Book Capsules, January 2025

Big Goals
Caroline Adams Miller
Wiley, 256 pp., $28

There's a science to goal setting, says Miller. In this book, she uses 15 years of research from positive psychology to delve into goal-setting practices. Big Goals enumerates the BRIDGE (brainstorming, relationships, investments, decision making, good grit, and excellence) methodology, which addresses the how between the assignment of objectives and key results and key performance indicators. The author provides practical tools and worksheets for readers' goal-achieving journey. The book is a good read for anyone hoping to achieve personal and professional goals more confidently and effectively.

Don't Say Um
Michael Chad Hoeppner
Hachette Go, 288 pp., $30

All people use filler words such as "um." Don't Say Um is the perfect book to eliminate those utterances from your vocabulary. Hoeppner, a Columbia Business School professor and communication expert, has coached presidential candidates, prominent CEOs, and Ivy League deans with strategies that have transformed their communication skills. This book shares those strategies to help readers become more authentic, build stronger professional relationships, and become more intentional. It also covers topics such as vocal variety, how to leverage silence, and why Hoeppner starts all his virtual meetings with his microphone muted.