The Expertise Economy by Kelly Palmer and David Blake

The Blurb On The Back:

Keeping people’s skills in sync with fast-changing markets is the biggest challenge of our time.

For companies and their employees to succeed, they need to focus on building skills for the future. The Expertise Economy shows how the most forward-thinking companies, big and small, are transforming their employees into experts and ultimately, creating their biggest competitive advantage.

Kelly Palmer, Silicon Valley thought leader from LinkedIn, Degreed, and Yahoo!, and David Blake, co-founder of Ed-tech pioneer Degreed, share their experiences and provide insights from innovative companies and industry thought leaders like:
- Google
- Airbnb
- Unilever
- NASA
- MasterCard
- Whitney Johnson
- Daniel Pink
- Sal Khan
- Todd Rose
- Clayton Christensen

The Expertise Economy dares you to let go of outdated and traditional ways of closing the skills gap, and challenges CEOs and business leaders to embrace the urgency of reselling and upskilling the workforce.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Kelly Palmer was LinkedIn’s chief learning officer and is on Degreed’s executive team. David Blake is co-founder and executive chairman of Degreed. This book makes some interesting suggestions about establishing on-going learning to ensure that companies stay ahead of the curve and don’t suffer a skills gap, but many are tech dependent and notably Degreed heavy and I’d have liked consideration of apprenticeships and cross-departmental training.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

Beano Dennis & Gnasher: The Battle For Bash Street School by Craig Graham and Mike Sterling

The Blurb On The Back:

This is the ultimate story, told with funny pictures!

Can ten-year old kids really outwit the most cunning teachers in the universe and, after millions of years, finally make school cool?

It’s an SOS: Save Our School!

When mysterious new teachers arrive to lay down the law at notoriously naughty Bash Street School, Dennis, Gnasher and friends finally face a test they simply can’t afford to fail.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Craig Graham and Mike Stirling’s funny novel for readers aged 8+ (the first in a new spin-off series from the Beano comic with great illustrations by Nigel Parkinson) has a more modern, diverse Beantown with less corporal punishment than when I read the comic but that’s definitely no bad thing and it retains its core of anti-authoritarian silliness and pranks. It would particularly suit kids who love the comic but are reluctant to tackle books.

BEANO DENNIS & GNASHER: THE BATTLE FOR BASH STREET SCHOOL was released in the United Kingdom on 8th July 2021. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.