A passionately argued case for building a regular reading habit.
Jacobs advocates a self-improvement-oriented program of reading every day in this nonfiction work.
The author here champions cultivating a daily habit of reading—even for a period of five minutes—as a way to “unlock clarity, habits, and a mindset for growth,” citing figures from business executives to professional athletes who credit the practice of reading with helping them to succeed in, as Jacobs puts it, “maintaining relevance, fostering resilience, and ultimately thriving in your personal life and career.” He takes readers on brief tour of the history of reading and describes (and then dismantles) some popular misconceptions about finding time for the pursuit, which he refers to as a “catalyst habit: a foundational practice that fuels growth in almost every other area of your life.” Reading, Jacobs asserts, improves thinking, sharpens communication, and can even lead to making smarter choices on the path to becoming what he calls a “deliberately developmental individual.” The author outlines the real, practical benefits of regular reading under the heading of five pillars: Practical, Physical, Perspective, Practice, and Performance, elaborating on each in turn. “Books help you find the kinds of problems you want to have,” he writes, “and give you the tools to keep solving them with more clarity, confidence, and even a little joy.” Jacobs details his five pillars with the fast pace and confident tone of a personal trainer, and while some may find the author’s entire conception of reading unrecognizably utilitarian (such as when he calls reading “a proactive investment in your well-being”), his happy certainty will likely win over converts to his ideas. “Be the person with a book in your bag,” he encourages. “Be the one taking notes, asking questions, staying curious.” Perennially good advice, and well delivered.
A passionately argued case for building a regular reading habit.Pub Date: May 10, 2026
ISBN: 9798998655067
Page Count: 282
Publisher: The Collective Press
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An inventive, timely fantasy that’s nonstop fun.
A businessman plans to exploit a portal to a magical realm in this fantasy adventure.
Marc Aaron has a knack for finding oil. He’s traveled all over Africa and the Middle East, guiding his small company, Epoch, to success. When billionaire Roland Griff summons him to New York, Marc leaves Libya immediately. In anticipation of a thrilling new job prospect, Marc asks his wife, Diane, and their children to meet him in Manhattan. The oilman reunites with his family at the Waldorf Astoria hotel after two years apart. Marc receives a chilly reception from his wife and his daughter, who asks, “So, how’s the greenhouse-gas biz going?” Soon, the family is touring the Griff Corp building. To his astonishment, Marc learns that the company’s success with importing goods and materials is the result of a magical gateway. In a subterranean chamber, a strange glowing orb gives Griff access to a medieval realm of elves, orcs, and other magical beings. Griff wants Marc’s expertise in acquiring this Fourth World’s resources. When armed soldiers prepare to enter the gateway, the general, an orc, launches his invasion plan. Robertson has ensured that there’s fun, heart, and excitement in every scene of his latest novel. Marc and Diane’s rocky marriage is a drama on par with the orc invasion; he takes Griff’s offer without consulting her so the family can finally live together. When war hits the city’s streets, events remain entertaining, with a measured amount of gore that never feels gratuitous (“The headless troll turned and felt about awkwardly for its missing cranium”). Robertson’s comedic timing is phenomenal, as when a blowhard general admires his vanilla latte by saying, “If our boys had these in ’Nam we’d have won that war.” Moral and environmental reckonings factor into the finale, e.g., Griff tells Marc, “Drilling for oil, exploiting the locals is what we do, you and I.” A last-minute gambit sets up a potentially bold sequel.
An inventive, timely fantasy that’s nonstop fun.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: 286
Publisher: Gin & Tonic Press
Review Posted Online: March 3, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A straightforward, if rather basic, understanding of income considerations in one’s later years.
Financial planner Lynch provides a plan for people contemplating retirement in this financial how-to book.
“Your gut tells you that you have enough money to retire, but your head is not quite sure,” the author writes, and his book aims to help readers make up their minds. He begins with the story of a fictional potential retiree named Maria who had a sizable savings account that generated enough interest to supplement her Social Security income. But with the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009, she lost most of that supplemental income. Lynch uses this example to examine earlier financial truisms that no longer work in today’s market: “It’s time for a new formula and a new definition of safety,” he says. The book aims to help readers find ways to generate wealth that aren’t subject to economic swings that are out of readers’ control. Using real-life examples, Lynch analyzes how much each family needs in various “buckets” to generate income, outlining three basic parts to any retirement plan: principal, which is a “U.S. government-denominated asset that will never decline in nominal value”; reliable income; and growth that outpaces inflation. Over the course of the book, Lynch explains these three aspects of generating retirement income in simple, clear terms, and with each example, he includes easy-to-understand charts and illustrations to clarify his points. Those who are familiar with retirement literature are likely to find it rather generic, though, with few new insights. That said, many readers will appreciate the takeaway that not considering inflation when planning for retirement can be a costly oversight: “Inflation: The carbon monoxide of retirement—the slow, silent killer that turns a dollar into fifty cents.”
A straightforward, if rather basic, understanding of income considerations in one’s later years.Pub Date: May 31, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-5445-3026-0
Page Count: 164
Publisher: Lioncrest Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 25, 2022
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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