This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Richard Prause for Readers' Favorite
It’s Not the Bricks, It’s the Mortar by Mike Cosentino is a guide for anyone who wants to succeed in retail. The author uses the image of bricks (the systems and products) and mortar (the “invisible” soft skills, like teamwork and good service) to demonstrate how these two elements can hold a business together. The book is divided into two parts, with one focusing on soft skills such as emotional intelligence and customer satisfaction, and the other on hard skills such as managing inventory and growing profits. Cosentino introduces various simple tools, such as the Service Quotient and the OST Framework, to help leaders build stronger teams, keep customers satisfied, and create lasting business success. Altogether, the author proves that it’s not just what you sell, but how you connect to workers and customers, that makes a business thrive.
Mike Cosentino’s It’s Not the Bricks, It’s the Mortar is possibly the best guide to help readers understand what truly makes a business effective and successful. The author's straightforward writing style combines several relatable anecdotes with step-by-step tools, which makes this book feel less like a textbook and more like advice from someone who has been in the trenches of retail. This book offers practical and implementable ideas—stemming from the Service Quotient, the OST Framework, and the Immutable Laws of Inventory Acquisition—to show how soft and hard skills combine to produce lasting success. This book will appeal to readers who dream of running their own business, entrepreneurs who enjoy incorporating strategies into their enterprise ideas, or even teens curious about what makes companies operate successfully in an ever-changing global market.
