have what they need to succeed and encourages them to be authentic. (Celebrating one’s wins is important because it feels good and helps rewire the brain, per the author). “Own Your Voice,” the third principle, focuses on speaking up and believing that what one says matters. The fourth principle, “Own Your Communication,” stresses connection with one’s audience, which must feel both seen and heard; Chee asserts that knowing an audience’s demographics, needs, expectations, values, and pain points can help one clarify and amplify the right message. The final principle, “Own Your Future,” begins with shifting one’s mindset from scarcity to abundance. The author cautions against overwork as a way to validate one’s worth, and recommends identifying priorities and values and taking action toward honoring them. (Guarding one’s energy, trusting intuition, and limiting exposure to energy-draining information are other ways to manifest a brighter future.) Chee concludes with an inspirational message: “You have the power. You’ve had it all along. And now all you have to do is step into it.”
With an uplifting tone, Chee provides a clear roadmap for embracing one’s uniqueness, overcoming limitations, and creating positive change for “Onlys” and others. Her relatable stories about navigating the television broadcasting industry and finding success as a Chinese American news anchor and reporter will endear her to readers. She discusses the controversial concepts of “Imposter syndrome” and “code-switching,” offering new, less judgmental interpretations for each. Reframing is among Chee’s strengths—on shifting from fear to power, she writes, “What if I told you that feeling wasn’t fear but just energy? This energy is natural when you are about to do something big. It’s your engine revving up for greatness.” The author offers many introspective exercises to help readers understand themselves better; one activity includes side-by-side lists from which readers select four adjectives to define how they show up at work currently and how they would like to show up instead. Additionally, she provides simple, concrete exercises like “box breathing,” shaking one’s body, and humming to help the nervous system calm down. Chee also reassuringly reminds readers that they should give thanks to old patterns while giving themselves permission to change.
A valuable toolkit for professionals who feel like outsiders in the workplace.Pub Date: March 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781646871704
Page Count: 250
Publisher: Ideapress Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 6, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Has heart but lacks craft and efficiency.
In Ferguson’s debut novel based on a true story, a driven businesswoman takes extreme and innovative measures to combat prejudice and propel her career.
Though qualified and proactive as a real estate manager, Rhoda, an African-American, finds herself frequently shut out of high-level positions due to racism even in 21st-century Manhattan. In one instance, she’s hired during a phone interview only to be told once she arrives at the Upper East Side office that the broker position has been filled. Yet when she returns disguised with a blond wig and lightened skin, calling herself GeeGee, she’s hired on the spot. In a similar fashion, Rhoda ignites her struggling hair extension side-business. Following advice from a peer that she will need to have a white “face” of the company, Rhoda calls on GeeGee. Eventually, with the support of the NAACP, she testifies and wins a victory affirming that companies are forbidden to ask for race identification when hiring and they may not look outside of skill and experience to fill a position. The conceit of this novelized “true story” is intriguing, although which parts are based in fact and which in fiction is unclear. The dialogue-heavy prose doesn’t have much fluidity, often due to preceding dialogue tags in which a sentence ending with a comma introduces a paragraphlong quote. There’s a similar problem in the novel’s exposition, particularly due to the use of passive voice, which slows scenes down. Toward the end, Rhoda falls in love with a white man who initially knows her only as GeeGee. Once that episode is resolved, Ferguson describes the wedding night with the sensual expertise of a seasoned erotica pulp writer. For the preceding pages, though, another edit could help shape the spirited tale.
Has heart but lacks craft and efficiency.Pub Date: Nov. 19, 2013
ISBN: 978-1481744447
Page Count: 240
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.
A debut guide offers a portrait of the nature—and obligations—of modern Christian masculinity.
Clubb takes as the springboard for his book a modern meaning of the word “Jack,” as a synonym for an all-around likable and trustworthy man, compassionate, caring, and completely dependable. He extends this general term into the realm of modern Christianity. “I see it,” he writes, “as an apt moniker for a spiritually healthy and emotionally intelligent man.” Throughout the work, the author directly tackles the challenges and pitfalls of contemporary Christianity as it’s experienced by men. “Real men give God control of their private, inner, and public spiritual lives by making prayer, personal Bible study, and fellowship priorities in their lives,” he writes. “And a real man isn’t afraid of connecting with other men for mutual support and accountability.” Unfortunately, Clubb decides to briefly outline what he refers to as reasons to trust the Bible, all of which are questionable. He claims the Bible provides “extensive detailed prophecies relating to the rise and fall of individuals and empires … with incredible accuracy”; Noah’s Ark was found on Mount Ararat; and the Bible was “written by eyewitnesses.” Fortunately, these digressions are limited. The bulk of the book is devoted to the author’s captivating meditations and advice to his (presumably exclusively male) readers about how the duties of their gender are reflected in the Bible. The author is an animated and very readable guide to everything from the story of King David to the Epistles of St. Paul. He skillfully intersperses these explorations with vivid stories from his own walk of faith.
An engaging, rousing study of Christian manhood with a few knotty digressions.Pub Date: Dec. 10, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-973680-39-0
Page Count: 230
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: June 1, 2020
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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