Careers Books

Everyone should be doing work that they love, according to how they are wired. If you are unhappy in your job, this book is for you. Even if you are happy in your career but missing something, this book is for you. Practical and fun exercises at the end of each chapter get your brain moving. Life is short - love your work!

The description for this book should be a bit more forthcoming in the fact that this is "faith based". Faith is well and good, but it has little place in the job hunt.

I have done a lot of shopping on Amazon and have found the reviews to be accurate and dependable. Unfortunately I bought this on the advice of Dave Ramsey and did not read the reviews. This book is awful. I have read a lot of self improvement books and this is by far the worst.
I persevered to the end thinking (hoping) some structure would emerge. No such luck. As other reviewers have pointed out, this is just an endless string of quotes and stories. Half way through the book I found a reference to a site that sounded like it might be some sort of a form to define your interests. Turns out it was just a veiled advertisement to get you to pay $20 on Dan Miller's web site. Give me a break.
Give this one a miss.

... worse, a cynical bid to take advantage of a religious angle to peddle this warmed over self-help junk.

Here are a few rules for governing the quality of any self-help book: starting from a perfect score of 100, subtract 10 points every time the author uses the phrase, 'The dictionary defines the [insert well-known term here] as ...'. Subtract another 10 points every time the author throws in a quote from another author or (in this case) Bible verse. Poor authors use these tactics to bulk up the text without having to think up words for themselves. Using this scoring methodology, the book is beyond valueless. It actually moves civilization as we know it Backwards.

There is Nothing New here. Nothing insightful. 'What Color is Your Parachute' did it much better and is the go-to book in this category for good reasons.

The author also chose to save money on the audio version, narrating the thing himself rather than hire a qualified actor that knows how to use his voice. His voice is monotone and soporific ... a dangerous thing to listen to while driving. He also apparently did the entire reading in a day or two, and is audibly tired (tripping over words and hoarse) towards the end.

There are much better ways to spend your money.

I was intrigued by Miller's title '48 Days To The Work You Love' and Dave Ramsey's endorsement. I'm guessing that many people come to Dan Miller through Dave Ramsey. I've seen some reviews of people saying that there isn't anything special about Dan Miller's book and in a way, I think they may be right. However,I believe there are many things in Dan's book that makes it worth the read, in my opinion, depending on where you're coming from. Your experience with any kind of book like this will depend on whether or not you've read several career assessment books or not. If you have, like me, then a lot of what Dan talks about in his book isn't new or unique perhaps, but I think is helpful. If you haven't read or done a lot of reading on career assessment, then you will most likely find Miller's book a Godsend. I would also advise anyone who is thinking about reading it - to get the most out of Dan's book, or any book on career assessment, don't read it while you're job searching. More than likely, it won't be that quick fix (more on that below) you're looking for and I don't think people get the most out of books like this when they're stressed out trying to find that next job or career change. Books like these need to be meditated upon. You really do need to give yourself over to it and think it through and it's hard to do this, at least in my experience, when you're needing a job yesterday!

For me, his book had a lot of things to consider, good advice and things that he reminded me about. I think it's definitely a book I will keep in my career reference collection to refer to again and again. I also commend Dan with devoting himself to helping people better their careers and find career satisfaction, if it can be had. I applaud his efforts in this area. These are the reasons I give his book four stars.

The reasons I didn't give him a five out of five stars is due to two pet peeves I have about the book. First, I think the title '48 Days To The Work You Love" is a little deceptive (and silly as to how he came about the title for it).For me, the implication I got from the title is just that, that in 48 days I would be able to find the work I love. In the Introduction, Dan explains how he came up with the title. He came up with it by looking at the Bible and, seeing that "40 days seemed to be a spiritually significant time period", based on some of the events that take place to people we read of (i.e., Noah's life & world transformed in 40 days of rain; Moses was a different man after 40 days on Mt. Sinai, etc, etc). Add to that 8 "free days" he gives you in the process to create your own plan and wallah! - Your new career direction to the work you love! Well, it didn't happen for me. His book helps, but I'm not there yet. Also, what happens if it doesn't happen within 48 days? Does it lose it's spiritual implications? I just thought that it was kind of silly to market the book this way. He would have been better off calling it "Doing The Work You Love" or something to that effect that wouldn't put a time table on it. Some times, or most often (more likely), it takes longer than a month and half to find out what work one would love to do in a career.

Second, as a Christian, I disagree with the view he presents of work and your career being "a calling" from God to do what you were created to do. No where in Scripture is this taught. He also teaches that work is a form of "prayer" (p. 12)which he takes from a quote from Richard Foster, offering no scripture references for this concept to support it. It's true that God does endow us with certain abilities and skills (a.k.a. talents) (Matt. 25:14-30) but these things are always discussed in Scripture in reference to what we could do and should do for the kingdom of God, not in reference to our careers, unless that directly applies to the kingdom (i.e., as in an evangelist). To teach otherwise is to read that into Scripture. No where in Scripture does God discuss his hopes of us fulfilling a calling that he has for us in our careers. Many Christians throughout history didn't have this as an option. Only recently in the last century or so was this even possible, but it hasn't always been this way. Although I applaud Dan's efforts to help people find a fulfilling career (who doesn't want one?), we need to get away from this idea that we have somehow missed our calling from God (if not God, who's doing the calling?) and have somehow missed blessings from him for our lives if we never find work we love. God never becomes a career counselor and for good reason. He is not as concerned with our careers as he is with our spiritual lives, hence, our response to him - which is what the Bible is all about.

Other than those two things, I think Miller's book has a lot of great material that can be helpful to anyone. In my opinion, his book and Richard Bolles' book What Color Is Your Parachute? 2008: A Practical Manual for Job-hunters and Career-Changers are two great great career guides.

This book is a very good resource for those who are battling depression. Whether you are a manic depressive, or just battling low self-esteem, this book breaks down everything for you and even has work book exercises to help you pin point the problem, then work on it. I highly recommend it.

This is an excellent companion to Ellen J. Langer's "Mindfulness". It provides practical techniques for becoming mindful in small decisions that can add up to big problems or big benefits.

I am still in the middle of reading this book...but so far I am delighted with its primary message: WE ALL HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR OWN MOODS! This book is filled with exercises, checklists and mood inventories...all designed to offer the reader an interactive role in their own healing.

I have struggled with depression my entire life and because of this book am understanding the concept of healing myself through positive thoughts. I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with depression, regardless of the severity.

I liked this book. It helped me alot. It was easy to understand but you have to write in it ALOT! You should get "The Feeling Good Handbook" by Dr. David Burns as well. Dr. Burns has you to read different chapters of the book to go along with Ten Days. I had to stop reading Ten Days and get the Feeling Good Handbook before I could finish.

10 Days to Self Esteem is a staple in my practice working with clients coping with depression and anxiety. This is the one workbook where clients will consistently complete the exercises and homework. They have shared that the techniques are understandable and they can see their progress. The Cost benefit analysis is the one technique, however, clients /patients find dificult initially; but then catch on. My clients see improvement in themselves once they go through the entire workbook and that the most important. Thanks so much!
Debra Irby, LCSW-C

This isn't a book, but a series of mini books in a cool package.

Design - dozen or so mini books, the outside is cut to show the textures on the cover of each through the holes. Each one of the covers are really cool an visually interesting.

Books - The mini books each have a typographical experiment in them and usually a page or two, explaining the sentence his experiments make (sometimes more).

This is not a how to, a our company had this project, or philosophy of book (books?). It is what he did while he took a year off, and did whatever he wanted basically.

Cool for sure, I enjoyed it a lot.

There is one section of bookstores that I traditionally avoid when browsing:
the self-help section. It's not that the ideas of how to live a fuller life are not
worthy of my attention, but the way these book are written usually wears me
down by their linear nature and repetition of thought. And they often seem
disingenuous. Sagmeister's book is the opposite. It is an alternative
self-help book designed for those of us that like to think about our values
but suffer from short attention spans and require visual stimulation and
maybe some shock value to get us motivated.

There is a lot of work here. A lot of ideas and images. It is a bold compilation of twenty thoughts presented in provocative visual pamphlets. Like his graphic work, the book breaks boundaries and is a bit rebellious, but not in a self-conscious manner. You actually get the feeling that Sagmeister takes his personal development as seriously as his ideas on
design and that he believes that design can make a difference. It's very optimistic. It makes you want to want art or change the world or change yourself or rethink the very form of a book. Maybe the fact that it is broken up into bite size chunks with dramatic and hilarious and curious photographs of real world examples makes us see that it is possible. Or maybe the fact that this compilation is a work in progress rather than a final thesis makes it accessible.

"Everybody who is honest is interesting" is an appropriate aphorism taken from the text. You get the sense that Sagmeister is being honest in this work. And in our world of marketing jive this is refreshing. I'm guessing that one other thing that Sagmeister has learned in his life is that most gifted designers are not gifted writers and that most need good editors. The book is especially well written and concise. My only criticism is that the pamphlets don't go back into the sleeve so easily, but I have learned to live with that.

The long awaited follow up to Sagmeister's 'Made you Look' has been well worth the wait.
A book, so different to any design piece available. Full of beautiful imagery, humor and some heartfelt reflection.

A great insight into the working's of an amazing studio.

Congratulations for this extraordinary publication.
Your energy and commitment to life is so great.
So unexpected.
So many highlights.

Sagmeister is by far my favorite designer, and this book is a really beautiful example of his work.

I had a hard time liking this title because it seemed like it could have been more. Perhaps if I made it to his gallery show I could have felt that I connected to its vision. It is beautifully designed, all there with the big named photographers, artists, illustrators, etc. But I was left wishing that there was more that I could have gotten. It felt like a sidekick companion than the entree.

This book presents a very eloquent and rigorous examination of the learning process. Despite a handful of critical reviewers, I find the principles translate very well to other disciplines if you put a little thought into it. The principles are most easily adapted to performance-based disciplines, such as music, dance, any kind of public speaking, and, of course, competitive fields such as sports and chess. However, the principles also apply to any discipline that requires mastery of fundamental skills leading to an ability to use these skills to deal creatively with new problems. Yes, this should include science and language learning. The book doesn't tell you specifically how to learn the fundamentals of any particular discipline. Nor could it--this is something that really requires either the guidance of a teacher or a rigorous process of self-exploration. Rather, Mr. Waitzkin attempts (quite successfully, I think) to drive home the point that progress comes when we slow down the material we are learning to the point that the nuances of the subject open up to us. The secret is to love this process and not get thrown off course by impatience or lack of concentration. Mr. Waitzkin's passionate discussions of his fields do much to illustrate the feeling that you must try to access in your own field. This has apparently gone over the head of some reviewers (who don't appear to have made much of an effort to understand the book), but the number of positive reviews should tell you that there are at least a few profound insights in this book.

Also, a few reviewers complain that this book is only useful for someone with the time and money to spend devoting themselves to their hobbies. It's true, most of us could not afford to spend all our time practicing Tai Chi, as Mr. Waitzkin apparently does. The book does not offer shortcuts. However, if you have a job at which you want to excel, you will certainly have enough time to take advantage of the principles. Further, even if you want to excel at your hobby and only have an hour a week to spend on it, your time will still be better spent practicing slowly and immersing yourself in the details, as Mr. Waitzkin advises. The process will be longer, but if you love what you're doing, that shouldn't matter.

I would suggest that most American's know Josh from the movie made about his early years: "Searching for Bobby Fisher." As Paul Harvey says, "Here is the rest of the story." And it is a great story. But it is more than that, it is a owners' manual of sorts for those seeking to increase their effectiveness. In business? For sure. But it is more than that, it is a guide to overcoming each and every roadblock that one might face. Yes, in life. And business.

The part about creating triggers for better performance is great insight.

-ski

Good book, well-written and a usable message. The techniques discussed can benefit everyone. I see this as the practical field guide to Mihaly's 'Flow'. The author's experience with the mental game of chess and phsyical game of Push Hands helps bridge the overall message of flow, focus and ideal mental states to deal with challenge.

This quote rings like a clear bell on the final page of Josh Waitzkin's book. Why? His "Art of Learning" not a static prescription, it's is dynamic journey. Within Josh's frameworks, learning means continually exploring oneself, re-framing adversity and despair as opportunities for self-awareness and discovery, to find for connectedness between seemingly unrelated disciplines - in Josh's case, chess and martial arts.

If you enjoy chess or martial arts, there's much great storytelling and competition here to relate to. If you're a lifelong learner inclined to self-study, there's much "philosophy of being" to take or leave as you like.

A joy overall.

Josh Waitzkin is an eight time National Chess Champion by the age of 20 - who then moved on to become a martial arts champion - holding several world championship titles. This book is worthy of reading simply to gain an insight into what it takes to be a world class competitor (and winner) - the focus, the incredible concentration, the physical and mental discipline, the grit and determination - and the access to the best coaches and opponents. However, there was little translation from the "What" he accomplished to the "HOW" - as the learning techniques were were not spelled out. If you expect to pick up this book to learn how to get to the top as a world champion, you'll be sorely disappointed.

This passage on page 88 captured the essence of his message to me:

"To my mind, the fields of learning and performance are an exploration of greyness - of the in-between. There is the careful balance of pushing yourself relentlessly, but no so hard that you melt down. Muscles and mind need to stretch to grow, but if stretched too thin, they will snap. A competitor needs to be process-oriented, always looking for strong opponents to spur growth, but it is also important to keep on winning enough to maintain confidence. We have to release our current ideas to soak in new material, but not so much that we lose touch with our unique nature talents. Vibrant, creative idealism needs to be tempered by a practical, technical awareness."

I've owned two copies of this book over the years. The first copy I lent to a friend who in turn lent to a friend and so on. Needless to say that this great little gem of a book never found its way back into my eagerly waiting hands.

I've purchased another copy since then and read chapters from it from time to time. We all tend to stress about the little things in life, and I'm no different. Whenever I find myself getting unduly frustrated or uptight, a read of this book always helps me put things back into perspective.

I'm a firm believer in not sweating the small stuff: Not just the book, but the principal of it. Life's way too brief and fleeting to always be tied up in minor details and insignificant issues. Save it for the big problems, I say.

This is a handy little guidebook that does well to serve as a constant reminder to keep things in perspective. I believe every household should have a copy of a book like Richard Carlson's 'Don't Sweat The Small Stuff".

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

This book got me through my divorce without any emotional scares! Need I say more... This is a must read for just learning how to appreciate what you have in life rather than focussing on what you could have. Definitely a must read.

This book could have easily been titled: Basic Zen Buddhism for Suburbanites. If you look at the principles Richard Carlson teaches they are absolutely Zen 101 (albeit specifically tailored to a modern, western audience). Ideas such as living in the moment, non-attachment to the transitory nature of life, taking time to sit quietly each day (or as a well-known Soto Zen teacher once said, "Don't just do something, sit there"), contemplating your own mortality as a method of keeping the events of your life in perspective... all of these are a part of basic Buddhist practice. While anyone who has practiced one of the eastern contemplative disciplines will find this old hat, these lessons are invaluable for the average person - I bought this for my new wife who tends to get obsessive when it comes to the little things. There's a reason these ideas have been around for thousands of years - they work!

I think the title says it all, overall great book! I also recommend Mr Instability and which way both excellent reads.

In his book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and it's all small stuff", author Richard Carlson, PH.D. offers witty and accessible stories emphasizing how life can be so much more fun by living a worry-free existence. Who knew? Carlson's philosophy makes so much sense. Instead of giving each and every situation a `life and death' urgency, Carlson suggests a gentler approach to life. He actually insists that life can be fun, and free from the mechanical, ritualistic reactions to every day life situations. In one of my favorite chapters in the book, Carlson discusses the relevance of `boredom'. He explains that we spend far too much energy distracting ourselves with superficial engagements, filling up our appointment books while we neglect to nurture our souls. Spending quiet time alone or with loved ones and enjoying each and every moment in life can be sufficiently engaging indeed.

Two of my favorite authors, Ariel and Shya Kane, also offer wonderful, engaging stories that help inspire me to lead a more fruitful, enriched life in their new book "Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment". In one of my favorite passages, Ariel and Shya discuss the importance of slowing down in order to be fully present within each moment of our lives. The Kanes suggest that instead of rushing through our daily activities, we can have greater fulfillment and enjoyment by "taking our time and being where you are". These truly enlightening books by Carlson and the Kanes suggest that life can be fun by taking the time to enjoy every moment of it! It seems easy- and guess what, it is!

Good book but focuses too much on direct marketing and the technology section should be updated.

If you run a business, would like to run a business, or are doing anything related to selling a product to someone, you should buy this book. It's got hundreds of inspirational gems inside it, and you can apply thier creative solutions to your problems.

At the start of the book, the author suggests that, "this book is worth 10,000$". Well I think its definitely worth atleast a 1000$...o.k. perhaps even 10,000$!. This book is full of implementable ideas, no fluff, and also has an extensive list of contacts and sources to implement the ideas. It is these sources, which are worth the price of the book.

Some people may make the mistake that since Dan Kennedy wrote this book several years ago that the information is dated. Actually the principals are timeless.

6 months ago I created a direct mail campaign to raise money for the Purdue Women's Air Race Team. I followed his exact instructions on page 119 and raised more than enough money needed for the team. Not only did what he say still work, we had people writing in notes saying to leave their names on our mailing list because they loved getting the mail.

I have used Dan's advice for over 15 years. Of all the books he's written, this is my #1 favorite. It has been highlighted, dog-eared, and referred to time and time again.

The how-to info on the ideas indicated are not practical. Methods are outdated. Not much useful info.

This is a huge book, worthwhile and seems complete. I also have the Your MBA Game Plan: Proven Strategies for Getting into the Top Business Schools, and this book is ten times the size. I have yet to read the whole thing and probably will never; however it is easy to find the data I need for my search. I also like the discussions about why and where to go, not just the how like in other books.

I think it's one of the most complete guides for the subject. It covers many different topics in a very sound way which many other books "try to" cover in hundred of pages.

Insightful information and good examples of essays and recommendations. I also liked the directors of admission's quotes. It is pretty much the same advices you hear when you go to the School's info sessions but on the book the advices are clearly linked to how you write each part of your application.

This book is the bible for getting into the top MBA schools. I am currently in the process of applying to some of the top schools and have talked to a lot of current and recent grads, all of whom swear by this book. It walks you through all the steps required and the right way to approach the situation. I had my first round interview last week and knowing how the different schools differ in their approach helped tremendously.

STILL TBD on if I'm successful in my bid for the top schools but so far, I feel I'm getting all the right insider tips from this book.

Needless to say, this book is now the Bible of MBA applications.

What works:

1. Lots of advice, starting from the basics.
2. Tons of feedback from Admissions Committee Members
3. Essay samples

What doesnt:

1. Essay samples are limited to people who were leaders, consultants, etc etc. I dont believe these form the majority, Instead, I think the majority applicants are engineers, investment bankers and people from Asia. So the examples should have been chosen to fit that demographic too. I am more interested to see how an engineer represented himself well to get into a B-school, rather than read an essay of someone who was in the Army asa Lieutenant. It doesnt help much by publishing essays of people who're inherently different because of a very rare background.

2. Nothing much has really changed over the 2002 edition of the book. So, if you have the old one, I dont think this is worth buying. You could just use the library.

This book was perfect for my daughter who is struggling to figure out what life is all about. Once she started reading this book, she couldn't stop talking to me about what the book said. The book really helped her understand things that I couldn't help her with. I am very happy that I purchased this book for my daughter. I highly recommend it for anyone who has a teenage that is struggling to figure out life.

Wow, I devoured the book "The Success Principles for teens" in 3 days and I am absolutely amazed how you are able to attack EVERY SINGLE negativity a teenager could possibly have. That fear, excuse, or problem - all answered. I have to admit, besides completely revamping my whole outlook on life, this IS the best book I've read in all of school.

Read about those who did what they wanted to do despite their realistic external conditions or situations. The Authors have studied those people who did what they wanted to do, even those who did something that no one had done previously. The Success Principles are a result of those studies.
Is there something you want to do? Is the next step reading, learning and applying The Success Principles to your own life? You've got the potential, just the same as those examples in the book who succeeded in doing what they wanted.
It's up to you......!

This is yet another great tool for teens from Jack Canfield...
Let's give them ALL the tools and inspiration we can to achieve success in life. I also recommend his latest book on the Law of Attraction Jack Canfield's Key to Living the Law of Attraction: A Simple Guide to Creating the Life of Your Dreams for teenagers- After reading it myself I bought it as a gift for several teens as well. Both of these are written on a level that speaks to all ages!
Thanks Jack!

The Success Principles for Teens is a phenomenal book! I wish I would have had a copy as a pre-teen or teenager. It would have saved me a lot of needless pain & suffering. This book teaches teens how to take responsibility for their lives, set goals, and establish healthy self-esteems and healthy self-perceptions. It encourages the reader to be persistent and to give their best no matter what. Each chapter is sprinkled with inspiring stories that back up the 20 principles. It is extremely fun and entertaining to read while teaching important life skills. I am 27-years old and was motivated to take the suggestions in the book. Implementing these suggestions has absolutely changed my life for the better. I am now goal oriented and have a much more positive outlook on life. This book made me feel that I finally have the tools necessary to deal with the real world.

I'm still reading and working with this book. It is very helpful and informative.

This workbook describes in a very simple and comprehensive way exactly what self-esteem is, and breaks down the otherwise erroneous cemented beliefs we've had of what it means to have and to build self-esteem. The writers are clever and humorous while they walk the reader through a process of enlightenment using a no nonsense approach to each chapter. I've really enjoyed this workbook. It has definitely helped to change my thinking and helped me grow.

this book is one of the most commonly borrowed books by patients. they report liking it and it helping them in making progress in their journey to greater sense of self worth. i personally liked it, as well. easy read. not the most academically-based, researched book, but, then, it's supposed to be an applied workbook. another reviewer wrote about not liking the anti-gay sentiments. i, maybe not as astute as that writer, found that the issue wasn't as much anti-gay as it is the person who is gay who doesn't accept one's self. either way, it's turned out to be an excellent book, i would recommend it and i think that it was definitely worth the purchase price, new.

I LOVE this book. I'm only on chapter 4 and am amazed at the things I have learned. This book really makes you think and understand things and change without realizing it. This book helps you to undertand the way you should feel about yourself, it identifies right and wrong thinking about yourself and it helps you to see who you are inside. Which is a good thing! I've always either been terrified to really look at myself or I've just known i wasn't worth anything. Now I'm in the process of rethinking this and knowing better. This workbook is a must own for anyone who doesn't KNOW that their self worth is equal to everyone around them and KNOW who they are and what makes them who they are.

Self-esteem is often talked about in therapy offices and schools, but I find many of my clients have difficulty grasping what it is exactly. This book untangles the mystery through self quizzes, exercises, and very readable, understandable information. I use it with adults and teens who seem to benefit immensely. Worth having on your self-help or therapy book shelf!

Excellent book for beginning network marketers. Mostly useful for avoiding the pitfalls of network marketing.

By Mark Yarnell's own admission the prospecting methods in this book are obsolete. His Holy Grail material which is very recent is recommended for effective rejection free prospecting methods.

Anyone thinking about, just got started or who happens to be thinking about getting started in this awesome industry, needs to invest in themselves and read this book. Why make the same mistakes when these 20 year veterans have already done so. All we have to do is be good students and learn from them. People make this business out to be something it's not. True we have been conditioned to have a boss and sit behind a desk but it doesn't have to be that way. The Yarnells can show you how to take back your life and be glad you did. There is no second chance.

As a "new professional" in the field of network marketing, this is a must read for anyone who really wants to succeed. Gives one the basic, heads up information we need to make it in today'smarket.

This is a great book to start with because it points out not only the plus side of sticking with this business, but it prepares you for the negatives too. Along with that you are given ways to persevere and be a success. I recommend this book to my team members and have used it in training.
You'll appreciate the advice on dealing with rejection and the information on holding good meetings. This has helped me to grow a team from 10 to 600 in 10 months! Mindy McCortney

My husband can't put the book down! This is THE book to read for anyone interested in Network marketing.