Book Review - How to Hit a Curveball: Confront and Overcome the Unexpected in Business, By Scott R. Singer

I recently received a review copy of How to Hit a Curveball: Confront and Overcome the Unexpected in Business, by Scott R. Singer, Mark Levine (Contributor).
While the title refers to how to hit a curveball: confront and overcome the unexpected in business, the author's tips apply to one's personal life as well.

I found the book to be an easy read. In fact I finished more than the last 1/2 of the book in an afternoon. The author uses baseball metaphors to explain step by step how to overcome the unexpected. He uses stories from small business as well as big business executives to get his points across each step of the way. His tips don't involve just brainstorming through possible solutions to the unexpected. His tips include ideas on how to look at things from a different angle. After reading this book you'll lots of ideas for "thinking outside the box".

"Investment banker Scott R. Singer learned this lesson the hard way. After a series of career challenges and personal setbacks, he started to develop a new approach to dealing with unforeseen problems. He realized that curveballs are a part of the game and the greatest players know how to knock them out of the park.

Singer shares his personal story and insights as well as features prominent curveball hitters, their stories, and their steps to dealing with the unexpected: Leslie Moonves of CBS, Alan Schwartz of Bear Stearns, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, and actor Michael J. Fox.

This fun yet practical book is full of valuable advice and anecdotes that can help anyone avoid striking out at work (or at home) and maybe even turn those surprising challenges into tremendous opportunities."

About the authors:

Scott R. Singer - Scott R. Singer has spent the past 20 years advising companies on how to adapt to change, to embrace technological advances, and to put the best strategy in place to deal with the next big thing—essentially, teaching them how to hit curveballs.

A noted media industry expert, investment banker, and strategy consultant, Scott serves as Managing Director and Head of Media & Entertainment at The Bank Street Group, a boutique investment banking firm focused on providing sophisticated advice regarding mergers & acquisitions; fairness opinions; private debt, equity, and venture capital raising; as well as bankruptcies, restructurings, and turnarounds to telecommunications, media, technology, aerospace & defense, and healthcare companies.

Prior to Bank Street, Scott held prestigious leadership positions at BMO Capital Markets, Deloitte, Bear Stearns, Merrill Lynch, and TD Securities.

During his career, Scott has emerged as the change expert, focusing on corporate finance, M&A, and strategic advisory transactions totaling over $110 billion for such clients as Cablevision Systems, CBS Corporation, Charter Communications, Comcast Corporation, Discovery Communications, Hollinger International, Liberty Media, NBC Universal, News Corp., Time Warner, Viacom, and Young & Rubicam as well as many private equity and venture capital firms.

Scott is regularly called on by Bloomberg, CNBC, FOX Business, Reuters and numerous publications such as, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, CNNMoney.com, Crain’s New York Business, and Forbes.com in addition to many other industry publications as a media expert to address various domestic and global topics.

He has served on numerous industry panels and has been a guest lecturer at both Columbia Business School and NYU’s Stern School of Business. Most recently, Scott was a member of The Paley Center for Media’s Board of Governors in Los Angeles and is a Vice Chairman of Bucknell University’s $400 million capital campaign. He was formerly Chairman of the Annual Fund at The Dalton School in New York City.

Scott received his MBA in Finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and his BSBA in Management from Bucknell University. He is the immediate past President and Chairman of the Executive Committee of Bucknell’s Alumni Association, a Trustee (ex-officio) of the University, and was a member of the Search Committee for Bucknell’s 16th President.

He’s currently working on his second book with Mark Levine, What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid? Scott lives in New York City and Connecticut.

Mark Levine - Mark Levine has written and collaborated on books and magazine articles on subjects as varied as business and spirituality. Among his more than 25 books are the best sellers You Can’t Predict A Hero, Second Acts, Live Rich, and Die Broke. He has been a columnist for Money, Men’s Health, and Working Woman, and a contributing editor for Worth. His feature articles for New York were twice nominated for National Magazine Awards. He has taught magazine writing at Cornell University and has lectured at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. Levine is married to best selling romance novelist Deirdre Martin. They live, with their Newfoundland Rocky, in Ithaca, NY.

How to Hit a Curveball: Confront and Overcome the Unexpected in Business is currently available at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Borders.com and your local bookstore.

Lola's Diner Disclaimer: I was given this book to review. This review is 100% my opinion and has not been edited or reviewed by anyone. I was not compensated in any other way for this product review.

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