Review by suzy4424 -- The Mindset by Ace Bowers
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- Latest Review: The Mindset by Ace Bowers
Review by suzy4424 -- The Mindset by Ace Bowers
The subtitle of Ace Bowers' book The Mindset: My Journey from Janitor to Silicon Valley Millionaire in Five Years, reveals the author's intention to relate the experiences which shaped his career: the struggles followed by success. In fact, it chronicles his life from early childhood to his current age (late 20's) as he reminiscences and reflects about significant events and relationships. It is NOT a how-to guide to go from rags to riches. It IS an inspirational true story that exemplifies how motivation, combined with perseverance, can produce a powerful mindset that may lead to remarkable achievements.
Moreover, it is an encouraging story of his self-discovery. Indeed, Ace admits to using his writing as the vehicle through which he explores his past. As an adult, he now recognizes that positive life influences can be a consequence of both good and bad situations and experiences. He credits God with providing the seminal event that resulted in a turning point in his life. When Ace learns that he is going to become a father, he identifies this forthcoming event as the most compelling reason for him to succeed. Through subsequent introspection, he determines the personal resources he possesses to improve his career options. Finally, he establishes short- and long-term goals and develops plans to reach them.
I rate this book at 3 stars out of 4 stars and recommend it to all readers from teen to adult if they enjoy stories about personal triumph, especially in the nonfiction genre. His writing feels like he's having a conversation with the reader. His tone is informal and uplifting. I never sensed haughtiness about his accomplishments, though he has every reason to feel proud. It is a short volume and easy to read.
I love how Ace emphasizes the importance of taking small positive steps to accomplish a goal. Ace is a fan of baseball, having played as a child. Using sports analogies, he explains the importance of incremental moves always in the direction you want to go. Later, he uses another sports analogy and again explains how it applied in his life. Even for non-sports fans, I think accounts like this strengthen the message.
The book begins with a chronological account of Ace's life, but in the fourth chapter, the author abandons this framework. For me, this felt somewhat disorganized but was not detrimental to my enjoyment of the work. The weakest part of the book, and that I least liked, was the inclusion of three entire chapters that focused on some of the important people in his life. These were biographical. The reader will understand Ace's appreciation for them. However, this narration did not enlighten the reader about “the mindset". Nevertheless, I recommend it!
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The Mindset
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