Careers Books

I've actively utilized several of the leadership tools provided in "Corporate Catalysts" to much success. Dan Coughlin provides thoughtful, insightful and most of the time simplistic tools (yet for some reason other books try to make it complicated) that if implemented can accelerate not only your ability to be a better leader but to gain the confidence as you take on more and more responsibility as a leader. It's a stand out in a overcrowded, over jargoned environment of business how-to books.

Coughlin's principals have succeeded in energizing an entire team of us at my office. The book's a fast and valuable read, chock full of "get-to-it" advice and counsel that requires little more than an honest assessment of one's personal work style and a determination to make it better.

Corporate Catalysts has countless applications professionally and personally. It has helped me to clarify my desired outcomes and given me a roadmap to achieve them. Although the concepts are designed to provide value over the long haul, I have noticed immediate improvement in performance and relationships using the tools Dan Coughlin has developed. I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking to add depth and breadth to their professional and personal relationships.

Dan Coughlin's book is serving as a blueprint for helping our company's young leaders hone their individual leadership skills and build stronger, more effective teams. Our creative services director was so impressed with Coughlin's ideas that she's putting together an "acceleration" course for her entire team. They will meet weekly and discuss their individual and team progress in implementing Coughlin's easy-to-follow steps for becoming corporate catalysts. I recommend this book without reservations. You might say it's deceptively simple. Sometimes the best ideas are like that. A good investment of your time and money.

People at every level at every organization struggle on a daily basis trying to understand what they can do to impact their organizations. Dan Coughlin provides a roadmap to success for each of these individuals. His ideas are straightforward, yet thought provoking. He not only tells you what to do in order to be a catalyst, he tells you what NOT to do. He masterfully uses "real world" examples and anecdotes throughout the book that make his points easy to understand and implement

In this time of self-help and how-to books it is refreshing to encounter a volume that provides the reader with a story rather than a set of exercises. Rather than "do as I say" instructions, author Brown offers to "show you one man's story." How much more engaging and inspiring this approach is!

More than a parable, Dangerous Undertaking is itself an example that story is a form of human communication that is deeper than descriptive instruction. Story provides a context and a way of connecting with what is important in the world as is what we do in the world. I expect you will, as I did, see yourself in each of the characters in this engaging book and see how to make your work (and your) life more fulfilling and important.

I am a professional Mentor for senior executives in top global organisations. Dangerous Undertakings is a rich resource for me and I have found its content delivers great insight. The senior executives I work with can automatically be measured as "great successes" by surface judgements. However, they live in a time- poor vacuum and don't have enough opportunity to do forensic management on their emotional health. This book is like a canary in a mine tunnel.I do recommend it as avaluable read.
Barbara Cail AM
Professional and Personal Mentoring Services

As a consultant, I'm constantly asking clients to change things. Often, I witness, they elect to go through some change work on themselves as part of the process. This simple, intriguing, and insightful read helped remind me about the hard work that goes into personal change--as well as the value that comes as a result. From James Brown's well developed characters and carefully ordered plot, I became absorbed and truly felt the change Neil (the student) went through. Seeing this afresh from his perspective has helped me, I believe, become a better consultant. I also witnessed how Frank (the teacher) carefully moderated what he taught vs. the topics and challenges he merely introduced. Frank never stole the value of a learning experience from Neil and that was a true gift. Two thumbs up!

I was reading the book in bed when my 13 year old son Ryan came into the bedroom and asked me about the book. Executive-John was compelled to describe the book in terms of how corporate greed and unethical business practices has challenged the new breed of "Innocent Fools" who want to work from within to make positive change. I got into greater detail with my son, describing how the book uses wonderful stories and characters, taking you further and further along the tunnel of insight. Trying harder to explain to my son the "gist" of the book, I saw my wife,Cindy, knowingly smile to my son who was patiently standing there listening. In-John, insightfully realizing what executive-John was doing, said "It's a great book." My son smiled,understood and left.

From the Opera House in Sydney to the streets of Manila (and numerous points in between), Dangerous Undertakings is a fascinating adventure that explores the question of individual purpose within organizations - is it even possible for an individual to make a difference in the world? And if so, who is best positioned to make that difference? Jim Brown expertly delves into the concepts of social responsibility and capitalism and the organization leader and manager roles in ensuring that our generation (and future generations) uses our talents and resources to make the world a better place - and fulfill our individual purposes. Dangerous Undertakings will challenge your thoughts around "being open to possibilities," along with your preconceptions of daily "coincidences" as being merely chance happenings; this book will certainly spur many a spirited dialogue among leaders and students from all walks of life!

As a local of Baltimore, I enjoyed reading a local author's input. As a past Orioles fan of our baseball team, Ron Shapiro was one of the few people I still admire and trust, from a "press" or "in the news" standpoint.

As a professional, I test hardware. I am new to this line of work and needed a base from which to learn. This book helped outline a gameplan for me to approach my day-to-day work load and also look long term at where I want to be as an employee of a Fortune 500 company.

Per the title of my review, the anecdotes Ron uses are from cool people, some everyday "Joe's" and some superstar, living the high-life people. The anecdotes apply to each idea he presents, which make them relevant. However, some of these anecdotes are very high-level and don't hammer out many details. For instance, one person might say, "You have to make a plan and stick to it!" That's great, but what was your plan and how did you execute?

I recommend this book for anyone, as the material is transitive and can be applied to any situation in life.

I am not a natural leader, but "Dare to Prepare," by Ronald M. Shapiro, gave me great insights on how preparation can create success. Following his outline minimizes time spent in the nebulous world of ideas; instead, he gives practical information to make those ideas a reality. Easy to read, well organized, practical advice that almost anyone can use. I stumbled across this book in the local library, and as I read it, I realized that I had to have my own copy. Now I refer to it as I plan meetings and projects for the workgroup I chair at church. I can't believe how much more efficient I am as a result of following Shapiro's suggestions. Business settings, civic/religious groups, social groups, even personal life decisions can all benefit from your reading this book.

I loved this book. I wish I had read this book back when I was a teenager. Better yet, I wish I had remembered to apply its messages when I tried to start my first few businesses. As a SCORE counselor I find myself preaching, yes preaching, to most of my clients about the importance of researching and writing a sound business business plan BEFORE they file for incorporation or register an LLC, get a bank account in the company name, and start generating revenues. And I read this book last night in order to see if I should recommend it to my clients so they MIGHT get the message that a sound busness plan will be their key to success. Now that I've read it - Yes, this is the book a wanta-be entrepreneur should read in order to KNOW they need a sound WRITTEN business plan.

This book has 14 chapters and an appendix:

1. Put me in coach
2. I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ and Eric Mangini
3. What's your destination? Understand your objectives
4. Someone, somewhere has done this before. Plan with precedents
5. What's the forecast? Know the alternatives
6. It's in the best interest to know their interests. Define the interests
7. Look before you leap. Set your strategy
8. When the rubber meets the road. Do a timeline
9. The right parts for the right people. Pick your team
10. What you say and how you say it. Write the script
11. The constant preparer. Adjust and learn from your mistakes
12. Confidence
13. Prepare and conquer. A mantra for effective people
14. You can get some satisfaction
Appendix: The preparation principles checklist

Chapters 1 and 2 are kind of an introduction to the book. Chapters 3 through 11 are the various preparation principles that one follows in order to hedge their bets at being successful. All these principles are important to consider when writing a business plan for a new business or doing strategic planning for an existing one. And chapters 12 through 14 cover the benefits one receives from doing the proper preparation.

The material contained in this book is obvious stuff. It's unfortunate that most of us need to be reminded that planning and preparation for a game, whatever game that is, is necessary if we want to do well. Is it a sporting competition? A test in school? A job interview? A management meeting? A contract negotiation? A closing? Qualifying for a loan? Starting a business? Or selling a business? All the big things I have accomplished in my lifetime I planned for and done the required preparation in order to succeed. Read this book and be reminded that you too must plan and prepare for the things that are important to you. 5 stars!

Success stories from the people interviewd by the authors are what makes this book really come to life. Even though the people profiled in this book are from so many diverse professions, the power of preparation carries each of them to the top. I especially like the book's core philosophy - preparation is the only aspect over a situation that one has control. Shapiro and Jordan have cleanly mapped out a systematic approach to preparation that everyone can put into place immediately after finishing this book. They even give you the preparation checklist as an appendix. I use it for every one of my sales calls, and I have noticed a BIG increase in confidence, which has allowed me to close more deals.

Dare to Prepare is probably the single most useful how to book I have ever read. And the stories are entertaining, so in addition to the tangible tools the book lends, it is also a quick read. If you're looking to improve upon your confidence so that you can perform at a higher level, check out this book.

I desperately needed this book. Not because I'm not successful; I've won many awards in my field and the last time my employer made me take a cognitive test I astonished them by getting a perfect score. No, I needed this book because I want something more. I want the next level up, the bigger stage. You know the level I'm talking about, the big-gun level. And on that level, as one person in this wonderful books states, "EVERYONE is talented." You have to be more than just talented, you have to be prepapred.

And so we have "Dare to Prepare", a brilliant distillation of the anatomy of success. The book urges to you to prepare until failure is not a possibilty, and to not waste time in the wrong types of preparation. I will not outline the tips here, as they so beautifully intergrate into the whole. People from all professions are interviewed, people with nothing in common except wild success and serious, serious preparation skills. The steps to being fully prepared for opportunity if it comes knocking and even if it doesn't flow perfectly into one another; I can safely say there isn't anyone who wouldn't benefit from following them, no matter how good you may think you already are.

That's pretty much it. A short review for me, but there isn't much more I can say. I picked up the book on a whim, began reading before bed in an effort to fall asleep, and ten minutes later was wide-awake, completely wired. Shapiro's little masterpiece will excite you, inspire you, and guide you like nothing I've read in a very long time. And in the Codemaster's book, that gets "Dare to Prepare" the rarely bestowed-

GRADE: A

A wonderful book that offers practical advice for not taking things so personally. Elayne Savage's writing is clear and easy to understand as well as being very touching. I have come away from this book with a whole new understanding of my own patterns with taking things personally and I feel now that I have some of the tools necessary to make changes in my life.

"Don't Take it Personally" is a wonderful guide to exploring the rejection encountered in family, intimate, office, and social relationships. Elayne Savage's personalized and clear style engaged me from the beginning and led me through the process of identifying, understanding and taking control of my rejection issues. Dr. Savage establishes a comfortable atmosphere to understand the impact of childhood experiences of rejection on adult relationships and expectations, and helped me to realize that I am not alone in my feelings. In fact, throughout the book I often found myself exclaiming "Wow, that's me!"

I first saw this book while browsing for something completely different. The price was right so i decided to pick it up. I really wasnt expecting much at all from it, but was pleasantly surprised to find it explained alot where behavior comes from when dealing with others in plain English. I wouldnt say it gives enough advice to do as the title says, but it does give alot of insight into re-evaluating past rejection--especailly with families. I feel this book has a lot of pontential, but unfortuantely doesnt explore things into as much depth as i would prefer. I would also have liked to see more said about approaching things and how to change instead of just exploring where certain things come from. However, it has a lot of great ideas presented clearly. All in all, a good book.

The book Dr Savage wrote was absolutely electrifying to me! I did not expect to have answers and solutions to my personal and social questions. As an example, I was stunned to realize that I cry, when my husband directs his anger at me because I was emotionally abused as a child. That was something that never occurred to me. And I better understand things like why women stay with me who are severely abusive to them. As a result of reading his book, I'm noticing when I start to sabotage my hearts desire and I can reverse that action. I think if I read this book over and over I will continue to glean true jewels of understanding about myself and those around me. I definitely take this book personally. I think everyone could use this as a guide book to improve their life and understand the people of the world a little better.

I usually find that the average self-help book could be boiled down to a long magazine article and not lose anything valuable in the process, but "Don't Take It Personally" is different. Dr. Savage is obviously a very experienced therapist; I especially like the perceptive way she explores the many reasons we allow other people's opinions and comments to wound us. I recognized my own tendencies in several of the case histories presented, and was also impressed by her canny analysis of clients' family background. I can't say that reading "Don't Take It Personally" has cured me for good of my hypersensitivity, but I do feel that I have a better grip on it: when someone criticizes me now, I'm far more likely to remind myself, "That's simply her viewpoint; she may be right or wrong, but it doesn't have to define who I am." Taking control of your own life is a great experience, and Dr. Savage's book is a useful tool for getting you there.

Raymond Aaron and sue Lacher's DOUBLE YOUR INCOME DOING WHAT YOU LOVE receives Jim Bond's fine rendition as it reveals the investment coach's tricks for making more money from a better pursuit. Six pathways to achievement are revealed in a system that shows how to set goals in all six categories every month - and how to identify what a life mission could be. The result is a survey which sets out, refines and organizes tools for a better income and lifestyle alike.

After meeting and speaking with the author of this book, Raymond Aaron has a sure fire, no BS way to totally achieve exactly what the book is titled. Dont just read this book, STUDY IT, LEARN IT, USE IT, and there's no way of even dreaming where you'll like will end up!

This is an excellent book on many levels. Firstly there is some very original and thought provoking material in it. Secondly it carries with it a straight forward goal setting action plan. Lastly, it is fully supported with additional online downloads such as the goal setting forms that Raymond recommends. This is definitely worth the investment in my opinion.

I have just finished reading 'Double your income doing what you love' by Raymond Aaron. A provocative title, to be sure! Aaron's book is a set of instructions for achieving goals using principles in tune with the much talked about `law of attraction'. Like most books in this area, this one is a mixture of good and not so good, but there are some real gems here. The following is a distillation of the important points as I saw them.

1. Set goals and record them. By setting goals you are already ahead of the game. Most people don't know where they're heading and so they can't get there. Writing goals is a powerful signal to yourself that you intend to achieve them. The feelings invoked by this process call into motion the law of attraction, which starts to operate to get things done with and for you.

2. Do what you love. Why do you love certain things and not others? Do we, in fact, have a `life mission,' as many writers suggest, or do we actually choose our experience from a smorgasbord of possibilities? Aaron assumes the former (I don't entirely agree, but this is a topic for another time) and suggests that you should focus your energies doing only what you love since this is where your passion is and when you pour your passion out, the law of attraction starts to work with you and things start happening.

3. Delegate what you don't love. The reason people procrastinate is because they don't want to do the things they're putting off. Although we've been taught that procrastination is a bad thing, in fact it is a signal that our energies are being focused in the wrong place. To get around this problem, Aaron suggests that we need to delegate tasks we don't like to others (who may well like them). Like a lot of good ideas, our modern puritanical work ethic gets in the way and we start worrying about laziness and `passing the buck.' These are not, in fact, terrible sins, but delegation doesn't imply laziness anyway, it implies using our energies more effectively. Why do something you hate when you can get someone else (who doesn't hate it and may even love it - yes, it takes all sorts to make a world) to do it for you? For me, this was the most important lesson to be gleaned from the book.

4. Develop in a holistic way. Aaron divides his areas for goal setting into six `pathways,' which he abbreviates by using the acronym MAINLY. They are:

(a) Cleaning up a Mess
(b) Acknowledging something (showing gratitude)
(c) Increasing wealth
(d) Trying something New
(e) Learning something
(f) Doing something for Yourself

Aaron suggests that you cover these areas every month. These are good suggestions in that they are specific areas for setting goals and taking action, though other ways of dividing things up might work as well. I use a four-fold way of thinking about things - money, success, relationships and happiness.

5. Celebrate success. One of Aaron's points seems to be that if you `lower the bar,' you can enjoy success much more easily, and this makes you feel good, spurring you on to greater things. He suggests using an `MTO' approach - set a minimum target (which you are almost certain you will achieve, something you'll probably do anyway), a medium target (more of a stretch) and an outrageous target. Achieving lots of little goals over a long period will all add up to make a big difference and will also probably lead to the bigger being achieved, at least now and again.

Aaron also suggests writing goals as if they have already been achieved. He invites his reader to imagine themselves at the end of the year, writing a letter of congratulations to their past self for having achieved the goals that were set. This `annual backwards goals' process has the benefit of making you feel as if you have already achieved the goals and hence invoking the law of attraction in a more powerful way.

6. Record goals in the right way. We've heard of SMART targets - Aaron takes this idea and slightly changes it as a result of his `groundbreaking research' (something of an exaggeration - what he describes is neither groundbreaking nor research in any real sense), suggesting that goals should have specific characteristics. Goals should

(a) have a deadline
(b) be measurable (e.g. go to the gym ten times this month)
(c) be brief
(d) state the intended result and not the means of getting there
(e) be stated in a positive way, not as something you are going to negate
(f) state the total number of times, not stated as (e.g.) x times per month

That goals should be well written is a point well taken, but it is down to the reader to decide whether or not to adopt this system.

Aaron goes into great detail about setting and recording goals and seems to over complicate things with a stack of forms which have to be completed in just the right way and a scoring system for assigning numbers to the completion of various goals. For people who love making lists, this might be a very motivating thing, but it will not appeal to others, whom I suspect may just find the whole process a chore. When goal setting becomes a chore, of course, that's when you're not going to get anywhere. The law of attraction is all about feeling good, excited and energized. This is where Aaron seems to fail - he appeals to one kind of person and robs the joy and passion of goal setting from everyone else. The importance of being organized and keeping track of things lest life continue to drift along is well taken, but for me he goes too far.

I felt that with all the focus on planning, recording, doing, measuring, the fundamental way that the law of attraction operates is being distorted - our job is to imagine and feel the outcomes as if they have already happened; it is not our job to minutely plan how we are going to achieve our goals.

The writing style is very simple and clear, though there is a certain lack of humility about it - at times, the prose seems too full of itself for my liking. Also, Aaron has got copyright on a lot of his made up words and phrases, such as the MAINLY pathways, and I found the ubiquitous presence of the initials TM quite annoying. I also did not appreciate the regular sales pitches for his mentoring services.

The book is worth a read and I certainly got something out of it, though I hesitate to recommend it wholeheartedly.

Raymond Aaron has written a great book about goal setting and how to achieve those goals. This book has lots of suggestions I am going to implement in my life. My favorite is the "abbreviated" one week vacations and "abbreviated" $1000 savings deposit every month (from Chapter 1) to get in the habit mentally of being able to do this things every month until it becomes reality. Even if the abbreviated versions are spending an hour reading a travel brochure on an exciting destination and $10 into savings, telling myself it's a week long vacation and a $1000 deposit will only get better in the months and years ahead.

Also Raymond's MAINLY form is a very powerful goal setting tool that makes it easier to set monthly goals and achieve them with three levels of success built into each goal. On the months I've used this form, I've achieved a lot, felt more on target for reaching my bigger goals, and most importantly feel good about the accomplishments at the end of the month. Plus the form makes it easy to monitor your progress at the end of the month. This book explains how to use the form and how it came about in a very easy to understand way.

Trust me, once you read the book and start using the MAINLY form, you're going to want to buy extra copies of the book to give to friends and family, save yourself some time and buy an extra one with your copy so you can give it away right away. Goal setting is a lot more fun when you have someone to share your victories every month with.

to truly live a meaningful life it is time to downshift. pick this up and read Simple Life and create purpose and meaning - why not add the four-hour work week to the mix. you can do this. you can live better. simply. beautifully. -beth
Simple Grace: Living a Meaningful Life

The author consulted with readers trying to slow down the hectic paces of their professional lives. He helped them cut back on work and downshift by offering real-life anecdotes. The tone of this book is serious; the advice seems solid.

Jack Drake has provided an easy to read, road mapped dialogue that is very important in today's work scenario. He recognizes the need to communicate with the thirty somethings and emphasize the importance of personal, as opposed to material, life. Well Done! The self help format should allow everyone to evaluate their individual needs. There is life after work!!

Having accomplished my own downshifting more than ten years ago I can attest that John Drake has developed a solid grasp of the needs and concerns of those thinking about a change/reduction in their work schedule. Very insightful and helpful thinking.

If you are on the fence, Downshifting will get you to move. Great psychological and spiritual insights to help live a more peace filled life.

exelent item...
realmente recomiendo este libro ya que esta escrito en una forma muy sensilla de entender.

Es un libro muy interesante, lo he recomendado a muchas personas que necesitan organizar su vida financiera, y balancera sus gastos, es una historia de facil lectura cuyo mensaje llega al lector con efectividad.

Considero este libro sin dudar un instante, el mejor libro en enseñar prosperidad. Lo hace de una manera simple y profunda. Este libro me enseño a ahorrar y a pensar en prosperidad de una manera diferente. "El hombre mas rico de Babilonia", me proporcionó las ideas y conceptos con los cuales pude adquirir todo lo necesario para vivir con tranquilidad y comodidad.
Este libro debe ser leído por toda persona que quiera construir un futuro sólido para sus seres queridos.

Tony Alcázar
Autor del libro del libro de Superación Personal:
"La Nueva Raza Latina en America - La historia de un Ilegal"

Este libro nos una percepcion sobre la riqueza. Pone nuestra mente a pensar y reflexionar sobre el dinero y la verdadera riqueza.

Para todos aquellos que constantemente nos preguntamos... cómo hago para ahorrar.... porqué no me alcanza el dinero a pesar de que año con año recibo aumentos considerables. Este libro es una excelente guía de principios para crear patrimonio. Vale la pena leerlo y empezar a desarrollar una colonia de 'esclavos' que nos ayuden a vivir mejor en el futuro.

If I could recommend one book about job hunting to all my students - this is it!

This book gets right to the point and gave me a whole new insight into the hiring process. After reading the section on negotiating I started my new job at a whopping twenty per cent more than the salary range offered! Thank you!

What I liked about this book is that every chapter packs a punch and there is not a bunch of meaningless filler between all the good information. I love the chapter 'Never go to an interview to get a job,' so true. The explanation about empathy is the best I have ever read. Great book Phil Baker!

Employers Secrets is a wealth of information. Anyone who will be looking for or changing jobs should read Phil Bakers common sense approach to finding and getting that dream position. Empoyers Secrets will be a reference book in my library.

I read alot of books and every once in awhile I find one where the author has turned an otherwise mundane subject into a creative and exciting read. After seven years in Human Resources I thought I knew all about interviewing and negotiation. Employer Secrets taught me some tricks and new insight into empathy and the art of persuasion. This is one of the most genuine self help books I have read.

This is the tell all book about the entertainment industry and braodcasting set up. I would like to recomend this book for anyone that is searching for direction when it comes down to entertainment, and how to get started.

I had the pleasure of meeting the author last fall for a workshop where she was the keynote speaker. It was inspirational and reaffirming. Entertainment Power Players, EPP for all those 'in the know, is a great resource to use for the television, film, and music business. Ms. Sterling also included in this book interviews with people in the industry. I highly recommend this book for anyone (YES, anyone) searching for contacts and information for the entertainment industry. Use it for inspiration, use it as a resource, use it to help propel you to the next level in your quest to delve deeper into the industry. It is not only a must read, but a must have.

Ms. Dackeyia Sterling has manifested a entertainment manual that really gives direct liasons with the power players you really need to know to move and shake in the respective entertainment industries. In addition to legitimate contact information, she integrates into the fabric of the manual inspirational stories and interviews of those in various facets of the arts that have beaten the odds and made strong names for themselves. The subjects she chooses are not conventional, they are diverse and often times behind the scenes. Those whose creativity has made others shine. The presentation of the manual is also top-notch. Definitely a good and smart buy for anyone who is serious about the biz, any creative biz.

I recently received my copy of Entertainment Power Players and it has been a great resource for me. It has given me plenty of contacts to use for my clients. Thank you!

I am a screenwriter and filmmaker. My career has gone through a number of stages and degrees since purchasing the first volume of this series from a business conference. It was a tremendous resource. Though the larger company contacts are ones that I could have found online, it saved me a lot of time searching (and time is money). But, the real value came in some of the other information in the book. Every significant production company in every part of the industry is listed, and there are even specific listings for more obscure segments of the industry such as animation and sound. So, information that I couldn't readily find online is now at my fingertips.

Since the first volume, I've purchased this one. My career is a little further ahead now, and still I find this to be an invaluable resource. What it does for me now is give me ideas that I would have never come to without having the book sitting in front of me. I can have one path in mind for getting something done, or for getting a project into the right hands, and as I'm looking for a phone number in this book, I'll run across another listing that makes me consider another option. I've even beat my manager to finding contacts and phone numbers at times when she was flipping through her rolodex. She was impressed.

If you're just starting out in the entertainment industry, and you've spent time online looking for agents and production companies, save yourself some time and purchase this book. If you are into your career, but still climbing, this book can only be of assistance in helping you make your way. And, if you are an industry bigwig ... well ... you or your company are probably already in the book :-)

This book covers etiquette basics for the workplace in less than 200 pages. I've read a number of etiquette books, so I have to admit I didn't find that many new concepts in the pages. I did enjoy reading it as a quick "brush-up" on things I tend to forget, though (like not trying to finish other people's sentences!!!). The book covers most of the topics you need to know for business etiquette. A few include:

Non-verbal communication
Cursing and Language
Listening Skills
Cell phones
Email
Travel
Office Space
Gender Divide
Lunch and Socializing
Interviewing & Leaving a Job Gracefully
Confronting with Courtesy

A few topics that I found especially interesting included what to do when you friend becomes your boss and how to deliver unwelcome information. Each chapter in the book is fairly short, which means it can be read quickly to grasp main concepts, but there is not a whole lot of detail. For some readers, this may fulfill their needs just fine. The author lists a bibliography at the end for those who want to research specific topics further. This book is geared towards professional office employees (like those at major corporations), although others may find the information useful. For a book more geared towards salespeople and small business owners, Business Class: Etiquette Essentials for Success at Work may be a more appropriate choice.

Overall this book is a great place to start for learning a bit of etiquette or reminding yourself of what you should be doing. For readers seeking a detailed business etiquette book, The Etiquette Advantage in Business:Personal Skills for Professional Success (a whopping 550+ pages) provides more in-depth information.

A big theme in business writing today is the importance of EQ (Emotional/Social Intelligence), the ability to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of oneself and others. The research is clear and consistent: Good leaders and highly effective people have high EQ. Whereas, most authors deal with the importance of EQ in theory, Langford gives us an owner's manual for EQ applied and she doesn't even mention the word in the book!
This is a much needed and practical "how-to" book on working and communicating with others in the 21st Century work environment. In short, Etiquette Edge is about building and deploying the character and personal brand equity needed to succeed in today's work place.
Pithy and to the point short chapters make this book a great office "devotional" - a helpful, time-efficient way to jump start a day in the office with a relevant idea to make this day more effective. I gave each of my early-career children a copy to read with a strong suggestion that if they wanted to see a penny of their inheritance, they'd better read it!

This book defies the typical stereotype of "manners' books, by its spot on feel for workplace reality, its very practical, "why to/how to" approach, and its easy, conversational style (not to mention its easy to read size!) As an executive coach, it is the one book I pass along most frequently to clients with consistent, positive feedback.

People I meet in business are often perplexed about the best way to handle many day to day interactions with their boss, their peers, their customers and even their "enemies." Dr. Beverly Langford has written a powerful book about how to act in those frequent situations where the right action is often not obvious. The book is so well organized in thirty topical chapters, I was able to skip around and read the ones that were particularly relevant to me at the time. I gave this book to my children who are just starting their careers, but I also find myself recommending it to executives who've been in the workplace for a long time--it's that helpful. It's extremely well written and is one of the most practical workplace books I've ever read. I really liked this book!

What an outstanding guide for situations that both new and seasoned business professionals invariably encounter!

Written in an easy-to-read, no-nonsense style, this book is relevant to all professionals. Whether you need to know how to engage a peer who is now your manager, or how to deal with a sometimes unprofessional and often irritating teammate, the book is full of practical guidance and invaluable insight.