A deceptively simple, questions-based formula for tracking one’s success.
Broderick and Goldsmith teach readers to ask the right questions in this motivational work.
What if the best way to get better at something was simply to measure your progress every day? According to the authors, the secret to self-improvement is self-measurement. “By tracking even the smallest things you want to change, you’ll create a road map for progress one step at a time,” they write. “It’ll take two minutes a day, cost you absolutely nothing, and help you get better at almost anything.” That’s the theory behind Goldsmith’s Daily Questions, a practice he began to check in with himself—and his goals—once each day to assess his progress and make alterations when necessary. He has since shared the practice with many of his successful clients. Citing self-improvement experts like Marcus Aurelius and Benjamin Franklin, the authors argue that future perfection matters less than tangible progress today and tomorrow. But the Daily Questions are harder than they may seem at first, and not simply because they require sticking to a routine. It can be tough to confront oneself with one’s progress—or lack thereof—every day, but that’s part of the point. In this slim volume, Broderick and Goldsmith explain their program and help the reader develop and implement their Daily Questions to put them on the path toward measuring and achieving their goals. Questions can be as simple as “Did I do my best to clarify my expectations today?” or “Did I do my best to stay aligned with my goals?” Broderick, who narrates the book while incorporating Goldsmith’s ideas, presents the program in concise prose with plenty of prescriptive instructions to get readers on their way. The book concludes with a 14-day Daily Questions journal featuring some widely applicable prompts as well as spaces for the reader to fill in questions of their own. Those looking to take a small step toward a big goal will find encouragement here.
A deceptively simple, questions-based formula for tracking one’s success.Pub Date: Feb. 10, 2026
ISBN: 9798891386099
Page Count: 168
Publisher: 100 Coaches Publishing
Review Posted Online: Nov. 14, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Perhaps not magic but appealing nonetheless.
Want to get ahead in business? Consult a dictionary.
By Wharton School professor Berger’s account, much of the art of persuasion lies in the art of choosing the right word. Want to jump ahead of others waiting in line to use a photocopy machine, even if they’re grizzled New Yorkers? Throw a because into the equation (“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine, because I’m in a rush?”), and you’re likely to get your way. Want someone to do your copying for you? Then change your verbs to nouns: not “Can you help me?” but “Can you be a helper?” As Berger notes, there’s a subtle psychological shift at play when a person becomes not a mere instrument in helping but instead acquires an identity as a helper. It’s the little things, one supposes, and the author offers some interesting strategies that eager readers will want to try out. Instead of alienating a listener with the omniscient should, as in “You should do this,” try could instead: “Well, you could…” induces all concerned “to recognize that there might be other possibilities.” Berger’s counsel that one should use abstractions contradicts his admonition to use concrete language, and it doesn’t help matters to say that each is appropriate to a particular situation, while grammarians will wince at his suggestion that a nerve-calming exercise to “try talking to yourself in the third person (‘You can do it!’)” in fact invokes the second person. Still, there are plenty of useful insights, particularly for students of advertising and public speaking. It’s intriguing to note that appeals to God are less effective in securing a loan than a simple affirmative such as “I pay all bills…on time”), and it’s helpful to keep in mind that “the right words used at the right time can have immense power.”
Perhaps not magic but appealing nonetheless.Pub Date: March 7, 2023
ISBN: 9780063204935
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper Business
Review Posted Online: March 23, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2023
Career and business advice for the hashtag generation. For all its self-absorption, this book doesn’t offer much reflection...
A Dumpster diver–turned-CEO details her rise to success and her business philosophy.
In this memoir/business book, Amoruso, CEO of the Internet clothing store Nasty Gal, offers advice to young women entrepreneurs who seek an alternative path to fame and fortune. Beginning with a lengthy discussion of her suburban childhood and rebellious teen years, the author describes her experiences living hand to mouth, hitchhiking, shoplifting and dropping out of school. Her life turned around when, bored at work one night, she decided to sell a few pieces of vintage clothing on eBay. Fast-forward seven years, and Amoruso was running a $100 million company with 350 employees. While her success is admirable, most of her advice is based on her own limited experiences and includes such hackneyed lines as, “When you accept yourself, it’s surprising how much other people will accept you, too.” At more than 200 pages, the book is overlong, and much of what the author discusses could be summarized in a few tweets. In fact, much of it probably has been: One of the most interesting sections in the book is her description of how she uses social media. Amoruso has a spiritual side, as well, and she describes her belief in “chaos magic” and “sigils,” a kind of wishful-thinking exercise involving abstract words. The book also includes sidebars featuring guest “girlbosses” (bloggers, Internet entrepreneurs) who share equally clichéd suggestions for business success. Some of the guidance Amoruso offers for interviews (don’t dress like you’re going to a nightclub), getting fired (don’t call anyone names) and finding your fashion style (be careful which trends you follow) will be helpful to her readers, including the sage advice, “You’re not special.”
Career and business advice for the hashtag generation. For all its self-absorption, this book doesn’t offer much reflection or insight.Pub Date: May 6, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-399-16927-4
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Portfolio
Review Posted Online: June 22, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2014
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