The Brotherhood

In The Brotherhood published author Martin M. McShane brings to readers a story that is based on historical events.

The Holy Order of Knights has become a powerful, influential and very rich body. So powerful, influential and very rich that jealous and covetous eyes are turned toward them. As these eyes belong to the Pope and the King of France the future of the Holy Order of Knights is far bleaker than its members can understand.

The Pope is fearful of them due to their power and the King is fearful of them because he owes them a hug fortune. For these two, different reasons, the Pope and the King desire the ending of the Holy Order of Knights.

They form a scheme together which causes the Knights to be lured to Poitiers Castle where skilled assassins lie in wait for them to wipe them out.

However, the massacre is not without witnesses and three brothers are able to slip away from their captors and they are able to flee for their lives to their homeland, England.

The French King cannot allow them to escape and he employs vicious mercenaries to hunt them down and kill them.

As they continue their flight to freedom the brothers fight amongst themselves and they quarrel over the best way to seek revenge against the King of France. But which brother will rise above the others and will his schemes succeed?

This is a stirring and thoughtful book and is ideal for people who like their novels with historical settings.

It's the first of a series of novels.

It is published by The Book Guild at £8.99 

The Magic in the Space Between

 

The Magic in the Space Between is subtitled How a unique mentoring programme in transforming women's leadership.

It is written by Ian Wigston with Hilary Wigston who have over 25 years of experiences as mentors and coaches to women.

A challenge was posed by both state and independent schools to Ian and Hilary. They rose to meet the challenge and put together a team of highly qualified and experienced leaders from the public sector, commerce and industry and the armed forces.

The team were able to enable almost 100 women to examine their potential to be successful leaders in the school system.

The programme was highly successful in helping foster self-belief, self-awareness and widened horizons. 

It has already brought about the launching of similar schemes in Australia, the USA and Canada.

Reading the book you will learn about stories of individual success stories, examining the lessons that can be learned from the programme. 

The book is published by John Catt and costs £14.00, though is a little cheaper on Amazon at £13.42.

I must admit to being puzzled as to why the name of Ian Wigston on the cover is much larger than that of Hilary Wigston, which seems somewhat ironic, given the purpose of the book.

Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work

 

Male Perspectives on The Value of Women at Work is a book from Susan Popoola.

Susan is an award winning consultant and her specialism is human value in the workplace, education and society in general.

This book takes a very timely look at the values that women bring with them to the workplace.

Susan explores a variety of male perceptions of the things that women uniquely bring with them to the workplace. They also raise a number of challenges that might impede the ability of women to be able to reach their full potential.

It also provides a reminder of how valuable women are with insights into how they will be able to more easily navigate through the world of work.

As for men it offers valuable insights into the value that women bring to the workplace and how to engage with them in a more productive way and how to support them within the workplace.

For workplace leaders it offers helpful insights into how policies structures and systems can sometimes create barriers and restrictions for women, meaning that they are sometimes unable to reach their full potential.

This book offers valuable guides how employers can enable themselves to provide a more functional and properly balanced and more productive work environment for everyone.

The book contains a framework to make sure that this can be implemented in the workplace.

It should be pointed out that the book is not just theory (but even theories can have their place in the workplace) it is based on interviews with men and women who are senior executives and entrepreneurs with many years of experience in the workplace.

The book is published by Mosaic Gold at £11.99 through Amazon and other retailers.

How to be a change Superhero

 

In How to be a Change Superhero by chartered psychologist and experienced HR expert Lucina Carney is subtitled "The business toolkit to help you to 'do' change better."

And that is exactly what this highly powerful yet eminently readable book does.

Lucinda starts her book with a very powerful and challenging question "When was the last time you experienced change at work -did you feel it was being done to you, or perhaps you were involved in trying to communicate or deliver it? Did the change achieve the promised results, or did it fizzle out? How effectively was it managed? Did it leave people energized, puzzled or cynical?"

Lucinda then goes on to point out that the reality is that change has become the new normal, but that many changes are still poorly thought out, badly planned, badly executed and ill-communicated to the workforce.

Rarely do we hear that managers or employees have been properly trained in how they should deliver change or how to work with it.

Lucinda makes the point that some people who are responsible for change, even those with 'change' or 'transformation' in their job titles are too often ill-prepared for dealing with the complex requirements of adequately dealing with and managing the process of change.

Of course, poorly managed change can result in reduced business outcomes and can even mean that people can be emotionally harmed by the change experience. 

Lucinda asks a very pertinent question: "Isn't it time to do change better?"

Of course it is! But how can people involved in implementing change make sure that they are capable pf doing change better? 

Buy Lucinda's change toolkit, read it from cover to cover and implement the valuable change lessons that you will find.

Learn how to explore what superpowers you can develop that will be helpful in implementing change.

Consider the responses toward change that are either driven by cultural attitudes or by human nature. These can either make the path of change smooth or bumpy.

You'll learn how to put together a change 'Master Plan' that will let you make use of the strengths of a team (described as your Change League) and have a clear understanding of how to plan and deliver large-scale plans for change in an effective manner.    

You'll learn how people can challenge or derail change plans because they don't understand why change is required, or because they have a need to be consulted because they think they should be a part of the change process or perhaps because they should be a part of the process. Or because they might have identified a challenge to the process.

You'll discover how courage can be a valuable tool, along with self-awareness, self-control, self-motivation, empathy and much more besides.

The book is published by Practical Inspiration Publishing at £14.99. It's available from Waterstones, Amazon and other book retailers.

If you are involved in HR from a modest firm of Solicitors in Mid Wales right up to a huge company with dozens of branches worldwide, this book is required reading.

You can also access the related free change toolkit at 

https://actus.co.uk/free-performance-management-resources/change-superhero-resources/toolkit/

Know More Lies

In the latest novel from Chris Gray, Know More Lies, we meet Robbie Howard. 23-year-old Robbie has no job, but he never seems short of a bob or two. This is because he is a streetwise criminal who can talk himself into and out of just about any situation.

The only person in his life who he really cares about is his ailing grandfather who still thinks that Robbie is gainfully employed and is unaware that the job that Robbie has told him about doesn't actually exist.

Robbie tricks an elderly charity shop worker into giving him a very high value donation of clothing from a local famous rock star.

But problems occur when the son of the charity shop volunteer realises what his game is.

What will happen to Robbie and his beloved grandfather, now? Can Robbie put things right before they get too badly out of hand?

Can he fix things?

It's a well-told story about characters the reader comes to care about and clearly draws on the experiences of the author when he worked as a mentor for young people.

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99.

The Last Generation

The Last Generation is a science fiction novel for young adults from author Miles Bavin.

The earth is dying. Ellie is aware that this year is the most important academic year in her life.

Because this year will be the year when she sits the examination process known as the "Level Twelves."

Those who pass "The Level Twelves" exam will be admitted to the "flight-to-freedom" programme. But what happens to those who take the exam, but fail it?

Ellie cannot hear and she has the ability to read lips as a result and a conversation she witnesses between two teachers makes her wonder what, exactly, is going on.

She begins to think about society, about the "Legion" who are in control of the selection process. What would happen if they introduce stricter, more stringent testing? 

And where are students she used to know but who, for all intents and purposes, have seemingly just disappeared? 

Is there a pattern, here? Ellie thinks there is. But what is it?

She develops a distrust of those around her, especially when a new person arrives on the scene, bringing changes with them.

Ellie wants to save herself, but she also wants to save those who are nearest and dearest to her and to do her best to make sure that humankind also survives.

Can she do this? Can humanity survive? If so, how? Who will save it? 

It's a very cohesive and intelligently told story that is very readable and will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

It's published by The Book Guild at £8.99.

The Marble Curse

The Marble Curse Emeritus Professor Richard Vincent has made good use of his background as a scientist and consultant cardiologist to bring out a novel aimed at children who enjoy adventure-filled stories.

Joe Raven is a very smart person who is an inventor of small gadgets who have extraordinary powers.

Joe, and his sister Beth, find a mysterious package in their garden. 

Inside they discover a silver bird, a guidebook (which is apparently blank) and a note from "Granelda" who is seeking out their assistance to overcome a vicious curse.

Joe and Beth set out on a special mission to follow the clues that Granelda has left them. 

However, they find themselves transported back to the year 1789 where they become enmeshed with a growing, spreading curse. But who was it who created the curse? Why did they do it? What was the purpose behind it?

Joe and Beth have a limited amount of time to find a way to negate the curse, save the situation and get back home safely. Can they do it? Will they succeed?

It's a rolling gallop of a novel, with a gallimaufry of amazing characters, so good, some indifferent, some utterly wicked.

It is published by The Book Guild at £8.99.