This book will teach you how to turn right
Hi ,
A gentle hello if you're also easing yourself back into work mode (or work-ish mode) after a long weekend. I made the most of the unseasonably great weather in Melbourne, and probably the last beach weekend for a few months, by indulging in some much-needed seaside reading and lounging.
In this newsletter, I'm sharing a review of one of the books I read this long weekend; Turning Right by Kay Bretz. Keep scrolling to read that review.
I've also been bingeing on podcasts whilst lying in the sun and out on some longer walks. Has anyone else noticed how much high-quality audio content Spotify are pumping out at the moment? They really are going to win podcasting at this rate. And with some big podcasts created as Spotiify-originals, or moving to only being hosted on Spotify, it's going to be an interesting listening landscape over the next 12+ months.
Let me know what you've been listening to, reading, and enjoying by hitting reply to this email. I'd love to hear from you.
In reading well,
Steph
PS. To borrow from Austin Kleon (and everyone else who borrows this from Austin Kleon), this newsletter and the podcast are 'free but not cheap'. You can support their creation by purchasing your next book through my affiliate stores with Book Depository (global) or Bookshop (US), buying me a coffee or leaving a podcast review on the website. Thanks!
Review: Turning Right by Kay Bretz
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was gifted this book by the publisher (Major Street Publishing) after their founder, Lesley Williams, had been raving about it to me a few months ago. I was very pleased to get my eyes on it and enjoy it over the long weekend. Here's what I thought...
Short synopsis
German-born, Australia-living, former-consultant, Kay (pronounced so it rhymes with sky) Bretz is looking for a new challenge. He engages with coach Gavin Freeman after seeing him speak at a corporate event. What starts as a breakfast meeting, quickly turns into a whole new way for Kay to think, approach challenges, and understand himself. The book follows Kay's inner journey from marathon runner to tackling some of the toughest ultra-marathon events, and the impact of his mindset revolution on his work and life.
What I liked
The whole concept of turning right is great. It first appears early in the book, when Kay asks his friend Corey to take him out on a mystery run, in an effort to help Kay let go of his need for meticulous planning and control over situations. Corey starts the run by turning right outside of Kay's gate, something Kay has never done. This simple change blew Kay's mind open to seeing, and doing, things differently and seek out more opportunities to turn right.
Throughout the book Kay goes deep into his fears, mindsets, unhelpful behaviours, childhood trauma, and how the impacts of these all manifest in his running and other areas of his life. The vulnerability and openness was thought-provoking and had me questioning a few things from my own life that I might need to reframe in order to move forward.
One of the things I especially appreciated was that the lessons and reflections Kay took from running, weren't overly forced into his leadership/work reflections along the way. I've seen books / heard talks where these metaphors are over-emphasised, so this was a welcome exception. The link was held lightly and it was interesting to see how in several cases, the transformation Kay experienced through his running didn't always translate to how he approached work, or how he lead his team.
Finally, you definitely don't need to be a runner to enjoy the book. The descriptions of Kay's training, and increasingly-challenging running adventures, is detailed enough to bring the oscillating levels of pain and triumph to life for runners and non-runners alike. The underlying idea that your mind will be your greatest asset, or greatest liability, when facing a challenge is relevant well-beyond the running track.
What I didn't
There wasn't much I didn't like. Each chapter has some self-reflection questions. Whilst they were good questions, I'm not sure the book needed them as regularly, as it impacted the reading flow. I personally would have preferred a summary / 'how to put this into practice' section at the end of the book instead. This is, of course, a personal preference.
Final thought
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants some inspiration and techniques for looking for a new challenge, or to level-up how they live and work. If you have already committed to tackle a new challenge, this will give you plenty to think about to be best prepared. And of course, if you're about to run a marathon or ultra-marathon, it is worth a read to get a sense of what can go wrong (spoiler: it's probably not your body that will give up first). You also might enjoy this one if you liked David Goggins' 'Can't Hurt Me'.
PS. if you'd like to take better book notes this year, you can enjoy a 15% discount on your very own copy of the Archley's Book of Books book journal, here^.
Ear food
Phone Calls with Clever People - Speaking of Lesley from Major Street Publishing, she was featured on Shane Hatton's podcast last week. In the episode she shares some invaluable advice for anyone thinking about writing a book; including the role of publishers, and the mistakes authors make in underestimating where the most effort is required. (Spotify / Apple)
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso - A new find for me. Sam's super-smooth voice will gently ease you into the thoughtful conversations he hosts. I especially enjoyed this warm and funny episode with author Anne Lamott. (Spotify / Apple)
Duet - Duet is a podcast where two people each discuss three songs that mean something to them, aligned to the theme of that episode. In this episode, American music-legend Mavis Staples and up-and-coming British artist Yola share their songs for difficult times. (Spotify only)
Meanwhile, on the bookshelf
Recent Steph's Business Bookshelf podcast episodes, in case you missed them...
The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (rebroadcast)
(Listen)
Five best books of 2021... so far!
(Listen)