Employment Books

While I'll concede that there are some good ideas in this book, many of the ideas presented by the author are not realistic for everyone's situation. Sure, many of us would like to be young and single again, without the inflexibility that comes with certain careers or a family. But for the many of us that can't pick up and jump from country to country arbitraging currency prices to get the most bang for one's buck, this book comes across as impractical. However, there are some valuable parts of the book. Among ideas worth considering is Ferriss's strong recommendation that dreams be not put on hold as you toil day in and day out at a job that you don't love waiting for retirement. Other innovative ideas also include the suggestion to outsource daily and mundane tasks at low prices freeing up time to focus on bigger projects or how to cut down on daily emails or meetings while in the office to make your time there as productive as possible. Overall, this book is worth taking a look at, but know that you'll still have to work much more than four hours a week when finishing it.

There are great books are there on self-help - this is not one of them. It is shallow and provided me with no new knowledge - in short, waste of time

I like the ideas in this book alot. There are lots of thoughtful suggestions especially in time management. I don't know if anyone can duplicate the author's success though as most of his accomplishments are due to his tenacious approach to living which is admirable.

Love the way its written, straight to the point, no messing around.

Great information.

Ive recommended it to my friends who are stuck in 9 to 5

Pete

If you're a doctor or lawyer, forget it.
If you're a nurse or a bus driver, this isn't for you.
If you do manual labor, don't even bother picking up this book.
Manager at a retail store? HAHAHA think again.
Elected official? Well, they don't really do much work anyway, LOL

As you may have gleaned from the title (and read in the other reviews) the author advocates, what would be for most Americans, a complete and utter lifestyle change - Shrink your work hours down as far as possible and enjoy the rest of the time you have left doing other things that you like or want. As you can imagine someone whose main job is say, driving a city bus for a living, won't be able to pull this off at all unless they own their own business or quit their current job to find another one (which may be impractical.)

Next thing you need to ask yourself is if you can do your job from home or if your job offers telecommuting as an option. So if you're an accountant at a major accounting firm, you may as well stop reading here as well. If it does offer telecommuting and you can also do your work in less time at home than you would at the office, then great, you're in business.

Are you an entrepreneur or other aspiring millionaire? If you've read The Millionaire Next Door which is a study of actual millionaires, you know that the average millionaire works 40-50 hours a week over the course of 20 years to accumulate that million, which is defined as what you own subtract what you owe. So hard research lets you know that there is a small possibility that you, the entrepreneur, can pull off getting down to 4 hours a week. However, there is something to be said for being as efficient as possible in your work and cutting your hours as much as possible through whatever means are available to you.

So, how many people can actually take advantage of the information in this book and attempt to bring their hours all the way down? Sad to say that it's not too many. The reason I say this is that a great many people don't have the discipline to stick with a savings plan (putting 10% of their income aside for their retirement) and setting up your life so that you don't have to work is an extreme amount of work for the few people who can do it and be successful at it.

So, if so few people can actually use this book, why am I giving it four stars?

1: I just used 6 and only 6 vacation days to end up with 2 four day weekends followed by a five day weekend (I read this on the way home) followed by a six day weekend. This also included two 5 day trips (one to DC and one to LA, both from NYC) for which I only paid $800 in total. I'm a HUGE fan of creative vacationing, though I will admit that I contacted the Smithsonian this evening to find out if they really let people visit their islands. That's interesting.

2: I had a professor in college who had 330 days off each year. He taught ONE class twice a week and is being paid full-time for it. He does have a PhD and years of experience though. . .

3: Teachers work until 3PM and have entire summers off.

4: In Spain, siesta is two hours every day. Work still gets done.

5: France is known for taking the summer off. Work still gets done.

So, if you are among the very few people (this of course requires you to take a hard look at your situation) who have both the ability and the inclination to work less hours or you can set yourself up to do so and still like what you do for work (after all, some people just like to work) then by all means take the time out to do it and have fun. I'd just skip the actions suggested in this book that cause you to alienate yourself from other people.

If not, I think you should check out First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently and go to Assessment.com and focus on making your life and your job as fulfilling as possible.

In either case, have fun! :)

All the abuses discussed in this book are accurate, and the author does a fine job in bringing them to life. But the books leaves the reader with the impression that all black workers in the South were virtual slaves, who were forced to stay with the same employer year after year. This is simply not true. Many African Americans switched jobs year after year, to the frustration of planters. Others migrated, sometimes alone, sometimes en masse (e.g., the Kansas Exodus, the Edgefield Exodus) to other parts of the South. Labor agent Peg-Leg Williams moved over 80,000 people from the Carolina southwest all by himself. And so on. The real history is bad enough, no need to exaggerate it. For the relevant sources, see the footnotes to David E. Bernstein, Only One Place of Redress ch. 1 (Duke U. Press 2001), which discusses one way planters tried to limit black mobility, through laws banning labor recruitment.

I am pleased that the book came in a reasonable amount of time.

-Not what I learned in school. But this book opened my eyes to the truth of our American History, and caused me to think about what I see in society today, differently. I would recommend it highly!

There were times when I read this book I was in a fury with rage, when I was completely dumbfounded, flummoxed, horrified, disturbed (deeply) by another chapter of our good country's history. Yet there were also times when I was proud of those portrayed here who were moral and just -- folk who sought to cleanse the countryside of those who thought nothing of life, except to take advantage of it until there was nothing more to give. This richly researched, sharply written book is an essential read.

As an historian, I have long been aware that slavery did not end the evils perpetrated on black people in this country, but I never realized the full extent. Although this book is at times repetitious and disjointed, it is a powerful narrative of a period in American history arguably more disturbing than ante bellum slavery. It's as though all the humane slave masters have been replaced by Simon Legrees and Bull Connors. The complicity of corporate America and the emergence of industrial slavery make the situation even more problematic. This book needs to be read by all who want to fully understand the ramifications of history on race relations in this country and should be required reading in high school and college classrooms.

Once again, Amazon was able to recommend a book that my son loved. I used to say that I had a son that didn't enjoy reading, but I feel like I can't say that anymore. He loved this story and kept reading parts out loud to the rest of the family. We all ended up reading and enjoying it. The main character is very easy to relate to and the author did an amazing job getting the reader to understand the character's problems and emotions. This book is a must read for all kids!!

The narrator inherits an old lawn mower and starts a lawn mowing business. Before he knows it, he's got more business than he can handle and a hippie stockbroker making investments for him. Each chapter title has something to do with an economic principle and we are taken along on the ride as the young narrator learns more than he ever wanted to learn about capitalism.

Very quick read. Cute.

I was excited to order this book for my 12 year-old son as I attempt to encourage his entrepreneurial skills. I was hopeful that the book would be engaging and educational (In the back of my mind I had "The Goal" -- a novel used by many business schools to teach business concepts). This book started out strong and did introduce a few concepts in a pretty clear manner. However, I felt the ending was lacking. The conclusion was completely unrealistic and, if one of the goals of the book was to teach, the ending may have cost credibility throughout as it really missed the mark. I do give the book credit for being engaging. It is an easy read. However, the book sparked no conversation from my son--I didn't see him running out to start a business. The motivation that I had hoped for didn't come. Buy it for entertainment, not for motivation or education.

I got this book because the story sounded really interesting, and it is. It's really poorly written though, which was disappointing. It could have been much better

the end is the best part!!!!!!! 2nd best book I've ever read.#1 is dairy of a whimpy kid series. This book looks boring to us kids if you just read the name of the chapters,but read them and they are funny. The chapters look like the teach you and make you learn but they really have nothing to do with the names. They do really astonishing things with the money he earns. IN OTHER WORDS, READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




READ THIS REVEIW TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


RATE IT GOOD TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is amazing what this tiny little book is selling for, but it is chock full of great information to help the aspiring teacher develop an excellent portfolio and land that job. Lots of helpful tips and examples of many different examples of artifacts to make your portfolio stand out among the rest.

I needed this book for an on-line class. It was cheaper at Amazon than it was in the school's bookstore. I'm really glad I checked for it here. It came within a few days. I'll be checking for all of my textbooks through Amazon.com.

If you have to create a portfolio for your education program as a teacher, I recommend this. It has a lot of good information in it and is very helpful.

This reference guide is an excellent tool for developing your own portfolio at the end of a professional development project. It helps you organize the information in a way that will enhance final publication of your portfolio.

I used this book to help me compile my e-portfolio during my last class of grad school. It helped me decide what was important and what not. If you buy this book, it will help you as well.

Good book for CS people or people who need to find a job in CS.

Cannot say more. Must have if you prepare for interview. Also good for interviewer as a reference for interview questions.

I picked this book up, and I got Interview tips from a chronic job hopper by Tom Elsa on kindle and between the technical aspects in this book and the how to wow them secrets in the interview tips kindle I should be straight!

This book played a significant part in landing me a job at major technology company. Although out of the entire all-day interview process there was only one question that was actually very similar to one I read about in the book, I did benefit greatly from the advice on how to approach the interviewer, how to be verbal with my problem solving process, how to dress, even how to write my sample code on the white board. These are intangibles that relate particularly to the software development world, and some of the specifics were a welcome departure from the 'generic' advice you get from most sources.

It was my first interview with a major tech company, and I was fresh out of grad school, so though some of those things may be obvious to the more experienced, for me it made a world of difference bringing that with me to the interview. Just made me very comfortable and familiar in what should have been a very unfamiliar environment. And the one question that was very similar to the one I read in the book came from an interviewer that I later found out was pivotal in the final decision to hire. So.. you never know.

Reading this book is not a substitute for being technically adept, and certainly will not guarantee a job, but it does leave you better equipped to handle the interview. Seasoned and beginner alike should find many useful tidbits.

Buy this book if you are interviewing with MSFT anytime soon. I have two brothers and both work for MSFT. They both think this book is a very good prep. Moreover, my eldest bro is an interviewer at MSFT and he uses this book! So does the other 4 interviewers he knows at MSFT.

1) This book has sample interview questions for you to solve and several approaches for each question.
2) The book then tells you which approach is the best and why. VERY VERY NICE!
3) This book also tells you how to approach problems, how to make sure you are not stuck, how to brainstorm and get the best answer.
4) There are puzzle/riddle type questions too.
5) How to write resumes and cover letters as well.
6)Finally, the book also has very nice simple tutorials of all the important/basic concepts of OOP.

Very comprehensive book. A MUST buy!

I found Resume Magic to be very helpful. I had paid a lot of money for a professsional resume that just wasn't workig. I tweaked it with tips from this book and had a new job within 2 weeks. The only negative is there is so much information it could be overwhelming if you are starting a resume from scratch and/or have never built a resume.

This book contains many examples of resumes, including before and after examples.

Information on words to use, as well as a grammar refresher, will help you polish the phrases on your resume and avoid tiresome, overused phrases.

There is also a section on cover letters and a section devoted to making your resume visually appealing so that it stands out.

I found tons of useful information in this book, not just platitudes and superficial advice like some resume books dish out.

I checked this book out of the local library, and realized it was worth buying for long-term reference. The thing I like best about the book is the way it speaks to the basic question "Why do I write a resume?" Most treatments just show you how; this one shows you what you're trying to accomplish with a resume and how best to do that. It has many specific examples, too--so that when you're finished, you have a document that can accomplish what the resume can accomplish in today's world of work.

This book is phenominal! It is simple to read and has a workable plan to constructing a simple resume that works with your cover letter.

The is quite simply the best book on resume writing I've ever read. I've worked in HR for over 20 years, and I've never seen anything like this. Well worth the money. So far, I've used this book to write four resumes for family and friends, all of which have resulted in jobs.

If I could have given this book 7 stars, I would have.

The book above was suppose to arrive sooner than when I received it. Unfortunately I had to send it back as my wife could not wait for an extended period. Please credit my card back once you receive the item back. Thank you David

I found this to be a page turner. The book is actual history that reads like fiction. There is a fair amount of repitition that bogged the story down a bit but I still recommend it.

I have to read this book for my Social Welfare Policy class but I can't put it down! The writer is incredibly engaging even when talking about all the backstage drama surrounding the 1996 welfare bill, which I think is a huge accomplishment of and in itself. It is a great blend of legislative history making AND seeing the effects on the welfare recipients.

A friend recommended this book. I picked it up, expecting it to be hard to read (public policy books usually are), but this was nothing like that because the author shapes the story around the lives of real people, including 3 women in Milwaukee who have been receiving public assistance. What amazed me, after reading the book, was how little changed in their lives even when 'welfare as we know it' ended. Two of them became steady workers, for the most part, but they were still poor, still struggling to buy food and pay the utilities, and still had troubles with the men in their lives.

I really loved this book. Its a very quick read and its also extremely informative. You will learn so much about what its like to live in poverty in the US. It also details the history of welfare in America, how it was changed, and where it stands now. The book is no liberal propaganda either. The NY Times reporter who wrote the book comes to some very surprising, often conservative-leaning conclusions. You will be amazed at what he found and often moved to tears by the stories of the three women. An absolutely essential read.

I bought and read this book during the last year of my PhD and it gave valuable hints and insight to the academic job search process. I highly recommend it to all the ABD PhDs out there.

I really enjoyed reading this book and it helped me a lot in my job search. The only thing I was disappointed with was the quality of the many sample CVs, Teaching and Research Statements. You simply need to do significantly better to get a good job.

The Academic Job Search Handbook is the essential guide for anyone pursuing an academic career. Now in its 4th edition, this book is recognized amongst graduate career professionals not only as a classic in our field, but also as an up-to-date guide book to preparing for and applying to faculty positions. Through straightforward advice coupled with sensitivity toward individual and field-specific differences, Julie Vick and Jennifer Furlong provide extensive coverage of the academic job search fundamentals, including many examples of successful CVs, cover letters, and other application materials. The recently expanded chapters on a variety of special circumstances (e.g. those who are pregnant or new parents on the job market, dual career couples, or older candidates) provide real-life success stories that encourage all applicants to capitalize on their own personal strengths while offering specific strategies to help ameliorate potential concerns of search committees.

As a career counselor for graduate students and PhDs, I experience, through my clients, the enormous anxiety inherent in such a competitive job market. The Academic Job Search Handbook provides an indispensable touchstone to help turn unproductive angst into thoughtful, confident action, through concrete and specific advice. I recommend it to all those aspiring to and navigating an academic career.

I bought this book at the late stages of my job hunting process, days before my first, phone interview. Therefore, I did not read the first half of the book which has to do with planning the job search and searching (assisted with sample vitas, cover letters, etc. which cover half of this book's pages). My focus was in the interviewing, and later on in the negotiating phases. In that respect, I think that this book is what its title implies: a handbook giving generic guidelines to most of the situtations one might face while interviewing ( covering off-site, conference, phone, on-campus interviews), including a list of possible questions that might be asked. It gives you advise on how to prepare for each type of interview, what to expect, what to wear etc. in a brief manner, something that was very useful for my case, since I had only a few days to prepare for my first, phone interview. I also found some useful points in the "negotiating the job" section. Another aspect I liked about this book was that it covered specific situations such as dual-carrer couples, foreign nationals seeking US employment, etc. The last part of this book covers the "after you take the job" phase, which I plan to read.

Overall, this is a nice handbook, which outlines the basics, but doesn't get into much detail. I had to buy another book and combine information of both to better prepare for my job interviews. Half of the book is covered by sample materials, which I found useless, but given its low price, I would recommend it to anyone seeking for an academic job, as a start-up, quick reference guide, or a complementary book to another, more detailed one.

This book is a useful introduction to the academic job search process. There are some nuggets of gold in it, but mostly, it has generic information that you could probably get from any professor. Things like, write journal papers, attend conferences, read web sites for job postings. The list of potential interview questions is good. Some of the sample cover letters etc. are OK.

So far I can't complain. It has all the elements and secrets you need. I have not read it all, but so far it is very very helpful.

Great reference for job hunting and also good tool for interviewers.
Used this recently to assist a friend prepare for an interview and it was a big help. Great stuff.

My brother sent this to me when I was in my 20s (about 20 years ago), and it has been my interview practice "bible" ever since. It is the only thing I use (even though my edition is 20 years outdated), and I have built upon Yates' advice, and have 20 years of 1-paragraph accomplishments for each job I have had to review before interviewing. I am eager to buy the 2008 version to give to anyone I care about who is looking for a job. I have ALWAYS gotten a job offer after interviewing.

Great book that tells it like it is. I had originally bought an earlier version for myself; and bought this for my neice who is just out of college looking for her first job.

I got knocked dead from boredom, I got better advice from a 2 dollar kindle book, Interview tips from a chronic job hopper. Thats from the same guy who wrote the hilarious Job Hopper book Mr Instability. I mean think about it who would know more than a job hopper! But anyway, there is some good advice in this book and the way I look at it if you take a little from each book and classes the better of you will be.

Vicky Oliver not only gives you hundreds of questions interviewers ask - she tells you why they ask them, and what your answers say about you. Once you understand that, you can tailor your answers to your own personal situation and still be sure of making the right impression.

The first ten or so reviews were written couple days apart from each other. Obviously fake. I wish I noticed this before buying this book. And when I was looking for another book on interview questions, they all seem to have overinflated ratings because of the fake reviews.

They guarded the pass of Thermopylae, slightly over 300 (scholars today believe the extra one may be Ephialtes) ferocious and heavily armed questions, determined to keep out the immense horde of Persian job applicants, seeking to take over the Greek mainland by securing positions in middle management in large numbers. This seminal text on a major historical event by Ms. Oliver, as an allegory for our time, juxtaposes our usual depiction of the Greek defenders as heroes by making the reader identify far more strongly with the uncertain lot of the Persian interviewees, brought to Thermopylae not by revenge or glory but simply by the desire to do their job and maybe better their condition just a little bit.

Ultimately, of course, the Persian invaders were successful in getting their jobs, as no doubt readers of this book will hope to be. But even so, like us, the Persian invasion of Greece met its demise in the very end, and perhaps that is the real tragedy of the book: even in moments of crowning achievement, the inevitable finality that awaits us all lurks on the horizon.

This book is extremely helpful and, I think, unique among books about job interviewing. Most job interviewing guides tell you to straighten your tie, smile and comb your hair before going on an interview. Once you reach a certain point in your career, you really don't need to be told these things. What this book does is it helps you with real-world job interview problems, such as, in my case, how to explain the two years I took off in my late 20's; and why I stayed in the same job for seven years without getting a promotion. If you have a tricky issue in your job history that you want to cast in the best light on an interview, this is the only book for you.

Follow the advice given by Vicky Oliver in this book and your chances of getting that job expand exponentially. The devil is in the details and this book contains details galore that will provide a measure of confidence from what to wear to what to say, and more important, what not to say.