Don't Take Yes for an Answer

Steve Herz

Harper Business, 192 pp., $29.99

How do you reach the top? Based on more than two decades of experience, Herz says connectability is the single greatest factor. To have connectability, he points to three communication strategies: authority, warmth, and energy. Yet, he says that few people will tell someone they lack these skills.

Don't Take Yes for an Answer delves into feedback avoidance. The author advises readers to stop accepting praise and instead push for honesty and the critical assessment you need to go further in your career. He unpacks the three communication strategies, offers guidance on pinpointing the areas where you are lacking, and includes real-life examples.

Curating Your Life: Ending the Struggle for Work-Life Balance

Gail Golden

Littlefield, 176 pp., $30

Achieving work-life balance can be challenging. But Golden, who has 25 years of experience as a psychologist and 15 years as an executive coach, says it is possible to bring balance to your life. It's all about focusing on what is most important and meaningful and what brings you the most joy.

To perform at our best, Golden explains that we must organize our lives. She guides readers in sorting their activities into three buckets—things they won't do, things they will be mediocre at, and things that they will thrive at. Although living a curated life is not simple, she emphasizes that it's possible and will make you productive and feel good about yourself.