Inside HBo's Game of Thrones Season 3 & 4: Book review

                                                                                       

Jim Pagiamtzis review

Fantastic insights on Game of Thrones Season 3 and 4. Must read!

10 out of 10 stars

About book:

Each episode of HBO's Game of Thrones draws millions of obsessed viewers who revel in the shocking plot twists, award-winning performances, and gorgeously rendered fantasy world. This official companion book reveals what it takes to translate George R. R. Martin's bestselling series into a wildly popular television series. With unprecedented scope and depth, it showcases hundreds of unpublished set photos, visual effects art, and production and costume designs, plus insights from key actors and crew members that capture the best scripted and unscripted moments from Seasons 3 and 4. Required reading for the die-hard fan, and the perfect way to catch up on the series before the much-anticipated Season 5 debuts, this special volume offers an exclusive window into cable's highest-rated show.

Harriet (2019): Movie Review

                                                                                 

Jim Pagiamtzis review:

Powerful story of Harriet Tubman escape and and the journey she went on to free the slaves during a time that change was not possible by many. Harriet change that

10 out of 10 stars

Movie plot:

From her escape from slavery through the dangerous missions she led to liberate hundreds of slaves through the Underground Railroad, the story of heroic abolitionist Harriet Tubman is told.

watch trailer

The Lighthouse (2019):Movie Review

                                                                                                    

Jim Pagiamtzis Review

Terrifice performances by Willem Dafor and Robert Pattison in this awesome and terrifying drama that leads two lighthouse keepers down a path a turmoil and self destruction

9 out of 10 stars

Movie plot:

Two lighthouse keepers try to maintain their sanity while living on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s

The Mule (2018): Movie Review

                                                                                                         

Jim Pagiamtzis Review

Clint Eastwood Directs this film  and plays Earl Stone who become a courier for the drug cartel. Terrific performace!

10 out of 10 stars

Movie plot:

Due to financial issues, horticulturist Earl Stone becomes a courier for a drug cartel. Slowly, he grows closer to his estranged family, but his illegal activities threaten much more than his life.

                                                                 

Leaders-The Strategies to take charge: Book Review

                                                                                   

Jim Pagiamtzis Review:

Insightful book on the power of leadership and how to empower others to take advantage and  be the leaders they can be

7 out of 10 stars

About book:

In this illuminating study of corporate America's most critical issue—leadership—world-renowned leadership guru Warren Bennis and his co-author Burt Nanus reveal the four key principles every manager

Jumanji- The Next Level (2019); Movie Review

                                                                               

Jim Pagiamtzis review:

The gang is back with some new character in a entire new challenge in Jumanji 

7 out of 10 stars

Movie Plot:

When Spencer goes missing, the gang returns to Jumanji to travel unexplored territories and help their friend escape the world's most dangerous game.

Won't You Be My Neighbor? : Movie Review

                                                                   

            Jim Pagiamtzis Review

     Amazing insights of a man who created television for kids all around the world!

 10 of 10 stars

  About film:

 Filmmaker Morgan Neville examines the life and legacy of Fred Rogers, the beloved host of the popular children's television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.

Inside HBO's Game of Thrones: Seasons 1 & 2: Book Review

                                                                                           

        Jim Pagiamtzis review

       I really enjoy watching Game of Thrones Season 1 and 2.  You can learn more about the characters and where they shot the film. They go into deep insights on the characters and the entire GOT clan

  10 out of 10 stars

    About book:

  HBO's Game of Thrones reigns as cable's highest-rated series. This official companion book gives fans new ways to enter this fictional world and discover more about the beloved (and reviled) characters and the electrifying plotlines. Hundreds of set photos, production and costume designs, storyboards, and insider stories reveal how the show's creators translated George R. R. Martin's best-selling fantasy series into the world of Westeros. Featuring interviews with key actors and crew members that capture the best scripted and unscripted moments from the first two seasons, as well as a preface by George R. R. Martin, this special volume, bound in a lavishly debossed padded cover, offers exclusive access to this unprecedented television series. Learn more and buy book

Talents Wins: Book Review

                                                                                         

Jim Pagiamtzis Review:

An insightful book for HR professionals

7 out of 10 stars

About book:

Radical Advice for Reinventing Talent--and HR

Most executives today recognize the competitive advantage of human capital, and yet the talent practices their organizations use are stuck in the twentieth century.

Typical talent-planning and HR processes are designed for predictable environments, traditional ways of getting work done, and organizations where "lines and boxes" still define how people are managed. As work and organizations have become more fluid--and business strategy is no longer about planning years ahead but about sensing and seizing new opportunities and adapting to a constantly changing environment--companies must deploy talent in new ways to remain competitive.

Turning conventional views on their heads, talent and leadership experts Ram Charan, Dominic Barton, and Dennis Carey provide leaders with a new and different playbook for acquiring, managing, and deploying talent--for today's agile, digital, analytical, technologically driven strategic environment--and for creating the HR function that business needs. Filled with examples of forward-thinking companies that have adopted radical new approaches to talent (such as ADP, Amgen, BlackRock, Blackstone, Haier, ING, Marsh, Tata Communications, Telenor, and Volvo), as well as the juggernauts and the startups of Silicon Valley, this book shows leaders how to bring the rigor that they apply to financial capital to their human capital--elevating HR to the same level as finance in their organizations.

Providing deep, expert insight and advice for what needs to change and how to change it, this is the definitive book for reimagining and creating a talent-driven organization that wins. learn more and buy book

Personal Health and Wellness (S01 - E14): Special Podcast

        

              About:

We are the 21st Century and while recording this episode we were in the middle of a global pandemic that affected over 10 million people around the world and the numbers were still skyrocketing. In such dire conditions we have to take our health seriously more than ever.

Now with COVID-19 it is more important to eat right, exercise and keep our bodies in the best shape we can because if we lost our health then we have nothing.

No wealth and no one can replace that. Being busy, motivated and sometimes driven professionals we both have our own health issues that we struggled with and, luckily, overcame with the least possible damage which is why we wanted to share this with you especially the young motivated and self-driven professionals.

To be clear, none of us are in the medical field so be cautious listening to this episode and always remember to consult your family doctor about your health.

Take these recommendations and do your own research from trusted well-known sources and remember to always listen to your body and act carefully on it.

Episode Topics

0:23 Opening Remarks: First time in person Podcast at the Coronation Park / Toronto https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=0m23s

2:55 Personal Diet and Eating Habits https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=2m55s

 13:40 Personal Hygiene (pre and post COVID-19) https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=13m40s

 14:17 Daily Habits (e.g. sleep cycles, meal timing… etc.) https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=14m17s 35:32 Personal Fitness https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=35m32s

45:33 Closing Remarks https://youtu.be/7VZGNR9D2YE?t=45m33s

                               

Before Watchmen: Graphic Novel Review

                                                                                                          

  Jim Pagiamtzis review

About:

Discover what happened before WATCHMEN as writer J. Michael Straczynski is joined by Andy Kubert and the legendary Joe Kubert to take flight with the gadget-savvy vigilante known as Nite Owl! And then in BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN, JMS teams with fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes on the all-powerful super-man Dr. Manhattan. For Dr. Manhattan, past, present, and future are one and the same. But as he observes the events of his life, do they remain the same? Or are they changed? The very fact of his existence may have altered the nature of what will or will not be...

Collects BEFORE WATCHMEN: NITE OWL #1-4 and BEFORE WATCHMEN: DR. MANHATTAN #1-4.

 

Split-Second Persuation: Book Review

                                                                                                   

             Jim Pagiamtzis review

           An insightful thick book with lots of great information and amazing card and mind tricks that will have you engaged and learning at the same time.

  10 out of 10 stars

 

           About book;

              It is a special kind of influence. It has an incubation period of seconds and can instantly disarm even the most discerning mind. It is a psychological secret weapon which, in right hand, can dismantle any conflict, seal any deal, but which in the hands can kills. It is black belt mind control.

               Learn more and buy book

Demolition Man (1993): Movie Review

                                                                                     

                          Jim Pagiamtzis review:

                 Terrific sci-fi film for its time with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes team up for all out action  and some funny scenes that has made this a movie classic

  10 out 10 stars

 

             About film:

              With innocent victims caught in the crossfire in Los Angeles' intensifying war on crime, both cop John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone) and violent thug Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) are sentenced to a state of frozen incarceration known as "CryoPrison." When Spartan is finally thawed 36 years later, it's 2032, and Los Angeles is now a pacifist utopia called San Angeles. But with Phoenix again on the loose, Spartan must team up with future cop Lenina (Sandra Bullock) to apprehend the killer.Watch trailer

                                                               

Get Shorty (1995): Movie Review

                                                                                   

                Jim Pagiamtzis review:

       Stellar cast with John Travolta, Renne Russo, Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito  pull out all the stops in the superb comedy about the mafia been involved in the movies!

   9 out of 10 stars

      About film:

 Chili Palmer (John Travolta) is a Miami mobster who gets sent by his boss, the psychopathic "Bones" Barboni (Dennis Farina), to collect a bad debt from Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman), a Hollywood producer who specializes in cheesy horror films. When Chili meets Harry's leading lady (Rene Russo), the romantic sparks fly. After pitching his own life story as a movie idea, Chili learns that being a mobster and being a Hollywood producer really aren't all that different. Watch trailer

                                                  

Taking the Stage: Book Review

                                                                             

                      Jim Pagiamtzis Review:

                       An insightful  book full stories, strategies and strategic ways to become an effective speaker

 10 out of 10 stars

              About book:

                   Many women today wonder: what will it take to get that seat at the boardroom table? Earn that coveted promotion? Or simply have their voices heard? Taking the Stage provides a comprehensive, proven approach that enables women to come forward into the spotlight and speak up, stand out, and succeed.

Based on a program from the Humphrey Group that has been delivered to over 400,000 women worldwide, Taking the Stage shows women—no matter their age, rank, or profession—how to communicate with courage and confidence in every situation, from formal speeches to brief hallway conversations. Judith Humphrey provides the inspiration and practical advice for women to “take the stage” mentally, verbally, vocally, and physically. Women can make the most of every opportunity by understanding how best to:

• Speak up confidently, even when others don’t agree;
• Convey their accomplishments without self-doubt;
• Be assertive but not aggressive;
• Deliver clear and convincing messages;
• Move beyond “minimizing” language and apology;
• Find their own powerful and authentic voice;
• Achieve confident body language and a leadership presence.

By applying these techniques and others to every communication— whether making a presentation, speaking at meetings, conducting an elevator conversation, or selling themselves in job interviews—women will be recognized as the leaders they are and attain positions of influence.

For women at all stages of their career, and for managers and executives committed to supporting and guiding women on their leadership journeys, Taking the Stage is the practical, broad-based solution that will allow women to speak up confidently, gain respect, earn the promotions they deserve, and secure their places at the boardroom table. Learn more and buy book

Skin in the Game- Hidden Asymmetrics in Daily Life: Book Review

                                                                                          

                          Jim Pagiamtzis review

               An insightful book that is very difficult to understand. I have read thousands of books and this one made no sense to me. Perhaps it wasn't for me!

 

   6 out of 10 stars

             About book:

 

Number-one New York Times best seller

A bold work from the author of The Black Swan that challenges many of our long-held beliefs about risk and reward, politics and religion, finance and personal responsibility.

In his most provocative and practical book yet, one of the foremost thinkers of our time redefines what it means to understand the world, succeed in a profession, contribute to a fair and just society, detect nonsense, and influence others. Citing examples ranging from Hammurabi to Seneca, Antaeus the Giant to Donald Trump, Nassim Nicholas Taleb shows how the willingness to accept one's own risks is an essential attribute of heroes, saints, and flourishing people in all walks of life. 

As always both accessible and iconoclastic, Taleb challenges long-held beliefs about the values of those who spearhead military interventions, make financial investments, and propagate religious faiths. Among his insights: 

• For social justice, focus on symmetry and risk sharing. You cannot make profits and transfer the risks to others, as bankers and large corporations do. You cannot get rich without owning your own risk and paying for your own losses. Forcing skin in the game corrects this asymmetry better than thousands of laws and regulations. 
• Ethical rules aren't universal. You're part of a group larger than you, but it's still smaller than humanity in general. 
• Minorities, not majorities, run the world. The world is not run by consensus but by stubborn minorities asymmetrically imposing their tastes and ethics on others. 
• You can be an intellectual yet still be an idiot. "Educated philistines" have been wrong on everything from Stalinism to Iraq to low carb diets. 
• Beware of complicated solutions (that someone was paid to find). A simple barbell can build muscle better than expensive new machines. 
• True religion is commitment, not just faith. How much you believe in something is manifested only by what you’re willing to risk for it.

The phrase "skin in the game" is one we have often heard but have rarely stopped to truly dissect. It is the backbone of risk management, but it's also an astonishingly rich worldview that, as Taleb shows in this book, applies to all aspects of our lives. As Taleb says, "The symmetry of skin in the game is a simple rule that's necessary for fairness and justice and the ultimate BS-buster," and "Never trust anyone who doesn't have skin in the game. Without it, fools and crooks will benefit, and their mistakes will never come back to haunt them."  learn and buy book