Blog Archives
Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Side Hustle & Flow: The Daily Grind
Side Hustle & Flow lays out a year’s worth of short daily reflections that nudge you toward steady progress and personal growth. Each entry gives a simple idea that builds on the last, and the rhythm of the book feels like a long conversation about staying focused and grounded while pursuing your goals. It’s a mix of encouragement, tough love, and practical reminders, all wrapped in a calendar format that makes the journey feel structured and personal.
As I made my way through the book, I found myself settling into its cadence. Some days really resonated with me and felt personally applicable, especially the ones that lean into patience or the messy nature of growth. The writing is direct without feeling harsh. It tries to lighten the load even when it reminds you that the grind is yours to carry. I caught myself nodding along more than once, which surprised me because the daily-motivation can feel repetitive. Here, though, the repetition works and gives the book a steady heartbeat.
I also enjoyed how the ideas stay simple. There’s no preachy tone, no ten-step systems, no complicated theories. Just daily nudges that feel doable, even on the days when your energy is low. Sometimes I wanted the book to go deeper into storytelling or personal examples. Still, the minimal style kept the focus on me and my own thoughts, which made the experience feel intimate. The book felt like a daily life coach.
Day 141 struck me on a personal level because it put the responsibility back in my hands in a way that felt both grounding and energizing, “If you wanttoseechange,bethechange.” I caught myself thinking about how often I wait for things around me to shift, when in truth I could take the first step and set the tone. Day 225 hit even deeper. The reflection, “Reflection: What’s one thing you can control today that will help you make progress?” helped me, and reminded me that day, to focus on what I can control. Together, they made me feel lighter and more capable, almost as if the path forward cleared just by choosing to act on what is already mine to manage.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a gentle push to stay consistent with a personal or professional goal. It works especially well for people who feel overwhelmed by huge ambitions and need smaller, steady reminders to keep going. If you like daily journals, habit trackers, or motivational quotes, this would fit right into your routine. It’s a book you can read easily read at the start of every day to get you ready and motivated to tackle the world.
Pages: 385 | ASIN : B0GDW12379
Heart & Soul of Marketing
Heart & Soul of Marketing lays out a clear and practical roadmap for charities that want to strengthen their marketing efforts and understand their audiences more deeply. The book walks through a 10-part framework that starts with clarifying context, moves into idea generation, planning, testing, and evaluation, and eventually arrives at long term impact and integration. It blends real-world examples, simple tools, and reflective exercises to help charities link their marketing decisions to strategic goals. The tone is warm, supportive, and grounded in lived experience, with the author drawing on more than a decade of work across charities, foundations, and community groups to guide readers toward purposeful, confident communication.
I enjoyed how down-to-earth the writing felt. Nothing came across as academic or stiff. Instead, the author speaks with a kind of gentle honesty about the confusion charities often face and the sheer volume of noisy advice out there. The sections on context and audience were especially strong because they focus on real people and real conversations rather than abstract models. I liked how the author kept returning to the theme of clarity. It made me feel like he genuinely wanted readers to cut through the clutter and trust their own instincts rather than chase the latest marketing trend.
I also appreciated the book’s rhythm. It moves between practical worksheets, reflective prompts, personal stories, and examples from well-known charities in a way that kept me engaged. It felt personal and relatable. Some of the ideas were thought-provoking, especially the reminder that inspiration often shows up when you stop trying so hard to force it. The writing has a relaxed quality that makes you feel as if you’re talking with someone who has been in the trenches and simply wants to help you avoid the mistakes he’s already seen too many times. That sincerity gave the framework more emotional weight.
I’d recommend Heart & Soul of Marketing to charity leaders, small teams, volunteers, or anyone who feels overwhelmed by the idea of marketing but knows they can’t ignore it anymore. It’s approachable and forgiving, and it respects the challenges charities face. If you want a guide that’s practical without being pushy, structured without feeling rigid, this book will serve you well. It’s also a great fit for people who prefer advice that feels grounded in real experience rather than theory.
Pages: 256 | ISBN: 9781763680135
Messy and Imperfect is Still Meaningful
In Rainbow Gold, you share your losses, lessons learned, and the long-term effects of making meaningful choices as you transitioned from struggling restaurant owner to building a thriving aviation insurance group. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Rainbow Gold was important for me to write because it captures the philosophy that has shaped every stage of my life, that you can build something valuable and meaningful at the same time. During my early struggles owning a restaurant and retail business in South Africa, I made many missteps and got some hard lessons in business and leadership, and success seemed elusive and distant. Over time, I realized the real reward isn’t at the end of the road; it’s woven into the journey; the relationships, resilience, impact, and identity you build along the way.
When my teams surprised me one holiday season with deeply personal notes about why they loved working at our company, it crystallized what I now call Rainbow Gold: the belief that fulfillment doesn’t need to be deferred. You can build it into your business and your life right now.
I wrote this book to show entrepreneurs and leaders that the process of building something, or learning how to build something, even in its messy, imperfect stages, can be just as meaningful as the outcome.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest parts to write were the chapters where I had to revisit failures, missteps, and emotionally heavy moments, both from my early ventures in South Africa and later, from navigating sensitive family partnership dynamics in our current business. Those years were formative, but they also involved painful mistakes and setbacks that I hadn’t revisited in a long time.
As a leader who values responsibility and clarity, admitting where I fell short required vulnerability. But leaving those moments out would have made the lessons less authentic. Readers don’t benefit from a polished highlight reel; they benefit from the full picture, including the chapters where the stakes were high and things didn’t go right.
Those candid moments ended up being some of the most resonant for readers, which affirmed why they needed to be in the book.
Did you learn anything about yourself as you wrote this book?
Absolutely. Writing Rainbow Gold reaffirmed that resilience is built in the small, daily choices you make when no one is watching, those “butterfly effect” moments, not in dramatic turning points. As I revisited years of experiences, I saw that it wasn’t one brilliant strategy or one lucky break that moved me forward; it was consistency, perseverance, and staying anchored to my values even in uncertainty.
I also learned that people, my teams, clients, mentors, and family, have always been my true driving force. I learned from my father and I’ve said for years that relationships matter more than anything in business, but writing the book helped me understand how deeply this principle has shaped my identity and my approach to leadership.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from Rainbow Gold?
If readers take only one idea away, I hope it’s this: You don’t have to choose between building a successful business and building a meaningful life.
When you invest in people, relationships, and values-driven decisions, financial success will follow organically and it will be financial success that is sustainable and legacy building.
Rainbow Gold is about rejecting the idea that fulfillment comes only at the end of the journey. Instead, it shows that the “pot of gold” is much broader than profit alone. Making money and being financially successful is certainly an important part of it, but equally important is the legacy you create, the people you grow, the impact you make, and the pride you can take in the work you do every day. When you get your business to the point where you can both fill your wallet and fill your soul, you’ve struck Rainbow Gold!
If this book encourages someone to build a business with purpose instead of pressure, with sustainability instead of scale, and to enjoy the journey instead of waiting for one perfect moment, then it will have been a success from my perspective.
Author Website
“David Hampson has written the antidote to startup culture’s obsession with quick exits and venture capital. Rainbow Gold presents a compelling case for building businesses that become life’s work-sustainable, profitable enterprises that provide both financial rewards and deep personal fulfillment. Through his journey from restaurant owner in South Africa to aviation insurance entrepreneur, Hampson demonstrates that the real treasure isn’t reaching the end of the rainbow, but enjoying every step of the journey while building something lasting for your family and community.”-J.J. Hebert, Founder & CEO, MindStir Media; USA Today, WSJ, and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author
In Rainbow Gold, David Hampsonshares his journey from a college student immersed in science courses—with no formal business education—to becoming a successful acquisition entrepreneur and recognized industry thought leader. This book is for aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs alike, offering a candid look at the challenges, triumphs, and transformative lessons of finding and building a business that is not just a stepping stone but the ultimate destination. Central to the narrative is the “butterfly effect”; the idea that small, decisive actions can create monumental shifts in your life and business. Through David’s story, readers will learn how embracing opportunities and acting decisively can lead to extraordinary outcomes, often in unexpected ways. Rainbow Gold shows what the real “end game” looks like: not an exit strategy, but a deeply fulfilling business that doesn’t need to be sold because its value goes far beyond dollars. It’s about creating a business that represents the pot of gold at the end of your rainbow, one that provides both tangible and intangible rewards. And once obtained, rainbow gold doesn’t trade in fiat currency! With humor, honesty, and practical advice, Rainbow Gold inspires readers to see entrepreneurship not just as a career path, but as a calling that can transform their lives and the lives of those around them.
The MACH-10 PM: AI-Powered Product Management at Hypersonic Speed
The MACH-10 PM lays out a clear promise. Product managers can use AI to move at “hypersonic speed” without losing judgment or empathy. The book walks through the whole product life cycle, from discovery and roadmapping to launches, growth, and leadership. Each chapter mixes stories from Qualcomm and GoPro with simple models, tool suggestions, and concrete prompts that show how to pull AI into real work rather than treat it like a toy. The main idea is simple. You stop trying to outwork the chaos and instead use AI to gain leverage, clarity, and what Riggs calls “speed with soul.”
The tone of the book is punchy and direct, almost like a seasoned PM talking across a whiteboard after a long sprint. Sentences stay short, the examples feel real, and the metaphors around “MACH-10” and “radar” stick in my head. I liked the way each chapter closes with questions and small exercises, because that nudged me to picture my own workflow instead of just skimming along. The visuals and little tables, like the “AI-powered discovery loop” and the roadmap comparisons, break up the text and make the main arguments easy to recall later.
I found a lot to like. I really appreciated the focus on AI as a multiplier, not a replacement. The sections on discovery, feedback synthesis, and roadmap scenarios felt grounded and very practical. The prompt examples are useful, and the insistence on pairing AI with ethics and judgment kept the whole thing from sliding into tool worship. I also liked the recurring message that PMs should measure themselves by impact, not output, and that the real job is to orchestrate people and systems, not just ship tickets.
I would recommend The MACH-10 PM to working product managers who already know the basics and want a push to rethink how they use AI day to day. I think it will be especially useful for people in mid-level roles who feel stuck in meetings and backlogs and want language and tools to reclaim time for strategy. Leaders of product teams could also use it as a shared playbook for running experiments and setting expectations around AI use. If you want a sharp, fast, and pretty human guide on how to work with AI without losing your soul, this book fits that slot nicely.
Pages: 270 | ASIN : B0FSP1Z1C4
Sustained Courage
The Price of Nice lays out a sharp argument that our cultural obsession with being “nice” keeps us stuck in cycles of false comfort and stalled progress that preserves the status quo at home, in workplaces, and across society. What is the Think–Feel–Do–Revisit framework, and how does it help people break the cycle of niceness?
The Think–Feel–Do–Revisit framework was born out of my work in behavioral communications, not theory for theory’s sake, but years of studying how people actually change.
In my professional work, we borrow heavily from sociology, psychology, and behavioral science to answer very practical questions: What do people believe? What do they feel? Who do they trust? And how does that shape what they will do, and keep doing? We know that behavior doesn’t change just because information is correct or presented. It changes when beliefs and emotions are addressed first.
What clicked for me is that those same tools apply individually, especially when it comes to niceness.
When people stay “nice” in moments that require courage, it’s rarely because they don’t know better. It’s because of what they’re thinking, often unconscious stories about risk or belonging, and what they’re feeling, fear, obligation, loyalty, or discomfort. Those two things quietly determine what they do, usually nothing, and then the cycle repeats.
This framework helps interrupt that pattern. It gives people a way to name what’s happening internally before defaulting to silence. By revisiting the outcome, they build awareness and agency over time. That’s how mindset shifts stick. Not through one brave moment, but through understanding and practicing behavior change on purpose.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
One of the most important ideas I wanted to name is that niceness is not neutral.
Growing up and throughout my career, I was praised for being “easy,” “gracious,” and “not difficult.” But I realized those compliments often came up just as I was quietly absorbing harm. Niceness became a way for the system to stay comfortable while I paid the price.
I also wanted to challenge the idea that courage has to look loud or reckless. In the book, I introduce the idea of nerve as sustained courage. Not the big speech once, but the daily practice of choosing yourself, again and again, even when there’s pushback.
And finally, I wanted to make it clear that this isn’t about becoming harsh or cruel. It’s about replacing performative niceness with intentional kindness, the kind that takes action, tells the truth, and is willing to disrupt.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from The Price of Nice?
I hope readers walk away knowing that the discomfort they feel isn’t a personal failing. It’s often a signal that they’re outgrowing the rules they were given.
So many people, especially women and people of color, think they’re broken because being “nice” isn’t working anymore. What I want them to see is that their instincts are intact. They’re just bumping up against systems that rely on their silence.
If readers take away one thing, I hope it’s this: You’re not required to be palatable to be powerful. And choosing nerve doesn’t make you dangerous. It makes you daring.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok | Bluesky | Amazon
“What’s wrong with nice?!” A simple and powerful question. It demands we interrogate the unspoken rules that shape our lives, often without our realizing it.
“It costs nothing to be nice!” What a travesty of logic. Niceness is not free—it comes at a steep price. It’s a velvet glove over an iron fist, stifling dissent, prioritizing comfort over progress, and conditioning us to accept the status quo. Niceness is one of the most insidious social constructs, keeping us compliant, silent, and complicit in inequity. If we don’t question it, we stay exactly where power wants us—agreeable, easy to manage, and stuck.
The Price of Nice is about breaking free. Amira Barger deconstructs our cultural obsession with niceness, exposes its hidden costs, and offers a practical framework for real change. With sharp analysis and personal insight, she helps readers disrupt the narratives that keep them stuck and reclaim their power.
Guided by four dimensions rooted in social psychology—think, feel, do, revisit—this book offers immediate, adaptable practices for creating change. Because breaking free isn’t only what you know—it’s what you do next.
If you’re tired of “good enough,” this book will challenge you, change you, and call you to more.
The Right Fit
The Right Fit lays out a full roadmap for hiring, developing, and keeping great people. It walks through the entire employee journey with a calm, steady hand. It starts with understanding your culture, then moves into selection, onboarding, engagement, development, and long-term retention. The book blends practical advice, clear steps, and real stories, all while rooting everything in one theme. Success comes from treating people with intention and care. The message is simple but strong. If you want a thriving team, you must build the environment in which they can thrive.
The writing feels warm and direct, like a mentor talking to you over coffee. I loved how the author breaks down big ideas into small, doable actions. At times, the tone feels almost fatherly, full of calm encouragement, and I appreciated that. I also enjoyed the focus on culture and values. It reminded me how often organizations skip that part and head straight into hiring tactics. The book insists that you cannot choose the right person if you do not know who you are as an organization. That felt honest and grounded.
Some chapters hit me on a more emotional level, especially the parts on inclusion and employee wellness. There is a real sense of care in the writing. It is clear that the author believes deeply in people and wants workplaces to be better for them. That sincerity makes the book feel human. I will say there were moments when the structure felt dense, and I found myself wanting a little more storytelling to break up the instructional tone. Still, the ideas are solid, and the consistency of the message kept me hooked. The parts on career development, mentorship, and non-linear growth were especially refreshing. They made me reflect on my own path and the kinds of support that helped me.
I closed the book feeling hopeful. The Right Fit offers a positive vision of work that feels both reachable and worth striving for. I would recommend this book to new managers, HR professionals, and leaders who struggle with turnover or culture issues. It would also be great for small business owners who want to hire smarter and build stronger teams. The book gives them a clear and steady guide and reminds them that people are not just resources. They are the heartbeat of the whole operation.
PagesL 116 | ASIN: B0F8N7X9SM
Literary Titan Book Award: Nonfiction
The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes outstanding nonfiction books that demonstrate exceptional quality in writing, research, and presentation. This award is dedicated to authors who excel in creating informative, enlightening, and engaging works that offer valuable insights. Recipients of this award are commended for their ability to transform complex topics into accessible and compelling narratives that captivate readers and enhance our understanding.
Award Recipients
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
