Review/Giveaway: The Imposter?

A WINNING READINGS GIVEAWAY!

Title: The Imposter? How a Juvenile Criminal Succeeded in Business and Life (A Transformation Memoir)

Author: Kip Kreiling
Genre: Nonfiction memoir/self-help

How to enter: Leave a comment on THIS post right here! If you're a subscriber or a follower, leave a second comment for a second entry.
Entry deadline: February 10, 2010
Restrictions: US or Canada residents only

That's right, enter right here for this giveaway. We've got five copies available thanks to the author!
---------------

A few days ago I wrote about a book that disappeared on me before I could really read it. I applauded the author for taking on some tough issues (drugs, gangs, abuse, etc.), but I also was a little disappointed that we readers were being graphically dragged down into those issues.

Now, that was a "Christian"-labeled fiction book. The book I'm dealing with in this review addresses the same tough issues, but it's real. And it's uplifting. It's all about the ability to change; to be transformed. And this is not a religious book, though the author acknowledges the role of God in his transformation.

The Imposter? How a Juvenile Criminal Succeeded in Business and Life, written by Kip Kreiling, is his personal story. This 312-page paperback has a list price of $17.77 and is available on the author's site or at Amazon.com.

When I first read the description of the book, I smiled. The author had a lot to deliver!

From the slums of Georgia to the castles of Europe, be ENTERTAINED and INSPIRED at the same time.

• LEARN the secret to Benjamin Franklin's success
• DISCOVER how Abraham Lincoln turned enemies into friends
• SEE the evidence that proves human beings are not primarily driven by instincts - that we can change
• LEARN how Hernan Cortez launched one of the most successful military conquests in history and how that insight can help you
• DISCOVER the real reason why the Iron Curtain fell
• SEE why rats weaned themselves off of heroine - on their own!
• FIND out how a hardened, modern-day Juvenile Criminal found lasting happiness.

And interestingly enough, he did cover all that ground...

Here's the general outline of the book: The author uses his own life story to illustrate eight principles to transformation. While it is a memoir, it is organized so that the reader could use this as a guide to life changes, and it includes historical figures and history in making its points.

Who is the author? Here's a bio, which is in a large way what the book is about:

A product of our broken urban society, Kip Kreiling was arrested 3 times before he was 10 years old and 11 times before he was 14. When Kip was only 13 years old, he was taken out of 2 schools, a shopping mall, and a bank in handcuffs. Because of his criminal activity, and the resulting chaos he brought into his life, Kip moved 34 times from the young age of 11 to the age of 26. On average, he moved every 5 months for 15 years, in and out of jails, group homes, and street shelters, while his mother and father moved less than 4 times each.

Today, Kip is a Fortune 15 executive who has had the opportunity to work with several of the world’s most respected companies including Ford Motor, Hewlett Packard, Vodafone, and the UnitedHealth Group. As of 2009, Kip has provided transformation and business leadership services for over 40 companies in more than 20 industries. Between his corporate, consulting, educational, and speaking engagements, Kip has had the opportunity to travel to nearly 200 cities in 21 countries on 4 continents. Kip earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Brigham Young University and his MBA at Indiana University.

Kip Kreiling is also the founder of the nonprofit foundation TransformationHelp.org. The foundation is focused on improving the human condition through personal and organizational transformation, with a focus on teaching transformation classes in prisons.

Most important to him, Kip has been happily married for almost 20 years and has five happy and healthy children. Kip Kreiling and his family live in Draper, Utah.

So what do I think of this book? Wow!

First of all, this book would be a great source of hope to anyone who has family members who have hit rock bottom as Kip describes. Reading his acknowledgements section makes one realize how, even when things seem hopeless and with no effect, you should never give up on someone. Contrary to sometimes-popular belief, people have been endowed with the ability to change.

Secondly, this book can help someone who desperately wants to make a change. While admittedly some of the transformation steps need to happen before a person will even want to pick up the book, this can certainly be a useful aid in the journey. And it doesn't have to be what one might consider a drastic change! I found a lot of relevance to my own weight management issues. It could apply to cutting down on TV watching, or taking a more active role in parenting, or many similar issues.

And finally, this book is a great resource for friends along the way.

As a Christian, I wouldn't have minded more emphasis on God's role in transformation. However, I'd say the religious undertones in the book, while satisfying the Christian's need to see God get credit, are subtle enough that a nonreligious person won't feel preached at. Well done.

And overall, very well done, Kip Kreiling! No imposter are you... While the past is certainly part of who you are, my opinion is you're the genuine thing. I would love to see this book get into many more hands...

Thanks to the author for the review copy of this book.