BOOK REVIEW: The Talent Coach, now available at bookstores across Nigeria.

Published by New Africa Book Publishers (NABP), and authored by Dr. Frederick Mordi, a Commonwealth Short Story Award winner, who also wrote The Familiar Stranger and Other Stories, The Talent Coach is the compelling story of Dr. Joe Jordan, one of the world’s leading

experts on talent. They call him ‘The Talent Coach’ everywhere he goes, and he is highly sought after by many high-profile clients including professional athletes, CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies, and heads of state.

The tall handsome African-American, who is often mistaken for a Hollywood movie star, due to his imposing personality, visited Nigeria at the invitation of a leading new-generation bank.

While in the country, the celebrated orator and best-selling author, who is often described as a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge, met with Nigerians from all walks of life. As he had done in the 62 other countries across all the continents of the world that he had
visited, Dr. Jordan helped many Nigerians to rediscover their hidden talents and taught them how to mine their natural endowments to become successful in life, using the 12 principles that he had carefully curated. At the end of his visit, Dr. Jordan acknowledged that he had never met a more charming people during his globetrotting.

The pulsating novel has a length of 206 pages, divided into a prologue, 12 topics, each with a striking quote, which drives home the message intended for the reader, and an epilogue. There
is also a workbook at the end of the novel that Dr. Jordan had developed to help people carry out a critical self-assessment of their talent and become a better version of themselves.

From debunking the myth that talent is exclusive to a select few, to exploring the intricate relationship between nature and nurture, Dr. Jordan expertly guides readers on a journey of self-realisation and shows them how to unleash their innate potential.

In the first topic, Everybody Has Talent, he emphasises the universality of talent and dispels the notion that it is confined to a lucky few, while the second topic Nature or Nurture delves
into the long-standing debate surrounding the origin of talent. Drawing from scientific studies and captivating real-life examples, he explores the complex interplay between genetics and environment. He empowers readers to cultivate their talents effectively and encourages them to believe in their abilities.
The Talent Coach offers indispensable advice on the need to focus on one’s strengths and stay committed to a chosen path, in the next topic: Remain in Your Field. He cites examples of actual people to prove that unwavering perseverance can lead to extraordinary achievements and draws attention to the importance of locational leverage—his own coinage.

The Icarus Paradox looks at the challenges some talented individuals often face in sustaining stasis in stardom. Here, Dr. Jordan warns of the dangers of complacency and hubris, advising readers to strike a delicate balance between ambition and caution, in their pursuit of
excellence.
In Practice Makes Perfect, he highlights the undeniable role of deliberate practice in honing talent, while Dealing With the Impostor Syndrome, equips readers with the tools to overcome self-doubt and embrace their accomplishments with confidence. Dr. Jordan guides readers on how to build their emotional strength to enable them to bounce back from setbacks in What Is Your Adversity Quotient?

These are just a few samples of the exciting concepts that The Talent Coach, which is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking personal and professional growth, offers readers. The author’s engaging writing style and adroitness in the use of dialogue will hold the attention of readers to the end.

The Talent Coach has received rave reviews and endorsements from acclaimed experts. According to Fela Durotoye, an executive coach, leadership expert, global speaker, and nation builder: “Through the pages of this brilliant book, the ultimate talent coach himself, Fred Mordi, helps us to unravel the mystery of TALENT, as the secret place of our greatness.”

Professor Emurobome Idolor, FANIM, first to obtain a PhD degree in Music from a Nigerian University, who also endorsed the book, said: “Talent, a most precious endowment, often difficult to discover, and like a mirage to pursue, is the pathway to our success in life.
“Many people had great talents in a field like music, for example, but parents dampened their dreams, peers dissuaded some, while a few surmounted the odds and are celebrated today.
The factual content of this book makes it all-important for parents and children to own.”
For Olakunle Kasumu, presenter/producer, Channels Book Club Show, “This book is deeply profound, revealing, thought-provoking, and motivating. All the recurrent questions about talent, natural abilities, acquired skills, and nature versus nurture, are answered as you read a story that is, in itself, captivating. The Talent Coach is going to be a hit!”

The Talent Coach is already on digital bookstores such as Amazon, Lulu and Selar. It is now available for purchase in physical bookstores across Nigeria.

Mordi, the author of the book, is a corporate communications practitioner with over two decades of experience cutting across journalism, public relations, government affairs, stakeholder management, change management, and reputation management. In his spare time, he loves mentoring young people both in their personal and professional lives. He is based in Lagos.

For more information about the book and the author, please visit www.nabp.ng