Review of STIR UP THE GIFT WITHIN

         

Title of My Amazon Review: Inspiring and Level-Headed Advice

         The author, JaneNK Nwanne, is a success coach, a wife, a mother of four young girls, a busy woman, one who writes clearly, cogently and from her heart. She gently nudges her readers with her religion, but is not over-bearing about it, and she gives practical advice that is ethical as well.

         Her book’s subtitle, Discover Your Extraordinary True Self, is pitch-perfect for the audience that this book seems best suited for, high school or college students trying to decide how to order their futures and prepare for them.

         The following are the section titles of this short, informative book:

·      The Significance of Your Birthday

·      The Power and Significance of Your Name

·      What Are Your Talents?

·      What Do You Love?

·      Apply Your Talent

·      How to Pursue Your Passion

·      Live a Successful Life

·      The Spiritual Approach

·      Help Others Utilize Their Talent

·      Conclusion

As a retired scientist, I almost stopped after the first section, as I give no credence to the significance of our birthdays, except to the extent that we are born in a certain place at a certain era, where certain conditions and values obtain. The hint of mystical/astrological significance to our birthdates was a bit off-putting. UNICEF estimates that 360,000 babies are born daily…it is not likely that their lives are nearly identical from that point on.   

The power and significance of your name made somewhat more sense to me. Your parents can give you a silly name or a name that conflicts with your endowments or one that seems grandiose, and any of these choices will impede your progress. Certain family names might well open doors that others would not.

The next two sections rang true: determine what your talents, your gifts, are and then look at what you care about and love to do. Merge these to shape the choice you make about what occupation/field to enter. The author gives a thorough categorization of typical talents and potential careers/businesses/occupations that might be suitable.

I liked that she tempered “follow your passion” with the ethical requirements of considering family and friends and moral limits on pursuing success.

Wealth, fame, travel…these can be empty acquisitions, she notes, if you have not developed the spiritual side of your nature and have not maintained warm relations with family, friends and associates.

This is a well-written book, fine for someone much younger than I, though it seems priced a tad high for its 70 pages of material. It does serve as a clear, concise introduction to the thinking of this career coach, and it suggests that working with her would benefit many who are unsure of their goals and the methods to achieve them.

She comes across as a woman you would be pleased to know and to have instruct those you care about. 

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[4 stars, I liked it]