G915 How to build a piano bench; Lessons for Success from a Red-Dirt Road in Alabama

Title of the book: How to build a piano bench; Lessons for Success from a Red-Dirt Road in Alabama

Author: Ruthi Postow Birch

Publisher: River Grove Books

Publishing Date: 2017

ISBN: 978-1-63299-108-9

Summary:

A Humble Philosophy for Great Success
“Get an education, get off Petain Street, and amount to something.” These are the words that Ruthi Postow Birch’s father said to her when she was a little girl living on a red-dirt road in Pritchard, Alabama, a town that straddled the poverty line. And that is exactly what she did. How to Build a Piano Bench is Ruthi’s humorous and heart-warming story about growing up in southern Alabama, the life lessons she learned there, and how she applied that knowledge to build a successful business in Washington, DC. Full of anecdotes and advice on how to use both your strengths and weaknesses to work to your advantage, this wonderful story will inspire and delight anyone who has ever had a dream to be something bigger than what they are.

Author Info:
(From the book)

Ruthi Postow Birch is a successful business-woman, author, and speaker who has made people her life's work. In 2001, she founded Ruthi Postow Staffing, recruiting temporary and permanent employees for businesses in the DC area. She is mother of three boys and currently lives iN old Town Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, Ron, their Wheaten terrier, Mr. Magoo, and a family of chimney swifts that return every spring to nest in their 18th century chimney.

Personal Opinion:

Both a memoir and a guide, How to build a Piano Bench is a story of common sense that dares to expose the author's vulnerable side to the public eye. The author leaves almost no stone turned in her path to become successful at her job and how she eventually arrived at that path. I really appreciated her personal anecdotes and that she wasn't afraid for the readers to see her as a human being. In the book there is also a lot of common-sense advice doled out from both parents and how her life shaped her, especially when she made the circumstances work for her instead of letting them dictate her life. For a memorable read with an amazing woman, this book is highly recommended.

This was given for an honest review

4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)