The Bit Ching Book of Change Earns High Praise in Writer’s Digest Competition
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania (PRWEB) October 31, 2013 -- What do you get when the extroverted head of a commercial construction company uses ancient Eastern philosophy to help build everything from bowling alleys to healthcare complexes to relationships, and ultimately his own success? When the unusual approach is captured in book form, you get a guide to business and life that “hits a great balance between entertainment and advice for practical application.”
So says the judge of The Bit Ching Book of Change, in Writer’s Digest 21st Annual Self-Published Book Awards. The winners of the annual awards competition will be made public in the March 2014 Issue of Writer’s Digest, but the following comments were just released about the entry, which was coauthored by James Gentile and Russell Slocum:
“I thought this book was great. The authors have taken a revered Asian source of wisdom and turned it on its ear to make it fun and relevant to the modern day. Using clever, tongue-in-cheek and contemporary words and phrases juxtaposed with the often dreary and sometimes cut-throat modern business environment, the authors retain the timeless truths of the original I Ching to offer insight and meaningful advice for current business situations. I was impressed that the authors restrained themselves from making it too blatantly funny, like a spoof of the original, because it would have lost the underlying truths and valuable insights and advice that they provide. But the book is funny, and very enjoyable to read. I think everyone reading the book will be able to see themselves or someone they know in the scenarios and will certainly identify with the external and internal forces that impact work life. I also liked that despite the humor, there is a lot of no-nonsense, practical advice --the authors' business savvy and ability to deliver excellent customer service comes through, but so does the authors' seeing a situation for what it is and not allowing clients or others to take advantage of them or manipulate them. This book hits a great balance between entertainment and advice for practical application, and it is written in easily understood language so could be enjoyed by a wide audience. It would be a fun resource to use for team building or as a teaching tool for a lighthearted introduction to the business world.”
“We were very pleased with the judge’s comments,” said coauthor Russell Slocum, a professional writer and head of The Slocum Group. “It was precisely the balance that we were aiming for, making The Bit Ching Book of Change light and entertaining without losing the soul of some seriously good guidance that you can get from the original I Ching.”
Mimicking the style of classic parables, the 64 one-page stories in The Bit Ching are based on the experiences of co-author Jim Gentile. Many of the short chapters show how Mr. Gentile applied ancient Eastern wisdom to building the success of North Star Construction Management, which he founded in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley in 1996. Other chapters extend the philosophical approach to Mr. Gentile’s experiences as a musician, inventor, and entrepreneur.
“You can open the I Ching to any page and in two minutes get a fresh perspective on something,” says Mr. Gentile. “I always like that. So we used the same short chapter format The Bit Ching. Our goal was to create a book that deserved a place in every rest room stall in corporate America.”
“The Bit Ching Book of Change: Reinterpreting the Ancient Wisdom of The I Ching to Deal with Modern Day Morons & Confusion,” is now available online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and several other web-based retailers.
Russell Slocum, The Slocum Group, +1 610-796-0418, [email protected]
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