Greater Fortune: Essential Lessons from the Entrepreneur Who Bought the Company That Fired Her

Cosgrove offers inspiration and wisdom in her moving debut, an account of overcoming hardship and succeeding both personally and professionally. Cosgrove’s hope is to show readers that painful experiences do not determine one’s future, and to that end she outlines her childhood trauma: born “the child of a mentally handicapped mother and an unknown rapist,” she was ostracized by classmates and her own extended family. Much of her focus is on what she learned from her career as she rose through the ranks at an insurance and financial services company among personal tumults. Cosgrove offers plenty of advice: on the personal level, she encourages readers to seek professional help when life becomes overwhelming and write out a list of their personal strengths. As for the workplace, she advises that knowing when it’s time to leave a job is valuable, even if doing so is difficult. Throughout, tere’s no shortage of motivation: “The worst of circumstances and events in our lives can actually make us better, stronger, more confident,” she writes. Cosgrove’s story will resonate with readers looking for tips on conquering whatever obstacles they encounter. (Mar.)