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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.
Literary Titan Silver Book Awards
Celebrating the brilliance of outstanding authors who have captivated us with their skillful prose, engaging narratives, and compelling real and imagined characters. We recognize books that stand out for their innovative storytelling and insightful exploration of truth and fiction. Join us in honoring the dedication and skill of these remarkable authors as we celebrate the diverse and rich worlds they’ve brought to life, whether through the realm of imagination or the lens of reality.
Award Recipients
Losing Mom by Peggy Ottman
This Is For MY Glory: A Story of Fatherlessness, Failure, Grace, and Redemption
Toil and Trouble by Brian Starr
Visit the Literary Titan Book Awards page to see award information.
Don’t Be a F*cking Idiot
The book lays out a straight-talking guide for men who want to understand their own emotional messes and stop tanking their relationships. It mixes attachment theory, love languages, and daily rituals with stories that bounce between funny and painfully honest. Hill explains his ideas through wild metaphors like Golden Retrievers, Chihuahuas, and Cats, and he folds in pieces of his own journey through divorce, heartbreak, and personal rebuilding. The message is simple. If you want to be loved well, you’d better figure out your patterns and step up.
The writing hits fast. It rarely softens the blow, and that worked for me. It made the ideas feel human instead of clinical. I liked the mix of raw emotion and humor because it turned something heavy into something you could actually digest. I also appreciated that he doesn’t pretend to be perfect. He shows his avoidant streak, his panic, his screw ups. It made the whole thing feel more real. At times, the tone gets a little abrasive, but honestly, that seems to be the point. He wants men to wake up, not tiptoe.
The ideas themselves make sense, and the way he frames them kept me hooked. Attachment styles are usually presented in some dry classroom voice, yet here they’re brought to life through dogs and cats, storms and ships. The stories he shares about couples are goofy but strangely accurate. I’ve seen versions of those people in real life. His approach to rituals also hit home. The notion that small, repeated behaviors can shape a relationship for better or worse is something lots of books mention, but Hill says it in a way that sticks. Sometimes he leans into silliness, and sometimes he goes philosophical. The mix kept me guessing.
By the time I finished, I felt like the book works best for men who know they need to grow but don’t want to wade through academic sludge. It is for guys who can handle blunt honesty and want advice that feels lived in, not polished in a lab. If you want a kick in the ass wrapped in humor and heart, this is your book.
Pages: 53 | ASIN : B0G8RY5KTL
Weeds To Wishes: Blossoming into the Leader You Are Meant to Be
Weeds to Wishes follows Sheryl Brown’s journey as a teacher and principal who learns to lead through listening, healing, encouraging others, and growing through hardship. The book moves through eight “keys” to leadership that blend personal stories, school memories, emotional turning points, and practical activities that teams can use to connect and communicate. The mix of stories and reflections creates a guide that shows how leadership rises from real life and not from titles or rules.
While reading this book, I felt pulled in by the author’s warmth and honesty. The stories hit hard because they feel like moments pulled straight from a life lived fully in service to others. I kept thinking about the scene with the bomb threat evacuation and how she steadied herself in chaos. I could almost feel the cold air and the fear and the fierce need to protect people. Her writing style is simple and easy to fall into. There were times I stopped and thought, wow, she really went through that, yet she still chooses hope. I liked that. Her voice feels like someone sitting with you at a table, talking softly, telling you the truth. It got to me more than I expected.
The ideas in the book made me think about leadership in a more human way. She focuses on trust, grace, listening, and being present. Those are not flashy things. They are small habits that change everything over time. I caught myself reflecting on my own tendencies to jump to solutions instead of hearing what people are really saying. Her chapter on “Whispering” resonated with me because it showed how leadership grows in quiet rooms, on long car rides, and in moments when your heart is breaking but you still choose to show up. I loved the activities she built into each chapter. They felt practical and playful, which made the leadership lessons feel less heavy and more doable.
I would recommend Weeds to Wishes to new leaders, veteran educators, and anyone who wants to lead with more heart and less noise. The book is especially good for people who are burned out or doubting their path. It feels like a gentle hand on your shoulder, reminding you that you are allowed to grow, stumble, try again, and still make a difference.
Pages: 203 | ASIN : B0G1CSM2GG
Breaking Barriers: A Bold Vision for Pakistan’s Future
Breaking Barriers: A Bold Vision for Pakistan’s Future is part memoir, part diagnosis, part blueprint. Harris Kamal starts in Karachi and uses his own story as a doorway into Pakistan’s wider journey. He traces the rise from early “Asian Tiger” optimism to a present filled with corruption, broken institutions, and deep inequality. He then moves through the big systems that shape daily life: bureaucracy, police, courts, politics, education, gender relations, and the economy. Finally, he lays out a future agenda that leans on youth, better governance, and social inclusion, with long chapters on schools, women’s empowerment, and structural reforms in everything from taxation to resource use.
I enjoyed the way he mixes hard facts with personal feeling. The Karachi passages have texture and warmth, and the opening section on Pakistan’s “promise and peril” feels tight and focused. The writing is clear and direct. At times, it sounds like a long op-ed. At other time,s it sounds like a friend talking late at night about home. I liked the concrete cases he uses when he talks about law, such as famous murder trials, the Panama Papers, and the battles around Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and his comparison with Kenya’s judicial reforms gives the book a more global feel. The message stays strong, yet I felt that some sections could have been leaner, with fewer long lists of problems and more storytelling on how change actually happens on the ground.
The book moved me more than I expected. The anger at feudal politics, bloated bureaucracy, and daily injustice is clear, but it is grounded in love for the country rather than simple ranting. I found the chapters on women, education, and the digital divide especially powerful, because they show how big structures hit real people in homes, schools, and workplaces. His call for coeducation, broader career paths for girls, and real financial independence for women feels both practical and values-driven. I also liked his focus on tax justice and agricultural income, which many authors avoid. The vision is bold and hopeful, but I sometimes wanted more nuance.
The book does not hide how deep the problems go, yet it refuses to give up on the idea of a fair, modern, confident Pakistan. I would recommend Breaking Barriers to readers in the Pakistani diaspora, to students in Pakistan who are trying to make sense of their own country, and to policy folks or diplomats who want an insider’s passionate brief on what is broken and what could be rebuilt. It reads more like a long, heartfelt briefing from someone who has seen both Karachi’s flooded streets and America’s functioning institutions and still believes Pakistan can rise if enough people decide to push in the same direction.
Pages: 702 | ISBN: 9783127323207
An Incredible Experience
You May Conquer: Facing What Others Have Met takes readers on a journey into the lives of biblical figures and modern leaders who, when faced with adversity, did not crumble but rose higher and shared the lessons learned from their struggles. Your book highlights the transformative power of adversity and how it can be channeled into a positive experience. How have you experienced this in your own life, and what lessons did you learn from it?
I found that as I began to work with my mother at her job, there was a lot of pressure on me, because she is a supervisor. So I didn’t want people to think I was a nepotism hire. I worked hard, very hard. And I earned my place alongside my co-workers. I felt the initial adversity, but surprised myself with how hard I worked.
Did you find anything in your research of this story that surprised you?
I had always heard good things about the life and times of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., but the more I researched, the more I was truly impressed. He had to be willing to give his life for ideals. I was truly surprised at his life’s record.
What is one thing that you hope readers take away from You May Conquer?
That we are in this world living an incredible experience that is greater than all of us. That when we realize how much responsibility we owe, I hope readers too see that we should never back down from adversity, we should exhibit bravery and courage, and surprise even ourselves.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Amazon
In You May Conquer: Facing What Others Have Met, Devon J. Francois & Woody R. Clermont take readers on a sweeping journey through scripture, history, and modern life, uncovering how ordinary people and world-changing leaders alike found strength in struggle. From Joseph in Egypt and Job’s unwavering faith, to Harriet Tubman’s courage, Nelson Mandela’s resilience, Martin Luther King Jr.’s perseverance, Helen Keller’s vision, Malala Yousafzai’s bravery, and beyond—these stories show that trials do not define us, but how we respond to them does.
Blending timeless wisdom with contemporary insight, this book explores:
How obstacles can become teachers rather than enemies
Why authority without humility collapses under its own weight
The inner battles that often matter more than external ones
Lessons of leadership from figures as diverse as Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Robin Williams, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Oprah Winfrey, and Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Practical encouragement for living the lessons “out loud” in your own life
Written with clarity, conviction, and compassion, You May Conquer is not about avoiding adversity—it is about transforming it. It is a book for anyone who has been tested, knocked down, or underestimated, and who still believes that the struggle can produce something greater.
The message is clear: adversity is not the end. It is the training ground. And you, too, may conquer.
Chasing Permanence: How Businesses on Our High Streets Can Adapt and Thrive
Chasing Permanence explores why some High Street businesses fade while others seem to hold on with surprising strength. Author Steven N. Adjei blends research, interviews, personal history, and real-world case studies to show how companies can adapt and thrive even as the world around them shifts. He lays out seven mindsets, five determinants, and a set of strategies that give owners and leaders a clearer way to build resilience and community in a time when storefronts close by the thousands. The book reads like a roadmap for anyone who wants to understand not just how businesses survive, but how they can shape their own future even when conditions look bleak.
Adjei writes with a kind of grounded warmth that makes the research feel personal. His stories about his mother working at Selfridges and his own early days on the High Street pulled me in right away. Those scenes made the later arguments hit harder, because they show the emotional cost behind the statistics. At times, the writing surprised me with its honesty. I found myself nodding along when he talked about the hollow excuses we make about market forces and how easy it is to blame the world instead of looking at what a business can actually change. I liked that he didn’t shy away from calling out lazy thinking. It made the whole message feel more alive and a bit braver.
I also found myself wrestling with some of the ideas. Adjei argues that businesses need to embrace collaboration, community, and what he calls Permanence, but he never paints it as a simple formula. The mix of mindset, strategy, and realism made me stop more than once and think about how often we expect business success to come from some magic trick. There were moments when I wished he had expanded on certain examples, especially when he talked about towns that felt like ghosts. Still, the rhythm of the book kept pulling me forward. His insistence that companies can shape their own destiny felt hopeful without drifting into fantasy.
The book made me look at High Streets with fresh eyes. It reminded me just how much these places mean to people and how much potential sits in the hands of owners, staff, and communities who care enough to adapt. I would recommend Chasing Permanence to entrepreneurs, local leaders, and anyone who wants to understand why some businesses hold their ground while others disappear. It’s practical, heartfelt, and surprisingly moving. And it’s a great fit for readers who want guidance, but also want a story that speaks to real human experience as much as business theory.
Pages: 391 | ASIN : B0F4R8G9BC
The Coming Disruption: How AI First Will Force Organizations to Change Everything or Face Destruction
The Coming Disruption is a blunt, high-energy warning shot aimed at anyone working inside an organization that hopes to survive the AI era. Author Fred Voccola lays out a simple message. AI is not a future trend. AI is a meteor already hitting the atmosphere, and every business, institution, and worker must adapt fast or get wiped out. He explains how AI multiplies productivity at a pace that makes earlier revolutions look sleepy, and he pushes the idea that becoming “AI First” means rebuilding the entire structure of an organization from top to bottom. The book blends history, economic analysis, and practical guidance, and it uses a vivid, almost urgent storytelling style to keep you moving through concepts that could reshape every part of modern work.
Voccola writes with a mix of confidence and impatience. Sometimes I nodded because the urgency made sense. Other times, I felt a little overwhelmed because the pace is relentless. Still, his arguments are sound. The idea that AI requires zero infrastructure change right now, and that the only barrier is leadership willingness, really resonated with me. I liked how he compared past transformations to the present because it made the speed of what’s coming feel real. I occasionally wished he explored a few examples more deeply.
What I liked most was his emphasis on internal AI. Not the headline-grabbing model wars. Not AGI speculation. The boring stuff inside every company that nobody glamorizes. I appreciated that focus. It made the book feel grounded. I kept thinking about how many organizations cling to outdated structures because they’re afraid to rip up the old playbook. His frustration with bureaucracy is loud and clear, and I found myself agreeing more often than not. His call to eliminate the “organizational deep state” is sharp, but it definitely made me think about how much waste we accept as normal. The book made me look at leadership, communication, and speed through a different lens.
I’d recommend The Coming Disruption to executives, founders, managers, and anyone who feels responsible for guiding others through change. It’s also a useful read for students and curious workers who want to understand the forces reshaping their careers. If you want a wake-up call that pushes you to think bigger, move faster, and challenge the comfort of slow adaptation, this book delivers.
Pages: 295 | ASIN : B0G2CNYPN6
LITERARY TITAN 