Careers Books

Mama Bear has decided she wants to open her own quilt shop because she loves to make quilts. Plus, she is very creative and tailors each quilt to fit the person. (Brother has an airplane quilt.) This book teaches little ones that you can achieve what you love to do. Just like Mama Bear.

Unlike one of the previous readers, I am thrilled to know that Mama Bear has been able to start her own business as a quiltmaker as well as rear her children and maintain her home with Papa Bear. Because Mama is using her skills and talents as a quiltmaker, she is able to work for herself, create her own hours and still be there for the cubs; which UNTIL they are grown and on their own, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT job she could have. If she had become a "brain surgeon", she would definitely have to put her family on the backburner for patients and others. Mama is a true hero, an example of a woman who knows how to prioritize her life, and still be independent. Family first, career later. Way to go, Mama!!!!

This book is a true classic. Everything about it raises the standard for all other works of literature.

The Berenstain Bears and Mama's New Job is but another great book from the Berenstain Bears series. In the beginning, the cubs are a tad apprehensive about the idea of their mama leaving them to start a career as a quilt-maker. But, with a little time and thinking, the two realize they are not losing their mama when she ventures into the career world after all. This book is great and has a wonderful message, as do all the books in the series. The illustrations are wonderfully done as well. I would recommend this book to anybody with children.

Like most of the Berenstain Bear books, the main subject is a matter that worries children or parents. In this case, the stay-at-home mama gets a job, classically over the objections of Papa. The children, excuse me, cubs, express their concerns about this major change and mama tells them how she hopes to cope. Cope they do, and Mama is very happy with her decision to open a quilting shop.

The amusing part is that Mama gets a lot of quilting done as she prepares to open her shop! How does she do it? Most of us find it tough to parent two children and sew, let alone finish a half dozen quilts at the same time as we clean up a shop and organise a business.

The small flaws of this book, as with the rest of the Berenstain Bears books, don't discourage my daughters, and don't detract from the main thrust of the discussion. That is the point of this series, after all.

From the other reviews I expected a funny, laugh out loud book about motherhood but I never once found myself laughing out loud. It was okay. She kinda just rambled from one thing to another. Didn't keep me interested and wanting to come back for more.

If divine laughter paired with spiritual insights is needed for a collection strong in spirituality, then Finding Grace When You Can't Even Find Clean Underwear is the perfect item of choice. It discusses what's important and what's not in the scheme of realizing spirituality in everyday living, and it chapters are as zany as 'Are Corporate Witches Getting a Bum Rap?' to 'Can you Blackberry Your Way to Happiness?' For a blend of everyday living advice, humor, and spiritual insights, this can't be beat and its title alone will have any general-interest public library lending collection excited.

I laughed 'til I cried!! Oh so funny but true. First get this book for yourself and then get it for every woman on your list...mom's day, teachers' end of year gift, etc. The man in your life could use it, too.

Lisa McLeod scores with this wonderful look into the lives of 21st Century women and issues of today. The collection of stories is hilarious, heartfelt and leaves you feeling as if finally, here's a woman who "gets it." She is a rare combination of compassion with razor sharp wit.

Lisa Earle McLeod must be the long-lost love child of Erma Bombeck and Scott Peck: She serves up spiritual enlightenment, savvy business advice, and deadly-accurate relationship insights with a wit is so deliciously wicked, you'll laugh 'till your frappuccino comes shooting out of your nose. My favorite chapters were: Does Budda need Botox? Is Your Brain Ruining Your Life? and Why Does Mom Always Hold the Barf Bucket?

McLeod is a true original: smart, funny, spritual and insightful -- all squeezed into a french fry box.

I devour her newspaper column every week, I loved this book, and I can't wait to read her other ones.

I was extremely disappointed with this book. This book is full of Mr. Kennedy's and his buddies adventures in business but has very little for a person starting up a business. Don't waste your money on this book. I found better information on the internet.

I operate a media-related business and let's just say I like dealing with
people more than some of the nitty-gritty details of running a business.
Since my business is growing I needed advice in many different areas like
hiring employees or contractors, getting my accounting finished, finding an
attorney/partner and all of the different taxes that must be reported and
paid. Believe me all of this can be a headache to those who just want to
concentrate on a business they are passionate about, so I like this book
because it gets down to details without going through a lot of obvious or
useless information. The author (Joe Kennedy) also provides a lot of
comments on how these things really manifest in the real-world. For example
he explains about how some taxes should be reported and paid exactly on time
to avoid problems, but he gives examples of others where business owners can
fudge a little. This alone can pay for the book many times over.

I also like how the information is organized. Everything is explained in
macro terms as each section begins, but then heavy-duty details follow. So
you can open up to just about any section (for example payroll taxes or
medical savings accounts) and get right into it. Finally get ready because
the book is thick with information but the writing style makes it easy to
follow. I recommend reading one chapter per day over two weeks and this
will allow time to think about all of the new information overnight.

The only problem I saw with the book is that the chapters on Hiring/Firing
and Taxes were maybe a bit too long but who can complain for getting too
much information? This is not one of those "feel-good" cheerleader type
business books, but instead offers lots and lots of practical information
that you will need every day.

The web site [...] is also useful especially
as they add more and more documents to the document downloads section.
Readers get free access to the goodies on this site.

Jeff Heckler, The Solutions Group

When I signed up with an Internet company they sent me a copy of this book
as some kind of promotion but it's well worth the full retail price.
Sometimes "sign up" gifts turn out to be not so good but I do get a lot of
mileage out of Kennedy's new book. Many entrepreneurs (like me!) are very
good in one particular area, say e-commerce, but are not so aware of the
many other facets of running a business - and that's why this book is great.
I am an Internet kind of guy but "The Small Business Owner's Manual" or
"TSBOM" as they call it has a lot of relevant info on building and promoting
web sites and e-stores, however there are also has several chapters of very
solid material in the other dimensions of running a business - like forming
the entity and "hiring and firing" and minimizing taxes and my favorite part
is when the book explains a businesses' "unique selling proposition."

I keep it on the shelf just behind my desk and whenever something comes up
this is often the first place I look. Even though I am happy to jump to the
Internet, this book is better and faster than most searches, since it's
focused on small business owners and not on selling something and it is
solid information and not a lot of obvious things you already knew.

PS The book also has an Internet site, [...], where you can ask the author questions - which he does answer - and there are free downloads of most commonly used business documents and agreements.

It's nice to get a coffee cup as a promotional gift but this book is about
operating a serious business. If Kennedy ever writes a new version I'll buy
it.

The Small Business Owners Manual is a practical addition to any office. I didn't have to read the whole book and map it out to make it useful. Using the Contents page and the bold face paragraph titles, I can go quickly to the subject of interest and get crisp, meaningful information. It's the best I've seen - not bulked up with wasted words. You can order it with a few keystrokes and put it to use within minutes after receiving it.

This is an excellent book that gives practical, invaluable and enlightening advice to entrepreneurs. It covers a wide range of relevant topics including such areas as the start-up process, marketing the business on a small budget, cash-flow forecasting, resource gathering, business plans, legal entities, financing, e-commerce/e-business and insurance and it does so in a simple and remarkably engaging manner.

Joe Kennedy's life as a `successful entrepreneur is fascinating and inspiring, and his first class education coupled with his wealth of entrepreneurial success, give his advice and insights the maximum credibility. He reinforces his message with interesting, witty and enlightening stories. The book is an invaluable resource to any person who is either currently involved or thinking about getting involved in any type of new venture.

The book is an excellent companion that contains a wealth of useful and helpful information and ideas on starting a small business and ensuring that it is viable and successful that is well worth having.

I agree with the previous comments on Corinne's book. I found it throughly useful and practical, as well as her course. Both are a must for aspiring translators. The emphasis is on "practical", with essential information to make your career as a freelance translator successful..as the book says! enjoy and follow Corinne's advice!

Very interesting book, easy to read, refreshing and helpful. The author gives some web pages rather useful. She pictures the translator work in a quite optimistic way, somehow. But she also provides the necessary piece of advice to face the translation career. It is worth buying and reading, anyway.

This book has a lot of easy to read information. It has tips on how to organize a home office, how to manage time and lots of examples of correspondence between a beginning freelancer and potential clients. Useful and pertinent.

This book is really good. If you want to start working and don't want to read endless theories about translating buy it.

The author obviously knows a lot about the subject, and does a good job of covering all the important aspects of the business. However, the book is a bit short, sacrificing depth for breadth. It's a good resource, though.

This is certainly a good textbook, but reading it was a real chore. The style is very dry and I had a really hard time maintaining my focus on the text. (The Amazon review claims that this book is "engaging" - um, no.) When I could stay focused, though, I learned quite a bit. Chapter 5 - Assessment and Career Planning - had the most useful info, with lots of assessments listed and their uses.

This book covers wide range of topics! I will definitely use it to study for the NCE!

I used this as a textbook for my Career Counseling class (master's level). The book was a good overview of career counseling. I found it to be highly readable, well-written, and well organized.

It's about time! Someone has finally written a career development textbook that is enjoyable to read. I loved this book and recommend it to anyone interested in learning about career development interventions.

Read this book back in 1993 when I graduated from college. Wow! Just what I needed at that time in my life. It's a great book to use for direction on ones life, again, especially after college. However, it's great in general. I have given this book as gifts since 1993. From my siblings, to my best friends, and my students who have graduated. This book will change the way you see yourself, those around you, and the world. A must read. Enjoy!

I like this book since many of the self-help authors only have about a chapter worth of good material. Og Mandino picked out his favorite chapters from his favorite books.

Og Mandino's University of Success is a success. Short and quick lessons start out by telling you that you are already a success and builds your self-esteem higher with every chapter. A must have for every entrepreneur.

This is a great book on success. Og Mandino's University of Success contains success stories from a number of individuals in one book! Highly recommended.

I have read everyone of Og Mandinos Books and all I can say is that he writes with brilliance, clarity, enthusiasm, and spirit. You can never go wrong with any of his books. He points out the path to success and motivates the spirit within to achieve all that we as human beings are capable. He helped me to tap into my innate genuis and create a life of prosperity and creativity. If you havent raed his books, start now and your journey of the spirit will begin. He was a born writer and even after his passing continues to have a great influence on many people old and young. He truly lived a purposeful and divine life. Go buy all his books and enjoy the growth and enlightenment. After that Buy my Book " Your daily Walk with the Great Minds of the Past and Present". Enjoy and rememeber you are capable of great things in your life.

This past fall I married a man with 2 children from a previous marriage - hence entering the world of stepmotherhood. I never ever thought I'd be here. I had spent the better majority of my life working hard to further my career and continue to find that part of my life both rewarding and very fulfilling. I knew likely I would marry - I had great interest in the companionship and lifelong partnership that would bring. But I have never had quite the same desire to be a mom, let alone a stepmom. Life has a funny way of interjecting an alternate path when you least expect it!

Since I met the kids almost 4 years ago, and knowing my relationship with their father was going to be serious, I started searching for support help and doing a lot of reading. But so much out there just never felt like it fit me...negativity, horror stories, or just basic differences - like me not bringing any kids into the equation on my side. I felt like the odd man out, and often felt more alien to stepmotherhood (or the possibility of it) than before I started reading. It is an ongoing "battle" for me. There are some days where I feel very confident in my role as stepmom. There are other days (many more than I would like to admit) where I feel out of sorts and paralyzed almost by the two kids running through my house.

But with this book my feelings were very different. I found myself affirming some of the lines with noticeable head nods and even outloud comments like "I'm not the only one" and "I knew it wasn't just me." It was great. It was like finding a positive, comforting and empathetic friend who spoke with candor and honesty but also with heart and passion for making stepmotherhood more welcoming, more understood, and most importantly, more valued than it often is.

So many stepmoms, especially those who bring no children of their own into the relationship, struggle to find their place with the children. And also come to terms with what this change means for them - both with their husband and with their career/independent life. My big struggle continues to be how to balance my professional life - which is probably the best it's ever been right now - with a personal life that to some extent, I never imagined myself a part of. But slowly, each day gets better, a little easier, more comfortable. Thanks largely in part to a very strong, supportive husband.

Ms. Fletcher's book was refreshing, positive, and very helpful. Put it at the top of your list if you are going to be involved as a stepmother, now or in the future. Few take on the topic like Jacque does.

This book is a fun read --- lots of good tips here as you attempt the completely impossible! Let's face it, none of us are superwoman. We're going to excel in our jobs and fall short in our marriage and family, or else just the reverse. It's hugely challenging to succeed in every aspect of life.

Look for balance here. Find an idea that will help you connect with your stepkids better --- this book is full of them. Find an idea that will help you manage your time better; this book does that well also.

Great reading for all of us busy stepmoms!

Barbara Sheldon, M.S.W.
I also highly recommend: Moving Forward After Divorce: Practical Steps to * Healing Your Hurts * Finding Fresh Perspective * Managing Your New Life

This book is perfect for anyone with or without experience of being a stepmom. I am new to being a stepmom and thought I had horrible feelings and thoughts until I read this book and it explained exactly what I had been feeling. Now I am an educated stepmom and ready to handle the challenges that come along with the job.

I've given this book to many friends who find themselves dating men with children (or marrying these men with children) and feedback is always the same: I DON"T KNOW WHAT I'D DO WITHOUT THIS BOOK!

Fletcher's advice is insightful and "liveable". She can save you heartache and headaches.

It's a must read and a very thoughtful gift.

This is a positive straight-forward handbook and a must-have for any woman contemplating marrying or dating a man with kids. There are so few GOOD and empowering books written for single women and this is it. I bought this book and gave it to my girlfriend who is also dating a single dad after I read it. I've logged on to buy another copy for myself! If you're looking for other step-family/parenting resources I also recommend anything by Ron Deal. www.successfulstepfamilies.com

i think this book is a really good book and i think that they have a problem with money and that they are really bad at that and i am to and my mom like tells me the same thing and it is cool just to have something that relates to my life and my mom tells me no don't spend all your money and stuff like that and that means i have a TEXT TO SELF and i love to read and it is cool. thats all i wanted to say. p.s. i love the bereanstain bear books they are so cool and i just love them and they are so cool i wish i could be a good writter just like you but you are a really good writter and if i could be like you i would but i am glad i am diffrent than everybody i love your books.

the illustrations are what got me interested in this book when I got it from a book club as a kid. It teaches a good lesson about money and how to not act spoiled, and the idea that money should not make you greedy

I like this book because it showed me not to spend all the money i receive for special occassions on things that i may not need but i want very badly. It showed me that i need to be very careful with money and that spending it on everything isn't always a good choice.
Alyssa Seifferly

This is an excellent book it really helps kids learn about money. The illustrations are perfect for my four year old

As an immigrant from England who survived perennial verbal assaults upon my supposed ethnic & religious roots with words I probably shouldn't type in here, this one I hadn't heard until I landed in Chicago in the '60s & got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. I gathered by the tone used by white Americans that it was a "bad" word. By the reactions to it, I saw it was also a "dangerous" one.

Then I listened as my boyfriend & his friends lobbed it between themselves all the time & I saw a whole 'nother use for it. Once, I forgot my station in life & used it too. All hell broke loose. Oops, sorry, wrong race, how 'bout that! So what about all those words you use for people of my gender?

40 years later, as a dumpy dowager, I asked a librarian in our little Northwest burg to see if they carried a copy of this book. Boy, was he stressed when I uttered the title word!

Professor Randall has illuminated the history & social meaning of this singular word in an engrossing, brief read. Should be on every high school reading list together with obligatory debates in which there's no censoring of the use of said word, along with all the others people throw at each other about their origins & worth!

Kennedy provides a wonderful account of the cultural history of a word that has wielded tremendous power throughout the course of American history in all its permutations. This word tells us as much about the American cultural landscape as the words 'liberty' or 'freedom' or 'equality' do.

Kennedy manages to discuss a big topic--the word's relation to race and racism, and its role in history, politics, law, literature and poetry, popular and folk music, and linguistics, and he does it in an intelligent, yet accessible, calm, well-balanced, and well-reasoned manner.

No small feat for such a tiny book. Although there are times where I wish he'd go into more depth, part of the book's charm is its brevity.

His discussion of the campaign to eliminate the word from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the dismissal of a Jefferson Community College professor, Central Michigan University coach, and other "misguided protests" should serve as a warning to all of us about the dangers of rashly pursuing legal/official action in order to enforce "politically correct" speech. As Randall wisely points out, an increase in reported verbal abuse CAN be a sign of racial progress insofar as one only bothers reporting such actions when one has a reasonable belief that there will be official or public condenmation of such actions. Wars over words spoken in a particular legitimate context, but nonetheless taken out of context, trivializes real human suffering when such words really are used as weapons. Kennedy even-handedly discusses both kinds of cases well and reminds us that, such things being as they are, even we as African Americans are divided over this complicated topic.

This is a very good book. It speaks about cases and thoughts of other peoples point of view of the usage of the word nigger.After reading this book i look at the N word very different. This book really makes you think when questions are being asked of the word. This book is something that you need to read. Reading this book you well be overwhelmed.

It's not very often that one comes across a totally fair and balanced yet excellent work of non-fiction. It's even more exciting when one comes across such a book by chance. I first saw this book at the local branch of the Los angeles Public Library. Its title, which carries the singlemost offensive and taboo word in USA, was the factor that intrgued me. I expected it to be a preachy, judgemental book. And was I wrong!

This is one of the best books of non-fiction that I ever read in my life. To me, it's a privilege to have read this book. I now consider Randall Kennedy, a Professor at the Harvard Law School and author of this book, to be one of the most level-headed, analytical and balanced authors I'm familiar with.

Without malice or biterness, Kennedy presents the history of the N-word and its connotation,at the same time making it clear that not every racist used it, or not every person who used this word was/is a racist. He puts forward arguments in opposition to the assertion, which is based on the past history of slavery in the US, by many people that while any white person's using this word is unacceptable, a black person can use it to address another black person.

Perhaps not everyone agrees with his line of argument; I'm sure he has many admirers and many others who denounce him. But the point is that he presents the whole case without any bias, malice or biterness towards anyone. He thoroughly studies the cases, gathers and analyzes all the data he could collect,m and then presents these to us. He's a detached narrator, the kind of people the present day world needs in abundance.

I picked this book up based on the title. I saw it sitting on the shelf and thought it would be a very honest book and worth reading.

The book offers a lot of information in forms of name, places, dates and events but it's not in such a dry manner that you feel like you're back in some boring high school class that you hated.

There is a lot of personality to the book, and being white, there were several times when I was expecting to turn the page and read something that was going to be really insulting to me based on my skin color. I was completely wrong, this book holds people accountable for the words they use.... no matter what color their skin. It's not written from the perspective of "you are to blame". It's written from the stand point of how,why, when, and where............ it's the first book in a long time that's prompted me to sit the book and take a few moments to think about what I just read.

The best part about it is that the book looks at the word in all the contexts that it is used. Which made for a very interesting read.

I think, although they probably wouldn't be allowed, this would be the perfect book for kids to read in school. Mainly because it's an important topic, and the book isn't written in the "I'm right, you're wrong" manner.. so it allows a great deal of room for thought on the points brought up in the book.

I did feel however, that something was missing from the end.
I didn't expect this book to "fix" anything or be a solution to any problems concerning the topic but the ending seemed really open in a bad way.

I would highly suggest this book to anyone interested in this topic, similar topics, and for young people especially.
I think a lot of people might be turned off by the title, but they are really missing out.

I saw Ms. Arron speak at workshop in 1996 when I was a law student at SMU. I figured that if I didn't want to end up burned out and dissatisfied practicing law maybe I should study how people come to find themselves in such situations. I bought the book two year before becoming a licensed attorney. For those wishing to take an unorthodox approach to the legal profession this is a great book to read prior to finishing law school.

I was saddened to learn that Ms. Arron died in 2002 from complications from bone marrow treatment. This work is groundbreaking and still a significant contribution to the body of literature realting to job dissatisfaction among attorneys.

I am also a little offended by the bitter tone of some of the "critics" of this book who posted their comments hear on Amazon. No, this book will not "solve your problems." However, it is a great resource to help people envision other pathways for their careers. I've never thought of any book as being the solution to a problem. Then again I also never thought that going to law school was going to gurantee me any degree of job satisfaction.

My problem with all these books that are supposed to help us lawyers find a job or a new career is that they assume we are already successful lawyers. Most of the advice offered is for people who've been practicing for years and therefore have an established network of contacts. The advice for those without experience in the law is geared toward those who already had another career prior to law and suggests that job seekers focus on that career.
This book, all the other "how lawyers can find job" books, and my useless Career Services Office simply assume that all job seekers have parents who are partners in law firms, great networks, and years of related experience.
Even the one of the good reviews given on this site is from someone who has years of experience. Duh! The book promises that it can help anyone at any level of their career. It fails.

I'm very disappointed in this book. As a recent law school grad WITHOUT years of experience, I was looking for ALTERNATIVES to practicing law at all!! Instead, this book wasted my time and money by assuming I would have the legal work experience to make me attractive to other professions or give me the knowledge to begin some business of my own.

All I really learned was what I already knew was available as an alternative -- teach!

Phoey!! What a waste of my money and time.

So many lawyers feel burned out, exhausted and stressed--and they don't where to turn next. This book is an easy and anonymous next step for lawyers exploring career change solutions.

Some of the other reviewers raised valid criticisms; parts of the book are very general indeed. However, for many lawyers, it's the ideal starting point for analyzing what they really want to do with their life.

Many lawyers I know have enjoyed this book's exercises for mapping out an ideal job and analyzing transferable skills. They also like the appendix listing jobs in and around the law; it's good for brainstorming possibilities.

As a lawyer coach, I particularly appreciate the chapter dealing with lawyers' finances. Far too many attorneys have no realistic handle on their spending--either personal or professional. Many don't know how much money they REALLY NEED to live on. A financial analysis and budget are critical parts of any job change.

The author peppered the book with links to websites listing jobs, salaries and benefits, and other job-hunting tips. The book functions well as intended: as a good starting point for lawyers contemplating career change.

I could sum this book up in eight words:
So you didn't like law school? Try teaching.
There I just saved you the time of ordering and reading it. This book was a typical one of those books you see in a public library with really basic common sense ideas and little insight.