Careers Books

What a wonderful story this is....poor Fix-It-Duck only wants to help and he keeps making things worse and worse. A delightful bedtime story you will enjoy again and again.

It's okay, the story is fine. But compared to Duck in the Truck this one is just okay.

that we bought it and donated it to our local library to share with other kids. I have 3 children ranging in ages from 3 - 8 and we all LOVE DUCK!!

This is my 2 year old sons favourite book! He has the the entire book memorized and out of all of his books we read this one at least twice a day. It's a fun rhyming book that flows really well. The other books in the duck series are also great. I'm curious to see the new release of "hide and seek" featuring frog that is coming out in dec.

After leaving his friends stuck in the muck, Duck is living in the same rural area as Sheep, Frog and Goat. Unfortunately for them, Duck now fancies himself a handyman. However, his absent-minded ways make him more of a menace than a helper. In fact, his "Fix-It" skills are less than even any shade tree mechanic. Like with the first book, Alborough manages to surprise with a clever twist, that on second reading his foreshadowed throughout the book. Once again the clever story line is complemented extremely well by the outstanding illustrations.

I bought How to Say It: Job Interviews to prepare for an upcoming interview. This book has so many example interview questions and responses that I was thoroughly prepared. What I liked best about the book was the chapter on following up. I followed the author's advice and I'm sure I received the job offer because of the letter I wrote...the interviewer thanked me for following up. I used one of the example letters provided in the book as a starting point. I highly recommend this book.

I bought this book to prepare for a stressful interview and it definitely helped me feel more prepared. There are so many sample questions and answers for things the interviewer might discuss, it made me feel ready for anything.

I found this interview book to be very comprehensive. Step-by-step the author provided details on all stages of the interview. Most importantly, she included sample responses to common interview questions. The chapter I enjoyed the most was the one on following up after the interview. The author provided strong follow up example letters and I learned how to write effective ones.

When interviewing, I often get tongue-tied. Not knowing what to say to sell myself, I provide incomplete answers. This book provided me with sample responses and a list of choice words I can pick from to get my point across.

Why did I buy this book? I was hooked at once when I began to read the introduction, where the author, Natalie Rogers, a former actress, acting teacher and behavioral psychotherapist, reports the feelings she had when she attended a class about "Oral Communication" and witnessed the students' ordeal during presentations:

"Was I the only one aware of the discomfort and loss of concentration? Apparently, the instructor was not concerned. Apart from her command to relax, she ignored the students' profound distress and continued urging them to make eye contact and speak more slowly. `Don't be so nervous,' she'd add, presumably trying to be helpful. `We support you.'

I was bewildered . This wasn't at all like the systematic training I had received in acting school, where we were given intensive coaching for concentration, relaxation, attention, and awareness. Here, except for the suggestion to relax, the sole focus was on the preparation of the speech, with no serious attention paid to the painful loss of confidence that many students were experiencing."

Natalie's book gives you the training. It teaches detailed, concrete, step-by-step methods to address the fear of public speaking. I have consulted various books about the fear of public speaking during the past couple of years, but this book provides the most powerful and straightforward step-by-step training approach of them all. Just to give only a few concrete examples of how this book is full of extremely valuable information page for page: It provides a detailed step-by-step instruction of correct belly breathing - all the other books which mentioned breathing techniques left me with the impression I had to take "deep" breathes in order to have the desired effects. Another example: The author writes "The idea of managing or confronting your fear is meaningless ... People with anxiety about speaking in public cannot overcome their problem with cavalier advice. The only reasonable solution is a method that will eliminate the fear and its devastating effects.", and later in the book explains why videotape is not the appropriate tool for beginning and fearful speakers - now I understand why training seminars with video, offered by my company, only left me embarrassed and frustrated, and with an even greater feeling of helplessness! And a last example: I always had wondered why visualization exercises had not the desired effects for me, and attributed it to my lack of commitment - now I know better!

This book is much more than only a book on public speaking. It teaches a comprehensive, systematic mind-body training approach on how to prepare yourself for performance situations. In the author's words: "Performance is any situation where you feel that you are being judged or evaluated by others. This ability to detach your thoughts from focusing on the audience and their approval, is a skill that you can develop if you commit yourself to the TalkPower program as described in this book." Buy this book - it provides you with the practical methods you need to help yourself.

I teach a public speaking class and I'm a longtime member of Toastmasters International. This is the best public speaking book I have ever seen. I am planning to make it the required reading for my public speaking class. The author, Natalie Rogers in an actress and psychologist and has helped people overcome her speaking fears for many years.
One thing Toastmasters does not teach is the psychology behind public speaking and the fear of it. I found some articles to cover this. This book does an even better job. There are templates for speeches in the book. You can read it through once, then refer to it when you need it. It is also easy enouch to follow to keep ones interest. Dr. Rogers is a very gentle teacher and I recommend this without question.

I've tried it all. Self-help books, Hypnosis, Yoga, breathing exercises, voice lessons, public speaking workshops, Toastmasters... nothing ever worked, and I never understood why.

Finally, I took Natalie Rogers' weekend workshop on Public Speaking, and at last I understood. Public Speaking isn't like other phobias out there, like a Fear of Flying or a Fear of Heights. Conquering Public Speaking requires you to do more than just overcome fear; it requires you to:

1) Learn how to WRITE an effective speech

2) Learn how to BREATHE and SPEAK well

3) Learn how to PERFORM under stress

When you have a Fear of Heights, you can curl up in a little ball and wait for the fear to pass. Therapists call this "extinction therapy"... if your patients expose themselves to the situation which triggers the fear, the phobia eventually goes extinct. This actually works for basic phobias... but it DOESN'T work for phobias that require you to actually do more than just curl up in a ball.

Natalie does a sensational job of 1) and 2) above, by giving you speech templates that really help you write a quick and effective speech... and then teaching you how to breathe and use your voice. That in itself would be worth the price of the book... but Natalie actually has developed a breakthrough approach to performing under pressure that is so powerful it is worth calling out.

Basically, the idea is this - it is IMPOSSIBLE to be nervous if you are concentrating on something. You know that feeling you get when you are really focused on something? You lose track of time, you lose yourself in your work... and in that moment, it is actually physiologically impossible to be self-conscious or nervous. Well, Natalie takes advantage of this physiological fact and taps it to help you neutralize speaking nervousness. And she's found a way to trigger concentration that doesn't require mental energy... and so you can actually achieve focus during a difficult speech, and take advantage of this physical phenomena to eradicate nervousness.

I know, I know - it all sounds too good to be true. I'll admit - I haven't recovered 100% from my public speaking fears. I can speak to groups or to someone important... but put me in front of a group of important people, and I'll get nervous. But here's where Natalie's techniques really come in handy. Before I speak, I prepare a speech using her templates. I practice my breathing and make sure that I've got my speaking voice working in the privacy of my home. Then, I use her concentration technique to mitigate the nervousness of speaking. The first few minutes are still tough, but the nervousness passes... and I am calm, confident, and comfortable.

It's such a strange feeling to be able to say that I'm calm, confident, and comfortable in front of a crowd. It's been a couple of years since my first panic attack in front of a group of colleagues, and being bad at speaking has almost become part of my identity. But, it's really true... you really CAN overcome these fears to become not only a non-phobic speaker, but a really good public speaker!

If you can afford to go to Natalie's weekend seminars, then by all means that's probably the easiest way to learn all this. But I've been to the workshop and I've read this book, and the fact is that all of the information in the workshop is right here in this sixteen dollar book. The book really is beautifully designed, and the binding actually holds up well - which is a good thing, because you'll find yourself returning to the book again and again.

I can't recommend this book highly enough. Good luck conquering your public speaking fears!

I found Natalie Rogers' text, THE NEW TALK POWER, very useful for a Public Speaking college course. Rogers gives a step-by-step guide made up of "templates" for standard 5-7 minute speeches. She integrates the preparation phases with acting exercises (proper breathing, visualization, etc.)and provides the reader with many examples of speeches. The book is a valuable tool for speech classes. My only quibble is that she might have provided a little more background in interpersonal communication including providing examples and definitions of terms associated with effective verbal and non-verbal communication (i.e., emblems, rhetorical questions, decoding, etc.)

That learning a technique can overcome such a powerful fear, but it did! Very well written, and the techniques are fully explained in both the "how to" sense, and the underlying basis for them. Highly recommended.

I have to admit, I was pretty excited to read this. However, after finishing it, I am fairly neutral to the application of Fritz' theories. I was expecting a book on methods of relieving creative block and getting into the creative mindset. While the book does accomplish this to some extent, most of it takes you through many of Fritz' anti-philosophical/self-help theories. This is fine for a book about that sort of thing, and I agree with what he says (for the most part) but I fail to make the connections he is trying so hard to show the reader. Maybe I just need time to absorb, and test his theories in real life. Oh, and if he plugged his "Technologies for Creating" workshops (registered trademark) one more time, I was going to throw the book out of my car window. Anyway, I will re-review this book after I have some time to put into practice some of his theories. Who knows, maybe there is a connection between painting a picture and the Holocaust. (see section on identity)

This book sets out to demystify creating, to pragmatically assist the reader in learning ideas and processes that can be applied to creating works of art, craft, business, et cetera. It's well worth reading for that pragmatic purpose. The first chapter sample, available on "look inside" on this web site, gives a good sample of Fritz' approach, uncluttered by the flaws noted in later sections of the book. He emphasized some steps and aspects of process that I wasn't so starkly aware of. I've created effective cartoons, articles, essays, songs, clothing designs, gardens, et cetera, but this book could help in becoming much more productive.

Some sections of the book launch into an attack on cultural assumptions. Bravo. Most of it was valid in supporting his approach to creating. However, I was uncomfortable with some of his extreme statements about certain disciplines and cultural traditions. He seemed to dismiss all of psychotherapy, and take some cheap shots, for instance, rather than limiting his comments to self-indulgent and deluded approaches. He overgeneralized and thus misrepresented other cultural traditions, ideas, and disciplines. For example:

"While meditation and psychotherapy may have replaced tranquilizing and recreational drugs, all of them presume you are entitled to feel good, even if you need to dull your senses and color reality to find happiness, self-love and fulfillment." p122 Fawcett edition, 1991

On the contrary, I would argue, going through a course of therapy based on Alice Miller's (sample title: Thou Shalt Not be Aware) views might allow and traumatized individual to function in life without enduring constant shaming, flashbacks, and emotional paralysis. It can be important to examine emotions, and feel good at times. Also the meditation I have personal experience of, mindfulness and insight meditation, as described by Chogyam Trungpa (sample title: Meditation in Action) and others are not about brainwashing oneself or dulling the senses. In fact, mindfulness meditation is likely to lead to some of the same insights and awareness Fritz describes in his discussion of the mind, separation, and so on. Fritz would do better if he didn't dismiss everyone else's work. Yes, it's true that people can get too focused on transient emotions and fixing the self. However, meditation and psychotherapy do still have something to offer, keeping in mind the 80/20 rule -- most of everything is crap, so buyer beware.

Ironically, right after Fritz' section on the lack of necessity to choose a right worldview, he launches into what is obviously his worldview. Oh, he has a disclaimer, and he's not dogmatic at that particular moment, but still, throughout the book, he does argue for his views of how things work, what will be if you follow his process. My suggestion: just ignore his adamant, paternalistic ranting, see through it, and go for his basic ideas, which are useful even though he has an obnoxious personality and a bit of a ham-fisted way of throwing around generalizations.

If you want to create something, this book can challenge you in a useful way.

While some reviewers may have hoped for help on overcoming creative blocks, it seems they miss the point.

Robert Fritz makes a big distinction between creating and creativity. To create, you have to care about bringing something into reality that doesn't exist. As Fritz says, "Creating is in the realm of the noninevitable."

Creativity, in contrast, refers to the unusual and inventive, and Fritz argues that:

"Creating sometimes includes creativity, but most often it does not. As you master the creative process, the unusual becomes usual, and so it will seem less creative. You may be creating, then, and not have creativity. Likewise, you can have creativity but not be creating."

I had this discussion with a software engineer working on a major user interface introduction. Fritz would have him first determine what he loves enough to create, what are its qualities, and what is the "result" he wants to create. It's not about being infinitely creative, his engineers are already doing too much of that. It's about creating around a single design point versus maintaining too many open possibilities.

Another part of the book I really liked was "First Person/Third Person." Fritz makes the distinction between people who see their creations as part of their identity (meaning they are apt to "advocate a specific position") and those who remain separate from, while still passionate about, their creations (people "more apt to seek accuracy") as they encounter reality.

In "The Worldview," Fritz carries this theme further, quoting Robert Frost in saying: "The artist must not select a universal and then find particulars to fit it."

In the end, Fritz argues for pure emotion ("you want what you want") along with a rigorous process ("the creative process is made up of many steps in a particular sequence"). He believes that if you're frustrated in creating something, it's nothing more than not knowing what you want and/or inexperience in the creation process!

I bought this book because creating always felt like a white-hot, hit or miss, lightning flash, that also felt dangerous and fearful, like having to step off a cliff into thin air. Author of The Path of Least Resistance, Robert Fritz, in Creating, says thin air is good. And -- gulp -- he's right. For Fritz, creating is an ordinary and understandable skill we can learn -- and we can, he says, learn to do it better and more often. He's right about that, too. He says creating is getting the results we want in any area of our lives -- work projects, art work, career, relationships, community. It is a process with form and shape. It's not problem-solving, or reaching for the unusual, or about inventiveness or "creative ability." Anyone can do it. And he outlines nine stages of the process, from conception to living with what you create. Creating ranges far, around and through the subject, offering practical approaches and even a warm-up guide, and he deals with hindrances like the discrepancies between "Ideal-Belief-Reality" that get in the way. If this book helps you surface what he calls "invisible beliefs" that get in the way of what you want in life, it's worth three times the price. Fritz argues creating is not discovery. Some people take his seminar to discover what really matters to them, but as he says, that idea "presumes that what matters somehow already exists (p. 118)." Creating brings into existence something that did not exist before, makes something from nothing. This book is broader and deeper than the typical how-to-create book -- it doesn't talk about brainstorming or problem-solving or creativity. It describes how to become aware of the process and some of its pitfalls, and how to do it in a way that helps you get the results you want. I have no problem with a point of view that our ideas can help or hinder us in getting what we want. For those who do, this book may open their eyes.

I had to give it five stars because it did such a job stimulating me with its new ideas about creating. At times it's slow to pore over. You're excited at the stuff you're learning, but the prose feels a bit tedious, so it's like being chin-deep in water and wanting to race ashore for something great. But this book's concepts, about the structure of creating, are so mind-blowing to us "creatives" that it's a must to sit and take it a swallow at a time. Fritz's challenging ideas allowed me to expand my thinking about myself, to see myself not as a writer but as a creating person (one of whose creating modes is writing). My promotion of my written materials is an act of creating. So is the plan I'm putting together for my life. Wow!

It says it right in the title, but the book really covers aspects specific to young single professionals who are considering their first expat opportunity.

The book is worth reading if you are further along in your career and have an opportunity to work in another country, but about half the book will not be of interest to you. The book is well organized so that it is very easy to focus just on the chapters that are of interest to you, and the chapters are very self contained. There is no "singles advice" mixed in with "preparing for relocation".

Margaret Malewski provides some much-needed advice for a massively growing (but until now neglected) group - the have-laptop-will-work -abroad young person. The chapter on negotiating your contract is worth the price of the book alone. An essential part of the global worker's toolkit.

When I moved to Milan several years ago, I thought I had everything under control. It's only now that I'm a relocation consultant I realise I could have secured myself a better expat package. The chapter on negotiating in Malewski's book is a must-read for anyone relocating to a foreign country (and not just for GenXpat either) and the rest of the book contains plenty of food-for-thought, too. This book not only gives a clear idea on the ups and downs on expat life, it also provides solutions.

Author Margaret Malewski has a clear thesis and works hard to prove it. She contends that Generation X (that's Gen X, born between 1964 and 1981) expatriates have distinct needs and concerns that differentiate them from previous generations of expatriates. Malewski provides a fairly comprehensive survey of the issues that most expatriates encounter on their sojourns abroad. She pays particular attention to those affecting younger professionals, especially relationship and romance issues. This is one of the few books about expatriate life that addresses, for example, the problems encountered by co-habiting partners and the sensitive issues of cross-cultural dating. Some of her conclusions may seem a bit obvious to the internationalized Internet generation, but we acknowledge that her warnings about culture shock and career challenges are well informed. This book certainly could be helpful to those sheltered Gen Xers when they go overseas to work. The author proves that they have a distinctive problem - and having defined the issue, she sets out solidly to address it.

This book is quite a good start for anyone preparing for a life overseas. I'm in the middle of such an adventure; this book and "Expert Expatriate" have both been most helpful (supplemented by region-specific titles, of course), specifically in the strategic planning - grasping the multitude of details, professional and personal, associated with such a move. It framed a lot of questions in the proper light for me, starting with my reasons and expectations for moving overseas, down to the details of how to maintain my personal relationships after the move. She starts each chapter with an anecdote or mini-case study to introduce the larger ideas - a really great balance between readability and information. It is geared towards readers younger, or without families to move, and is written by someone who grew up with the internet (avoiding the inevitable and ridiculous phrases one might find elsewhere, such as, "The Internet is a wonderful resource for information. Email is a powerful tool for the traveler.") A good book for planning an overseas move, especially for the younger generation. See "Expert Expat" also.

Richard Mountauk's guide on "How to Get Into the Top Law Schools" is a thorough, comprehensive, candid, and convenient must have for anyone considering law school. It takes you from the very initial process of thinking about law school to dealing with acceptances, waitlists, denials, transferring options, and to first-year law school experience. It gives you the tools you need on how to market yourself effectively and strategize your application packet to put you in the best light possible, and thus possibly improving your chances to your top choices. With cited quotes and excerpts on various subjects and topics from admissions officers themselves, that are heavily inserted throughout the entire book, one knows they are getting first-hand knowledge. This is an organized, effective, and excellent resource for one to have for a behind the scenes look at a process that few are privy too. Definitely a must read!

This is the only book you will need to help you apply to law school. The author covers everything from personal statements to Loan repayment programs at top schools. The author focus on top twenty schools but the information should be helpful to anyone. The best part is hundreds of quotes on all subjects directly from the deans of admissions at top schools. It includes quotes from the deans at every school in the top 15 in the U.S. News and world report rankings and a number of other institutions including Boston College, George Washington, USC, UCLA, and Boston University. This is particularly helpful if you are targeting one of these top schools. There are executive summaries at the end of the chapters if you don't have time to read the entire book. This work will help anyone taking the application process seriously to maximize their chances of getting into the best school they can.

Oh thanksgiving day, I am thankful for this book and the great help it was for me during the past year.
If you are applying to law school or even thinking about it, get this book, it is very helpful. It has examples of essays to help you figure out how to write your personal essays, it also has a time line, so you can schedule the year accordingly until the time you are planning to get into that law school of your choice.well that is just couple of examples, but it is great.
Good Luck

As other reviewers mentioned, Montauk's book is the most complete tome on the subject of law school admissions to date. It's also very honest. It is hard to get into a top 20 law school and he makes sure the reader understands this fact. He also lets the reader know that for many people, law is the wrong choice and will only lead to lots of debt and unhappieness in the future.

The negative reviews on Amazon seem to come from people who were taken aback that Montauk might suggest that law isn't right for everyone, but he is really doing potential applicants a favor. If a brief diatribe on the pitfalls of law scares you away, you probably weren't that committed to it anyway. The dark secrets that law schools/law firms don't want you to know:

1. If you don't go to a top law school (at least top 25), you will not have a good chance of getting a Biglaw job, i.e. the highest paying most coveted jobs in the industry. If you pay full price at a school outside of the top 25 and expect to make big bucks upon graduation, you might find out, as so many other students have, that you cannot find a job that pays well enough to justify the $150k in loans you just took out for law school.

Note--If you have alternative career plans or receive substantial scholarship money, then this changes the equation.

2. Most lawyers are unhappy with their jobs (regardless of salary). A recent survey showed that 75% of lawyers would not go to law school if they could do it all over again.

Moral of the story: Forget the "you can do whatever you put your mind to!" crowds and take a realistic look at your talents, situation, and the legal profession. Some people aren't well-suited for law and many people will hate the profession--even those who are good at it. Just realize this before spending 3 years of your life and $150k-$180k to go to law school.

If you decide that law is for you, Montauk's book is the best for increasing your chances of admission.

This book has served as a valuable guide through my undergraduate years. I purchased the first book before my sophomore year of college, and I believe the knowledge I gained has helped me to make the right choices in my endeavor toward law school. If you are an undergraduate student, and you aspire to law school, buy this book now. The longer you have it, the more helpful it will be during your preparation. If you are ready to apply, you will learn how avoid mistakes and put forth the best possible application you have to offer. The quotes from admissions people helped me to understand which schools I was best suited for and which ones to avoid. The path of law is a very important choice, and I appreciate that Mr. Montauk takes a prospective student from that decision process all the way through to tips for study success after the acceptance letter. As a side note, I had an urgent question about my law school application, and Mr. Montauk was kind enough to return my call (his phone number is in this book) on a Sunday. I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

I loved the authors other books, but this is a bad mismash of advice....the classic advice they give is to "sell and move to a cheaper location". Which is a popular boomer option if you are at the correct end of the boomer generation.( which I am not).
The first half of the book gives advice on home and service business, the second half tells you to save money by avoiding these services.....hmmm.
I am a professional dog trainer,, and when I see dog training listed as a home business for "people who love pets"... I just sigh, it took me 15 years to have the experence to give dog advice.... and thousands of dollars of training, and showing dogs.... in my area we have people with no ability or training to handle dogs go into business every year, based on cheap advice like this... they don't last long and do some major damage on the way...makes you wonder about home business advice.
Please save your money, these fine authors need to take a break from making money with recyled material and cheap advice. Perhaps the next book will be more honest.

As a top-producing residential real estate agent living and working in a small rural community, my feeling is that "Middle Class Lifeboat" could not have been published and distributed at a better time! With over 500 pages of tips and solid information about how to downsize, minimize, save and earn money without feeling the edge, I recommend this book not only to the middle class, but all who are concerned with the future for themselves, their children, grandchildren and beyond.

Developing a quality tool such as "Lifeboat" could not have been an easy job. But Paul and Sarah Edwards have done the research, put it all together in an easy to read and understand paperback that is affordable as it is useful. Clearly, the knowledge and class of these brilliant authors will allow millions to get on track and realize a higher quality of life with just a few minor adjustments in their earning and spending habits.

I have purchased ten copies of this book to pass on to my clients as helpful information on how they can survive not only living in a rural community but also in today's economy. I'm looking forward to the reaction of each person that reads "Lifeboat" and implements some or many of the ideas that The Edwards have so thoughtfully brought together in this fabulous book. Clearly written for today, I see myself referring to this valuable information for years to come. I hope you will, too!

Other books written by Paul and Sarah Edwards that I have read and highly recommend are:

Making Money With Your Computer At Home
Changing Direction Without Losing Your Way
The Best Home Businesses For People 50+

I'm a career counselor and am delighted that the Edwards have written this forward-thinking book. It's the first of its kind I've seen that's written for a new time and a new economy. I'm recommending it to my clients who are struggling to maintain a middle-class life in turbulent economic times. It helps them realize that things have really changed and we need to be considering new options and new approaches that seem counter-intuitive and different from what we've explored in the past. I urge those of you who are resisting what the Edwards are saying to take a second look. Don't shoot the messenger! Realize that they're offering really helpful advice for rapidly changing conditions.

The book doesn't recommend any one choice over any other, but instead puts forward a well-researched smorgesboard of choices that other people are actually pursuing successfully. The Edwards point out the pros and cons of each of these occupations. The list they present can help trigger people's imaginations as they search for a way forward into a richer but perhaps simpler way of life. They don't pull any punches in telling us that to survive and thrive in future economic conditions, we'll need to get out of debt, curb our shopping addictions and be open to new ways of doing things. You may not want to hear this, but it's excellent and practical advice.

Even Alan Greenspan admitted yesterday that we're in a recession. Wake up and smell the coffee, folks!

In my time of mid-life career transition, this book was helpful in helping to point me to a new career that wouldn't be gone in a few years. And, since I'm closing in on retirement age, lots of helpful ideas on how to make it enjoyable.

I bought this because I'm extremely worried about my career in this economy. (I'm a Hair Salon Owner and a Stylist) I've been doing this for a long time and I love it. But we have been hit by this economy so hard that I thought I would get this book to prepare for hard times. Get a 2nd job. Most of the Careers listed aren't safe or feasable. I have a Massage Therapist working for me and also network with 5 others and they are taking 2nd and 3rd jobs to even bring home any money. This is a luxury for people right now. Mobile services! Again, most people can't afford a Personal Shopper; an Errand Service. Cleaning Services are being cut back when it is something you can do yourself. A few years ago, these were good, (just good) suggestions. Times have changed and people are looking for real ways to survive. I think they needed to update the information and really think about people that are living pay check to pay check. Most of these people are who we'd be marketing to. If they are living pay check to pay check then a massage, a haircut, personal shoppers, errand services, personal chefs, cleaning services, interior decorating, etc. will not be their sweet spot. They are going to buy the necessities and that is about it. I would do your own research, because this info is too old to deal with these economic conditions.

This book is a true inspiration from start to finish. It has inspired me to move past that 99 percent and give my full attention and potential to each activity that I pursue in the future. This book gives great inspirational stories for everyone to relate too and be inspired by.

I just loved the breadth of folks James Citrin interviews for this book. From the get go, I felt that his message was not focused simply on how amazing these individuals are just for the sake of touting their already known greatness (though many of the folks he interviews are not household names)but that his message emanated from his heart, where he holds a belief that we are all shareholders in the paths of these individuals, and we too are destined for inspired living if we so choose.

I am currently devising a curriculum for a brand of girls schools called the Girls Athletic Leadership Schools and the fact that James Citrin so clearly understands and articulates the 'edge' that athletes hold tight in their core as full people, not just as competitive athletes, was such a perfect story line for me at this point in my work.

I couldn't put the book down - it is so readable, the author is in conversation with the reader, not speaking down to the reader or sermonizing, and I appreciated that approach as opposed to an achievement guru attitude. I read through the book at a furious pace curious to see where we landed at the end. I spent a number of hours in the bathroom, the one room in our house where both my husband and 18 month old daughter give me my space. At one point while stashed away in the bathroom, I had forgotten my orange marking pen so in order to optimize my stolen time to get through the book, I opted to stay in the bathroom and use my eyebrow pencil to mark instead of risking being found by my family and having to put the book down for later.

Whether you are looking for the "secrets" of success, or get motivated by hearing about others' success, or you are looking for a way to define your own inspired life, this book will help you find your way...

Love this book. I started reading this book and I slowly started taking notes then I started to type up the notes then I cut them out and pasted them to my monitor. Great book can't go wrong with this one.

I received this book for Christmas as a gift, as I am in the middle of a career change, and possibly a mid-life crisis;). James Citrin's book is an inspiring piece of work, and the lessons that can be learned about both work and life are extraordinary. I highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for their place in the world.

I also took notes as someone else mentioned. I've got Post-It notes all throughout the book. I couldn't put the book down either.

This book was refreashing in the material covered for inspiring action on a path toward creating a personal legacy.

I have heard some of the stories in this book before, but there were some that I found to be quite encouraging.

This book, as well as the author have literally changed my life in positive ways I neevr deemed possible. I am so grateful for the book and for the wise words of Jack Canfield. He and his writings inspire and encourage me as well as give me hope for the future of our world!

I enjoy inspirational books and really enjoyed short excerpts of so many successful individuals.

I was greatly disappointed with this book. I saw Jack Canfield on a TV show and he stated the all the stories went through a very thorough vetting process and only the most inspirational ones made the book.Well if this is true then the vetting committe needs to look up the meaning of the word inspirational. I felt this book was just thrown together with stories that were held together with the barest of threads , I feel there are much better books out there to find real inspiration in.

A great book written by a combination of Entrepreneurs themselves, and authors to whom they told their stories. The stories are short - allowing the inclusion of many - of all kinds, sizes, phases of development, and types of "lessons learned", as well as place for you to write your own notes and reminders. You will want to go back to many (their websites are provided with brief comments at the end of each chapter)- so do not borrow your copy to friends! The excitement, the challenges, and the "I-can-not-possibly-want-to-do-anything-else" of Entrepreneurship comes through strongly. Learn, Enjoy, and get inspired!

I bought this book as part of my research into setting up my own financial services consultancy. I found the book informative and practical. Even though it is unlikely that I will include the provision of basic accounting / bookkeeping in my final business model, I would still recommend this book for those planning to offer these services.

I intended to start my own business but had absolutely no idea how to go about doing it, until I started surfing the internet for ideas and stumbled upon this book. It was definitely a blessing! I read the entire book within a few days, because it was so captivating and concise on what to do and not do. I will continue to recommend this book to others who are serious about starting their own home-based business.

I have owned this book for almost a year now. I was looking for a new, preferably stay at home, work for myself career and I had worked in bookkeeping before. I began to brush up on my bookkeeping skills and I found this book online. I have the e-book from Julie's website. I read it all in about 2 days and got inspired. Now things are really beginning to happen for me. I completed the 2007 QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program certification about 1 week ago. I would not have had a clue about this program if it hadn't been for Julie's book. You get over $1000 worth of software and benefits for under %500 and once you complete their program you get listed on their website and get your own free website, plus many other benefits.
That being said, I am now also beginning to get referrals from clients and working with a local CPA (as recommended in the book). I have checked out many of the links and resources Julie recommended and found them invaluable. I currently choose to work out of the home only 3 days/week, and I don't have to ask anybody's permission to do this - it's my choice.
I have also purchased Julie's other 2 books on QB and budgeting and when I get a chance to read them and review them I will. But my current success has sort of limited my time at the moment. I have written Julie a few times by email and she has always responded, not with an auto reply, but a real genuine and helpful answers. Can't say enough good things about that.
Oh, and for you stay at home moms who are wondering if this is for you - I got involved because I was burned out on my current job and I wanted more time at home with my twin tots and family!

I purchased this book based on the reviews and I have to say I was disappointed. There is some decent material in the book but it was not worth the $79 I spent on it.

I was disappointed with this book. After reading all of the reviews it sounded as if it would be insightful and useful. I found it to be neither for the price that you pay for the book. Bookkeeping for Dummies was much more insightful then this book.