Blog Archives
Finding YOU and Living Your Own Story: Little Essays on Big Thoughts about Female Identity
Finding YOU and Living Your Own Story is a collection of short essays that explores what it means for women to search for identity, push back against cultural expectations, and claim a life that feels truly their own. Author Carolyn Gregov Ph.D. blends personal stories, social critique, humor, and reflection as she moves through themes like authenticity, patriarchy, shame, relationships, agency, biology, and the complicated legacy of religion. Across chapters, she pulls readers through her own experiences, from convent life to marriage to academic study, and uses them to highlight how hard and how necessary it is for women to define themselves in a world that insists on defining them first.
I was pulled in by her voice. It’s direct and warm and sometimes almost mischievous, like she’s telling you the truth she wishes someone had told her decades ago. I found myself reacting emotionally to her stories, especially when she described the conflict between wanting to remain obedient to the structures that shaped her and wanting to honor the questions that arose inside her. I saw courage in her willingness to say she didn’t believe what she had been taught to accept. I also felt real frustration, because so much of what she recounts about patriarchal norms and expectations still echoes loudly today. There were moments when her honesty was very emotional, and other moments where her humor made me laugh, even though the subject was painful.
What struck me most was how she positions identity not as a fixed truth waiting to be uncovered, but as something alive and shifting. Her stories show how identity is shaped by culture, family, power, shame, and biology. They also show how identity breaks open when a woman finally says, “Enough.” Her writing made me think about my own assumptions and how much of what women are asked to carry isn’t really theirs at all. I loved how she challenges big systems without drowning the reader in theory. She stays grounded in real life. Her language is clear and relatable.
Carolyn Gregov doesn’t pretend the world has changed as much as we wish it had. But she still urges women to claim their agency, their story, and their voice. I would recommend this book to women who are wrestling with self-definition, to anyone questioning old beliefs, and to readers who appreciate memoir mixed with reflection. It’s also a meaningful read for men who want to understand the inner landscape women navigate every day. It’s honest, sharp, funny, and heartfelt, and it invites you to rethink what it really means to live your own life.
Pages: 113 | ASIN: B0FPNPHFPD
Get Me to Costa Rica!: A one year plan to leave the Rat Race
Get Me to Costa Rica! is a step-by-step guide for anyone feeling boxed in by work, routine, expectations, and wants a clear path to living abroad. The book lays out a twelve-month timeline that blends mindset shifts, decluttering, money planning, relationships, and logistics, all anchored in the idea that Costa Rica is not just a destination but a symbol of a calmer and more intentional life. It moves steadily from asking big personal questions to offering practical actions that make the dream feel reachable rather than abstract.
What I liked most was the tone of the guide. It feels like a long, honest talk with someone who has already gone through the fear and doubt and come out the other side. The writing is direct and encouraging, sometimes almost preachy, but in a way that feels earned. I found myself nodding along, especially during the parts about burnout, endless schedules, and the quiet grief of putting dreams on hold. The author clearly believes in what he is saying, and that belief carries emotional weight. At times, it felt a bit repetitive, yet that repetition also felt intentional, like a coach reminding you again and again that you really can do this if you commit.
The ideas themselves are not wild or revolutionary, but they are grounded and practical. Declutter your life. Set a date. Know your numbers. Build income that travels with you. None of this is flashy, and that is the point. I appreciated how the book did not pretend the move would be easy or magical. There is fear, guilt, and stress woven into the plan, and the author names those feelings without sugarcoating them. I felt both excited and a little exposed while reading, which is usually a sign that a book is poking at something real. It made me reflect on my own excuses and timelines, and that was uncomfortable in a good way.
I recommend Get Me to Costa Rica! to people who feel stuck and tired of talking about change without acting on it. It is especially good for readers who want structure, reassurance, and a push to stop waiting for the perfect moment. If you are dreaming about living abroad, or even just craving a major life reset, this book offers a clear map and a steady voice saying you are not crazy for wanting more.
Pages: 241 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FPD3Z8Y4
Navigating What’s Ahead
The Coming Disruption provides readers with the tools needed to survive the coming changes associated with Artificial Intelligence in the workplace. Why was this an important book for you to write?
Because too many people are being told half the story about what’s coming. Most conversations about AI focus on tools, trends, or fear — not on how work, organizations, and leadership are actually changing right now.
I wrote The Coming Disruption because this shift isn’t theoretical. It’s already reshaping who wins, who struggles, and who gets left behind in the workplace. Organizations that don’t adapt quickly won’t slowly decline — they’ll fall behind all at once. I wanted to give leaders and workers a clear, honest framework for navigating what’s ahead, without hype and without sugarcoating the consequences of inaction.
I also wrote this book in honor of my father. He believed deeply in hard work, responsibility, and adapting to change rather than resisting it. This book reflects those values — and my hope is that it helps people face what’s coming with clarity, courage, and agency, just as he taught me to do.
Can you share a little about the research behind The Coming Disruption?
The research behind this book isn’t academic; it’s operational.
It’s based on decades of building and scaling technology companies, leading through rapid growth, market disruption, and crisis, and watching firsthand how organizations behave when pressure increases.
I also studied historical inflection points – from the Industrial Revolution to the rise of digital platforms, to understand how productivity shocks change labor, management, and power structures. The patterns are remarkably consistent: technology doesn’t eliminate work, it redefines value. AI simply accelerates that process faster than anything we’ve seen before.
The book combines real-world experience, economic data, and pattern recognition, not speculation.
Did you learn anything while writing this book that surprised you?
What surprised me most was how fast the gap is widening.
I expected AI to create advantages for early adopters. What I didn’t expect was how quickly organizations that move first begin to outpace everyone else, not incrementally, but dramatically in speed, output, and decision-making.
I also came to appreciate just how much of today’s work exists to manage friction, not create value. AI exposes that immediately. Writing this book made it clear that the disruption isn’t just technological, it’s cultural and structural.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
That they still have agency, but not unlimited time.
This book isn’t meant to scare people. It’s meant to wake them up. The coming disruption will reward those who adapt early, learn continuously, and focus on producing real value. It will punish hesitation, denial, and comfort with outdated roles.
If readers finish the book understanding that this moment requires action — not someday, but now — then it’s done its job.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | YouTube | Website | Amazon
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
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 