Employment Books

If you're interested in looking at the data behind women and careers, this is the book for you. Hewlett has summarized a number of really interesting data. For example, 37% of women take time off at some point in their careers. 30% of women take advantage of part-time or other flexible programs. Hewlett's data illustrates a number of important reasons companies should care about gender diversity. After building the business case for women, she talks about how companies have created programs to make it work. One of the nice elements of this book is that she illustrates the data with personal stories. One of my favorite quotes underscores the importance of finding meaning in your job. A working mom comments, "when I walk out the door in the morning leaving my 2-yaer-old with the nanny, there's usually a bit of a scene. Tommy clings, pouts, and whips up the guilt. Now, I know it's not serious--most of the time he likes his nanny. But it sure makes me think about why I go to work--and why I put in a ten hour day. It's as though every day I make the following calculation: do the satisfactions I derive from my job (efficacy, recognition--a sense of stretching my mind) justify leaving Tommy? Some days it's a close run. One thing I do know. It couldn't just be the money. I need a whole lot of things to be happening for me to work."

Economist Sylvia Ann Hewlett does an excellent job of outlining both subtle and bold barriers that relegate many talented women (and minorities) to the lower end of promotions and pay scales. Using ample documentation, she outlines the financial costs that corporations suffer when they operate with outdated career models designed for white male professionals. Hewlett also lines up practical solutions with real-life examples from top corporations. Though the book is marred by repetition and various examples are recycled in different chapters, overall, we consider this essential reading for senior corporate officials and staff members.

This book honestly and openly explores what I believe thousands of professional women are facing today - the deep challenge of creating a successful professional life of meaning, fulfillment, and balance, in today's current dominant work model. As one who works with hundreds of professional women each year, I see over and over the ill-effects of professional women striving to fit into a model that no longer reflects our needs, priorities, and values. Hewlett's book goes a long way toward presenting beneficial new thinking and programs that, when adopted, will certainly bring about beneficial and urgently-needed change.

Despite all the print about the "Mommy Wars" and whether women should or shouldn't be in the workplace, the fact is that half the U.S. workforce is currently made up of women - and the workplace will have to change to accommodate them. Sylvia Hewlett's "Off-Ramps and On-Ramps" adds new, crucial information to this discussion. She provides data about women in the work force and provides models of flexible workplace structures now being used in corporations. The book gives a convincing business case for work force diversity and for the restructuring of our career model.
Hewlett's book is a must read for anyone concerned about the work force of the twenty first century.

I actually hesitated to read Off-Ramps and On-Ramps, as it looked like a boring textbook at first glance. But, as I got into it, it was quite a provocative read and even brought up some interesting points that applied to both men and women. Here are a few highlights that struck my fancy:

Chapter 1 - Why Mess with the Male Competitive Model. Good way to start a book. I think we'll be hearing more about this as generation y gets further into the workplace. While a hardcore minority will stick to the traditional Gordon Gecko "greed is good" model, we'll see countless others rebel against the values of the generations before them (as all generations before rebelled against their parent's values).

Chapter 2 - Looks at how large a factor elder-care already plays in women's lives. In fact, it's larger than child-care as this affects all women. This is only going to increase as Boomers start being the ones needing care.

Chapter 3 - Extreme Jobs, Extreme Demands. Thought this chapter could make a whole book. It's a great overview of how corporate America has changed. I have a friend whose parents were both big executives at major companies, yet all the time growing up, she swears that both made it home for dinner almost every single night. This is practically unheard of even for middle management these days.

The latter half of the book gives examples of companies who are launching innovative programs to resolve the situation. This makes it a must-read for any management team who is struggling to keep women, OR, better yet, recognizes what a great asset they have and wants to boost them up even more! However, it still begs the question of what to do for the majority of women who do not work for the handful of Fortune 500 companies who get it, and have the funds to produce such innovative programs.

I came across this book in one of my many sessions of surfing for books on Amazon. This book is worth more then 5 stars! It is an easy read and the ladies give you so much information in a simple format. If you have any spiritual leanings and know anything about the law of attraction I suggest getting this book in conjunction with "Attracting Perfect Customers." This second book helps you really flesh out a mission/vision statement for your business and is also written by women.

Don't let the title deceive you because it really should have been called "Entrepreneurship for Dummies." It explains everything you need to know about launching a company but didn't even know to ask. A must read before you start writing your business plan.

Ok..Close your eyes. What would the world look like if women had access to capital markets and economic empowerment? It would look far different and we know it. Now close your eyes and cultivate that business concept that stops you working for a paycheck and gets you into that morphic, entrepreneurial state. Please feel free to move forward and change the world with confidence. Why? Because these authors, these mentors, these thoughtful women have shown up and delivered a superior "play by play" manual. This manual includes all the tools and examples you will need to get started, stay strong, and finish first. Make no mistake, these women are out to change the economic environment for all women. What legacy will you leave the women in your life? Buy the book, and cultivate your dream to life!

Don't be fooled by the title of this book. This is not another "networking" book or a simple "how to start a small business" book. It is also not a feminist propaganda disguised within a business development manual. If you are serious about starting, expanding, or reinventing your business consider reading this book. If you are a woman, definitely read this book!

From page one, the angels (read the book to understand why I refer to them as angels) who wrote this book make some basic assumptions: the reader is interested in paving a way in the business world, the reader has the drive to make their dreams come true, and the reader has passion, vision, a pioneering spirit, and the tenacity to make it happen.

But be prepared for lots of hard work. This isn't a read me and set me on the bookshelf type of book. The toolkit provided in the appendix (58 pages) includes checklists, to dos, and touch questions that need to be addressed. The Digging Deeper sections in each chapter provide expanded definitions of important concepts and the Summaries at the end of each chapter provide an easy way to review the important points.

Thanks to all that made this book a reality! It has a permanent place on my desk as I move my business to the next step and is already highlighted and dog-eared.

This book is jam packed with advice on every page. The inspirational stories give insight on "how it is done" as well as showcase highly successful women entrepreneurs; the tool kit provides a useful blueprint to follow right down to sample legal forms; and the down to earth style makes it easy for women just starting a business to easily follow along. That is not to say seasoned women business owners will not benefit from reading the book to take their business to the next level with the "how to's" spelled out for you.

I read this book for the 2nd time, will most likely read it a 3rd time, and use it for reference from that point forward. Every woman who has the spirit of an entrepreneur should have this book on her bookshelf. It is REAL informational and uplifting, it is REAL inspirational and most of all REAL life.

It was wonderful to read the stories of the amazing women who had visions and dreams and turned them into realities. This book will inspire women everywhere who are looking for direction, encouragement and real life success stories.

Kaira speaks from the heart and is not afraid to talk about her own challenges and trials and it is a quality that I admire.

What I enjoy most about Real You Incorporated is that it is a book I will continually refer to as I develop and grow my part-time business. I appreciate Kaira's perspective on "keeping it real". I am right now working on developing my brand, thanks to RYI. I had never thought about trying to picture what my business would look like walking down the street. This is helping me to better clarify the look, feel and attitude I want my business to project. Real You Incorporated has been and will continue to be a valuable resources for me as I define the "real me"

A truly inspiring book! What a wonderful concept - to achieve your goals in business, you have to be true to yourself! Kaira's message is empowering to women entrepreneurs but also to men and to women in any walk of life. A step by step process to help discover the real you. This is a book you will want to read over and over!

While Kaira's book is given as advice to women entrepreneurs it is equally relevant to men or any group. Her emphasis is to first, identify who you are and then implement the "you" in your business and yourself and then your brand. Truly a great read which shows how we flourish when being ourselves and are surrounded by others who share the vision of the group. Terrific ideas on how to be all you can or want to be - both in business and in the rest of "you". This book is for real.

I'm not part of the target market for this book but I found the information on corporate branding to be practical and inspirational. Having started two software companies, I can tell you from Real Experience that the author's advice is sound: tell your company story, figure out the problem you are going to solve and position your company from day one. The author's personal story about positioning and branding her company in the Real Estate market is quite compelling. The environmental branding advice alone is worth the price of the book, for both male and female entrepreneurs.

Workers these days are like snow shovels in a South Carolina blizzard - not enough to go around. Some of the causes are simple statistics: economy up, unemployment down, working-age population falling, employers' demand outstripping supply. But others are cultural. Large corporations, the traditional source of jobs, are often perceived as uncaring engines of depletion, exhaustion, and downsizing. The young are choosing options, from lifestyle to stock, while workplace veterans opt for the dignity of early retirement over the desolation of forced termination. Employers' alternatives are stark: expand their supply, increase their appeal, or prepare for shortfalls and belt-tightening. Recruitment, retention, recession - remorse.

Were companies to examine their own assumptions on hiring and firing, they would find a pervasive and self-destructive premise: old is bad. But as Beverly Goldberg argues in _Age Works_, employers - indeed, society as a whole - have built this premise on an ill-considered, ill-defined congeries of prejudices and presuppositions. Believe it or not, Americans age 55 and above take fewer sick days, adapt to new technologies successfully, and are more loyal to their employer than are their colleagues thirty years younger. And perhaps more importantly, they may be the only untapped workforce available. As hidebound organizations throw fortunes at untested youth, others more far-seeing (including Travelers, GTE, and Baxter Health Care) actively recruit, train, and depend upon senior workers. In a shrinking labor market, corporations and their HR departments may find a surprising competitive advantage in coaxing older employees away from the brink of an often sterile and impoverished retirement.

Eager to dismiss this challenge to their standard practices, naysayers and doomsayers will demand proof. Fortunately _Age Works_ reads more like a position paper than a business book, and like any good position paper, it's loaded with facts. Age Works is the ideal volume for anyone itching for a statistical analysis of the American workforce 1950-2050, in all its hues and strata. Arguably Goldberg's love of statistics verges on addiction, but in the pharmacy of authorial dependence, statistics are a pretty benign habit. More distracting, although again less than fatal, is the book's policy-wonk style. Goldberg stands foursquare in the school of tell-`em-what-you're-going-to-tell-`em, tell-`em-, tell-`em-what-you-told-`em, and _Age Works_ sometimes reads like an executive summary that cannot bear to end.

Nonetheless, _Age Works_ is a cogent, serious, undeniably well-supported piece. Even those who resist the proposed solutions (admittedly the book's weakest section) will find the diagnosis difficult to dispute. Like it or not, America's workforce will continue to grow smaller and grayer over the next twenty years. And by the time the population bounces back, corporations' hiring practices will have appealed to all ages - or to none.

I read Age Works with great interest since I have been involved with this problem for 25 years and have recently published a web site exclusively for older workers. It is a free non- profit referral service. Go to seniorjobbank.org

For a decade we've heard a steady chorus of despair about the graying of America--that graying means paying, in the words of one leading credit. Beverly Goldberg, in this carefully researched, tightly argued, fluidly written, and ultimately extremely important book, shows us a different path. She demonstrates that older Americans are a potential boon to the economy and to the bottom line of forward thinking companies. She shows that they are a group that brings considerable experience and great stability to those that will make use of their talents. And she supplies a roadmap for how we can get there--as indivuals, as companies, and as a society. A great read and a great contribution to the growing body of literature about navigating what may well be the great demographic transition in our country's history, the aging of America.

Since the idea of totally retiring is not something that appeals to me, I found the suggestions for building different kinds of flexible work arrangements very thought-provoking. The numbers in the first couple of chapters will help build a compelling case for allowing those who want such arrangements to have them. I also found the stories of those who wanted out fascinating-they are an indictment of companies for the ways they handled downsizing and mergers. It clearly is time for all businesses to rethink their dealings with the people who work for them and to reconsider the value of older workers.

If managers think they have problems attracting and retaining human capital in today's economy, they haven't seen anything yet. Get set for the massive wave of retirements over the next ten (10) years. Beverly Goldberg conveys a compelling picture of why managers need to learn the value of recognizing, retraining, and retaining older workers. Age Works is a wakeup call to those caught up in the wastefulness of our "throw away" society. Older workers are a precious resource that can ill afford to be squandered. Ms. Goldberg demonstrates a better path and presents concrete ways for managers to benefit from the graying of America.

For people unfamiliar with the myth of the middle-class being able to manage a one house, 2 car, 2.5 kid, 2 income life, this 2004 book is a great choice. However, this is old news. Written by a sociologist and a phycologist, this reads like a great 30 page research paper that has been stretched into a 200 page book (and 100 pages of footnotes and index). The writers give a great overview, but focus almost entirely on the middle-class problems and the rude awakening that many are having since the middle-class women of the 1950s have begun entering the work force. Slim discussion on single parent households and even slimmer discussion on low-income families (especially women), who have been facing a crisis for at least 100 years longer.

(Spoiler) The idea is basically that middle-class women of the 1950s provided a vital support for their bread winner husbands and nurtured the children (discussion about single women is lacking). With the 1970s allowing women to enter the workforce, the cracks have been appearing due to the stresses on family/work life with many middle-class women now being forced to do 2 jobs without adequte pay for either and with men not barring their fair share. Combine it less assurance of life-time employment, benefits, and pensions, and you get the cracks in the American Dream. Well, that's just great. Any original solutions? What about low-income women who have been out in the workforce for much longer? What about single women? The authors muse on how great universal flex time, paid maternity leaves without risk of layoffs or geopardizing promotions, and government support would be. However, they don't really come up with any original or unique solutions to the problem. They just say that something has got to change or we'll be in trouble. They label many corporate initiatives such as low cost day care as being really pro-work (since parents are able to stay at work longer) but don't provide any better solutions. Leaving it up to others. An economic perspective would have helped. Overall, a good summary, but severely lacking.

Researchers, students, and "just plain folk" alike have much to gain from this exploration of a topic that has relevance to virtually everyone. This approchable yet thorough discussion will help crystallize the impediments to leading a balanced life, and also point the way to possible solutions. Buy this book!

As a college student, I was writing a paper for Social Psych on gender roles and how their impact upon society. While researching, I stumbled upon this book, which proved to be both the most valuable statistically and an actually interesting read. Roehling and Moen well document not just gender role differences, but also the myth that hard work, long hours, and continuous employment pay off in the 21st century. The Career Mystique has made me realize that traditional beliefs are standing in the way of creating a new, alternative workplace and career flexibilities.

A marvelous job by Roehling and Moen, and I bestow my highest regards upon them for tackling such a complex, yet pertinent societal issue.

This book well documents the realities of an out-of-date, false myth about working hard and achieving the american dream. Moen and Roehling provide detailed accounts of men and women struggling to stay afloat in their jobs, in their relationships, and in their daily lives. This book provides great insight into the mismatch between what we all believe we can achieve and the lockstep life course that we complacently follow.

I'm a sociology undergrad and was asked to read this book. While many sociology books that I've read are dry and difficult to get through, The Career Mystique is straightforward, with clear and easy-to-understand examples. More than that, this book forced me to look beyond the relative ease of the predicted, calculated, college life to what lerks beyond, namly trying to balance a career and a family. I think The Career Mystique clearly explains a problem that has been lurking within American society for the past few decades but until now remained unnamed. This is a must-read for anyone who will try to balance family life and a dual-earner relationship.

I learned many useful tips on how to manage myself at my first job, especially with my "difficult" bosses. I am happy someone put a book out there that is practical and beneficial for anyone to use for their first, or current job.

I am a recent college graduate who knew little about the professional workplace. This book really prepared me for the issues I was about to face. I especially enjoyed the section on difficult co-workers. No matter where you work, you will encounter people that are a challenge to work with. They give vivid and accurate descriptions of these typical people. Not only is this book helpful, it is funny! Any age, any stage of your career, this is a MUST read book!

I can certainly use the advice in this book. I found the writing to be concise and the tips were very useful. I like how the book is organized because you can easily located the issues that are most interesting. The section on "how to relate to your boss" really helped me get through some stressful moments at work. I will continue to use this book as a guide. Thanks!

I am a recent college grad, and I came into the work world nervous and unsure of what to expect. I received this book as a gift from a friend, and it really helped me adjust to my first "real job." I learned a lot about office ettiquite, communication, and working as a team. This book is a must read for new grads. This survival guide will prepare you for many of the challenges you will face on the job everyday.

Having just graduated from college, I find First-Job Survival Guide to be very useful in making the college to workforce transition. It has valuable tips about writing business emails, using business etiquette, and shifting from hoodies and jeans to business-casual attire. The authors give great advice for dealing with a broad spectrum of situations and communicating with coworkers and bosses. I would definitely recommend it to anyone just entering the workforce and to people who have been working for years and are looking for an update.

This soft-cover book is written like a children's textbook, but Hine's photos look great all throughout. There are quite a few full-page prints, roughly 8x6 sized. I'm very satisfied with the purchase; only Aperture would print a book with better quality reproductions, and that's out of my price range right now.

Lewis Hine was a photographer who took pictures of young children at work. There were many different jobs that children held during the late 1800's into the early 1900's. Hine's photographs were extremely powerful. Each photograph provided information about the types of jobs children held and gave some family history. The majority of the children had little to no education because their parents relied on them to work and earn an income. Many of the factories preferred the work of younger children compared to adults because the children were quicker and were too young to complain. Hine has displayed photos in this book of children as young as four years old shucking oysters. The most dangerous job that was portrayed in the book was coal mining, unfortunately it was also the best paying job; a child had to be at least fourteen to perform the tasks. Parents often lied about their child's age to get them into the mines. The book would have been just as powerful without any of the information. The pictures were enough to convey the children's stories. Russell Freedman has done a wonderful job putting this book together. Seeing the children physically working was moving and emotional, which helped the author get his point across.

...

This book weaves Hine's story together with his photographs of kids working in Maine's sardine canneries, Texas cotton fields, New York laundries, Tennessee and Georgia cotton mills and in textile mills all over the U.S. south. He took some of the most haunting photos of dark tunnels and grimy breaker rooms in Pennsylvania coalmines. He went inside glass factories, to farms, and onto city streets at 1 a.m. to photograph children distributing newspapers and 1 p.m. to watch them shining boots.

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If your kids occasionally gripe that they have it tough, get them this book and show them what the word means. Alyssa A. Lappen

This is a nonfiction photographic essay book that will touch any reader's heart. Mr. Freedman seems to know the facts and life of Mr. Hine very well. There is an extensive bibliography at the end of the book as wee. The information at the end seemed hard to believe but true. The book is only 11 years old so the facts aren't that dated. There are many saddening facts in this book. It reveals the truths about child labor in the text and photos.
The book was written to shine light on child labor history and to showcase some of Mr. Hine's photographs. The book is very interesting to read. There are quotes from some kids who worked in the factories and also some quotes from Mr. Hine who took great pride in accurately recording the facts about his subjects. This book could spark an interest in further study of this topic.
The information in this book is broken down and presented in an understandable order. The text is a harsh reality but it is presented well. The style gets the reader emotionally involved. The language is relatively simple and easy to read.
The information is laid out well and the references are listed in the back. There is a table of contents and bibliography and acknowledgement page.
The photos are a wonderful enhancement. The book would be nothing with out them. They are strategically placed and make the book what it is. There are captions that describe the pictures and they are discussed in the text.
This book could be used in the classroom to show what life was like and to talk about immigration and economic conditions.

Freedman has collected dozens of black and white photographs taken by Lewis Hine during the first decades of the twentieth century. Hine worked as an investigational photographer for the National Child Labor Committee (NCLC). The NCLC wanted the United States government to pass laws concerning child labor, and thought that photos of the work children did would be more effective persuaders than mere speeches and statistics. Hine traveled the nation with his camera taking photographs, sometimes despite risk to his person.

The text of the book serves partly as a brief biography of Lewis Hine, and partly as explanatory backdrop for the scenes in the photographs. Freeman gives enough background information to put the images in their context, but not so much data as to overwhelm the reader. The machines, tools and environments are so strange to the modern eye that without clarification, many pictures would be meaningless.

The most shocking photographs in the collection are of the young boys involved in the coalmines. The filth on their faces, hands and clothing is astonishing. By comparison, the dangers and deplorable conditions of working in a cotton mill are not as readily apparent as those of working in a coal mine. However, reading Freeman's text exposes the dangers of moving machinery and smothering lint and humidity not so clear in the photos.

The book concludes by sharing the changes in child labor laws that Hine's photographs helped bring about, as well as information on the child labor situation of today.

This book is full of eye opening and shocking information for the unaware. School may be hard, but without child labor laws things could be so much worse.

This book is just wonderful. A must have for any child. I have never loved a book as much.

i think that i've read this book more than a thousand times! and i'm sure that if i had to read it another time,i'll do it again!
at the end we discover that we're still looking to things of life just like the way we used to once we were children!
waw! just read it,you won't regret it!
i will be so pleased to share my thoughts with someone who read it...and i will be more than pleased if i knew that i could have another from this author!

OH MY GOD!! what a cutie. This book is so sweet and makes you feel all warm and furry inside. I am 23 and I still read it with my mother and we just weap and weap of sweetness. I suggest reading this book to anyone who loves to be cozy!!

This book is wonderful.It shows us how to see love through many things:a flower for example ,it helps people to discover a feeling that makes our life better. Joan Walsh Anglund employed children pictures and thoughts to proove that love can be felt by all the ages

This book is wonderful.It shows us how to see love through many things:a flower for example ,it helps people to discover a feeling that makes our life better. Joan Walsh Anglund employed children pictures and thoughts to proove that love can be felt by all the ages

I thought this was an awesome book explaining Rodney Carroll's life and way to becoming a person who is very successful. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would encourage anybody to buy and read this book!

I also could not put this book down. I began it on a plane flight and was almost hoping for a delay in the air so that I could keep reading it. I read it in about 3 days. The way Gary Karton weaves the incredible story of Rodney Caroll from present to past and back to present creates a fasinating tale. Mr Caroll's life and work is definitely worth anyone's time to read - from the most liberal of social workers to the most conservative corporate board member. I kept thinking that I want to meet the man himself! It's a fabulous piece of work and I highly recommend it.

Rodney J. Carroll, the author, describes being raised by a neglectful mother in a poverty-stricken area, his pitfalls and prmotions within United Parcel Service, his pilot project which showed UPS the work potential of people on welfare and his experience standing on the podium with the President of the United States.

While reading the book, you feel like you are right with him. For example, he describes the story of his first day of work where he isn't trained and makes significant mistakes. He leaves the rollers in the truck, fails to sort the packages, and comes close to losing his job. He doesn't hesitate to tell the reader about weaknesses- giving you a sense he is a well-rounded real person willing to share of himself.

This book also avoids many of the cliches and unreality of the typical "rags to riches" autobiography. For example, he speaks of two times in his life where he basically gives up and becomes apathetic. At one point in high school, his counselor tells him that he is not smart enough to go to college. He internalizes that message and partially believes it. He flirts with gang activity and drug dealing. He also gets turned down for promotions at United Parcel Service and makes the decision that many people make in that circumstance- to do his job, but not try to do more.

In each of these cases, he gets his ambition back and his life on track. A friend of his tells him about the Basic Educational Opportunty Grant which he uses to get his tuition paid. And, he is promoted at UPS four years later to be a division manager at the Lawnsdale Hub.

We are spared the usual impression of a person who remains totally determined and courageous under all circumstances.

Yet, he also speaks with detail about motivating employees in a union shop where the work is monotonous and the lifting is heavy. He describes the internal politics where he persuades the managers to hire people on welfare.

There are many lessons here- and it's very entertaining. I read it three times.

Rodney's book has sparked interest and attention. When one reads the book : you might wonder how could Rodney rise above his surroundings and overcome his roadblocks ? Well knowing Rodney for a number of years ; I've noticed that Rodney doesn't see roadblocks and has never fell victim to any of his apparently tough surroundings. He's a remarkable man with a gift. Everyone that has the opportunity to meet and share with him will notice this. He his :what success is meant to be. Rodney will enjoy tremenedous success because he always tries to share his good fortune.He truly believes that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. His calling is to make others great and he will never fail. I'm priviledged to know Rodney and call him friend.Rodney is a big man with a big mission-and anyone anywhere who can fellowship with him will leave inspired.Any corporation that has him will definitely excel.Any person that has Rodney as a friend is definitely blessed. Oprah,Tom Joyner,Tony Brown, and Rev Gray showcase this man.

...............Wes Southall

Awesome - I believe that Rodney, in the course of his remarkable career, has indeed changed our world for the better with his compassion and belief. I also truly believe this book should be a mandatory read in all high schools and colleges. It gives much food for thought, including the responsibility each of us has to help address and solve the welfare problem Corporate America is living today. Most of us know little about the demeaning lives the people on welfare are forced to live, or the almost impossible task of improving their lives and Rodney, through his telling of his own experiences exposes the readers to their plight. I found this book an endless source of inspiration for me as a pacifist and believer in justice and equality for all. Rodney's skillful representation of welfare today reminds me of the unforgettable words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King where he prophetically penned: "We cannot have an enlightened democracy with one great group living in ignorance...... We cannot have a nation orderly and sound with one group so ground down and thwarted that it is almost forced into unsocial attitudes and crime". Like Dr. King, Rodney has forever altered the consciousness of America, like Dr. King, Rodney understands that love of God and love of ourselves are the necessary first steps on the road to freedom.

One of Rodney Carroll's greatest aspects is his commitment to his very own thoughts and thus, speaking his mind. He doesn't necessarily say what America's majority want to hear. That is why he is so phenomenal, so involved. His urgency in helping America's welfare recipients create themselves a better future, oppressed people world-wide; and his logical prioritising of human rights before civil rights, are evidential of his deep complex understanding of human nature.

Rodney's searing story belongs on the small shelf of great autobiographies. The reasons are many: the blistering honesty with which he recounts his transformation from a black kid trying to survive in the ghetto's of America finest into the exemplary, courageous and articulate man he is today. His honest portrayal of his life is a morally uplifting story, but it is also a fun read. This book will make you think, laugh and cry. It is also one of the most entertaining stories I've ever read. I've read it twice and in a few years, another read will be time well spent. All will be enriched by this fascinating book. It's a MUST!!

Rodney you're the BEST. Keep up the good work.

Just like there are styles for organzing, procrastination, behavior and thinking, there is a style for selling--by gender! What a great heads up this author gives us for recognizing and more effectively interacting with someone in a business and sales situation. The exercises in the book were easy and usefuil because they helped gain some clarity around my own style. An easy and informative read.

Ronna Lichtenberg's Pitch Like a Girl reached the top of my reading stack just in time! I was literally in the midst of sending out promotional packets for my new business when I realized I needed to hold the mail until I finished her book. Ronna's practical advice was like a slap to the forehead - of course I should frame it that way, of course that's what potential clients will need to hear! Even my therapist agreed with Ronna's idea of selling my business as Me, Inc. instead of "just" . . . me. This is a great tool for women who struggle to sell themselves. Gini Hamilton, Communications Consultant.

Pitch Like a Girl is a book that at first glance gives the impression of simply being a primer for females in the modern workplace. As a male reader, my initial reaction was there wouldn't be much in it for me. I was wrong! The author has done an excellent job of revealing the clear and significant differences between men and woman in the workplace. Modern culture perpetuates a silly myth that men and woman are equal in every way... they just have a few parts different in anatomical design. The plain truth as Ronnie Lichtenberg explains is that we are "wired differently". This does not make one sex better or superior than another. We are unique by design and react differently in various situations. Men and woman also approach problems and challenges from different perspectives. This is as it should be, and trying to be something you are not, or conforming to others' expectations only leads to frustration.

Pitch Like a Girl is a refreshing book because the author believes women in the workplace don't have to change who and what they really are to succeed. She believes the real secret to success is to tap "more fully and consciously into the woman you already are". Litchenberg proposes that the key to fulfillment is to bring more of yourself to work, and to receive more back from it. To promote this she encourages the reader to discover their own "pitch". The "pitch" may be different for each individual, but as a powerful tool it will help you to exercise your natural skills of persuasion to influence others toward your point of view. This is accomplished by developing the skill set most women have acquired by nurturing and building personal relationships.

I enjoyed reading Pitch Like a Girl and it reminded me of the many barriers that still exist in the workplace for women. It also highlights the problems created when talented females feel forced to think and react just like their male counterparts. This fine publication is a pleasure to read and many parts are Lichtenberg's own autobiography which helps explain her philosophy and passion. The book is broken down into five chapters and each is seasoned with checklists, sidebars and thought-provoking questions. Pitch Like a Girl also includes some self-analysis testing and even has one appendix for guys to read.

Overcoming cultural expectations can be difficult. But, to be successful and fulfilled at the same time means being who and what you are intended to be on the inside and outside. This book will appeal to both female and male readers because it teaches us to respect each other for our mutual differences. When you understand and appreciate these differences, and view them as genuine strengths, you know that what the French mean when they say, "viva la difference".

Pitch Like A Girl is a book for both genders. Although this book is addressed to women, if you are a man, you'll find most of it applies to you, too. Because, as Lichtenberg amply illustrates, there may be fixed tendencies arising from "hard-wiring" in the different male and female brains and hormonal systems, but tendencies are subject to manipulation by socialization, by learning and by choice. So, we all end up with both blue (traditionally male) and pink (traditionally female) characteristics.

Ronna Lichtenberg provides her readers with three exceptional tools to improve communication and transactions across the styles that divide us:

1) She simplifies relevant scientific literature on the roles played by physical, psychological and sociological gender differences and makes it easy to understand and interesting to read.

2) She provides handy set of color-coded categories for how those differences work. That set is very useful for accurately interpreting other people's words, behaviors, expectations and intentions.

3) She gives exact, specific instructions on how to use your new understanding to get ahead in business -- and get what you want elsewhere.

In Pitch Like A Girl, you will learn to how to recognize and value both blue and pink characteristics (and your own particular blend) and use your tendencies for your highest benefit. You'll appreciate that the so-called "gender gap" in communicating is really a "pink" and "blue" gap that occurs within genders as well. So you'll be better able to talk to, negotiate with and make presentations to anyone by identifying his or her overall tendencies. In that, this excellent book adds substantially to the literature on male-style and female-style communication (such as Deborah Tannen's books You Just Don't Understand and That's Not What I Meant).

Of course, the book is about more than communications. The author's expression of the need for assertiveness and self-promotion in what she calls the "Me, Inc." approach is of interest to both "pinks" and "blues". As the saying goes, if I had a nickel for every time I explained the concept to both male and female clients, well...I'd have a whole lot of nickels. Let me just say, if you only get this one concept out of this and apply it, you'll be much more effective as an employee, an entrepreneur, a boss or whatever else you are. It is golden.

For women in particular, though, Lichtenberg addresses in depth issues all women face, pink, blue or evenly-striped. Issues that men are unlikely to face for many physical and cultural reasons. Best of all, she doesn't just help you understand them, she has ideas for exactly what to do about them. Men can just skip on to the generically useful parts.

I found this book to be easy-to-read, informative, and interesting.

The author tells you the what, the why, and the how of specific elements of "pitching" and she includes colorful examples to make her point.

She clearly breaks down the process of "pitching" into key elements and describes how to maximize the effectiveness of each element while including the major concerns of the other party.

(If anyone has seen the movie "Working Girl" with Melanie Griffith and Sigourney Weaver, you know how much work Melanie puts into her "pitch" and about the conflict between the "pink" woman, Melanie, and the "blue" woman, Sigourney.
This book describes certain elements of that movie to a T!)

The book hit the nail on the head when it said that as a woman you could jeopardize your chances of success if you are too feminine or too masculine. (This is not immediately obvious in most professions, and I have found that this is quite a fine line to walk in and out of the workplace.) Adjusting your style to suit the comfort level of your audience and being able to attend to the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of your audience are also discussed in this book.

Anyone that has tried not to pitch like a girl, female or male, has learned that what may seem like a simple natural motion into a complicated series of motions of from a specific grip on the ball, flex the wrist, position the arm, rotating the shoulder, twisting at the waist, leaning back, and moving my weight to the front foot for the throw.

What women might think is an innate ability to throw a baseball, or "pitch", is a very specific sequence of motions carefully learned over and made to look effortless through practice and refinement.

Thank goodness that someone could break down the motions of promoting the best of my skills and qualities to another person, for explaining how we are "pitching" all the time in our lives and the importance being able to do it effectively, and for explaining how "blue" people, "pink" people, and people with "stripes" are different.

This book helped me assess my audience more accurately, make adjustments to my "pitch" to increase my effectiveness, and decrease my level of stress while "pitching"!