Smart Women Don't Retire -- They Break Free: From Working Full-Time to Living Full-Time Review

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(More customer reviews)Competent, skilled, experienced, a woman about to retire is on the brink of a world of possibilities! But there's a transition that a smart woman allows herself, a time to reflect on what has been and what is to come in the future that has valuable meaning. There are stages to this transition that involve some letting go and some planning, a process better done with precious care rather than by the driven schedule and plans most women pack into their working years. Smart Women Don't Retire - They Break Free is the perfect book to accompany a retiring woman on that journey!
Filled with advice and narrative examples of women who've "been there," this book provides a long and wide plan to bridge that gap between work and retirement. First and foremost, it includes some practical advice on where one's financial condition fits into the overall scheme of things; in that sense this is a book that could be wisely considered by many woman not even that close to retirement, a chance to plan early and avoid unforeseen stress later. For those who haven't given it much thought, at whatever age, it gives some basic suggestions to preparing financially, which in turn allows one to decide whether one must continue to work part-time or can know the bills will be paid without having to work.
The "breaking free" portion of the book consists of analyzing what one has loved, hated or somewhere in-between felt about the work, people, attitudes, expertise, relationships, and so much more taken for granted during the working years of an average woman's life. It's a chance to shed off the slough and put on what works best, perhaps even adding some phases and aspects that one never had a chance to try. Will you work for yourself? for others? both? Remember - anything's possible now!
Several boxed lists of ideas and suggestions to get the mind and heart to ponder fill the pages of this useful, practical and even inspirational book that any woman will love to peruse and think about seriously and with humor. The opportunity to donate to and volunteer for charity work is given ample consideration herein, as well as the chance to deepen old friendships and create new special ones.
A comprehensive list of resources and bibliography give the reader scope for further investigation into any and all areas where one may wish to delve for continued exploration.
This is a wonderful book, simply put! It deserves a wide berth of readers who are looking forward to those years when one is truly as "free"and happy with retirement as one allows one's self to be! For those who find the idea rather frightening, this is a great place to start relishing one's golden years!
Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on June 16, 2008

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Successful Interviewing and Recruitment: Structure the interview; Identify exceptional candidates; Hire the best person for the job (Sunday Times Creating Success) Review

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(More customer reviews)
How often have you been to an interview only to find that it is a training session for an interview? Probably more times than you wish to recall ... or actually realised! The `interviewing game' is highly important and Dr Rob Yeung comes to the rescue of the inexperienced with helpful suggestions on the many proven techniques which leading organisations now use to find the right candidates, and spot what is going on...on both sides.
INTERVIEWS: WHAT A LOAD OF RUBBISH!
Characteristics of the good interviewer/interviewee attract a great deal of rubbish comment in the press, and in books, so it is refreshing to find Yeung's treatment of what is a painful experience for most people.
Finding the right person and ensuring that the right buttons have been pressed is as difficult as anything one can do in working life. I had always thought `getting that job' was about luck. Wrong! Yeung's view is that it's about preparation, and his final words cover `The 10 commandments' at the conclusion of the book which candidates should note and memorise carefully.
There are 14 chapters covering the following issues:
*why learn to interview properly?
*structuring the interview
*developing your questioning skills
*avoiding poor questions
*honing your listening skills
*preparing to interview
*opening the interview
*competencies and example interview questions
*discussing money
*wrapping up the interview
*rating candidates and making a decision
*evaluating and improving the interview process
*creating useful interview documents
*final words
THE FUNNELLING AND STARS TECHNIQUES
Most people reading this review, which is designed primarily for my law trainees as a forensic technique, will recall their examinations and the techniques used to revise for law exams. "Funnelling" on page 26 is an excellent device and complimented by Yeung's STARS acronym for the employer covering: situation, task, actions, result, summarise.
The importance of STARS is two way. As an interviewee you want it to be a two-way interview otherwise how are you going to work with these people! As an interviewer, you must structure what you want to ask.
It's not quite like a cross-examination where I will develop points which arise from answers given, but I will have thoroughly prepared my questions in advance in the areas where there are issues between the parties but I have to be flexible if the evidence given does not `come up to proof' as we put it.
But you have to `come up to proof' in the interview thus avoiding poor questions (and poorly prepared questions) which are common errors.YOU CAN ALWAYS DO BETTER
I came away from Dr Yeung's work glad to have read something which confirmed my best and worst thoughts about technique. He is right to say that interviewing is a skill, but it is also one which can be meticulously learnt with proper preparation and care which Dr Yeung sets out in a most useful format here.
The step-by-step guide is a splendid collaboration with `the Sunday Times' but remember that whichever side of the desk you sit on, you can always do better and Rob Yeung gives you the best current and contemporary analysis of how to interview and recruit in the internet age of employment finding, and his advice should be followed.


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Plenty of managers know how to interview, butfew can interview well. Identifying the best candidates leads to shortertraining time, greater productivity, and quicker results. SuccessfulInterviewing and Recruitment teaches managers how to structure theinterview, spot exceptional candidates, and hire only those who will add valueto the business. With advice on which questions to ask and which not to ask,readers will learn how to challenge candidates while treating them fairly, sothat the best candidates will want the job.

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The Intelligent Negotiator: What to Say, What to Do, How to Get What You Want--Every Time Review

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(More customer reviews)Charles Craver is the Leroy S. Merrifield Research Professor of Law at George Washington University (Washington, D.C.) where he teaches negotiating. Through his work at the Law School and in workshops throughout the world, Professor Craver estimates that he has taught negotiating skills to some 60,000 attorneys and businesspersons.
The Intelligent Negotiator is a book that fulfills the promise of its title. Craver provides the reader with the techniques and skills to become a true master of the craft.
Unquestionably, The Intelligent Negotiator will prove invaluable for the beginning negotiator and a solid source for refining the skills of the more experienced practitioner. Refreshingly, in a field in which so much has been written and is often unacknowledged, Craver credits and draws upon the research and findings of its authors. Additionally, although he has a preferred approach to negotiations, the author provides a fundamental negotiating skills book that does not rest upon the adoption of a singular negotiating style.
"Don't even try to adopt just one negotiating style or philosophy," Craver tells his reader in the first sentence of his work, "for there is no single approach that can effectively govern all bargaining transactions" (p.3). The intelligent negotiator, in Professor Craver's view, is a person who is comfortable working within a suite of negotiating styles. The reader who understands that premise is on the way to wisdom.
The experienced negotiator knows that no matter what the hopes, not every negotiation expands the pie. Negotiators come in all stripes and are driven by differing motives. Success in negotiations requires that its participants understand and adapt easily to the reality of functioning with an arena encompassing widely disparate styles.
Craver notes three major approaches that the intelligent negotiator must master. The first of these is the Competitive-Adversarial. This is the stuff of win/lose negotiations, the zero sum game in which the pie is presumed to be fixed and one participant wins more if the other loses more. The second he defines as the Cooperative-Problem-Solving approach. In this style, the parties seek to expand the pie through engaging in a joint creative enterprise and thereby enable the participants to realize a win/win outcome. The intelligent negotiator recognizes that this second style has inherent rewards and significant risks of exploitation depending upon the true commitments of the parties at the bargaining table to the cooperative negotiating style.
Both styles remain predominant in negotiating and Craver introduces the reader to some of the research on the effectiveness of practitioners of these two dominant negotiating styles. It is interesting research.
Craver cites a study of the negotiating styles of practicing attorneys conducted by Professor Gerald Williams of Brigham Young University some twenty years ago that may surprise many readers. According to Professor Williams' research, most practicing lawyers do not use an adversarial style in their negotiations. Two thirds of the attorneys, as viewed by their colleagues, used a cooperative approach and only twenty-five percent of the lawyers were seen as practitioners of an adversarial style of negotiations (p.10).
More importantly, peer assessment concluded that cooperative negotiators fared far better than adversarial attorneys in the negotiating arena. Fifty-nine percent of the cooperative style negotiators were viewed as effective negotiators and only a miniscule 3 percent were considered ineffective. Only 25 percent of the adversarial style negotiators were deemed effective by their peers and a staggering 33 percent were judged to be ineffective. A more recent study reported last year by Professor Andrea Kupfer Schneider, found over half of adversarial style negotiators were considered ineffective by their peers (p.10).
There is much that the negotiator can draw from these findings, not the least of which is that the intelligent negotiator must be able to adapt and operate successfully in an arena of diverse approaches. Reliance on a singular style, as Professor Craver well illustrates is a recipe for disaster.
Given this, Craver offers a third style as the best primary style for the intelligent negotiator. The Innovator approach, as the author calls his preferred style, is a hybrid of both of the preeminent negotiating approaches. Its hallmarks are beginning with principled offers, matching one's counterpart on how much and what is disclosed, relying on objective criteria and recognizing that the primary goal of the negotiator is to obtain beneficial results for themselves and secondarily for the opponent.
The core of the book, however, is far from a discourse on a singular approach, but rather the teaching of the underlying fundamental skills and techniques that every negotiator regardless of their approach requires to succeed in practicing the art. The book, therefore, is an intelligent negotiator's guide to the practice of negotiations.
Craver explores the process thoroughly and leads his reader through the tough issues confronting every negotiator with concise and well-reasoned advice. The author shows the reader the importance of setting high goals, even increasing them before negotiations begin. He gives the reader solid advice on how to construct an opening offer and coaches the negotiator on its critical impact on the psychology and course of the negotiations to follow. The reader learns how an opening offer operates as an anchor, its role in bracketing the negotiating settlement range and its use in framing the other party's perception of gain and loss in the potential agreement. If these concepts are not clear to you, they are clearly explained in Craver's work.
There is far more in this volume. You will find strategies for multiple item negotiations, techniques for handling absurd positions, some careful advice on reading body language and a host of topics that the intelligent negotiator must know. You will find it a valuable negotiating skills guide of value for any style of negotiations.
To complete his work, the author turns his attention to some of the more special types of negotiating situations that all readers encounter. You will find some insightful advice in his concluding sections on negotiating employment agreements, automobile purchases and real estate bargaining.
Highly recommended.
John Baker, Ph.D.
Editor, The Negotiator Magazine

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The 7 Secrets of Financial Success : How to Apply Time-Tested Principles to Create, Manage, and Build Personal Wealth (Revised Ed.) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was an easy to read, easy to understand colorful financial book. It was not over the head material that I am used to reading on personal finance.

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Two million people have taken the first steps to lifelong financial independence and security by attending the Successful Money Management Seminar Series. Now, the founders of that series have created a practical, easy-to-read guide to the basic principles of personal money, management, insurance, and investments. Their seven time-tested secrets of personal finance apply to everyone, regardless of age, income, or asset level. Each chapter of The Seven Secrets of Financial Success is linked to the next, moving readers step by step up the "Success Triangle"-a road map to building a secure lifestyle and a peace of mind by retirement. "Financial Success in Action" case studies make the information and advice pertinent and practical. Full-color illustrations and photographs illustrate key concepts. Worksheets assist readers in applying the Seven Secrets to their own situations. The Seven Secrets of Financial Success will educate readers on the foundations of financial fitness, help them think and plan like financial winners, define personal financial goals and develop a financial strategy to achieve them. They'll discover: why right now is the best time to begin financial planning; how to assess the components that affect financial success and overcome the obstacles to accumulating wealth; practical guidelines to building a successful, diversified portfolio with clear, concise explanations of the many available investment options; helpful secrets on estate planning, funding college costs, tips for the self-employed, and choosing the right financial advisors.

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Perfect Balance: Create Time and Space for All Parts of Your Life Review

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(More customer reviews)This book has been incredibly helpful to me. It walks you through exercises to determine your values, needs, responsibilities, priorities, and goals. Also includes a section on life purpose. It also has valuable tips for getting perspectives, calming, and prioritizing, and doesn't get long-winded or preachy. After completing the exercises and looking at the chart I'd made, I was able to see in a quick glance where I was on top of the things that are important, where I needed to make more of an effort, and where less. If you feel like your life is out of control, this book will help you get it back under your control.

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The 4-Hour Workweek, Expanded and Updated: Expanded and Updated, With Over 100 New Pages of Cutting-Edge Content. Review

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(More customer reviews)The title and cover draws people in. 4 Hour Work Week, it's too good to be true. Then we read the first couple of pages, maybe the first couple of chapters. The first chapters are the typical motivational, "you can do it" montage. I'm not going to lie, I felt motivated to give this book a try after reading the first part of the book without even knowing what this book is all about. But as I began to get out of the fluff, and actually found myself reading the core subject of the book, I was utterly disappointed. D is for Definition
In this section Ferriss tells us to do an important task: define what you want. And I agree that most of us live through life not knowing what we want; just following the crowd like a herd of sheep. This section was the motivational, make you feel good section. This wasn't the how, it was the why, and it downright made me pumped.
E is for Elimination
Okay, so he basically says to eliminate all the junk in your life. For example: watch less TV, don't check your e-mail 50 times a day, don't look at your phone 100 times a day, don't surf the web 3 hours a day, etc. It's all good advice, nothing too fancy, or new, just plain old, "don't waste your time" advice. So far so good.
A is for automation
This is where I ran in to problems with Tim's method of creating a "4 hour workweek". First he tells us to outsource a big chunk of our lives using a VA (virtual assistant) from India or Shanghai or wherever. Basically a virtual assistant is a person who assist you in everyday task (checking emails, making reservations, doing research for your job that you got hired to do,set up appointments, etc) so basically an online-personal assistant you hire for dirt cheap. So if you are okay with some guy in India knowing your personal information (SSN, bank account number, phobias, any illnesses you might have, problems in life, and many more as Ferriss states) go ahead and outsource the things you can already do yourself to a guy in India you never met. But Ferris says that misuses of sensitive information are rare; well there could be bias behind that statement, but I'm not willing to find out if it's true or not. The irony of oustourcing your life is that you become dependent on your VA. You no longer have the urge to take control of your own life when it comes to paying bills, making reservations, or doing research for your job because your VA does it for you. So that's the paradox: out source your life, but become more dependent on a foreigner. And Ferriss quotes Ralph Waldo Emerson throughout his book as a motivational spice. But it's apparent that he never read "Self Reliance", the cornerstone of Emerson's philosophy. (Tim if you're going to use Emerson's words, how about not making a book that totally contradicts the philosophy of Emerson? Thanks).
A is for automation Pt. 2
Ferriss then goes on to tell us how we can make up to 40,000 dollars a month of automated income (little work). Basically you create a product and sell it. Plain and simple. He tells you to find a market, find the demographics of your product, make a product and sell it. Yup, your average entrepreneurship. It's nothing new, and Ferris is not an expert entrepreneur. He did have a company BrainQuicken which sells "Neural Accelerator" supplements. The site is 99% advertising and 1% scientific: It sells because it's precisely that. And the product that Ferriss started is not something revolutionary, I'll take my 200mg of caffeine before a workout any day than pay 50.00 dollars plus shipping for BrainQuicken. So if you want to make your own product, market it, sell it and make millions of dollars go ahead. Tim tells you exactly how, but what Tim doesn't tell you is that it takes a lot of work in the beginning, a lot more than 4 hours a week.
L is for Liberation
More like L is for not showing up to work, and being cynical. Now I'm against the 9-5 hours of work. I think that human beings are more efficient enough to get things done in a short period of time, and I believe that society is slowly catching on. But here's Tim's idea of "liberation". Escaping the office: not doing your job or worse, not showing up. Killing your job: quit your job. Mini retirement: take a month vacation every 2 months of work (or pattern that works best for you). Filling the Void: filling in the emptiness and the boredom you feel with fun stuff like becoming a horse archer, learning tango, and winning a fight championship by cheating.
So okay, let's say everything goes well: you are making 40,000 dollars a month, you are working no more than 4 hours a week... now what. Even Ferriss says that you will feel a void... well that sucks doesn't it? Why don't you go and talk to your VA about your problems?
Now obviously I'm against Tim's advertising methods, it's misleading. The book only sells because of the hope it gives 9-5 workers that it's possible. Oh, it's possible but unlikely. Tim is no Bil Gates, Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, or Clint Eastwood he is nowhere close to them. You see great testimonials from people from Yahoo!, Wired, Silicon Valley, and hell, from Jack Canfield about Tim's book, but not from people like Gates, Jobs, Buffett, Eastwood, or any other highly successful people, why? Because those four know that true success comes from years of hard work, and building lasting relationships with people. Those four know that decreasing your work hours, outsourcing your life, and making a tons of money is not the road to true happiness. Those four people, even if they read this book, will probably throw it in the fire. But for the cynical, "how do I work little and make tons of money" people out there (which is most of the population) this book will initially look like the next Bible. The fact that this book sold well says a lot about our society.
This is a misleading book, there are tons of other great books you can read for true success: Talent is Overrated (no BS way how people become great at what they do), 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (classic), and How to Have Confidence and Power in Dealing with People... to name a few. Very few will read this review before buying, and more copies of this book will sell due to the cynical and lazy nature of people. Don't be one of those people, don't buy this book.

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More than 100 pages of new, cutting-edge content. Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan–there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, The 4-Hour Workweek is the blueprint. This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches: •How Tim went from $40,000 per year and 80 hours per week to $40,000 per month and 4 hours per week•How to outsource your life to overseas virtual assistants for $5 per hour and do whatever you want•How blue-chip escape artists travel the world without quitting their jobs•How to eliminate 50% of your work in 48 hours using the principles of a forgotten Italian economist•How to trade a long-haul career for short work bursts and frequent "mini-retirements"The new expanded edition of Tim Ferriss' The 4-Hour Workweek includes:•More than 50 practical tips and case studies from readers (including families) who have doubled income, overcome common sticking points, and reinvented themselves using the original book as a starting point•Real-world templates you can copy for eliminating e-mail, negotiating with bosses and clients, or getting a private chef for less than $8 a meal•How Lifestyle Design principles can be suited to unpredictable economic times•The latest tools and tricks, as well as high-tech shortcuts, for living like a diplomat or millionaire without being either

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Finding A Job During Hard Economic Times: Finding a Job, Keeping It, and Moving Up the Ladder to Success During an Economic Recession Review

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(More customer reviews)Fantastic advice-giving book for job seekers, and those who need career change, and getting ahead. You can't go wrong with the many helpful tips on writing resume, getting your resume seen and actually read, standing out, creating an impression, handling yourself with confidence, being assertive not aggressive. I learned a great deal here.

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You're down ... just like the economy! Being out of a job in this recession is hard-hitting. Instead of dwelling on it and getting yourself further down into the dumps ... just get back there and decide to do something about it! Yes, you can! Employers the world over are constantly on the look-out for intelligent, creative and dedicated workforce to help their businesses escalate into the next level.Here is one tip for you: The most advantageous way to make it easier for the best companies to find you is to become a self-directed job seeker.This book is your fully-complete guide to set you towards that very direction. Let us help you to get that job. And we won't stop just there ... let us help you more ... to advance in the work environment despite the struggling times. Learn valuable tips on hunting for a job and getting it. Understand the current job market, its needs, its demands, and how you can adapt yourself to all these changes. Find out how to move up the corporate ladder and to achieve your long-term goals even in a bad economy, plus a fortune's more worth of precious information.

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Passion at Work: How to Find Work You Love and Live the Time of Your Life (paperback) Review

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(More customer reviews)
Passion and rage are among the most powerful of human emotions and each is obviously capable of producing extraordinary results, either positive or negative. The happiest people tend to be those who are passionate about both how they earn a living and the quality of life their efforts provide. Conversely, the unhappiest people are those who continuously rage against real (or imagined) grievances in any or even in all of the areas of their lives. In this book, Lawler Kang addresses these and other issues. Specifically, he suggests answers to questions such as these:
1. When am I and/or when have I been I happiest? Why?
2. Doing what?
3. Not doing what?
4. With whom am I and/or with whom have I been happiest? Why?
One of the greatest benefits of this book (and there are several) is the assistance Kang provides so that his reader can measure the gap between where she or he is now, and, where she or he would much prefer to be. He then provides sound, practical counsel on how to close that gap.
At this point, I presume to suggest (and presumably Kang agrees) that many of our wounds are self-imposed, that in our daily struggles to achieve whatever desirable objectives we may have, Pogo was right: "We have met the enemy and he is us." Hence the importance of taking full responsibility for the consequences of our decisions, both past and recent, so that we can then make better decisions henceforward.
Kang carefully organizes his material within seven chapters. Throughout the narrative, he inserts appropriate real-world examples of his key points. I appreciate the fact that, unlike so many other authors of books which address many of the same issues, Kang resists the temptation to be a sophist or evangelist. He correctly realizes that people can sometimes be inspired by others (who are by nature passionate) but only they can motivate themselves. At one point Kang observes, "The most important source of competitive advantage in the twenty-first century will come from individuals and organizations that unleash the power of passion." Quite true, but it should be added that -- more often than not -- individuals and organizations which find themselves at a disadvantage are those which compete against themselves. This is especially true of many of those involved in sales: They are preoccupied with reasons why a prospect could be resistant and are, therefore, reluctant to ask for an order. In effect, they sell against themselves. Of course, there are others (not only ) in sales who seem convinced that "enthusiasm" can compensate for insufficient understanding of a prospect's needs and interests. They demonstrate passion without competence and, on occasion, passion without integrity.
Throughout his book, Kang leaves absolutely no doubt whatsoever that what he recommends must be guided and informed by three "priorities": Passion, of course, but also proficiencies and principles. He insists that two other "priorities" must also be served: a plan which accommodates both one's organization and one's personal life, and, various means by which to verify and validate (i.e. prove) the appropriateness and effectiveness of that plan. These last two "Priorities" (plan and proof) are discussed with rigor and eloquence in Chapter 10. This chapter, all by itself, is worth far more than the cost of the book but should not be read until after the previous nine.
In the next chapter, Kang responds to a question many readers will pose after absorbing and digesting the material provided to that point: "Now what?" Let's assume that his reader is determined to begin a new (albeit perilous) "journey" to achieve career and personal goals once assumed to be unattainable. Much of the preparation has by now been completed but Kang correctly alerts his reader to the fact that several "canyons" await and one's "journey" through and beyond them can be completed only if unnecessary "baggage" is cast aside along with any guilt associated with it. Kang: "Make friends with your past." Only closure can release the emotional energy needed to continue. Next, the canyon of finances. Kang offers several suggestions as to how to "make friends with your future." That is, financial as well as emotional "baggage" must be eliminated. "The thought of working your passion, however you define it, without having [BOTH] a tactical [AND] a financial plan in place is simply unthinkable." With regard to third and last "terrifying, dimly lit, and dust-ridden corridor called `The Unknown,'" having a sufficient and sustainable commitment to completing the journey is absolutely essential. I suspect (only a suspicion) that, for most people, this last "canyon" is the most difficult.
As I read the final chapter "Looking for Your Life's Work," I was reminded of the marathons in Boston and New York which also require rigorous and extensive preparation, both psychological and physical. Hopes are high as the race begins. As it proceeds over time, most participants drop back and some drop out, exhausted and discouraged. Those who complete the course may feel exhaustion but also a sense of achievement, whatever their final standing. Another marathon awaits. In so many respects, our lives consist of a sequence of cycles as does marathon competition. Kang seems to be suggesting that getting through the three "canyons" and then locating one's life work is indeed admirable but by no means the end of the "journey." New "baggage" will be acquired which must eventually be discarded; new financial issues will emerge which must be resolved; and we will encounter new "canyons," hence the importance of passionate and thorough preparation as well as passionate and total commitment to proceed through each of them.
As Kang concludes his book, he shares a Japanese saying, shoga nai, which literally means "There is no other way." As he explains, it is usually uttered with the guttural seriousness of a Samurai warrior and the existentialism of a kamikaze pilot. By now Kang has stressed the importance of sharp focus, strategic timing, constant iteration of core principles, "and most importantly, patience. There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going. It is this undercurrent of patience to which you must fundamentally commit as you start edging closer to living in the prime of your life." To those about to begin this journey, I join Kang in wishing them bon voyage!
I also highly recommend Michael Ray's The Highest Goal, Jim O'Toole's Creating the Good Life, and David Whyte's The Heart Aroused.

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World-renowned speaker and executive Lawler Kang will show how to build a careerone can be madly passionate about and create, actualize, and monetize a niche only you can dominate! Kang draws on the profound human stories of those who havefollowed their passions to achieve great things and live on their own terms. He then presents a unique Process of the Five PsTM: a start-to-finish blueprint for realizing your dreams, one step at a time. Learn how to discover passions, proficiencies, and priorities. Redefine success. Create realistic plans, complete with milestones and investments.

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Bulletproof Your Job: 4 Simple Strategies to Ride Out the Rough Times and Come Out On Top at Work Review

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(More customer reviews)Viscusi is the CEO of The Viscusi Group, a boutique executive search firm specializing in the interior products industry. He is also called upon as a frequent subject matter expert on national TV, radio and print.

The book is outlined with 4 basic principles supported by 50 tactics:
1) Be visible
2) Be easy
3) Be useful
4) Be ready
My assessment:
1) While it may be a good refresher for a few further up the totem pole, this book is best suited for readers in the early to early-middle stages of their career or for those in the individual contributor / new managers segment.
2) There is a lot of common sense among the 50 tactics (learn new skills; support your boss; have a firm handshake; work hard; leave your problems at home; find a mentor; look good / dress well; take initiative). This will be old news to many yet should be considered base fundamentals for all, and particularly relevant for new/early entrants into the work stream.
3) Author opens with a powerful introduction:
"If you care about your job, you can start protecting it right now. If all you care about is your paycheck, there's almost nothing that will protect you from eventually being deselected in favor of another employee who's truly committed to his job. That's survival of the fittest at work in the workplace.
"You must understand that your job is your most valuable asset, and your primary objective is to protect it."
"Bulletproofing your job requires that you quit crying about merit and fairness and start improving your chemistry with your boss. Work is war, and if someone is going to get fired, let it be the guy your boss doesn't like, not you. If you don't have the stomach for this approach, hand this book off to someone who does and watch him keep his job."
4) Among the 50 tactics, you'll have to pick from the menu as to what works for you and your company's culture and what will not. Some of the tactics are a throwback to the "face-time" work culture of "yesteryear" - for example in the very first tactic the author recommends to "Arrive Early and Stay Late":
"Arriving at work early show your commitment and industriousness. Of course, you need to get there only 5 minutes before your boss or coworkers every day to come off as the world's most committed employee...don't stay late, stay later. Leaving a mere 10 minutes after your boss has gone reinforces the impression that you're the world's most committed employee."
5) The book is easy to read and well organized. It is documented with good examples and summaries hit the key points. It can be finished in one sitting (166 pages).

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Get Rich Click: The Ultimate Guide to Making Money on the Internet Review

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(More customer reviews)I received an special offer for this book via Clickbank. Book was "free" as long as I'd pay postage. A very good deal, I though.
This is a good book. Not great, but worth checking out. I give credit to the author for covering so many aspects of online business in one book. The problem is, there isn't enough space for everything he wants to cover-- at least in detail. It's kind of like being at a buffet, with a lot of choices, but only being able to take a tiny bite. You get an idea of what is available, but don't walk away totally satisfied.
Luckily, I have been studying online marketing for a while. When I read this stuff, I got what he was saying. If this is your first book about online maketing though, or you're looking to "get rich quick", you may end up frustrated as some of the aspects here will likely be too complicated for you to understand since you'll have to "fill in the blanks" yourself. For a beginner, I think something like Laptop Lifestyle - How to Quit Your Job and Make a Good Living on the Internet (Volume 1 - Quick Start Guide to Making Money Online) is a better option, since it moves a little slower and gives step-by-step lists of what you can do to either sell your own products online or make money using affiliate programs.
The best part about this book is that it gives detailed case studies of successful businesses and how they are making money online. There are a lot of ways to make money online and this will get you thinking about how you can find something that works for you.


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Whether you are looking to earn $100 a day or $100,000 a year, this book will teach you how. Get Rich Click! is a comprehensive source of information from one of the world's most successful Internet entrepreneurs. This book outlines proven strategies and techniques for the Internet entrepreneur, and is full of real-life success stories about people of all ages who have made millions on line!

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Million-Dollar Hire: Build Your Bottom Line, One Employee at a Time Review

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(More customer reviews)I absolutely loved this book and found it so instructive on really complicated statistical principals related to the hiring process. I am an in-house labor attorney so I have to be well-versed in these topics. What I liked most about the book is that it boiled down these complex concepts into an understandable format. I will be using it to help educate my HR people and other business associates who need to know this stuff!

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A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future Review

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(More customer reviews)A Whole New Mind $16.47 US, is a 2005 release from Daniel H. Pink that covers creative thinking and other aspects of success. Ostensibly geared toward career pros, this non-fiction title analyzes transitions in society as America migrates from an Information Age to a Conceptual Age economy. The text in Dan's book is not academic -- instead it is more biographical, intuitive, observational, and playful. His book is a real triple threat of content, style, and visual presentation.
Word to the wise -- you are in for a slightly different book here -- right of the bat, the author walks us through the procedure of having his brain scanned as part of a project conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health in Washington D.C. This unorthodox introduction (with four photo illustrations) is welcomed by the reader, as it gives the chapter an introspective quality. Pink shares this experience to illustrate normal brain function -- to note a few misconceptions about the way the brain divides work -- and then posits that while most people integrate both left and right brain activity, R-Directed Thinking will increasingly be relied upon in the future, by people that want to succeed in business or life.
Here is the crux of what Pink is trying to relay. America is currently organized around a cadre of accountants, doctors, engineers, executives and lawyers. These "knowledge workers" excel at the ability to acquire and marry facts to data, and these abilities are typically accrued through a series of standardized tests such as the PSAT, SAT, GMAT, LSAT and MCAT. (As an aside, Bush's test-happy Department of Education only serves to increase the number of L-Directed Thinkers, providing corporations cheap labor in abundance.) Pink asserts this regime of L-Directed Thinking in America is diminishing due to three factors: Abundance, Asia, and Automation.
Our guide Dan conjectures -- that in this age of Abundance -- appealing only to functional, logical, and rational requirements is not enough. Design, empathy, play, and other "soft" aptitudes have become the focal point for individuals and companies that want to stand out above the others in a crowded marketplace. Look no further than Apple's design-triumph, the physically appealing and emotionally compelling iPod, for quick confirmation of this notion!
Looking at trends, Pink concludes outsourcing of white-collar jobs (knowledge work) to nations in Asia will have profound "long term effects" on the economic well-being of Australia, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US. Just as factory jobs flowed out of the country during the eighties, globalization of white-collar jobs will soon follow. Consequently, most Americans will need to come up with a new skill set that is not abundant overseas.
Even if Pink is wrong, and Abundance and Asia aren't transforming America, rest assured that Automation is. In long paragraphs, Pink cites specific examples of how Computer Programming, Law, and Medicine have been radically altered by technology. You'll notice this trend in even simpler venues (like self-checkout at supermarket and department store chains) throughout the US. Implication of Pink's research? Transaction based jobs may soon start declining.
Now here are a few key items worthy of consideration -- when it comes to your present or future career track -- according to Dan. Can computers do it faster? Can overseas labor do it cheaper? Are your skills in demand? Are your skills overly abundant?
Eventually we'll all have to find new jobs, Pink theorizes. The Agricultural Age and Industrial Age have fallen away, and the Information Age is fading fast. We're hurtling into the Conceptual Age, where the majority of jobs will be held by people that create something, or by people that are capable of empathizing with others. Most of these jobs will require care, humor, imagination, ingenuity, instinct, joyfulness, personal rapport, or social dexterity.
Writer Pink explains High Concept, High Touch, avenues of growth that are likely to appear, delves into the importance of gaining an MBA or MFA, and then compares the differences between IQ and Emotional Intelligence in rough metaphor. He then closes Part One with two pages of observation on the baby boomer generation, and their newfound gravitation toward meaning and transcendence, and away from the allure of wealth.
Most of A Whole New Mind actually resides in Part Two, wherein Mr. Pink delineates a complex theory of the "six senses" that one could harvest to build a whole new mind. In Dan's worldview, Design is an asset above function. Story is an asset above argument. Symphony is an asset above focus. Empathy is an asset above logic. Play is an asset above seriousness, and Meaning is an asset above accumulation. After an extensive essay about each of these six components, Pink includes a "portfolio" of exercises (further reading, tools, and websites) that one could call upon to enhance this mindset, all being useful.
In the interest of keeping this review at one thousand words I've concentrated on the first half of the book -- since that is the framework that the book is built around. I will allow you the pleasure of reading the majority of part two on your own, but I'll lightly sketch some factoids that I enjoyed in the "portfolios" accompanying Dan's groupings.

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Your Career in Changing Times Review

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(More customer reviews)I wish I were ready for this book years ago! Lee and Larry start by describing the workplace and how it is changing (surprisingly accurate for being published in 1993). Next they define what work is and help us understand why so many people are in the situations they are in. Then comes the fun part...identifying your skills, interests, personality and applying them to a career that fits you. Lastly they teach you how to conduct a job search, prepare your resume and how to manage you finances.
The book is an excellent resource in itself. However, the companion workbook is a must in order to get the full benefit of the program.

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Born to Organize: Everything You Need to Know About a Career As a Professional Organizer Review

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(More customer reviews)I have purchased and read 15 "Organizing" books from Amazon.com in the past 3 months. I can tell you for certain there is no book as helpful for starting your Professional Organizing career as this one! I have been organizing for friends and family all my adult life (yes, only for the FUN of it), until 3 months ago when someone suggested I look into doing it as a career. At first I laughed since I had never heard of that job title before. I did some quick research one night-- and boy was I way off. Not only has the industry doubled in popularity in recent years, but the profession is very well paying, very diverse in specialities, and allows many opportunities for growth and education (especially when paired with the association NAPO).
One of the first book titles that fell into my hands was Sara's. This is now almost my daily reference guide! With her helpful pro-con advice I was able to make an educated decison about launching my career in this field. I have taken all of her advice, especially about not underpricing myself, and only 2 months into taking paying clients I have had 9 clients, 3 of which have and/or are currently doing thier WHOLE house AND storage units with me! I average about $1000-1500 per individual contract now. Did I mention I have hardly had to advertise yet? Sara's referral system is incredibly lucrative, and I am highly confident when things slow down her solid marketing techniques will keep me afloat. She is so creative, clear, and organized in her text that it gets me pumped up everytime I crack the pages. I learned something new and profound for my business on every page. NO LIE! I especially appreciated her 8 week start up plan, and her many resource lists (I think I've used them all by now). What more do I need to say? If you are new in this business and aren't going to buy this book-- well then you will simply be missing out on TONS of education, TONS of clients (and tons of money), and I will be perfectly happy to have your business!:) Thank you Sara for writing such a fantastic HOW TO manual for this bizz with terrific insight for the new PO's!
Great Thanks from "Clutter Free Kimberly" in Fairfax, VA

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Written by veteran organizer Sara Pedersen, this book will answer all your questions about the amazing career of professional organizing and guide you through the process of starting your own organizing business. It is designed to give prospective and new professional organizers the inside scoop on today's organizing industry. Its easy-to-read style will answer all your questions about this amazing career. SARA GUIDES YOU through the process of starting your own organizing business, teaching you fundamental lessons and clarifying expectations. As you read this book, you'll: Review talent, skill, & education recommendations + Set salary & time commitment expectations + Understand your clients' clutter tendencies + Walk through a typical client assessment & organizing session + Learn affordable, business-boosting marketing ideas + Get the inside scoop on personal & business safety + Identify a variety of small business resources + Uncover donation resources for your clients' cast-offs + Give yourself an advantage over other new organizers. THE BOOK ALSO INCLUDES: stores that carry great organizing products; donation resources; sample assessment form, press release, announcement letter, coupons; and more! ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Veteran Professional Organizer Sara Pedersen has offered hands-on organizing assistance for countless Twin Cities residents. She helps them organize, simplify, and discover time to do the things they love. She also coaches new and prospective professional organizers and offers marketing services and products for small business owners.--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough Review

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(More customer reviews)As a Human Resources professional who has landed every job in his career -- now going on 25 years -- through proactive networking precisely the way this book describes, I am delighted to see the process so well documented. This book does not uncover profoundly new angles on landing a job; however, it clearly describes the steps needed even in these tough times, and especially for those who have had frustrations using traditional methods. Using the techniques in this book moves the job-seeker "upstream" into conversations with hiring managers in the planning stages before a job is posted publicly - and that's how almost all jobs are being filled right now.
In a world of instant virtual access to people and information, and net-enabled social networking, the steps described in this book are clearly detailed and made easy to plan and execute -- even for those who may not consider themselves strong networkers. Given the amount of time you may devote to finding a job using the futile "sit at home, search the internet and blast resumes" approach, this guide has 100's of tips on how to use that time more wisely, and in ways that will actually help you land a job.

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"Over 70% of all jobs are never published. This book will help you discover and land these jobs!"–John Challenger, CEO, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.Your perfect job will never be advertised.But you can find it–or create it.Even now. Especially now!TOP CAREER EXPERTS SHOW HOW TO:Uncover hidden opportunitiesHelp companies design the perfect job for youNetwork without sounding phony, lame, or desperateReinvigorate a dead-end job searchBreak free from the frustration and tyranny of online job boardsGet the interviews that count and run them like a proLeap-frog salary levels or change professionsTurn your experience into hot new skillsNegotiate compensation from a position of strengthFix a broken careerGet the great job nobody else knows about!

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How to Say the Right Thing Every Time: Communicating Well With Students, Staff, Parents, and the Public Review

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(More customer reviews)The book does everything right. It lays the groundwork for better communication. If you ever feel communication is the reason for so many flaws in your organization, then it is time to make the words from this book a part of your reality.

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Seeking the Calm in the Storm: Managing Chaos in Your Business Life Review

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(More customer reviews)People are very aware of the need to physically relax, take a vacation, treat yourself to a message - anything to breakup the physical demands of the day. This book is the for the mind - rejuvenation and perspective. A refresher course on how quickly we have transformed from stability in our lives to information overload and around-the-clock access. If you would like to STOP for a moment and apply thoughtful analysis to your workday and find perspective on what's happening to transform our lives - read this book. I have found so many ways to apply what I've read to my business and personal life.

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