Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that’s easier said than done when he’s tasked with helping his owner’s thirty-five-year-old son “get out of his funk.” (Simon & Schuster, 2026)
Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn’t inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn’t have a master’s degree, and he just can’t seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He’d rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.
When Grayson learns of Charlotte’s plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It’s not just the family business at stake, it’s all the technology—like Cy—their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would do: he steals the flash drive with his father’s most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.
To make matters worse:
A fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town.
Grayson’s first real date—and her dog—keep showing up at inopportune times.
The behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday.
Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.
A hilarious, madcap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family.
Read This If You Love:
Vibe: A whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster.
For Fans Of: Kevin Wilson (Nothing to See Here) and Andrew Sean Greer (Less).
Core Tropes: A helper robot, his thirty-five-year-old ward, and a madcap adventure to save the fate of a family empire.
“Valet is a hilarious and bracing examination of the near future, where Cy, a techbot servant, must navigate the complexities of humans to maintain his utility score. What makes this such a winning and openhearted novel is that J.P. Lacrampe goes beyond the initial premise by looking at the universal anxiety of family, of being tied to people with whom you will rise and fall, either toward a new update or into obsolescence.” — Kevin Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of Nothing to See Here and Run for the Hills
About the Author
J.P. Lacrampe received his MFA in creative writing from Saint Mary’s College. His short fiction has been published by Glimmer Train, McSweeney’s, Instant City, and in Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit. He is a teaching professor at Santa Clara University, where he teaches courses in composition, fiction, and screenwriting.
‘In The Power to Destroy,’ James K. Galbraith explains how yesterday’s economic tools don’t work today. Photo: University of Chicago Press
📚Book Spotlight: The Power to Destroy: How Bad Economics Drove America’s Decline
Author: James K. Galbraith
Release Date: September 23, 2026 (Available for pre-order)
The Dissonance of Modern Economics
Acclaimed economist James K. Galbraith sounds an urgent alarm on how conventional economic ideas and policies have failed to adapt to the most daunting challenges of our geopolitical moment. (University of Chicago Press, 2026)
Amid a mounting sense of American decline, everyday citizens live with a strange contradiction: traditional economists keep announcing that everything is fundamentally fine. They point to steady growth, low unemployment, relatively stable prices, and high stock markets, asking: what’s there to worry about?
Synopsis
The Power to Destroyshows that this dissonance reflects a failure of the discipline to evolve. Galbraith’s incisive history of 21st-century economic policy centers on a fundamental flaw: today’s experts are still deploying tools from yesterday’s wars.
Relying on obsolete ideas, outdated measures, and crude indicators like standard output and price indexes—many honed a century ago for a vastly different social landscape—offers little hope in the face of today’s existential threats.
Galbraith argues that these conventional policies are accelerating the decline of the US economy. Key policy shortcomings include:
Mismanaged Inflation: Weak responses to the post-pandemic inflation of 2021–2022.
Geopolitical Miscalculations: Flawed strategies regarding the sanctions war against Russia and the economic rise of China.
Stagnant Revival: Half-hearted and ineffective attempts at domestic industrial policy.
Unaddressed Crises: Inadequate preparation for climate change and the impending demographic crisis.
All of these failures root back to a flawed body of economic thought sustained for ideological rather than practical reasons. As Galbraith makes plain, while market systems have their virtues, government policies are what make functioning markets possible in the first place. Sticking with outdated theories brings the power to destroy, making new, realistic ideas an urgent necessity for survival in an emerging multipolar world.
About the Author
James K. Galbraith holds the Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. Chair in Government/Business Relations at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin.
His previous books include:
Entropy Economics: The Living Basis of Value and Production (with Jing Chen)
Inequality: What Everyone Needs to Know
Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice: The Destruction of Greece and the Future of Europe
‘Wild Pivot’ by Jen Thompson is an impactful memoir about choosing truth over approval. Photo: Barnes & Noble.
Book Review: Wild Pivot: Notes from a Political Life Rewritten by Jen Thompson
Release Date: September 22, 2026 | Status: Available for Pre-Order
As a successful and prominent young Republican strategist, Jen Thompson possessed the power and prestige she had always strived for, yet it was built on an underlying current of personal disconnect. Her inner voice warned that she was living someone else’s definition of a meaningful life. It took a near-fatal car accident on a high-profile Senate campaign trail to shatter her trajectory, forcing her to question the identity she had built and the loyalty that kept her tied to it.
Told through short, engaging vignettes, this memoir traces Thompson’s journey from political ambition to profound personal transformation.
The Plot: From Capitol Hill to Down Under
The narrative opens on February 14, 2023. Jen is attending an outdoor screening of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at the Royal Botanical Gardens in Sydney, Australia, reflecting on a tumultuous year. She has been sued and slandered on the front pages of newspapers, cheated on, lied to, and nearly killed in a car crash.
After running a successful political campaign to elect Congressman Jim Talent to the U.S. Senate representing Missouri, she put as much distance as possible between herself and Washington by escaping to Australia. There, she finally felt free. Turning down numerous high-level job offers, her Republican peers thought she was crazy. What she couldn’t tell them was that her core political views had fundamentally shifted. The people she once worked alongside were now dominating the headlines, and new acquaintances in Australia were stunned to learn about her past.
From there, Thompson shares her life story:
Childhood Foundations: Growing up in a Christian Scientist family and facing her father’s demand at age 11 to lay out a twenty-year career plan.
The DC Pressure Cooker: Recounting the brutal stress of her years as a political strategist and how those struggles opened her eyes to a world she had never envisioned.
A New Path: Committing to living a life of truth and personal freedom, regardless of the cost.
Table of Contents
Part I: Wired
Chapter 1: Time Bomb: Five. Four. Three. Two. One. Boom
Chapter 2: Becoming Wired
Chapter 3: The Monster Unleashed
Chapter 4: Truths
Chapter 5: Gravity
Chapter 6: Becoming Unwired
Chapter 7: After the Caribbean
Chapter 8: Chasing the Boar Part I
Chapter 9: Chasing the Boar Part II
Chapter 10: Healing
Chapter 11: Last Two Months of the Campaign
Chapter 12: The Election
Part II: Rewired
Chapter 13: Alternative Endings
Chapter 14: White Privilege
Chapter 15: Consequences
Chapter 16: Love
Book Review
Jen Thompson delivers a candid look at the high-stakes world of American politics and the terrifying cost of living an inauthentic life. In walking away from her career, Thompson illustrates that genuine evolution—aside from being uncomfortable—can often be isolating. Yet, her journey toward healing proves that dismantling an old life is a necessary step toward true freedom. Especially memorable is her willingness to examine her past without protecting her ego.
Chapter Highlights
Chapter 2: Thompson recounts the happiest day of her life: her first day working for Congressman Jim Talent on Capitol Hill. She describes growing increasingly driven, working over 80 hours a week through holidays. Yet, when left alone, she became consumed by a fear of failure:
“My fears grew into a raging monster that roared with an unstoppable push to succeed.”
Chapter 6: The turning point arrives with a horrific car accident on her way to Springfield. Though the vehicle was left unrecognizable, she survived—and in the quiet shock of the aftermath, clarity struck:
“That very moment is suspended in time as the one when my life began to change.”
Core Themes & Final Verdict
The vignettes move with unflinching honesty and sharp wit through a non-linear format. Central to the narrative is an exploration of blind loyalty and the seductive, destructive desire to belong. Her story also examines the themes of identity, transform tion, and liberation and the uncomfortable process of confronting the beliefs that once defined us. Thompson examines how institutional validation can quiet our intuition, compelling us to trade internal truth for external applause.
Overall, Wild Pivot is a compelling memoir about what happens when success no longer feels like success. It’s a story about choosing truth over approval and discovering that sometimes the most courageous pivot is the one that leads back to yourself. It stands as a powerful testament to the courage required to rewrite your story—no matter the price. Readers who enjoy insightful, deeply human memoirs will find this one hard to put down.
“In the stillness, it occurs to me that meaning can only come by way of wholeness, and wholeness, it must be said, does not come easily.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About the Author
Jen Thompson is a former high-powered Republican strategist and congressional lawyer who famously walked away from Washington at the peak of her career. She managed the nationally watched 2002 campaign that tipped the divided U.S. Senate back to Republican control, overcoming a massive deficit by orchestrating high-profile events with the President of the United States. Alongside her political work, she served as a lawyer-lobbyist at top international law firms and spent eight years as a chief political commentator for NBC and ABC news affiliates in Richmond, Virginia.
** Thank you to Fauzia Burke and FSB Associates for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
‘Alchemy of Adversity’ is the new leadership book by Sarah Staley. Photo: Amazon
Book Spotlight: Alchemy of Adversity: How Emotional Intelligence Transforms Trauma into Leadership Strength
By Sarah Staley
At some point, every leader will face adversity. It may arrive as personal loss, professional disruption, organizational crisis, burnout, or collective uncertainty. However it appears, adversity reshapes identity, alters decision-making, and tests the stability of those responsible for guiding others. (Amazon, 2026)
The question is not whether hardship will intersect with your leadership—it is whether you will be prepared for what it exposes.
Synopsis
In Alchemy of Adversity, Sarah Staley explores how trauma and high stress affect the brain, fragment internal stability, and quietly influence how leaders show up under pressure. Drawing from neuroscience, emotional intelligence research, and lived leadership experience, she reveals why resilience is often misunderstood.
True strength is not about pushing through. It is about integration, the disciplined process of turning toward disruption, regulating under stress, and rebuilding from clarity rather than reactivity.
This book offers practical frameworks to help leaders:
Recognize hidden fragmentation before it impacts performance
Strengthen emotional regulation under extreme pressure
Rebuild trust across teams following a crisis
Guide organizations through adversity without burning out in the process
In a world marked by volatility, burnout, and collective strain, leadership can no longer rely on endurance alone. It requires self-awareness, steadiness, and the capacity to transform hardship into strategic strength.
If you lead people, this is not optional work. It is foundational.
Adversity is inevitable. Whether it weakens your leadership or refines it is not.
About the Author
Sarah Staley is a human resources and organizational development leader, executive coach, and leadership development practitioner whose work sits at the intersection of individual behavior and organizational systems. Her perspective on leadership is shaped by years of working closely with leaders at all levels, supporting personal growth while navigating the realities of performance, culture, and change inside complex organizations.
Sarah’s experience spans both the human and structural sides of leadership. She has partnered with leaders and teams through organizational change, cultural shifts, leadership development initiatives, and moments of uncertainty where trust, clarity, and emotional steadiness matter most. Her work reflects a deep understanding of how leadership decisions ripple through people, teams, and systems over time.
Through her work in HR, organizational development, and executive coaching, Sarah continues to support leaders who want to lead the whole person while building cultures where accountability, performance, and wellbeing coexist.
‘No Saints Only Killers’ by Luke Deckard is 1920s post-war nor at its finest. Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours, used with permission.
Book Review: No Saints Only Killers by Luke Deckard
Part of Paste Creative Book Tours
The Story
Logan Bishop is an American war-damaged private investigator living in London in 1922. On a cold Monday morning, he returns to his modest home to find a postcard in the mail from his estranged father, Reverend Daniel Bishop of Chicago. He’s in town and needs to meet up with Logan to talk about important matters.
Logan hasn’t heard from him in over a decade, and for good reason. Daniel was abusive to Logan throughout his childhood and Logan equates contacting him with being back at war. Reluctantly, he calls the hotel room. Daniel sounds desperate and paranoid, pleading for Logan’s help with an urgent matter. But before he can explain, the line goes dead after what sounds like a violent confrontation.
Before slipping into a coma, Daniel leaves Logan with a desperate plea: find Greta Matas, a woman tied to his past, before she’s killed.
Logan heads to Edinburgh in search of answers, but from the moment he arrives, nothing adds up:
Greta is missing.
Her son is wanted for murder and on the run.
Logan is being watched—by the police, by gangsters, and by men who will do anything to keep the truth buried.
As Logan encounters police officers, gangsters, and dangerous secrets, his investigation becomes both a hunt for the truth and a search for personal redemption… provided he doesn’t end up dead first.
Set against the backdrop of 1922 London and Edinburgh, No Saints Only Killers delivers a sharp and atmospheric slice of post-World War I noir. The novel follows Logan Bishop as he is forced out of his isolated routines by the brutal attack on his estranged father, launching him into a deadly, fog-shrouded investigation to find a missing woman from his father’s past.
Character Analysis
Logan Bishop is a complex and deeply flawed protagonist who embodies classic hardboiled detective tropes while remaining grounded and human. As a former military sniper struggling with severe shell shock and a crippling morphine addiction, Logan’s willingness to pursue the mysterious Greta Matas reveals a stubborn sense of loyalty beneath his damaged exterior. His troubled relationship with his father gives the story personal stakes, driving Logan into dangerous territory despite his instincts to stay hidden.
Core Themes
Trauma and Disillusionment: The shadow of the Great War hangs over every chapter, illustrating the psychological scars left on a generation trying to numb their pain in the early years of the Jazz Age.
Systemic Corruption: The narrative explores the dark underbelly of 1920s Britain, exposing a world where institutions offer no salvation and power rests in the hands of ruthlessly corrupt forces.
Moral Ambiguity: True to its title, the novel demonstrates that in a broken society, absolute virtue is an illusion and everyone is navigating varying shades of grey.
“‘You want compassion?’ I wanted to laugh. ‘There are no saints in this world, only killers.’”
Style & Tone
In true noir fashion, the story is told entirely through Logan’s first-person perspective. It’s fast-paced, easy to read, and packed with plot twists around every corner. The prose balances gritty edge with vivid, poetic language:
“Two teardrops landed on the table and exploded. I crushed my eyes shut and inhaled as I pushed Tim and the hate I had for myself to the back of my mind.”
Final Verdict
Overall, No Saints Only Killers by Luke Deckard expertly combines historical mystery and postwar trauma, successfully transplanting gritty American noir into 1920s Britain. With its complex protagonist, high stakes, and dark atmosphere, readers who enjoy historical crime fiction and hard-boiled detectives will find this one hard to put down.
“Maybe I was a sucker for her pretty face. Maybe my motivation was shallow. I don’t know. I wanted to believe her. I also wanted to believe that maybe there was something between us, which possibly made me ignorant, or foolish.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
About the Author
Luke Deckard is the author of No Saints Only Killers, which was shortlisted for the Amazon New Voices Awards and a finalist at Bloody Scotland’s Pitch Perfect. He is the co-host of the CINEMA SLEUTHS podcast, a reviewer for Get Your Comic On, and a creative writing mentor at the University of Westminster.
Photo: Paste Creative Book Tours
**Thank you to Stephanie Caruso, Paste Creative Book Tours, and Luke Deckard for the gifted copy for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Operation Medusa – a high stakes geopolitical suspense novel by Jake Greco. Photo: Amazon
Book Spotlight: Operation Medusa (Book 1)
By Jake Greco
Synopsis
History’s wounds never fully heal — and in the wrong hands, they can start a war.
From the creator of the Specters of Athena universe comes a gripping new military thriller saga that blends real-world history, relentless action, and the razor’s edge of modern geopolitics. (Amazon, 2026)
When Greece and Turkey collide in a dangerous dance of brinkmanship, the conflict is fought not only in contested waters and borderlands, but also in intelligence rooms, diplomatic corridors, and the shadows where truth is the first casualty.
At the heart of the series is Nikolas “Strix” Andros — a battle-tested Greek operative whose past in black operations and NATO counterterrorism leaves him uniquely suited for the high-stakes games being played in the Aegean. Alongside Command Sergeant Major Yakovos Rousso, Strix faces provocations by air, land, and sea, each one threatening to ignite a wider war neither side can fully control.
Told through multiple perspectives — Greek, Turkish, and NATO — Operation Medusa combines the adrenaline of modern special operations with the deep resonance of generational history. Inspired in part by the author’s own Greek heritage and the stories of family members who lived through siege, hunger, and occupation, the series honors the resilience of a people while delivering page-turning suspense.
If you crave military thrillers with authentic action, layered political stakes, and characters forged in the crucible of history, Operation Medusa will keep you reading deep into the night.
Jake Greco grew up in Arizona and is a desert rat at heart. His father, a WWII veteran, taught him to shoot at a young age and fueled his lifelong passion for firearms and adventure. These early life experiences have molded him into a versatile storyteller whose works span the full spectrum of thriller and suspense genres.
A lifelong admirer of the Southwest’s rugged beauty, Jake weaves the stark landscapes and complex characters of the region into his novels. His stories often feature heroes and antiheroes grappling with morality, loyalty, and the unpredictable twists of fate. From shadowy desert hideouts to the tense corridors of power, his tales explore the human condition under extraordinary pressure, reflecting both the fragility and resilience of the human spirit.
Antonio Damasio explores consciousness and interoception in his new book ‘Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness.’ Photo: Penguin Random House
Book Review: ‘Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness’
By Antonio Damasio
Synopsis
Throughout his illustrious, decades-long career, Antonio Damasio has been at the leading edge of science’s enduring quest to unravel the mysteries of the human mind. Now, drawing on a lifetime of groundbreaking research as well as the newest findings of neurobiology, Damasio seeks to move the debate about the origins of consciousness from the world of high-level cognition and abstract reasoning into the wondrous realm of interoception—the human body’s own internal monitoring system.
A probing synthesis of neurobiology, evolutionary science, and philosophy from one of the most notable leaders in his field, Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousnessoffers readers a scientifically rigorous and profound re-examination of what it means to be alive and aware. (Penguin Random House, 2026)
It will be released on September 15 and is available for pre-order.
Book Contents
Beginnings
Part I: The Problem of Generating Consciousness and a Sketch of Possible Solutions
Part II: Deeper Into the Solution
Part III: Now That We Know
Part IV: Afterthought
Review
Antonio Damasio’s Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness is a fascinating exploration of one of humanity’s oldest questions: What gives rise to consciousness? Building on decades of pioneering research in neuroscience, Damasio challenges conventional theories by arguing that consciousness begins not with complex thought or language, but with the body’s internal regulation system, known as interoception.
The book’s central insight is that homeostatic feelings—such as hunger, thirst, pain, comfort, and well-being—form the biological foundation of subjective experience. Rather than treating consciousness as an abstract cognitive achievement, Damasio presents it as an evolutionary solution that helps living organisms survive and thrive. This perspective offers a compelling bridge between neurobiology, philosophy, and evolutionary science.
Beyond explaining the origins of consciousness, Damasio broadens the discussion to examine whether simpler life forms, such as plants and bacteria, exhibit primitive forms of sentience. He also explores how homeostasis influences human culture, politics, religion, and commerce, while thoughtfully considering the promises and limitations of artificial intelligence.
“…there is no guarantee that AI tools will remain as docile servants in the hands of their human owners. The possibility of their gaining independence, even if only momentarily, is certainly a reason for worry.”
His analysis raises important questions about whether machines can truly replicate conscious experience or merely imitate its outward appearance.
Key Chapter Highlights
Chapter 9: Examines how feelings developed before words and numbers, and how consciousness developed early to help guide evolution. Even though most homeostatic regulation occurs nonconsciously, some of it remains under our conscious control.
Chapter 11: Breaks down the core science behind consciousness—specifically interoception, or the ability to sense, interpret, and integrate signals from inside your body.
Chapter 18: Explores the science behind pain and nausea. Damasio explains how nausea serves as another vital bodily alert system designed to prevent damage from ingesting toxic molecules.
Chapter 22: Outlines his theories regarding artificial intelligence. Damasio posits that AI is fundamentally neutral to good because it stems from human innovation, but cautions that if the humans behind its creation have malicious intent, the technology will reflect those motives.
Final Verdict
Although the scientific concepts occasionally demand careful reading, Damasio’s arguments remain engaging, logical, and thought-provoking. Readers interested in neuroscience, cognitive science, philosophy of mind, or the future of AI will find this book both intellectually stimulating and deeply rewarding.
Natural Intelligence & the Logic of Consciousness is a profound, accessible examination of the relationship between body, brain, and awareness that challenges readers to rethink the very nature of intelligence. Damasio delivers a compelling argument that feeling is the logic of consciousness. For anyone seeking to understand the deep biological origins of human experience, this is a definite must-read.
“Poets understood, long before neurobiologists ever could, that the glories of passionate love and the sufferings of love gone astray could be legitimately described in physiological terms, even though the physiological details are not exactly the same.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
About The Author
Antonio Damasio is University Professor, David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Philosophy, and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. Damasio is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences as well as the author of Descartes’ Error, The Feeling of What Happens, Looking for Spinoza, Self Comes to Mind, The Strange Order of Things, and Feeling & Knowing, all of which have been published in translation and are taught in universities throughout the world.
** Thanks to Michael Goldsmith and Penguin Random House for the gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
Book Review: Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon’s Journey by Craig Yorke
Steep: A Black Neurosurgeon’s Journey by Craig Yorke is an inspiring memoir that explores the sacrifices, resilience, and determination required to overcome adversity. Yorke chronicles his remarkable journey from a struggling Boston neighborhood to becoming a respected neurosurgeon in the American Midwest. What began as a personal letter to his sons unfolds as a candid life narrative: while Yorke has gained immense wisdom, he refrains from lecturing or preaching, and, above all, he refuses to see himself as a victim.
An Uncompromising Opening
The narrative opens with Dr. Yorke taking a middle-of-the-night emergency call for a severe motorcycle accident. Covering Topeka’s hospitals and the surrounding region every other night and weekend alongside his daytime practice, he rushes into the ER. As the nurse cuts away the patient’s t-shirt, a prominent WHITE POWER tattoo covering the man’s chest is revealed—setting the stage for a story deeply rooted in composure, duty, and professional detachment.
This intense opening flashes back to his childhood in Boston, when a young Yorke was rushed to the ER after accidentally eating poisoned bread left behind the refrigerator for rats. Known mostly through family lore, the incident left a lifelong mark, he still recoils at the mere memory of Ipecac.
As the only child of Dorothy and Craig Sr., he grew up sickly, struggling with asthma and a clubbed right foot. Throughout the book, Yorke explores how his parents’ backstories shaped their parenting style, leading into his school years, surgical career, eventual retirement, and the enduring lessons of his journey.
Table of Contents
Stealth
Crucible
Educated
The Better Angel
Fledgling Pillars
Peaks and Valleys
Twilight of Enterprise
New Eyes
Chapter Highlights
Chapter 6: Peaks and Valleys
Yorke detail the launch of his independent practice with a close friend, revisiting memorable cases, including a young neighbor who developed a life-threatening brain clot. Most insightful are his encounters with uninsured patients: while accustomed to delivering difficult medical news, he found himself unprepared for the devastating financial catastrophes his patients faced. Even when waiving his own professional fees, the external medical costs wreaked havoc on their lives.
Chapter 7: Twilight of Enterprise
Here, Yorke candidly recounts facing a legal malpractice suit after failing to diagnose a fractured larynx in a patient. Though the lawsuit ultimately failed, the emotional impact was severe. As Yorke reflects:
“The ordeal was a blow to a kid whose identity was yoked to his confidence.”
Core Themes & Takeaways
Yorke writes with exceptional honesty and humility, revealing moments of doubt and self-reflection that make his story deeply relatable. His path underscores the importance of discipline, education, and refusing to let circumstances dictate one’s future. The narrative thoughtfully balances professional achievement against personal fulfillment, demonstrating that compassion and empathy are just as vital in medicine as technical expertise.
While Yorke’s identity as a Black surgeon in a predominantly white field provides crucial context, Steep ultimately moves beyond a simple critique of systemic bias. Instead, it serves as a raw, honest exploration of the heavy cost of high achievement and the quiet sacrifice required by the American Dream.
At its core, the memoir delivers profound lessons on resilience, identity, and personal reckoning:
The Price of Ambition: Success often exacts a steep personal toll, demanding emotional compartmentalization, strain on relationships, and constant self-reliance.
Resilience Over Circumstance: Roots do not define limits; discipline and laser-focused perseverance can bridge the gap between systemic disadvantage and elite achievement.
Reconciling the Past: True fulfillment requires making peace with where you came from rather than attempting to outrun your origins.
Final Verdict
Overall, Steep is an engaging, introspective, and essential read for anyone navigating their own steep climb. It offers a poignant reminder that reaching the peak is only half the battle, retaining your humanity is the rest.
“We neurosurgeons are caricatured as filled with conceit, short on empathy. And there’s truth in that cartoon. But hubris is tough to maintain while completing and signing your patient’s death certificate.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
** Thank you to Wes Seely and PR by the Book for my gifted ARC for review consideration. I haven’t been compensated for this review and all views and opinions expressed are my own.
A Practical Guide to Clinical Reasoning for Students and New Clinicians
By Kyan Sahba, PT, DPT, PhD
Your peds clinical is coming, and you don’t feel ready. That’s exactly why this book exists.
Physical therapy school teaches you the science. It doesn’t teach you what to actually do when a two-year-old won’t cooperate, a parent is watching your every move, and your clinical instructor (CI) is waiting for you to take the lead. (Amazon, 2026)
The Pediatric PT Playbook was written for that exact moment.
This isn’t another dense textbook, it’s the clinical companion you wish you had before day one of your pediatric rotation. It’s built around how real pediatric PT actually works, not just how it’s described in a lecture hall.
What’s Inside
Structured Frameworks: Master clinical reasoning across every pediatric setting—outpatient, school-based, NICU, acute care, and home health.
CI Expectations: Learn exactly what your clinical instructor expects to see from you and how to deliver it with confidence.
Smart Goal Writing: Write goals that actually make sense in a pediatric context, including educationally relevant goals.
Family Communication: Discover real-world communication strategies that don’t make you sound like a reading textbook.
Clinical Red Flags: Fast-track your assessment skills with clear breakdowns of movement quality, symmetry analysis, and red flags.
Documentation Made Easy: Master SOAP notes and documentation tailored specifically for pediatric settings.
Who Is This Book For?
Written by a pediatric PT, educator, and researcher who has trained students across real clinical settings, this guide targets the exact gap between classroom theory and clinic reality.
This playbook is essential reading for:
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Students preparing for or currently in a pediatric rotation.
New Grad PTs stepping into their first pediatric role.
Experienced Clinicians transitioning into pediatric practice.
Whether you’re two weeks out from your first peds rotation or already in the thick of it, this book will help you feel more confident, prepared, and effective from day one.
About the Author
Kyan Sahba, PT, DPT, PhD is a pediatric physical therapist, researcher, and educator with experience spanning home health, school-based practice, outpatient pediatrics, and pediatric oncology. She earned her PhD in Physical Therapy and is dedicated to bridging evidence-based research with real-world clinical practice.
Beyond her research and clinical work, she founded the Barry Blue Foundation in honor of her parents. The foundation supports families facing financial hardships due to cancer through a series of children’s books that teach kindness, courage, and emotional resilience.
‘Resilient in Business’ by Jad Atwe. Photo: Barnes & Noble
📚Book Spotlight: Resilient in Business: The Founder’s Roadmap to Lead Through Uncertainty and Win the Long-Term Game
By Jad Atwe
In today’s economy, founders are under relentless pressure. The stakes are high, the path forward isn’t always obvious, uncertainty is debilitating, and outcomes are unpredictable. All of this takes a huge toll on the single quality that will actually see a founder through to success: resilience. (Amazon, 2026)
In this timely and practical book, entrepreneur and business coach Jad Atwe delivers a decisive framework for building the capacity to navigate competing demands and boost your entrepreneurial resilience.
Based on his proprietary Resilient in Business Operating System™, the book guides you through a transformative process to position your business for the success you know is possible—all by developing the capacity to:
Rise above the chaos
Move beyond survival mode
Step into sustainable business leadership
If you’re a founder carrying too much, feeling the cracks forming beneath your feet, and refusing to let pressure dictate your future, this book is for you. It’s time to discover the edge that will help you win the long game.
Ready to Read?
Resilient in Business is available now. If you’re looking to transform how you lead under pressure, grab your copy today and start building your roadmap to long-term success.
About the Author
Jad Atwe was once on the verge of losing everything. After leaping into a general contracting business that leveraged his engineering background, sudden policy and economic shifts forced him into uncertainty, nearly turning his aspirations to dust.
Determined to deconstruct what it truly takes to navigate volatility and “make it” in entrepreneurship, Jad spent years studying founder psychology, operational excellence, and the patterns that differentiate those who merely endure from those who thrive.
Having walked through storms that break most founders, he emerged with a clear understanding of entrepreneurial resilience—the inner operating system that allows leaders to build, lead, and scale under uncertainty.
Today, Jad speaks on entrepreneurial resilience and guides founders to lead through uncertainty, build reliable operations, and scale their companies without losing themselves in the process. He is the originator of the Resilient in Business Operating System™, designed to help founders move past what’s holding them back and break free from survival mode.
SA Examiner 