From The Hold Shelf (Or What I'm About To Read & Watch)...

NOTE: These aren't for pleasure materials. I have to read and watch these for the administrative course I'm starting to take at the end of the month.

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"The Hands-Off Manager: How to Mentor People & Allow Them to Be Successful" by Steve Chandler
The number one reason cited in exit interviews for an employee quitting is "my manager." Most managers and executives not only aren't aware of this obvious problem, but probably wouldn't know what to do about it if they did.  

Today's employees do not respond to the old hands-on, militaristic management styles. They are highly independent, individual professionals with their own fully developed ideas. Leaders and managers who try to micro-manage them will inevitably confront wide-spread disgruntlement, absenteeism, and turnover...and increase their own and their employees' stress levels.  

In The Hands-Off Manager, Chandler and Black offer a new vision for all managers. With stories, examples, and vibrant activities for the reader to practice, this book shows any manager--new or seasoned--how to coach and mentor employees rather than hover over their shoulders and goad them into action. In this system, each employee's strengths are honored and honed in a climate of partnership and mutual goal-setting.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
This gritty World War II action drama staring Gregory Peck, Oscar winner Dean Jagger, Hugh Marlowe, Gary Merrill and Millard Mitchell is seen as one of the most realistic portrayals of the heroics and perils of war. Convinced an air force commander (Gary Merrill) is at the breaking point, Brigadier General Savage (Peck) takes over his struggling bomber group. Kind and understanding, he adopts a crushing discipline to revitalize the demoralized troop. At first resentful and rebellious, the flyers gradually change as Savage guides them to amazing feats. But the stress of command soon takes it's toll and the weary general reaches his own breaking point.

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I didn't get to go through all of the books from the last edition of this but I did read through some. The "Dominique Ansel: The Secret Recipes" by Dominique Ansel book was just okay. Yes, it has the recipe for Cronuts which was one of the recipes that I really wanted to take a look at but it takes three flippin' days to make. "Bouchon Bakery" by Thomas Keller & Sebastien Rouxelwas another one that was just okay. Nothing really in it that I felt like trying to make. "Sugar Rush" by Johnny Iuzzini wasn't a winner for me either. Typically I pick up a cookbook and want to make something and I struck out with all three of these.


I haven't finished "Influence" by Mary-Kate Olsen & Ashley Olsen but I have enjoyed the interviews that I've read as of thus far and this that it is a very interesting read.