February 2024 MBR Reviewer's Choice

Reviewer's Choice

Never Not Working
Malissa Clark
Harvard Business Review Press
https://hbr.org
9781647825096, $32.00, HC, 224pp

https://www.amazon.com/Never-Not-Working-Always-Business/dp/1647825091

Synopsis: Many workers believe that to compete with other top talent, they =
must embrace a culture that rewards long hours and a constant connection to=
 work. Businesses and society endorse busyness, overwork, and extreme commi=
tment as the most valued traits in workers. Sometimes that endorsement is e=
xplicit, as when Elon Musk told X/Twitter employees to work "long hours at =
high intensity" or get fired. More often it is an implicit contract, a buil=
dup of organizational and cultural norms and the adoption of new technologi=
es that make it easy to tether people to work.

Either way, this workaholic behavior is unhealthy and counterproductive for=
 workers and for organizations. It's time to fight back. With the publicati=
on of "Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business--an=
d How to Fix It", Malissa Clark (a preeminent researcher on the culture of =
overwork) shows you how.

Clark examines overwork and burnout, not just from the individual's perspec=
tive but from an organizational perspective too. She delivers a comprehensi=
ve, nuanced definition of workaholism, busting myths along the way -- worki=
ng long hours, it turns out, doesn't automatically make you a workaholic. S=
he also helps you assess whether you're falling prey to the phenomenon and =
whether you're creating workaholics in your organization.

Clark also shows you how to escape the trap of putting work at the center o=
f everything and thus losing your well-being (or your company's performance=
) in the process. Deeply researched and written for everyone from leaders t=
o individual contributors, "Never Not Working" is an essential guide to ide=
ntifying workaholism in yourself and others and starting on the road to rec=
overy.

Critique: An extraordinary, seminal, ground-breaking, iconoclastic study, "=
Never Not Working: Why the Always-On Culture Is Bad for Business -- and How=
 to Fix It" is exceptionally well written and thoroughly 'reader friendly' =
in organization and presentation. While also available in a digital book fo=
rmat (Kindle, $16.99), "Never Not Working" must be considered essential rea=
ding for all corporate executives and managers -- as well as a critically i=
mportant addition to professional, community, and college/university librar=
y Workplace Culture/Business Management collections and supplemental MBA cu=
rriculum studies lists.

Editorial Note: Malissa Clark (https://www.malissaclark.com) is an Associat=
e Professor of Industrial and Organizational Psychology at the University o=
f Georgia, where she leads the Healthy Work Lab. She is one of the world's =
leading scholars on workaholism, overwork, burnout, and employee well-being=
. In addition to serving as an expert consultant to many organizations on t=
hese issues, Clark and her work have been featured in outlets including the=
 New York Times, the BBC, Time, Glamour, The Atlantic, HuffPost, and others=
.

Of Love And War
Angela Wanhalla
University of Nebraska Press
www.nebraskapress.unl.edu
9781496205100, $55.00, HC, 252pp

https://www.amazon.com/Love-War-Pacific-Brides-Studies/dp/1496205103

Synopsis: Between 1942 and 1945 more than two million servicemen occupied t=
he southern Pacific theater, the majority of whom were Americans in service=
 with the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. During the occupation, A=
merican servicemen married approximately 1,800 women from New Zealand and t=
he island Pacific, creating legal bonds through marriage and through childr=
en. Additionally, American servicemen fathered an estimated four thousand n=
on-marital children with Indigenous women in the South Pacific Command Area=
.

With the publication of "Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II" P=
rofessor Angela Wanhalla details the intimate relationships forged during w=
artime between women and U.S. servicemen stationed in the South Pacific, tr=
aces the fate of wartime marriages, and addresses consequences for the wome=
n and children left behind.

Paying particular attention to the experiences of women in New Zealand and =
in the island Pacific (including Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, and the Cook Islands) =
"Of Love and War" illuminates the impact of global war on these women, thei=
r families, and Pacific societies.

Professor Wanhalla also argues that Pacific war brides are an important tho=
ugh largely neglected cohort whose experiences of U.S. military occupation =
expand our understanding of global war. By examining the effects of America=
n law on the marital opportunities of couples, their ability to reunite in =
the immediate postwar years, and the citizenship status of any children bor=
n of wartime relationships, Professor Wanhalla makes a significant contribu=
tion to a flourishing scholarship concerned with the intersections between =
race, gender, sexuality, and militarization in the World War II era.

Critique: A unique and seminal contribution to personal, professional, comm=
unity, and college/university library World War II Pacific Theatre military=
 history collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists, "Of Love an=
d War: Pacific Brides of World War II" is an impressively meticulous and ex=
ceptionally well written, organized and presented study that will be of par=
amount value to readers with an interest in the sociology of marriage/famil=
y, indigenous peoples studies, and the role of women in war. Of special not=
e is the inclusion of a number of illustrations, a sixteen page Bibliograph=
y, thirty- six pages of Notes, and a thirteen page Index. For students, aca=
demia, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject t=
hat "Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II" it should also be not=
ed that there is also a digital book format (Kindle, $52.25) edition availa=
ble as well.

Editorial Note: Angela Wanhalla (Ngai Te Ruahikihiki, Ngai Tahu) is Profess=
or of History at the University of Otago, New Zealand. She is also the co-a=
uthor of He Reo Wahine: Maori Women's Voices from the Nineteenth Century an=
d author of Matters of the Heart: A History of Interracial Marriage in New =
Zealand, winner of the Ernest Scott Prize for best book in Australian and N=
ew Zealand history in 2014.

Growing Up Army
Robert R. Heath Sr.
Warren Publishing
www.warrenpublishing.net
9781960146557, $30.95 Hardcover/$18.95 Paper

https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Army-soldier-adventurous-traveling/dp/196014=
6556

Growing Up Army: The Story Of A Soldier, His Loving Wife, And Their Nine Ad=
venturous Army Brats Traveling The World In Service To Our Country is a pow=
erful, enlightening chronicle of what it means to be a family participating=
 in Army life, providing a service to others by documenting the daily routi=
nes of a military family.

This isn't your usual two-children family. Nine kids and two parents made n=
umerous journeys, as military service required. Robert R. Heath was one of =
these family members, and his account of what it meant to "grow up Army" ca=
ptures, as few other stories do, the impact of the nomadic life that gave s=
o much to country and, in turn, built a family rich in values and flexibili=
ty: "Through all our lives, as Army Brats, we had to deal with the heartbre=
ak of constant separation from good friends due to the normal rotation of D=
ad's assignments. Then occasionally we had the great joy of meeting them ag=
ain a few years down the road at another base. Growing up Army means never =
having roots to any one "hometown."

As the third of nine "Army brats," Robert learned not only to survive, but =
thrive. Family adventures and growth experiences blend in a multi-generatio=
nal effort to draw together family history and stories of military associat=
ions, achievements, and life. These, in turn, strengthen and add historic d=
imensions into this story.

Readers who come from Army roots themselves will well recognize many of the=
 challenges and opportunities this lifestyle presented to the author, while=
 those with little familiarity with Army life but a real interest in how fa=
milies (especially large ones) develop will find many thought-provoking ins=
ights accompanying the adventures the family navigated and absorbed.

Whether presenting a child's illicit adventure encounter with Chinese soldi=
ers or learning about differences between Army and civilian life, Growing U=
p Army synthesizes the wealth and variety of life experiences that can only=
 be found in the world of "Army brats": "Experiencing all the differences i=
n how other people lived has always been one of the great benefits all of u=
s Brats express when talking about growing up Army."

The result is lively, fun, and unexpected -- a story that holds the power t=
o attract not just military families and those about to enter service, but =
general-interest readers, who will enjoy a rollicking ride through cultural=
 interactions and family dynamics. Libraries and readers interested in Army=
 experiences will find much to appreciate in Growing Up Army, which is high=
ly recommended for a wide audience.

Are You Ready?
Dr. Kimberly Harms
Muse Literary
https://museliterary.com
9781960876188, $25.99 Hardcover/$15.99 Paperback/$0.99 eBook

https://www.amazon.com/Are-You-Ready-Build-Legacy-ebook/dp/B0CHG23HD5

Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For is a self-help study in dea=
th and living legacies. It advocates a piece of the process too often omitt=
ed in books about dying and estate planning -- the emotional component of s=
upporting those who will be left behind.

More than one kind of emotional legacy can be left. The possibilities inclu=
de love, physical mementos, friendships, education, and coping methods for =
experiencing, expressing, and sharing grief.

The "death prepper" who would leave more than physical gifts will find that=
 Dr. Kimberly Harms covers a surprisingly wide range of possibilities. Thes=
e should ideally be an intrinsic part of death planning, from the gifts to =
be found in sharing grief at life's end to the lasting value of decisions o=
n remains, and ceremonies.

Case history examples and family circumstances permeate the account, encour=
aging readers to assume a proactive role in planning their own legacies, fr=
om choosing a favorite obituary picture to expressing remorse or regret thr=
ough an apology letter.

Dr. Harms presents these examples and choices in three parts of her book. P=
art 1 addresses the nuts and bolts of leaving behind a positive, meaningful=
 legacy for survivors; Part 2 provides research and insights on different b=
elief systems surrounding the death experience; and Part 3 is a workbook in=
viting readers to organize and prepare personal legacies to leave for loved=
 ones. Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For both embraces and fa=
r supersedes the typical book about death, dying, and funerals. It cements =
its insights with lists of supportive resources and case histories, buildin=
g new avenues for discussion, reflection, and action.

These elements make Are You Ready? How to Build a Legacy to Die For both a =
resource-packed reference that should be in any general-interest library, a=
nd a workbook highly recommended to any involved in legacy planning.

Domestic Darkness
Julie Farnam
Ig Publishing
https://www.igpub.com
9781632461605, $27.95, HC, 298pp

https://www.amazon.com/Domestic-Darkness-Insurrection-Right-Wing-Extremism/=
dp/1632461609

Synopsis: After being named Assistant Director of Intelligence for the Capi=
tol Police just days before the 2020 election, Julie Farnam warned its lead=
ership of the upcoming insurrection, sharing that "Congress itself is the t=
arget on the 6th." Tragically, her warnings were ignored.

With the publication of "Domestic Darkness: An Insider's Account of the Jan=
uary 6th Insurrection, and the Future of Right-Wing Extremism" Farnam takes=
 us inside the explosive events of January 6, 2021, revealing how the Capit=
ol Police disregarded intelligence about the right-wing extremists who woul=
d seize the capitol on that fateful day.

In addition to offering a harrowing view of what it was like on the ground,=
 watching the violence unfold and knowing it could have been prevented, "Do=
mestic Darkness" also examines the specific groups and ideologies, such as =
the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, QAnon, and white supremacists, who were centr=
al to the events of January 6 and who, emboldened by Donald Trump and other=
 right-wing leaders, continue to be a threat to our democracy.

"Domestic Darkness" also explores what happened within the Capitol Police i=
n the wake of the insurrection, and how to address future dangers from dome=
stic terrorism.

With the 2024 presidential election just around the corner, we need to look=
 at the lessons January 6 taught us to ensure something like that never hap=
pens again.

Critique: An impressively informative and true 'insider account' of the ins=
urrection attempt to block the peaceful transfer of authority from one pres=
ident to another based on a free and fair national election, "Domestic Dark=
ness: An Insider's Account of the January 6th Insurrection, and the Future =
of Right-Wing Extremism" must be considered essential reading for as wide a=
 range of American citizens as possible who are arguably vulnerable to losi=
ng our American style democracy to an authoritarian rule as has happened wi=
th disastrous results throughout the 20th Century and even in a number of c=
ountries around the world today. While also available for personal reading =
lists of political activists and the general public in a digital book forma=
t (Kindle, $14.99), "Domestic Darkness: An Insider's Account of the January=
 6th Insurrection, and the Future of Right-Wing Extremism" is an essential =
and unreservedly recommended addition to community and college/university C=
ontemporary Political Science collections and supplemental curriculum studi=
es lists.

Editorial Note: Julie Farnam served as the Assistant Director of Intelligen=
ce for the United States Capitol Police during one of the most tumultuous p=
eriods in this country's history. During her time there, she oversaw the id=
entification and vetting of nearly 20,000 threats against members of Congre=
ss, most of which were made by U.S. citizens who adhered to extremist ideol=
ogies. She also warned of the potential for violence on January 6, 2021. Pr=
ior to joining the Capitol Police, Farnam served with the Department of Hom=
eland Security for over fifteen years. She holds a master's degree in Inter=
cultural Relations from Lesley University. She is also the author of the bo=
ok, "U.S. Immigration Laws Under the Threat of Terrorism".

EDITOR'S NOTE:

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Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal=
muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review