Careers Books

This is a very well-documented guide for any service firm. It's also very well written, very insightful and very well researched. It's real deep, complete and full of advice and wisdom from several great minds. I run a corporate reputation consulting firm in El Salvador and this is the most advice-rich book I've encountered in the last five years. I also recommend "the trusted advisor" by David Maister and specially "Managing the Profesional Service Firm" also by Maister.

After reading this book, you'll need to place it alongside your desktop dictionary, Thesaruas and Ron's first book "The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing. This is how strong of an impact their message has made on me.

After reading the first two editions of Ron's book, I didn't think he would be able to improve much on the message of switching to Value Pricing. Boy, was I wrong! He and Paul Dunn have done an amazing job of getting the reader to think differently. As with the radical theme of trashing the timesheet in "The Professional's Guide to Value Pricing", they do a masterful job of convincing you why the old "Revenue Equation" must be replaced with the forward-thinking "Profit Equation". They go on to introduce other new topics not found amongst professional services firms such as developing your Intellectual, Structural and Social Capital, emphasizing effectiveness over efficiency and of course Value Pricing. As is typical of Ron's writing style, and complemented by Paul, their reasoning for making this paradigm shift is well supported and well reasoned.

I've been using practicing Value Pricing for about 5 1/2 years now and I can tell you that it works. In my own firm, I've slowly begun implementing some of their new concepts but with a new perception. I'm convinced these principles will work for me and they can for you as well.

After reading this book, you'll definitely want to keep it handy as a useful reference guide!

Ron Baker is doing for the professional services firms what Columbus and Pythagoras did for the "Earth is Flat" proponents! "Paradigm-shifting" has become so over-used in our culture, but it is not mere hyperbole when describing this book. The work is quite thorough, implementing excerpts, quotes, and philosophies from dozens of well-respected scholars, economists, and management consultants. The work reminds me a lot of Tom Peters' seminal book, "In Search of Excellence" in the way in which the author sprinkles in so many great examples from other successful organizations and industries. In addition, he has many real-world examples (from firms around the world) of professional services firms that have successfully tranformed their practices. I whole-heartedly recommend this book to any professional who is trying to transform a professional services organization or who is wondering if there might be a more effective and profitable way to run a professional services firm.

I first read this book about 2 years ago. I keep it within arm's reach of my desk and refer to it often, still.

I've read one reviewer who stated that this book was the modern almanac of best business practices. I agree completely.

I run my own small law firm. We have implemented many of this book's practices with great success and profitablilty. Primary among them is fixed fee agreements. Yes, we are a law firm that has trashed its time sheets, due in large part to the inspiration and impetus of this book. And, we will never go back.

An earlier reviewer suggested that this book would be more useful for CPA's and not for lawyers. I disagree. Though I'm certain the message of this book is critical for CPA's, I think that any person in law firm leadership must read this book. I think it is particularly suited to small firms and solos who will have the ability to immediately take action in implementing these ideas and making them a reality in their practice.

However, if you are one of my competitors forget everything I said above and do not touch this book. My firm and my family will thank you.

The Firm of The Future coordinates both the theory and practical application of pricing concepts AND business service models in such a complelling manner that Baker & Dunn give Professional services organizations permission to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

While the Firm of The Future is geared to the legal and accounting professions the message and vision is applicable to Advertising agencies, Consulting Organizations, Marketing service firms and professional service providers of all shapes and sizes.

Cost plus pricing is short sighted and intellectually flawed.The intense pressure on increasing billable hours and driving down costs is destroying the creativity and core capabilities of Professional Service companies.Baker&Dunn explain the flaws of cost plus and hourly schemes and identify a road map which outlines how to move a professional services organization and it's customers to a healthier, happier, more productive and more mutually profitable business process

A great read---Inspirational and practical


Tom Finneran
Executive Vice President
American Association of Advertising Agencies

As a man who was recently laid off with the opportunity to change my career , I found Full Time Woman, Part-Time Career to be an extremely valuable resource. I am looking for a more flexible environment where I am not tied to a desk all of the time and, since my wife and I are planning to have children soon, I want be able to spend more time with them. This book gave me many ideas and has given me some direction for my new career.

As a certified life coach, I have have known many women who are looking for flexibility in their lives. This book is a step-by-step guide to becoming self-employed and creating a home-based business using your existing professional skills. I highly recommend this educational book, which explains the qualities necessary to go out on your own. I was especially impressed with the information in the coaching chapter on how to become a coach. Never before have I found a resource like this for women, all in one place.

[...]

Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career- The Professional Woman's Guide to Building a Flexible Business by Karen Terry, is a descriptively definitive book describing the difficulties in business which a woman may well encounter after having children, and the even greater struggle with finding a career position after rejoining the world of work outside the home. Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career greatly fortifies the understanding that a woman must have while starting up work again after bearing a child, as well as how to coordinate raising children and running a business with the agility to, in essence, balance and support one-another in unison. A "must read" for the newly mothering parent, Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career offers a perfect angle from which to approach a perfectly desirable spectra of businesses.

Karen Steede-Terry provides all the ingredients women need to launch a part-time business without compromising their interest in spending time with family. Although she emphasizes the benefits of becoming an instructor, she offers real-world examples of alternative paths. Written in a style that's more advice-bearing-best-friend than impersonal-how-to, I learned new things from each chapter and I also felt inspired to put them into practice. As a woman who has runs an international business part-time, I know firsthand the benefits of Karen's approach and I recommend her plan to any woman interested in a more integrated life.

Marcia L. Conner
Managing Director, Ageless Learner (www.agelesslearner.com)
Author of Learn More Now: 10 Simple Steps to Learning Better, Smarter and Faster
Author of Creating a Learning Culture: Strategy, Technology, and Practice

Reviewed by Kornelia Longoria for Reader Views (2/07)

How many of us have wanted to stay at home with our children and bring a steady income at the same time? How many women hate working at their current job and moving nowhere and feeling like a slave to the system? How many women would just want to take their career in their own hands and start a business on their own?

"Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career" by Karen Steede Terry is a comprehensive guide to starting your own business that is not only successful but most importantly, fits your personality, your lifestyle and your own expectations. The author divides the book into short chapters focusing on the very basis of making it work on your own. From the very beginning of the book, she helps us see what it takes to start your own business and what kind of qualities are essential in doing that. She gives a lot of examples and even samples of conversation starters to promote your business and to get through to a wider range of potential customers. She goes through the most essential subjects, such as the start-up cost, setting up the office, writing business plans and whether you should incorporate or not. She explains it all in a very clear and comprehensive way, making it easier for us to make the right decisions that would benefit us in the best way. The author devotes a big part of the book to advertising your business, getting and maintaining customers and growing your business bigger and more successful. She also expands certain types of businesses, such as professional coaching, freelance writing, teaching software computer classes and public speaking, where the reader can find much more detail and tips for starting one of these businesses. Finally, the end of the book consists of very valuable appendix, where we can find all kinds of addresses and phone numbers to business registration agencies, networking organizations, franchise opportunities etc.

I really liked the fact that the book was addressed directly and solely to women. The author knows exactly what kind of obstacles women encounter in starting their own business and how to work to overcome them. The language is very clear, comprehensive and to the point. "Full-Time Woman, Part-Time Career" is definitely a book to be read if you consider starting your own business.

C. Vann Woodward's "The Strange Career of Jim Crow" remains one of the most important books written about post-Reconstruction Southern America. In the space of very few pages, Woodward brings to us the proposal that the assumptions we have all been making about Jim Crow laws and the development of segregation were all wrong from the very beginning. We are taught the lie from grade school forward that "that's just the way it always has been in the South." Not so, according to Woodward.

We learn very quickly when reading this book that not only were there three or four decades following the Civil War wherein there was virtually no major segregation in the South - but the conditions with regards to segregation and equal rights in the South were actually better than in the North for several decades as well.

The lies of a racist South and a desperate North (desperate to make a moral issue of something that they too were guilty of in trying to keep blacks from having equal rights) somehow stuck in the Southern psyche, and all along we've been thinking that people were racist because "that's all they knew." Woodward blows this theory out of the water, and exposes the truth about the post-Reconstruction South.

Not only was segregation not popular in the South in much of the late 19th Century, but blacks voted often. There was very good participation - enough to put a lot of blacks and Republicans in public office in the South - for a time. It was not until the 1870s that a gradual change began in the South. That change brought about the Jim Crow laws - changes that were unwelcome to all of humanity. Booker T. Washington believed that the South could not advance and still leave the blacks behind: Woodward came about a few decades later and showed us all just how right Washington really was.

C. Vann Woodward's "The Strange Career of Jim Crow" was the first major effort to analyze the segregation system in the American South. Appearing in 1955, the author's treatment of this institution refuted contemporary statements made by several public figures who argued that racial separation was an ancient phenomenon that would last indefinitely. Not so, argued Woodward, as he proceeded to prove that the South experienced a time after the Civil War when the two races often intermingled without widespread hostility on the part of southern whites. Woodward's book expresses the heartfelt belief that since segregation was a recent development, the possibility existed for the South to reject its separatist doctrine and eventually embrace integrationist principles. The first chapters deal with the period during and after Reconstruction, what Woodward refers to as the First Reconstruction, when the South grudgingly accepted conditions forced upon it by the North. The author argues that blacks in southern urban areas often lived side by side with white citizens, as well as rode in the same streetcars and dined in many of the same restaurants. There were exceptions to these incidents, but overall monolithic, legalized segregation measures simply did not exist.

One of the reasons for this lack of overarching segregation policies concerned southern politics in the post-Civil War South. The author outlines three political philosophies during the 1880s and 1890s that worked to capitalize upon black support. Southern liberalism went nowhere with its arguments that all citizens must have equal rights in all social spheres. Conservative southerners took a position between liberals and radical racists, arguing that in every society there existed superior and inferior elements. Obviously, conservatives claimed, blacks occupied an inferior position to whites. This did not mean that blacks should be treated harshly or denied privileges. The conservatives were paternalists and used the goodwill they earned from blacks to capture elective offices from the Redeemers. The conservative political philosophy collapsed when widespread corruption swept its proponents from office. The Populists, the last southern political structure Woodward discusses, also attempted an alliance with blacks. The movement was short lived, and with external pressures of the 1880s and 1890s such as economic depression and northern indifference to blacks, southerners blamed blacks for their social ills. Moreover, southern politicians weary of the years of malicious infighting decided to seek a measure of unification, and they achieved this fusion by blaming black voters for economic and political discord. It is at this time, writes the author, when segregation laws blossomed across the South.

The second section of the book deals with the emergence and consequences of what Woodward calls the Second Reconstruction. Starting during the Second World War and emerging fully during the 1950s and 1960s, this era of race relations saw increasing waves of attacks directed against Jim Crow in the South. The first maneuvers came from the White House, with Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman launching several initiatives aimed at integrating defense jobs and the armed services. The second wave came with a series of Supreme Court actions seeking to integrate the school systems. With action came reaction as the segregationists finally launched an offensive against Brown vs. The Board of Education when lower court judges in the South upheld the higher court's ruling. The resulting attempts to undercut the judgment by southern state governments coupled with periodic outbreaks of violence led to even more civil rights initiatives from the federal government. Kennedy proposed and Johnson pushed through Congress measures aimed at accelerating integration and restoring the black vote in the South. The Second Reconstruction ended after the riots of the 1960s in northern cities caused civil rights organizations to shift from a role of non-violence to militant black nationalism. Woodward's book concludes on a rather pessimistic note when he observes that black-white relations seem to be reverting to a new form of racial separation.

It is difficult to find problems with "The Strange Career of Jim Crow." The book was the first work to sum up the civil rights movement in the United States. Moreover, the author wrote a book broad enough to give historians plenty of material for further research, something scholars always appreciate. Even the form of the book, with its lack of footnotes and energetic style, is more of a plus than a minus. By writing a friendly, accessible treatment of the issue, Woodward managed to reach beyond the walls of academia and find a wide public audience. It is not difficult to imagine that many of the young people registering black voters or going on freedom rides could cite this book as a major influence in their decision to make a stand against segregation. As the afterword shows, even Martin Luther King, Jr read and quoted Woodward on occasion. Finally, the fact that this book has never gone out of print underscores its seminal influence on the country at large.

No book is immune to criticism, however. Woodward often fails to incorporate into his narrative what actions blacks took in response to segregation. This critique is not always valid: the author does cite a black newspaperman who toured the South in the late 1800s, along with several members of the Black Panther Party. But in several places the book needs some description of black agency, especially the chapter concerning southern politics. Woodward presents the black population in the 1880s and 1890s as a passive force palmed off from one white political faction to another. Are we to assume that black voters simply bowed their heads and acted the role of dupes to savvy white politicians? Perhaps many did due to a lack of education and a lingering submissiveness from the days of slavery, but there were people who attempted to participate in the system in order to earn their rights.

The most fascinating thing about this book is not just the particular events in history, or the misconceptions and myths that Woodward discusses, but rather how truly complex the issue of race is in America. Since emancipation, there has always been a struggle between and among whites and blacks to figure out how to understand each other and themselves, and how to occupy the same place. This history is indeed strange, and to have an idea of why race is still such an issue today, it helps to know how racism, segregation, and civil rights changed over time.

Woodward's book cautions us against taking simplified views that the South was always racist, and the North was not, and he begins by describing various accounts of life in the South right after the Civil War. According to Woodward, the venomous prejudice that sustained the Jim Crow laws decades later wasn't foreseeable at that time. Much of his explanation of the racist sentiment that so desired segregation is framed in the context of politics, and he tries to analyze many of the events he discusses in terms of political and economic pressures, as well as in terms of reactions to preceding actions.

If the Civil War is to be seen as a war for racial equality (and there are many other ways of seeing it), then it can easily be argued that it continues to this day. It is often most comforting to think of the wiping out of Native Americans, and then the enslavement of Africans as hideous scars that America carries in the past, while believing that America today is a different, tolerant place. But Jim Crow laws were a product of the twentieth century, and the racial tensions still exist in a very real way. Woodward's book, first published in 1955, and last revised in 1974, is still immensely relevant today, and reading it can only enhance your sense of American history.

I have the 1957 edition of the book, and so can't comment on the new chapter.
This is a fascinating book which should be read by anyone interested in racial issues, US history, or US politics.
The major surprise to me is Woodward's description, complete with many contemporary quotes, of a time in the late 1800's post-Reconstruction South where African Americans were treated largely equally with regard to public accomodations and voting. Segregation, then, was considered to be a "lower-class white attitude."
It wasn't until approximately 1900 that a very segregationist attitude came about in the South, largely as the result of the interplay of Republican, Democratic, and Progressive politics.
This is course gives the lie to assertion through much of the 1900's that de jure racial segregation was a time-honored part of Southern life, and there was no possible alternative.
Woodward then goes on to describe the depths to which Jim Crow legislation sank, describing the effect of African American migration within the country, World War II, how our segregationist policies hurt the US image abroad, and on to the beginnings of the civil rights movement, ending shortly after _Brown v. Board of Education_, well before the major civil rights events and legislation.
Fairly quick read, and a great book!

C. Vann Woodward's The Strange Career of Jim Crow is not only a fine introduction to its topic -- the segregationist period in the South -- but one of the most significant and influential books of its time.

Originally published in 1955 (by Oxford University Press), Professor Woodward's tome kicked off the Civil Rights era with a bang, debunking the ludicrous myth (and mantra among segregationists) that separation of the races had always existed in Southern life, and generally dissecting an ugly monstrosity which had come to be accepted simply as "the way things are." Ten years later, in a second revision which came just as the legal battle against segregation was almost won, Woodward added a wealth of information which helped finish the job of winning the people's hearts and minds: in the words of Robert Penn Warren, Woodward's work was "a witty, learned, and unsettling book. The depth of the unsettling becomes more obvious day by day; which is a way of saying that it is a book of permanent significance." And ten years later still, in this -- the third and final revision -- Woodward capped off the era with an examination of the more violent, less integrationist movements which arose after Watts, with leaders like Huey Newton, Eldridge Cleaver and Bobby Seale.

Woodward is an equal-opportunity myth-exploder. On the one hand, he demonstrates at great length that segregation was not a mere expression of racism, but in fact a complex and corrupt outworking of many political and economic interests in the impoverished, post-Reconstruction South. On the other hand, he also shows conclusively that segregation took time to develop: it was not, as its supporters claimed, the way things had always been, or even the way things had come to be immediately following the war, but had actually arisen thirty and even forty years later, with the removal of Northern troops, the disintegration of Republican influence, a national "taking up of the white man's burden" with regard to "colored" peoples abroad, and increasing economic distress which allowed successive Populists and Democrats to consolidate power by limiting white exposure to the threat of competing (and competitive) blacks. These things, combined with a series of Supreme Court rulings sanctioning segregation, produced a wicked stew which more modern readers found extremely unpalatable upon Woodward's closer examination.

Beyond these things, Woodward's treatment of the Jim Crow era itself, as well its demise, were and are excellent, and were especially provocative at the time of their writing. Based on a series of lectures delivered at the University of Virginia in 1954, the book is not annotated, and even in a third edition remains quite brief; yet it is thorough and engaging, and suffers only a bit for these points. In all, it remains not only an excellent history -- produced by one of America's finest scholars -- but also a key source document of its era, and is a very good read as well. It continues to be vital to a proper understanding of the South, as well as the whole misbegotten concept of "separate but equal."

I've read "Getting What You Came For" and other highly recommended books out there about graduate school and academics, but this one is certainly the most up-to-date, detailed, and clearly focused on those who want a tenure-track job. Although this book is written for the humanities and I'm in a social science Ph.D. program I found it very helpful and it was easy to 'translate' to my field. If you know you want an academic career I highly recommend this engaging and well thought out book.

It's about time this book was written. I wouldn't want to take a class with him, but his book is simply phenomenal.

Finally! There's no better advice for graduate students in the humanities than what Prof. Colon Semenza offers in this incredibly detailed, thoroughly honest guide. I share other readers' regret that Graduate Study for the 21st Century wasn't available when I began graduate study in English. I've recommended this essential book to everyone I know in the humanities as well as the social sciences (where Colon Semenza's insights also apply in many respects).

This book was recommended to me by a well respected professor at my university. Because I am a fairly new graduate student who plans on getting a PhD in literature and teaching as a university professor, I figured it could only be helpful to give this book a serious perusal.
It is perhaps one of the smartest things I have done in informing myself about what lies ahead. There is a plethora of information offered to those who are automatically expected to know how to go about pursuing a tenure-track position in the humanities, but ultimately, do not.
This book covers everything from CVs to what, exactly, is expected from you in the way of teaching, research, and service. There is an extensive amount of material covering the importance of conferences etc. as well as a realistic lay out of what you can expect to be doing over the next decade of your life. The book can be intimidating, and downright scary, but serious scholars must understand that reality should always be preferable to a generous "sugar coating."
Perhaps what is most refreshing about this book is that it is laid out very simply...no bombastic and/or pedantic language! Nothing annoys me more than a scholar who tries to unload his entire lexicon in one page of information.
This book has proved to be invaluable to me and has given me a number of tools to help me further my career more quickly and efficiently.
Perhaps Semenza's best advice is this: "Do not pursue a PhD unless you are absolutely OBSESSED with your field"---with all that a person is expected to endure in his/her graduate program, this statement couldn't be more true.
So, if you have any questions concerning the proper path to take in beginning your career in academics/humanities, buy this book! It is worth every penny!

I am a tenured professor of English (coicidentally, my specialty is Semenza's -- early modern drama -- I should say, however, I don't know him). For several years now I have been running workshops on the job market, serving as my department's "placement director. This is easily the best book on the topic out there, an essential work for any graduate student in the humanities. When I read it I immediately disposed of stacks of photocopies (sample letters, etc.) and stopped preparing a rather lame powerpoint presentation. Now, I simply recommend (read:insist) students take a look at this book.

Marie Browning has the Midas Touch when it comes to crafting. On my most cerebrbally challenged "daze" (I have a huge family, toddlers under three!) I can go to any of her books and choose a project that is both challenging and creative, add my own panache and have soemthing that is uniquely "Alouette." Look at her basic pocket accordion book! She has two different examples (business card and stamps) that give way to more inspiration. She is elegant, she is whimsical. Some of her ideas are very masculine, others are delicate and lady-like. (Crafters often get stumped when coming up with ideas for guys-- she has no shortage of masculine ideas!)

I have not yet started my project, but am confident that this book provides good instruction. The pictures are great, and helpful for sparking new ideas. The instruction is detailed, and there a variety of different techniques displayed. I would have liked a list of sources, instead of just "available fine art stores", but overall this was a good purchase.

I had bought another book in Amazon about scrapbooks and journals and even if it had good pictures of the final projects it lacked photos of the different passages. I have Browning's book now and really you can't go wrong. DIfferent techniques, plenty of explanations, great ideas from the simple "messages" note pad to the more complicated seeds book! I can't wait to try her ideas that I consider as a starting point for my own creativity!

I think this book is an excellent start for beginners. I have never made anything before (book, album, etc.) and once I read through the book one time I was able to make an open spine book in one day. Instructions and photos are great.

Of all the manuals that I have seen on handcrafted books, Marie Browning's is the absolute best! Her instructions are precise and easy to follow. She sets out a basic formula for making a book and goes individually through each material necessary. She illustrates the spectrum of materials that can be used for different parts of the process. A must-have for book artists!

Ken Blanchard surely knows what he's teaching. Some people can only take the words, but Ken Blanchard not only took the words, instead he elaborated them and re-defined them into greater values.

If you want to learn practical values of leadership, this book is a must.

Excellent pocket book on small to medium-sized business leadership. The beauty of this book's format is that the reader need only read one page per day to get a great impact. The book is set up so that the reader can view an inspirational quote on the left page and a summary of one of Blanchard's many books on the right page. If desired, the reader can spend only a few minutes per day on one particular subject. In addition, the summary of the particular philosophy discussed includes the name of the book from which the summary came. This allows the reader, if interested, to refer to the book referenced in order to get a more in-depth view of what is being discussed. This is a great book to give as a gift to those business leaders who have not experienced all of Blanchard's philosophies.

A book of over 75 quotes, Ken Blanchard records some of his favorite quotes and then briefly expounds on the main point of the quote. Numerous authors, famous historical figures and leadership experts such as Abraham Lincoln, Don Shula and Norman Vincent Peale are quoted in this book. Very readable and full of great advice on leadership, The Heart of a Leader is concise yet practically helpful. The author is a respected author on leadership, and so this book is appreciated as a good summary of Blancahrd's convictions and insights on leadership. I personally appreciated reading two or three quotes every day for about two months. Some quotes were obvious; some were silly but most were helpful and required thought and reflection. The style made for an easy read; it didn't require a large time commitment to glean the content of the book.

Some important topics that came through these quotes include developing leaders, encouraging those you lead, the value of a team, humility, hard work, the value of keeping a learner's attitude, high quality standards, the importance of understanding how diverse people can be, modeling good examples, morality, the importance of listening to those we lead, vision, goal setting, good communication with those we are leading, enjoying the task of leading, flexibility, the importance of good relationships, being vulnerable, and sharing leadership strategy with others. All of the above topics could probably be books in themselves, but they only get a few paragraphs each in this book. I personally found many of these quotes and the corresponding paragraph of explanation very helpful. The quotes are usually catchy, yet profound and thought inspiring.

I purchased the e-book of "Heart of a Leader." The book is chock full of great tips for a variety of situations with the justification for each tip. It is an excellent reference for any supervisor or manager.

Blanchard takes a "Chicken Soup" approach in this book, capturing the essence of the leadership parables told in his previous works in simple, concise summary format. This is a great reminder for those who have read the other works, or a great introduction for those who haven't. Either way, the essence of Blanchards' winning approach to working with, and getting things done through people is superbly presented.

Excellnt book for new comers. It really informs you of the proper procedures for starting a consulting business.

The first time I've read Tom Lambert's book, I did it because I was reading a book called "How to Read a Book", and needed a good piece of writing which would also justify my time spent reading it.

The initial objective was simply to see what the book was about, identify the main ideas and finally decide whether to buy the book or leave it where it was. I am glad that my choice was to take the book home and read it, and then apply what I'd learned from it to my personal business of being an employee, who's an internal consultant to my clients, in the various divisions of the business.

There is no doubt that Tom's work is making my life easier, the more I learn and apply the knowledge acquired from it. His work is easy to read, detailed and informative. It has been written by a Master in the art of consulting. If there were black belts awarded for this craft, Tom would be the one handing them out, so much has he know about the business of consulting.

The way I see the book is like a detailed map you would take, prior to going exploring a new and exciting land, a type of adventure that would be very rewarding, but would present a certain degree of risk if approached without appropriate preparation and with the right attitude. It has significant details in each of the 16 chapters, and caters to all consultants, from beginners to advanced.

The book opens your eyes for the perils and tribulations that are likely to lurk around the corners, and it helps you decide what to do. Personally, I liked the parts where Mr. Lambert helps one to decide whether becoming a consultant is a good idea or not; having decided to take on the profession, should you be a specialist or generalist and the pros and cons of each, and what to do to avoid trouble.

I wish I was more fluent in writing reviews. Since I am not, the best thing from my point of view is keeping it simple: If you are interested in consulting - either as someone about to begin in the profession or a seasoned professional, buy the book. Regardless of where you may be in the profession, it will be of benefit to you. Chances are that you will be entertained and educated at the same time. It is a book that is very likely to save you money in many ways, by teaching you how to market your services the right way, and what works and what doesn't when marketing your practice.

For the price you would pay for the book, there probably is not a more cost effective piece of reading, if your objective is to start well, or keep yourself on track or improve if already an old pro in the game of consulting. I believe that Tom Lambert's book is a present, a gift to be taken and used. I for one am grateful to have come across this book and refer to it often, to my great benefit.

This book is not only a valuable tool for a consultant but also it is a useful book for everyone that involves in business. Tom Lambert is a wellknown consultant with great experience in business. Thus, his book is an excellent resource about everything related to consulting. It is absolutely comprehensive and practicable book, with many useful examples from his experience and inside its pages you can find the solution for everything that you meet as a consultant. Great book!

High Income Consulting offers a comprehensive practical guidance on how to become a successful consultant. Consulting is multibillion-dollar business that is growing at a good rate. There is however a great different between good consultants and successful ones. This book put emphasize on becoming a successful consultant by teaching on how to build your practice from writing winning proposals, setting up your fees professionally and working to a contract. It further narrates low-cost yet effective techniques of marketing your practice.
It is a book for both beginners and experienced consultants as it offers advanced skills on consulting roles, strategies for each stage of consultancy assignment and how to avoid problems while maintaining good relation with the client. Thanks to the Consultant's Toolkit part, which is the action-based summary of the skills taught in the book and it can be used as a quick reference guide to both beginners and gurus.

The author of High Income Consulting, Tom Lambert, is a renowned international consultant and writer with several years experience in consulting. His book provides a practical guide to newcomers and experienced professionals on how to build and sustain very profitable, high quality professional practices that consistently provide high and secure income, irrespective of the state of the economy. The book is based on exhaustive research on what is actually done by top earners in Europe and America.

The author explains about how to develop and sustain a high income consultancy practice. He explains the tools and techniques of the profession as well as its ethics. The book teaches about being a good and successful consultant. It is an important reference book that will help the reader to develop an effective business strategy to attract and retain clients.

I have done some part-time consultancy services in the past. I was a good consultant but not a successful one as I tended to charge low fees. I had no guidance on how to price my services properly.

Having read the book, I learnt how successful consultants build their reputation, status, practice and income. I now know how to maximise my income and avoid giving my valuable services away with little or no payment.

My organisation sometimes hires consultants when the knowledge pool in the organisation has run dry. By understanding how good consultants work, I now maximise the chances of a successful relationship.

These CDs are an awesome collection of Wayne Dyer's speaking. I highly recommend it. Wayne blows the whistle on concepts that weaken us and gives clues to being powerful and effective in life. His words resonate with what I teach in parenting through my book, CDs and workshops.

The set is a collection from many talks rather than a single event,
so you get the best of what he said on one theme. Truly inspiring.

Wayne Dyer has once more produced an excellant program on creating your own reality. This time he addresses perseptions that limit your access to success. How you think about what you want to achieve results in what you achieve. It addresses dealing with obsticles and forming the relationships you have with those around you. It explains concepts in plain straight talk that you can relate too. Its an enjoyable and powerful program and I recommend you buy a copy to ad to your collection. It was and is a good investment.

I HIGHLY recommend Dr. Wayne Dyer's books and tapes and especially this one! He has a wonderful way of mixing humor with his advise. This tape can really make a difference in your life. I've purchased it for myself and several friends. He keeps things simple, yet shares profound wisdom with you that can really help you move to a happier, more fulfilled life.

Less is not always better, 3½ Stars. The original 6 tape version by Nightingale Conant will remain the 5 Star winner. This newer Abridged version leaves out some of Dr. Dyers best counsel and most entertaining passages.

I cannot say enough good things about Dr. Wayne Dyer and this cassette collection. It has changed my outlook on life. Everyone needs to listen to what Dr. Wayne has to say, it can only enhance your outlook on life. The only limits that exist are the ones that we place on ourselves. After listening to Dr. Waynes Tapes and reading his books I realize that there is nothing that I cannot accomplish if I set my mind to it. I do not feel the need any longer to worry about things that will probably never happen or that no amount of worry can prevent. I realize that yesterday is over, tommorow has not happened but today is my masterpiece to be lived to it's fullest.

A few years ago, as a college student, I had the opportunity of hearing a speaker who got his start as a copywriter at Ogilvy & Mather. While speaking, and in private group sessions, he disclosed that before going into advertising, he had just gotten his degree in Political Science, a subject totally unrelated to the fast-paced, crazy-creative, lucrative world of advertising. He bought this book, followed it to a T, built his portfolio, and was able to bluff his way into his first job in NYC. He impressed me so much, that I've been looking for this book ever since. I'm so glad that I was able to find it, (still in print, thank goodness) and am anxiously waiting for its delivery. As of December 2000, I have my degree in advertising, but I wasn't prepared for the angst of breaking into the business, and I was given so little guidance in preparing a 'book'. I think this book is really going to help.

I bought this book in the mid-80s when I was a fledgling copywriter in New York City.

It was helpful in focusing on what was important in putting my book together. But not everything in this book is a hard-and-fast fact. For example, in the author's opinion, it is okay to simply have stick figures for your visuals. But every ad person I talked with said this thinking was completely wrong. The truth is, you need to have as professional-looking a book as possible, which means you need to hire, at the very least, a professional art director to draw your visual for you. Better yet, get some photos for your ad if that is what is meant to be there.

Competition for jobs is just so fierce, you need to do whatever you can to package yourself ahead of the next guy. Great ideas are not enough anymore; they need to look great, too.

In the end, I was always given the "great book, no jobs" refrain. After three years of pounding the streets of NYC, I never got a job. There was even an ringing endorsement from a New York creative director on the back cover which read "I will give anyone who follows this book's advice an automatic interview!" I never even got a return phone call from the guy.

I would recommend this book to a beginner, but with the caveat that the ideas inside are just one person's opinion, and should not be considered gospel.

Many people ask me which book they should read to help them get a job as a copywriter. My usual answer? Get Maxine's book. It is absolutely "must" reading and the first and last word on the subject!

This is one of those books that even the laziest of readers will finish in one sitting. Alright, maybe two, but I'm pioneering a higher kind of lazy.

Many people ask me which book they should read to help them get a job as a copywriter. My usual answer? Get Maxine's book. It is absolutely "must" reading and the first and last word on the subject!

David Fogel has done a painstaking job of examining the historical record of Evolutionary Computation (EC) and recording both early and seminal papers in field. As a lecturer on EC, I have found the book to be an important, intriguing and insightful supplement to the course.

I think the book's strengths are twofold. First, that the important ideas in EC "popped up" in many earlier guises. I find it fascinating to discover concepts like "schema theory" and "bloated programs" addressed in at least a primitive form in papers going back to the 1950's. EC may be a "new science" but it clearly has deep roots. Second (and a more general point), that ideas themselves are not all that is required to do science. Timing and other factors play a role in how ideas get pushed forward and recognized by other researchers. It is a point that would be well taken by young researchers in any field.

There are some things that could be improved. One could quibble about the selection of papers, though I think Dr. Fogel's selections are well justified. For readability's sake I think the formatting of some of the papers could have been redone. Furthermore some papers might have been better presented in an abridged format. Overall, however, I think the book's minor flaws are far outweighed by its contribution to the field. Serious students in EC should definitely look at this book.

The collection of papers included in this book not only serves to explore the origins of evolutionary computation, but also shows some contributions that could had been turning points in the field but that somehow never received enough attention. The comments of David Fogel preceding each chapter are refreshing and show a deep and extensive knowledge of the field. His meticulous work of selecting, editing and commenting this valuable collection of papers certainly deserves my highest admiration. I have decided to use some of the papers contained in this book for my Graduate courses and seminars on evolutionary computation because I think that these early attempts (either successful or not) to simulate evolution in a computer must be studied by any serious EC researcher.

This is not your ordinary volume of collection of papers, this is a treasure chest for all those who truly want to understand the "evolution" of the ideas behind contemporary Evolutionary computation. David Fogel's thorough knowledge of the field and his passion for>tracking down the origins of the key ideas are evident in his introductions to each group of papers. Each time I have opened the book I have made delightful and often quite unexpected discoveries for myself. I wish to thank David Fogel for this outstanding work.

Evolutionary computation techniques (i.e., techniques based on the metaphor of natural evolution) constitute one of the most fascinating areas of computer science. Despite a long history of research spanning over several decades, evolutionary techniques are still of increasing interest because of their applicability to many real-world problems in science and engineering. However, many recent discoveries have their roots in the past (this is probably true in any discipline of science), and perforce, it is important to "look back" at some of the early developments in this field. Apart from the interesting ideas that emerged many years ago (e.g., artificial life, co-evolution, evolving computer programs, etc), a number of papers in this volume contain latent ideas that have not been fully exploited.

David Fogel accomplished a great feat by searching, reading, and selecting a collection of papers that constitute "the fossil record of evolutionary computation." This volume contains almost 30 important research articles that establish the foundations of evolutionary computation, including seminal articles written by Ingo Rechenberg, Lawrence Fogel, John Holland, Hans Bremermann, Nils Barricelli, Alex Fraser, Michael Conrad, and John Koza. All the articles were grouped carefully into meaningful units, each prefaced by an introduction written by David Fogel.

Researchers will find this volume to be an extremely interesting guide to the background of concepts of evolutionary computation. It is appropriate for anyone who is in search for such answers as: where did these techniques come from? where are they going? and what is their potential? But, above all, the book provides a unique experience of addressing the most fascinating question: "how is an idea born"? For this reason alone, this book is a must for any researcher in this or any other related field.

A rare piece of scholarship by one of the leading scientists in the field. Evolutionary Computation has only recently matured to the point of being a separate discipline. The Fossil Record is a remarkable compilation of foundational research. Fogel does an excellent job of placing each work in its historical context. In many cases, he was fortunate enough to interview these pioneers of computer science, artificial intelligence, mathematical biology, engineering, cybernetics, and evolutionary theory. As such, he provides unique insights into the motivations, methodologies, and philosophies of some of the most original thinkers in science.

Russell W. Anderson, Staff Scientist, HNC Software, and Associate Editor, IEEE Transactions on Evolutionary Computation