The Reading Bud

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome Ashraf Haggag, author of Legends Over Generations, for an author interview.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Ashraf Haggag is a senior executive with nearly three decades of experience in close proximity to the corporate market. His more recent experience has also taken him to every facet of the hospitality industry.

Haggag has direct experience in many different aspects of business, including sales, marketing, revenue management, and administration. Having worked in Germany, the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, his global experiences have helped him realize that companies must target new market zones in order to grow and prosper in the international marketplace. He is eager to bring enhanced cross-cultural awareness to today’s business leaders.

Contact:

Website: http://ashrafhaggag.com 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16573314.Ashraf_Haggag

Can you please tell my readers a little bit about yourself?

I have spent nearly three decades in the corporate business world and I am currently working as a senior executive in the hospitality industry managing a group of hotels. With direct experience in many different aspects of business, including sales, marketing, revenue management, and administration. Having worked in Germany, the United States, Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, my global experiences have encouraged me to formulate my thoughts into written documents in business, management, history that I see may be beneficial to the younger generation. Eager to bring enhanced cross-cultural awareness to today’s business leaders.

Please tell us about your book?

The deep admiration of the historical legends and masterminds of the various life aspects and how they have helped us grow better understanding of the world we live in was the core drive for drafting the idea of this book. In these Legends, we’ve seen inexplicable abilities that helped us define our existence and human life. Their names are engraved in the sands of time for their work in the welfare of mankind with different inventions that have made our lives easy, enjoyable and successful. The following chapters commemorate the greatest personalities we’ve ever seen who changed the world.

How long did it take you to write it?

From the point of selecting and identifying the idea of the book until the date of completion passing through the following phases; drawing out the book structure, selecting the legends, researching the icons from various sources, drafting my own thoughts around it took a complete six months.

Why did you choose this topic?

When pondering on the various aspects of life it is evident that many fields have been shaped and molded by the great pioneers who had a keen interest to discover something new about the world we live in. These achievements helped the new generation to enjoy and experience their legacy. In this book, I wanted to highlight these achievements and inspire the coming generation.

Which writers in your field inspire you?

Jim Collins

What inspired you to write?

Conveying the accumulative experience that I have gained throughout my academic career and the cross culture environment that I have been exposed to. Passing this knowledge to young generations who I believe are in need of such direction to help them accomplish their goals and enable them to face the everyday challenges that life brings.

Are you working on any other project(s) right now? If yes, what are they?

Yes I am. I am in the process of writing my fourth book which I foresee to have the title “The Bright and Dark side of the Greatest Empires”.

The core idea for writing this book is to give a strong highlight on the evolution and the development of human behaviour starting from the early ages and the tendency of countries to acquire resources, land and economic influence outside their boarders in order to expand their size, power and wealth using military force.

How do you prefer to write? On computer/laptop, typewriter, dictation or longhand with a pen?

Actually neither. My all-time go to is always a PENCIL HB2. This is the tool I feel most comfortable and relaxed with and it helps stimulate my thoughts.

What are your 5 favourite books and 5 favourite authors?

1. Blue Ocean Strategy (W. Chan Kim)
2. Built to Last (Jim Collins)
3. The Automobile Club of Egypt (Alaa Al Aswany)
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Steven Covey)
5. Laws of Leadership (John C Maxwell)

Non-Fiction deals with a lot of facts and real-life study. How do you deal with the all research work?

Once the idea has been selected and identified I have got a few reliable resources that can help me with my research and assist me to draw a complete and accurate image of the subject I need to tackle.

What advice would you give to new aspiring authors in your genre?

Do focus on one or two fields and develop them via intensive research. This will enable you to identify new ideas and new topics that you can write about.

Thank you, Ashraf, for all your interesting answers!

To read other author interviews, click here.

If you are an author and wish to be interviewed or if you are a publicist and want to get your author interviewed on TRB, then please get in touch through direct e-mail: thereadingbud@gmail.com