Careers Books

The LinkedIn Personal Trainer is a great resource for ANYONE and EVERYONE who is just getting started on LinkedIn. As I started to use LinkedIn, I realized that I needed a good resource to help me use it more effectively. IF I would have purchased this book BEFORE I started to use LinkedIn, I would have saved myself dozens of hours of work.

I now use LinkedIn almost daily, and I still occasionally go back to The LinkedIn Personal Trainer and check out a feature or question.

If you are well experienced on LinkedIn and use it a lot, you probably will still find a nugget or two of help in Mr.Tylock's book. But, if you haven't started, or are just beginning to use LinkedIn, this is the "manual" to save you a ton of time, and quickly improve your LinkedIn effectiveness and usage. It's easy to read and takes you step by step, and answers the questions you were just about to ask.

I strongly recommend this book for those who are contemplating joining LinkedIn, or are just starting to use it.

A step by step guide on how to set up and use an account with LinkedIn. Not for the seasoned social networking but perfect for someone who has no idea what LinkedIn is but wants to learn and set up a profile page. With this book you will be set up and running in no time!

The LinkedIn Personal Trainer tells much more than just how to use LinkedIn. Rather than just showing what the screens are and how to enter data, this book tells you how to effectively use LinkedIn to increase your networking. In a step by step approach, author Steve Tylock gives advice on both building a profile that will get noticed, and on building, managing and using your connections.

I would recommend this book both for new users (as I was), and also for folks who are already are using LinkedIn, but want to get more out of it.

If you've spent any time whatsoever on networking activities, this book isn't for you. It seems to be aimed at those that have never done any networking at all. Very basic. I would not recommend this book to anyone unless you happen to be a novice at networking and don't mind spending almost $20 on a pamphlet.

I've been on LinkedIn for a while, and apparently I wasn't alone in not getting the most out of it. This book went through the many features available, but more importantly provided the succinct "next steps" needed to prod me along. Each practical section is like a lesson: here's what it is, here's how to use it, and here's what you need to do. Great advice for anyone looking to better understand and leverage the power of social networking.

I'm the mother of a two year old boy. I bought this book to read about other peoples relationships with their sons. I can relate to some and hope to relate to some later in our lives. The bond between us is so strong and its great to see others have that special bond too. Definitely a great book for all! It made me cry, smile and laugh pretty hard.

Every mother likes stuff like this so it was particularly meaningful. Everyone needs a little sentimentality in their life. Memories should be visited often.

This book and others are helping with sending my last child, my son,
off to college. He's fine and so ready to leave home, I'm a mess!
Wonderful light-hearted stories that brought tears, smiles and memories
back. Loved the book!

"Chicken Soup for the Mother and Son Soul" will capture the heart of any woman who has a son. The lump in my throat stayed the size of a basketball throughout my reading this moving collection of Mother and son tales. "Chicken Soup for the Soul" brings back page after page of tender, memorable moments we share only with our sons. This book makes an absolutely perfect gift, and is especially powerful for mothers who have all sons! I personally am published in this book, "My Sinking Heart" page 12, and I'm proud to be in company with hundreds of other sincere mothers telling truly heartfelt stories.Pork Chops and Applesauce: A Collection of Recipes and Reflections

I have read many of the chicken soup for the soul books and I like them all. This one is especially meaningful for me. I have four kids but only one son. My son was born three weeks early. His father was so excited to have a boy after three girls. The day I came home from the hospital I went to put my son to bed and came back to the living room to find my husband had collapsed. I called for an ambulance and it turned out that my husband had an aneurysm. They did tests and were able to find out exactly where it was and attempted surgery. Unfortunately it was not successful and he died a few weeks later. I did not want to be pessimistic when he went in the hospital but I knew he would not come out of the hospital. I believe my son was born early for a reason and that reason was so his father could know that he had a son. That is another reason my son is so special to me. This book had many stories I could identify with. If you are a mother with a son or sons I highly recommend reading this book.

This book still offersa wealth of information especially the chapter on new technology and Dream Careers. It is aimed at an executive or management person or military career person aiming to make a change in their life and their career. Extremely values-driven. It has been featured on WALL STREET JOURNAL, CBS NEWS, PBS, and more than 100 radio stations nationally. Also seen in Women's NOW magazine and numerous career pubs and newspapers ranging from LA TIMES TO SF CHRONICLE TO DENVER POST. For more information about the book email the author directly at joycecom@aol.com. Publishers note -- author is interested in updating the book with a book that will be titled : DO IT YOUR WAY: THE NEXT 20 YEARS

My wife is an avid fan, John Bradshaw's books are very easy to read and put into practice. A good book.

The style of this book surpasses anything that Mr. Bradshaw has written. In other words, although his other books are nice, his writing style is not fluent. He must have had help perhaps, but this one flows fluently. The quality of the material is earth shattering. Very few books have I read from cover to cover within a week and this one I did. This is something I can go over and over.

WHEN I READ THIS BOOK, I SAW MY FRIEND TIFFANY ALL OVER IT. SHE CREATES CONFRONTATIONS AND THEN WITHDRAWS. I THINK SHE NEEDS TO READ HIS OTHER BOOKS. I REALLY CARE FOR HER, SO I HOPE SHE DOESN'T TAKE IT PERSONAL THAT SHE CAN BE CRAZY AND STUBBORN AS AN OLD MULE. I THINK I READ A SENTENCE OR TWO ABOUT MYSELF ALSO.

I'm still reading this book. The first few chapters are a bit dry, but do set the scene for the rest of the book. I had to laugh when the author said blacksmithing is on the rise.. around here any blacksmithing gear is bought up by yuppies who hang the tools on their wall and call it period art... it means the demand is high, but it doesn't mean the yuppies know which end of the hammer to hold, just that it suits the dining room better than the kitchen decor.
The book... once in the real meat of the book (chapter 4 on) there is good instructional material, and more than adequate diagrams (single line and monochrome sketches) to assist the reader in learning the techniques and methods. There is a strong focus on the older techniques, but some mention of the newer technologies being used by modern hobbiests and adherents. There is enough diversity in the content to appeal to bladesmiths, farriers, armourers (SCA), and wrought iron workers, although the focus is definitely on wrought work, and general techniques.

This is a very good book, it's my second favorite to learn from.

This is my favorite:Blacksmithing Primer: A Course in Basic and Intermediate Blacksmithing (Paperback) by Randy McDaniel.

If you are learning by yourself it's a much more complete set of lessons, including exactly how to position teh hammer to get each set of results. No other books teaches this.

The DVD set is excellent too, but expensive.
(Note, I know the guy who publishes the videos, but I didn't know he did until after I'd bought them, watched them, and recommended them to somone else...)

This is not so much a "how to" Book, but it would be great for anyone simply researching the subject.

Ever since Mort Downey Jr. played a white guy who underwent surgery so he could convincingly play a black guy in that movie TROPIC THUNDER I have wanted to be a black guy sometimes too. So it's been a long time dream of mine. When I saw this book title "The Art of Blacksmithing" I thought my dreams were answered. "Here", I thought," is a book that will teach me to be like Will Smith JUST LIKE WILL SMITH, as in cool and black.
And I thought they would detail the methods used to make Downey Jr. look so CONVINCINGLY BLACK so I could too. Sometimes it would be fun to be black especially when I want to wear certain clothes that I couldn't get away with as a white guy. And it might come in handy when I want to "hook up" with a "hot hammer" like Beyonce or Alicia Keyes or want to talk in a humorous high pitched voice like Chris Tucker. And it might be easier for me to get Jesse Jackson's autograph.

But this book was about something else entirely. It was written ages ago when everything had to be made of wood or metal. Before they even had plastic or bonded ploymers. What a sad time that must have been! But the info here is interesting and seems useful especially if we have a nuclear war and have to go back to low tech for awhile. And it's also just plain fun to create things out of hot metal. After reading the book I went out and bought myself a hammer and advil. When i get really good I'd like to make sculptures out of metal, starting with a giant one of Will Smith, of course!:) P.S. I'll use the old garbage can lids as ears!

This text is an excellent OVERVIEW of the history, context, and general techniques of blacksmithing. If you are looking for a general understanding of the art, this is the perfect text, and on that basis I recommend it very highly.

I do NOT recommend this text for the serious student of the subject. The discussion is generally shallow and has a tendency toward casual errors. It also presents blacksmithing traditions as fact despite modern dispute (E.g., Edge packing, pp 168-169, is now generally considered nonsense by reputable blacksmiths). If you want to learn about practical blacksmithing techniques, Jack Andrew's "New Edge of the Anvil" is much, much better. If you want to learn to make weapons, Dr. Jim Hrisoulas' several books ("The Complete Bladesmith," "Master Bladesmith," etc.) are much better, but very specialized.

Summary: highly recommended as a general overview. Insufficient depth for specialized study.

A very clear and concise look at public speaking. There are multiple pointers that help with building confidence in the area of public speaking.
Elaine Littau
Author of "Nan's Journey"

Very informative and well written. This book definately had some good tips and advice on how to improve your public speaking. I highly recommend it.

This book was well........ I'm not sure cause I haven't read it yet. Personally though I love Public Speaking and this book is required for a course I'm taking. For those of you who think you'll never be able to do Public Speaking, I assure you, you can!

I do a fair amount of public speaking and have found this book very helpful in many respects. It does an excellent job of covering the basics, includes some great tips that you might not think of on your own and also introduces some advanced topics without overwhelming you with lots of detail.

Like most of the "For Dummies" series, the book has an encouraging tone and is written in a humorous or light manner. It's an easy and pleasurable read and I believe everyone interested in public speaking would pick up something useful from it.

While I am not a huge fan of buying a book advertised as being for "dummies," I find the "...for Dummies" series to be very helpful for those of us unfamiliar with a certain topic. Needless to say, I am very unfamiliar with public speaking, unless you count the class I had in high school ten years ago, which I barely remember.

I am grateful for Kushner for taking a complex topic and making it easy to understand. Even though I am naturally outgoing and like to talk to groups, I wanted to learn an effective method of public speaking. I picked up the book because some friends and I have started an internet broadcast (called a podcast) and I wanted tips and suggestions on how to improve my speaking ability and organizational skills. I eventually want to branch out and do public speaking.

Generally, I liked the book, and even read it in a single day. I especially enjoyed the chapters about speech organization and the ones about voice and body language. I am going to practice his techniques during my spare time before either the mirror or a camera, to try to make them come more naturally. I am also going to thoroughly prepare for any speech I make, using the methods outlined in this book. He gives plenty of tips on how to start a speech, how to end one, and how to fill the speeches with humor and other interesting elements. Even though the book is an overview, putting his many suggestions into practice will keep anyone busy for awhile.

The only drawback to this book is that being a "...for Dummies" book, I feel like I need to read another more advanced book to actually get the best handle possible on public speaking. While I am glad this book is for complete beginners, some of the material is more about basic time management skills and common-sense psychology than public speaking. Also, I expected to read something about how to record myself and then how to evaluate/correct any mistakes I made. I didn't read anything about this. Webcams and microphones are so cheap these days that it only makes sense to suggest recording yourself speaking, and then watch it and evaluate it. I know that just editing my own (and others') podcast talks has helped me see how often I use "um," trail off, and ramble.

Overall, this is a very helpful and easy-to-read introduction to public speaking, with many advanced suggestions thrown in. I would suggest that anyone interested in public speaking read this book, and then get out and practice, practice, practice. That is what I plan to do.

This book is great for all of those new artists in the music industry.
HTTP://WWW.LANDONEASLEY.COM

This book is lterally a page turner. No matter if you are an Indie Aritst. Song Wirter, Producer, or even own your own label this book detailed knowledge explaining all the legal asspects of the game. basically how you get paid, how to protect yourself, and what you should ask for when making deals. It also gives tips on how to negotiate contracts (record deals), red flags, loop holes, ect. Just read it!

The whole point of the book is to keep you from getting screwed, and it catalogs every possible way in which everyone in the music business - from record companies to publishers to promoters and everyone in between - can and will try to take a big chunk of your music earnings. It doesn't have sample contracts with long boring explanations, it just tells you the salient negotiating points and where various artists (emerging, mid-level, and superstars; majors vs. independent) generally end up in terms of compensation, what you should hold out for in your negotiations, etc.

Although the book reads like a 'parade of horribles' for the music industry, and may make you reconsider your desire to become involved in the business of music, the book is really intended for people who are going to be negotiating contracts with powerful interests. Passman gives you the confidence that, when and if the time comes where you have to negotiate important deals, you will have a place to turn to get an honest appraisal of the deal you are being offered, where it might be improved, what others are getting, etc.

Highly recommended for anyone in the business. If you are an artist with a "team" of professionals helping you (chapter one of the book discusses this team) this book really could be "all you need to know about the music business." If you are going to be on the employer side of the business creating contracts, the book still makes a great companion text to something like "This Business of Music" which includes sample contracts and more lengthy expositions but lacks the critical insights to protect your bottom line. If you are going the D.I.Y. route, this book is probably less important to you than Bob Baker's Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook, as promotion and publicity are everything at first, but it would still be a good reference tool, if only to prove to yourself you've made the right decision by rejecting the bad deals shady labels are offering you.

This book is not too useful, but not useless, either. At least one can see, that the author enjoyed his life in the music business. And this is something. From a professional point of view the reader does not get much to work with.

Don't get taken for due your du-diligence and read this book whether your putting out your own record or shopping for a record deal. This book is a must. Need I say more.

I wish all college students would read this book. Provides insights and truths about the real world of work. Great examples of individuals who have navigated the world of work, and struggled with their careers. How do people decide on careers, is it okay to change, what if I'm not certain about what I want to do, what if I don't like what I'm doing. This could save many students a great deal of frustration when sorting out their career plans.

Others have written good reviews so I'll keep mine short. This is an excellent book, in part because it's very readable (you don't feel you're being lectured). Also, the lion's share of the book is personal stories of Liberal Arts grads finding their way into career paths, with plenty of ups and downs. If experience is the best teacher, this book gives you the benefit of 30 other people's experience. Highly recommended!

As a sophomore in college, I'm almost to the point of entering the "real world." But instead of feeling unprepared and anxious about this process, I am actually looking forward to it. This is entirely due to Smart Moves, and I cannot even begin to emphasize how much this book has already helped me - even though I'm still 2 1/2 years from graduation!
What really makes this book a pleasure to read is it's format. At the beginning are extraordinarly helpful pieces of advice on what to do in and once you graduate from college. Next, the book goes on to provide real-world examples of people who are enjoying their careers in just about every major field. Smart Moves chronicles their stories while not only including their successes, but their mistakes as well.
At home, my mom and my 17 year old brother looked through the book while it was laying down on the coffee table. They both loved it. Here is what my mom had to say:


"Your purpose in life is not to find yourself...it is to create yourself."
My son, a student at Duke University, received this book from the University the summer between his freshman and sophomore years. He asked me to read it, and I was delighted to find it offered, through biographical examples, some truisms that we had been trying to explain to him.

1. Follow your passion; your happiness and enthusiasm will attract the money you need to survive.
2. Be willing to work hard.
3. It doesn't always matter what you major in, there is a good chance you will change careers several times in your life.
4. Every job you have will teach you something about yourself and give you the experience to make yourself available for the next opportunity.
5. Remain open and flexible.
6. Remain curious and research-oriented.
7. Use your summers between school years to take internships or volunteer in the areas of your interest.
8. Explore the career counseling center early during your undergraduate years.

I felt the lively and entertaining writing style of the authors, Sheila Curran and Suzanne Greenwald, made this book a fun and informative read for both undergraduate students and their families.

Beth Zarian, author, Around the World with Historical Fiction and Folktales.


Once again, I'd recommend Smart Moves to anyone who has an open mind!
-Paul Zarian

A refreshing and timely read for every recent college graduate. Curran helps job-seekers (and their parents!) understand the challenges - sychological, cultural & socio-economic - facing every graduating liberal arts major. Her years of experience counseling the best and brightest of the country's youth has taught her a simple truth - happiness is in doing what you love to do.

What's so fascinating is the complete relevance it has to the day-to-day decisions that my 22-30 year-old peers are making every day. I can't tell you how many times I have felt compelled to share the "Smartest Moves" chapter with colleagues who find themselves "disenchanted,"
"disengaged," or otherwise, with their current career path.

Every college graduate should read this book - and so should their parents.

A college sophomore at Duke University, NC, I received a copy of 'Smart Moves' over the summer, at a time when I was extremely confused over which major I should choose, which career path I should follow etc. That was, until I received this book.
Through the stories of 23 other students, all ranging in a wide variety of careers and fields, I have realized that the next 3 years of my life will be about finding out what my passions are and where my interests for the future lie, rather than about working my way towards a preordained career goal on a predetermined path which I might regret later on in life. Several of my course selections and internship plans are now being reinforced after reading this book.
Smart moves has been a really useful eye-opener and myth buster for me, and I highly recommended to all students in liberal arts colleges, regardless of whether they were in a similar position as I was in or not. Read this book, and you would have made your first of many smart moves.

This book is very well-written and well-organized. EZ to navigate and no problems finding specific info when I need it. Thanks!

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.