Friday, August 12, 2011

Book Review- Surviving Your Serengeti by Stefan Swanepoel

I found this book to be very interesting. The author takes us on a journey where he compares the animals traveling across the Serengeti to those who own businesses and are trying to keep the business going- each is basically trying to stay alive. He shows us what we can learn from the animals and gives us fresh ideas to apply to our own businesses.
I thought the book might  be hard to read or just give me the same old information that other business books have done in the past. I found instead that it was a lighter read, kept me interested, had information that I can apply to business as well as life. He tells the information as a story but at the end of each chapter he sums things all up for us by telling us just what we need to know.  The Strategic Lion for example, how to go about getting it all into perspective, characteristics you will see in yourself if you are the Lion and how to maximize that skill.
If you do not know what animal you are by reading the book there is a section on how to figure out what animal you are.There is also information on the African Wildlife Federation, a percentage of each book sale goes right to AWF. I found that a very Noble thing to do, as I am a animal lover myself.
If you go all the way to the back of the book, on the dustcover there is a website that you can sign up for a free Business eNewsletter.
I would suggest this book be read by anyone that wants to be a winner, survivor, a champion in their personal or professional life.

This book was given to me by Thomas Nelson Publishers to read and to publish a review about. The opinions listed here are all my own.

Book Review- Rumors of God, by Darren Whitehead & Jon Tyson


I found Rumors of God to be a refreshing read.It made me wish that I could go to a church that either Darren or Jon were working at just to see them in action.  It would be great to have a intelligent conversation with either of them!
The statistics really were eye openers foe me. When it was pointed out that an average North American sees about 3,000 ads per day it really drove home the fact that we are really being programed to want/need items that we would e able to survive without. It makes it very clear that we are a technology culture that is being told what to wear, think, need, want by whoever is selling that product. To know that only 8% of the world owns a car was shocking to me. I am one of the 8%. I knew America had more cars than other countries but I did not know the overall percentage was so low. We are sold the idea that everyone should have a car, if you have really made it your family may have multiple cars. Would our country be so dependant on others if we did not think we all had to drive our own car??
I found it refreshing that there are people thinking outside of the box. People going to minister to those that need God- meeting them where they are living, working- not waiting for those people to show up in a church.  Jesus did not wait for folks to come find him he was out in the world walking, meeting, greeting people. Shouldn't we be doing the same thing?
I would highly suggest reading this book to everyone.  We all have time, talent and money we can be sharing with others- we just need to figure out how to accomplish that. In the Bible Paul says " The life that is truely life is found in how we steward our resources, not in hoarding them. Think how you can make changes in your own life and then go out and be a light unto the world.
This book was sent to me  free of charge from Thomas Nelson Publishing. All they ask in return is for me to write my personal  review on the book and share it with people like you. I appreciate them giving me this opportunity.