Employment Books

This resource is a gold mine. As an employment consultant I have found Parker's book to be practical, realistic and extremely helpful, especially since I primarily work with the Blue Collar sector. If you are experienced in writing your own resume, this book offers great tips on polishing it and if you are new to the resume process, Parker also takes you through it step by step in a manner both instructional and interesting. This should be on every employment consultant's bookshelf. Easy to read and easy to understand; simple but not simplistic.

We provide workshops on job searching, resume writing, interviewing, hidden job market etc. for a varied background of people. Some of our customers do not relate to resumes prepared for the executive or highly educated job seeker. These customers can now understand and see how their similiar skills can be marketed. We now use this resource in every district office. With many employers using the resume instead of applications for screening and with most occupations now requiring resumes, this book is essential for all job seekers.

In my position as a state and federal employment counselor, I deal with large numbers of displaced blue collar workers. Many have limited computer skills and writting ability. BLUE COLLAR & BEYOND has become my most used source book. (In fact I recently purchased a second copy as the first on was wearing out) Using BC&B to teach folks how to prepare their selves to re enter the workforce has raised my success in placement rate to over 75%. VERY EXCELLENT TEXT! Must HAve! Must Buy! Must USE! C. Baugh

Finally, a resume book for jobs that do not require a college education. The book has 171 resumes for jobs such as master cake decorator, clerical office worker, plumber, cruise line customer service. It has a helpful section telling how to get around difficult problems such as job gaps, lack of experience, a spotty education record, and age discrimination. It is readable and encouraging.

This was adapted from the Annotated Bibliography of Learning A Living; A Guide to Planning Your Career and Finding a Job for People with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit Disorder, and Dyslexia

This author produces the best resume writing materials on the market! This book fits perfectly for those individuals not targeted by many other resume writing books. Many of these skills are transferrable and I encourage clients to browse through the entire book.

Ms. Foley brings both the essences of a charismatic coach and a sober realist to the story of her rise at AOL. Bodacious! is an energetic read.

This is NOT one of those "How-the-planets-aligned-and-allowed-me-to-fulfill-my-manifest-destiny" kind of books. Both successes and failures are described honestly. (It's to the author's credit that she describes both her little failures and strategic failures as candidly as she chronicles her successes.)

Some passages of interest to look for:

* Business is business, and Ms. Foley advises the reader to NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. It's an idea that's worth repeating ... over and over and over until Velcro personality traits morph into Teflon.

* Setting boundaries comes with risk, but you HAVE to set them. In Chapter 4, she writes about taking a stand, and also what to do when someone takes a stand with you. (And why you shouldn't worry about being thought of as a "b****".)

* Office politics. Everything you instinctively loathe about office politics is probably wrong. Ms. Foley tells you why the glass is not, in fact, half empty, but rather 3/4 full ... and rising. Trust me, her perspective will be an eye-opener for many. (Although I've seen these views implied before, I've never seen them addressed so unflinchingly dead-on.) Another gem is her succinct description of the unspoken rule changes when you start dealing with senior management. Even if you don't complete the rest of the book, make sure you read Chapter 6.

* Defeat and quitting well. A telling bit of business advice I received many years ago was, "Everybody knows everybody." Ms. Foley succinctly describes the why and how of quitting well. You may end up working for a supplier ... or ... heh heh heh ... a client.

Lastly, the author wants you to thrive in a world of constant change. Recognizing that the reader must choose the specifics of her own path, she does not offer false hope by providing a specific roadmap to "guarantee" success. Ms. Foley does, however, shine a light with her positive - and truthful - words.

And that bright red exclamation point.

AOL insider Foley experienced vast changes in her life as she moved from a customer service job at a computer company to heading the exploding AOL company. Bodacious! is both an autobiography of her experiences and a behind-the-scenes examination of AOL's start-up process and what it means to be a businesswoman in today's corporations. Included here are tips on how women can take control of the corporate world.

My name is Kevin Decker (kevindecker.com) and as an Author, Coach, and Motivational Speaker I read a lot of books about people, their motivations, and their relationships. As I read Bodacious all I could think about was women I know that would be inspired by it.

There is so much value in this book that it's hard to summarize. Here, by chapter, is a lesson learned, inspiring quote, or interesting situation from each.

1. Like nothing you've seen before - Today's economy offers greater risk and greater reward than ever before. Mary creates the context for her story talking about the situation as it exists today and her journey to Bodaciousness.

2. Bodaciousness starts on the inside - Next she looks at how you define yourself and stop letting other people define who you are.

3. Staff your Bodacious start up self - Mary then shares about surrounding yourself with knowledgable people that respect, value, and encourage you.

4. Bodacious women take a stand - Get control over those things that you can control.

5. Bodacious women thrive on shift and change - Ok, now that you've taken a stand it's time to move, change, and adapt.

6. One thing I wish I'd understood before I left AOL - Find out about how the littlest fairy in Sleeping Beauty teaches us about office politics.

7. Breaking through to Bodaciousness - It's about being intentional, deliberate and winning instead of just surviving.

8. Bring It On - Read Mary's list of 11 ways to make your own luck.

Epilogue: Life's short, learn fast - Act Bodaciously, and love every minute of it!

Bodacious redefines the definition, perception, and expectations of successful business women. I can give no greater compliment than saying that I want my 4 year old daughter to grow up Bodacious!

Many of the ideas in "bodacious" will sound familiar, since Mary Foley is advising women to be more assertive, strategic, competitive and political. It's the formula men have long used to get ahead, but Foley addresses her counsel directly to women, along with tips on how to overcome traditional ideals about acting feminine. Hardnosed or not, Foley writes in an engaging way, as she combines personal growth suggestions with examples from success stories, including her own. After a ten year career starting as a customer service rep, she became an AOL millionaire and retired. Now an author, speaker and personal coach, she dispenses advice in a catchy, casual style, which makes even familiar suggestions interesting. While some men may find it interesting to eavesdrop on these lists and reminders for women in the workplace, we from getAbstract recommend Foley's breezy career boost to women white collar and professional employees who are ready to pump up on pep talk.

Bodacious is a true "wake up call" for any woman who has put herself second especially in the work world. Through Mary's personal experiences, the reader has a multitude of opportunities to examine her choices and come to terms with what is and is not working in her life. Bodacious is written in small bites, with depth and humor, and is very compelling. I've already recommended it to several friends who are stuck in their own lives and who I believe can benefit from Mary's straight-forward insight. Every woman can be "Bodacious". It's all about choice!

While M. Rose Jonas, Ph.D. doesn't encourage you to lie on your resume, she does explain how you can make yourself look better by say leaving out a job that you didn't feel was right for you.

"You can leave out the job you had for a month or two because it was wrong for you or the company folded. Blips like this make a resume reader nervous." ~ pg. 85

Mostly this book is a question and answer session that is very intriguing. M. Rose Jonas answers questions like:

Where do you start, if you want to make a career change?
What if I'm ready for something completely different?
How can I stand out from the rest?
How do I get ready for my interview?
Should I take a job I don't want or that pays too little?
How can I get better at my job?
Can I just Quit?
How Should I Organize Retirement?

Throughout this book Rose Jonas provides sage advice on a wide variety of career topics and enlightens and entertains along the way.

~The Rebecca Review

This book gave me the tools I needed to figure out what I wanted to do and how to get there. I spent over a year interviewing for jobs I didn't really want and weeks after I read this book I was hired for a job that I love! Dr. Jonas, I couldn't have done it without you.
I recommend it to anyone who is career hunting.
Thank you!

Dr. Rose Jonas' book (as well as her counseling services provided to me) was extremely useful both personally, and career-wise. As a recent college-grad, I found myself lost, unsure, and jobless! Her book helped me to answer some important questions and steered me in the right direction...to a career! Thank you Dr. Jonas!

This book is the most concise and right on helpful dose of getting your act together on the job market. At any point of job dispair, you can pick it up, even for a few minutes, and can be assured of devouring some pearl of wisdom that will assist in the job satisfaction quandry/search. The style of writing is so humorous and engaging, you'll find it more difficult to put down than a potato chip, and certainly less fattening. In fact, it could help you fatten your wallet if you take a fraction of the advice. Even if you think you have read every book on this topic, you can be assurred of new ideas, or looking at old ones from a very fresh perspective. Another idea that she explores in depth, is evaluating your current job before determining if other pastures are truly greener. Before you plunk down hundreds on a job coach, career placement service or the like, this is a must and worth every penny.

"Can I Lie on My Resume?" is more than a resume book, and for that matter, it's even more than a book on careers.

Rose Jonas' tone is that of the aunt you wish you'd had: worldly wise, kind, and no-nonsense. She uses the 'career game' as the overall metaphor, but each of the 100 suggestions is also anchored with a specific image. She doesn't just say, "Don't take a job that's not right for you" or use the cliche of sow's ears and silk purses. No, instead she shares an example from her own life about dragging home a kidney-shaped table and discovering that a coat of paint couldn't transform it into a Victorian desk. That sort of storytelling makes the point vividly memorable.

As Lily Tomlin said, "The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." Rose Jonas has practical ways to win---and come out a better human being in the process.

This was a great book to use with eighth graders! A classic piece of literature was a great way to end the year!

I received this book and think it's great! Thanks loads!!
Congratulations on a product that's certain to help a lot of government employees succeed where otherwise they might not. Having served on numerous selection panels in the past, I often wondered why so many employees "missed the boat" on putting together a "sellable" application. Now, that shouldn't happen anymore. R, Don

Book offers resume-writing tips for Defense civilians

By Kellie Lunney

Federal employees and those aspiring to work in the government need to master the art of electronic resume writing, according to a new book from a federal resume expert.

Kathy Kraemer Troutman's Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook provides readers seeking civilian jobs in the Defense Department with advice on navigating Resumix, the department's electronic database for managing resumes.

The Defense Department uses Resumix software to manage resumes and search for qualified candidates. The transition from a paper-based system to an electronic system means that Defense employees and potential applicants have had to brush up on their computer and resume writing skills, according to Troutman. Under the electronic resume system, applicants submit their resumes for specific positions, and hiring officials search the resume database to find an applicant with the right mix of qualifications.

"I believe the electronic system is here to stay and that it will be better in the long run. If you can write a good resume and understand the application process, you can master this," writes Troutman.

Troutman, a former columnist on careers for GovExec.com, includes advice on writing and editing resumes, a brief history of the Resumix system, and a soup- to-nuts description of how automated human resources systems work. A CD-ROM that contains electronic resume samples and official job kits accompanies the book.

Special tips ("One resume is the best for today's electronic job search") and inside information ("Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force agencies require self-nominations for announcements") are sprinkled throughout the book, and Troutman provides a review summarizing the section's main ideas at the end of each chapter.

Most of the book is devoted to crafting the perfect electronic resume with tips ranging from how to incorporate keywords that will yield successful job matches through Resumix to avoiding bureaucratic jargon.

A list of dos and don'ts in the electronic resume process includes:

*Do research keywords, skills and industry language.

*Do limit experience to recent jobs and jobs that directly support your qualifications

*Do keep acronyms to a minimum.

*Do write with nouns and verbs in the active voice.

*Don't submit extra documentation unless requested. *Don't use phrases like "responsible for," or "worked with." *Don't fax your resume.

*Don't repeat yourself.

The Electronic Federal Resume Guidebook is Troutman's second book. The Federal Resume Guidebook was published in 1995.

As a former federal personnelist and now a professional job searcher and writer/editor of electronic resumes and KSAs, I can tell you that this book is an excellent resource. I believe that soon all federal vacancies will be filled via the online application process (rather than the traditional paper application process), which makes this a very timely book for the federal job seeker. There are numerous sample plaintext resumes, KSAs, skills sets, and templates in the book and on the accompanying CD-ROM. Also provided are numerous relevant "buzzwords," "keywords," and "noun phrases" essential to ensuring that applicants will get "hits" in an agency's searchable resume database. With all the samples and templates provided, your RESUMIX resume is practically already written for you. All the reader has to do is fill in information relevant to their own experience.

Bought the book. Landed a GS-9 job.

How's that for a book review?

The math: The book is on the expensive side, but you have to think of the cover price as an investment. Put another way: now I'm making more money than I made when I was on active military duty (I'm a retired grunt; retired Sgt. First Class pay plus GS-9 pay equals more than active duty Sgt. First Class pay).

Federal Resumix Guidebook how-to in short: It teaches you how to organize your past employment experiences into a consolidated nonstandard resume that contains the actual words GS managers may be using to search for employees.

The book causes you to think of the Resumix system as a search engine looking for you. Does that make sense? :-)

This book contains invaluable information for women entering the law profession, but it is also recommended for anyone interested in learning more about sociological changes that have (and perhaps more importantly those that haven't) occurred in the workplace.

Ms. English has collected an impressive array of candid and insightful quotes from a multitude of male and female attorneys representing every region of the country. Well researched and written in a highly engaging style, GENDER ON TRIAL provides a window into the world of law regarding the dynamics of the gender differences, attitudes, and interactions that lie therein.

I suspected that I would learn a great deal from reading this book, but I didn't expect to enjoy it so much!

This book is a must read for all people who are interested in work-life balance! If you have children and are a working mother, you will keenly identify with this book. If you are considering having children, get some insight on what to expect. If you are in a leadership capacity in your workplace, read this book and think about how you can best adapt your environment to the changing world. Our subtle daily actions can impact others in a variety of ways and this book points them out.

It is a stunningly thorough and insightful treatment of the topic. English offers us fine read for us non-lawyers who recognize the realities of gender as a part of the modern work place. Little of this is unique to the legal profession, though some of the extremities, arising out of the "live by the billable hour" business model, are perhaps particular to the legal and perhaps the consulting industries. English strikes a balanced tone and searches for realistic answers to the persistent questions of coping with gender in the work place. It all rings very true, including the extremely balanced approach and acknowledgement of the impossibility of eliminating, rather than managing, issues relating to gender in the work place. Her research is exhaustive, balanced and compelling. It is a must read for professionals in all fields, both men and women.

This book is a highly entertaining road map to a not-too-distant future in which "work/life balance in the legal workplace" will be a given for both sexes, a world in which a well-balanced, well-lived life becomes the rule rather than the exception.

As a practicing attorney (male) of thirty years (and an all-too-frequent casualty of the dreaded fourteen hour days), I found this book to be informative, eye-opening, and most of all, encouraging.

Ms. English makes a compelling case for accepting and embracing change. Her book should be required reading at every law firm in America.

Gender on Trial is a very readable and thoughtful analysis of how cultural stereotypes about gender influence men and women's behavior at legal workplaces across the country. The author organizes hundreds of quotes form interviews with lawyers and presents them so well that her argument leaps off the page without any turgid or redundant narrative. Her colorful metaphors bring humor and depth to the story via catchy chapter headings and sub-headings, for example, in Chapter 3, she refers to law firms as "cauldrons of lust", a funny image for the legal profession. I never realized there was so much sexual activity going on behind closed(or not so closed) office doors!

As a female non-lawyer, many of the anecdotes rang true to me as I looked back on my own awkward experiences navigating the corporate world twenty years ago. Generally, I think professional workplace behavior is gradually becoming more sensitive to gender differences, but there is a long way to go. Gender on Trial should be mandatory reading for Human Resource professionals and both men and women in all managerial positions, not just lawyers.

Hurray for the re-issue of this beautiful book! Paging through this hand-painted, calligraphied book any day of the year is like an escape into the Garden of Paradise! Hundreds of small, engaging watercolors of the garden and whimsical little garden people, harmonized with beautiful calligraphy. Besides being filled with the author/illustrator's charming observations, it is a veritable treasure trove of garden lore, with many quotes from authors old and new and advice from classic, old treatises on gardening and horticulture. Also many enchanting, anonymous garden sayings and quaint herbal folk remedies. The history of fruits and vegetables as a part of our culture. I bought two copies of this book--one to just periodically carry around with me! It's one of my favorite gift books, too. You won't be able to stop dreaming over it. You'll adore it!

What an enchantingly beautiful book! This is one of my favorite books, and I love giving it as a gift to gentle souls. If you like gardens, watercolor paintings, and calligraphy, you will love this beautifully bound book that is filled with Sara Midda's exquisite watercolors. Each page is a miniature painting of breathtaking intricacy and delicacy celebrating the myriad forms of gardens, flowers, vegetables, and herbs in which we delight. The book is filled with boundless garden wisdom, recipes, and poems, all charmingly set forth in Sara Midda's beautiful calligraphy. You have to see this book to know how beautiful and inspirational a gem it is!

This book is so much fun. As a watercolorist, I am enchanted by her use of objects and her interpretation of the human form. Colors are wonderful. Hooray for Sara Midda and I hope she keeps publishing her books.
Janice Lawson - Montana

I purchased this book when I was in Art college over ten years ago. Sara abilility to capture her interest with her illustrative talent is amazing . It is definately the most interesting book I ever read without seeing typesetting, but with her beautifully hand painted type.

I've gone through this book again and again. I think whoever like calligraphy, water color painting and gardening would love this book. Although it's quite difficult to concentrate on the attennuated of water color written content. But it strongly inspires me to grasp by brushes and calligrpahy pens again. It becomes one of my possessive books and always added in my bag wherever I go since then.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Written by Dale Susan Brown and Richard Nelson Bolles(Author of What Color is Your Parachute), it is a simple and concise guide to finding a job if you have a disability. It pulls no punches and tells it the way it is.
It gives simple, concise advice on how to conduct a job search, and what to do in an interview. It tells you how keep a prospective employer from getting nervous about your disability, and how to communicate in an interview in an honest and positive way.
If you are person with a disability this is a terrific book, if you have a co-worker with a disability, it is a terrific book, if you have people working for you with disabilities it is a terrific book, and if you are a "normal" person (whatever that is...} it is a terrific book.
The advice in the book leverages the expertise of both authors and is sound and easy to understand. It also helps you to do a better job, once you have employment. The book is highly recommended for everyone!

WOW - What a book, co-authored by Dale Brown and Richard Bolles, the world known author of What Color is Your Parachute. Dale and Richard have developed a book full of concepts, how to and methods for empowering those of us with disabilities to want to seek out employment against the roadblocks that confront the normal job search.

The book is a MUST READ! A "must read" for even people who are currently employed; as it will give you the insight of what a person with a disability will go thru during their job search. Any temporary able bodied person may become disabled at any time in their employed life. Your "employment life" will be altered forever; thru no fault of your own doing.

No one chapter stands out. Each chapter carries its' own weight for the total read of this outstanding document.

I wish the authors great success with an excellent and easy to read reference book and a solid companion to WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE!

The authors have broken down yet another barrier!

This book was one of two I purchased to help me gain some perspective in how to represent individuals who had various disabilities but wanted to work if they were able. As a job placement counselor, it is my job to help the clients see what they CAN do and teach them ways to accomodate themselves and communicate their needs effectively to employers. This book helped me understand ways to do this so that clients of mine not only attained employment, but also retained that employment for a long time. This book is a great one and I encourage anyone who is disabled, or knows people who are and need your support, to read this. Keep an open mind and try out the ideas presented. I think you will find it gives some great advice!

During my own job hunt, I was constantly frustrated by comments made by family and friends. They had assumed that I could receive special preference just because I have a disability.

I have known that my reality is much different; employers do not have to hire me for a job which my disability prevents me from performing the essential functions, and I am responsible for getting myself to the office.

These critical legal distinctions had made my finding a job very difficult inspite of having a dynamic resume and job recomendations which other people must work their whole lives to obtain. I was placed in the unenviable sittuation of having to turn down job offers while classmates with much lower GPAs and far less reccomendations quickly were being placed.

This book is a great resource and affirmation. Job hunting is hard enough as it is, but being a person with a disabilty adds one more challenge to the mix. This book is beneficial for people with disabilities and their friends of all perspectives, but I feel that prospective college graduates and their families should especially read it.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Written by Dale Susan Brown and Richard Nelson Bolles(Author of What Color is Your Parachute), it is a simple and concise guide to finding a job if you have a disability. It pulls no punches and tells it the way it is.
It gives simple, concise advice on how to conduct a job search, and what to do in an interview. It tells you how keep a prospective employer from getting nervous about your disability, and how to communicate in an interview in an honest and positive way.
If you are person with a disability this is a terrific book, if you have a co-worker with a disability, it is a terrific book, if you have people working for you with disabilities it is a terrific book, and if you are a "normal" person (whatever that is...} it is a terrific book.
The advice in the book leverages the expertise of both authors and is sound and easy to understand. It also helps you to do a better job, once you have employment. The book is highly recommended for everyone!

I don't normally write reviews, but I do recommend this book to any mother (or father, I suppose) who knows they are committed to their career for the long haul. It is written somewhat like a textbook, but I actually liked that style for this particular book. I wanted concrete examples of women who have been through the child rearing years while also effectively climbing the corporate ladder, and their thoughts on how they made it all work. If anything, it was just nice to read about other women who faced some of the same struggles I am going through right now and that they came out of it all for the better and achieved the successes they wanted both in the office and at home.

I found this book quite interesting and easy to read. There is a good deal of research behind the facts and claims made and it is brought together thoughtfully to formulate a way of moving forward for women contemplating life outside of the home after children.

This is not really a criticism, just a comment, but the book may not relate to some women as well as others. This is because there is a leaning towards women in the academic field (studying, lecturing) or women in high ranking, high paying jobs (hence "fast track" in the title"). I still found it interesting, and certainly insightful in the identification of the created "second tier" for women with families.

This is a book every man should read.
Even for those of us who have lived through and heartily supported the equality revolution, the book is full of stunning facts, both statistical and personal, that are a wake up call to a job not yet done. A male culture still dominates practices in business, the professions and the academy and does not fully address the implications of biology for the role of women in society and their struggle for a level playing field

The book is also a great read. Mary Ann Mason writes clearly, forcefully and personally. The stories of many women collected by Eve Mason Ekman are compelling and very well told. The book combines the best of social science and personal narrative, to make a convincing argument that our sisters, daughters and wives still have great challenges as women and mothers in the working world.
While we are living in times when more women are achieving high status position, this book reminds us of the costs to these women and tells us of the many powerful and talented women who choose, because of circumstance, to not go there. I have no doubt that this would be a better world if there were more women who running it. This book calls for a change that will benefit us all.

This book has many strengths, and three stand out. One is that the book really shows the data relating to women's success and longevity in the workforce, as affected by children. (The data are very easy to understand as presented.) Second, the "hard data" are backed up by and given voice with insights drawn from interviews with many women who have tried, in one way or another and in various settings, to continue a career and have children. Third, the book addresses not just this topic in general, but how women with children fare in several types of professions; for instance, it is very interesting to learn that female doctors remain in their profession with a lower dropout rate.

And the book is full of insight from which any given employer--or any group of interested women in a worksite--could work to make real change happen, so that women have the chance to choose.

This isn't a cheesy "you can have it all" book, nor does it try to whip up or take sides in "mommy wars." It is not about blaming people or trying to prescribe which way is best to raise our children. Rather, it helps us see what we can do to broaden the opportunities and quality of life for mothers and their children.

This succinct, impeccably researched and engagingly written book is a wake-up call to young women considering meaningful careers. It presents practical guidelines and pitfalls for forging a life-long profession in academics, medicine, law or business and also having a marriage and children. I wish this book had existed when I was making those hard choices. I'm glad it's here for my daughter.
Lynne Kaufman, author and educator

The very first part of the essential, very first amendment to our Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." This ringing phrase, so seemingly simple and obvious, has been the focus of an enormous amount of controversy and clarification. It is a great legacy, but what does it really mean? We are still struggling to find out. In _To an Unknown God: Religious Freedom on Trial_ (St. Martin's Press) by Garrett Epps we learn how one of the latest struggles is turning out. It is a fine book to show in detail how a specific constitutional decision came to be made.

On one side of the story was Al Smith. Smith was born into the Klamath tribe, but was pulled out of it to go to Catholic boarding school. Rather late in his life he was introduced to sweat lodges and Native American religion. He was also introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous, and eventually became a respected counselor, speaker, and organizer of treatment centers for alcohol and drug abuse. As he traveled to different reservations to set up recovery programs, he came across peyote religion. It seemed to give some of his clients spiritual strength, and they seemed to do better in overcoming substance abuse if they participated in its religious ceremonies. He began to consider participating in peyote religion. He was told that taking peyote at a ceremony would violate the rules of the treatment center in which he worked, and so he did so. He was thereupon fired, and he filed for unemployment compensation. That filing set the stage for a subsequent battle within the Supreme Court and beyond.

On the other side was Oregon Attorney General David Frohnmayer. He had tried in his political offices in Oregon to mend fences with the tribes of his region. He was, however, very worried about the dangers of drug abuse, and so he felt he was doing the right thing in trying to squelch community acceptance of drugs, ceremonial or not. He approached the Supreme Court proceedings with the mantra, "Drugs are bad. Slippery slope." Not only was peyote illegal, but it was used in a minority religion; if it were allowed, then surely someone would be asking to use other drugs for religious purposes. But he did reflect sadly to his legal team, "How did we get to be the Indian bashers?"

Epps is not only a journalist and lawyer, but also a novelist. His ability to describe personalities and anecdotes serves him well, for although this is a legal story, the human stories within it are what make it live. He has used process of the legal arguments as a springboard for an examination of many connected subjects: the history of the Bureau of Indian Affairs; the story of Alcoholics Anonymous; the tale of Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the Oregon town that was taken over by his devotees; the saga of the Road Man who is the ceremonial leader of the peyote religion. These set pieces are fascinating, and strengthen the main story. It is disconcerting that there is no pat final resolution, but Epps writes, "The law of religious freedom remains unsettled." Thus may it ever be.

This book is one of the best looks at a Supreme Court case in quite some time. Examining Oregon v. Smith, one of the most important yet unheralded legal battles of our time, Epps' book plumbs the depths Indian rights, religious freedom and states rights in a manor which devestates the intellectual pretensions of Court conservatives such as Justice Scalia. The only quible one can have with the book it that it has too much detail on Oregon Attorney General Frohnmeyer. Other than that minor matter, this is a top rate book. Of additional note, the book provides an exceptionaly concise yet comprehensive overview of the Rajhneesh cult afair in Oregon, relying to good effect on the journalism of Oregon Magazine's Win McCormack.

I was lucky enough to read an early copy of this book, and I found it astonishingly good. I had loved Epps's work as a novelist (his "Shad Treatment" is one of the best first novels I know) and I had always wondered if he could apply his writerly powers to non-fiction, as well. "To an Unknown God" draws on all the creative gifts that fans of Epps's earlier books will remember. He takes an important Supreme Court case about religious freedom (he's now a law professor) and tells the story through the remarkable personalities who were involved in the case: Al Smith, the Native American member of a peyote cult who was the plaintiff, and David Frohnmeyer, the all-American Republican wunderkind attorney general of Oregon, who argued that peyote use wasn't protected as an exercise of religious freedom. Epps deconstructs these billboard identities to provide a rich and very moving account of the real people and the heartbreaking pressures that shaped their actions in this legal case. This is a rare book--taking the sometimes dry subject of law and filling it with life. I hope it's a promise of more books to come from Epps, who is a vastly talented writer.

Epps' book is one of the best in recent memory to explore a Supreme Court case. Examining the case of Oregon v. Smith, Epps deploys his skills as both a journalist and a novelist to plumb the depths of Indian rights, religious freedom and states rights. The only quibble one can have is that the book spends too much time on the minutae of Oregon Attorney General Frohnmeyer's life. Other than that minor matter, this is an elegantly told tale. As an aside, Epps presents a concise yet complete recouncting of the Rajhneesh cult saga of the '80's, relying to good effect of the work of Oregon Magazine Editor-in-Chief Win McCormack.

This book could easily have been a bore--yet another detailed legal explication of a Supreme Court case you know you should be interested in, but aren't, because you can't follow the jargon. But in Epps' hands an amazing story comes to life. This is serious constitutional law, with enormous consequences for our country, and it reads like a novel. Anyone concerned with religion and free expression should read it. Or you could just read it because it's a great read!

As a retired HR exec I frequently assist friends and relatives with their resumes and the job hunting process. This book has been a staple for me and those I help for many years. I first found it when my own company was bought out and I was laid off. It helped me and is full of wonderful advice that is useful for any job hunter. Absolutely the first book I recommend to people who are looking for job hunting help. I bought this copy because I wanted to make sure I had a spare copy in case the one that I lend out all the time fails to come home someday!

This is an excellent book. Together with other books, this is what is needed in a job search. The author has done a great job in pulling together the elements which spell success in the quest for employment. I recommend it.

Wayne D. Ford, Ph.D., author of "The Accelerated Job Search" docwifford@msn.com

When I was out of work, and wanting to make a career change, I went to the library and, literally, checked out a three foot stack of resume and cover letter books.

I sat them next to my couch, got a glass of iced tea and went to work perusing the pages. Right away it was evident that, for the most part, the only thing different about these how to tomes was their cover. Inside was the same tired advice and the same over used examples of resumes and cover letters.

Guess what? As an employee candidate your job is to stand out from the crowd, not blend in with it.

I had just about given up on my reading (and was getting more depressed by the minute) when I came across "Who's Hiring Who?" I could tell right away that it was different, the question was, would I have the guts to run free, as the book encouraged, or would I continue to run with the herd?

When I read "Who's Hiring Who" I was three months into a job search. After this much time spent looking for work (and I was at it 12 hours a day!) I told myself that my resume, which took form based upon a lot of the ancient advice in the mainstream resume books, wasn't working and I wasn't going to lose anything by trying the advice in "Who's Hiring Who?"

It took me a week to read the book, really think about the suggestions it made, and then distill it's principles into my new QUALIFICAITONS BRIEF. No more resumes! Other no mores? No more worrying about a spotty work history. No more worrying about an incomplete (that means little or no college) education. The book tells you the best ways to accentuate the positive and marginalize the negative.

Within two weeks I had several job offers on the table. Within a month I had done more than get a job, I had successfully changed careers and was working for a hot software company with benefits out the wazoo and a pay rate higher than I'd hoped for!

(Since then I've read Tom Peter's book, "Circle of Innovation" (I think that was the book), which, when talking about resumes says who cares about education, companies want to know what you've done. What have your successes been? This is one thing "Who's Hiring Who?" focuses on.)

My advice to you? Buy the book, follow its advice and have the guts to change!

I bought this book a few years ago, right before I moved to a new city. I have to say it is one of the BEST books, if not THE best book available for writing that all-important resume. Contrary to the individual who said it needed updated due to resumes being entered and searched via a database, I think the book is just fine as it is. This book does NOT tell you how to write a traditional resume, which is probably why the reviewer didn't think it worked and needed updated for database search...it isn't formatted like the online resume searches. However, it does instruct the reader on how to write something even better: a Qualifications Brief. A resume and a qualifications brief are similar and are meant to do the same things, but whereas a resume describes a persons past positions and his or her responsibilities, a QB describes the actual QUALIFICATIONS the person has that makes him or her the right candidate for the specific job for which he or she is applying. That makes all the difference to the employer, who gathers his or her important first impression of the applicant from the submitted dull resume or uniquely different QB. I know from personal experience: I sent out two QBs after I moved and I got call-backs for BOTH submissions. I'm currently in my 5th year of employment for one of them. I also wrote a QB up for a friend of mine and she too got hired within days of sending it out. Neither of us have ever had such prompt responses when sending out a normal, traditional resume. My advice: buy this book; it's definitely worth every penny!

I used to think that this was the best resume book on the market. It helps you to understand that a resume should be something carefully crafted and designed with a goal in mind. I'm just not sure how useful it is in 2000. Today your resume is entered into a database and a search is done on key words to find you. This book needs to be updated. The last update was in 1989. A lot has changed in the hiring industry since then. Why has this book not been updated?