Scott J. Pearson

James K. Polk by John Seigenthaler

By Scott J. Pearson | September 27, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

US President James Polk (1845-1849) elicits strong opinions from those aware of his record. They either love him for his effectiveness and performance or hate him for his difficult personality and the Mexican War. So-called “Young Hickory,” styling himself after “Old Hickory” Andrew Jackson, Polk set out to be a one-term president and to accomplish four specific goals outlined in his inaugural. He accomplished all of them and died a few months after leaving the…

Managing the Unmanageable: Rules, Tools & Insights for Managing Software People & Teams

By Scott J. Pearson | September 25, 2023September 25, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Many books on managing software development focus on small subsets of the management process. For example, many books on agile fill bookstores; others propose a well-studied answer to a particular problem; still others provide anecdotes and inspiration to often-overtaxed managers. This book fits into none of those categories. Instead, it seeks to provide a comprehensive treatment on how to manage software development by managing individuals instead of processes. This modern approach fits more in line…

Psychology

Running on Empty: Overcome Your Childhood Emotional Neglect

By Scott J. Pearson | September 24, 2023September 25, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Much attention of psychologists around neglect focuses on physical neglect. Likewise, in academic literature, the word “neglect” is used in tandem to form the phrase “emotional abuse and neglect.” However, as noted by the author, emotional neglect by itself is not directly discussed much (at all?) in the academic literature. Perhaps this occurs because of it is a diagnosis of omission – that is, it’s something that doesn’t happen with significant results. In this self-help…

Biography-Memoir Leadership Religion-Philosophy

The Deep Faith of Paul Robeson

By Scott J. Pearson | September 24, 2023September 24, 2024 by Scott J. Pearson

On August 29, 2023, the Pew Research Center released survey data about the crossing between religious groups and racial issues. 53 percent of Americans said that people not seeing racial discrimination where it does exist was a bigger problem. 45 percent said the opposite, that people seeing discrimination where it does not exist is a bigger issue. To anyone who has followed American politics in recent years, these results should come as no surprise. After…

Management-Business Psychology

The Art of Attack: Attacker Mindset for Security Professionals

By Scott J. Pearson | September 18, 2023September 18, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Today, when most people hear “security,” they think of protection against hackers on the Internet. Indeed, the explosion of information available online has exposed an almost infinite number of vulnerabilities. However, many forget that every vulnerability starts with a human actor. Understanding that attacker’s psychology, therefore, provides a paramount route of defense. In this book, Maxie Reynolds, a security analyst, seeks to teach readers how to master the attacker mindset so that they can anticipate…

Research-Education

Academic Ableism: Disability & Higher Education

By Scott J. Pearson | September 16, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Historically, higher education have encountered difficulties with the community of those with disabilities. Whether from eugenics that tries to cultivate superior offspring or from an ableism that makes the most of a person’s potential skills, universities have not always been the most hospitable to this group of people. Even today, after the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), K-12 American education has many helps for those with unique needs, but those needs are often…

Management-Business Mentoring

Brag, Worry, Wonder, Bet: A Manager’s Guide to Giving Feedback

By Scott J. Pearson | September 13, 2023September 13, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Regular performance reviews are part-and-parcel of just about every managed venture. They mark successes of direct reports while charting next steps towards a future path. Unfortunately, these reviews can sometime turn into routine affairs. In this case, feedback is not always useful; worse is when it doesn’t even strike a chord but instead discourages the employee. In this short book, business professor Steve King suggests a simple method to improve conversations in performance reviews. As…

Management-Business

The Feedback Fix: Dump the Past, Embrace the Future & Lead the Way to Change

By Scott J. Pearson | September 10, 2023September 10, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Feedback comprises a crucial part of leading people under you. Your feedback to them and their feedback to you provide a means to improve. Yet with how it’s conducted in many places, feedback in the form of reviews and grades can induce more anxiety than improvement. Giving effective feedback and receiving effective feedback are separate but vital skills. In this book, Joe Hirsch seeks to make feedback from managers and teachers more effective by unlocking…

Biography-Memoir

The Undiscovered Paul Robeson: An Artist’s Journey, 1898-1939

By Scott J. Pearson | September 9, 2023September 9, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Paul Robeson was one of the most dynamic characters in the twentieth century, but is often forgotten today. A pastor’s son, he grew to be a unanimous All-American defensive end at Rutgers, an award-winning scholar, a law student, a stage actor, a musical artist, a polyglot, and a film actor – all in the first forty years of his life and all despite a strong culture of racism in his home country. The second half…

Writing-Communication

Old Friend From Far Away: How to Write Memoir

By Scott J. Pearson | September 4, 2023October 20, 2023 by Scott J. Pearson

Natalie Goldberg has become a famous name among modern teachers of writing. In this short audiobook, she focuses on her process of writing memoirs. She talks about the delicate process of writing from memories and bringing out essential details that eventually form a narrative structure. The audiobook, narrated by the author, is incredibly short but power-packed at around 150 minutes. Goldberg’s main mode is to start writing first and then piece it together later. Along…