Careers Books

Very objective. The book helps to drop some myths and show you the real true behind poor countries and why volunteering by itself is unable to change this reality.

I did extensive research before going overseas to volunteer, and this book was my bible, beacon, guiding light, whatever you want to call it. It answered questions I didn't even know I had, and opened my eyes to the various ways I could accomplish a goal that, at the beginning, I thought had very few options for accomplishment. The appendix is incredibly thorough, and that alone could be a great resource. This book changed my ideas about how I wanted to volunteer, and in the end I completely restructured my plan and had a wonderful experience abroad. I would have felt very lost without this resource..

I am a former PC volunteer (RPCV) so my review may be considered jaded but the overview of the PC I found to be detailed and full of useful information but with many negative comments. A good example is the statement that, "the Peace Corps is overwhelmingly made up of young, inexperienced people fresh out of college." This struck me as odd since, for example, the authors load praise on WorldTeach for placing "volunteers with little or no teaching experience (and) WorldTeach succeeds in getting its volunteers started as teachers." So, it's okay for WT but not for PC?

I know as one of those who was "fresh out of college" that the Peace Corps did an outstanding job of teacher training and our group had many retired teachers who acted as mentors. Yes, my experience is just in one program and the Peace Corps is big so the situations can vary, for sure, but I would like people considering overseas opportunities to consider all programs. Now having worked in a variety of work situations in my adult life, I realize: bad bosses and inadequate training and, on the reverse, fantastic working conditions and fabulous perks exist and these programs are not immune to any of that.

Good luck to anyone seeking such an experience and, good, bad, or otherwise, it will change your perception of your host country, American culture, and, most profoundly, yourself.

This guide is very informative, but I was hoping it give me a better idea of what it's like to volunteer overseas, and how I could get involved. It's got good references, but I didn't really learn anything that I didn't already know before.

There are so many volunteer opportunities available that I really didn't know where to start my search. This book is a terrific resource. It goes into exactly the detail I was looking for: nature of the work, country, cost, what type of volunteer a particular group suits and how to get started. My daughter, who is in college, loved it as well ... and has begun exploring volunteer opportunities, too. I highly recommend this book.

Women, and particularly Moms, face emotional challenges daily, such as: Did I love my children well? Am I presenting my best self professionally and coming across confidently? Am I subconsciously harboring insecurities about writing which ultimately keep me from putting pen to paper?

Don't get me wrong: this is a book about writing and taking practical steps to getting published, focusing on freelance writing but also including nonfiction; it does not presume to be a psychological book at all. HOWEVER, Katz hints at something a bit deeper and more subtle throughout the book: don't get overwhelmed, just take it one step at a time.

I like Christina Katz's approach of taking small steps slowly in achieving your goals. In truth, it is remarkably comforting to see it that way, and of course, it is the only way to go. Obviously I shouldn't be going for the front cover feature on my first try.... As a young writer, this book made me realize my own tragic flaw: I wanted to be happy, smart, articulate, and semi-famous, and that without much effort at all...

Katz demonstrates the "you can do it" mentality by the broad and very complete scope of issues that she deals with in the book (check out the table of contents to see what I mean). She takes nothing for granted, but clues you into all the big and little steps some people may assume you already know. I knew next to nothing about freelance when I picked it up, and now I am not nearly as intimidated by the freelance world.

And her good news is, work can be pleasurable and even fun! Browsing through the aisles of Barnes and Noble (or your bookstore of choice), with a hot beverage in hand, looking for the zeitgeist amongst bestsellers to get ideas for articles (getting "geisty" as she calls it)... how much more fun could it get?! If you are a born writer, you will hear her voice calling you like a siren, and you will find her tips, ideas, and her encouragement to write irresistible!

I happen to be a freelance writer and a young mother, and this book teaches me a ton about how to do better at the first without sacrificing time or quality of care for my son. While the book does not actually cover how to get things done around a baby, she does do an admirable job of teaching you how to get the most out of a few minutes, and that is what I needed to know. Thank you for the EXCELLENT book!

I don't care if you are a Writer Mama, a Writer Dad or a singleton without kids, this book is indispensable if you want to become a writer/author and get published! As opposed to most books out there about writing that are intimidating and overwhelming, Ms. Katz's tone is warm and helpful. She shows you how to get published even though you don't have a newspaper column that 300,000 people read every week or a marriage to a famous celebrity. (For those of you in the dark here, I'm talking about Jessica Seinfeld and her book Deceptively Delicious. We all know she got that book deal because of her marriage to Jerry.) But I digress. Perhaps more important, Writer Mama is very well organized and filled with practical information. If I ever get published, it will be because of Writer Mama! So if you want to be a published author, don't walk, but run to your nearest Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore. Or better yet, let your fingers do the work and place the order now on Amazon.

Christina Katz is the Queen of the Query!

Members of our writers' group read, discussed, and applied Katz's inspiring principles. Her section on query letters is particulary informative, with professional examples.

Katz never claims that being a writer mama is easy. Rather, she offers helpful tips and encouragement to prevent "mommy mush mind." Our favorites? That even the smallest amount of writing is writing, and how to "Get your name known."

[...]

Okay, I use this book's title as my Amazon name. Think I like it?

Moms don't have much time to read. Author Christina Katz knows this. We carve out ten minutes here and there. That's how this book should be read: in ten-minute blocks.

This book is practical. Katz inserted tons of useful ideas into each chapter, so you can read a chapter, grab your notebook or journal, and brainstorm ideas. Or you can take your kids to the library and scan magazine racks, taking notes on the magazines titles, subjects and tables of contents. Just keep one eye on your kids while you're scanning the racks, or you'll have to re-shelve twenty books. I speak from experience. :)

Katz also tells moms which kinds of articles sell, and which kinds we have time to write, like tips, fillers and lists.

Buy this book. You'll learn a lot, and you'll actually have time to read it.

Very bad book, everything it says is intuitive. I dont recomend it if you have just a little experience interviewing people.

This book if full of helpful information and is organized in a way that makes it easy to use for reference purposes. Give it a once through and then shelve it for reference purposes. This one is worth having in your management collection.

I have been using Martin Yate's "Hiring the Best" since the late 1990s. This is an excellent reference book for human resource departments, hiring managers, and, also, for those in-transition. I refer to the book when hiring key employees and I encourage those who work for me to use it for interview preparation.

Yates provides a review of situational, personality profile, stress, and behavioral interviewing approaches; knock-out questions; and over 200 questions that will be useful in assessing ability, willingness, and manageability.

Hiring capable, motivated people is considered to be the most important management task. A poor decision results in a whole host of negative outcomes including lost time,expense,poor morale, and, possibly, irreversible negative outcomes. "Hiring the Best" will serve you well when filling open positions in the private, public, or the social sector.

Any manager with hiring authority knows that selecting the "right" candidate for any position is a nerve-wracking task. Professional processes can help you screen, interview and review, but the final choice is often as much art as science. Author Martin Yate's basic book can help inexperienced managers hire effectively, although this useful primer on interviewing and hiring is a little wordy. Yates provides great detail about key steps, such as when to schedule a phone interview, what to ask and how to conduct an interview. He even provides numerous sample questions for each major job category, from entry level to management. Is it a little too basic? Perhaps for some, but we recommend it for new managers who are inexperienced at hiring. Although this book covers the fundamentals of hiring, it can't guarantee that you'll make the right choice every time. Then again, that book probably hasn't been written.

Like many small business people, I was a complete bozo at hiring for many years. Fortunately, at some point I woke up to that fact and decided to educate myself. I took classes, read books and did everything I could to become a skilled interviewer. Without question, one of the most helpful tools to escaping Bozoland was this book. Although I am now a freelance business consultant and have no employees of my own, I frequently assist my clients with their own hiring processes, and in so doing I still refer extensively to Martin Yate's excellent book.

That said, this is definitely one of the strangest business books I've read in a long time - and this is the genre I read about 95% of the time. About half way through the book I was saying to my friends "can you believe she's writing about sleeping with Bill Gates in this book?" - but you know what? I was talking about it, I was creating buzz for the book and I certainly couldn't put it down. I don't know if you'd describe the author Christine as likeable, nor would I say she's trying to be: she's flawed, but she knows it (and aren't we all), she's a character (wait a minute, she's a monk, a geisha, a burnout, a tech-head, an investor, an entrepreneur - make that she's multiple characters), but by the end of the book I really connected with the message that she was trying to put out. Interesting and slightly shocking reading, definitely not predictable.

Kirsty Dunphey, Author - Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can

Rules for Renegades: How to Make More Money, Rock Your Career, and Revel in Your Individuality

As a retired mid level executive,my first reaction was regret that I had not read this 60 years ago when I was attempting to find myself. Later on I needed this book many times over as I struggled to "fit in and still preserve my idenity". This book would have helped and been a guide. After reading it twice over, I realized it was not too late for me and we bought books for our grown children, siblings and grand-daughters. I feel certain it will be a valued gift and useful guide. For me, never too late to late to learn.

This is a recommended read no matter where you are on your wealth journey. The author doesn't hold back! She willingly shares her personal self to drive home what she's painstakingly learned to define and drive wealth both personally and professionally.

TD's review was absolutely correct. This book is not a business resource book, but rather a self-serving, ridiculous recount of this author's affairs with wealthy businessmen. I bought this book because it was recommended in a trade magazine that I believed had credibility. No more! Ms. Comaford-Lynch's only business advice seems to be to promise to deliver on a business venture you know nothing about, start a company to provide that service, and - gosh darn it! - hope for the best. If you fail, you fail. Sleeping her way to the top seems to be the only surefire recommendation she has to offer.

I was really disappointed in this book. Do renegades even abide by rules? The book is a hollow collection of platitudes backed up by stories of dubious escapades. Not so much a book about business as a memoir book masquerading as a business book.

It is a fairly breezy read, however that's the problem. It breezes over many details, lacks depth, and throws in points that should be explained and are not. The author also contradicts herself in a damning manner.

First she admits to not having researched a business idea before going into it head first. She goes into training as a Geisha (no really, she does) and only after meeting someone who would become her benefactor does it dawn on her that being a Geisha means she would become a kept women. Seems to me that this is something that you should know going in, before you decide to set up a Geisha House in the US; and especially before you start training as a Geisha.

The second and most damning admission is that of her business partner. He is none other than a notorious cult leader to whom she gives half of her earnings. He is not mentioned until approximately half way into the book. Then only as an after thought does she slip in the "donations" she makes. She is forced to make these admissions because it leads into why she had to start over after this ultra-succesful business failure. She had "given" him half of the business, he wanted more.

After that chapter it was difficult to read on. How do listen to someone who sides with a cult leader, and says he is her "spiritual guide", and defends him; while admitting he is out for her money? She glosses over her involvement with this "guru", which makes it much harder to believe anything she says.

The author is typical of the Tech Elite, they will follow the hokiest of organizations, Gurus, Religions, Collectives looking for "meaning", which they never find. The failure of each new "fad", mostly New Age fads leads to them flailing desperately for some way to justify their existence. In this book, I recognize many of my former co-workers (Tech Elite). The author's failure to address this, is a major shortcoming of the book.

The author hits on all the requirements of being an "expert". Write book, check; create catch phrases, check; "buzz" words they have made up, check; offer free gift of little to no value, check; mention website several times, check. Her favorite phrases are "rock your career" followed by "rock failure" which she uses more as a mantra, than an emphasis on a point.

I don't mind people marketing their services or wares; however it annoys me when a book purports to be one thing and turns out to be nothing but a pre-sales piece. Can you learn something from this book? Yes, I think you can, however it's not rules, and it's not about being a renegade.

Probably the best, easy-to-read book regarding coaching and mentoring for self-taught, busy managers.

This is a great "how to" book. It has plenty of "laundry lists" that all coaches must keep in mind at all times. It is one of the most comprehensive coaching books that I've seen for a long time. This "on my desk" book is guarranted to have plenty of high-liteing and dog-ears within a short period of time. This is a must for new or seasoned coaches and coaches-of-coaches.

First, let me disclose that I am a client of the author. So perhaps I should be upset with Mr. Brounstein for putting out a book that has the same information I paid him thousands of dollars to teach me. Buy the book.

Remember the first time you dealt with a difficult employee - the knot in your stomach as you called them into your office. Learn about giving constructive feedback instead of criticism, and you may just turn a problem employee into a model employee - it happened to me. The knot may not go away completely, but with this technique it will definitely be more manageable. Buy the book.

Work smarter not harder. Learn about Results-based Performance Management, and get results, not just busy employees. Teach your employees to manage themselves by holding them accountable for results, not just activities that you give them to do. Buy the book.

Learn about coaching techniques such as Tutoring With Questions that will get your employees to start answering their own questions - and getting the right answers. Buy the book.

About a year ago I suddenly found myself in charge of 100 employees that had been thrown together from different cultures as the result of mergers and corporate realignment. Through the techniques I learned from Marty that are revealed in this book, I have been able to build an effective team of managers who in turn have helped me turn the organization around. A year ago, we were missing committed deadlines one after another. Now, we consistently meet and often beat our commitments. I often refer to my copy of the book for a refresher on Marty's techniques and regularly refer my managers to the book when they run into difficult situations. Buy the book.

Just in case I forgot to mention it: Buy the book.

This would be an informational book for people who are coaching or mentoring others. There are lots of helpful tips on how to get others to work for you, not against you. These tips can be helpful when you want people to try their best.

This is an excellent book for both parents and kids and even teachers.
There are lots of ideas for everyone and the nice thing about it is that this book is easy to read and understand.
We need more books like this one.
Hats off to the author.

This book provides ideas for students, teachers and parents who want to make a difference but are not sure where to start.

This book was very helpful to me as I explained to my daughter about being a good person of service. The project ideas seem to relate well to the interest of kids and many can be done by the kids themselves. Other projects will require adult help.

I think this book is very good. As we read through the book, my daughter had many questions, as well as suggestions and modifications for certain projects. It was very thought provoking and inspiring.

This is an excellent resource for anyone working with youth and young adults, especially those in the non-profit field. The book provides ideas, helpful hints, and most importantly empowers youth to help their community.

All of the ideas are well thought out. Many of the activities can be altered, simplifed, or enhanced depending on your goals.

There are very helpful hints on how to create press releases, flyers, public service announcements, etc. This is a helpful guide for youth and a great resource for adults.

I recommend this book to anyone who works with youth and young adults that are committed to helping others.

This is a quick and easy to read book, equally valuable for parents, teachers and kids. It's absolutely filled with fantastic ideas, some of which can be implemented almost immediatly, while some will take a bit longer. Great resource for teaching responsibility and community service!

Over the years I've read a lot of self-improvement books. I was particularly impressed with Live the Life You Love: In Ten Easy Step-By Step Lessons."

Barbara Sher gives 10 suggestions: (1) Find the hidden motivators in your life. (2) Gather an unusual support system. (3) Uncover the buried feelings that hold you back. (4) Learn an easy trick to clearing space and making time. (5) Discover the gifts that make you different. (6) Overcome the biggest obstacle in your path. (7) Access an "idea bank." (8) Use a dress rehearsal to work out problems. (9) Create a tool that makes the final steps a breeze. (10) Create a path that will lead you straight to the life you love.

I found three tips particularly helpful. The author suggests ways to incorporate the things that give us joy into our daily lives, without needing to give up our day jobs.

She describes how to draw on the experience and expertise of others in a most creative, effective way.

And she explains that we're genetically programmed to resist change. Sher gives some easy ways to deal with that resistance, dispelling the notion that we must be weak or unmotivated if we resist, procrastinate or otherwise sabotage our dreams.

All in all a practical book that is both easy to read and easy to implement.

I bought this book based on a recommendation given during a session aimed at helping employees prepare for retirement. I found the book disappointing and full of the sort of liberal arts twaddle that passes for wisdom but is not at all helpful for someone looking into retirement options.

By today's standard this book is an old timer having been published ten years ago in 1996 but like all things worthwhile it has some very good qualities. The purpose of the book appears to be one of mindset preparation prior to engaging the new life the reader would like to live. It gets the reader to look inward and to understand the feelings one has as well as to recognize one's natural gifts. Importantly, Barbara Sher gets the reader to recognize the resistance we all sometimes feel when called to action and then she deals with ways of overconming it. The reader is taken to the starting line and then encouraged to dig in one's heels and to move out when the opening shot is fired. A good book for those in need of developing perspective in preparation for dealing with the new life they would like to live.

Who are you, and where are you going? If you don't know, this book will help you find the answers.

Personally I found the "exercises" too simplistic, but I have been around the bend and back again with my life choices.
May be appropriate for a newbie to the life/career adventure circuit. ;-)

This book offers great ways to overcome the impact of stress and emotions on the learning process. As an educator, I have come to believe that these issues are at the root of many "learning disabilities" that are becoming so common. I honestly hope that someday these sorts of activities will become an automatic part of our educational system from early childhood. This book is very practical, so I would recommend reading up on the neurobiology that underlies the connection between learning and emotion. If you do, you will be very convinced of the importance of these methods. Take a look at this, too! Power Brain Kids

Based on reviews, I was so certain I would like this book, I ordered 2--one for a gift. I was hugely disappointed. The information would have fit in a pamphlet instead of spread out in an oversized book with big margins. I don't like being repeatedly told what I am about to read and then re-reading it at least two more times, sometimes on the same page, and it is riddled with unnecessary cutesy drawings. I have found very similar information free on the internet.

This is the book I have been looking for for a long time. We had private BrainGym classes with a BrainGym instructor to help my son's social skills and attention. It worked fine. But it is just too expensive($85/hour). What she did to my son is just what the book describes about ten step change process. In brainGym it is called repatterning/balance. It is very powerful. I would like to learn. So I can do it for my son. But none of BrainGym books give you complete description/steps to do it. Instead they recommend you to take their classes/workshop for several hundred dollars to learn it. It is like a secret. And you need to pay several hundred dollars in order to get the secret. This book is so good and it gives comprehensive instructions. And it tells the secret. And it is easy to follow and implement. I recommend everybody get it and try it. It will work on many areas.

I haven't even finished reading the book yet, but I would whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone who is looking to create a greater sense of clarity and well-being in his or her life. I've been doing the "Quick Six" and have noticed an unmistakable increase in my enjoyment of life. I'm working on a dissertation and these exercises have helped me be able to better focus, concentrate, and stay on task--a true God-send since I lean toward ADD and my mind tends to jump all over the place. I've even taught the Quick Six to my Educational Psychology students to help them get through finals. Doing the exercises makes me feel kind of silly, but hey--they work!!

An interesting book, containg a lot of ideas for exercises to helpthe brain make those vital connections that occassionally get missed out in early childhood. If your not into exercises, then just reading the book is also interesting, and has helped us to understand how the brain develops in those important early years. It gives added motivation for ensuring your children are physically active and learn to use their hands and feet to improve co-ordination so important for later years. Whether you can really change the characteristics of a baby to make an improvement I don't know, but theres nothing to lose by reading it. My only regret is that I don't seem to have enough time to read it regularly at the moment, but hopefully I will soon.

I like this book. I have San Diego's fire exam coming up and this is helping me alot. Very detailed.

We really enjoyed this book. We read it out loud and I was repeatedly reminded that we needed to "read the book tonight!" I especially liked that Rufus sews saddlebags. I enjoy any opportunity to show that tasks can be completed by either males or females. The issue of ethnicity was also nicely addressed, something I wasn't expecting, and a pleasant surprise.

However, my original interest in the book was to read something enjoyable that taught a little bit of finances. The book did this very well for the first half or maybe even three quarters of the story. After that, there was definitely a turning point where I felt the information was rushed and I could tell even my 9 year old noticed because of the types of questions he was asking.

So, my recommendation is parents be prepared to discuss price competition, stock certificates and income tax requirements. One should plan on reading a little slower towards the end of the story. Despite the speedy pace of the end chapters, this is still one of the best stories I've read to spur a child's interest in entrepreneurship.

As others have covered the plot synopsis, I will not repeat it.

I am 40 years old, and read this book as a child. I had completely forgotten about it, but all of a sudden the fond recollection of it popped into my head recently. As my own chldren are now 11, 9 and 7 years old I thought it would be worth checking out again.

All of my children loved it. My 11 year old read it on his own in about two days, and then my 9 year old and I took turns reading it aloud.

While all the reviewers have mentioned the positive message about race relations, another positive message to me was the idea that even children can really accomplish something besides just sitting in school all day. Most of the adventure books we read involve wizards or fairies or talking animals, and while these are tons of fun they never give kids the sense that these stories relate directly to the lives they are leading.

While the idea of kids opening up a factory and driving big companies out of business is of course a bit unrealistic, the fact is that kids really can go into "business" in smaller ways. My daughter (the 7 year old) is already organizing a yard sale of her baby stuff for when the weather warms up.

I highly recommend this book.

I picked up the book, The Toothpaste Millionaire, and couldn't put it down. This book is pure genius. It's fast moving. But beware, it ends in suspense. I wish there was a sequel!

I did not find the book as fascinating as all the foregoing reviewers (and I have read hundreds of juvenile books of this reading level), but I can imagine grade 3-6 students rating it more highly--and that is what counts. It can even be a read-aloud for the teacher of grades 3 or 4. I would place it in my classroom library, but it is not a book I could enthusiastically introduce.

The suspense was mild, the climax almost predictable. Nevertheless, the author has an attractive, casual style; the vocabulary is simple; and the story flows easily. But it does have that Bank Street Reader feel, which is what it used to be--like some basal/reading text for grades 3-5.

One attractive aspect of the book is that it does not ignore race or ethnicity, and integrates them in a positive, refreshing manner.

The "Reader's Guide" (test questions) at the end of the book turned me off; it made me feel uncomfortable--I hope teachers won't use it. I think a children's book should be enjoyed for sheer pleasure.

This is the best book ever , I could'nt stop reading it .
I even asked the librarian if I could buy it . Wow this book
is awsome . Read it!!!!!!!!!!!!