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No Brainer: Be the Candidate They'd Be Crazy Not to Hire
160 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2025
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About the author
Louis Carter
18 books6 followersLouis Carter is CEO and President of Best Practice Institute, an association and management consulting firm specializing in helping organizations and C-suite senior executives achieve their market strategy through organization learning, action learning, and HR SaaS software.
He is the creator of bestpracticeinstitute.org, a social networking, learning and benchmarking platform providing immediate access to industry companies, on-demand learning and senior executives executives, alongside its skillrater.com, a next generation SaaS anytime 360-degree tool using social collaboration, a top HR Product of the year by Human Resources Executive Magazine. Author of nearly a dozen books on best practices and organizational leadership.
Published by Jossey Bass/John Wiley and Sons, they include Change Champions, Best Practices in Talent Management, Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organization Change and Leading the Global Workforce.
He is the creator of bestpracticeinstitute.org, a social networking, learning and benchmarking platform providing immediate access to industry companies, on-demand learning and senior executives executives, alongside its skillrater.com, a next generation SaaS anytime 360-degree tool using social collaboration, a top HR Product of the year by Human Resources Executive Magazine. Author of nearly a dozen books on best practices and organizational leadership.
Published by Jossey Bass/John Wiley and Sons, they include Change Champions, Best Practices in Talent Management, Best Practices in Leadership Development and Organization Change and Leading the Global Workforce.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 12, 2026
No Brainer challenges the usual self-help advice by arguing that confidence and good intentions aren’t enough anymore—you have to show, quickly and clearly, how you make other people’s work easier.
Reading No Brainer felt less like getting advice and more like getting a reality check. Most self-help books tell you to believe in yourself, find your passion, or trust that things will work out. This book doesn’t do that. Instead, it asks a tougher question: if someone hired you tomorrow, what would you actually do to help?
What stood out to me is how practical it is. The book doesn’t stay in your head—it puts you in situations. Interview questions, first-week plans, and reflection exercises force you to think about how you’d act when no one is holding your hand. It made me realize how different school and work really are. In school, effort matters. At work, results matter.
The book also makes it clear that companies aren’t just looking for “potential.” They want people who can figure things out, take initiative, and not create more work for their boss. That’s a little intimidating, but also helpful. It gives you something concrete to aim for instead of vague advice like “be confident.”
At times, the tone feels strict. There isn’t much room for mistakes or learning slowly, which might feel overwhelming for someone just starting out. But I also think that’s the point. The book treats work seriously and assumes you want to be taken seriously too.
Overall, No Brainer doesn’t make you feel better—it makes you more prepared. And for someone about to enter the workforce, that might matter more.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Reading No Brainer felt less like getting advice and more like getting a reality check. Most self-help books tell you to believe in yourself, find your passion, or trust that things will work out. This book doesn’t do that. Instead, it asks a tougher question: if someone hired you tomorrow, what would you actually do to help?
What stood out to me is how practical it is. The book doesn’t stay in your head—it puts you in situations. Interview questions, first-week plans, and reflection exercises force you to think about how you’d act when no one is holding your hand. It made me realize how different school and work really are. In school, effort matters. At work, results matter.
The book also makes it clear that companies aren’t just looking for “potential.” They want people who can figure things out, take initiative, and not create more work for their boss. That’s a little intimidating, but also helpful. It gives you something concrete to aim for instead of vague advice like “be confident.”
At times, the tone feels strict. There isn’t much room for mistakes or learning slowly, which might feel overwhelming for someone just starting out. But I also think that’s the point. The book treats work seriously and assumes you want to be taken seriously too.
Overall, No Brainer doesn’t make you feel better—it makes you more prepared. And for someone about to enter the workforce, that might matter more.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 11, 2026
No Brainer is a straightforward guide designed to help professionals seeking work transition from being "just another applicant" to becoming the obvious, indispensable choice for hiring managers. The author has years of experience to know what organizational leaders actually look for in top-tier talent.
The core themes of the text boil down to: strategic positioning and shifting the mindset from "seeking a job" to "providing a solution" to the organization's specific challenges. High-Stakes decision making, insights into the real-world workplace decisions that leaders face, and how candidates can demonstrate they are prepared to handle them. Finally, cultural alignment, how candidates should align themself with the values of "Most Loved Workplaces" to ensure long-term career satisfaction and success.
My key takeaways from the book are that it offers actionable frameworks with practical steps for navigating the modern hiring landscape. It provides information on professional leadership, emphasizing that being a "no-brainer" hire isn't just about skills; it's about demonstrating leadership potential and a deep understanding of corporate culture. Finally, it provides insights as a non-fiction resource for leaders and professionals, focusing on transparency and the realities of the hiring desk. This book is a tool for anyone looking to find their next job at top-tier organizations.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The core themes of the text boil down to: strategic positioning and shifting the mindset from "seeking a job" to "providing a solution" to the organization's specific challenges. High-Stakes decision making, insights into the real-world workplace decisions that leaders face, and how candidates can demonstrate they are prepared to handle them. Finally, cultural alignment, how candidates should align themself with the values of "Most Loved Workplaces" to ensure long-term career satisfaction and success.
My key takeaways from the book are that it offers actionable frameworks with practical steps for navigating the modern hiring landscape. It provides information on professional leadership, emphasizing that being a "no-brainer" hire isn't just about skills; it's about demonstrating leadership potential and a deep understanding of corporate culture. Finally, it provides insights as a non-fiction resource for leaders and professionals, focusing on transparency and the realities of the hiring desk. This book is a tool for anyone looking to find their next job at top-tier organizations.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2025
Outstanding! Great read for everyone who wants to get a job in today's fast paced world where they are competing against AI and GPTs!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews