Book Review Mondays

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In search of Norman Rockwell’s America
by Kevin Rivoli, artwork by Norman Rockwell

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

Rivoli is a photojournalist “who has photographed everyone from professional sports stars to presidents. But his favorite subjects have always been ordinary people doing ordinary things” (from the back page of the book jacket). Ordinary people are the focus for his camera in this volume, and how he matches images with Rockwell’s art is intriguing and ingenious. Rockwell’s artwork is iconic, and Rivoli’s photography is not just outstanding, it is stunning. He successfully captures the spirit of Rockwell’s America. Jimmy Moore ended his very positive review of the book saying: “Norman Rockwell's paintings are like Elvis Presley's music. The older it gets, the more you appreciate the magnitude of the brilliance that makes it timeless. THANK YOU Kevin Rivoli for reminding us that the American spirit that Normal Rockwell portrayed so clearly is alive and well today!” And I would just like to add a second “thank you” to the one by Moore. This volume makes a perfect “coffee-table book,” and if you decide to buy it as a gift for someone or just for yourself, I will bet that anyone — and I mean anyone — who happens to see it, will want to turn its pages. It is truly a treasure that will be enjoyed for years and years.

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Get Motivated! Overcome Any Obstacle, Achieve Any Goal, and Accelerate Your Success with Motivational DNA
by Tamara Lowe

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

If you are looking for a book to get you going, choose this one. This is a readable, accessible, and specific book about motivation — “how you can motivate yourself and others, quickly and easily” (p. 5). Lowe’s work, as she states it, “is based on an eight-year study that [her] team . . . have conducted with more than 10,000 people. It is a research-based, systematic approach to achievement . . .” (p. 5). What Lowe and her team of researchers discovered is “that there are eighty-one specific things that people say motivate them — everything from love to money, from curiosity to contribution, from feeling valued to the fear of failure. By reducing these motivators to their most fundamental form, [she] discovered six factors that actually encompass all eighty-one motivators” (p. 11). Lowe’s book discusses motivational DNA, and the DNA stand for drives, needs, and awards: “Drives are the internal forces that mobilize a person to act.” “Needs are the core requirements that a person must have in order to feel fulfilled.” “Awards are the preferred remunerations that a person desires for achievement — the material, spiritual, and psychological currency that they want to be paid for performance” (p. 16). Her questionnaire in Chapter 2, and the way the results are interpreted (in the same chapter) reminded me a bit of the Wilson Learning testing and results. They appear sound, well-reasoned, and easy (and fun) to apply. I was skeptical when I began this book, because I have read dozens on the subject of motivation, but I was both surprised and appreciative of the work that Lowe has done and the way she has presented it to readers. If you want a serious (as opposed to frivolous) book on motivation, this one is truly worthwhile.

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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.